We went for lunch after an appointment. It was very quiet, as we were the only patrons. We were seated in a back room. We were given hot bread and butter, but it didn't taste very fresh. I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich which was OK. I thought it would be more like a deli sandwich, but it was fine. The fries were really good! My son had an order of wings and ate my fries. The wings were alright, nothing too exciting there. Overall, it was a decent lunch. I've gone here many times for St. Patrick's Day and had amazing food. I guess today was just quiet and no one else around. I would probably come for dinner and try it again. read more

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The owner is amazing I love the garlic clams and wings... drinks are good and the atmosphere is nice. I will definitely be back.. omg they play house music some nights .. hello read more

Excellent service . Big servings of their food and delicious. I enjoyed their Caesar salad. There was a dj to entertain the customers. Definitely will come back. read more

Great food and service. Very reasonable prices. there is a huge selection of appetizers and entrées. Also, a great selection of dessert. The Italian cheesecake is out of this world . read more

Solid Italian food, yummy drinks, and great service! I love it here! With homey/divey feels this spot delivers excellent Veal Parm (which lasts me 3 meals), Stuffed Shells, salads, and more. I've been coming here since high school with friends and family for casual dinners and events and have also ordered catering-sized trays for home parties. Mangia! Mangia! NOTES/TIPS: **Located in the Ideal Plaza with tons of parking. Down some stairs below street level- not wheelchair accessible. **2 single-person restrooms. **Credit card fee. Cash is better. Fair prices. **Live music on the weekend. read more

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I went with my mom and auntie bunch of her old co workers and the food was pretty good as well as the customer service and ambiance was amazing but the next time I come I may try something different because the chicken giambotta was okay but I could do without the sausage in it but all in all it was alright and the bread was fantastic so I would go again read more

Visited this restaurant with my cousins for an after work Friday night out . It was a 70 theme party taking place which was cool . The drinks are good but the food is very mediocre. Our server Ronnie was very attentive .. read more

The capellini bolognese was great. The hot Italian bread and drinks were even better. The margarita was OK and the Bourbon Lemonade was even better. My wife has the Panko shrimp and it was delicious. The sauce that came with it was even greater. They had live entertainment (@Raquel line music on Instagram)for V Day and it was great. Nice quaint place in the basement. You would never expect that this bar was where it was. They also have a Kareoke night. Would definitely check it out again. Nice find. read more

Cafe Z - Complimentary Yelp Sangria with purchase of an entre. - Italian Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Cafe Z is like walking into the greatest comfort zone imaginable!.. The food is great, service is great, but first and foremost the atmosphere somehow takes on a life of its own to create such a fun and welcoming vibe. Love karaoke with Teddy and miss this place when I can't make it there! Thanks to Patty, Ashley, Ronnie, Ted and Staff. On behalf of the entire Covino family. read more

I don't usually write reviews, but wow--I'm kicking myself for not coming here sooner! We visited last night for a live singer event, and the food truly stole the show. Our party of three was so pleasantly surprised. I can't believe we've driven by all these years without stopping in. Cafe Z is definitely our new favorite local Italian spot. Delicious food, great prices, and a cozy atmosphere--what more could you want? Garlic shrimp is a must try and the Caesar salad is amazing! I'm not usually a fan of homemade pasta, but it was excellent - not mushy at all! read more

Great place. Homemade pasta and the food is fantastic. First-time here and all ready planning on returning.

I very much enjoyed the ricotta and mozzarella cheese appetizer. It was slightly spicy and vert tasty, I also liked the capellini bolognese and would order again. This was a take out and I entered the restaurant, it is cute inside and I loved how the booths were set up. I may eat in next time read more

Went in. Waited for service. Hello? Anyone?? Walked out and went to a place that was responsive to customers. Heard the food was good...but I guess I'll never know. read more

Stellar! Always on point. The place has a great vibe and the food is always great. Plenty of parking.

Food is just great. Nice ambiance to the place. Had a chicken dish over angel hair pasta. Not just good, but truly professionally prepared. My wife and I just stared at each other. Could not believe just how good the food was. Two very nice salads. One with mozz and roasted red peppers, another with portabello mushrooms over arugula. Prepared, you know, "just so," by someone who knew what he was doing. My wife had a clam dish over pasta. Just everything they did was, you know, a real chef preparing real food. read more

Food was very authentic, drinks strong . a lot of bang for your buck . live DJ . cute lil old head spot .

Our band played at Cafe Z last night and when it came time to get paid for our show I was met hearing from a woman behind the bar that she has NO cash! I advised her we were paid via Check last month. A very sweet bartender there told her there's a check at the end of the bar, she looked quite pissed hearing this. She then asked what the payment amount was to be, as I gave her the number she said NO WAY! I'm sorry, what? She goes on to tell me they don't pay bands over $250.00. Then she goes on to tell me she's the negotiator, sorry but THAT happens when we book the gig, it doesn't happen AFTER the gig is played. The WORST part is the one owner coming out and YELLING and CURSING at me... slamming his hands down on the bar yelling about having to pay us the agreed upon amount! I even showed him the email exchange showing what we were to be paid! He went on slamming his hands down yelling how my one friend who stopped in didn't even buy a 'FUCKING BOTTLE OF WATER'. I went through a bad experience of domestic violence thar landed me in the hospital many years ago, that experience took me a long while to emotionally recover from... last night having this man yelling at me and slamming his hands down on the bar next to where I was standing with such aggression was VERY UNSETTLING for me! It put me mentally back in that place where I was on the defense once again! It's not just about the money it's how I was made to feel asking to be paid for a job well done.....No one should be bullied into giving into someone's elses demands.. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and we will never play there or recommend that bar to any of our friend's bands! One customer there yelled on top of her lungs doing our sound check to SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY! Very classy old woman she was! No thanks for returning there! Let's see if they stop payment read more

Cafe Z - Italian Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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New to the area live pretty close to the restaurant tried to take out last night. Everything was fresh delivered quickly I got the stuffed meatball. It was large and had a little spicy kick to it just enough also got the broccoli rob I wish I had a little more garlic, but that's my fault for not asking for extra garlic and the Caesar salad. I asked for dressing on the side it was delivered just as that and the lettuce was fresh. I will definitely Will order again and will stop in someday soon I can ride my bike there read more

Hard to find unless you been there You wouldn't know it. The place was nice a bit crowded but pleasant crowd the DJ was playing house music food was good beer cold I would recommend it read more

Had late weekday lunch here. This place is located in a large office and commercial area along Morris Ave. You need to use Waze or Google map to find this place. You need to go one flight down to reach this restaurant. No access for people in need. Parking is in the back. Not allowed to park along Morris Ave. I ordered Capellini with Arugula, fried Calamari and Farfalle with vodka sauce. A quiet place for late lunchcomers, even for this place is next to a busy Morris Avenue Union County road. The fried calamari is bland, it was just fried. You need to dip it in the marinara sauce to taste. The Cappelini is al dente. I couldn't see the arugula, very few. The sauce makes it tasty. Not an authentic Italian recipe in my opinion. You need to ask for free bread and butter. It's not being offered voluntarily. The farfalle that my wife ordered is al dente. Same for the vodka sauce that makes it tasty and not really an authentic Italian recipe. Serving is moderately average, but pricey. It is worth it, if you avail of coupon from Restaurant.com or Yelp. Don't dine here without it. Only one server during the time we're there. She's very helpful, too. Separate Men and Women's bathroom. Remember, this review is only for late lunch weekday adventure for Cafe Z. read more

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cozy setting and good company, not to mention food was amazing I had the Z calamari as well as the Shrimp Venezia 10/10 would recommend. Ronny the bartender is the best, & Michelle is such a sweetheart. love this place ! read more

Very nice neighborhood place, great authentic Italian food, lots of multiple bar spaces to chill. Very friendly and tasty!

I went on a Thursday night . Food was amazing and fresh . Michelle was my bartender : server and her customer service was awesome and recommended me a great dish . They have karaoke at the moment so there was live entertainment which was awesome . read more

If i could give it zero stars I would.. it's a dump! I went for happy hour & we were the only ones there.. Went to the bathroom and it was disgusting. The food was also terrible.. the beer on tap was flat.. I wouldn't go back.. the service was terrible.. they didn't turn the heat on.. so we sat there with our coats on. read more

Full disclosure: I have never paid for my meals personally. Someone in my party picks up the tab. I've eaten at this location a few times over the years as I have relatives in the area, hence never having to pay. The food is good. It's better than a chain Italian restaurant. Recently, we had a special event here, during the week at lunch time. We were 14 people. The food was good. The service was slow and we were the only people in the restaurant. Everyone was super nice and very accommodating, but LORD were they slow. There were a few people coming in to pick up orders and I think there may have been a couple of deliveries going out. We had a special menu of pre-selected options from their catering menu, so we weren't ordering off the regular full menu. Iced Tea was great. Freshly brewed. Side salads - way, WAY overdressed. The ingredients were fresh, the dressing was perfect, but my salad was swimming away in the plate. Pasta dishes - pasta was cooked well, maybe less al dente than we prefer in my family, but it was. Desserts - we had mini cannolis and mini Italian cookie assortment and everything was good. Cannolis were not refrigerated, which was a plus. Not as good as the Italian bakeries in Brooklyn of years gone by, but good. My family comes here for the food and the location. The atmosphere is rough. I would do take out in the future. read more

[12.17.2022] Saturday Was seated at the restaurant during an Elvis impersonator band. After being seated and finishing my meal, I was told that there would be a $40.00[party of 2] charge for the music. I wish I would have been given that opportunity before seating. I would have never stayed for dinner. Never! SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICE ! Pictures on the internet are a far cry to the actual presentation and feel of the restaurant. Cleanliness - 2/5. Food 2/5. Music 2/5. Business Practices- 0/5. Presentation -1/5. read more

I've ordered takeout from Café Z a few times but today is the first time I came and ate at the restaurant. The atmosphere is very welcoming the employees are extremely friendly and helpful. The ambience is warm and they have a large selection of music! The food is amazing and not too expensive. Definitely a place I would return to and recommend! Perfect for date night and group outings, as they have a fancy dining area as well as a more casual dining option. Alyssa our server was great, highly recommend! read more

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Enter as strangers leave as friends that's their moto.. It is very very true. Love this place I've been coming here for over 25 years give it a try it's the best! read more

We went to CafeZ for lunch. Eggplant parm panini was dreadful--eggplant was tasteless, very little sauce. My husband had a chicken sandwich which was very ordinary. The side salad was awful as well. Service was very slow. Ambiance was grim-everything seemed old and dirty. We won't be back. read more

I have been there before and the service at happy hour is great! Got take out today and the food was fantastic. Would recommend the Linguine Vongole read more

I purchased a Living Social deal for Cafe Z and definitely thought it was worth it regardless of having a deal or not. We ordered the blue sangria which was delicious! The fruit in the sangria was super fresh which is hard to find sometimes. We ordered the z calamari for our appetizer and OMG that sauce was AMAZING! I could have drank the sauce instead of my sangria, it was that good! My boyfriend and I were utilizing our bread as another way to eat all that sauce. Our entrees were Tortellini Da Vinci and I believe Pasta di Mare? Both equally delicious and came with the marinara sauce so I was happy! The Pasta di Mare had crab meat in it which was a very nice surprise. It gave the whole plate an even helping of crab meat instead of just chunks like most places do. Service was good, can't complain. Will be coming back! read more

Cafe Z - Z calamari and blue sangria - Italian Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Fantastic local Italian food- the owner is literally the nicest woman ever. The food is outstanding and always so delish! We love coming here and always bring family and friends from out of town. I recommend the chicken francese- my fav! The cafe Z salad is also amazing. read more

Cafe Z - Bar area! - Italian Near Me - Union, New Jersey

It was a 1st visit for me. I came down some back steps into a room with music playing and all tables set but no one around. It was a bit odd. After a few minutes my fiance went into an area by the kitchen and he took us thru to this other lounge area. It was a time standing still vibe. I don't think much had changed since the 80's. It was very warm (temp) but the people working there were nice. They said it was fine to sit in the other room. We love booths and they have many. It's interesting cuz there are windows but u are looking up so its like being in Amsterdam or a basement. We were kinda digging that. The food was pretty good. However we felt like outsiders and decided it's wasn't for us. Go check it out. It's a throwback for sure. read more

The food & service were both great. We started off with the Calamari as our appetizer, it was good but lacked the crunchiness that I prefer and have grown accustomed to; I later found out that the next time I should ask for it to be fried with bread crumbs; I'll try that on my next visit. The VIP Shrimp were very good, the shrimp were tasty and a nice size, I can't wait to go back and try something else. If you're looking for a new spot give Cafe Z a try, great food, great drinks and exceptional customer service. Bon Appetite. read more

Cafe Z - Italian Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Kind of place you cannot wait to come back to. Shout out to Patty for the great food and service. From the meat balls to wings to the sangria, everything is fantastic!!! Thank you!!! read more

I ordered delivery a chicken Caesar salad croutons no croutons and dressing on the side when it arrived the dressing was all mixed into the salad and of course they were croutons on it. Then my mom ordered a pasta dish you can tell that the sauce was from McCann and mediocre at best. Very disappointing. read more

I was in town to pick up my son from school and I saw that they offered a certificate for $25 off of $50 purchase from Restaurant.com. We arrived at the restaurant that had plenty of parking but you had to walk down a flight of stairs and through of stocking area to get to the dining room. There was a good assortment of items to choose from. We ordered the two Chicken Franchise dinners and it came with pasta for $15.95. We ordered one tossed salad for $5.50. We also ordered an Eggplant Parm dinner to go for $13.95. The Chicken Franchise dinners were suppose to have two pieces of chicken. It looks like they took a thin chicken breast and sliced it in half and served on top of angel hair pasta with a hint of franchise sauce. I asked for more bread but I was told that you only get one loaf per table even for three dinners. The loaf was about 8 inches. Then the bill came, every item that we ordered was $1.00 than the menu prices. On top of all that they charged an extra $1.50 to use a credit card. Obviously the menus are out of date since the prices are different and does not identify a credit card surcharge. I didn't want to fight about this with the waitress/manager so I just paid what I would have paid if the menu pricing was accurate and the tip based on that. I figured if the waitress felt cheated out of $5.50, she would know how I felt. If she corrected the bill, she would receive another $5.50. Never will I go back here. read more

This place won't let you down, everyone here is very welcoming, the building itself doesn't do the place justice and the food is delicious. Don't forget to try the shrimp and the chicken Parmesan you won't regret it read more

Celebrated my daughter's baby shower. This is the best kept secret. The staff was attentive, the food was great, and the prices weren't bad!

I've been coming here for a couple years now and I absolutely love this place!! All the workers are super welcoming and accommodating. The food is so good and I love how customizable the menu is. Definitely recommend the pizza, thin crust mmmmmm read more