La Lupa

"I will just say this is one of if not the greatest experiences I have had in any restaurant I have been to. We had a 4pm reservation on Tuesday and didn’t know what to expect. Let me just say between the food, the service, and the atmosphere the hefty price was well worth it for an Anniversary dinner. I mean how can you go wrong with 90’s hip hop paired with some of the best food NJ has to offer? Our server Willem is probably the most knowledgeable person I have ever met at any fine dining establishment I have been to. All of his recommendations were nothing short of amazing. I actually feel regretful that I didn’t order every single dish he recommended. Everything we had was a hit. For me The Roman gnocchi and their take on the clam pie are a must order. Brussel sprouts, rice balls, steak were fantastic. My wife and I hate Brussel sprouts but we wouldn’t mind eating these every day. The steak was as good as an American Wagyu skirt could get…Plus the creme brûlée and olive oil cake were to die for! If I had to be critical about anything it would be that the Carbonara was a bit on the salty side…. However, it’s still far better than most places. We will definitely be back to our now favorite restaurant."

"Decided on this establishment based on a recommendation, however that recommendation did not meet our expectations. FYI: You have to make a reservation, no exceptions based on their website information. Anyway, it’s a cramped restaurant where everyone is either in your business or you are in their’s, it wasn’t a problem since our party was placed in a corner by the front window for a 6 top. I didn’t capture photos of all the dishes, it was that cramped and the others in our group weren’t interested in taking photos, so my review will be lacking with sufficient photos. A Vongole pizza was ordered, pretty good and it came with a side of hot peppers in a bowl and broth. That broth drizzled on the pizza really improved the flavor, otherwise it would have been lacking. Also had the Tuscan fried chicken and their fried calamari (can’t remember what they called it). The chicken was not a hit with anyone, think most of it was thrown away and the calamari was below average at best, even with the hot pepper sauce that came with the Vongole pizza. A pasta dish, Pesce Del Giorno (crab meat and shrimp I believe) was not edible to one of our guests. They barely touched the dish and refused to take anything home. The Anolini Di Parmi was cold and lacked any flavor, total disappointment. Continuing with dishes that were cold was the Jersey Corn Tortelli, although having a unique flavor, the pasta was hard and dried out as it must have sat in the window forever! I’m probably forgetting a ton, it was a group of us, however the food did not live up to the hype. The service was great which is the only reason I am rating it a 3 star review, it wasn’t because of the food. I won’t be back. Don’t believe the hype, overpriced for subpar food."

"Awesome restaurant, all of the food was terrific! Everything from the bread all the way to our main entree and sides were cooked to perfection and tasted incredible. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable of the menu. Highly recommended coming here for a nice date night."