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.“

“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.“

“Our family went for my wife’s birthday, from start to finish what a great experience. Our waiter was great, the food was fantastic. Portions are huge. Honestly very fairly priced. This was the first time any of us have been there and we will for sure be going there again. Kudos to Lubrano’s. Thank you“

“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“

“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“

“Came here on a pickup….last order on a Sunday night. Had a few laughs and banter with staff here. Nice dudes along with their crew. Counter man offered me a slice to go which hit the spot on a long delivery night and it was superb! Highly recommended establishment!“

“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.“

“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.“

“First time here. The food is very good. Service was great. Will definitely be back again.“

“Fabulous calamari appetizer, the tenderest calamari we’ve ever had! Can’t wait for the entree to arrive! With Anthony Capozio“

“Love it! The best! Feels like family. We send all our guests here. Walkable from the house!“

“First time here. The food is very good. Service was great. Will definitely be back again.“

“Wonderful staff. Great atmosphere and DELICIOUS FOOD!“

“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!“

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

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

“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“

“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!“

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

“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“

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

“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!!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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!!!“

“Dined in multiple times already after ordering from their delicious pizza menu one night and absolutely loved it. Great food, great owner and staff. 100% Highly recommend 👌“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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“

“Great food and excellent service!“

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Personable staff and delicious food. Definitely recommend this place for a delicious Italian meal.“

“Exceptionally good food and service“

“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!“