We had my mother's 70th birthday here, and it was great! Food was excellent, and Rob the manager did a wonderful job helping organize and run our little event. Even after getting flooded out by Tropical Storm Ida, they fixed everything up and the place looked beautiful! Definitely go give this place a try. read more

I've driven by this restaurant a few times and was finally intrigued enough to check it out - and I'm glad I did! As a traditional Italian foodie, this restaurant was more new-age Italian (for example - there's skirt steak with chimichurri sauce on the menu; not quite traditional) but the food was fantastic with a great presentation. I had the fried calamari with balsamic which was cooked perfectly, the seafood fra'diavlo special which was fantastically balanced with aldente pasta. I'd definitely recommend! PROS: Ambiance, location (parking lot across the street & BYOB with liquor store next door), great food CONS: Somewhat small with non-traditional Italian food (not necessarily a bad thing!) read more

Fantastic food & service! Had the meatballs appetizer - they were out of this world! I had the Porcini Mushroom Ravioli and it was awesome. The sauce was great and the mushrooms on top were cooked perfectly. My husband loved the gnocchi. Huge portion - had to take leftovers home but were just as good the next night for dinner. My son had chicken fingers and fries and enjoyed them. Definitely want to come back here again! read more

Cara Mia - Homemade meatballs appetizer- delicious! - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

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The food is amazing and the waiters are very attentive despite it being busy on weekends. The appetizers are some of the best in the area, especially the fried brie. read more

FOOD - great Italian food. The risotto and Gnocchi were amazing. The pesto in the pasta was super tasty and fresh. The eggplant appetizer they give you at the start is a big favorite of mine. We had the chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream as dessert - the molten lava chocolate inside the cookie was yummy. SERVICE - great service. The lady taking our orders was very nice. The service here makes you feel well taken care of. Place is byob which is great. AMBIENCE- super cozy high end feel. Coming in well dressed would be a good idea. Overall best Italian food in the millburn-shorthills area. And in my top 5 in NJ. Consider me a regular a here read more

The service was good. Everyone was very nice and attentive. The food was just ok the night we went. The calamari was very tough to chew and not cooked properly. (something an Italian restaurant should have down) The cesar salad was bland and not enough croutons. The eggplant rollintini was good although I think might be better with a marinara sauce. The porcini mushroom ravioli was very good! The gnocchi was just ok to me. We chose the bogognese. The sauce was kind of bland for me but others may like it. The snapper was over cooked and we needed a knife to cut it. For these reasons I am only giving three stars tonight. Maybe they just had an off night. I am willing to try again. I think if a few things were corrected this place could be a 4 star. But for now the jury is still out. read more

My first time eating here and Rob, my server, was great. He recommended the porchini ravioli in truffle cream sauce and it was amazing! The earthiness, the kiss of acid and memorable sauce all comes together. The traditional calamari was tasty ,but the texture was inconsistent. Funny enough, I met one of the owners, while dining here. She overhead my conversation and came over and appreciated my feed back. I would definitely come back with my family, next time. read more

Best Parmesan risotto in town ! Great location and ambiance. Amazing service. I've had the pumpkin ravioli and gnocchi pesto - both were extremely tasty. Great dessert selections, I've tried almost all - each were better than the previous ones. A perfect Saturday night dinner destination !! read more

Amazing food and amazing service! The food was beyond amazing actually. I decided to surprise my boyfriend with a date night and we really enjoyed ourselves. Will come visit again and again! read more

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Very happy that this excellent restaurant was able to come back after the flood that devastated Millburn center. Definitely my favorite Italian restaurant. Food is excellent and our waiter was very personable. The waiter and staff made us feel like we were part of the family. Cara Mia is a must if you are in Millburn 5 star for me. read more

Went here for dinner tonight with my wife on a Groupon.. Nice atmosphere. I had the special salad with Mango and Watermelon. Wife had Atugala salad. Her entree was Gnocchi with meat sauce. Very good. I ordered a special that. I did not like. They happily took away and brought me the Salmon with almond and walnut crust. Very good food and service. And I appreciate they didn't argue when I returned food. Will go back. read more

Fun and friendly atmosphere. Came here with a group of 7 and we did not feel cramped at all plus the service was great. Ordered the burrata cheese app, veal sorrentino entree, and creme brûlée dessert - all delicious and fresh! No complaints. Definitely coming back to try other menu items! read more

Cara Mia - Appetizer, burratta cheese - very delicious! - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

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Excellent service! Food was good overall, but could have been better. Garlic shrimp appetizer was good. Ambience was good. Has indoor and outdoor seating. read more

I was apprehensive about trying another restaurant in this location as all the previous 5 in the last 15 years were garbage. So, it took me almost 2 years to get here and run the risk again. Their website dishes look a few notches above the Italian cuisine actually presented but, the quality and taste of the food was very good. Starting with a great give away appetizer of a unique rendition of Bruschetta. A wonderful first course of a tasty shrimp with Gorgonzola sauce and Rollatini equally complex. Entree's of salmon and veal were both very fresh tasting, cooked correctly and were seasoned well. Definitely worth a return visit read more

The Services was pathetic. I went with a party of 6 people. they brought food for 3 of us and the other dishes never arrived. They first said it was a computer glitch, then later it was a mess up in the kitchen. After 15 minutes the other 3 dishes came and we had already finished. A waiter came over and said one dessert would be on him. We said no thank you...then he came with the deessert menus and said all dessert on him, and we said we weren't having dessert...he said well next time you come let me know and I will get you a dessert....Sorry buddy, won't be a next time...When i go out with people i like to eat at the same time or at least have the restaurant be honest and transparent about what happened. I wasn't looking for a free meal, just some honesty and maybe a little compassion. By the way, the food was ok. Update 8/9/2015 After two years have passed I was forced to go here last night and I will say that the service was excellent. It was a completely different experience from the one in 2013. The food was pretty good (not awesome but better than average) and I may try it again in the fall. At that time I will update my stars read more

Food is absolutely delectable! We had the seafood fettuccini and steak special it was very tasty. The desserts are to die for! We had the gluten free flourless chocolate cake and we devoured it. We couldn't believe how mouth watering, melt in your mouth delicious it was. It is warm, Soft and perfect richness. The mango sorbet has real mango and is the perfect refreshing taste in your mouth after dinner. We even tried the chocolate chip cookie cake - tastes like a melted cookie - yum! read more

If you're looking for amazing Italian and incredible service, this will be your new favorite spot. Not only is the food wonderful, but the restaurant is super cute and cozy; perfect for a night out. Highly recommended! You won't be disappointed read more

Excellent service from our waiter Rob. Delicious food and overall wonderful restaurant.

Don't be fooled from the presentation if you like canned food and powdered mushed potatoes than it will be your favorite spot it just you gonna have to pay 10 times extra for the heating part and plating , service terrible . Food worst , it came in after 2s I guess they just microwaved it , when you go to an Italian restaurant you expect at least to have a good olive oil on the table. Well it was more a vegetable oil taste . I came here 4years ago it was amazing I guess they preferred pre made unflavored food I felt I was in those kitchen nightmares episode but this time it wasn't Gordon Ramsey's tasting the food it was me . read more

Cara Mia - Terrible, nightmare - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Great meals with great portions ..I gave this place a 4 star because if not for the waiter named Rob I never would've gone back . He lights up the place entirely and made my experience a very exquisite one . I've never been so glad to tip anyone like I did him ...beautiful restaurant and great food . Amazing Rob lol . Will def visit again read more

This is a charming BYOB restaurant. The menu and staff are wonderful. The only drawback is that we felt a tad rushed. But that is an occupational hazard of a popular place I guess. read more

The food was decent , the service was horrible. People of color are not served with the same attentiveness and Courtesy as our caucasian counterpart. Service is everything to my husband and I and this by far was one of the worst experiences we have had. Spend your money somewhere else. read more

We've been there once but it was not outstanding at that time and nothing memorable. We went back again second time and loved all the foods especially the appetizer. Calamari Balsamino was awesome; it was tender and also very flavorful. It could even be our all time favorite. Fettuccine Cara Mia was also very good with lots of crabmeat shrimps. We'll definitely go back there again! read more

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Just ate dinner there tonight. When we sat, we were greeted with a friendly hello and made instantly to feel like we were a part of the family. Loved the Salmon!! Ordered it with a side of Broccoli Rabe. Very tasty. We enjoyed tiramisu and cannolis with our espresso. The waiter and staff were courteous and attentive without being overbearing. Cara Mia instantly became our favorite Italian restaurant in the area. To our excellent waiter and staff; Thanks for a great evening!! read more

Amazing amazing amazing amazing food and service. The view was great too. It was snowing and the lights made everything so romantic through The window. Music wasn't too loud but loud enough to enjoy and be able to talk. ; read more

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Rob and the crew took great care of helping me organize a luncheon for family and friends after a Memorial Service. This was actually the second time that Cara Mia helped us with this type of event. The food was outstanding perhaps equaled only by the attentive service. Definitely a great dining experience for lunch, dinner or a group event. read more

Cute family owned restaurant that welcomes you with complementary bruschetta and fried zucchini when you peruse the menu. My sister and I split two pasta dishes. Based on yelp reviews, we tried the mushroom ravioli which was great. The menu mentioned a truffle sauce, but I thought it was a brandy cream. Whatever it was, it was delicious. We also split a gnocchi with a creamy pesto sauce. It was a large portion and the sauce was good. The gnocchi itself was pretty heavy and not light and fluffy. Overall a good dish, but the mushroom dish was better. Hubby loved the steak with a Gorgonzola sauce and a red wine sauce. I had a bite and it was tasty. Service by Wes was very friendly. The only disappointment was the kids dishes. There is no printed menu but our waiter said the kids could get buttered menu or ravioli. Both dishes were small as I would expect for a kids dish (3 ravioli in one and a half cup of buttered pasta for the other) and we were charged $25.90 for 2 little kid dishes. A handful of buttered pasta was $13!! If I had known the price in advance, I would have paid a few bucks more for an adult pasta. read more

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Had dinner here with my wife. The meal was delicious. The owner was very nice to us and we were able to BYOB. Food was delicious and the ambiance was nice. We also sat outside after for coffee and dessert. Ask for Naz when you go, nice guy. read more

Eh - came here for Valentine's Day. The apps (calamari and burrata) were really good but the entrees disappointed. The lobster crab ravioli (a special) was good but not great. I'm not sure what went wrong but the steak was quite bad. It had a bad smell and weird aftertaste that neither my husband or I could figure out what it was. Dessert was good - lemon cake and chocolate mousse cake. The chocolate could have been airier but still tasted good. Was hoping for a better experience but maybe it was because they were very busy. read more

A real restaurant destination. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation, especially on weekends or before Paper Mill events. It's a little hectic getting in, but once you do, the reward is an unforgettable meal. Start off with the fried zucchini chips. Perfect with that favorite bottle(s) of Pinot Grigio that you brought. Very attentive wait staff vigilantly keeps your glass full, not something to be said often with BYOB restaurants. Atmosphere is cozy, only about fifteen tables combined in two rooms. Always have someone in your party order their pasta signature, the Fettuccine Cara Mia. Homemade pasta with lump crabmeat, shrimp and tomatoes in a white wine cream sauce. It's perfect. It's not a thick heavy alfredo sauce, which allows the juicy crabmeat and large yet tender shrimp to really shine. I ordered the special, which on this night was the Mediterranean Sea Bass, and which also puts Cara Mia on the 5-star list. Impeccably prepared filet on a firm bed of bean ragout. Unlike potatoes which stick to the fish and infiltrate the bite, the beans are that perfect starchy counterpart to the buttery, mild meat of the bass--all while giving the dish a differentiating texture. Fresh fish, surprisingly south of $30. Might be the best I've had....I cut a generous piece for my fiancée and she clearly agreed. Portions are very filling, so no dessert on this trip, but there WILL be a next time! read more

This place is a small cozy gem! I've been here a bunch of times & it never disappoints! The food is decadent and the atmosphere is cozy & romantic. Byob helps keep the cost down. I was there last night with girlfriends for a ladies night dinner and it was perfect. I ordered the Calamari Balsamico to start, the Herb Crusted Salmon for dinner and Caramelized Apple Tart for dessert. Everything was delicious! They've also added outdoor seating in the front for the warmer months. When the weather is nice they open the glass wall to the outside for an added exotic touch. I couldn't recommend this place enough, enjoy! :) read more

Love, Love, Love this restaurant!!! Service is great they really care about the complete happiness of their customers. I have been here several times using a Groupon and they have been awesome! Location is great especially for a date. I've literally tried almost everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. Don't forget to BYOB! read more

This Place Is TOP RATE!! The best Italian Food I have ever ate! Service with a smile- Great location. I highly recommend this restaurant! You will not be disappointed- Went here with a large group- which is usually a great chance for a BAD experience. Cara Mia nailed it! Separate checked for all 20 of us!!! We ordered everything on the menu! Every appetizer- Every entree- we shared it all and it was Terrific!! Do yourself a solid and just go!!! I will be back.... read more

The restaurant has great ambiance. Food is very good but what puts them over the top is the service. It is top of the line..friendly,attentive...just a great job. We will be back read more

Their food was absolutely fantastic. Wait staff was very attentive. They are BYOB and there is a liquor store two doors over. I went to celebrate a friend's birthday and they sang and event wrote happy birthday on her dessert. The service was outstanding and so was the food. I would definitely go back read more

Amazing food! Came here for the first time and couldn't be more pleased. This will be our go to place for Italian from now on. Our server Rob was nothing short of the best... probably the best service we have ever gotten at a restaurant. He made us feel completely at ease and was very knowledgeable on the menu. Overall I highly recommend this place. Even if you need to drive out.. read more

My wife and I brought two friends (Reggie and Adrienne) to this establishment. My wife and Reggie had Veal Chop with peppers,onions, sausage and potatoes. They both enjoyed it very much. Adrinne had a seafood pasta with shrimp, scallops and lump crabmeat in a lemon pepper and tomato sauce. She raved about it. I had the twin grilled center cut porkchops smothered in pepper, onions, potatoes and sausages, excellent. BYOB. Service is very good and not pushy. $$$ but worth it. Will return soon. read more

Went here for dinner 2/15/13 for a late Valentine's Day dinner with the guy I'm seeing. I had heard good reviews and was hoping for a great evening. I was absolutely blown away by the food, the atmosphere, and the service. My meal was so delicious I nearly cleaned the plate. It was just enough food to ensure that I was full but not so much that I stuffed myself and/or had to take some home (although I wouldn't have minded a doggy bag). We ordered a dessert too since we had time before the show we were going to see at the Papermill Playhouse (which is conveniently just a block away). Hands down make sure you order the cookie cake with ice cream. My date and I were both so impressed with how delicious it was and even joked we should go back to the restaurant after our show for a second round. This is a BYOB restaurant which helps you to save money, but I still was impressed with how inexpensive the bill was when it was time to pay. I asked the waiter if Cara Mia owners also owned La Campagna in Morristown because the set-up was almost identical but not as cluttered and he said they were "cousins." I can see the resemblance but the food is so much better and the service was much better. You will not have a bad time going to this place. Trust me. read more

Food is delicious. Calamari is must try, fresh and tender. Friendly atmosphere and feels cozy in summer too

Wish we lived closer to get take out often! What an amazing accommodating staff especially during these Covid times. The staff went above and beyond to make our night special and delicious. Wish all the best for this restaurant what a wonderful find. read more