A Little Bite of Italy Deli

We celebrated my mom's 85th birthday with her group of close friends, and it was nothing short of spectacular! Debra handled every little detail of the arrangements flawlessly. The chef, Francis, provided us with the most exquisite dining experience... we loved every single dish! The strawberry shortcake birthday cake was a masterpiece. Our server Brendan was fantastic: personable and paid close attention to each person's needs. It was an intimate and impressive evening, and we could not be happier! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

With times being hard I want to support small businesses. This is one that I will never support again. I placed an order and wasn’t sure how long it would be and the nasty owner screamed at me “just come back whenever”! She is very rude, not just to customers but to her workers also. The place is not sanitary. The owner walks around in open toe slippers dressed like a bum. I would never recommend this business to anyone. Support small businesses, but not this one.

Tom and I celebrated our 50th Anniversary this past weekend at Francis' Restaurant and we couldn't have imagined how wonderful it would be. Deborah and Francis were a pleasure to work with. The food was outstanding and served perfectly. Attention to detail was evident in every aspect of our celebration. What a diamond on LBI. Thank you so much from us and all our guests.Carol and Tom Foster

Great food - friendly service. Francis who is a classically trained French chef does a superb job with his menu and deserts. He prepares everything for his deli as well as dinners. Presentation is also excellent. A great local unpretentious restaurant.

this place is fantastic the food is out of this world

Been a summer resident here for 48 years. They make some of the best pizza I've ever had and certainly the best on the island. The service for me has always been great but I can tell lately they are trying to do something about the perceived issues. I love a business that takes these reviews seriously and tries to fix them. This is a business I hope you support. The people and food are both fantastic.

I’m going to put this review on 2 different listings on TA, to clear up the confusion on the deli/shop vs the restaurant. The deli is called “A Little Bite of Italy” but the restaurant is called “Francis”, named after the wonderful, European trained chef, Francis Pons. I read about Chef Pons after eating at the restaurant and after reading about his experience and credentials, I totally understood why everything was so delicious. If you ever dined at La Cote Basque in NYC, you will understand. Francis is a gem. The circumstances for restaurants in all of New Jersey is very challenging, to say the least. Francis has done a lot of work to set up a lovely outdoor dining space. First thing to mention - BYOB. I don’t have a preference either way, but note that New Jersey has somewhat restrictive liquor license laws, so many places are BYOB. Our server and her assistant were wonderful and very accommodating with opening our wines, providing an ice bucket and serving. The menu is a 3 course $49 pre-fixe, and it is truly a bargain considering the quality of the food. Ultra tender grilled calamari with broccoli rabe was a delicious appetizer. The entree selections consisted of branzino, sea scallops, veal tenderloin, filet mignon, or rack of lamb, with 2 specials being offered - breast of duck or seafood paella. The scallops were delicious and served with homemade squid ink capellini (angel hair) pasta. The filet mignon was ultra tender, served with a Gorgonzola sauce and garlic potato croquettes. The desserts were amazing. Italian ricotta cheesecake was the best I’ve ever had. Rich, light and airy. The Belgian chocolate cake was also delicious. The gelato, while not made in house, is a high quality European brand that was creamy and delicious (try the hazelnut!). The owner, Debra, went out of her way to accommodate the special circumstances of our party, and for that, we are grateful. This is fine dining at its best. I hope to return again soon!

Awesome deli sandwiches and wraps made with quality Boar's Head meats and cheeses.

Really good food with friendly staff. Liked seeing all the staff wearing masks and taking Covid seriously

Not the nicest people. Won’t go back.

Loved the sandwich was loaded with meat ? and the place was very clean and organized

LBI is quite fortunate to have Chef Francis Pons, a wonderfully talented, internationally experienced, authentic French chef, with Bavarian pastry training, sharing his culinary talents at his own, little place called A Little Bite of Italy in Surf City, NJ. Unfortunately, enjoying his services involves dealing with his wife, Debra Pons, who appears to believe that rudeness toward customers and publicly demeaning staff is perfectly acceptable. Well, it certainly is not!! It is embarrassing to witness, and definitely gives a very poor impression all around. Behavior of this sort is NEVER appropriate especially in a venue of this sort. Wise up. This behavior is costing your restaurant staff and customers - MUCH MORE so than just “a little bite.” Chef Pons deserves better!!!

Fam and I showed up at 7:25 they insisted that it was too late to be seated for a 3 course meal.. they said guests needed to be seated before 8 because they close at 10? Then told us deli was closed and that it closes at 8 everynight? (It was 7:25p.m.)Do they not want business?

We had a fantastic experience when Francis and Debra catered our wedding in June 2019. They worked with us to create a perfect 5 course menu with attention to every detail. From start to finish the experience was seamless and they and their team made our day wonderful! We received endless compliments about the food, and numerous guests said it was the best food that they had ever enjoyed at a wedding. The food was top notch, customer service and communication were exceptional, and servers and bar tenders were friendly. I would highly recommend Francis’ Restaurant to anyone planning a wedding!

Called to order a tasty Italian Dinner. Won't deliver to Brant Beach. Didn't even know where it is. Disappointed. We are not that far.