50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highlands

“Absolutely delicious. The staff were incredibly kind and caring. So glad we made the trip. One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.“

“Super delicious Italian cuisine, excellent dessert menu, super ambiance, free parking and to top it all off; you can stroll the boardwalk to enjoy the cool sea breeze of the Atlantic Ocean.“

“Fun atmosphere, delicious food. Our waitress Staci was great! We will be back.“

“This restaurant has amazing food and the waiters are very kind“

“Amazing food amazing service“

“Absolutely love this place! Our waiter was amazing and very knowledgeable on everything on the menu. Yes EVERYTHING!! I personally don’t like beets but everyone I was with said they were to die for. Meatballs were amazing. The tomato sauce was so yummy. Mushrooms I would label as vegetarian steak. Beautifully charred. The sausage and peppers pasta dish is my favorite thing on the menu. I love everything about it. Pasta is always perfectly cooked. I can’t say enough good things about this place!“

“The best restaurant by far! Between the food and the service.. a 10!!“

“Always the best food and service ! Four of us dined - veal ragout, shrimp dish, baby clams w pasta. Two dozen delicious clams on percatelli pasta. Amazing veal ragu and shrimp dishes. Calamari and artichoke appetizers so tasty and fresh. Must try the gelato if you have room to spare !“

“Great food amazing service and wonderful warm hospitality“

“We have been getting food from here for years and it never disappoints. From the friendly delivery (our dog invites Bob in every time for pets) to the amazing pizza—you can’t beat it! Last weekend our son graduated college and we used Slices of Hope to cater our family party. Three of us, myself included, have to be gluten free which always makes getting catered food a challenge. I’ve always loved the gluten free penne with vodka here, so I went in and met with Eddie figuring I’d just get the three us the pasta and everyone else could enjoy the rest. I was so surprised when Eddie told us that he could make us everything I ordered for the rest of the party gluten free and would even keep it separate to avoid cross contamination! My mom (who has celiac) hadn’t had eggplant rollatini in 10 years and said it was the best ever! We had food for the entire weekend and I can’t thank you enough ❤️ Katy Kokolus“

“Good food…great happy hour menu!“

“My favorite! Love their mushroom pizza! Always fresh! They use quality ingredients !“

“Stopped by the newly opened Gigi’s in Long Branch on my way to the beach. First off, loved that they have a parking lot which didn’t stress me about finding a spot cause I was going to have that adventure when I headed to the beach. I ordered the grandma’s pie and garlic knots! The grandma’s pie had pesto on it and I am a s***** for pesto!! Love the crust style being crispy. Hands down the best garlic knots I ever had! Don’t sleep on this place. It’s 3 blocks from the beach, easy parking and they deliver. I look forward to some pasta dishes on my next visit! Other key likes of mine was the aesthetic, it’s beautiful Inside but decorated to make you feel outside. I was very impressed with the kid friendly atmosphere of the chalkboard wall, beanbag seats and they even have juice boxes on hand for the kiddos. They also accommodate our tweens and teens with a pizza wing mural for their insta! They really thought of everything. The whole staff were so accommodating and genuine. Thank you Tommy and Faye for a great experience.“

“Amazing food with wonderful service“

“I hosted a family event at Via Sposito. Everyone was very pleased with our server, Jessica and the dining experience. The food was amazing and plentiful. We have dined there a few times prior to this and were always pleased with food. At our event everything was family style and there was a variety of food. The pizza and zeppoles were also great. They worked within our budget and offered a lot of choices.“

“The absolute best pizza in NJ. Maybe anywhere! Cooked to perfection. Cozy restaurant and very friendly staff.“

“OMG, what a hidden gem in Ocean County. Christina is the best and the food was absolutely amazing. We will be back!“

“I love their pizza. Great crust and toppings (sauce and peppers) Their White Pie is good. I got mine with Broccoli. The Broccoli pieces were big which I had no problem but if you prefer smaller maybe ask them to cut them smaller.I also got their Fried calamari, which I did not like too much because it was mix with Fried Octopus, I wish it had all ring Calamari .“

“Kudos to the entire team at Buona Sera! Tony’s surprise 70th was over the top with great food and fabulous service! The attention to detail that was given was impeccable! From Michael to Nicole and the entire wait staff…a big THANKYOU! Chris and Danielle should be proud to have you all as part of their great team!“

“A great local BYOB restaurant! Service was great and food is excellent! Give it a try!“

“Great addition to the Jersey Shore area. Same quality Italian cuisine as the Legendary Gargiulos in Coney Island.“

“Wonderful evening, food was amazing,service was excellent“

“Without a doubt one of the Best Restaurants I've ever been to. The food & service was incredible. Highly recommended“

“Great food and nice place to be“

“The food and the service was excellent very reasonably priced and a very nice atmosphere“

“We had a marriage celebration luncheon at Blu Grotto this September and it was fantastic. Our guests could not say enough about how delicious the food was, how pretty the venue was, and what a great time they had. Guila made the day really special and it was a pure delight to work with her. The servers were professional and fun and everything was done to perfection. If I had to do it all over again, I would still pick Blu Grotto!! Thank you Guila, Chef James, and the delightful servers and bartenders.“

“Food was good, service was great (Alex) . They charge you if you use your credit card and in my case my debit card. My biggest complaint is that the oysters were the size of my thumb nail, so skip the oysters.“

“What a phenonomal restaurant! It's truly a hidden gem. Johhny is an amazing waiter and the food was nothing short of impeccable. If your a true foodie and want a culinary experience, you MUST dine here! You won't be disappointed!“

“Great meal, happy and enthusiastic staff.
Chicken Milanese sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I have had in New Jersey, we went for pizza but everything was awesome.

Kid-friendliness: So sweet to our kids, who are picky eaters.“

“We recently have had Pastosa and Uncle Giuseppe’s open in our area and they are excellent but Nino Jr will always be my favorite. The employees are friendly and will go above and beyond to make me what I’m looking for, even if it is not in the case. Just a wonderful local business.“

“I've been going to Brother's Pizza for YEARS! Best pizza around!!“

“One of the best Italian restaurants in the area. Frank puts his heart into each dish, the pasta is homemade, the meatballs are to die for. And his mother cooks the lasagna from scratch. This is a cozy atmosphere and the food is incredible. If you haven’t been here yet make sure to book a reservation and try it out, you won’t regret it.“

“Really enjoyed the pizza. Highly recommend the food, friendly service & great atmosphere!“

“Classic New Jersey pizzeria ??????
We ordered from there twice during our stay at my Mother's in Law's home in Atlantic HighIands.
1st order was for 3 extra large pies, Cheese, Pepperoni and a Special.
Ingredients were fresh and overall the pizza was what we were hoping for!!!. Hard to find East Coast style pizza in Southern California.

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures, I was in a rush to devour some slices.

Our second order was for a full Italian sub. Portions were huge, ingredients were fresh. We enjoyed them that day and the next as it was huge.

Looking forward to our next visit as I want to review some of their Italian dishes.

I enjoyed my conversation with the young Italian guy who took my orders. I should have asked his name. Very friendly and open to conversation.

Overall enjoyed all aspects of this little pizzeria.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
??????“

“Great Pizza! Have been coming here since high school. It's a family owned, family friendly restaurant. The food is delicious, reasonably priced. The pizzas are outstanding! Plenty of parking.
ps: My favorite. ''The Super Special Pizza"

Parking: Parking in the front, side and back of the restaurant and across the street parking lot

Kid-friendliness: Often see family birthday gatherings,
childrens' baseball, soccer, etc. teams meet after their games and end of season celebrations.

Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible at the Front entrance of the restaurant.“

“Not only did I pick up a fantastic fresh load of bread, chicken meatballs, and cannolis but I had accidentally left my wallet in the store. The owner reached out to me after I made an after hours request on their website and let me know that it had been found and would be there for me to pick up in the morning. Very grateful to such a wonderful company. Will be returning!“

“The service was amazing. Our server Tyler was so attentive and personable and the social media manager Tomas also made sure we were well taken care of. We ordered: apps: -Italian egg rolls -Burrata with arugula and balsamic glaze -arancini Mains: -thin crust pizza with goat cheese, baby arugula, fig jam and balsamic reduction -stuffed gnocchi with mushrooms in a cream sauce -7th heaven brunch plate Desserts: -Italian layer cake -mini cannolis -cappuccino -chai latte cappuccino -espresso We will definitely return to try more!“

“Beautiful outdoor dining.“

“Great food! Lunch portion had me stuffed! I'll be back again!“

“Best sandwiches ever. Amazing staff. Everything is delicious I drive over an hour just to get the goods“

“Came here for dinner on a Friday night. It wasn't too busy but we waited a bit for our server to come by. Ultimately the food came out in a normal amount of time, so not too shabby. Hadn't been here for years, and I remember the breadsticks being better.“

“Best pizza in Jersey. Fact!“

“I recommend the roast beef kitchen club sandwich. And the rice ball filled with meat is the best in town. Yum!“

“Loved it! Best subs around. I'll be back for sure! Can't wait to try the pizza.“

“Had a Stromboli that was great ! Great service & the staff was great ! Looking forward to going to there new place in eatontown next to earth treasures !“

“Love everything about your restaurant. The atmosphere, your staff is a delight , the food is absolutely delicious!! Love , Love Love ❤️ See you very soon again !!!“

“Amazing food will go back“

“Good food - great service.“

“Best pizza and service!!! Amazing wings, salad, everything!!!“

“great food, great staff and a great atmosphere!“