Owner's response to a prior review about literal customer abuse witnessed by a nasty owner who literally yells at customers and treats diners as if he's doing them a favor by letting them wait for understaffed servers bring overpriced, mediocre Italian food is self-serving, disingenuous and completely out of touch with the reality of how bad their disregard for customers truly is. They do not pride themselves on hospitality, it's more like hostility and indifference. Originally made the point that life is too short to suffer at a place like this, given the wide variety of Italian restaurants in the area with better food, prices, service and most importantly, owners that genuinely treat customers fairly, even (and especially) when the establishment is clearly in the wrong. Read through all the reviews and see the common theme throughout many people's experiences with the same shock at the unregulated anger the owner directs toward a customer that expresses when the slightest problem with food quality, slow service, or overcharging. There was absolutely nothing personal about the original review, and nothing fake - good money was wasted on mediocre food and terrible service on too many occasions with an angry owner, and the review was just an honest assessment of a string of horrible experiences. That's how reviews work - they relate the good as well as the bad elements of an establishment and share these honest reactions with the community. What's truly disheartening is to see the owners attempting to pontificate after the fact that the review is somehow fabricated because they can't accept the reality that they're being called out (as they should be) for mistreating customers disrespectfully in a regular basis. I would never try to speak up in the moment at this place, as we've witnessed the owner literally berating customers and ruining an evening out for even mildly complaining on more occasions than I'd like to remember. At this place, their motto is "the customer is always wrong." It truly took a lot to have to write the original review and now to follow up to the owner's response, because they're anything but receptive to customer feedback. It's truly incredulous that the owner responded in this manner just because they want to promote their business. Smart diners will see through this. So take their advice if you dare, go ahead, make your own decision as they try to suggest, and work up the courage to try it out and ignore this and every other negative review ... but brace yourself, and as it's said, "buyer beware!" Just don't say you haven't been warned. read more

Food was very good. We were there on a busy Saturday night but we had a reservation and we were seated quickly. Service was flawless. It's a nice place. And I love a BYOB! read more

We drove past this place thousands of times, but somehow never tried it. Until recently. So glad we did & wish we had sooner! Thumbs up all around--delicious food, great service, nice roomy room. Definitely going back. read more

I can only imagine that some reviews are made up. However, most negative reviews are not about the food per se, but about the service. .....Negative reviews appear abundant throughout the years. This is true. Service, respect and customer courtesy does not exist from the counter personnel, ownership, and wait staff. Often rude, arrogant and penny pinching. ....They more or less make you feel that you are lucky to be served, and believe me, this place should be begging for customers. Additionally, one has to wonder about the cleanliness/sanitation factor since they leave soiled dishes in large tray's in the vestibule, and immediately in the entrance area, within the dining area. So beware read more

Came for a party. Food was served family style and super good! Service was amazing too. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Gelato cart - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

$39 for Lasagna is ridiculous !!!!!! How can you justify that? I talked to the manager or owner. He told me the sauce was made in house and no one ever complained about the price!! I don't believe it! read more

Overall good experience! We came for my mom birthday. Party of 4 on a Saturday night. The ambiance is nice. Our waiter wasn't the best but he was ok. I couldn't find him to tell him it was her birthday. Food was really good. I had the rigatoni vodka with shrimp. Really good. My boyfriend had a chicken dish that was really good. Cooked perfectly. I tried his pasta side and didn't love the regular tomato sauce but I'd be willing to try it again. My brother had the veal parm and mom had the mahi mahi special. Both of them like theirs as well. They have so many gelato and cannoli options I was overwhelmed. The waiter read them off but we all wished they were listed somewhere to make it easier no one could remember anything. I just had classic cannoli and it was delicious. Mom had lemon gelato and boyfriend had pistachio. The lemon was good. Pistachio was a little too nutty for me. Would def return. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I stumbled on to Stefano's on the way to another restaurant. We were hungry, so we decided to eat in Stefano's . It's a BYOB. The restaurant does have some outside heaters. We've dined outside at least twice. The servers were excellent each time. The first dining experience was perfection. The second experience was on the slow side along with a few other issues. We can't fault the servers on the second time. They were very apologetic. In addition, we've had take out a few times. 95% of the food is Very Very Good with the exception of a tasteless pizza. Being Italian and from Newark (back in the day) I know good pizza. My food recommendations are their "Phenomenal Fig Salad", tasty antipasto and most of their pasta. I enjoyed their entrées because they were not garlicky and not over seasoned. All of their dishes are truly eye catching!!!! From what I've been told, Stefanos and Stefano's Pizzeria have been combined because of COVID. Can't comment on delivery, because I don't live in the area. A large parking lot is available for a Stefano's Anyway, I definitely recommend this restaurant. . read more

See all

Sandra is away so Susie and I needed to eat so here we are. Haven't been here in years and I'm glad we are now back. We were greeted and seated promptly by a very nice person who was then our server. She was very knowledgeable and answered every question I had. We shared a stuffed artichoke for an appetizer. It was tasty but will say it wasn't really my cup of tea. It had way to much sauce on it and an over powering flavor of olives. I love both sauce and olives but not on this, sorry. Susie had ravioli that was in a thick tasty tomato sauce that was very good. I had a stuffed chicken dish over risotto that was fantastic. The risotto was cooked perfect and the chicken was loaded with flavor. Prices are reasonable and service was friendly and prompt. We will definitely return but I will skip the choke. Enjoy read more

See all

Been coming here for almost a decade. Legit authentic over-the-top presentation Italian fare with service to match. Formal restaurant is intimate with nice decor. Never had a meal I was disappointed with. BYOB. I've had them cater countless birthday parties. Have referred co-workers who live as far as FortLee and still frequent this spot. Food is spot on. Had the Veal Chop special tonight. Wife had the stuffed sea bass. Make reservations. Opens 430pm. Plenty of parking. For pizza or informal Check out nicely appointed pizzaria on right. They say the cannoli's are their gem, but wait until you have their lemon sorbet!!! Seriously this place is legit! Thanks for your hospitality! read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Stuffed Veal Chop Special - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

See all

We always enjoyed the food & service, but the last time we went we were extremely disappointed. We were told by two different people that " our food would be right out" and almost 2 hours later it was. Start to finish we were there three hours and not because we wanted to be. The worst part is that by the time the food came out, I didn't eat my meal and had it wrapped to go. When I went to eat my food the next day, I realized I was given someone else's leftovers. My meal was around $40 and I didn't even get to enjoy it. When I called the restaurant, they said there was nothing they can do. Very disappointing and we will not be going back unfortunately. read more

Amazing food and service ALWAYS!! Love the staff as well! The ambiance is very good too!! read more

maybe a slice of pizza, but avoid if you are looking for a restaurant. Waitress not friendly and we will never go back. appetizers are priced pretty high and they are of poor quality. just avoid this trap read more

Disappointed with the service. This place has a lot of potential. However, I went out to have a nice lunch with my mom and aunt. We all ordered lunch meals. Mine came out first. After about 15 minutes, my mom's and aunt's food was still being prepared. So, I had to eat my food before it got cold. (I don't know about anyone else, but I wait to eat until everyone else gets their food). So after I ate my food, we still had to wait an additional 15 minutes for my mom's and aunt's food. When it was delivered, the waiter didn't even make sure everything was ok and if I even wanted a plate to eat with my family. (I ordered eggplant rollatini and both my mom and aunt ordered pasta dishes). Also, when we were placing our orders, the waiter didn't even know the menu items. When we ordered "Fuscilli Amatriciana," the waiter was like "uh..." then I had to point at the menu item for him to spell it. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Just watching my mom and aunt eat - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

This place is very good authentic Italian food with great service and decor that makes you feel Like you should have in a jacket and tie. Loved it! read more

Staff was exceptional! I can not take that away from them. However, the food was a three at best for me. I did enjoy the antipasto, salad, and penne vodka. We had chicken parmigiana and fish for our meal. Chicken parmigiana over fish all the way. The fish just smelt fishy and it was salty. I was unable to finish the rest of my piece. Luckily, the chicken made up for it. The sauce they are dressing with it is very rich in tomato and seasoning. I came for a beautiful event! The staff was great and accommodating throughout the whole lunch in. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Cold Antipasto - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

Located on Route 23 south. Half is pizza parlor and other half restaurant. Do not serve pizza in restaurant. Ambiance is nice and arrive good. All the dishes with pasta were bland tasting. Fair Italian food not going back . read more

See all

We have been going to Stefano's for many years and Lu is a wonderful waitress, but on a Saturday night, you need more than one waitress. We got there at 5pm, ordered our food. We were a party of 4 and one person ordered an appetizer, well none of us got our salad until 15 minutes after she was done, then 30 minutes for our food...no one checking on us to see if we needed anything or if everything was ok. We were there for over 3 hours and never ordered coffee or dessert because we couldn't sit there any longer. The food is good, but not good enough to sit there for 3 hours and it is pricey. Lu is wonderful, but she needs help. Sorry, but we will not be back. read more

Let's start with the hostess she was a nice person but the shouting out the specials across the room to all the tables is TACKY. If this is how you want your restaurant to be represented please stop with the cafeteria style atmosphere. Secondly the eggplant rollatini were cold and tasteless sent them back to be warmed up but still no taste. Vodka and shrimp on pasta looked and tasted horrible. Chicken cacciatore also no taste. For the prices the food and atmosphere need a lot of help read more

We booked our reservation in advance for 12 people during the holiday. The food was subpar with the chicken parm soaked and runny, undercooked and the tomato sauce was bitter and tasted like it was out of a can. You could actually taste the metal in the sauce. The meat portions were tiny and the sides premade and mainly coated with commercially pre-made sauces that obviously were not checked for expiration. Nothing tasted fresh and the salad greens were sloppily tossed together, wilted and falling off the plate. The atmosphere was tense as the waiter never brought bread and took forever to actually come over to take our orders. There was no busboy either and for such a large table during the Xmas holiday season that was Ill-thought. . There was never timely service during our entire meal and we were left asking to order drinks or for correct drinks or drinks that were never served. There were 3 dinners taken back due to errors with cooking of the meat or the wrong dish altogether. We decided not to even order dessert as it took them so long just to come to our table to take our order and even longer to get our food. When we asked to speak to the manager regarding our seat placement a woman arrived at the table and was short and rude and said we have no other seating. It was clear they overbooked but didn't think that seating was inappropriate by the front door with people coming and going constantly and the door opening, and I literately froze my entire time during dinner and could not take off my coat. No one had a good time and we all left exhausted, cold and disappointed, but also surprised at how expensive the dinner was, and had to have the manager correct the bill because there were 4 added orders on the bill that we never ordered. The only thing she said about the errors was, oh well we're busy. I wish I could offer a better grade but considering the torture we endured here during our visit I cannot be prevailed to do so. So much for assumed fine dining. read more

We loved our delicious dinner and the professional and friendly wait staff. We left with full bellies and hearts. Definitely recommend for special occasions or a "treat yourself" dinning experience. Thank you for the wonderful dinner to celebrate our Mother's 80th birthday. XO read more

Stefano's Restaurant - A wonderful birthday celebration! - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

We have passed by Stefano's Ristorante for months and finally stopped in. I'm glad I didn't listen to the reviews. Our waitress Lou was very nice and friendly. They had so many specials and a great traditional Italian menu. We ordered shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, Italian wedding soup and then a fig salad. Everything came out fast and the portions were big. Everything was delicious. Our entrees were the branzino stuffed with crab and cavatelli with broccoli garlic and oil we loved everything. The bathroom was very clean and they clean every table before and after Can't wait to try the pizza. Combing back soon read more

See all

Been here many times with the family. The menu is extensive and they always have great specials. My entire family loves it here. The waitstaff is fantastic, very attentive and knows the menu better than any waiter you've seen. BYOB is also a plus. I always enjoy the artichoke (could be a meal) but always love the Seafood Malafemina its the bomb. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Extravaganza hot and cold platter - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

See all

Recently Stefano's has advertised themselves on Instagram as a "Cannoli House" and are now making several flavors. I had to try out their original. The homemade filling was one of the best I have had and the shell was buttery and flakey. I highly recommend Stefano's if you want a delicious homemade cannoli. They also have kits, so that you can fill the cannolis at home. This cannoli was $4.21. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

I love the atmosphere at this place: you definitely get that "little Italian restaurant" vibe from the second that you walk in. The food is decent and the staff is friendly. The best part is that it's a BYOB and all other prices are fair. read more

Food is excellent. Went tonight. Restaurant was over booked so any table 6 or smaller got ignored because they were understaffed. We won't be going back. We sat and waited at least 45 minutes once we finished dinners in order to get plates etc... removed and asked if we want dessert /coffee. This has to rank as our #1 overall most aggravating dining experience. Sorry stefanos but you owe everyone who dined in main dining room compensation and goodwill for putting up with being ignored. No way to run a restaurant. Your waitstaff did there best under adverse conditions. read more

I like this place a lot. I have never had a bad meal here. The food is delicious especially their specials! Service can be on the slower side but at least they do not rush you like other places do. My family has used their private room for parties as well where all have guest enjoyed themselves. They give plenty of food for their family style option and will pretty much let you chose what you would like to serve. Prices are reasonable here and you can usually snag a coupon in the local paper. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable in regards to the menu. Reservations are a definite on the weekends! read more

See all

Best reheated pizza ever! I have not had a fresh pie yet, but grabbing a slice or two is great. My husband and I ordered a rice ball with meat & peas, it could've been a little hotter in temperature, but was awesome regardless. Fresh ingredients and mild taste great sauce and presentation. We shared 3 slices of breaded eggplant, roasted red pepper and mozzarella and 1 slice if buffalo chicken (reminded me if how I used to make my homemade wings). Excellent service! We looking forward to having dinner and trying a cannoli! read more

See all

Family owned and operated, Stefano's is 1/2 pizzeria 1/2 Fine Dining and amazingly they do both really well. Nice variety of pizza for slices. I've had the rice balls a few times..sandwiches, rolls all nice. Fine Dining (call for reservations) Don't be in a rush, they are not dreadfully slow... but fresh good food takes some time. Bring your own beer or wine! (They have a corkscrew!) \\PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPECIALS// There are usually a lot of them and they are called specials because they ARE special. Things a chef will cook low and slow... like the Braised Short Rib over Risotto that I had last night. Or the appetizer plater for two (We were very happy sharing 2 at our table of 6) \\OVER EATERS GET NO DESSERT// Our group decided that we had all eaten so much, that we collectively TAPPED OUT and didn't even look at the dessert menu. We'll just consider it another reason to return. Okay... reading this over I didn't really explain how over the top delicious my Braised Short Rib over Risotto was... The spears of vegetables had just a slight crunch... The risotto was cooked with love as risotto should be. The meat... just so tender and plentiful.. I told my wife it definitely makes the list of top 20 things that I have ever eaten. Enjoy! read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Braised Beef Short Ribs over Risotto - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

We were scouting out this place for a possible private party. Four of us had a table at 7:15. Our entrees finally arrived at 9 p.m. I don't think a near two hour wait is reasonable, even on a busy Friday. Worst of all, when we inquired about the wait, we got such attitude from the waitress. Now I realize she was swamped, but all we did was ask. As for the food itself, not only mediocre but OVERPRICED. $20 for zucchini flowers that tasted like zeppolis....I get much better zucchini friti at my neighborhood pizzeria. Chicken Marsala, an easy classic, was bland and underseasoned; primavera was watery. The standout dish: shrimp alla vodka, plump shrimp over a bed of penne with rich vodka sauce. Now, it was $30 and it came with 4 shrimp but I can't deny it was tasty. Dinner for 4 (With no alcohol mind you), two apps, four entrees, was $155. A little steep for basic red sauce Italian. read more

Love the food, hate the service. There were two waitresses, one younger and one older. The older one isn't cut out for this job. Seems her only job is to sit you down, shout out the daily specials, and take your order. Never took a beverage order. Bread comes out about 10 minutes after being seated. Then 15 minutes later appetizers come out cold/warm. Soup and Salad don't come out together with everyone else, so you have to start eating while everyone else waits. Don't dare ask for grated cheese or even salt and pepper, they're not on the table. The entree is good as expected, and the wait staff bring the food and clear the table very attentively. But nobody checks up to see if everything is good, or if you need anything else. The bill for 5 adults came to $215 and so we tipped $25 in cash based on the service we received. To our surprise the waitress took the payment and came back to the table asking if the "tip was enough and wanted to give more?" Absolutely not we replied. We were extremely regular customers back in the late 2010s but moved from the area and decided to revisit tonight to celebrate Fathers Day. Like I said, the food is good but the service has gone downhill. We won't be back sad to say read more

Muscles are fresh, pasta fagioli is fantastic! Pizza was amazing and the calzone was perfect. I could not ask for a better early dinner! Service was superb and you have to try ALL of there flavors in cannolis. Every flavor was impressive! Thanks read more

The food here is so great, this is a great place to sit and celebrate with family, we go here a lot for birthday dinners, they're pasta dishes are phenomenal, the salads are huge portions that are perfect for sharing & the appetizers are out of this world. I dream of the short ribs they're my absolute favorite. This place is definitely worth a try read more

Slightly worse than mediocre food in a bland atmosphere. The interior space feels like a box with absolutely no visual interest and terrible overhead lighting. The food was sloppy Italian American fare that was extraordinarily unremarkable. People were friendly but there are other much better nearby options for a meal out. read more

Been going here for many years. Definitely the best Italian in the area. Love all their chicken dishes. Everything is made fresh to order. They use a quality cutlet, not like some places with a paper thin and stringy cutlet. The gnocchi and the Rigatoni Stefano are awesome pasta dishes. Love that you can see the thinly sliced garlic throughout both dishes. My go to for anything Italian. read more

I came here food was good but the woman helping was confused and messed up our dish. We asked for chicken Lorenzo and she brought us the chicken Lorenzo with the white sauce which was good but the linguini had the red sauce which did not go with the other sauce. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - The dish chicken Lorenzo! - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

See all

The food is always very good. This used to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants. It has been a while since I've gone here and tonight was very busy for a Wednesday. Went with my wife for her birthday. My wife did get the wrong dinner unfortunately. Not at all what she had ordered. So hungry just tried to eat it anyway. It was upsetting. I watched the manager/owner wonder like a lost puppy all night while the wait staff was slammed. I feel like more effort from management would have gone a long way. My drink was empty throughout my meal. Not giving up on them. But can't give a glowing review unfortunately. Step up the game management. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Stuffed artichoke - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey

See all

We brought my family along with my in laws here for a nice dinner a few days before Christmas. We had 4 children with us. We were there for 2 1/2 hours. The food was delicious. But service was terrible. As the kids were starving waiting for their meals we asked for more bread...we had to ask 6 times before we got it. Noone refilled waters or checked on us. When the food finally came, my son was waiting on a small side dish of plain penne...we asked for it 6 times...again... When we finally got the check there was not a free dessert or comped meal. I asked the waitress very nicely if she could maybe give us a few canollis to go as a compensation...she said no. She said the whole restaurant has to wait that long so they wouldn't compensate for anything. I was a waitress for many years and I have paid out of my own pocket to compensate people in the past...it's just bad customer service...very disappointing. read more

Had the best experience here! Food was delectable! Service on point and thoughtful courteous! We had all specials and would love to see the fig prosciutto mango salad on regular menu. I had seafood over capellini that was outstanding - my husband had Osso Buco- unbelievably great ! Highly recommend them and it's a BYOB! read more

I'm surprised that this place is only 3 starts. I thought the food was great. So much flavor and it was HOT. You don't get hot food in a lot of restaurants anymore. We got 3 pasta dishes all amazing and the calamari was so well cooked. The staff was very nice I didn't have any issues and we had 3 different works coming and assisting us while sitting outside under the nice shaded area. Great for the family, BYOB and overall have no kind of complaints. read more

Stefano's Restaurant - Cappuccino - Italian Near Me - Pompton Plains, New Jersey