This ten table indoor restaurant could be a real gem if the Chef was focused on his kitchen and limited his socializing with customers. The waitress did a great job servicing all ten tables. The appetizers and salad were good. The prep and presentation lovely. The entrees looked like and tasted like an amateur prepared them . I don't know how someone can not cook capellini ? It was hard not al dente and dry. The other dish two peas in a pod looked like a 6 year old made it 4 cut up cherry tomatoes a cup of peas and some pasta. I think the chef is living on what he had been in the past. He needs to take a look at today! read more

This BYOB is very small but they capitalize on every inch with extremely hospitable service & wonderful food. Tony the waiter knows everything on the menu like the back of his hand and is happy to make recommendations based on your preferences. This gem is worth every penny!!!!!!! read more

Upon walking into this restaurant, the ambiance is welcoming and cozy. We ordered the clams, mussels, calamari and burrata. The food was fresh, deliciously prepared and you could tell it was made with love and care. read more

Amazing! I went on Thursday, October 24 with two of my friends to celebrate her birthday. We were all blown away by the food ! Best Bolognese sauce I ever had! Also had a truffle burrata! Bits of chocolate and drizzled with chocolate over the cheese, fruit and veggie Can't wait to go back again! Best Italian around in my opinion! A must ! read more

See all

Couldn't have been better! Excellent service, nice room, wonderful food at this reasonably priced BYO!

I really enjoyed this place. I sat outside and it was perfect weather with a breeze from the ocean. Highly recommend any fish dishes. The sides were also good. I would definitely come back if I am craving fish and byob! read more

food was good but service was very slow and bad. We waited over 15 minutes for our drinks when there was only 2 other tables.

We went there first time on a Tuesday night. The place is very small and cramped. The appetizers were ok Burrata, Zuchini flowers, and ricotta dishes. The steak Diane 2 folks had said it was tough not a good cut. The signature pork was tender but totally overpowered by the cherry sauce. Sweet potatoes and Veggies not bad. Biggest thing was the service, it took forever for entre' and desert. More than a half hour to get the pre made desert. Nothing special at all. Not good enough to drive a half hour so wont go back. Too many better places for the money. read more

Decided to stop by. When we asked if we could get a pizza to go, the server answered us in a rude manner. I guess we weren't welcome to see a menu and try something else. read more

Food was very mediocre and unreasonable rich. Everything had a heavy sauce and weird combinations. Definitely will not go back.

Just outstanding. We did a 3 course thing. The soup was a very good lentil. My Mama Maria was great. Sliced grilled chicken breast, imported prosciutto, spinach, garlic, roasted peppers, vidalia onions and cheese, sautéed with extra virgin olive oil and tossed with pasta. My wifes country chicken was also great. Crisp chicken breast with mashed potatoes, milk gravy and frizzled onions. The way the chicken was prepared was very interesting, and sooo good. Our desert choice, apple crisp was a little disappointing. I think it was topped with mint chocolate chip ice cream which didn't compliment. Help wanted sign in the window, so they were short staffed and service was a little slow. One poor guy was doing it all. Too many slackers not willing to work these days. Quaint little downtown area. Nice to walk around a town and not smell weed. We'll definitely be back. read more

I really wanted to like this place. Sadly it was just ok. Ambiance is lacking. Food was meh. Best part was salad and tartufo. My dish Double shrimp was pretty tasteless and was a skimpy portion. It's BYOB which is good but overall very disappointing. Definitely will not be back. read more

We sat in the car for ten minutes debating, do we go in? Yes or no? Spouse was getting hangry so in it is. I had to go into the entrance to the kitchen to find someone. Teresa sat us, explained the specials and brought us our drinks. It's BYOB so is tea and seltzer it was. No appetizers tonight, just a meal. Each of our meals included a small but exquisite salad of fresh fruit, greens and a spectacular dressing and included a singular piece of garlic bread with spices, red pepper flakes and garlic sauce. Ok. I was totally not ready for the flavors dancing on my tongue. It was sort of a citrus vinaigrette with shades of Caesar...nice! Spouse got the broccoli rabe with chicken, Italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes garlic, EVOO and tossed with rigatoni pasta. ($26.95). I wanted to switch plates until I saw mine...they call it Drunken Swordfish. Lemon, capers, garlic white wine sauce, rock shrimp, tomato basil over spinach, with mashed potatoes ($32.95) this meal was simple, delicious and delightful! Dessert was a shared chocolate death? OMG, it was too much for the two of us. I got an espresso with a twist to fix myself. The music was Frank, naturally...I was sort of waiting for Paulie,Silvio and Christopher to walk in and Artie to come from the back. We thanked chef George Edward for the wonderful meal... read more

See all

Arugula unfortunately gets a mixed review from me. Tho our food warranted 4*, our overall experience was a 3*. We started out with small very average salads (slightly wilted with a couple brown-edged leaves; sweet-ish bottle-like dressing) accompanied by excellent garlic bread -- both came with our entrees. My vodka rigatoni was nicely sauced but just a bit sweet (as in I could taste that sugar was added)... and the fra diavalo was brimming with very fresh seafood but its sauce was thickened and glossy (cornstarch?!?), which seemed out of place for Italian food. Still it was tasty and the seafood super fresh, so I might have disregarded the shiny thickened sauce if not for the billing mistakes/practices. Our bill seemed high at $99 and on inspection my $19.95 pasta showed up as $24.95, and my husband's Fra Diavalo was a whopping $48.95 tho it was listed under menu items priced at $29.95 (MP should've been noted but wasn't- check the menu pic). When we asked for the menu and questioned the bill, our server said the $24.95 was a mistake but that the Fra Diavalo was not one of the $29.95 items but was a "special." Ultimately our bill was corrected/adjusted to $19.95 for the vodka and $32.95 for the fra diavalo. Bottom line-- the food is good but if you eat here confirm the prices and doublecheck your bill. Loo read more

See all

Employees were sweet. Everyone did their best, that we could see but the food just wasn't meeting the bar, especially for the cost. I wish them well; but we won't be returning. read more

Great little restaurant in the town of Spring Lake. Very nice atmosphere, also had tables outside. We had reservation for 6:30pm and we were seated promptly. It's BYOB and they brought out an ice bucket for our wine when we arrived. We ordered the drunken clams which had fresh baked garlic bread on the side I could have drank up the sauce. My hubby ordered the Mahi-Mahi over linguine which was seasoned with peppers, onions and garlic. I had the Bolognase which was delicious! The waitress Teresa was friendly and attentive. I would definitely return to try more items on the menu. read more

My family and I arrived at Arugula for our 7:30 reservation only to be told (in not such a friendly manner) that it's going to be a while. As we were sitting outside waiting, several other parties came and went as they were told the same thing. When I checked on the reservation at 8:08, the waitress said the kitchen was backed up and we would probably be seated in 10 minutes. Another patron heard this and said he was waiting for an hour and twenty minutes for his food to be served. Cute place but we left so I can't say anything about the food other than it smelled good. read more

This place is so slow! I was there on Saturday 2 outdoor tables. It took over an hour to get our food a salad and a sandwich. The waiter does nothing but complain about lack of staff , not showing up 3 hrs late only one cook. Yesterday it was extremely busy however we sat when only 3 tables were taken. A friend was on her lunch hour, It was 1 hr and 30 min and no food she had to take her lunch to go! After we received our order. My other friend ordered chicken salad over Arugula salad dressing on the side and I ordered Mama Mia regular pasta dish. Tony told me that the cook make a sandwich? they just dumped the ingredients over pasta very dry and not good. My friend was given grilled chicken with cheese dressing on. The bill shows what we ordered but the cook disregarded it. I will never go back. It was horrible. Stop complaining and hire more staff! read more

We never even got the chance to have the food since they were rude from the moment we walked in. Called ahead and made a reservation for an outdoor table. The curt woman who "greeted" us knew nothing about our reserveration. Eventually she took us to an outdoor table right under the blasting speaker, so we were moved to a very lopsided table with a broken umbrella hanging over it, A family sitting near us said they were leaving soon and we could have their table . We thanked them and told our server who said we could "possibly" have it before someone else took it, and then walked away, Enough stress for us just for what probably would have been a mediocre dinner. We got up and left and had a great dinner at Spring Lake Seafood nearby. read more

The good: The quaint small interior and the acoustics are good for a conversation. Servers are very friendly and attentive. The menu was part of restaurant week, an included a choice of an appetizer, an entree, and desert. The bad: We each had a different appetizer. Cauliflower florets, ricotta w honey over crostini's and mozzarella with tomatoes balsamic. The cauliflower was not what we expected at all- it was a cauliflower that was cooke inside of a crust like a pocket pizza without the cheese inside a deep fried crust That sat in a cream sauce. This was not appealing, and the sauce overpowered any flavor, very thick and heavy!! Verses a lightly battered cauliflower floret with light ranch or just squeeze of lemon. The mozzarella was strange- hard squares with a drizzle of balsamic. The mozzarella was not soft, or fresh. Third app was a ricotta app with stale crostini's. The dish was again not flavorful or appealing. Dinner I choice the slow cooked pork chop, that came w sweet potato and veggies. Sooo disappointed!! The pork was tender but it was smothered in a cherry sauce that made the pork too sweet!! Then the sweet mashed potato was covered in butter scotch and sweet pecans or walnuts not sure but again overly sweet. There was a very small side of what was supposed to be veggies but there was not a green veggie in sight. The entire meal was overly sweet, and in need of a good healthy salad as an option, and a green as a side such as asparagus. None of these sides were options . All in all, beyond disappointing. Which is a shame given many of the positive reviews. Their regular menu is what attracted us, and unfortunately the pri fix fell short of expectations. The meal finished w desert of apple tart or bread pudding...both disappointing. I noticed there were no tea or coffee that was offered either. With so many wonderful restaurant at the Jersey shore, Unfortunately we will not be visiting or recommending this restaurant. Perhaps the regular menu is better. read more

I was originally drawn to Arugula by its beautiful and quaint exterior around Christmastime. I looked up the menu (huge! And sounded delicious) and booked a reservation. I was visiting my parents who had gone here once and they raved about the quality service and delicious garlic bread. When I finally went with my husband, it exceeded expectations! I was shocked we could get a reservation the day we called. We were greeted by the owner and Theresa was our server. She was attentive and polite and gave us her input when we asked. We started with the burrata, which had the unique additions of dark chocolate and grapes-- we loved it! Theresa brought us a salad unexpectedly which was the perfect size complete with amazing toasted bread. I ordered the Divino and ate the entire (large) entree. I will dream about the lobster pink sauce! My husband orders bolognese every chance he gets and he loved his dish. We were too full for dessert but plan to return ASAP!!! read more

See all

I wanted to like this restaurant. It is convenient and in a beautiful setting in downtown Spring Lake. The chef/owner really needs to do some work here. The tomato sauce was canned diced tomatoes, on both the appetizer and main course. Manicotti, advertised to be fried in garlic, clearly went from freezer to a bowl of diced tomatoes without much thought. How about melted cheese over the top, or a touch to distinguish the dish? Wait staff was inattentive and unconcerned. They didn't tell us about the specials or bring requested condiments. A restaurant without a liquor license should take greater pride in their food and service. read more

This place has the best gluten free pasta. Each dish my family ordered was shared because it was so good! The staff was soon nice and generous. They accommodated our needs and the owner George talked to us and made sure everything was perfect. I would 100% recommend this restaurant!! read more

AVOID We ordered take out from Arugula and was told to arrive at 6:45pm. I arrived just past the allotted time and was not spoken to for five minutes and waitresses walked by my multiple times without asking why I was there and would not make eye contact or speak to me. I continued to wait for 30 minutes while waitresses walked by me and continually asked why I was there and I told them I needed to pick up at 6:45. In that thirty minutes two customers walked in for pick up and got their food and left well before me. After thirty minutes someone walked up to me asked "is this your food?" And just placed three bags in front of me. I had no idea what was in it and he did not help me figure it out. I was shown the receipt with chicken scratch handwriting on it that I could not make out. So I paid and left. When I got home, (3 minute walk) 3 of the 6 dishes we got were unrecognizable compared to what we ordered. We called to remedy this and ask for a refund for the unrecognizable dishes. The owner picked up and was rude, denied a refund for the inedible dishes, and eventually hung up on us. We called back again and had an equally unpleasant experience. Awful awful service. Avoid. Too bad I cannot leave 0 stars. read more

My husband and I went for lunch. When we entered the waitress was very nice and accommodating. The food was ok and the atmosphere was cute. I ordered the grilled chicken blt sandwich. Seasoning was good but the chicken was dry and there wasn't much bacon. My husband ordered the pastrami sandwich. We asked for mustard and ketchup and the waitress brought out these little packets. I find them to be annoying but ok. The mustard must've been old because it came out like paste. It seems weird that a restaurant like that wouldn't have fresh mustard and ketchup to serve their customers. ‍ read more

Great intimate restaurant in town of Spring Lake. Delicious, freshly made appys, entrees and desserts. Dave, our waiter, was very friendly and knowledgeable with the menu. BYOB, call ahead for a reservation just in case! Will be returning soon. read more

We made a reservation at the restaurant at the recommendation of a friend. We were looking forward to dinner all week! We had requested outside seating, but due to a few pop up thunderstorms, the restaurant called to suggest we move indoors. The restaurant inside was very small but nicely decorated. Staff was inattentive and we had to ask them to open our wine. Food was sub par which was shocking after all the reviews we saw. We overheard the table next to us ask the waitress if the chef was there and she informed them he was out of town at a wedding- our misfortune- not sure what we missed out on- but this was nothing to rave about- when my husband sent his plate back practically untouched- the waitress didn't even ask if he would want to try something else or ask if there was anything wrong with his dish- terrible service! read more

Our meal was the worst meal we've ever had at the Jersey shore, and we've had many. I don't like to give bad reviews unless it's really bad. The garlic bread, which is pricey, wasn't cooked in the middle (raw dough) and was very wet and greasy. It took an hour for our entree to arrive because the kitchen lost our ticket, and the pasta and scallops dish was inedible. We left without eating our dinners, first time ever. The server was lovely and apologetic, but we won't return - and have to say that there are many other fine restaurants in the area, like Barelli's ( Spring Lake) or La Dolce Vita (Belmar). What a bummer it was to be on a short beach vacation and have this dining experience. read more

The owner clearly doesn't care about the impression he leaves or making sure his customers are well taken care of with an overwhelmed short staff. The food is good but the service is terrible with no acknowledgement or apology. Too many good restaurants in the area to waste your time here. read more

Went mid week for dinner & was seated right away. Server was personable, efficient, & made recommendations. Everything was fine until food was ordered....a few minutes later, a man sitting at the next table (turns out owner of the restaurant) walks into the kitchen and begins yelling at his kitchen staff. We could hear everything, and it involved our order which was the dinner special & a simple oversight in asking about our desired spice level. No biggie for us. This is not a fine dining establishment where perfection & details are expected. The server returned - she was great but now visibly embarrassed. The owner's behavior persisted into the dining room stopping at every table until returning back to his seat next to us. As if the antics couldn't getting any worse, his conversation turned to clientele he didn't want in his establishment & even explaining to the table a nickname he has used. Derogatory, insulting, & an era that should never be on repeat - ever. Food is marginal & overpriced. read more

Owner/chef is so nice and accommodating. We love it here! I loveeeee the chicken franchise-I get it every time. Delicious food and the waiters are fabulous! Cheers! read more

Stopped by for an alfresco lunch this afternoon. Great to see our server Alexis and Chef George, the owner, were keeping things safe in the summer of Covid-19. But just as importantly, the menu was fantastic. As a somewhat picky eater it isn't unusual for me to only find a couple things on the menu. Arugula had quite a few. It took me an inordinate amount of time to decide. Alexis was patient and kept the drinks coming. Next time, pastrami! My wife, the healthy one, had trouble deciding between quite a few of her own favorites, ultimately deciding on the Ahi tuna. While I didn't try it, she thought it was great and would certainly order it again if there weren't so many other options to choose from next time. The menu was quite diverse, particularly for lunch service and especially in this unusual era where many restaurants seem to be scaling back their offerings to keep it simple. No sign of that here! I was fascinated by the shredded hoagie/sub and ordered it to see if it was anything like what I have been doing at home for years. It is essentially a sub that has had the ingredients lightly chopped and mixed before being tucked in the roll. Anyone that isn't a fan of biting into a sub and first getting a bite of just meat followed by another of just vegetables then a bite of just bread needs to give it a try. Great attention to detail, Chef George, and certainly creative. We finished lunch with a piece of bread pudding. I have literally never ordered it before but Arugalas has made me a fan! Keep up the great work chef George. Remember to support your local restaurants and servers. You're going to want them to still be there when this pandemic is over! And though things are tough for many folks, Tip Big if you can! read more

Nice, cozy restaurant in downtown Spring Lake, NJ. Quaint atmosphere, extensive and varied menu with daily specials. Everyone in our party really enjoyed their meal. BYOB. Friendly and competent staff. Will be back for sure. read more

Looks like a small cafe or bistro, but looks are deceiving. A fairly extensive modern menu and generous portions. Perfect for al fresco dining. BYOB. read more

We went here for dinner last night and had a wonderful time. Our waitress Emily was very friendly and the service was great the whole night. Our group of 6 all got a different seafood pasta dish and nobody had a single bad thing to say. I got the shrimp/chicken carbonara verde and would definitely get it again! 5 stars for sure read more

We finally tried Arugula and it's now at the top of our favorite places to eat ! So cozy and welcoming but still following COVID complaints. The service Lisa offered was impeccable. The food was "off the chain" as they say. Talk about delicious... can't wait to return to try the other dishes I need to taste on the menu. We have dear friends who had lunch at Arugula and loved it. We truly can't wait to return. Will surely be my first choice for my birthday meal in February. read more

This place was absolutely incredible -- we ordered rice balls and eggplant stack as appetizers, then we ordered the following as a group of 6: zoodles zucchini (3 of us), seafood fra divalolo, surf and turf, and veal saltimbocca. we all loved our meals, and really loved the BYOB offer! everyone was stuffed, given the portions were incredible. all of the flavors really popped, especially the garlic bread and salad they give per person when you order an entree. the waitress was also amazing. we will be back!! read more

Made a reservation for Sunday 9/6/20 of Labor Day Weekend at 7.30 PM for 2 people. This was based on an excellent take-out meal from a few weeks earlier. I wish we had stuck with take-out. The service was very poor. We were seated right around our reservation time and told someone would be with us in about 5 minutes as they were very busy. The table was not set at all: no glasses or utensils. A waiter came by and told us he'd bring water, a wine glass and an ice bucket for the wine. We had to flag someone down at around 8 PM to beg for service. Another table of 2 was sat at a similar time and had already received service including salads! The restaurant was extremely understaffed and we were told the owner decided to take off. Rather unacceptable for a holiday weekend. Finally a wine glass and club soda arrived but it took 2 more requests for a glass of water. Good thing I brought my wine in a cooler bag because no ice bucket ever arrived. We ordered dinner and the salads were brought but had to flag someone down for utensils since as I mentioned the table was not set. The other very concerning thing I observed was that there was a steady stream of people entering the restaurant from an ice cream parlor a few doors down. They were lining up inside to use the bathroom. I'd find this concerning on a regular day if I was dining inside the small restaurant (we dined outside thank God!). During a pandemic I find it extremely unsafe and unwise to have extra people inside your small restaurant who are not patrons. The ice cream parlor should solve for their own restroom issues. Despite the poor service I still left a 25% tip. The food was very good. Maybe I'd get take-out again. Maybe. read more

Had escargot- clams casino -eggplant tower all excellent!! Had garlic & oil pasta and asked if they could add anchovies!! Chef said no problem and was great!! My wife had slow cooked pork was also great.! would highly recommend this place!!! read more

This was my first time here and it was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed the lovely atmosphere and the owner and the staff are friendly and kind. You can tell they go out of the way to make their customers happy. The food is absolutely amazing and everything we tasted melted in our mouths. Absolutely the best meal I've had in awhile. We enjoyed the conversation with the owner George Edward and I have to say he is a spectacular chef. You can see he has a great passion for what he does and that passion is definitely reflected in his food. I highly recommend everyone to try this place. It's worth the visit. read more