Locale doesn’t just serve Italian food — it seduces you with it.
The meal opens with a Margherita pizza that nails the holy trinity: blistered, leopard-spotted crust with a satisfying chew, bright San Marzano tomato sauce, pools of molten mozzarella, and basil that perfumes every bite. It’s simple, soulful, and executed with confidence — the kind of pizza that reminds you why restraint is the ultimate flex.
Then come the pastas, each one richer than the last. A creamy spaghetti glistens under cracked black pepper and fine breadcrumbs, indulgent without tipping into excess — silk on the tongue, deeply comforting. The baked rigatoni arrives bubbling and bronzed, blanketed in béchamel and cheese, fork-tender and unapologetically decadent, finished with a rosemary sprig that whispers old-world charm.
The seafood salad brings balance: crisp celery, briny sweetness, delicate citrus notes, and freshness that cuts through the richness like a perfectly timed palate cleanse.
And just when you think you’re done, a golden, cheese-crusted entrée lands center stage — crackling on top, impossibly tender beneath, finished with olive oil and snow-like Parmesan. Rustic. Elegant. Completely crave-worthy.
Ambiance? Warm, intimate, and effortlessly stylish. Wood tables, low lighting, the hum of conversation — the kind of place where time slows, wine flows, and every table looks like it’s celebrating something.
Final verdict: Locale is the kind of restaurant you plan your week around — not flashy, just flawless. Come hungry, linger long, and trust the kitchen. This is Italian food done with heart, heritage, and serious skill.
Joe Cohen
The place is cozy and the ambiance is very nice, can get a little loud when its crowded. Food was okay but not great. Mussels in white sauce was good but came out warm not hot. Calamari was good but over spicy. Was good for me but not for the otjer person. I had the spinach ravioli which was veey good, I woukd say maybe less sauce so its not swimming in it. Owner was very receptive to feedback. Service was veey good. Very professional and attentive. Proces are a little high but do get money worth with size of the dishes
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jennifer Addonizio
Amazing place, hard to get in. Very loud unless your outside. Food and drinks are excellent but i think over priced. I paid 17.00 for a piece of cake but they dont give you a dessert menu they just tell you whats on it, you dont know prices when you order a dessert. Gluten free options and the gluten free pizza was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas Heiss
Great food and really excellent bar staff! Big flavor and well built dishes. Excited to come back. Like sitting at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cooper Reid
I’d love to give 5 stars to a local eatery — but for god sakes, enough w these prices. The quality of the food does not justify the costs at the moment. Have come in for a quick lunch here and there — $15 for a plate of chips with shredded cheese all over them is bizarre. $24 for chicken wings, $20 for a regular Cesar salad (stale croutons), just puzzling.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Dominica Panageas
5 star all around!!! Food, service and a great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Kind Pen
Our favorite spot for every night. Perfect ambiance whether you’re trying to relax with a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine on a weeknight, watch a game at the bar, or be around a lively atmosphere on a weekend. Food is perfect, just what we needed at our local spot. Staff is attentive and makes you feel at home. GET THE BEEF TARTAR!! And if they have a crudo special get that too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
chuck richter
My wife and I stopped for a mid afternoon lunch. We had the pan-seared octopus to start and it was outstanding. We had additional items that were excellent. The problem arose when I got the check. I thought they would have had enough class to forgo the stupid 3% credit card charge that seems to be the thing to do. So I gave them my debit card for which they would have no processing charge. The answer from the “manager” was “I was told that every time we swipe a card we get the 3%”. Talk about dumb, or maybe thieves. This is a first. Not smart enough to just add a little to their prices. But they want to get 3% more when it costs them zero. Good food, zero brains.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Tim Kozikowski
Full disclosure...I went here not wanting to like this restaurant after reading too many reviews which seemed TGTBT. However, this was much better than expected and we will be going back.
I drove by Locale for over a year while the building was being renovated and the owners have put together a really nice space. We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and grabbed a drink at the bar. The menu has enough options without trying to be all things to all people with a good selection of starters, mains, and pastas. The wine list is solid with several reasonably priced options by the glass (the Montepulciano for $14 worked well with our food).
Everyone raves about the chicken parm, but this is one of those dishes that I never order. It's not authentic and it is rarely well done. However, this was really, really good...not dried out with just enough cheese and sauce. The cavatelli with sausage and brocolli rabe was a nice compliment. Servings for both were generous for two to share and we brought nearly half of the chicken home.
Service was very good...we never felt rushed, but from the time was sat until left was around an hour and Axel was great. The kitchen is quick, but it may have something to do with being seated at 5:30.
Bonus for being a Resy restaurant where we can use our Amex Platinum credit. Will definitely be adding this to our rotation over the winter.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren Gonzalez
I rarely ever write reviews, but I had to for this one — the food at Locale was hands down the best Italian food I’ve had in Monmouth County.
As someone who’s Italian and grew up with authentic homemade meals, I can honestly say everything here was perfection. The Old Fashioned was amazing. The burrata brought me right back to my youth it tasted just like my grandparents’ cooking. The chicken parm and spicy vodka pasta were both incredible perfectly cooked and served in generous portions. My husband and I shared both and couldn’t decide which was better.
To finish, the seasonal apple cheesecake was the perfect touch. I only had a few bites left and had to bring it home it was that good.
Every single detail, from start to finish, was exceptional. Locale is truly a hidden gem.
Really good food, really good service, and great vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eliseo Robles
Delicious food, great service, better atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lori S
We seriously don't get hype! The tables are so crammed in this small space and the noise level was so high we had to shout across the table to hear each other. Food: ceasar salad was cut into such tiny bits my fork couldn't grab it. Scampi pizza: When it arrived I thought the shrimp was bacon (no resemblance of shrimp) so I asked the server to take it back, He told me it was shrimp. There was zero scampi ingredients; only dripping oil and limp, soggy crust. Seriously? My friend ordered the halibut. They were out. So mahi was his choice. It arrived solo on a side dish with no presentation whatsoever. $42 for chicken parm?? The bill was astronomical. Had to write this. One and done!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Chirag Badami
What an amazing place. The owner Joe was super friendly, came out to meet us to make sure we were having a good time. The food was excellent and I highly recommend it. Ambiance is also great. Just had a wonderful evening and am sure to return!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter Kenny
Very cool place and excellent food. We highly recommend
Locale doesn’t just serve Italian food — it seduces you with it. The meal opens with a Margherita pizza that nails the holy trinity: blistered, leopard-spotted crust with a satisfying chew, bright San Marzano tomato sauce, pools of molten mozzarella, and basil that perfumes every bite. It’s simple, soulful, and executed with confidence — the kind of pizza that reminds you why restraint is the ultimate flex. Then come the pastas, each one richer than the last. A creamy spaghetti glistens under cracked black pepper and fine breadcrumbs, indulgent without tipping into excess — silk on the tongue, deeply comforting. The baked rigatoni arrives bubbling and bronzed, blanketed in béchamel and cheese, fork-tender and unapologetically decadent, finished with a rosemary sprig that whispers old-world charm. The seafood salad brings balance: crisp celery, briny sweetness, delicate citrus notes, and freshness that cuts through the richness like a perfectly timed palate cleanse. And just when you think you’re done, a golden, cheese-crusted entrée lands center stage — crackling on top, impossibly tender beneath, finished with olive oil and snow-like Parmesan. Rustic. Elegant. Completely crave-worthy. Ambiance? Warm, intimate, and effortlessly stylish. Wood tables, low lighting, the hum of conversation — the kind of place where time slows, wine flows, and every table looks like it’s celebrating something. Final verdict: Locale is the kind of restaurant you plan your week around — not flashy, just flawless. Come hungry, linger long, and trust the kitchen. This is Italian food done with heart, heritage, and serious skill.
The place is cozy and the ambiance is very nice, can get a little loud when its crowded. Food was okay but not great. Mussels in white sauce was good but came out warm not hot. Calamari was good but over spicy. Was good for me but not for the otjer person. I had the spinach ravioli which was veey good, I woukd say maybe less sauce so its not swimming in it. Owner was very receptive to feedback. Service was veey good. Very professional and attentive. Proces are a little high but do get money worth with size of the dishes
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Amazing place, hard to get in. Very loud unless your outside. Food and drinks are excellent but i think over priced. I paid 17.00 for a piece of cake but they dont give you a dessert menu they just tell you whats on it, you dont know prices when you order a dessert.
Gluten free options and the gluten free pizza was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and really excellent bar staff! Big flavor and well built dishes. Excited to come back. Like sitting at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’d love to give 5 stars to a local eatery — but for god sakes, enough w these prices. The quality of the food does not justify the costs at the moment. Have come in for a quick lunch here and there — $15 for a plate of chips with shredded cheese all over them is bizarre. $24 for chicken wings, $20 for a regular Cesar salad (stale croutons), just puzzling.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
5 star all around!!! Food, service and a great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our favorite spot for every night. Perfect ambiance whether you’re trying to relax with a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine on a weeknight, watch a game at the bar, or be around a lively atmosphere on a weekend. Food is perfect, just what we needed at our local spot. Staff is attentive and makes you feel at home. GET THE BEEF TARTAR!! And if they have a crudo special get that too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I stopped for a mid afternoon lunch. We had the pan-seared octopus to start and it was outstanding. We had additional items that were excellent.
The problem arose when I got the check. I thought they would have had enough class to forgo the stupid 3% credit card charge that seems to be the thing to do. So I gave them my debit card for which they would have no processing charge. The answer from the “manager” was “I was told that every time we swipe a card we get the 3%”. Talk about dumb, or maybe thieves.
This is a first. Not smart enough to just add a little to their prices. But they want to get 3% more when it costs them zero.
Good food, zero brains.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Full disclosure...I went here not wanting to like this restaurant after reading too many reviews which seemed TGTBT. However, this was much better than expected and we will be going back.
I drove by Locale for over a year while the building was being renovated and the owners have put together a really nice space. We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and grabbed a drink at the bar. The menu has enough options without trying to be all things to all people with a good selection of starters, mains, and pastas. The wine list is solid with several reasonably priced options by the glass (the Montepulciano for $14 worked well with our food).
Everyone raves about the chicken parm, but this is one of those dishes that I never order. It's not authentic and it is rarely well done. However, this was really, really good...not dried out with just enough cheese and sauce. The cavatelli with sausage and brocolli rabe was a nice compliment. Servings for both were generous for two to share and we brought nearly half of the chicken home.
Service was very good...we never felt rushed, but from the time was sat until left was around an hour and Axel was great. The kitchen is quick, but it may have something to do with being seated at 5:30.
Bonus for being a Resy restaurant where we can use our Amex Platinum credit. Will definitely be adding this to our rotation over the winter.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I rarely ever write reviews, but I had to for this one — the food at Locale was hands down the best Italian food I’ve had in Monmouth County.
As someone who’s Italian and grew up with authentic homemade meals, I can honestly say everything here was perfection. The Old Fashioned was amazing. The burrata brought me right back to my youth it tasted just like my grandparents’ cooking. The chicken parm and spicy vodka pasta were both incredible perfectly cooked and served in generous portions. My husband and I shared both and couldn’t decide which was better.
To finish, the seasonal apple cheesecake was the perfect touch. I only had a few bites left and had to bring it home it was that good.
Every single detail, from start to finish, was exceptional. Locale is truly a hidden gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Really good food, really good service, and great vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food, great service, better atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We seriously don't get hype! The tables are so crammed in this small space and the noise level was so high we had to shout across the table to hear each other. Food: ceasar salad was cut into such tiny bits my fork couldn't grab it. Scampi pizza: When it arrived I thought the shrimp was bacon (no resemblance of shrimp) so I asked the server to take it back, He told me it was shrimp. There was zero scampi ingredients; only dripping oil and limp, soggy crust. Seriously? My friend ordered the halibut. They were out. So mahi was his choice. It arrived solo on a side dish with no presentation whatsoever. $42 for chicken parm?? The bill was astronomical. Had to write this. One and done!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
What an amazing place. The owner Joe was super friendly, came out to meet us to make sure we were having a good time. The food was excellent and I highly recommend it. Ambiance is also great. Just had a wonderful evening and am sure to return!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very cool place and excellent food. We highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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