The Oven

Great place good food good service. The owners are good guys running two different places,…read morecastaways and Lennys Pizza kudos to the server page who always goes out of her way to make the experience exactly what you would want inside is nice. They're moving to a new location soon which will be great. I'm sure they do it upright.

A good standby place for pizza, take out, delivery or dining in for Italian food. Food is good to…read moreaverage, but it works as a convenient option. What's a bit confusing or misleading is that it calls itself an "Italian Grill", yet there is nothing on the entire menu that's grilled. Repeat, there is no grilled food here. In fact, I doubt there's even a grill in the kitchen.

Outside

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Nonna's pie

Mia's Pizza and Cafe

3.4(160 reviews)

0.7 mi

Food is great workers are nice not really anything on the menu that will leave you walking out not…read moresatisfied! Atmosphere was great and so was music

Great food and great service. Beats out all the Italian restaurants in the area. Of course great…read morefood takes time and it shows when there is a line out the door for pickup.

Pizza by the slice

Margarita pie - large

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Dessert soda

Shore Slice Pizza & Grill

4.1(30 reviews)

1.2 mi

First came here 2 years ago and it was by far the best pizza in the boardwalk. We got it every…read morenight. Last year couldn't tell if it was just diminishing returns or changing. This year it's not even remotely the same pizza. Still ok for boardwalk pizza and reasonable price but they must have changed owners or recipes or something. Had it once then we never went back.

Delicious food. Very kind staff. Love to eat here. Thank you. Clean place to eat…read more My first time here. And will come back. Thank you for your service

Entrance

Pizza

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Little Mias

2.4(129 reviews)

0.2 mi

This place has good pizza, good slices that were reheated quickly. There's a lot of staff and a lot…read moreof orders coming in, both inside and outside the building. There are a lot of complaints about the pizza, but people keep coming back, and I thought it was really good. I ordered several slices, and they were a reasonable price with a reasonable wait time. I was in and out in 5 minutes even though there were a lot of people. Both the inside and outside seemed very busy, all the tables were taken, and people were enjoying their meals. Everything looked really good. It felt like a staple, and everything was very inviting. The cashiers, the waitstaff, everything ran like a well oiled machine. Not the absolute best pizza ever, but really good and definitely hits the spot.

Very disappointing experience -- and no response from management…read more We placed an online takeout order from Little Mia's in Lavallette on Saturday, August 1, and were given a 7:00 PM pickup time. We arrived at 7:00 only to find out that our vegetable pizza hadn't even been made yet. Meanwhile, our pasta dishes were already finished and sitting on the counter with the salads placed on top of them. While we waited for the pizza, the pasta was getting cold and the salads were getting warm and wilted. Unfortunately, the customer service made the situation even worse. The woman working behind the counter was extremely short, rude, and visibly irritated with customers. We were initially told it would be another 10 minutes. About 20 minutes later, when another customer asked about his order, she became aggressive and dismissive toward both him and me. At one point, she even attempted to cancel our order even though it had already been paid for online. When we finally received our food and got home, we discovered that the vegetable pizza had clearly been rushed. The dough was not cooked all the way through, and there were holes in the crust. You couldn't even pick up a slice without it falling apart--we had to eat it with a fork. Our order totaled over $74, including an online convenience charge and non-cash adjustment. For that price, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the food to be properly prepared and reasonably close to the promised pickup time. What is especially disappointing is that I emailed the restaurant directly about this experience before posting a public review. I explained exactly what happened and gave them an opportunity to address it. It has now been more than two weeks, and I have received no response whatsoever. Mistakes happen, restaurants get busy, and I completely understand that a Saturday night at the shore can be hectic. What bothered me most was how the situation was handled, the condition of the food we ultimately received, and now the complete lack of response after reaching out privately. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I can't recommend Little Mia's.

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Little Mia's Pizza

2.8(51 reviews)

1.5 mi

Decided to try somewhere different and all I can say, I am so glad I did. I ordered cavatelli and…read morebroccol, garlic knots and zeppoles. I can't even say which one was my favorite! It was all delicious and I can't wait to try more at Little Mia's!

Have to say very good wings. But the pizza is one of the worst pizzas I've had and the staff was…read morevery rude. Won't be coming back here again

Grilled chicken and BLT wrap

Sausage and peppers

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Antipasto salad

The Crab's Claw Inn

3.2(608 reviews)

0.7 mi

Such a fun spot. When staying at the Shore, highly recommend going to the Crab's Claw Inn for solid…read moreseafood fare and a good time. We went to Crab's Claw Inn for lunch, and arrived around opening hours near 11:00am. This is def a hot spot, so would recommend getting there upon opening or just the understanding that you may need to wait a bit for a table...especially in the evening hours. They have a great bar inside (highly recommend the Bloody Mary's) and also an exterior bar for those waiting/hanging. I love the idea of the outside bar. The night we grabbed a drink from the outside bar, they had live music and we sat front row on one of the benches. I think they also have live music on certain nights inside as well ~ such a great vibe, service/staff, and local hang. I loved the crab chowder and still think about it to this day..I even ordered two cups in one sitting which never happens! The Crab's Claw Fish Sando and Coconut Shrimp Tacos were standouts, not so much fans of the Pierogis to start. All in all, next time we're in the area we will def be back to enjoy summer tunes on a hot night.

Date night with hubby! He chose The Crab's Claw Inn so after…read moredinner we could take a stroll on the beach. We sat outside on a high top. There was live music! Absolutely love the lobster roll! I have tried different cocktails here but have not been very impressed the last few visits! I only enjoyed the Pina Colada that I ordered inside the restaurant! On the Fourth of July. So last night I ordered a pistachio martini as my dessert! Pistachio martini rimmed with crushed pistachios that's what was on the menu! The Server Christian did say the martini would be served in a plastic cup. I said ok! But was disappointed no martini glass stem. Well got a pistachio martini in a plastic cup! Was not tasty And filled with iced! No pistachio rim! Took a few sips and it just wasn't worth the calories. Left disappointed! Had to google are martini's ever served with ice ? Google response: No, traditional martinis are served "up" in a stem glass without ice. The drink is chilled and diluted by being stirred or shaken with ice, but the ice is strained out before pouring! Maybe have an outdoor no frills cocktail menu for the outdoor seating areas! Stating served in plastic cups, Filled with ice and no garnishes! And reduce the price for the no fills cocktails. :(

Fish & Chips

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2 Coconut Shrimp Tacos

Gigi’s Restaurant

3.3(56 reviews)

0.5 mi

Visited Gigi's with my girlfriends and had a wonderful experience. It's a BYOB so we brought our…read moreown wine. We ordered the calamari and rice balls and they were delicious. All three of us ordered the chicken parm with vodka sauce and we're still raving about it. The service was great, the ambience is very casual. Would definitely recommend Gigi's.

Pro: Service was great, accommodated a larger party with short notice…read more Cons: Undercooked meatballs had to be re-cooked Seafood dish that shrimp and crab came with no shrimp (same experience as our previous visit). After 2 negative experiences we will not be back.

Lobster shooter

Chicken vodka parm

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Broccoli rabe & sausage pizza - cooked perfect!

Montes Cafe

4.2(73 reviews)

1.5 mi

Our first night on our short weekend getaway and we didn't want anything fancy. Luckily we found…read moreMonte's Cafe and some absolutely fantastic food! Started with chips and salsa - made on-site and they also brought us three sauces, also made on-site - a jalapeño sauce, a red sauce and a tomatillo sauce. 100% recommend-all were delicious. We decided to split our meals and ordered a chicken burrito and the shrimp quesadillas. The burrito was very tasty, with what seemed like freshly made refried beans and delicious chicken. A little too much rice for me, I would have preferred less rice and maybe some grilled onions and peppers. The shrimp quesadillas were NOT what we expected. The shell seemed almost flash fried and in addition to the shrimp it had lettuce and melted manchego cheese. It was really, REALLY good. Service was great and we weren't rushed. There were four other tables filled while we were there and three of them were speaking Spanish which made me feel like we chose the right place. Seriously, I felt like the food here was made someone who'd been cooking like this for decades. A very cool little restaurant that I cannot recommend enough! Great food, great service, and a great location. (Sorry, forgot to take pics here)

Five are definitely earned. Monte's is amazing. Go there weekly beat authentic Mexican around for…read morea decent price

Dinners Mole Taquitos

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Used To Be's

3.1(164 reviews)

3.7 mi

Always a wonderful experience when I am there. Went recently for Lobster Night Mondays. Had two…read moretwin tails with vegetable and potato. Plus they have 20% off wine that night too. I highly recommend. And the staff is awesome too!

attempted to eat here again after years of staying away because of undercooked chicken, which was…read moreundercooked due to the fact that it was "organic" and she said organic chicken cooks differently !!!!!!! LMAO. Went back with a friend a few months ago because everything deserves a second chance had a couple of drinks at the bar and some appetizers ....wound up sick all night that night. The drinks were fine. The bartender was pleasant. The food experience is either undercooked because it's "organic"LMFAO or it'll give you the trots all night long!!

Bar

Chicken Murphy

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Kane IPA

Blue Sushi

3.8(35 reviews)

2.4 mi

Old location was incredible. However, the past 2-3 summers have been atrocious. The food is still…read moregood, but a takeout order ranges from 75-150 minutes to be fulfilled. Sit down is not much better, as you're being serviced by kids. It's awesome to have summer jobs for locals, but when you have very few cooks and are being served by people who are going back to HS/University next month, it's really bad. If you really want sushi in Normandy, give yourself a few hours, otherwise go elsewhere.

Not sure why there are two separate listings for Blu Sushi on Yelp (one of them is a three star…read morerating and the other is a four star rating). It's also a little confusing that here on Yelp it is called Blu ,spelt "BLU" and the sign in front of the restaurant spells it "BLUE" Sushi. The dual listing and dual spelling are both are minor points but it may be indicative that this sushi restaurant is a little disorganized. The staff are lovely, smiley people, and their service is good. We chose to sit outside which has much better ambience in my opinion. The sushi is good, my only negative is that the pieces are rather small, especially given the high price. Still, it's the only sushi between Lavallette and Point Pleasant, so that may account for the appeal.

Clear Soup

Vegetable udon

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Green Salad

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19 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Nick M.

10 years ago

I've read some of the other reviews, especially like the one where she's hit by the cement truck. what kind of moron runs into the street from a bug? Anyway last night I was hungry and it was late. I didn't want Goerges pizza from the boardwalk since we had it 2 days before and it tasted like they put sauce and cheese on cardboard. The oven however reminded me of NY style pizza. great sauce.great cheese and done to perfection. I also ordered an Italian sub and that too was good. I just wish they were in Pa because they'd be my place for pizza. GOOD JOB TO ALL THAT WORKED WEDNESDAY NIGHT KEEP IT UP! read more

Dennis F.

6 years ago

Don't like to trash a business during these time , but The Oven Pizzeria deserves it. Ordered a Pizza for pick up told 1 hour will be ready go in an hour wait a half hour and they don't even have the order after asking 5 times and no sorry all they say is were backed up appears the people that run the place and work there are idiots. They made no accommodation for their ineptitude the dope pizza maker just shrugs his shoulders like a blithering idiot. If you don.t know how to run a business don't. I sure hope none of my tax dollars went to this disaster. read more

Bev K.

9 years ago

Absolutely love coming to The Oven! We have a house in Lavallette and it is always good to see the same workers coming back each summer. They do a really great job remembering their regulars and are always making meaningful conversation with their customers. Although the food is really good, the atmosphere that the employees create tops it off. 5 stars to them! Sure, on a busy Friday night you have to wait a few extra minutes for a pie, but hey, it's worth it! They only have one oven and tons of orders so they do their best! read more

Amy B.

10 years ago

Honestly, as good as it gets down the shore. If you are looking for an easy and great place to eat, The Oven is your place! Food is classic Italian, servers are amicable and fast, and the prices are definitely reasonable. Haven't yet had a meal here that I didn't like!! Also try the Lavallette Pizzeria, I believe it's the same owners and the pizza is fantastic! read more

Sawyer H.

9 years ago

Visited lavallette for the first time, a friend recommended this establishment to me. I was hesitant at first, but was pleasantly surprised. I ordered of the the specials menu and my meal was fabulous The service was superb, and the dining room was fresh and clean. Will definitely be coming back next time I visit the Jersey shore. read more

Alex E.

113

9 years ago

I'm normally pretty skeptical when it comes to trying new Italian restaurants but when my friend picked The Oven to have our lunch and I was blown away. The food was great, the waiting staff was so accommodating and friendly and the atmosphere was just so pleasant. I'll definitely be back for more! read more

Ben S.

9 years ago

Food is amazing! I was just in tonight and I had the trio italiano parm style from the specials and it did not disappoint. The servers are all very sweet and want to provide the best service possible. Overall, I would recommend! Despite what some reviews say, The Oven does take credit cards now. read more

Jamie J.

14 years ago

I took my family here and we all enjoyed the food. My Father got Veal Parm. and said that it was the best he had ever eaten. all of the seafood was perfect and very flavorful. The kids had Spaghetti and Meatballs, and wanted more! the waitresses are very nice and i would definitely come back! read more

Daniielle I.

14 years ago

I love coming here! The service is great and everyone has a smile on their face. There is usually a wait on a nice summer day, but it is definitely worth the wait!! My family basically lives at this restaurant. i would recommend everyone to try it. read more

Local S.

7 years ago

This place has some strange cats working looks like they all did a prison sentence. Also they have a lot of traffic after 10 pm no tables to serve. What are they doing not food related for sure if someone has extra Narcan leave it in the tip jar read more

Speedy 1.

2 years ago

The food here exceptional, amazing. It truly did mark everything on my list. service was amazing. The ambience in the restaurant was truly good with the views of the highway and the bay. read more

Danielle I.

10 years ago

Love eating here! Their waitresses are amazing and I love seeing some of them again and again every summer. The chicken francese is my favorite dish to get here. It never disappoints. read more

Matt N.

14 years ago

probably the best chicken and pasta i have ever had. great place in a great location right near the beach a great place to go and have a slice after a long day in the sun. read more

Jenna H.

2 years ago

very good service I was staying a block away from the oven in the summer time and was always in there getting pizza and the staff is very nice read more

Jenn B.

10 years ago

Good food. Great service. Highly recommended. We ordered off of the special menu and we were not disappointed. Staff was attentive and fun. read more

Diana R.

2 years ago

The food was very good and the staff was very funny. I spend my time talking to them and it was very good trip to the oven pizzeria.

Emanuele I.

6 years ago

Great Pizza and great people,old school place , Owner tells me they opened in 1962.The best pizza on the jersey shore! read more

Stacey S.

16 years ago

Great pizza! This is one of the best pizza's in Lava. You won't be disappointed.

Antskiii M.

4 years ago

L ass place Shit mid mid mid mid

The Oven - pizza - Updated September 2026

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