We found Luigino's Parmigiano while looking for a local BYOB for an easy Saturday date night, and…read moreit turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, with both indoor and outdoor dining, but they were expecting us for our reservation and seated us right away. The front-of-house staff was warm, friendly and even remembered my husband from when he called to make the reservation. The food was the standout. I ordered the short rib, which arrived with quite the presentation, a huge bone topped with incredibly tender, shaved short rib and mixed vegetables. It was delicious and the portion was enormous. I shared some with my husband at dinner, took the rest home, and we still managed to turn the leftovers into an omelet a couple of days later! My husband ordered the double-thick pork chop and loved it. We also shared the fried shrimp and calamari appetizer, and both the marinara and aioli were excellent. One small area for improvement would be helping the younger waitstaff become a little more comfortable guiding guests through the menu. When we asked for recommendations and what dishes the restaurant was especially known for, it took a little prompting before we got to Parmigiano. Our server was perfectly nice. It just would have elevated the experience to have someone confidently say, "This is what we do exceptionally well, and here's what I recommend." Overall, though, we had exactly the kind of evening we needed. We brought a bottle of wine, relaxed, talked, enjoyed the atmosphere and genuinely felt like we had gotten away for a while. Our bill came in at the $100 range, and we left completely satisfied. Great food, generous portions, a welcoming atmosphere and excellent value. We'll absolutely return.

Come hungry. Portion sizes are almost comical, especially the excellent chicken parm and eggplant…read moreParmigiana. Table for 6 mid week lunch. Decor offers a taste of Italy and adds to the charm. Started with a few apps and a chicken parm for the table to share. The Carciofi alla Giudia, the classic Jewish-Roman deep fried artichokes were beautifully presented. A good bit firmer than you'd find in Rome but were still well enjoyed and recommended. Tonno salad with fresh seared tuna was plentiful and packed with flavor. Speaking of flavor the porchetta sandwich was rich and delicious. Really this is closer to a bbq pork than authentic porchetta but still recommended. The star of the show is the chicken parm and eggplant parm. The eggplant was delicate, thinly sliced melt in your mouth. Luckily you get a huge plate. Chicken parm is also excellent and HUGE. While there is $10 plate fee if sharing a main they are fine if you order several items and share all. Very generous with their shaved Parmesan if requested. Prices on the higher side but not all that bad considering the quantity. This feels more like the type of place you come to with a large group than as a couple. Unless of course you are very hungry. Service is excellent.

Absolutely fantastic food, wonderful service, and just a great overall experience. There are both…read moreinside and outside areas to sit (including a really cool back yard seating area as well). Wife was looking for a new local spot to try and she came upon Popolari. We live in Nutley and hadn't heard of this place yet (granted, there are a ton of great Italian spots in the area). Menu looked great so we made the short trip over. Super glad we did, now! To start, we had some delicious vegetarian arancini (cheese and mushrooms) with a delicious truffle butter sauce. Absolutely superb! So rare to find anyone doing vegetarian arancini (my wife is vegetarian). I'd get this again next time for sure. For our meals, we split a Margherita pizza and the Popolari Gnocci. The pizza was delicious. Great sauce, the fresh mozz was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the crust. The Gnocci was also wonderful. The fresh burrata wasn't skimpy and I really enjoyed the pistachio pesto. They also have a number of fresh sangrias and a small wine list, but we didn't partake this time. Would love to do a pitcher next time! Highly recommended and we can't wait to go back!

No clue what happened to this place. I used to really enjoy their food but the last two times I…read morewent have been a disappointment. I went for dinner last week, and from start to finish it was a rough experience. First, their AC was out during a heatwave, and I didn't see any clear signage about this, nor did the staff mention anything. My party and I discussed leaving, but we all really wanted pasta and decided to stay. But man was it HOT. The waiter who took our order was really lovely! We started with a pitcher of red sangria, meatballs, and a seafood platter to start. The sangria was extremely bitter, and the seafood was under-seasoned and the calamari overcooked. The meatballs were tasty, so that was a plus For my main, I ordered the carbonara, which I have had in the past and enjoyed. The waiter noted that instead of the egg (as indicated on the menu) they use heavy cream. I didn't see an issue with it as I thought it would just be used to thicken up the sauce. I was not expecting the pasta to be drenched in heavy cream sauce like a soup. It was just too milky and too heavy. I figured I could take it home and make some adjustments for lunch the next day. But the pasta actually made me sick that night, so I threw away the leftovers. As for the other entrees in our group (Spaghetti Alle Vongole and Chicken Francese) they were given an "it's okay" reaction. Sad to say I have to take Popolari off my list of places to get dinner in Bloomfield.

Visited again - 04/18/2026 with wife and SIL. This was the…read morefirst time for my SIL who loved everything she had. (The Frito Misto, Polenta Limone and the Funghi (roasted mushrooms). We've been trying to get her to come here with us and she's glad she finally did. My wife and I shared the Arugula salad, the Frito Misto... but I went with my 'normal'... Amatriciana (bucatini, guanciale & chili). Love this dish. My wife opted for the Risotto Cioppino, which she also loved. As you can see and as I've said before, we love Boschetto... and it's a BYOB!

This was a really nice Italian restaurant. It feels like an elevated pizzeria. You order and pay at…read morethe counter and then the food comes to you. The pizza was delicious! The shrimp and calamari appetizer was delicious. Free parking in the lot.

Go to the restaurant minimum once a month and there's a reason…read more Quality of the food is one of the best in north jersey along that's a BYOB MUST TRY

hands down the best food in Montclair. i have been here several times and each time its always…read moregreat. i have been trying to work through the menu, but its hard not to order the lasagna, its just that good. it is always busy but never cramped or crowded. being byob is great and there is a liquor store not far away. highly recommended

I had a very pleasant lunch experience here recently. The restaurant was not crowded, so we were…read moretold to choose our table. Our server was very friendly and attentive. I had a really delicious Bloody Mary with a nice kick of horseradish. For lunch, I ordered the Fresca pizza. This had fresh mozzarella, black olives, and artichoke hearts. It was tasty, with a good amount of toppings. Nothing fantastic, but it certainly did the trick. Also, it was a great price at $14. My husband ordered the Steak Giombatta. This dish was massive. Plenty of steak and sausage cooked with peppers and onions, all surrounded by mounds of thin fried potatoes. This is a delicious and impressive dish. We really enjoyed our meal here. I would give it a try.

This place is lively on a Friday night! What a fun atmosphere. Came here on an early Friday evening…read moreand was pleasantly surprised by the down to earth service and food. We started with the rice balls, and they were vegetarian and delicious. The vodka sauce on the side really sent us. We also got the mushroom ravioli which was rich and a bit earthy. We would love to come back here and try the pizza! This time we were full until the next day despite splitting the appetizer and entree. There was no wait but we got there just before it got packed so I would consider what time you're going.

THEE Best around! Their pastas are made fresh and in house. Whatever it is that you order is…read moresucculent and Devine - a religious experience! Staff is amazingly attentive, professional and super friendly. I like that the Chef makes an occasional appearance making it a personable experience. Prices are up there but money well spent.

Laboratorio Kitchen was a BYOB Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Montclair. It was a…read morestunning space with sleek, modern furniture and walls adorned with vibrant, colorful artwork. The service was impeccable from the moment we arrived until the second that we left. From a food perspective, our meal initiated with a basket of some of the best rolls I had ever had. They were large, fluffy, and doughy with a hint of crispiness from a light toasting. We then shared the Veal and Beef Meatball, which was gigantic but still managed to have the ideal texture. It was also beautifully seasoned and served in what the chef called his "grandma's plum tomato sauce", which was divine! The sauce was thick and hearty, so when that was paired with pecorino cheese and basil oil, it really made for a fabulous dish. I even cut off a small piece to put inside my roll with a spoonful of sauce - chef's kiss! After that, we enjoyed some of the house-made pasta dishes, tasting each in a family-style format. The Squid Ink Bucatini was tossed with scallops, shrimp, and jumbo lump crab in a seafood tomato sauce. I did not love the briny finish to the sauce or that some of the scallops were chewy. The Tagliatelle with Duck Bolognese, tomatoes, and carrots was good, but I prefer my pomodoro sauce without the addition of a "light cream". Lastly, the special Spaghetti came with lobster, crab, and peas in vodka sauce. That one was definitely my favorite. While I do not love peas, the sauce was rich and flavorful. Across these last two dishes, I thought the pasta was a tad overcooked and could have been more al dente; the bucatini consistency was more inline with my preferences. Overall, I thought the food at Laboratorio Kitchen was above average, but that the service and atmosphere helped elevate the place. I would definitely consider going back to try some of their other dishes.

My friends were visiting out of state and had this place bookmarked to try. We drove 50 minutes to…read moreget there and I think it was worth the drive. They were packed when we got there but we didn't have to wait long to get a seat. What we ordered: - Buffalo Wings - Mozzarella Sticks - French Fries - Regular Pizza - Regular Pizza with Pepperoni - White Clam Pizza - Old School Everything Pizza without Anchovies The food came out piping hot and everything we got was good. The wings were crispy and had a lot of sauce. We all enjoyed the pizzas even though bar style isn't our favorite. The only thing to note is my friend ordered a Blue Moon beer and never got it even though she even reminded them again. By the time the meal ended she was too full for a beer anyways. Honestly we don't even know if we got charged for it because we didn't examine the receipt before we paid by cash. Besides that everything went well and we would recommend this place.

I visited the Star Tavern on a Friday afternoon for a late lunch and enjoyed the food and service…read more My wife and I shared a garlic bread with mozzarella and a pizza (half 3 cheese/half white spinach) and even though the pizza is very thin it was more than enough food for us so keep that in mind if you go with multiple people and each one decides to order a pizza. Note that depending on the toppings you can order 2 different ones (half/half) but it's not available for all toppings. Pizza was tasty, I'd rate it a 8.5/10, I just wish it had a little more cheese. Garlic bread was also pretty good. I had 2 Coors light draft ($5.50 each) and my wife had a ginger ale ($3.00 and refill was free). They should offer some happy hour specials during weekdays. Service was good and waitresses were friendly. There are some tables and booths in addition to bar stools. There's a small parking lot so during peak hours you might need to find street parking.

This place has been the talk of the town for quite some time, and it is easy to see why. The…read morequality and love of this food truly shines through with every plate. Starting out with the incredible apps, the bread service is a must! Also, the brussels sprouts and meatballs were out of this world. The pasta was nothing short of extraordinary, home made cavatelli pasta, whipped ricotta with a little heat, perfection! The steak Was an absolute dream, and came with a side of crispy potatoes with a sauce on top that I absolutely could've taken a bath in! Last but not least the phenomenal chai tiramisu and cardamom olive oil cake. Wow! And check out the dim sum on Sundays !

A friend takes me to try out this filipino Continental gallery restaurant with 80's greatest music…read moreat the background 4/5 Start with great tasty bread basket. 5/5 However balance of the evening we are confusing & constantly trivial what I'm eating. Further filipino spice might not be the best interpretations of some of the American classic. Not fun 2/5

Go to when I crave Italian cuisine. Excellent service. Food is fresh and well seasoned.read more

Family! That's what…read moreI feel like when I come in through the doors! Everything has been delicious!!! Go just go and stop your shenanigans! Tell them yaya told you to come lol

Service, atmosphere, food was spectacular. Waitress was…read morefriendly, attentive. Old school Italian vibes. Shrimp beep and chicken savoy was great. Clam oreganata was good, eggplant parm was cheesy, pasta was fresh

Food. Never heard of a place without meatballs when ordering spaghetti. New one on me…read more So went with shrimp...but mistake. Obviously frozen as it had various flavors mixed into it...dry and stringy Service was poor. Sat at the bar for around q0 mins until the bartender was done talking with friends only to be told no food at the bar. Service slow..for me. Fast if you are a regular. Their mistake. No music. One lone TV. I'm sure there are better dishes but the service put me off. Not coming back. Life is too short and too many other places to try. Try to get the thin blonde as she hustles If you're a regular..good for you. If you're not..try the places. It's ok