Top 5 Italian Restaurant in New Jersey

409 Lincoln Blvd, Middlesex, NJ 08846, United States

“Our first visit, and we were greeted warmly. The service was outstanding. The shellfish was very fresh and the portions were very generous. The linguini with clam sauce was excellent. My wife enjoyed the chicken Frances. We were quite pleased with our meal and shall certainly return.”

48 Sky Manor Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867, United States

“Really cool place to have lunch. Flew in with a friend from Morristown airport. Plane parking was not an issue. Because the airstrip is on a hill there are wheel chalks available to use while you’re there. View is great. A light breeze makes the difference on a hot day. Food was great and service was decent. They were not really attentive. We were seated pretty quickly but the food took a bit to get to us. Kitchen looked pretty small. The food was great though. Spicy chicken sandwich was amazing. The bacon made a difference. Steak sandwich was great too. I’d fly back to try more of the menu.”

517 Lake Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712, United States

“Tonight was my first time dining here, definitely won’t be the last. Amazing food and atmosphere, topped off with incredible service. Nick was our server and he was the best! Never made us feel rushed, helped me narrow down my choices (because I wanted everything), and timed out our courses perfectly. The cherry cheesecake…. Omg… spiritual! 🤣 I loved it so much I had to order a second piece to bring home. We ended the night chatting with Nick and he had nothing but great things to say about the owners and how great they are to work for which just added to it feeling like a special place. 10/10.”

674 US-206, Bordentown, NJ 08505, United States

“Gluten Free / Celiac / Vegan / Vegetarian / Whole-Food Plant Based (WFPB) & some of the best Italian in Hamilton and Bordentown I have a best friend that is a Celiac and a daughter that eats Gluten Free. Palermo’s is a safe and great place I can take them. They have a family member with Celiac disease, so they understand the need for NO cross-contamination. My daughter is on me about eating less meat and more vegetables, the chefs were completely accommodating to my entire family. Some wanted no eggs, some no dairy (cream/butter), some no meat. Palermo’s has a completely separate menu for Gluten Free, see the website. The best part is they can do some of their daily specials Gluten-Free, if possible. This gives my family so more variety. Below are some of our favorite items and how we order them. Chicken Scampi over Pan-Fried Potatoes: $14.95 (GF) Strips of tender chicken sautéed in a lemon garlic sauce served over pan-fried potatoes This item is Gluten-Free. But it can also be vegetarian, you can swap out the Chicken, for Artichokes. If you get the artichokes battered – which is delicious and my favorite way – then you will be eating eggs. I was eating with my daughter tonight, so we went WFPB / vegan. The Artichokes were un-battered and sauteed and the chef even went the extra step to make the sauce without the butter. It was delicious, Plus, with any calories I saved, I used them for dessert! Picture – WFPB / Vegan Un-breaded Artichokes over Pan-Fried Potatoes with no butter in the sauce. Artichoke Francaise: $14.95 (GF) Artichoke hearts, lightly fried and sautéed in lemon butter sauce This is a wonderful appetizer, and keep these artichokes in mind if you want to replace meat on another item. Or you can do what my daughter does and add firm Tofu to it when she gets this for take-out. Francaise sauce VS Scampi sauce – we love the Scampi sauce better because of the lemon, garlicy flavor. Some nights we get the Francaise sauce. Gluten-Free Gnocchi, Cheese Ravioli, Onion Pierogies, or Stuffed Shells: $22.95 Alfredo with Italian Sausage, Creamy cheese sauce with Italian sausage We ordered Gluten-Free Gnocchi, without the Italian sausage (I have had it before – the sausage is great but we are attempting to eat more plant-based meals). There is enough for 2 servings – if your children are not stealing them. We also bring the extra sauce home, it goes great on spaghetti squash the next day. POLLO BALSAMICO $19.95 – Dinner Special that we asked to be made Gluten Free (GF) Chicken breast sautéed in a balsamic cream sauce with asparagus and tomato This was made gluten free and we asked for no chicken and extra vegetables and to add some Artichokes. It was sublime. Their desserts are delicious, so save room. They have Gluten Free desserts too. Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan. This item is not on the menu, but they can make you a tray of it for family events, holidays, etc. My daughter has been looking for Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan for years. I think I will order her a tray for her birthday. She will eat some – not share – and take all of the left overs home for meal prep for work. It freezes fine and this is the time of year to get it, while eggplants are fresh and in season. You have to give them some notice - like a catering order. I will let you know how it is. If you are Gluten-Free or have Celiac, know that at Palermo’s you will have a wonderful, safe, and healthy Italian meal. Please tell your GF friends, your GI doc, share the news!!! This place is a find and a treasure.”

25 Grant Ave, Dumont, NJ 07628, United States

“Wow, dude, I love places like this. I really enjoy towny pubs with lively ambience and good food. Grant Street Cafe nails this. I had the double fried wings which I thought were awesome, and then I split the Guinness burger and the prime rib sandwich. The Guinness burger was insane. The fried onions and the candied bacon make it super unique, and the prime rib sandwich has this incredible horseradish sauce and the meat was so incredibly soft. The whole meal was wildly good, and I can’t wait to go back with some buddies.”

10 Cedarbrook Dr, Cranbury, NJ 08512, United States

”My best friend suggested to go here for dinner. My first time, her second. The restaurants decor is very eclectic. It's located in an office park so it's off the beaten path, not where one might expect a restaurant to be unless of course if …”

18 E Main St Second Floor, Somerville, NJ 08876, United States

”Charming restaurant and bar located on Main St in the heart of Somerville. Food was spectacular and the intimacy of the dim lighting creates a personable ambiance thats warms and inviting.”

55 Old Turnpike Rd, Oldwick, NJ 08858, United States

”We recently went to the Tewksbury Inn for dinner. We started with the risotto of the day, which was tomato and bacon and the honey dew squash and burrata. We then chose the Osso Buco and Cod for our mains, and finished with splitting the smores pot de creme. We sat upstairs, and while our service was great we thought it was a little loud and at times hard to hear each other. If possible I would recommend sitting outside on the patio, because it looked amazing. The risotto was good but a little rich, but it was a large portion, the squash and burrata similarly were good but maybe missing an acid like a balsamic. The mains were incredible, we thought the cod won because the flavor combination was an elevated cod chowder, and fantastic. The smores pot de creme was a little rich for one, but great for a shared dessert. We will definitely be back again.”

1362 S Delsea Dr, Vineland, NJ 08360, United States

”Amazing! Always fresh bread that’s so soft it’s like butter! This is half of 8” ham turkey with white American extra mayo!”

110 South St, Morristown, NJ 07960, United States

”Great food in a lovely upscale environment. We were seated in a back bar space that had the vibe of a private club. Recommended! We will return.”

12 Bloomfield Ave, Belleville, NJ 07109, United States

”They never skip a beat. Family style portions of excellent old school Italian food in a super nostalgic atmosphere. Some of the best menu items aren't actually on the menu...(pork cutlet francese, hot pepper ravioli). I prefer the chicken Murphy over the chicken savoy, but both are very good. Shrimp beeps appetizer are a must.”

57 Inlet Dr, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742, United States

”"This is a lobster house, no crabs allowed." The sign proudly hung on the entrance. Red's Lobster House (not to be confused with the franchise Red Lobster) is a pier side restaurant with a family oriented atmosphere. The staff are cheery, welcoming, and attentive. My group was placed in outside seating which gave us a fantastic view of boats going by, however the restaurant also has indoor seating. The food was great, simple yet executed expertly. I had the lobster roll, which was worth every dollar. My group also ordered a pitcher of sangria which was refreshing. The alcohol menu is limited to a few wines so if you're not accustomed to the taste of fermented grape juice I suggest you bring your own bottle. If you have a craving for lobster and don't mind the fees, lobster is priced at market value, I see no reason not to come.”

280 1/2 Ferry St, Newark, NJ 07105, United States

”Was recommended by a friend, bar on one side , dining room on the other. Excellent Portuguese food. Totally enjoyed this mini steak sandwich ! Parking is tough.. take UBER and drink more Sangria !”

76 Grove St, West Deptford, NJ 08086, United States

”Got a pizza the other night and it was soooo good. This time we went entrees. Hubby had crab cakes with spaghetti. Large crab cakes. I had Shrimp Scampi. The bread is to "die for". Just let me have a take out of the bread. Waitress was fabulous, friendly, made a connection right away and was attending the right amount. Live 500 miles away and it's great to have fabulous food when away from home. I had to cut my shrimp in half.”

8728 John F. Kennedy Blvd, North Bergen, NJ 07047, United States

”DiPalma has a different dinning experience than any other Italian restaurant I've visited.Yes the food and service is on par with the best. The layout is cozy very museum like with contemporary art and decor which are also all up for purchase. Have the meatballs and purchase a louis vuitton bag. The entrée portions are family size. Great place for date night or impress group of friends. This restaurants is BYOB.”

150 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ 07430, United States

”Food is consistently good but it’s way overpriced in the last few years. $16 for a kids pasta is ridiculous. Should be under $10 for basically a side dish of pasta. Otherwise, food is good. The surcharge for the use for a credit card is kind of annoying but I get it. That all being said, the servers, owner, and all the staff are on top of their game. They are always there to fill your glass, remove dirty dishes, and accommodate your needs. This service and the food being good is why we keep going back and have for years now. Please consider your prices in the future.”

216 US-46, Fairfield, NJ 07004, United States

”Cucina Calandra continues to be a go to dining out destination for my family. Aside from having some nice promotions, like the 2 for $40 menu and the new kids eat free on Wednesday, they simply and consistently turn out delicious food and great service. My personal favorite meal there is the Calamari Fritti with sweet marinara sauce. There are never any left on the serving dish but it is always a nice appetizer that the whole family enjoys. We’ll continue dining here for sure!”

12 America Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701, United States

”I came here with my wife for a nice brunch, and i was extremely happy with everything here. The place is really nice, great service, fast service, great menu, very comfortable seating”

78 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960, United States

”My salmon was dry and the mashed potatoes were salty. Our brownie was hard as a rock. Balsamic calamari is quite spicy and not enjoyable. The clams in the paella were mediocre. Aside from the food, our waiter was very personable. He tried to make it right by giving us complimentary dessert but I think there could have been a better resolution. I was expecting better quality food. Restaurant itself has a very nice ambiance.”

53 Haddon Ave, Haddon Township, NJ 08108, United States

”It was my first time having a panzarotti! Delicious!! The employees were nice and service was quick. Enjoyed watching the football game while we ate. Cute soda and coffee bar set up. We'll definitely go back.”