Great Italian restaurant Excellent service and food! Outside dining is also available

The outdoor dining area is a great date night spot. Although the restaurant was not busy at all we were attended too often and by almost anyone who passed by. The food was great. The wild mushroom ravioli was probably the best ravioli I've had out and the lobster arancini also a hit! read more

I normally don't write restaurant reviews, but I was so disappointed with our experience at A Salute that I felt compelled to share it. From the moment we were seated, our waiter made us feel as though we were an inconvenience rather than valued customers. I ordered the Salmon Pomodoro, and it was one of the worst restaurant meals I've ever had. The salmon had a strong fishy taste, and badly overcooked. It was so unpleasant that I suffered indigestion for the rest of the evening. I would have sent it back but we had an event to go to. My husband ordered the eggplant entrée. It came with only eggplant--no pasta or side. When I politely asked whether it was supposed to include pasta, I was simply told, "No." Another member of our party asked if hard-boiled eggs could be added to a salad and was also met with a flat "No," without any attempt to accommodate the request. To make matters worse, when my husband paid with a credit card, we were surprised to see a $14 service charge added to the bill. We were not expecting this, and it left an even worse impression at the end of an already disappointing meal. Between the poor service, disappointing food, lack of flexibility, and unexpected charge, this was not an enjoyable dining experience. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. read more

Super overpriced restaurant.. Not cold prosecco?? Warm restaurant with a musty smell and flies .. Apps were below par and the main courses were just ok . Don't see myself returning... read more

We walked in on a Saturday night in the summer and it was not busy at all. We were greeted by a hostess and asked where we wanted to sit. Since it was our first time there, the hostess suggested the dining room. Sounded great. As we are about to be seated an older gentleman told her that we could not sit in there without a reservation. There were plenty of open tables. She looked visibly confused but showed us the patio, which didn't speak to us, so back to the empty bar area we go. We sat at a table and ordered a bottle of red wine. A basket of 3 stale bread slices was plopped in front of us with melted butter in foil. No thanks. We ordered Clams Casino and they were awful. All fillers, overly spicy and surprisingly no clams!!! We are now pretty much convinced our dinner would be an issue. We were right. My husband's skirt steak had zero plate appearance. Just a steak on a plate with some French fries with Parmesan sprinkled on top. They were not fresh. The steak was terrible! No flavor whatsoever. A vegetable was not served with the meal, nor was a salad. My chicken parm had just one piece of thin chicken served in a cast iron skillet with a dollop of undercooked pasta on the side. We were very disappointed with our meal that cost $150. Be aware we were charged $6.00 extra for not paying cash. No worries, we will not be back. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Stale bread in basket - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

Found this place by pure coincidence and so glad I did. We went here for my birthday dinner and absolutely loved it. Staff is super friendly and professional. The ambiance, well it's an old church, so just picture that for moment, just lovely. The food was amazing and good portions as well. We will definitely be back. read more

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Very conflicted with this review. The food was genuinely delicious, service was okay, but the wait time on the food.... HORRIBLE. 7 pm reservation and we didn't get out entrees until 8:40. Again, food was great but it's never acceptable to wait almost 2 hours for food especially when the restaurant is not busy AT ALL. read more

This place is great! I've been here a few times. The outside area is great for the summer and I love the indoor converted church the outside usually has bar music so if you prefer something peaceful, I recommend staying inside. The food is usually solid, I have never disliked anything. I had the cauliflower crust pizza and it was delicious. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

My friends and I chose this spot for our annual Christmas brunch. The offerings and price on the prefix menu (including booze) sounded fantastic so off we went, 16 in total. Due to some recent health concerns, I passed on the regular menu and just had the grilled chicken, mozz, red pepper, arugula sandwich and it was incredible. The amount of food that everyone got and even what was left over was well worth everything, especially as delicious as they said it was. Our main server, Anthony, was such a sweetheart, very kind and attentive. This restaurant is housed in an old church and it is beautiful. We are planning another trip again! read more

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Nice enough ambiance but that was it. I did not enjoy my meal. I arrived early, sat at the bar where two female employees carried on a fairly loud personal conversation for quite some time. They didn't ignore me, and this is personal preference, but I think the whole place doesn't needs to hear what employees are taking about The bar tender suggested the Caesar; it came with very limp lettuce and quite over-dressed. Not impressed but the near rock hard croutons were ok. My entree was the orrichiette. It had a really odd flavor, verging on not good. I think that was the intended flavor profile but I really disliked it I don't suggest it and for sure will not return read more

Stopped in this restaurant for dinner! When we arrived, they had valet complimentary. We walked in and discovered the restaurant used to be a church, which was cool. We got seated and served by Anthony, and he was great! We ordered family style, which was only $60 pp. We had food like calamari, chicken francese, stuffed clams, and eggplant parm! The food was really good! I had a good experience! read more

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This is very good Italian food and a place looks like an old church, very unique, the waiter was very friendly and funny, he kept us entertained while we ordered, I would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Ordered the fig and goat cheese salad and the stuffed shrimp. Well although it wasn't awful I don't think I'd order it again. Kinda disappointed in the place since the switch of management and ownership? Service, dessert, and drinks were excellent however. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Apple cake dessert. - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

Went there for a date night. Started off slow waiting on drinks and to place order (was not busy). Then got meal and my wife got wrong dish. Waitress took it back without issue. 45 minutes later still no meal and still no refreshing her drink. I went to see management and was told to wait! Was told "come back again and I'll take care of you". I said just give me my check so we could leave and 10 minutes later she hands me the full bill only minus the meal we never received!! No apologies just a smug attitude. Horrible!!! read more

Very nice traditional Italian restaurant. The restaurant is an old converted church turned restaurant. It's a beautiful building. I would love there to be more items and variety on the menu but all of the things I tried were delicious. It tasted like authentic Italian food and the portions were generous. I would go back although it is not a place I would frequent due to its lack of variety. read more

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Cane for mothers day dinner Obscenely over priced for average to below average food. Service was good, place is nice but they absolutely rip you off on appetizers, drinks and especially entrees. Portion size is tiny. read more

A salute review Hubby surprised me with date night at A Salute. We drove an hour and a half to get to the restaurant. When we finally got there I was confused because it looks like a straight up church. But upon walking in it was nothing like church and I was totally smitten by how cute this place was. There was a huge bar with patrons sipping on libations. The hostess greeted us very nicely and took us to our table which was in another room that was once a chapel. The ceilings were arched high, white table cloths on the table, good lighting and great energy. Our waitress Natalie was very polite and greeted us right away. We looked at the menu and couldn't decide. So Natalie advised us that they were starting a new family style menu that was $60 per person and you get like 9 courses with unlimited draft beer, wine or sangria, and recommended that we take a look at the menu. We thought it was too good to be true so we ordered it. After we ordered Chris the general manager came over to greet us, told us we made a great choice and guaranteed us that we will not be disappointed. And let me tell you, he did not lie. The food just kept coming it was abundant. We had cold antipasto, baked clams, fried calamari, margarita pizza, eggplant parm, penne vodka, skirt steak, chicken Francese and dessert. I took home a bag full of leftovers. Our bill was $127. After dinner we went out back where there is a heated patio, full bar and a photo op. We will definitely come back and bring all of our friends. Special thank you to Natalie, Chris and Anthony for making our night special. Full video review on my social media @missmiko21 read more

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It was a Wednesday night- so not busy. We had a 6pm reservation. The young lady who was to be our server was very sweet, but maybe needed some assistance with her three tables. Service was slow, water was warm and it took some time to get a cup of ice. Appetizers- we ordered 5. They were passable, but nothing I would run back for. Arancini (average) , Meatballs (3 very small and Dry), Calamari (good but a very small portion), Mozzarella en Carozza (basically mozzarella sticks -not good) , Shrimp Fra Diavlo - more polenta than shrimp (Tasty but tough). Overall a disappointment. Main dishes--- first problem 3 of the 7 of us were served and then the waitress came by to tell us there was a "miscommunication in the kitchen" and the rest would be out "soon". Soon turned into 20-25 minutes while the three (two salads and a kids meal of chicken fingers with fries) were consumed. Now half the table has eaten and the other half are staring at the door to the kitchen. I would like to say it was worth the wait, but alas , the skirt steak was not flavorful and the "truffle fries" were plain FF with some sprinkled parmesan cheese. The Broccoli Rabe was more stems than leaves, and the pork chop was hotter than need be. a 20% gratuity was auto added (party greater than 6- I get it but it should be the base of 15% tip with room to acknowledge good service) . The credit card receipt then still had a place to add a tip ( how many people add another 20% not seeing the original auto add I wonder.) Then of course the credit card fee. For the significantly delayed meals (3 people fed- 4 people starving) not even the offer to comp one appetizer?? $430 - with no drinks - not even a soda... totally not worth it. Will NOT be going back. I have had better food in a pizzeria!! read more

It's a nice place indoor & outdoor. Went on a nice hot day and ate outside. I had the lunch clams casino & the lunch truffle mushroom ravioli :) read more

A Salute Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

Headed down to Matawan this evening for dinner with friends, Larry and Debbie L'Hotta at A Salute, a very cool little Italian restaurant. A Salute is located on Main Street in a converted 1850 Church. You can still see the Trinity Church name on one of the walls. I got there a little early so I was able to enjoy a Boulevardier (Bourbon Negroni) before checking in. Very friendly, welcoming place. Beautiful full service bar and separate dining room that offered a very cozy and comfortable vibe, with the character of the original church still in place. There is also a large outdoor patio and bar for when the weather permits. Looks great for private parties as well. Apps included their Detroit Style Pizza. We chose the Classico, though there was quite a few toppings. Also went with the traditional Fried Calamari, and Stuffed Mushrooms. The pre-meal courtesy bread was made in house and was somewhat unique in tastee and texture. Entrees included my choice of Short Rib Ragu (Rigatoni, Braised Short Rib, Chianti, Peas, Carrots, Pomodoro, Ricotta), which was very good, and an ample serving; Orecchiette with Sausage & Broccoli Rabe (Ear-Shaped Pasta, Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pecorino Romano Cheese, Garlic Broth), and a serving of Sausage and Lentil Soup. Finished with a Pistachio Tartufo and a Cappuccino. I have to commend our server, Hani, for the exemplary care and attention he provided throughout the meal. The restaurant as a whole went out of their way to ensure our satisfaction. 09/17/2024 read more

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A salute was a great experience. The church vibe while eating was very unique. The food was very good and the portions were perfect, not too much and not too little. Our server was very friendly and attentive and answered any questions we had. I will definitely be going back again. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Bolognese Pasta - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

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I really enjoyed my gnocchi! Delicious! The ambience is pretty as well! I recommend this restaurant!

First off, i rated with 1-star. My wife felt bad and made me bump it to 2-star. We had a reservation for Friday night date night. Wanted to go someplace different. We've been here before but not for about 2-years. Here's my review: Alyssa the waitress was great. They have valet parking to park your car 20-feet from the door A table for 2, was extremely small where the 2 menus were bigger than the table. They did offer to move us but we chose not to inconvenience Alyssa. The table wobbled Bread was day old and spongy. It was not heated up but the butter was frozen. The water tasted like chlorine The soda and iced tea tasted strange but doable The calamari pcs were huge and dry. More than half were the "ugly ones" as my wife calls them. We didn't eat it. I had chicken franchise which was ok. One of of chicken where other restaurants typically serve 2. My wife had chicken parm which was dried out. Also one small pc. The spaghetti was cooked only enough to bend it to get it on the small plate. Oh and the bill was crazy. $30+ for one of of chicken and hard spaghetti. Over $150.00 was insane for this meal. Overall... not for me...I'm out. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

A week ago we held a repass for 23 guests on a Saturday afternoon. (We had a repass here before AND we had eaten dinner here on several occasions, all good!) Anthony the manager who handled our gathering was accommodating, professional and understanding. In the background, big band type music played (Sinatra etc). The servers during our meal were both professional and unobtrusive. Each course of the meal was timely, we never felt rushed. All of our chosen menu items were delicious. Forgive me if I don't use the proper names,..appetizers were Fried calamari, meatballs and Arancini (risotto balls). There was a house salad Ali d with Margherita pizza along with penne vodka. These were all served family style and were all delicious. There was plenty of food to go around. We chose as our main course options Eggplant Rolatini, Chicken Francese and Salmon Pomodoro. Each guest ordered individually from these items. All mentioned that they were well satisfied with the meal. For dessert it was Italian cookies and coffee. We'll of course be back for a regular meal. We know we won't be disappointed. read more

Fantastic food. Great service. Highly recommend for your next date night! Bring some cash for the valet. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

What a great little gem in Matawan. This is an old church that was converted into a fabulous restaurant space. To be fair, I can only rate their happy hour and it was excellent. I loved the bar setting. It has a glass atrium that lets light in and perfect to watch the sunset. The bartenders are very friendly and make great cocktails! As for the food we ordered three appetizers from their happy hour menu. All appetizers are half off from 3-6pm. We tried the buffalo wings, Rice balls and meatballs. Are were delicious! I especially loved the rice balls. They were fried perfectly and had an amazing flavor. The restaurant also has some enclosed outdoor seating with a bar and a cute private room with a chandelier perfect for a more intimate setting. Loved this space and I cannot wait to return to try their dinner menu. read more

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Place is gorgeous, Food is 5/10 Service is ok. They need more specials and just better food read more

Pros - very nice inside and service was very good. Brownie dessert was huge. Pasta portions were large. Cons - food was a 3 at best. Chicken parm was one cutlet the size of my hand (there are far better options around for the price). Chicken fancese was also one small cutlet. Calamari was tasteless. Someone from our party got sick from the spicy rigatoni. Molten lava and brownie sundae were served cold. Shrimp on penne vodka was translucent and looked gross. Wasn't awful, but no one in our party would return. read more

Loved this spot! We loved the food, the drinks were tasty, and the atmosphere was a vibe. We almost missed the turn but we found this hidden gem! read more

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To be fair, I'll preface this review by saying my review is for my experience on New Year's Eve. I have not gone out to a restaurant on New Year's Eve in a while. Apparently, the restaurant had staff call out but didn't warn us upon seating. The food was passable and the portions for some dishes were small for the price. We sat down at 7:20 and didn't get our drink order taken until 8:15. Our drinks came at 8:30. My martini was served in a regular glass and it was not full size. My friends drink was served in a plastic cup. Her drink was large. Apps came out on time. The $30 octopus app was one piece of octopus with lots of potatoes. Not big enough to share. The fig salad and calamari were good and larger portions. My friends strip steak order came out with a substitution she was not asked about. They gave her a different cut of steak. She returned it. Plus, it came out with sides of fries and mashed potatoes instead of a vegetable. The dishes that had broccoli rabe as a side came out with broccoli instead but they had broccoli rabe in the back. The chicken Marsala dish came out with three roasted potatoes and one small piece of chicken. Needless to say, we didn't order more drinks or dessert. The only reason to come here was the pretty room. Service and food was sub par. read more

Ordered a short rib pizza without arugula but got one with arugula and no short rib. When we called to get it fixed, the host said she put in no arugula but somehow it was entered in with no short rib. Then she put us on hold, but did not put us on hold and we overheard the manager discussing our issue rudely. They refused to remake the pizza unless we came back and paid for a new one. We've been loyal customers, but this was handled so poorly that we won't be returning. The manager should truly be ashamed how they handled what was their mistake. And now we have no dinner and we're still dealing with trying to get a refund from Uber after two failed attempts. read more

A Salute Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

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Service was horrible. 7pm reservation and waited almost 2 hours to be seated. Customers in the dining room all complained about waiting hours to receive their food. Saw a group leave and took the food to go. Food was warm and nothing special. First and last time I would go here. read more

What a lovely little restaurant! Had a nice Sunday lunch with three girls. Service was great. Our server Brandon was very friendly and attentive. He made sure to check on us numerous times and always give us whatever was needed. Food was great! We got a few apps, a Detroit style pizza, penne vodka and a few desserts. Everything we ate was wonderful. Lots of flavor and super fresh! We thoroughly enjoyed everything and will definitely be coming back! Ambiance was very nice. Restaurant is very clean and well taken care of. Not sure what all the bad reviews are for this place was great and we had a great time. Can't wait to come back! read more

Very unprofessional management team and rude! Food is ok, very loud and no space! No more coming back for me and suggesting to you! read more

We were going to be in the Matawan area and I found this place and decided to check it out . The reservations: were on point . The atmosphere : it's a great place to hang out , very good vibes and great drinks The bathroom : now there's a little problem :( there's only one single bathroom for the whole place and there's a line at all times . Place is way to big for such little bathroom . My main problem here was my server as she OBVIOUSLY did not pay attention to concern , as I ordered my food I specifically told her I was allergic to SPICY FOOD . And I also asked them to remove the hot peppers and onions from the dish . They did , however she either fail to tell me the dish was basically so spicy I'd be on fire or she fail to tell the kitchen I couldn't eat spicy food . It was a disappointment because the food is really really good but all I could do was take about 3 bites of my food because my mouth was on fire and once we mentioned to her all she did was bring a jar of water , I expected more of an apology for not paying attention . If it was the kind of allergies that kill someone I would definitely be dead . I would give another try in hopes the staff is a bit more caring about food allergies next time . read more

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I had been here before for a shower in their dining room and it was great! Went back recently for dinner and was seated in the bar area due to a private party. They notified me of this change when confirming the reservation, so no big deal. They have complimentary valet as their parking lot is tiny. Great atmosphere, beautiful space and the food was awesome. We ordered the grilled octopus and fried calamari to start and both were delicious. We ordered a vodka pizza to share - which was more flatbread in style but good-little light on the sauce to manage expectations. We ordered the bolognese, grilled branzino, Marsala, and truffle fries. All really good! Okay, now let's talk cocktails. Two aperol spritzes followed by a perfect espresso martini. Friend of mine ordered a cosmo and loved that too. Dessert- ricotta cheesecake- awesome! And the tarfuto, it was great. Service was great. Honestly not a single negative thing to say. We had a great time. Highly recommend. read more

Got the chicken Marsala wasn't bad just needs some garlic I recommend the place is nice they have karaoke happy hours and live music Have only been here once but it's a nice hidden place on Main Street. read more

This was our first visit to A Salute and likely our last. What did we LOVE? We had a reservation and arrived 10 minutes early and were seated right away. The appetizers were AMAZING. If our dinner was just appetizers, this likely would have been a 4 star review. Our drinks were not great. The only option for reds were their 'house' wines. The only other option for any other red was to buy a bottle at exorbitant prices. Our meals were overpriced and not great. The chicken dishes average $30+ per plate with only vegetables. So if you want a starchy side, add at least $10 to the plate. My daughter did really enjoy her fish, but my husband and I had chicken dishes and both were underwhelming. The chicken wasn't tender and could have been pounded out so it wasn't as chewy. Again, for a $30+ plate, you'd expect not only a super fresh piece of chicken, but tender, not chewy. We were seated in the bar, very close to the kitchen so we did get to see some amazing food pass by us. I feel we would have been happier with our meals if we stuck with the appetizers, shared a salad and a deep dish pizza (which looked amazing by the way) and called it a night. We were really looking forward to visiting A Salute, but our delicious appetizers were overshadowed by our overpriced, mediocre entrees. read more

Dinner at a small chapel... When you enter this place by the side entrance door, it's a little misleading. The bar itself is quite modern looking along with the 4 or 5 high top tables. But we chose to sit in the main dining room area. This is very quaint , with maybe another 12 or so tables and that's it. Yes, this used to be an old chapel back in the day. You can definitely tell when looking at the wine fridge towards the front. First, the not so good... it was the hottest day of the early summer and don't think that the AC was working. They actually set up a few floor fans to cool off the area. Ceiling fans were of no use last night. Service- Good by our bartender/server named Bridget. Seems like this place is breaking in new staff. Saw another table that had two different waiters. Appetizers- We shared only one arancini with a round drinks. This was pretty good. Entrees- For her, Chicken Marsala served with potatoes and Broccoli Rabe. The Rabes could have used a little bit more garlic. Another popular dish is the bolognese in a creamy sauce. Leftovers on both sides of the table again. Because... Gotta save room for dessert. Which was a peanut butter mousse and tasted like a Reese's peanut butter cup. Prices are reasonable here. Just give them a few weeks to get everything (staff/AC) in order. And yes, they have live music on Wednesday nights outside. Enjoy read more

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So, the most special part of the restaurant is the restaurant itself! It's located inside an old chapel that has been renovated into a restaurant. Really cool and innovative. Valet parking is complementary, but always good to tip :) I didn't originally come here for food, just drinks, but still ended getting some bar food. Got the wings, pretty good. Service at the bar was attentive and social. Vibe was really "lit" (cool) as the kids say nowadays. People were all very engaged and seemed to be enjoying themselves, made for a more pleasant evening. Would definitely go back to try the actual food next time. Overall, I give A Salute a solid 4.5. read more