50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lakewood

“Loved the food and the atmosphere here. A beautiful place to bring your family for a nice meal. The staff was so nice and took care of all of our needs. Highly recommended!!!!“

“Delicious Pizza, calzones and everything. Large seating area and great prices. Staff is extraordinarily friendly and fast, especially Levi, who rocks !! And Hemy greets everyone with a smile. Also, new Simcha room upstairs !! Perfect for ur Bris, Sheva Brochos or whatever !!“

“Great food and service. 5🌟“

“Tried out of recommendation and the 2 slices I had were delicious, I came earlier in the day and definitely no rude in-counter. The sign about the bathroom requirements was abit off putting but my judgement was quickly dismissed when I was greeted and served 10/10 !“

“Love the gf pizza!

Dietary restrictions: I've had their gf pizza a couple times, and it's one of the better kinds I've found. Plus I've never gotten sick from it, so they must be careful about cross contamination over there.“

“Another fabulous meal! Food is prepared expertly and the portions are very generous. The staff is attentive and friendly. Atmosphere is calming and inviting. Pasta is always cooked to perfection imagine Al dente pasta in a restaurant! Chicken francese was delightful. Steak giambotta was tender and huge! Perfect family destination“

“Went there for my first time for my birthday celebration, food was amazing, employees nice and attentive, and restaurant very clean! Can’t say enough about our time there other than I can’t wait to come back!“

“The food is outstanding!, service is awesome!. My wife and I have been coming here for years and every time is better than the last. Keep up the good work Lubranos your establishment is amazing!“

“Wow The best Italian restaurant at the jersey shore if you go Friday or Saturday you better get a reservation I would suggest you get one during the week also to be safe. Byob food and atmosphere are outstanding and the hostess waitresses and owner are so nice they make you feel like you were invited to their home for Sunday dinner with the family.“

“Eaten here a number of times and pizza is just outstanding!! Delicious and fresh! Nice thin crust but done to perfection. Highly recommend!“

“Another great meal at Seasons! The food never disappoints! Staff is friendly and welcoming. HIGHLY recommend!“

“This restaurant was delicious!!! Everything was wonderful from the waiters to the food that was amazing. The owner Ken went around to all tables and made us feel like family. thank You Saltimbocca I will absolutely be back.“

“Great food, casual atmosphere, excellent service!“

“I took my friend out to dinner for her birthday. We had the most amazing experience at Tardis! The food was absolutely incredible and the service was wonderful! This is most definitely a 5 star restaurant in every way! Highly recommended!“

“Some of the most delicious pizza and food around in my short experience. The cauliflower crust is phenomenal. Even something as simple as their kid's hot dog surprised me with the delicious and gratuitous serving, uniquely presented on a fresh hard roll. I will definitely be ordering from here again, I can't wait to really dig into their menu.“

“Thank you Breakin Bread of Tom’s River for providing subs to a 2025 Seaside Heights polar plunge! They were fantastic!“

“What a great time! I'm not sure why some reviews say ride staff. I didn't see that at all. Tables are a little toght but not that bad. Service was exceptional and they have a TON of gluten free food. Save room for dessert. Only thing is go early or you'll be waiting even though you have reservations and BYOB. Can't wait to go back!“

“Went there for the first time ever. Had to bring our phone to be fixed in the same plaza. So we stopped in for a bite to eat. Nick had a meatball empanada which was absolutely delicious. I had “the tower” two pieces of fried eggplant with layered fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers topped with a balsamic reduction glaze. OMG it was so very light and refreshing. After the phone was fixed several hours later we went back and got more to have for dinner.“

“Always accommodating! Very close to work and convenient.“

“I have been eating here for a while now. i think it is the best place in the area. food is always fresh and hot whenever I get delivery, and the atmosphere when dining in is wonderful!“

“A friend gifted a $100 gift card that we first used $70.01 on 7/01/2023. Went back today, 12/22/2024, and attempted to use the remaining $29.99 on part of our bill, but were advised that the card was declined. Service was good and food was good but was alarmed that $100 was paid but only $70.01 was honored. I advise beware of gift card purchases. We will not be going back.“

“love the food!! will eat here any time!!“

“My husband and I went to Patricia’s and we were overly happy with everything. The food was awesome. the service was awesome. Everyone there was so friendly. I would highly recommend ❤️“

“I have to give a huge thank you to Brooklyn Bistro for the amazing job they did for my daughters graduation dinner last night. Everything was wonderful. The food was cooked perfectly, the service was absolutely amazing. Thank you Brooklyn Bistro <3“

“Yesterday we had a Luau/Pool party at our new Toll RegencyFreehold Community .. we explained to Frank we had a very bad experience with a previous caterer and he promised us we would be pleased and not to worry. Well, we weren’t just pleased, we were excited and we all felt DAngelos far exceeded our expectations. The compliments kept flowing during the party… the service, setup and food was AMAZING!! Thank you Frank for an awesome job! We can’t wait to call you for our next event!!“

“Thank you to Ellen and her associates for making our vow renewal amazing. Food was amazing and wonderful to work with!“

“We have never been disappointed with a meal at IL Giardinello's. Always excellent food & excellent service.“

“Wonderful staff. Great atmosphere and DELICIOUS FOOD!“

“Tonight was my second time doing happy hour at JoeBellas. The Fig and Pear martini is straight up divine. The happy hour menu is fun. I had no problem eating Parmesan Truffle Fries for dinner LOL so so yummy. My husband and I brought his cousins last Saturday for a beautiful sit down dinner and as we were being seated we saw our neighbor's from two houses over! Bought them a round of course. Everyone was very happy with their meal. What a fun local restaurant. You'll wait in the summer time of course, totally worth the wait but now that we locals have it back I'll be frequenting more often. I happen to bring a friend tonight who is now a loyal fan. #lovejoebellas“

“Johnny G’s just catered our sons birthday party and it was AMAZING. Definitely recommend to anyone. Mike was awesome and very helpful. 11 out of 10 for sure!!!“

“Skipped Breakfast this morning so that we could visit a new to us Pizza Joint. Once again sampling another Big Mac Pizza!!! As the Medium Big Mac Pie was made and baked, we tried a Plain and a Grandma slice. Both Kit and I enjoyed those slices. The Big Mac came out and looked delicious, this one had the sesame seed sprinkled on top of the pizza, not baked in the crust like John's Crackle Barrel in Neptune, NJ. The chop meat on this pie appeared to have been crumbled cooked beef patties, the lettuce, onions, American cheese, chopped pickles and the special sauce once again replicated the taste of a Big Mac. Here they also had added a little mozzarella cheese in the blend. This overall added to the taste and was a delight!!!“

“Ordered for pick up and when I received the order two of the items I got had barely any sauce in them. I felt bad calling to complain but I did and the manager Scotty was very helpful and understanding and replaced the items with extra sauce on the side and gave 2 free deserts. The staff was also very friendly and welcoming, best experience I’ve had with a restaurant.“

“i was treated to a great Birthday dinner on Saturday evening. Our waitress was amazing and never stopped running. Very crowded. the shrimp scampi was delicious.“

“Nice selection of Italian food nice atmosphere very nice stuff food was amazing“

“Our (gluten-free) family loves L’olivias, but tonight they blew us away with great food and great service with a large group for our daughter’s birthday. Not only did they make us great gluten free apps (you must have the calamari!), and great BIG gluten free pizzas (try the Route 33!), but they were all so kind and accommodating to our large party. I have never been to a restaurant where the staff all work together so well like a big team in the best interest of the diners as they do at L’olivia. It is so nice to be somewhere where you know you can ask anyone who walks past for something and they’re happy to help you and each other. If you are gluten free, know that our family has deemed this place celiac/cross contamination safe and it’s a must eat place not only for those GF, but any one who wants great food from great people 🙂 Thank you L’olivias!“

“I ordered a large catering order and when I went to go pay for it, sitting by the register was spinach Stromboli's... It looked so good, I had to order one for lunch. Well, it had to be the BEST Stromboli I have ever had. If you have never tried Della Cucina, you need to because you do not know what you are missing. A BIG 5 star for this establishment and also very clean and friendly service.“

“Great food and excellent service!“

“This place is amazing. great food- very friendly staff! Some of the best Italian food in NJ“

“Aside from the individual pizzas which are delicious. The steak salad is very good. Might be a little pricey but when you want quality great tasting food Nino's is a hit!“

“Enjoyed their eggplant parmesan! Large portion and delicious! Friendly staff! Will be returning!“

“This is our go to place when down the shore! I’ve tried so many dishes here but my favorite meal by far is the Chicken Marcello. Chicken strips with Vinegar Peppers & Potatoes. Outstanding! My wife got the Eggplant Rollatini, but like me has tried numerous others! Kudos to the kitchen staff! The staff is always so friendly. Highly recommend to all.“

“Review from carmine the cheesesteak guy I'd give it a solid 9.5 out of 10 one of the best cheese steaks I have had in NJ also one of the biggest cheesesteaks you go to any other pizza place and order one this is gonna be double the size of that it's as big as your whole arm from the top of your shoulder down to the tips of your fingers stacked with meat and cheese it is the best cheese steak in the Howell/Jackson area“

“Delicious pizza, crisp salad, great service, and friendly staff--all we expect. The restaurant was bustling on a Saturday night, but the vibe was lively and friendly. Warnings: 1) The two of us ordered a "small" pizza; it was huge and could easily have fed six people. 2) It was very noisy so conversation was difficult.“

“We just tried Giddy’s Toms River last night and to quote my son the pizza was “NEXT LEVEL”. Couldn’t have said it better! These guys know what they are doing and don’t play games! Pizza was incredible! Just had to share so others can be in the know! Enjoy!“

“There are a few good pizzerias around the Freehold area. But this is our favorite place! Great tasting pizza and subs. They always get my order done quickly and correctly. Very good selection of food. They are professional and it is always perfect!“

“Ordered from here when we were down 2 weeks ago. By far the best pizza in Seaside. Wish they delivered to central PA. Will be the only pizza we get while down the shore.“

“Always good! Always fast.“

“We order from your restaurant often. The food and service has always been top notch. When 2 slices of pizza for my picky eater child didn’t come with our order, your staff handled the call nicely and the driver brought it right back out to her, hot and fresh with no issues. Thank you very much!!! Much appreciated!“

“The food is outstanding! The owners are the warmest and kindest people! The restaurant is professional, serving high quality food and reasonably priced! Love me some Pat d’s! Shout out to the exceptional counter help!“

“The atmosphere Is Beautiful and the food was amazing I got the special which was ribs with mac & cheese and they were so tender, and the mac & cheese was delicious our waiter was friendly (young man with curly hair) and it felt very homey in there on a rainy day drinks were very good too“