A neighborhood Italian food spot in a typical strip mall. The outstanding yet small menu leaves nothing out. Tender calamari tossed in balsamic with sweet fennel sausage - Yum! The "Angry Chicken Parm" was super tasty with some medium heat. The Barolo short-rib over risotto was also great. Finish with a cannoli and cheesecake. 10/10
AC610
Repeat customers. Always courteous service. Both dishes were delicious but had high proportion of starch to protein in order give better feel of volume, in the form of a bed of rice or pasta. This was not expressed in the menu description. Neither dish provided a side vegetable.
A A
The Good:The food was all absolutely delicious. Even the desserts.The BAD: We went for the Valentine's Day prix fix menu. It took 45 minutes to get our appetizers. Our waiter (some guy in a pink shirt who looked like a manager of all things) never asked us if we wanted more bread or water or checked in on us at any point. By the time our meal came out we were starving. We asked for salt but after 15 min we had to grab another passing waiter for help. I'm not sure what's going on with their wait staff but our overall experience was sub-par for the prices. Do better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Someone made a huge mistake and overbooked the place for Valentine's Day. They took almost an hour to just take our order. We were there for almost 2 hrs before we got our appetizer. We had to take our entres to go. They ran out of seafood so our seafood pasta special had one tiny scallop. The people next to walked out after waiting so long. I felt bad for the staff because they didn't know what to do. I like this place so I will go back but not on Valentines.
JimC
We booked a reservation for Valentines Day weeks in advance. We were seated promptly at the table but no one came to us for 30 minutes and they took orders from other tables ahead of us. We were surprised by a limited menu that wasn't advertised but we didn't object. Unfortunately, they didn't have the appetizers we wanted and in the end they were completely out of dessert. The wait staff and management were all hiding and I had to wait to pay so we could leave. Worst dinner experience ever.
johnn
when i made the reservations, there wasn't any information about a fixed 3 course menu for $80 per person. Someone from the restaurant called to confirm my reservation and still nothing was mentioned about the Menu and set price. We almost walked out when we sat down and saw the menu. Just recently, during restaurant week in Berkeley Heights, Strega had a 3 course set menu, pretty much the same, for $50 per person. Food was good, but no where near worth $160 a couple. I don't know if we will be back, its a shame, i don't like getting ripped off!!!
Alberto de Oliveira
Excellent food and a very pleasant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
JudyB
Went for a girls night out, and was thrilled, as always, with the experience. They didn't rush us for our orders, and allowed us to catch up. We shared a couple of salads, and they were nice enough to split them for us. The food was delicious, the service wonderful—we'll be back!
Richard Fielding
Great food, excellent service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
bill z.
Went here one week ago and ordered the chicken Shirley which is basically chicken parm. Was a little concerned when the panko breading on the chicken was the color of a pretzel. Sure enough it was super dry. (See picture ) . Also first time I have ordered chicken breast and it had a leg in it . No big deal just didn't eat it but the real problem was how over cooked it was . Told the waiter and was expecting offer to cook another or price reduction but got neither . Ps the calamari was good.
To be completely honest this was a let down. After waiting over an hour and forty five minutes for my meal my medium rare steak came out very over done. Overall the restaurant was very loud and crowded, our server also rarely checked on us. I do not want to rude but the experience was not great.
It was crowded- service was good at first then constantly looking for a server. Food was flavorful but warm at best-Cappuccino maker was broke and they brought one from Walmart and it tasted like it- also not hot
Patio28
Food- Fabulous, Noise level-uncomfortable , some acoustic panels on the ceiling & walls would be so very helpful. Granted, we dining on a very busy night, New Years Eve. The food was a 5 star rating but we could not hear each other at our table of 4. I recommend going on a very quiet night or dining very early.
Edward T.
Came by a couple of weeks ago with my old friend, both of us in search of a restaurant we hadn't tried yet. He found the name of Strega on-line, liked the reviews that appeared on Yelp (he knows I write on Yelp, but I doubt he's ever read any of my reviews...he occasionally will contribute one of his own; once, some years ago, he wrote a negative review of the place where he was unhappily employed, pretending to be a dissatisfied customer instead of an employee. Basically, he advised potential customers that they should patronize a similar business across town. A few months later, the business he worked at closed down and every employee was let go. Moral (cliche) of the story is-- never bite the hand that feeds you. Anyway...), and I was agreeable. Sometimes, I get tired of Italian cuisine, but that weariness seldom lasts long. I wasn't especially heartened when we initially drove up to the establishment. It's tucked into a side corner of a sprawling, depressing-looking, confusing "strip mall" (one of many in Berkeley Heights) and looks like any combination pizzeria/restaurant you might see anywhere. When we entered the restaurant, it was pretty much empty, although I found the interior classy in a pleasantly inviting sort of way. Our server was very friendly and welcoming, had a sense of humor, and was efficient. We both wanted to try a slice of pizza. Now, I've been eating pizza all my life, love it (it'll probably be my "last meal" if I have anything to say about the matter!), but I couldn't exactly call myself a "connoisseur." I can't properly grade thicknesses of crust, gradations of the ratio of cheese to sauce, evaluate the "crispiness" of the crust as compared to the "doughiness," the piquancy of the spices, the difference in quality between brick ovens or wood-fired models, etc. So...let's just say this pizza was very, very, very good. The antithesis of that cardboard red-paste monstrosity you can get at Domino's down the street. So good, in fact, that I was fully prepared to order a whole pie as opposed to availing myself of the other fare on the menu. That's when the Fiocchi Gorgonzola, Fusilli Benevento and Penne Vodka Arabiata caught my ravenous eye. We started with a side of fresh bread. Normally, at an Italian restaurant I haven't tried before, I'll "test the waters" with an order of lasagna or chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. That wasn't available here (if you see "Fiocchi Gorgonzola" or "Pesce Oreganata" or "Hanger Steak Frites" featured on the menu, you're probably not going to see "Chicken Parmigiana and Spaghetti" listed as well. At least that's been my experience). Feeling a bit extravagant, perhaps, I decided to order the Linguini Frutti Di Mare, which consisted of al dente pasta with abundant shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, and what the menu described as "Sicilian marinara." My friend ordered the same thing, perhaps feeling extravagant too, or because it was his birthday (it was), or because following my lead invariably guarantees a beneficial and satisfying result (not!). It was all delicious, filling, expertly prepared, and the pricing...considering what we got...was fair. For dessert, I ordered the vanilla gelato. My friend couldn't decide between vanilla or pistachio, and asked if he could try a "sample." I inwardly cringed a bit (I associate asking for a sample something you'd do at a Baskin-Robbins or a Dairy Queen; my friend never had much in the way of boundaries when he was drinking/drugging way back when, and sobriety really hasn't altered that quality in him; some might simply call it assertiveness or "ballsiness," others might differ and refer to it as hubris or gall or "crust"-- you decide!), but our server was more than agreeable. Indeed-- he brought out 2 dishes...one with a substantial scoop of vanilla, one with an equally substantial scoop of pista
RALPHR
Overall a solid meal. They have made some minor menu changes. They previously had a great grilled octopus which seems to be gone. Also, we were not happy with the Polpetto meatball appetizer was not good. The meatballs were rubbery and without flavor. I'm sure I'll be back but will adjust my choices.
A neighborhood Italian food spot in a typical strip mall. The outstanding yet small menu leaves nothing out. Tender calamari tossed in balsamic with sweet fennel sausage - Yum! The "Angry Chicken Parm" was super tasty with some medium heat. The Barolo short-rib over risotto was also great. Finish with a cannoli and cheesecake. 10/10
Repeat customers. Always courteous service. Both dishes were delicious but had high proportion of starch to protein in order give better feel of volume, in the form of a bed of rice or pasta. This was not expressed in the menu description. Neither dish provided a side vegetable.
The Good:The food was all absolutely delicious. Even the desserts.The BAD: We went for the Valentine's Day prix fix menu. It took 45 minutes to get our appetizers. Our waiter (some guy in a pink shirt who looked like a manager of all things) never asked us if we wanted more bread or water or checked in on us at any point. By the time our meal came out we were starving. We asked for salt but after 15 min we had to grab another passing waiter for help. I'm not sure what's going on with their wait staff but our overall experience was sub-par for the prices. Do better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Someone made a huge mistake and overbooked the place for Valentine's Day. They took almost an hour to just take our order. We were there for almost 2 hrs before we got our appetizer. We had to take our entres to go. They ran out of seafood so our seafood pasta special had one tiny scallop. The people next to walked out after waiting so long. I felt bad for the staff because they didn't know what to do. I like this place so I will go back but not on Valentines.
We booked a reservation for Valentines Day weeks in advance. We were seated promptly at the table but no one came to us for 30 minutes and they took orders from other tables ahead of us. We were surprised by a limited menu that wasn't advertised but we didn't object. Unfortunately, they didn't have the appetizers we wanted and in the end they were completely out of dessert. The wait staff and management were all hiding and I had to wait to pay so we could leave. Worst dinner experience ever.
when i made the reservations, there wasn't any information about a fixed 3 course menu for $80 per person. Someone from the restaurant called to confirm my reservation and still nothing was mentioned about the Menu and set price. We almost walked out when we sat down and saw the menu. Just recently, during restaurant week in Berkeley Heights, Strega had a 3 course set menu, pretty much the same, for $50 per person. Food was good, but no where near worth $160 a couple. I don't know if we will be back, its a shame, i don't like getting ripped off!!!
Excellent food and a very pleasant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went for a girls night out, and was thrilled, as always, with the experience. They didn't rush us for our orders, and allowed us to catch up. We shared a couple of salads, and they were nice enough to split them for us. The food was delicious, the service wonderful—we'll be back!
Great food, excellent service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here one week ago and ordered the chicken Shirley which is basically chicken parm. Was a little concerned when the panko breading on the chicken was the color of a pretzel. Sure enough it was super dry. (See picture ) . Also first time I have ordered chicken breast and it had a leg in it . No big deal just didn't eat it but the real problem was how over cooked it was . Told the waiter and was expecting offer to cook another or price reduction but got neither . Ps the calamari was good.
Restaurantji Recommends
To be completely honest this was a let down. After waiting over an hour and forty five minutes for my meal my medium rare steak came out very over done. Overall the restaurant was very loud and crowded, our server also rarely checked on us. I do not want to rude but the experience was not great.
It was crowded- service was good at first then constantly looking for a server. Food was flavorful but warm at best-Cappuccino maker was broke and they brought one from Walmart and it tasted like it- also not hot
Food- Fabulous, Noise level-uncomfortable , some acoustic panels on the ceiling & walls would be so very helpful. Granted, we dining on a very busy night, New Years Eve. The food was a 5 star rating but we could not hear each other at our table of 4. I recommend going on a very quiet night or dining very early.
Came by a couple of weeks ago with my old friend, both of us in search of a restaurant we hadn't tried yet. He found the name of Strega on-line, liked the reviews that appeared on Yelp (he knows I write on Yelp, but I doubt he's ever read any of my reviews...he occasionally will contribute one of his own; once, some years ago, he wrote a negative review of the place where he was unhappily employed, pretending to be a dissatisfied customer instead of an employee. Basically, he advised potential customers that they should patronize a similar business across town. A few months later, the business he worked at closed down and every employee was let go. Moral (cliche) of the story is-- never bite the hand that feeds you. Anyway...), and I was agreeable. Sometimes, I get tired of Italian cuisine, but that weariness seldom lasts long. I wasn't especially heartened when we initially drove up to the establishment. It's tucked into a side corner of a sprawling, depressing-looking, confusing "strip mall" (one of many in Berkeley Heights) and looks like any combination pizzeria/restaurant you might see anywhere. When we entered the restaurant, it was pretty much empty, although I found the interior classy in a pleasantly inviting sort of way. Our server was very friendly and welcoming, had a sense of humor, and was efficient. We both wanted to try a slice of pizza. Now, I've been eating pizza all my life, love it (it'll probably be my "last meal" if I have anything to say about the matter!), but I couldn't exactly call myself a "connoisseur." I can't properly grade thicknesses of crust, gradations of the ratio of cheese to sauce, evaluate the "crispiness" of the crust as compared to the "doughiness," the piquancy of the spices, the difference in quality between brick ovens or wood-fired models, etc. So...let's just say this pizza was very, very, very good. The antithesis of that cardboard red-paste monstrosity you can get at Domino's down the street. So good, in fact, that I was fully prepared to order a whole pie as opposed to availing myself of the other fare on the menu. That's when the Fiocchi Gorgonzola, Fusilli Benevento and Penne Vodka Arabiata caught my ravenous eye. We started with a side of fresh bread. Normally, at an Italian restaurant I haven't tried before, I'll "test the waters" with an order of lasagna or chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. That wasn't available here (if you see "Fiocchi Gorgonzola" or "Pesce Oreganata" or "Hanger Steak Frites" featured on the menu, you're probably not going to see "Chicken Parmigiana and Spaghetti" listed as well. At least that's been my experience). Feeling a bit extravagant, perhaps, I decided to order the Linguini Frutti Di Mare, which consisted of al dente pasta with abundant shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, and what the menu described as "Sicilian marinara." My friend ordered the same thing, perhaps feeling extravagant too, or because it was his birthday (it was), or because following my lead invariably guarantees a beneficial and satisfying result (not!). It was all delicious, filling, expertly prepared, and the pricing...considering what we got...was fair. For dessert, I ordered the vanilla gelato. My friend couldn't decide between vanilla or pistachio, and asked if he could try a "sample." I inwardly cringed a bit (I associate asking for a sample something you'd do at a Baskin-Robbins or a Dairy Queen; my friend never had much in the way of boundaries when he was drinking/drugging way back when, and sobriety really hasn't altered that quality in him; some might simply call it assertiveness or "ballsiness," others might differ and refer to it as hubris or gall or "crust"-- you decide!), but our server was more than agreeable. Indeed-- he brought out 2 dishes...one with a substantial scoop of vanilla, one with an equally substantial scoop of pista
Overall a solid meal. They have made some minor menu changes. They previously had a great grilled octopus which seems to be gone. Also, we were not happy with the Polpetto meatball appetizer was not good. The meatballs were rubbery and without flavor. I'm sure I'll be back but will adjust my choices.