Even though this is my first checked in, we've been here like 4 times. We celebrated our anniversary here, brought family here and came in just for late lunch. This is a bar, you can watch sports on the TVs at the bar area, but they also have a separate room next to the bar so you can eat in quiet. The food is delicious (some items are a little pricey in my opinion). They also have decent beer and wine menu! We ordered the mushroom crab crepe for the appetizers, salmon ravioli and 13 oz pork chop with spinach mushrooms risotto. They are all great!! We will definitely come back here again! read more

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Typical bar food, but it's always good. Loved their Pierogis till i got them to go. They were just dry, boiled Pierogis. No sour cream. No butter. Not fried onions. Not to mention we had to wait an hour to get out take out food. read more

This is mixed review. We have been here twice in the last 14 days, and on each occasion i felt like they were having an "off" day. On the July 4th weekend, four of us went in for a quick lunch at the bar. The bartender, thankfully was not the usual bartender. He was quick to explain that this was not his usual gig, and it was obvious, but on a holiday weekend, Sunday afternoon - it was slow - so not a problem. He didn't really know anything about the beer on tap,and couldn't find some of the canned beers offered. The food was not underwhelming or overwhelming. Last night we lost power around 6 PM at our house so we finished dinner and decided to go out for a drink. We came here to give it a second shot. There were about 8 people at the bar in total. We sat next to a couple who seemed to have empty beer glasses for an inordinate amount of time. We sat and waited to be acknowledged as a new customer for several minutes, possibly 10. The bartender was so wrapped up in his pokemon conversation that if we were dehydrated, we would have died. Hubs ordered a draft, i asked for a taster of one to see if i wanted it. He gave me the taster and it was 15 minutes before we could flag him down from the pokemon convo to get a real drink! We left after one round of drinks and went to another place because of the service. The key thing here is that we sat down at the bar of the second place, and were approached about an hour later by the couple who had been sitting next to us. They asked us if we were the same people from Cilento. They struck up the conversation that they had planned on having dinner there but the service was so lacking that they left to come to this place. There is a lot of good about this place, they are building up a fairly decent craft beer on tap, mostly east coast Jersey beers (would love to see more west coast, specifically San Diego or Cali North Coast brews, but i digress). The food looks great, and as per this couple - it is very good. My son confirmed that they really do a bang up burger. Need to focus on the client facing service, we will be back because i believe this place has a chance to be a really great local regular stop. read more

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I was sad to hear Barton's Pub had closed, but this was-- [0% exaggeration] the best burger I have ever eaten in my life. Also my drink was dope. The owners were sweet, real friendly. Highly recommend and will be back soon. read more

Great place. Very comfortable and inviting with good food. 18 draft beers available. Price is moderate for the area and falls right about in the middle. read more

Ever since quarantine started I haven't gotten to go out and experience a nice restaurant. Bar Cilento has outdoor service for people to eat and sit away from other people. This is perfect for the current pandemic. The service here is splendid and the food is even better. I recommend the delicious burger. You can pretty much make it custom to your likings which is perfect for someone like me. The only problem I had with the meal is that it had a very soggy bottom bun, and it fell apart easily. Besides for that, the taste was still worth while. The food is always the most important part of the experience in my opinion, and this restaurant sure did deliver. read more

Was here for the World Cup final and realized I had never updated my OG review, so. First of all? ZOMG, the food. How am I not eating it constantly?? We had calamari and steak rolls to start (ugh my mouth is watering at the memory), then sausage and peppers and "Gigi's fusilli" with lamb ragù (... will be dreaming about it forever). I wanted to try the ravioli as well but my dining companion ate all hers. Harrumph. I ALSO got to sample the craft beers, including a delish cider from Newark. Hashtag I love local! Plus, the place was perfect to watch the game - enough screens for everyone to have their preferred view but not overpowering with the sound that you can't has a conversation during VAR. Just a wonderful place. Also, the patio looks GORGEOUS (it must be new, altho I'll admit I'm usually here during colder months so maybe not? But it def looks it) so I have to go back; it was pouring this morning, plus, you know - the game. But I can just imagine the sheer pleasantness of a cold beer on a warm evening with good friends on the patio. Also, food. ALL THE FOOD. read more

Drinks were good and food was tasty but most of our dishes came out on the cold side and our waitress seemed disengaged. I'd consider giving it another shot but not anytime soon. read more

Stop by this place for a late night meal. I didn't have a lot of choices in this area because a lot of the restaurants were closed, but it turn out terrific. The owner was so kind. Even thought the kitchen was closed she cooked me a cheeseburger. There were no fries left so she instead made a small side of pasta. Both the pasta and the hamburger were delicious. Love the kindness but even more the foods. read more

Live music on the outdoor patio was a nice benefit to the delicious tuna tartare with crusty risotto mango And avocado stacked like a giant layer cake 4 layers high. Not sure what they did to the risotto but my sweet dear AHeidi couldn't get back into the car before she said we're coming back tomorrow night for the tuna tartare read more

The best place to come! The owners are great and make you feel right at home. Food is great and home made. The pasta is made by the one owner Gigi and it's so fresh and authentic. They always go above and beyond to make there customers feel right at home. We requested a bun less burger and lettuce wrap tacos and they had no issue making it! One of my favorite places to eat! Valeriia is amazing and super attentive , she makes our dining experience wonderful! read more

Bar Cilento - Bun-less burger - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

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doesn't accept out of state IDs my parent lives 5 mins away from here and wanted to go to a bar while in town. Kind of f'in ridiculous of management. Like buy a scanner or something LOL read more

This is probably the closet bar restaurant that I have ever been to of all the bars that I have gone before in the past year or even past months! Nothing different from what I can think of except for the size of the restaurant which is somewhat more of a small to medium size compared to other places that I have been to, but if your in the area and live really close, I highly recommend you to give this a try if you have never been here before! Really love the appetizers and food! Not to expensive in my opinion! read more

Bar Cilento - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

Excellent food, wonderful service and a great atmosphere. It's a nice family atmosphere - there's a separate dining room if you don't want to sit by the bar and outdoor seating too. read more

I went to Bar Cilento, my local chophouse serving seafood and steak, and decided to change it up a bit from the classic sizzling pan seared Scallop with wild rice to New York Strip with garlic mashed potatoes and I must say, from a person who frequents Roots and Morton's, the steak was good - really good. Admittedly during these unusual times I am a huge proponent of frequenting my local restaurants and bars - I must say, five stars up to Marvin, the chef at Bar Cilento for serving up a fine meal. Even if you were off the beaten path, I would certainly take a detour to come back and ask..where's is my Italian experience? read more

I went to Bar Cilento for the first time last Friday night and it was great on on many levels. The atmosphere: love the large patio and I finally felt like I wasn't eating in a parking lot. The inside is nice too and spacious. The food: menu has something for everyone and we enjoyed everything we ordered. The the pesto pappardelle with shrimp was delicious. Also recommend the Market salad. Also had a good beer, wine and craft cocktail menu. Lastly, the service was good too. We will return for sure. read more

Great cozy place and great food. The owner Gigi is very nice and knows how to make some great Italian food. The bar staff will put a smile on your face with their sarcastic personalities , and the wait staff is on top of things too. On the nice summer nights , enjoy the outside patio with the perfect lighting. Will keep coming back read more

Bar Cilento - Fish tacos - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

Great food! Nice atmosphere! Try the boneless short ribs or lamb with ragu sauce. Val is an excellent server, even Ge Ge and Sam the owners stopped at our table. You won't be disappointed A&B read more

I stopped by for lunch a few days after Christmas and was surprised to see the place pretty desolate. We sat in the dining room area with only one other table which was a bit awkward since there also wasn't any music playing. Instead of each of us getting a meal, we decided to get a bunch of appetizers to share because - they were out of chicken! It ended up not being a bad thing, but we were certainly disappointed at first. We particularly enjoyed the perogies and the shrimp - the sauce was delish! If only they gave us more bread to soak it up. Despite this hiccup, I'll certainly be back during happy hour/dinner time to check out the bar scene and try some entrees. read more

Horrible service, mediocre food. When we were seated I noticed 2 tables that were clearly upset that they waited so long to receive their food. When one table finally got their food it was applauded by the other. Very sad! The owners need to wake up and hire professional servers instead of high school students. read more

What a great addition to the neighborhood!! Excellent, upgraded bar food, plus awesome salads (I had the Cobb with grilled chicken and my husband had the Caesar, which were both fresh and very large), pasta (some freshly made), and lots of beer, wine, and alcohol. We thought the food was excellent. The say they have "American fare with Italian flare" and they hit it right on the mark. The pasta was excellent, and so was everything else!! The atmosphere was great! Not too noisy but fun (we came football as well as food) and not too dark. Def family friendly. The new owners gave the place a very nice facelift and it is clean and fresh. We sat at a table in the bar area and the service was great. Friendly, prompt, and accurate, even though the place was totally packed. Plus we saw many people we knew - it is great to have such a great, local spot! We will definitely be back!! read more

Am I missing something? 4 and 5 stars from others? I was told the food is authentic but I have to sum up my food as frozen, microwaved, and generally prepared with zero love, if you get where I'm coming from. Apps are cheesesteak eggrolls, wings, quesadillas, meatballs... Chose pierogies in the hope that this in-cohesive option would be special and uniquely prepared. Nope. Small commercially produced boiled pierogi (the ridge pattern gave it away) in brown gravy with barely cooked bacon and sautéed onions. No real flavor and an unattractive mess. Ate a few, sent rest away. That was the theme of the night; Entrees were a grilled chicken breast with pesto on focaccia bread. Looked ok, husband still turned off by pierogies so this certainly didn't win him over. My eggplant rollatini was a trio of rolled up soggy overlooked spinach stuffed pieces of slimy eggplant. Besides the mozzarella there was a blend of orange cheese on it. It was all completely bland and over sauced. Blech. Complete waste of $49. My husband had 2 beers. Best thing there. Sorry, had high hopes. read more

Ordered the home-made fig ravioli app. Asked for and received a sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese on top. Delicious. Also, ordered fried calamari which was also good - especially with the chipotle mayo dipping sauce. Gin martini was excellent too. read more

We have passed by this hidden gem several times and wish we had tried it before. We had a great meal there! At first we assumed it was a bar and grill and dont get me wrong, they definitely have a nice sized bar and yummy burgers but have so much more. Most of their pasta dishes are made with homemade pasta such as fusilli, ravioli and pappardelle. Our table enjoyed everything from the special fusilli with filet, Gigi's autumn ravioli with goat cheese butternut squash in a delicious fig sauce and the kids enjoyed their classic burger, coconut shrimp and mac and cheese bites. The calamari appetizer, philly cheesesteak eggs rolls and bacon cheddar tots were all delicious! We stayed for dessert and their homemade tiramisu was one of the best we had. The kids enjoyed cookie sundaes which were presented beautifully. They have a nice selection of craft beers and specialty cocktails. Our favorites were the Devil's kiss and Chocolate martini. So glad we finally tried this restaurant! read more

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Craft cocktail menu super special! The food is great. We had the boneless wings, sprouts and fries...a little slow to get the food but all in all, Sunday football with the game on was great! We will be back! read more

Bar Cilento - Opening week menu. - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

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We went to this place for a Sunday lunch recently. Food is okay for a bar, wine as well. Would not recommend it as a restaurant, but as a bar it is a very nice place. Personnel is very nice. read more

Great new addition to the local scene. Always hesitant to try new places in this area given the stellar track record of some of the other establishments, but I wasn't disappointed. Nice selection of craft beers on draft and bottle, food is above average and reasonably priced, and atmosphere is approachable/relaxing. Staff welcomed me for my first visit and remembered me on my 2nd :) Some nice variables such as a jukebox and pool table make Cilentos a place that I will venture to now and again. read more

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This is not a review on the food. I've had the food, it's good! This is a review on the bar area. The music is terrible. Not only is the sound quality poor, but it's SOOOO LOUD and not good. Especially when you compare the clientele sitting at the bar to the crap that is screaming out of the tiny, piercing speaker. It seems to me that the music is being played for the enjoyment of the bartender, not the customers. read more

Food was great! Love this family ran business. Ordered the raviolis and the chicken parm. Great atmosphere. Can't wait to come back! read more

Bar Cilento - Chicken Parm - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

Had discovered this place when just having drinks at the bar. Went back for dinner with my husband. Food was fantastic. We had the calamari as an appetizer. The chipotle marinara sauce was amazing. Husband got the short ribs. Tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Excellent sauce. I had the lamb chop special. Delicious. Perfectly sized portions. We splurged and enjoyed the homemade desserts. My carrot cake was excellent. No fruit! Just toasted walnuts, moist cake and delicious icing. Excellent service. We will be back!!! read more

Small Bar and Restaurant in suburb of NJ ... We were there for late lunch but decided to do appetizers (small plates to share) which were outstanding. We had Philly Cheesesteak egg rolls(crispy and great flavor), garlic shrimp (spicy broth with crispy toast), meat balls. Wines were reasonably priced and a wide variety of beers were available. Three nights later we arrived with a large party where service was outstanding again. We had hanger steak (you could cut with a fork) served with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes, burgers that were to die for, and seafood linguine. To top off dinner we had chocolate molton cake with vanilla ice cream, rich and creamy. Great atmosphere, great food. read more

Bar Cilento - Hanger steak with fries - American Near Me - Stirling, New Jersey

Had my 60th birthday celebration on patio. I requested traditional fare from the Cilento region. They did not disappoint. Food was authentic, service was great. Best party I ever had at a restaurant. read more

This place has a charming outdoor area that they were actively working to improve upon. We were able to sit outside and have some pretty good food. What really makes me happy to go back is that the owners were both out there too towards the end of the evening and we had a nice conversation and were offered some limoncello. Really nice people. read more

Cool little spot. Much better than when it was Barton's. Its not perfect, but they are working hard.

This restaurant has nice quality food, a good place to bring the family. Would eat here again.

Place is ok. Service each time has been slow when they are not busy. Some foods are good and some are not. A little over priced as well for entrees, in my opinion they are OK. Not wanting more after. Outdoor vibe is nice in the summer. read more

The papparadelle with fresh pesto and shrimp was amazing. Came in on a night where everyone and anyone who did not have electricity after a damaging snow storm were inside having a bite to eat or drink. We were warmly greeted by the owners who seemed to really keep it together considering how busy it was. Supporting the local economy is so important and we will continue to support Cilento. read more

Many visits now...weekend and weekday dinners. Lunch midweek with large family group, including toddlers. All special - Food; Service, Beverages and 'caring attitude'. Favorites include Clam/Mussels app; Fussilli and lamb ragu; Shrimp w Cappelini. Most pasta is homemade! Everything is delicious. Servers always attentive and friendly. Secret ingredient - Owners Gigi and Sam. Atmosphere is relaxed....not place for food aristocrats. We love Cilento! Dan read more

Bar cilento was a great experience! The food was delicious. I had the chicken Parmesan with homemade spaghetti, and my boyfriend had homemade pesto pappardelle. The owners are so inviting and provide great service. We even got complimentary Italian drinks with dessert. Will absolutely be returning! read more

We moved to Watchung 6 mos ago and stumbled one day to Bar Cilento and been so glad that we found this place . This has become our go to place since then. Great atmosphere, Owners are great and Food is awesome !! Were there last night with friends and Live Music and Food was awesome! Looking forward to many many more trips ! read more