Great food but space is limited and the noise level is to the extreme. Are our food and left quickly thereafter.

I just moved near by and have been trying out a few places in the area. This place is beyond amazing! The staff so nice, I really felt like I was in someone's house and being attended to my every need. Besides the service the food was great I am a picky Italian eater and I can say yes I will return as a regular customer!!! My bf had the rodizio and I had pasta w seafood everything was delish to a perfection. read more

Trattoria Il Cafone - Gnocchi w shrimp and calamari with vodka sauce - Italian Near Me - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

4 and a half stars: Excellent place for high-quality Italian. Read on... Have you ever heard of the story of Sisyphus in Greek Mythology? Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a mountain for the rest of eternity. Every time he got near the top of the mountain, the boulder would roll over him, crush him and he would die. He would have to repeat this every day for the rest of eternity as punishment. While going to this restaurant was certainly a pleasure, I kind of felt like Sisyphus in giving this review. Every time I wanted to give this place 5 stars, something crushed my desire to. Here's the breakdown Food: 4 and a half stars: The bread that came with the meal was outstanding and unique. It can best be described as foccacia breadsticks which came with a nice herb-infused olive oil that really started the meal off nicely. For our appetizer we tried the polenta with gorgonzola and mushroom which was out-of-this-world but not at all what I expected. I was expecting a block of polenta with a crispy top and sauce over it. Instead we were served little squares of polenta in what could be best describes as cheesy mushroom soup. It felt more like a cream of mushroom soup with polenta squares but it was divine. The polenta was cooked perfectly and the mushroom gorgonzola sauce was decadent to the point of ridiculous. The appetizer alone was probably 3,000 calories. For our entrees my girlfriend got the paperdelle with mozzarella and tomato sauce while I got the baked veal lasagna. My lasagna was very good and overflowing with cheese but it was a little disappointing. They really didn't put that much veal into it. The veal they did put in was ground veal which tasted more like chopped meat. They also didn't put a lot of sauce in the lasagna. It tasted like a block of cheese with some pasta. Don't get me wrong, the lasagna was really good, it just lacked certain elements that would have turned a good dish into a great dish ( For what it's worth, lasagna to me is the test of a good Italian Restaurant) I sampled my girlfriend's papperdelle which they claimed was homemade pasta. It definitely was. It had the texture you look for in homemade pasta. The noodles were butter soft and nearly dissolved upon chewing. The sauce while simple was very good and once again overflowing with cheese. The tomato sauce was more of a cream sauce which I found unusual since it was not explicitly stated on the menu but it was still tasty. They have a habit of putting cream in everything which while good, sometimes isn't necessary. However, I was impressed with how they turned a simple dish into a homerun. I was impressed with both dishes but I feel that they missed an opportunity to present 5 star cuisine. The absence of certain little details prevent me from giving the food 5 stars For example, one thing they did which made no sense was they put a noodle note of ketchup (Yes, you read that right) on the rim of our entrée plates. I have no idea why they did that but it made no sense. It was strange. For dessert, we had a chocolate lava cake with ice cream which was ok but nothing to write about. Service: 4 and a half stars Service was very professional and competent. Refills were attended to quickly and the wait staff worked in clocklike fashion to ensure a pleasant experience. One thing I liked was that they did not hover over us or make unnecessary conversation. They also us to breathe and relax without feeling rushed. Atmosphere: 4 and a half stars The restaurant is beautiful yet understated. The roof and architecture of the restaurant look like an Irish Cottage but the bottom looks like a traditional Italian place. The place is immaculate and well spaced with an understated simplicity. Traditional paintings adorn the wall and add a classy feel to the place. The bathrooms are also really clean. Verdict: This is an excellent Italian place that you should definitely try. It is as close to 5 stars as I can give it without it being 5 stars. Furthermore, it is extremely reasonably priced. I absolutely recommend it. Hopefully they will get better and become a 5 star place read more

I'm not sure it's traditional, but the food was delectable. At the request of my bf, we ordered the polenta appetizer. Not being a polenta fan, I agreed to be a good sport and tried it. O.M.G. It was luscious. It appeared to be a potato soup, but was actually chunks of polenta sitting in a tantalizing cream with tons of mushrooms providing texture. Unless you're strictly dieting, this is a must-order. (yes, dear, you were right). I had a homemade pasta dish (papardelle with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), which was also wonderful. The paperdelle was a bit toothsome and had a perfect hold on the sauce, which actually turned out to also be cream-based. I'll enjoy it for lunch a couple times this week too since I have so much leftover! The bf had a veal lasagna, which he also enjoyed although he mentioned that it didn't have the amount of veal he had expected. Our chocolate volcano dessert was pretty good, but didn't really stand up to the rest of the meal. There was a really strange musical note on the dinner plate that was made in BBQ-like sauce (I think) that was a mistake... I would have been really disappointed if that had wound up in the dish itself by accident, tainting the food. I almost forgot the breadsticks! They were odd but in a wonderful way, and were accompanied by a terrific herbed olive oil. Service was really nice and attentive, without crowding us, although at times it felt a bit uncomfortable even though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. The bill for the 2 of us was around $55 - not bad!!! The restaurant and restroom facilities were clean and simple. Parking on the street was easy, but there's also a lot in the back. Why not 5 stars? I just can't get there for some reason. Don't get me wrong, it was great Italian food in a nice setting... I think I was missing the "wow" factor or something. I'll be back to reassess! Absolutely check this place out if you're in the area. read more

My boyfriend and I walk into the restaurant. We sat down for about 10 mins. All we got was the bread. We didn't even get water not the menu. No one was there to greet us. This is the worst service I'd ever experienced. read more

I don't know how this place has been rated so highly. We came to Trattoria il Cafone tonight for dinner (a Sunday) because my friend's bridal shower will be held there in a few weeks. There were hardly any patrons, which raised some concern, but since it had good reviews on Yelp we ignored this tell-tale sign of failure. We were quickly shown to our table and offered drinks, but we're given no menus, until the drinks were actually served. We ordered 3 pasta dishes and a caprese salad. I knew there were days when rodizio is offered, and assumed that Sunday was not one of them because it was not mentioned on the menu. We noticed that a table of Brazilian patrons, however, were being served meat on skewers. WTF? When we asked about it, our waitress clumsily listed off items offered on the rodizio menu and never apologized for failing to bring us the menu. "Come back next week and try it," she said. I don't think so. As for the food we ordered? Each pasta dish, which should have had a unique taste and pesentation, was doused in the same cream-based, pink, tomato sauce. Nothing about them said "fresh" or "homemade". We're just at the tail end of prime tomato season, and even the caprese tomatoes were pale and flavorless. There was hardly any basil, no olive oil or vinegar, and dried oregano was sprinkled on top. So sub-par... read more

I would normally write a great review for this restaurant but I am so disappointed. We saw that they were open until 10 pm and we were starving. We got there at 9:00 and they told us the kitchen was closed. read more

Good food. Although last time I was there I was embarrassed on mother's day when I had discovered the waiters were the boss. I had a "new at the job" waitress which I don't mind and give more kindness and understanding to because I know it's not an easy job. But then the waiter who seems to run the place slapped me with a automatic 22% tip for training his new employee and wasn't around to justify it. So I approached the owners wife sitting at the bar. I was the only one in the place being it just opened for the day and there excuse was that it was a busy day. Like I said, good food but I'm not going back if I'm a business transaction instead of a customer. The owner should take control and not let his employee do it on his behalf. There may be others who experienced the same. For the record: The owners are good folks. read more

I've been to this restaurant a couple of times and the food it's very good. The staff is friendly and the lady owner it's very attentive. The decor it's just okay but the food makes up for it. My favorite it's the penne vodka with shrimp. read more

So disappointing in every aspect from service to food quality. Terrible Caparinhas made badly and just very sub par service as well as being over priced for what you get. Ordered a mixed drink because they don't even have Italian wines on their list. First red flag. They offer cheap crappy Canyon Road, French varietals only. You got to be kidding. Can't imagine this place lasting. Had to call the servers over several times to ask them for everything. I just left the place utterly upset. What a joke!! Worst Italian restaurant I've ever been to. read more

This place used to be amazing for a large, hearty, Italian mean. Oddly enough, it used to be a great spot for rodizio as well. Our last experience was not so great. You can tell the poor economy hit this place. Prices have stayed the same, yet portions and quality have been cut. Don't even bother with rodizio. Now, steak, short ribs, pork and bacon wrapped filet minion have been replaced with chicken wings, turkey breasts and drumsticks. I have never seen such a thing. It was both sad and aggravating at the same time. Also, the once very friendly staff was very stiff and cold. It was odd. Appetizer portions have been cut in half. Dinner is still pretty reliable (unless your dinner is rodizio), but my last experience was pretty bad and I can see the directions things are going in, so I will not be back. read more

We've been here before years ago and as best as I can remember we enjoyed Il Cafone very much. Now it's gotten even better! For one, they've added a rodizio option as well as a full bar. Yes, they still allow BYOB and I'm not sure how that's possible. This is the one and only place I've been to that allows for both. For me, this is really fantastic and worth coming back for just for this point. We came with a group of 6 total and everyone loved their meals. I had the rodizio... which came with an appetizer and a pasta entree (a choice of 3 pastas)... and the meats. I started with the polenta with Gorgonzola and mushrooms as an appetizer, which was very very good. Not to thick and rich... just right. I could have had that as a meal it was so good. For the pasta I opted for their gnocchi in a 'light' vodka sauce. This had to be the best gnocchi I've ever had. I will admit I'm not a big gnocchi fan, but that may be because the "homemade" gnocchi I previously had was always seemed heavier and dense, almost chewy. At Il Cafone, they were so light and fluffy they just melted in your mouth. They were in a vodka sauce with bits of sun dried tomatoes. Just excellent! My wife tried them and we both agreed on how so very good they were. The rodizio was also very good. I didn't get all the meats they offered, but what I did have was tasty and tender and I certainly had more than enough to eat. I particularly like picañha (beef) which I have only been able to find in a rodizio or Brazilian restaurant. It is supposed to be cooked with lots of salt, so those who complained about the meat being to salty... this could be the cut of meat they found salty as well as the reason they found it salty. That's been the recipe every time I've looked it up and made it at home. (You can find picañha at a Portuguese butcher further down Ridge Road in North Arlington if you want to try it at home.) My wife had the zuppa de pesce which she liked very much. Shrimp tender and not over cooked and served in a nice broth/wine sauce. Like I said, everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. (Can't remember what they all had, but only I had the rodizio.) We shared some tiramisu which, like everything else was light and airy. Not to filling after all that meat! The service was very friendly and accommodating too. The place got busy after we got here, but we were still taken care of very well. I'm looking forward until the next time I have to get some rodizio. read more

Very good food, attentive service and plentiful portions. Everything was fresh and well prepared. We were three people and ordered different things, each flavored very well and each was different from the others. Desserts made in house and are worth the calories. Unexpectedly good Caparenas! read more

This place is a must go to!! Come during the week before 7pm and qualify for their special dinner menu which is only $17.95/person. It includes a choice of appetizer for each person, a choice of entree (from a very Extensive list) and a dessert! For my entree selection, I went with the gnocchi, which was probably the best gnocchi I've ever had. The gnocchi was super soft and tasted like it was made right before ordering. I've heard from culinary experts that gnocchi should taste light (like soft pillows....lol) and it sure did haha. The other people whom I dined with ordered the chicken parmigiana and lasagna which they claimed it was delicious. The only downside to this dining experience was the service. They were super busy and only had two waiters and the owner taking orders and serving dishes. We waited for about 15 minutes after we sat down to have someone come to take our drink/entree selections. Other than that, You definitely won't leave with an empty stomach! read more

The food here is Average. I had a risotto that was like soup very disappointing I would not go back for what they charge. Pisano's in Rutherford is far superior read more

We have been coming to il cafone for years ( long enough that we have seen them expand twice . They have gone from a one unit Italian restaurant to creating enough room to make a party room, a nice bar with tvs , and a rodizio ( yes odd butttt the owner and chef is actually Brazilian !) The ambiance is old school , homey , and casual. The owner/ chef and his wife are beyond nice and are often walking around greeting people . The waiting staff is great and always on top of things as well . Il cafone is the type of place where if they see you enough they will remember you and often you are greeted with kisses by all the staff ; you feel like family ! The food here is always good , portion sizes are grand , and the prices are very reasonable which gives it its 5 stars for a casual Italian restaurant . Some of my favorites include the stuffed thick cut pork chop , creamy polenta appetizer , monk fish ( when then have it ) , and my wife always gets their pasta with vodka sauce. The other night they had rack of lamb as a special which was cooked perfectly , fantastically seasoned , and I was 4 chops . Il cafone is a great local place to go and as you'll see is alway busy . 6/19: another great meal at Il Cafone . Like always even with a party of 12, the food was great, brought out in a timely manner , and nice and hot. The staff and owners continue to make every experience worth while ! Thanks for a great Father's Day. read more

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This restaurant has delicious food I have never had a meal that didn't satisfy me. I have brought people with me and they have returned with me and with out me. Last time there I had a Pork Chop on the bone stuffed with prosciutto and Mozzarella, the sauce was Marsala with a side of pasta. This was DELICIOUS. The Polenta is one of my favorite apps along with the fried Calamari! The price is right off the regular menu, but Monday tru Thursday the have an early bird menu that can't be beat, an App, Salad choice of the early bird menu and a dessert. Service is attentive and I would recommend this restaurant for a casual, relaxing dinner with friends or couples. It's a BYOB! Try it you won't be disappointed. read more

We prefer the main dining room for seating rather than the Rodizio room for our party as it was too noisy in the Rodizio room. As in the past, however, the food served was delicious and appropriately priced ($25 -$35) for our budget. read more

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Amazing, get the chicken parmigiana. I have heard so many amazing things. I cried it was so good, not to be missed. The sunset dinner is so much food for just 25 dollar read more

We went for a communion and the service was awful. Just pitiful. They didn't get any of our orders correct and they even wrote it down by seat number. Give me a break. The room was super dark and you couldn't anything. read more

Very pleased with this restaurant.. the food was fresh and so delicious.. ordered bruschetta (best I've ever had) Peito piccata chicken ( so tasty) and for dessert the fried ice cream (Amazing!) ..Prices are reasonable.. Can't wait to go again read more

A total hit! I am so picky when it comes to Italian food so I keep my expectations in check when trying new places...so I was totally in shock when I ate here. It was AMAZING! We shared a bunch of appetizers, including the fried calamari which was tender and fresh. I ordered a veal cutlet entree over a bed of arugula salad and I am still thinking about this meal WEEKS LATER...it was that good. We had a pitcher of sangria, which was delicious. Totally amazing dinner and even better prices, so it was a great experience overall. They also said they have a BYOB option as well, good to know for the future. I will be returning for that VEAL MEAL very soon!! read more

Delicious food, very attentive stuff. My personal favorite Chicken Marsala and Shrimp Scampi. With the recent addition of Brazilian Ridizio you can't go wrong. read more

Trattoria Il Cafone - Pumpkin seafood special! - Italian Near Me - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

If you're looking for a fancy, sophisticated, urban scene this might not be your cup of tea. But if you're interested in excellent authentic Italian food made with fresh ingredients, great friendly service...then try this place. You won't regret it. To start off there is convenient free parking behind the building. It's BYOB, so take advantage and splurge on your favorite wine. If you forget, there's a liquor store nearby. My best friend and I walked in on a Saturday evening without reservations. We were met by the chef's wife who was friendly and welcoming. We were promptly seated and the waiter graciously opened and served our brought from home bottle of wine. Glancing around, most guests did too. I was pleasantly surprised by the long list of specials.. appetizers and entrees galore! These were far more interesting choices but the menu is still available for those tried and true dishes. Everything was delicious from antipasto to dessert. I'll definitely be going back soon. Buon appetito! read more

The pasta here is amazing every time. I also enjoy their friendly staff. My family and I come here often.

We went there for dinner this week and sat at an outside table. The food was very good though we would have liked to see more capers on the chicken piccata. The prices are fair and the portions were huge, 4 pieces of chicken per dish. The service was ok. The tables outside were fairly close together and it's noisy being on a busy road with lots of people walking by. I miss the dinner specials but kind of expect changes due to COVID. A problem is that there's a bird's nest in the awning above where we sat. It was noisy and we were afraid of any gifts that the bird may send our way while dining. Also, have been noticing a homeless man sitting at the outdoor seating area each afternoon this week. Though I feel sorry for him, it's not pleasant to see. read more

Amazing ! I live in town and first time i went, waitress was awesome and food was great ! Def going to be my new spot !

The food here is mediocre at best. Gave it a couple of times but still not very good. What's worse is that I got a sharp bone in my chicken cutlet and mustard sauce dish and even though I brought it to their attention they did nothing not even an apology. With all the good restaurants in the area, skip this one it's not worth the trip. read more

I love that they give you foccacia bread instead of regular Italian bread at the table. It comes with olive oil with fresh garlic to dip it in. Lunchtime is usually the best time to visit and the waiters are polite and attentive. Their tomato sauce is really tasty. I recommend their chicken with asparagus. read more

I had a lot of hope after having the salad with delicious fresh mozzarella and balsamic grilled Portobello and the cheese ravioli, which were absolutely perfect in a mushroom sauce like I've never had before. That's unfortunately where my good experience with their food ended. I was preparing myself for over-indulging in Brazilian rodizio, but what I was given was disappointing to say the least. This is an Italian restaurant that should stick to Italian food. The meat given for the "Brazilian" rodizio was overly salty and offered to my party under names like "American steak"...?...but I came for the Brazilian food. In addition, many options were wrapped in poorly cooked bacon, it was all just bad and confusing. The waiter, however, was very sweet and tried very hard to make us happy, and I do hope we were nice enough to him as I tried not to take my dislike for the meal out on him. Long story over...would go back for the ravioli but NEVER AGAIN FOR THE "RODIZIO" read more

Omg, the Rodizio was ridiculous. So good and they are not cheap with the portions. The live entertainment was Paul Fasone he was really good, diverse and played what you wanted. read more

Waited ten minutes just to be acknowledged in the waiting area. Then waited 15 minutes to get menus and water once we were seated. Service was poor who spoke very little English. Was served uncooked chicken from Rodizio, they took my friends napkin away while he was eating without replacing and seemed very hesitant to keep bringing the meat out, almost as if they were hoping we were full. I give it three stars though because the house salad was good, as well the as the fried calamari, pasta and sausage. But will not return. They seem very overwhelmed with the few tables they had to serve. read more

Bad service, very mediocre and variable food-will avoid unless starving or without options. Fish is raw and sauce without taste.

I've been to this place twice. Quite honestly, everything was quite good (not excellent) on our first visit. We were hoping for a repeat performance, but was completely disappointed. First time me and my fiance was there: The restaurant was completely empty. However, since there were some good review for this place and I'm really craving for some pasta, we went in anyway. The service was a little slow but we weren't in a hurry, so it didn't bother us a bit. The bread basket finally came and the it was toasted to my liking. Had it with olive oil dip, not too bad. I place it safe the first time around and order my usual linguine w/ white clam sauce. If you can't get that right you should open an Italian restaurant, kind of like ordering eggs in a diner. The linguine was cook al dente, no sand on the clams, and it's regular size clams, not the miniture ones that you can't even use the lobster folks on. I was happy! My fiance ordered the gnocchi special. It doesn't compare to the ones I've had in Italy of course. But it taste just as good as every other place I've tried gnocchi in the tri-state area, so not really complaining. Second time we brought another friend along: The restaurant has a few more tables of customers when we get there. Definitely not swimming in customers, so we figured it wouldn't affect the quality of our dining experience. I order their special black risotto with shrimp. I asked how big the shrimp is, and the waiter answered jumbo. I wasn't really expecting them to be jumbo, coz you usually would need to dial their answer back a notch, so looking forward to my large shrimp. My friend order a homemade pasta and my fiance order scampi lingine (under the homemade pasta section). When the bread came, I was so disappointed that they were hardly toasted, and HARD!! Didn't have the appetite for that kind of bread so we all decided to save our appetite for the entrees. My friend's homemade pasta was very overcooked, borderline saggy!! Have they ever heard of the term al dente before? When my black risotto came, it was a horrific scene, coz it's white. I keep asking the waiter why is my risotto white since I order the black, as he pretend to be busy serving us with cheese and pepper. Finally I caught his attention and he said, "it's the same, it's just different color". First of all, was he trying to sell me that it's just a difference of color, like the food color #12 that they infused into the rice? No, it's squid ink, which I doubt that he knows what it is. So I ask why didn't I get the black ink risotto and his answer was "the chef changed it for you." If they are out of black ink, they could've come back to ask if I want a regular version of the dish or something else on the menu. But nope, executive decision was made and I'm having a regular dish. He did asked if I wanted the dish. But since it's already made and being the nice person that I always am, I try to be accommodating. (Plus I wouldn't want they spitting into my food you know!) Looking at the shrimp, the "jumbo" was also downgraded to median shrimp. I keep on telling myself, it's not midtown, can't expect these people to have the same standard. Then I proceeded to eating, the rice is saggy and soft outside, but the inside is not cooked through. I wonder how that could be done?? But then again, I continue eating my dish. I was not a happy camper and most of my dish was not eaten. My fiance's shrimp scampi was ok, but eventhough it was under homemade pasta, the pasta is definitely NOT homemade. To me, that's a fraud, but to them, well, the dish is homemade????? I didn't even bother trying a bite of that. At the end of the meal, the check came. The regular risotto dish that I got was being charged at the "special" price of $23.99. First I didn't get the "special" and being charged a premium. I ask the waiter why such a high price and he said that there's shrimp in it. My fiance's shrimp scampi also has the same amount of shrimps but nowhere near that "special" price. I even told him that the dish also tasted horrible and that's why more than half is left on the dish. The waiter doesn't really know what else he could deflect me with, so I ask him to ask someone else if I could get a price break on that. He came back with the price of $19.99. It's nost even worth that price but what are you going to do? In better restaurant, if someone complain, a manager would've come over and comp me on the dish already, whereas here, the manager is just sitting on the side line looking at how I'm going to react. read more

The meal started off okay. We were the only people in the restaurant on a Sunday night which was odd but the bread was tasty. The salad was pretty poor though and then the entrees were awful. I had under cooked shrimp in vodka sauce and my girlfriend had spoiled overpriced red snapper. Never again. read more

Not so good. Food was very basic. Service not so great. My Entree actually came out with out my sides & had to ask for coffee 3 times. Not to mention I had to ask the server to clear the table of the appetizers. read more

Love this place, have been going to lunch here for years. Best bowtie pasta in vodka sauce ever. Best salmon in lentil sauce ever. Hands down the BEST tiramisu in ny & nj= equivalent to what I have had in Rome. The staff always remembers me and is always excellent. Byob is also a plus, wine shop a few doors down read more

We ordered take out from here tonight & were blown away by how delicious it was!! The portion sizes were large, the food was awesome and fast delivery. We will certainly be back. Thanks for an amazing dinner! read more

I've been to Il Cafone on a few occasions but wouldn't go back. The food is average at best and the service was nothing really to speak of. There are lots of restaurants in Lyndhurst and the surrounding area that really make you feel welcome but Il Cafone just isn't one of them. If you want some great Italian food, give Lassoni, Gelone's or Angelo's a try. read more

First time in this place and loved my dish. The portion are average but if you eat small portion like me, be prepared to take some home. I ordered the pasta with shrimps and it was very good. I love pasta, specially fresh. I did want to try some appetizer but I was afraid to get full before the main dish arrive. I will come back here soon. The place is a bit loud but I think this is the case for most Italian places. They had a nice band playing, even thought I was in a corner and could no see it, but they sounded great. I also like the fact you can bring you own wine. This way you can enjoy your meal with and you own choice of wine. Give it try, fresh pasta is always great! read more