We are new to Bayonne and our eye doctor and a couple of people I met at a local gym recommended Angelina's.
I was a bit hesitant to try despite the strong positive reviews, because I also read reviews about it being hard to get a table and they can be rude and its a whole thing and blah blah blah. I am glad I didn't listen to those reviews! It was an amazing experience and Angelina and her son were so nice to us. Yes you have to call up a couple of times to make a reservation and put in your food order, but trust me it's worth it.
The decor is nothing like any other restaurants, and the whole experience is nothing like another restaurant. The decor is loud, American and flashy, with an undertone of warmth given by the red and Christmas lights strung everywhere. 4th of July meets Christmas meets Election Day, also somehow it evoked a feeling of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Over the bar area a TV was playing the football playoffs and also a radio was playing jazz and swing music.
It's literally like going over someone's house. In a really good way, you feel welcomed and taken care of. Angelina's son pours your glass of wine to the brim and refills your sangria at no charge. He even taught us how to eat the stuffed artichoke after he saw us scooping it on our plate. Instead he said just take a leaf off and suck everything out. Which actually made so much sense and made the experience eating the appetizer much better. I never had a stuffed artichoke before so I can't compare it to anything, but it was a really fun experience eating it and was buttery and delicious. Food came out pretty quickly. The artichoke came out probably just 15 minutes after we sat down.
The meals seem to range from 20-40 dollars a dish. I assume the prices fluctuate more than your average restaurant. Which is fine to me, food is more expensive nowadays and these portions are huge and delicious. It's family style! The artichoke was $22, the eggplant parm $30, lasagna $38 and the chicken marsala $40. Glass of wine $10, Sangria $13. Cash only I believe. 3 people could probably share one entree and feel content enough to go home. But we got 3 entrees and an appetizer for 4 people. We have dinner for the rest of the week!
Prepare to overeat when you come here. The Eggplant parm was stand-out for me. It was my favorite. The sauce was sweet and light, and the eggplant was crispy and flavorful. The lasagna had a different tomato sauce on it, also good. The cheese in the lasagna was really good as well. There was also a side of pasta handed to us, not sure which dish it was supposed to accompany. It also had red sauce on it, but tasted different from the two other red sauces! That's a real level of detail, make 3 different red sauces when you could just use the same. It's just such good quality food. The bread that was brought out was very good as well, soft, - a good dipping bread!
Ask for dessert because the Cannoli was delicious! I want to come back and try tiramisu if they have it.
We spent 2 hours here. There were only 2 other tables on a Saturday night. I don't think it's as coveted as it used to be, it's easy to call her. Just find it on google maps and press the call button. I called when the place is closed (before 4:30), because I assume she is busy cooking and attending to the guests during dinner time. Then you just reserve a date and time. She messages you the menu. Though for some reason the text never came through on my phone so I called back and asked if she can send it to my husband's phone number. She did, and we got the menu. I called her back up told her our food order and a week later we sat down and enjoyed our delicious meal!
This place is the best, and a really great place to go when your new to the town. They have been here all their lives and know everyone. I felt welcomed and now a true member of the Bayonne community. We will definitely be back. read more