I would just like to say we have been to this restaurant a few times . Never had bad service and food is always delicious. Tonight was a very off night. We are not ones to really complain or look for anything for free. But I do appreciate how well the manager ( owner ) took care of us. It's very nice to see how loyal they are to there customers and want them to come back. And food is always amazing! read more

Our go to stop every month to see the relatives who live nearby. The spot is a vibrant, warm and welcoming experience from start to finish. Boasting an incredible menu for every taste and appetite as well as a comfortable, modern ambiance that sets the mood to chill as soon as you sit down. We have always enjoyed ourselves - lunch, dinner and wine - it's always a good time. Looking down the line at these google reviews, shows more proof that any establishment with integrity and care is bound to face some mud slinging from the keyboard kids.... Thankfully, Olivia and the crew at Dolce shine fine beyond petty mess. Keep doing your thing Dolce, you're incredible. read more

An amazing dining experience at Dolce Liberta in Manahawkin! From the moment you walk in, the ambiance feels warm, inviting, and just the right mix of casual and elegant. The décor sets the tone for a night of great food and conversation, making it a perfect spot for both date nights and family dinners. The menu is full of Italian favorites with a fresh, modern twist. From amazing pastas to beautifully plated entrées, every dish feels thoughtfully crafted. The flavors are bold yet balanced, and you can taste the care that goes into each recipe. My favorites were the pasta dishes -- rich, comforting, and absolutely delicious. The service was fantastic -- attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely warm. Our server made great recommendations and checked in just enough without ever making us feel rushed. That extra level of hospitality really elevated the evening. The atmosphere was lively without being overwhelming, which made it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. You could see a mix of locals and visitors, all clearly enjoying themselves. It's the kind of place that feels like a true gem in the community, and I can't wait to go back. read more

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Finally made it here for dinner. The holiday vibes were done nicely with twinkling lights and Christmas trees in each dining room. The staff were all friendly and eager to please. We sat in the back room which was very chilly but asked for the air to be turned off, which they did for us. The complimentary bread was served warm but the olive served with iit was VERY garlicky! We couldn't eat it- I suggest cutting back on the garlic or offer butter too. We tried the special apple burrata appetizer - very good, nothing really special about it. Dinner was good but nothing outstanding. We had the penne with vodka and grilled chicken and the special stuffed chicken with cranberries and a light cream sauce which was just ok) the broccoli was very overcooked ). The Quality of everything was very good but nothing was outstanding. Servings sizes were a good size. We would go again and try other items in the menu. read more

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I enjoyed dinner here for my birthday with my family. The restaurant is huge and was packed on a Tuesday night. They have an extensive menu that also offers a 4 course dinner special for two at a great price for either dine in or take out. The food was delicious and our server Joanie was very friendly and attentive. My favorite was the fresh hot bread with dipping oil you get at the table and of course my crab stuffed ravioli. My family enjoyed the white cranberry sangria. They do not have a bar but do offer wine and sangria. The onsite parking is also a plus. The only downside was the long wait time for the food to arrive, but that won't keep us from returning. Overall, great food at a great price. read more

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Same great experience as the first time we went to Dolce Liberta. Looking forward to round 3. read more

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Was here for 55 surprise bday party...food and service was excellent. Maddie was EXCELLENT AND EXCEPTIONAL!! Food was incredible and fresh! read more

Dolce Liberta - FLOUNDER FRANCESE - Italian Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

Loved the atmosphere very homey and a local feel. The service was on point! Food arrived quickly and was so good! Accommodating to GF requests. Avocado toast on GF bagel was delicious and my friend had this waffle that looked like dessert! She said the sausages were very good too. We will definitely be back! read more

Dolce Liberta - Avocado toast on GF bagel - Italian Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

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We didn't have a reservation and they sat us within a few minutes. Waitress was lovely & very quick. Food was delicious for our first time trying, we got there just before happy hour was ending and we still were able to get what we wanted to try out. White sangria was very good! Next time will be making a reservation just in case. read more

Dolce Liberta - Italian Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

Food is below average service is nonexistent after it's served , place is too big for good service, on top of that automatic 20% gratuity is added to party of 6 or more so why give any service. read more

Worst experience of my life, me and my girls went to go get dinner for her birthday and we wanted a bottle of wine we're all over 21 they said all of our IDs are fake by the way they didn't give us our IDs back which we need to drive by the way the owner needs a attitude adjustment cause I am angry and furious and livid. read more

Food, decor, service, location, staff is good. Would have a much better review if not for the anti-customer wine only by the bottle policy. Truly dumb. No longer BYOB. Also, GPS has you take a right on Mc Kinley instead of left not their fault. read more

Dined here with family and the experience from start to finish was fantastic. Our party of eight were promptly greeted and seated within minutes of arriving. The restaurant and atmosphere is welcoming and cozy. The place quickly filled up as we were viewing the menu. The service was excellent and courteous but not overwhelming. Six of us ordered the four course for two special which is a great deal! $44.99 for one app to share, a soup or salad each, a dinner each plus a cannoli each. Lots of dinner choices. Two other people ordered separately from the menu. They give hot bread too which they keep bringing out. The food was great! We are definitely coming back! BYOB and they sell wine too. read more

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The food always is abundant and not overly spiced or salty. Good, basic, substantial meals. Servers are pleasant and accommodating. Priced fair and dining rooms are nicely decorated. read more

I was really looking forward to dining here because I'd read some great reviews. . It was ok. Nothing over the top but not bad. We ordered the 45.99 for two special and had to add 5.00 for vodka sauce. So 50.99 is an average of 25.50 an entree. Not a deal but what a chicken parm might normally cost. It did come with soup or salad. My dining partner loved the soup but the "Caesar" salad was salad with a Caesar dressing on the side. Not what I expected. The appetizer we chose was the chicken wings. They looked boneless but were not. It said garlic wings but basically wings with a salad dressing type sauce on the side that was the garlic parm. Not great. The dessert was two small cannolis. I also orders calamari which at 23.00 I thought was a little steep. They were ok. Again. Nothing to write home about. It's not your typical intimate Italian dining- has a warehouse feel to it. High ceilings and large rooms. Apparently you're supposed to receive bread and dipping oil, but that never came to the table read more

I was invited to a party at Dolce and it was organized and the food was amazing. I will definitely be back.

Enjoy this Gem!!!! We have enjoyed dinner here several times and always a delicious meal!! The Gourmet course dinner for two, 49.95 is just wonderful!! Several great choices for appetizers, salad or homemade soup for two, Great entree choices and a cannoli for dessert, oh and to begin the-most amazing Italian bread and olive oil garlic herb dipping plate!!! BYOB!!! Can't beat this!!!! read more

I really try to not be the person that publically posts about bad expierences but I am truly disappointed as this place is raved about on facebook! Thursday night my husband and I decided to go to a restaurant that we had never got to before in the area. We came in around 5 and waited about fifteen minutes to be seated at a wobbly table in the center of a dining room, yet I am unsure why as there was few other customers. Regardless, we asked if we could move to the wall because I had a large purse that several young employees continued knocking into and I was told that the tables were reserved. I mean I get how things can work, but cramming people in the center of the room when there are other tables is a bad look- especially when the restaurant is large and not an applebees. Our food came out and my husbands was lukewarm and sauce tasted jarred (not trying to make accusations just wasn't authentic) but my chicken parm was fine. Our server was nice but forgetful, and non-attentive to the table. Bread was also very hard and cold in the center and their garlic oil dip had way too much garlic in it to enjoy. Their was a singer, live music and he was singing my classics however entirely too loud to set the conversation tone. It also would have been nice to have been told as i'm sure I could've found this information out on the website but being told upon entering would have been nice. A lot of my friends (us old ladies love to talk) have shared similar negative expierences and want to know what others think. I would like to try again in a few months maybe it is because of new staff or issues but definetly don't want to revisit for a while. read more

Finally a new place that has great food. Mozzarella sticks were crispy and hot. Meatballs had a nice flavor. Linguine with clams was excellent. Chicken cordon blue was tender. Service was excellent. Restaurant had a nice atmosphere, decorated nicely. Will definitely go back. read more

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Cozy business? You got to be kidding More like a factory with loud noise Be prepared to wait a long time also Portions small and expensive I've had better Save your money read more

We've just had the most delicious experience at this fabulous restaurant. The food was amazing and beyond our expectations. The service was excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to enjoy a delicious Italian restaurant. read more

Ambiance is great Service a bit rushed, but attentive Food was good not great Appy mussels were NOT FRESH-fishy & old. Very disappointed in appy Entres-lobster ravioli were good, cod was very good. Dessert was good, small yet tasty. Entertainment was great! read more

Dolce Liberta - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

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Food is always good and the service is good too. Tonight Camille was our server and she was top notch! She answered questions about the menu and checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. Bring a sweater! It was cold in there! read more

We catered for our Christmas dinner from Dolce Liberta and everything was absolutely perfect. Family was raving about how delicious everything tasted. We did the 4 half trays. We ordered a Christmas wreath antipasto, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant stackers and chicken parm vodka! Everything was delicious if you haven't tried them yet you must! Dine in, take out or catering! read more

We took friends last night for Christmas...unfortunately sat us in large room by windows...it was very cold and had to wear coats thru dinner. Will not go back...service was great, food mediocre.... Beautiful restaurant but they need to do something with that very cold room... read more

Dolce Liberta hit it out of the park ! The repast luncheon for my mother was a celebration of her life and Dolce was amazing. The owner who booked the luncheon did not know how many attendees would be there and she was terrific and accommodated for any and every situation. There was a choice of tablecloths and linens from a huge variety to choose from and that ambiance was special. The appetizers were plentiful and so good along with the main lunch. The portions were huge and many had take home containers. The desserts were another favorite - cannoli's and rainbow cookies. I would typically go to Villabate in Brooklyn to get those but now I will order them from Dolce Liberta (they are so much better in my opinion)! The servers were very attentive and accommodating. This is the best Italian restaurant in the Manahawkin/LBI area. So many attendees were from NY and they all loved the food. I can't thank Dolce enough for the wonderful celebration of my mother's life. --Pattie Brown read more

Everything this time the food was delicious the ambience was beautiful and the service was impeccable I'm glad I gave it another try because the last time I was there it was terriable but obviously they took care of the problem so we will come back again read more

My husband and I absolutely love this restaurant, the food is fantastic and the service has to be one of the most well run businesses we have been to in years. We have never had to wait for any service whether it be drinks, bread, dinner or our plates removed. The owner is hands on every time we have been there. My husband gets the shrimp with crab meat over pasta and not once has he left a single bit on his plate. I love their gnocchi but always end up bringing home a container, that's how much there is. Every single worker is friendly and pleasant we are greeted the moment we walk in. We are making it a mission to get there more often this upcoming year. read more

This place was so good! They also had a deal where you can pay with someone to get an app, entree, and dessert each for cheap. read more

Dolce Liberta - shrimp Fettuccine Della Mamma - Italian Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

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Everything was so wonderful! Service! ambience! food! live band! Eggplant rollatini was fantastic, balsamic salad dressing tasted homemade. Entrees were yummy- they made my husband's pizziola extra spicy and it was perfect. The lemon crème sauce was delightful. This is a BYOB and yet also sell wine by the bottle. Most are $17-$20! Totally reasonable! Found our new hotspot for dinner! Morgan and Paige provided A+ service. Friendly, responsive, completely professional! Can't wait to come back. read more

Everything was good . It is a little loud for people looking to dine quietly. The staff is friendly but i believe they are understaffed. The food took a little longer than expected. Rvery was tasty but my husbands chicken was undercooked. He sent it back to the kitchen and got a replacement fairly fast. The calamari was good, the proce is reasonable and you can byob ! Big deal for us . read more

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Outstanding olive oil with garlic for the bread but it needed to be heated, it was stale. Our mushroom appetizer was very delicious. Our Caesar salad was great but small. Our osco buca and risotto was very tasty. Our service was wonderful and the atmosphere was lovely. Our first time. We will be back. read more

Not a bad place to try if you have never been there however if you do go make a reservation and also try to go during the week. Weekends are extremely busy and I think both kitchen and wait staff are stressed to the brink. Service and food quality seems a bit better on the weekdays versus weekends at dinner time. I would say that the food is worthy of 3 stars. We went during LBI restaurant week on a Saturday (had a reservation but waited about 25 minutes beyond the reservation time be seated) and tried the 4 for $40 special. As for flavor, will not criticize here but not much to brag about either. Will try again (4th time) during the week and hopefully it will be a definite 3 or better in service & flavor experience. read more

Great food. Michelle our waitress was excellent. Excellent italian restaurant . will be back again soon.

Kayla was an excellent server and gave us ample time to drink our wine that we brought and the food was phenomenal. Love it thank you.

Took my wife, my cousin and her husband here on a Friday night, in November. I had to change my reservations to an hour later but they were kind enough to accommodate. The place is warm and inviting. Live music was entertaining. The portions of the appetizers were good for sharing. We had the cold antipasto, the caprice, and the fried calamari were very good. On another note, the soups were highly disappointing. We had the butternut squash and cream of cauliflower, both were without flavor and runny. The entrees were the best part of the entire dinner. The chicken parm and the cordon blue are very good. The crabby shrimp and the stuffed rigatoni were delicious. The desserts were average, nothing special. Overall it's a decent family restaurant with affordable prices. BYOB. Good for a low key Friday night. read more

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If you are looking for safe, gluten-free, high-quality, delicious Italian food, I cannot be more enthusiastic about Dolce Liberta in Manahawkin. After religiously ordering from them via GrubHub and UberEats, my fiancé Chris and I finally went in last night for Valentine's Day, and it was a dream come true. Despite the place being totally packed, the seating was super comfy, and there was ample room to breathe. I'd assumed it would be a long wait, but our appetizer came out in under 2 minutes! I have SEVERE Celiac Disease that affects me neurologically and have been completely gluten-free since my diagnosis in 2021 (after being extremely ill for a year and not knowing what was happening. I also have Graves Disease), so I am extremely cautious about where I dine out. I have ordered multiple times and never gotten sick. We do not go out to many restaurants because I am always in fear of accidents and having to leave. It is so very nice to have some variety and that it's so close by - especially somewhere I can order pasta, such a rarity! Practically everything on the menu can be ordered in gluten-free format, including all the pasta dishes. Their GF pasta is the perfect consistency, and you will literally forget about your dietary limitations for a minute because there is no difference. There is no hardness, gummy feeling, or aftertaste whatsoever. It is perfect. That is a lot coming from me because I have tried every GF pasta under the sun and I will usually only ever eat Jovial brand at home (which is expensive and not as fun as dining out) The marinara is perfect. The seafood is fresh. The plating is gorgeous, and the portions are extremely generous (I have leftovers for 2 days). And live music too!!! The entire staff is so kind, hardworking, and helpful. They handled the busy V-day dining room like champions. Our service was so on point that I almost forgot it was a holiday. The owner Olivia is an absolute sweetheart, lovely person with a genuinely good vibe, and she does all the lovely design and decor herself as an artist (which as a fellow designer I can really appreciate). I was so excited & having such a great time that I forgot in the moment to take photos of the other dishes, so hopefully, the Creme Brulee photos will suffice Seriously, you are going to want to check this place out. I'm so happy they're open for business, and we will keep going for years to come. read more

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Consistently good tasting food coupled with very fair pricing and available for eat in or take out is a win win for all!

We had 7 people for dinner last night and everyone loved their dinners! Portions were gigantic, Friday night 1/2 price appetizers, and a very varied menu. Weeknights offer and a $44.00 for 2 which is a steal! One appetizer, 2 salads or soup, 2 choices of main course and a cannoli each for dessert! The best part was our fabulous waitress Jennifer who was so patient without octogenarians!! Nice ambiance but a tiny bit loud, A definite winner for our shore area!!! read more

As always an excellent meal!! Servers are great and Thursday night was hopping with entertainment. Very fun and they didn't rush us out of the place even tho we closed it!! read more