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!!!!“

“Great food and service. 5🌟“

“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 !!“

“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.“

“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 !“

“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!“

“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.“

“I haven't left a review in while. I have been to F&R for many different occasions. My Brother in law and my wife's mile stone birthday. My own birthday 🎂 and every chance we can stop by. Love the family owned restaurant and all the people running it, front and back. Thanks to Michelle and Danielle Tonight was amazing the Tuna appetizer was tremendous and our favorite dinners were spot on. ( Chicken Papa) And filet mignon. If you have never been there it's a Must. Upscale Italian restaurant. Byo. Love it and Thank you ladies“

“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 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.“

“Food… Service… Atmosphere… FIVE STARS!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Had an amazing dinner with my family for my brother birthday everyone enjoyed their dinner and service was amazing. It’s great to have such a great restaurant close by and not have to travel far…“

“La pizza increíble es lo más rico que he probado excelente servicio y los dinners están súper riquísimos“

“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!“

“A fantastic family run Italian Restaurant with a nice atmosphere and consistently delicious food. Pizza is a classic, but when it comes to sandwiches I recommend the Montague (a breaded chicken and roasted pepper sandwich) and the meatball sub. All of the staff and the cooks are amicable and welcoming.

I recommend signing up for their benefits so that you can get discounts and coupons.

The restaurant has a decently sized menu and someone could likely find anything they want to eat.“

“The best hospitality one can ever receive. A big shout out to the owner. A true gentlemen and a humble man. This is the definition how an establishment should be ran. The waitress was awesome. I am mad at myself for the super late review but we are here! Food great! atmosphere great! and a nice dinner experience my gf and I had. If you decided to parasail in the area and decide to grab a bite afterwards you will not regret!

Dr. Shawn approved!!“

“Held my daughter’s Bridal Shower here today and I can’t say enough wonderful things about it. The service and food was exceptional. Everyone was so helpful and accommodating. We were so pleased and I would highly recommend hosting your event here.“

“Our family had dinner there this evening. our waiter Austin was absolutely phenomenal and the food was delicious“

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

“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“

“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!!“

“Amazing! From the decor to the apps, the dinner and dessert! 10/10!!!!“

“Had an amazing dinner with my family for my brother birthday everyone enjoyed their dinner and service was amazing. It’s great to have such a great restaurant close by and not have to travel far…“

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

“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!“

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

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

“It has been a minute since visiting Olive Garden. This Tomsriver NJ resturant was right on point. A lot of really nice people engaged with customers. A quality budget friendly dinner out. Jared was our server. He was very attentive, and professional. The salad was super fresh. I enjoyed the Pasta e fagioli and gnocchi chicken soup. I appreciated the smaller bowl size on soup, to be able to try more than one. My wife had create you own Pasta, that was a hearty Rigatoni with meat sauce. Great rich flavor. The second bowl of salad was larger than the first. Would have preffered a smaller second serving, as not to waste. The customer could always ask for more. The olives were good! This is a keynote, as every resturant I have visited in years past, had a poor variety metalic tasting black olive. Not the case this time😁 Every ingredient in the salad was fresh!! Food was hot and delicious. Probably the best Olive Garden visit I have ever experienced. Thank you!!“

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

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Exceptionally good food and service“

“Wonderful staff. Great atmosphere and DELICIOUS FOOD!“

“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!!!“

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

“service food treated like family!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++“

“Great food and excellent service!“

“We went on Saturday for dinner...My wife had Eggplant Rollatini for an appy and Chicken Francese for dinner...I had the Sauteed Clams for an appy and the Seafood Fra Diavolo for dinner....Everything was Excellent....Next we will try the pizza...“

“Della Cucina in Toms River is an amazing restaurant. Not only is the food amazing, the bread fresh, and the staff kind - the entire organization is supportive of the community. Della Cucina donated to my nonprofit event, and everyone loved the food. We are so grateful for community supports like Della Cucina. Thank you for your generosity and kindness!“

“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!“

“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!“

“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“

“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“

“Love SS House great ambiance great drinks perfect hang in the spring and summer“

“Today was Our first time at Pondrelli’s … honestly from the second we walked in Luigi was so warm and welcoming he even went over every slice and sandwich with my daughter and I. Which was amazing because I didn’t feel forced to choose something quickly like you do at most places. While we waited Luigi and Anthony both hung out and talked to my daughter and I. (We frequent pizzerias often and NO ONE does that.) They are very down to earth and nice people. Lol Even as we walked out my 10 year old was like that was super cool of them. Another plus all of the food we order was amazing!! We will definitely be back and recommending!“

“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!“

“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!“