I’m not going to review the food, I realize it’s a local business and it’s unfair to criticize the food, if we ate it. However being rushed is totally unacceptable! We go out not only to eat… but enjoy our meal together as an experience (food, atmosphere and hospitality) in reading all the reviews there was several mentions of being rushed and rude, and not one response from the owner!!! NEVER AGAIN WE WILL GO BACK!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
John B
I have been going to this restaurant since it opened in mid-nineties as food has always been excellent! Service is very good, as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari
Charlotte Linnea Bjorklund
Great food! Great service!I highly recommend ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sammy Alili
Way too pricey place looks more like my living room rather than some” Tuscan “ restaurant. Will not be back.
Musa Hoxha
Raising prices on pasta like that smh..trying to reach that imaginary number I guess?
Amanda D.
La Focaccia marries traditional NJ Italian food with modern ambiance. Their food reminds me of Italian restaurants I would go to as a kid and I was missing the expected white table cloth and single carnation on the table. The restaurant accommodated both large and small parties as well as parties with children. The menu is loaded with great sounding dishes. I was excited to try everything. Serving old school dishes like rabbit and calves liver to more modern ones like branzino and salmon. The service was good. My water class was never empty and they checked before opening any liquor we bought. To each their own but I wasn't impressed by the food. The best thing we ate was the grilled octopus appetizer. The artichoke salad was a disappointment. I actually thought it was the Brussels sprouts salad brought to me by mistake because I've never seen raw artichoke that looks or tastes the way it did. Pass on that. The entrees were good. My husband got the Branzino for $38 and was not impressed. My lamb was ok and expensive. The salmon looked like something you would get at a wedding. The kids chicken finger and fries were burnt. For dessert we got the Sundae and that was actually impressive and fun. I hope that if you go you order different things and are more impressed with their food. Everyone has an off night. But as a mom with
Andrew B.
This is a bit of a drive for us, but we keep it in our rotation because it has been consistently good. It's mostly in the old world Italian category, but with an updated slant. Pretty surprised the average rating here is below a 4, because it deserves better. The wait staff is old world too, but they know their menu and professional. It is also BYOB, which is our preference. Most dishes are hardy, so a solid earthy red with body is always a good choice. There are a few standard specialties that should be tried if these are too your taste. The calves liver (for those who love it; my wife does - not me - she often gets it) and the veal parm (not cheap, but worth it, and something ordered about every other visit, just because it's that good; you might skip the appetizers, if ordering, it's that filling). Desserts are plentiful and fairly typical of this type of Italian eatery. However, the gelato flavors are often changed and can be pretty unique. Sometimes there are flavors not listed on the menu, or are in such short supply after having been listed previously, so ask about what is not listed, as it could be a wonderful surprise.
Danielle Scis
Came here with my boyfriend for a Christmas dinner. Did not even get to finish the bread, the entrees were already out. We felt so rushed when 5 different waiters were pouring our waters any time we took a sip. Felt so rushed and on top of it the bill was insanely expensive. Two entrees for $100 simple chicken and gnocchi.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Goten Son
Good food! Joe is a great chef! Great for family dinners.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jamie G
You don't run into restaurants like La Focaccia every day, where the food, service, and vibe are just flat-out amazing! We can’t wait to go back for more. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with pretty fall decorations, and the servers were super patient with our group, even though we hung around longer than we meant to. Seriously, you gotta check this place out – you won't be disappointed!
This was my first time eating at this BYOB Italian restaurant. The place was decorated very well with a Halloween theme the night se dined. The interior has a main dining room and a large room that was hosting a dinner party. Parking is a bit tough if you cannot find a spot around the corner on Albion Street. They do recommend using a parking lot across the street which was 80-100 feet “across and up the street” supposedly where a former liquor store operated. I never found it. Our order included two Mixed Focaccia Greens - baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette ($14), Housemade Beef Meatballs Marinara ($16/4), Housemade Seared Gnocchi with short rib ragu ($28), Eggplant Parmesan with angel haor pasta ($30), Chicken Arugala - parmesan crusted chicken breast over baby arugula salad, parmesan shavings with a lemon vinaigrette ($34) and Chicken Parmesan served with angel hair pasta ($36). What I Liked: - The pieces of focaccia bread served was a nice touch instead of bread. I would not have expected anything else when you call yourself La Focaccia! - Service was overall, very good - The meatballs were excellent and the marinara sauce better than average. The meatballs were tender and flavorful, made with minced garlic, which works for me but not everyone. - The salads were very good - The chicken parmesan was a nice sized piece. It was tender and did not have a heavy bread crumb coating. The angel hair pasta was cooked properly. I believe the same marinara sauce with the meatballs was used with this dish. - The eggplant parmesan was a nice sized stack. It was tender and did not have a heavy bread crumb coating. The angel hair pasta was also cooked perfectly - The Gnocchi was cooked just right and had a very nice flavor to it - What I Did Not Like: - The meatballs were very small and not a value for the price. Also, not everyone is a fan of chunky garlic pieces in their meatballs. - The chicken with the arugula salad was dry and not worth the high price point - The price point for the chicken parmesan was a bit high for a single thin piece - I asked for Tabasco sauce and was given instead a small cup of generic Louisiana hot sauce - Parking is tough during peak hours or in our case when the larger room is being used My Italian Scallion culinary rating is 8.4/10 cloves of garlic for the meatballs and 7.8/10 cloves of garlic for the chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan dishes. My overall restaurant score was 7.9/10.
Renee Faibis
We ate at this restaurant before and we went Saturday to celebrate a birthday. The service was rushed, within one hour we ordered, and finished eating the appetizer and main course. I had the Tuscan Fish Stew and had the runs even before leaving the restaurant. Other people had the veal which was very chewy.Overall the food was disappointing and will not go back although in the past the food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Timmy Kukan
Went to this restaurant for the 1st time for my girlfriend's birthday and it was excellent! The only reason i gave it 4 stars and not 5 was because when I asked them if I could get my chicken parm dinner with vodka sauce (willing to pay extra) instead of marinara sauce, I was told "NO". I asked if they had vodka sauce and the waiter replied "yes".... I really dont feel not willing to accommodate a different sauce is worth the potential of losing future business from a customer. I get this all the time at other Italian restaurants this the first time a restaurant said no. Other than not accommodating, everything was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Melanie Casserly
Food was great, and the service was excellent! Had a great birthday dinner!
I’m not going to review the food, I realize it’s a local business and it’s unfair to criticize the food, if we ate it. However being rushed is totally unacceptable! We go out not only to eat… but enjoy our meal together as an experience (food, atmosphere and hospitality) in reading all the reviews there was several mentions of being rushed and rude, and not one response from the owner!!! NEVER AGAIN WE WILL GO BACK!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
I have been going to this restaurant since it opened in mid-nineties as food has always been excellent! Service is very good, as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari
Great food! Great service!I highly recommend ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Way too pricey place looks more like my living room rather than some” Tuscan “ restaurant. Will not be back.
Raising prices on pasta like that smh..trying to reach that imaginary number I guess?
La Focaccia marries traditional NJ Italian food with modern ambiance. Their food reminds me of Italian restaurants I would go to as a kid and I was missing the expected white table cloth and single carnation on the table. The restaurant accommodated both large and small parties as well as parties with children. The menu is loaded with great sounding dishes. I was excited to try everything. Serving old school dishes like rabbit and calves liver to more modern ones like branzino and salmon. The service was good. My water class was never empty and they checked before opening any liquor we bought. To each their own but I wasn't impressed by the food. The best thing we ate was the grilled octopus appetizer. The artichoke salad was a disappointment. I actually thought it was the Brussels sprouts salad brought to me by mistake because I've never seen raw artichoke that looks or tastes the way it did. Pass on that. The entrees were good. My husband got the Branzino for $38 and was not impressed. My lamb was ok and expensive. The salmon looked like something you would get at a wedding. The kids chicken finger and fries were burnt. For dessert we got the Sundae and that was actually impressive and fun. I hope that if you go you order different things and are more impressed with their food. Everyone has an off night. But as a mom with
This is a bit of a drive for us, but we keep it in our rotation because it has been consistently good. It's mostly in the old world Italian category, but with an updated slant. Pretty surprised the average rating here is below a 4, because it deserves better. The wait staff is old world too, but they know their menu and professional. It is also BYOB, which is our preference. Most dishes are hardy, so a solid earthy red with body is always a good choice. There are a few standard specialties that should be tried if these are too your taste. The calves liver (for those who love it; my wife does - not me - she often gets it) and the veal parm (not cheap, but worth it, and something ordered about every other visit, just because it's that good; you might skip the appetizers, if ordering, it's that filling). Desserts are plentiful and fairly typical of this type of Italian eatery. However, the gelato flavors are often changed and can be pretty unique. Sometimes there are flavors not listed on the menu, or are in such short supply after having been listed previously, so ask about what is not listed, as it could be a wonderful surprise.
Came here with my boyfriend for a Christmas dinner. Did not even get to finish the bread, the entrees were already out. We felt so rushed when 5 different waiters were pouring our waters any time we took a sip. Felt so rushed and on top of it the bill was insanely expensive. Two entrees for $100 simple chicken and gnocchi.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Good food! Joe is a great chef! Great for family dinners.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You don't run into restaurants like La Focaccia every day, where the food, service, and vibe are just flat-out amazing! We can’t wait to go back for more. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with pretty fall decorations, and the servers were super patient with our group, even though we hung around longer than we meant to. Seriously, you gotta check this place out – you won't be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This was my first time eating at this BYOB Italian restaurant. The place was decorated very well with a Halloween theme the night se dined. The interior has a main dining room and a large room that was hosting a dinner party. Parking is a bit tough if you cannot find a spot around the corner on Albion Street. They do recommend using a parking lot across the street which was 80-100 feet “across and up the street” supposedly where a former liquor store operated. I never found it. Our order included two Mixed Focaccia Greens - baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette ($14), Housemade Beef Meatballs Marinara ($16/4), Housemade Seared Gnocchi with short rib ragu ($28), Eggplant Parmesan with angel haor pasta ($30), Chicken Arugala - parmesan crusted chicken breast over baby arugula salad, parmesan shavings with a lemon vinaigrette ($34) and Chicken Parmesan served with angel hair pasta ($36). What I Liked: - The pieces of focaccia bread served was a nice touch instead of bread. I would not have expected anything else when you call yourself La Focaccia! - Service was overall, very good - The meatballs were excellent and the marinara sauce better than average. The meatballs were tender and flavorful, made with minced garlic, which works for me but not everyone. - The salads were very good - The chicken parmesan was a nice sized piece. It was tender and did not have a heavy bread crumb coating. The angel hair pasta was cooked properly. I believe the same marinara sauce with the meatballs was used with this dish. - The eggplant parmesan was a nice sized stack. It was tender and did not have a heavy bread crumb coating. The angel hair pasta was also cooked perfectly - The Gnocchi was cooked just right and had a very nice flavor to it - What I Did Not Like: - The meatballs were very small and not a value for the price. Also, not everyone is a fan of chunky garlic pieces in their meatballs. - The chicken with the arugula salad was dry and not worth the high price point - The price point for the chicken parmesan was a bit high for a single thin piece - I asked for Tabasco sauce and was given instead a small cup of generic Louisiana hot sauce - Parking is tough during peak hours or in our case when the larger room is being used My Italian Scallion culinary rating is 8.4/10 cloves of garlic for the meatballs and 7.8/10 cloves of garlic for the chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan dishes. My overall restaurant score was 7.9/10.
We ate at this restaurant before and we went Saturday to celebrate a birthday. The service was rushed, within one hour we ordered, and finished eating the appetizer and main course. I had the Tuscan Fish Stew and had the runs even before leaving the restaurant. Other people had the veal which was very chewy.Overall the food was disappointing and will not go back although in the past the food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Went to this restaurant for the 1st time for my girlfriend's birthday and it was excellent! The only reason i gave it 4 stars and not 5 was because when I asked them if I could get my chicken parm dinner with vodka sauce (willing to pay extra) instead of marinara sauce, I was told "NO". I asked if they had vodka sauce and the waiter replied "yes".... I really dont feel not willing to accommodate a different sauce is worth the potential of losing future business from a customer. I get this all the time at other Italian restaurants this the first time a restaurant said no. Other than not accommodating, everything was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Food was great, and the service was excellent! Had a great birthday dinner!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was pricey but excellent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5