Neb’s Buona Sera Haskell NJ

"Having a tough time finding a place to have a Mon repast for my father in law, my brother in law got in touch with Neb. Though they were closed on Mondays, on a few days notice he opened his doors to our family and treated us as though we were his family. Great food, great service and a genuine desire to deliver a great dining experience during a tough time. Much respect to the entire staff!!!"

"Buona Sera was a post-hike lunch destination after a long hike with the Millennial Chum in nearby Norvin Green two weekends ago. Neither one of us had been here before (though I've driven past this strip mall many times before and after hikes), and we chose it because my chum had a hankering for Italian. Our first encounter with the staff was a little awkward. We walked in and the host (who was wearing jeans) stared at us and asked, "Can I help you?" It definitely didn't feel welcoming at all, and I was pretty convinced he was going to tell us we weren't dressed appropriately and show us back out. (As mentioned, we JUST finished a hike, and looked it.) Opinions may vary, but why else would we be there other than for a meal? Apparently there wasn't a dress code though for the customers or the staff, so we were shown to a table. Honestly? If there had been a dress code, fair - we didn't do the research and wouldn't have complied with one. But otherwise, there's no reason to give us something bordering on TSA treatment. We also took a close look at the other patrons, most of whom were dressed casually or maybe a tick or two above that. It was a pretty low-key crew, even taking into consideration that there was a birthday/family celebration of some kind at a nearby table. We both ended up ordering very similar items - I got the Shrimp Francese, and the Millennial Chum went with the Chicken Francese. Interestingly, we had nearly identical opinions about the dishes - we were underwhelmed. The Shrimp for me were tasty and gigantic (very solid portion, which I find tends to not be the case when it comes to seafood in Italian dishes), but I was surprised and a little disappointed that it didn't come with a pasta - it was served on top of a serving of whipped potatoes and spinach, I believe. The potatoes to me just didn't go well with the sauce, which also tasted a little off to me. By definition it should be a bit tangy, but it seemed overwhelming and just threw the whole dish off. Definitely wouldn't get that one again. The best part of the meal though was an impulsive decision made right as we were handing back our menus. I happened to notice the Panko-Crusted Meatball option in the app section, and just went for it. Those were really good - seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the ricotta paired perfectly with them. They also gave us a free sample of meatballs that were in a vodka sauce, which were pretty scrumptious. Beyond our chilly reception, the service was fine once we got to the table. My water glass was refilled when needed, though I'd say we saw the busboys more than the actual waiter, who stopped by maybe once or twice after taking our order. Nothing egregious there. And one of the advantages to eating in the Wanaque area is that the price point tends to be pretty competitive. I think our entrees were around $20, and the meatballs were $10ish. Not bad for an Italian place with tablecloths. In hindsight, I think we would have kept driving for a few more minutes. There are A LOT of decent Italian options just a little further south in the Wayne area, and I'd be willing to build up a little bit more of an appetite for better quality entrees."

"Absolutely fabulous experience! You get a lot of food and the quality for price point is great. Very attentive staff!"

"My husband and I have always wanted to try this restaurant because we always see it busy and we live right around the corner. Well our first time was on our anniversary and lets say it was an amazing choice for dinner! I wanted calamari and the host was very honest in telling us it was not good so he did not want to serve it and did not want me getting sick. (i’m pregnant) Most places wont tell you whats bad or not and i truly appreciated that honesty! Other than that it was such an amazing atmosphere and food was absolutely delicious! We were also looking for a baby shower venue and what can I say that was an excellent experience as well and Im so happy to have picked Buona Sera to be a part of it! All my guests loved the food and the workers were truly the best! They made everything so easy and smooth for me with no stress. They truly work hard to keep there customers happy no matter how busy they are. I will continue coming to Buona Sera as we do to enjoy all the delicious food and good vibes! I highly recommend this place for any events or just to go out for dinner with a loved one or friends/family!"

"Absolutely amazing! Our server was personable and knew his stuff. We had the raviolis and stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer which were both outstanding. Our main course was exceptional! What really blew my mind was the cannoli for dessert! We really loved this place. The only thing we would change is the music, it was lounge music, we felt it was really old school but we had great conversations at our table so it didn’t really bother us. We can’t wait to go back."