Wow!! WOW! - can that be my entire review? No, you want details? Well ok. But I'm still full from last night and really not up to this right now! lol My husband and I were given a gift certificate for Girasole. We had it for a number of months and have not had a chance to go. We tried last week, but they were booked up. That was a good sign. We made reservations for Friday night - the only time slots available for 5:30 and 8pm. We chose the 8pm slot so we would have an easy evening and not rush after work. We arrived and the parking lot is spacious enough to handle all diner's cars. We were about 20 minutes early but the young lady at the door seated us right away. We were at a table for two in a corner by the front windows. Perfect. First impression - very nicely decorated, warm and welcoming, inviting. Our waiter, Aldo, introduced himself to us, got us water and opened our wine (BYOB). He then listed off the specials. Oh my!! Warm bread and oil with garlic and cheese were brought to the table with a small amuse-bouche of crostini with bruschetta. I went with the Butternut Squash soup to start while my husband got the Stuffed Calamari (stuffed with shrimp, lobster and spices over a bed of arugula) Wonderful!!! My husband's eyes rolled back on the first bite and I didn't even offer a taste of my soup to him as I was so enamored of it! He did, being nicer than I, offer me a taste and it was simply wonderful! When we completed our apps, the table was cleared and new silverware was arranged. Our water glasses were filled continuously. My husband, for his entree, order the Pollo Rollatini, and I ordered the Lamp Chops. My chops were perfectly cooked and crusted with parmesan cheese. They were served over ricotta gnocchi in a wonderful pesto sauce. That gnocchi melted in my mouth, so good!!! My husband said the chicken rollatini was the best Italian meal he has ever had (he was wise to add "best restaurant.." lol ) I was stuffed but wanted to try dessert so I left the last chop (did I mention they were doubles?) and a few large gnocchi on my plate. Aldo asked if I wanted to take them home but agreed with me when I said lamb does not reheat well! We told Aldo that we wanted dessert and I asked him if the Riccota Cheesecake is house made. He said it is, and then......"but it's just ok". He said he wanted to be honest with us because he wanted us to leave on an upnote! So we said how about the tiramisu? He said it is the best he has ever had! We each got one - wow! He was right. We rounded out with 2 double espressos. The meal was fantastic, the service was impeccable. If I had any complaints - maybe that it was very loud. And, it seemed to me the building could not decide between AC and heat. One moment I was quite comfortable, then next chilled. Our gift certificate was for $100. Our entire bill was only $130! With tip the night cost us $60. But more importantly, we would have expected to pay much for the quality of both the food and the service. We will absolutely be going back to this gem of a restaurant! read more

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Girasolle has been a favorite of ours for years ! The food, service, ambiance and consistency are outstanding ! Last night we hosted a special birthday dinner for our son , 17 guests . It was as wonderful as we knew it would be . Everything was PRIMO ! The food could not have been more delicious and more beautifully presented ! Thank you Robert, Jessica and staff for making our very important evening as special as we knew you would ! 5 + Stars Mary and Greg Natic read more

Food was fabulous!! The owner is all in helping where ever he is needed. Very gregarious but not arrogant or obnoxious. Will definitely go back. read more

Recommended as place good for "special dinner". Told it was a favorite and thats it - a well trusted opinion. I went to the web-sight and read every word on every page - memorized the menu - knew what we would have. We walked in 27 March at approximately 6:30p, no line and saw sever empty tables to our right, one for two in the corner jumped out. Met by a neutral, perplexed face, hesitant and then stated "hello, have a reservation?" I said "hello", we'd like to have dinner, and no". This book was reviewed and was told, "the earliest might be at 7pm". My wife, seeing no place to wait, and complained the place was smokey and didn't care for the aroma of that - ("smell" she said - like a heavy oil mist from an improperly vented kitchen one could suppose?). This being out Wedding Anniversary - she was willing to stand and "possibly" get a table?; I was not. I said, no thank you since was not greeted or even smiled at said, "just to let you know - I read every word on every page of your website and the word reservation does not exist" (that I could find and almost called - but most places that do not require a reservation do not accept them - and surely my referral would have mentioned this, since his wife's "favorite" place). The response was, "yeah". A fellow walking and talking up the tables (owner?) - saw us it seemed - and made sure to address that table by the door - watching - stopped talking when I spoke to listen - then got louder? This person kept an eye on him - and for a moment - we thought? we might get a more welcoming response or even - "let me give you one of these open tables". - No. We turned and walked out. Behind us was a younger group of several - and struck me as very unhappy as well - which I found odd considering all I knew up to that point - the menu, prices (not a cheap place to eat - planning on several hundred myself - my wife is a big eater and an "iron chef", so to speak, herself (me too). - We surely would be questioned abundantly and were. Actually, the folks that know us - knew that since we said nothing the next day - knew not to ask. We normally gush about a good time and even post photos of our plates, and if empty!, meals end. We were told, byob was allowed but did not see that on the menu, web-sight either (?). I'll let friend know if he ever follows up - not yet. read more

Excellent food!! Great ambiance and impeccable service! What more can you ask for? I was thoroughly impressed with the butternut squash ravioli (special) and the bread and garlic olive oil was good as well. The house salad was okay, not bad, but not amazing. The bread pudding was definitely lacking, unfortunately. It seemed like it came from a frozen box, so I wouldn't get that again. Other than the miss on dessert, the food was awesome and I'd definitely recommend eating here! read more

Girasole - Butternut squash ravioli (OMG!! Soooo good!!!) *this was a special and not on the regular menu - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

Girasole is a find in Bound Brook. The menu is small but with some excellent selections. Because it's a BYO, we splurged with some extra appetizers and desserts, all of which were very well prepared. I had the Shrimp Franches (sp?) and my wife hade the Orichetti with sausage. Reservations can be tough for a last minute date night, so plan ahead. read more

Had the absolute PLEASURE of dining here for a work client meeting a few weeks ago. Unfortunately since it was a work event, I wasn't able to snag any pictures... didn't want to be THAT girl lol. For appetizers, we indulged in the calamari, prosciutto and mozzarella, mushrooms, and house salad. All solid starters. For entrees, I decided on the shrimp ravioli (a special). It was some of the BEST ravioli I've ever had in my life. Chunky bits of shrimp in the ravioli smothered in a creamy, parmesan sauce. It was freaking delicious. Also HUGE brownie points for this spot being BYOB! Can't wait to visit Girasole again :) read more

Appetizers and soup were good. Had the filet of sole stuffed with crabmeat special for entree. It was heavily breaded and overcooked. Very dry. Should have chosen a veal dish from the regular menu. Have eaten here several times in the past and been happy with the food. read more

I finally made reservations to this gem. I have lived in the area and always heard great things about this restaurant. The service was amazing. They have both indoor and outdoor dining available. We sat outside. It was a beautiful evening. It is BYOB. Before we ordered apps, the wait staff brought bruscetta and bread with olive oil for dipping. We ordered the zucchini flowers and mushrooms for appetizers. Both were delicious. A small house salad came with our meal. Our main entrees were the stuffed pork chop with mushroom risotto and a side of broccoli rabe. I had the yellow fin tuna steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. Big portions. Food was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. We were celebrating our anniversary and ordered the creme brule and the tiramisu. They decorated the tiramisu with a heart and a candle. We highly recommend this place. All entrees are reasonably priced. read more

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I would like to start off by saying that the service was spectacular. I don't recall exactly the waiters name but I believe it was either Paul or Paulo but he really enrinched the dining experience with his service. We started with the Funghi Trifolati and the chef special Mussels Fra Diavalo for our appetizers. The mussels was delicious and the leftover sauce went perfectly with the complimentary bread. Although I am a huge mushroom fan, Funghi appetizer was a little less appealing and would probably not get it next time. It is worth noting that there is so much food food served at the restaurant including complimentary house salad and garlic bread topped with tomatoes that you should probably order accordingly because we weren't able to really get to our entrees due to there being so much food. For our entrees, we got the Stuffed Pork Chop and the Rigatoni Bolognese. Both were delicious especially the sauce on the pork chop. It is also worth noting that the restaurant doesn't sell wine and that they encourage you bring your own. But if you do not have wine, there is complimentary house wine that they offer you but of course, being the wine is free, you know what to expect. After our meal, our waiter brought out a free tiramisu dessert for us which was also delicious. All in all, it was a very good meal and I would love to visit again. read more

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Amazing experience. I'm from the south but felt like home at Girasole. Pistachio crusted veal is phenomenal. Service is incredible. Highly recommend read more

Excellent food, menu, service, ... Our party of 8 had a terrific experience. We are definitely coming back soon.

Excellent food and service. The moment you walk through the doors you are treated very well and like family. All the food is delicious and it is BYOB read more

This place is an Italian gem, small and cozy, amazing food. Service was perfect, I had the stuffed pork chop, one of the many specials. I went with a. group of 8 from work for dinner. It was delicious. Everyone raves about their entree. read more

Girasole has been around for many years and our family has been going for just as long. So long that we are friends with the owner. He's a Jets fan. Just saying. We have even shut the place down for private parties, as we did this very day. A wedding reception. First off this isn't your run of the mill Italian food. This is upscale, menu changing frequently, really good tasting, fresh, Italian food. In other words, they know what they are doing, and they do it excellently. They always start you off with fresh bread and right after that is a plate of brushetta that never lasts longer that 30 seconds. Being that I have been here on many occasions, when I am in town, I won't get into specific menu items, mainly because it has been different most every time I've been there. Plus there are always great specials to choose from. Great seafood, great Veal, great chicken, whatever, it's all good and you can't go wrong with having a romantic, special or no reason in peticular evening there. You will leave happy and well fed. Enjoy. read more

Girasole - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

Girasole is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I go there at least 4 times a year. I'm so addicted to their veal Isabella that I rarely order anything else. But all veal dishes are terrific. My husband loves their stuffed pork chops, stuffed zucchini flowers and rack of lamb. My only complaint is that waiters and customer facing staff did not wear masks when I last visited in December. read more

A few friends recommended this family owned restaurant which had a decent amount of outdoor seating. Can't speak to how big the inside is, didn't go inside. I like family owned that pay attention and this place does. A nice menu with lots of good choices plus lots of specials that sounded appealing. I ordered chicken giambotta and asked that it be made spicy, it was perfect. The pollo alla griglia also was excellent. Service was outstanding. It was efficient and personable. Water glasses were refilled. All the little things you'd want done were done without having to ask. Portion size was good as were the prices and there's a good sized parking lot. Its also byo. Totally recommend Girasole, doesn't get much better. read more

Finally got a chance to try Girasole. I have heard how good it is and how it can be difficult to get a reservation yet on a Tuesday evening when original plans fell through I called here on a whim and no problems getting a table for the time I needed. Parking is mystifying here -- there seems to be too many cars in the lot for the people in the place and where you go if the lot is full I am not sure...perhaps the AT&T store next door assuming it is after hours. The lot itself is tight -- as in the closest spaces I have seen anywhere in this area. The inside is nice and service is friendly and efficient. For my meal I had the soup of the day which was lentil and a rack of lamb special as well. Both were good but after hearing everything great about this place I was looking for something more and on that point the place missed the mark. read more

Girasole - Rack of lamb special - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

Dining at Girasole is like taking a vacation in the middle of the day. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, delicious, beautifully presented dishes, and a restful, elegant, clean-lined, earth-toned environment make Girasole an excellent establishment for dining or entertaining. We've experienced both options - stopping by for lunch AND hosting a small party to celebrate a milestone with a price-fixed appetizer-to-dessert menu offering a choice of three entrees. (Seafood, chicken, or veal). While we like the regular a la carte menu more for its broad choices, everything we've tasted at Girasole features interesting and fresh flavors, a delicate touch, and an appetizing appearance! I've highlighted my favorite dishes in the photo section. Shrimp ravioli burst with sweet shrimp and an exquisite fresh pasta casing. Fork-tender, cheese-filled, squash blossoms accented with citrus and parsley were un unusual and delightful seasonal treat (back in July, when we dined there). A dish of tilapia, lightly breaded and surrounded by flavors of wine and lemon, was cooked to perfection. Hungry for lunch or dinner when near the Route 28 exit on 287? Skip the chain restaurants. Drive a few hundred feet further and go to Girasole. Your taste buds will thank you. read more

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I'm glad I enjoyed the dinner here because the making of the reservation was a strange experience. We had asked for an 8PM reservation and were told they only had 8:30 available. No big deal except that when we arrived there at 8:30 the restaurant was relatively empty. The only sense I could make out of this was that maybe they cut back on reservations based on their staffing for the evening. The food was very good, it's a pretty place, and our server was terrific. BYOB is a plus. I don't remember exactly what we ordered but our party of 4 had entrees and salads and everything was good. This was all of our first time here and we remarked to each other that this meal was as good as our usual go-to traditional Italian restaurants and we would definitely come back. read more

Went last night for dinner to celebrate a graduation. Amazing service, food and ambiance! 100% recommend getting a reservation to try this place out read more

The good: Excellent service, our waiter was a gem Nice outdoor seating during COVID, thank you for that Nice menu with a lot of Specials, something for everyone The bad: The food missed the mark all around. Every dish was bland/underseasoned/uninspired, from the soup to the salad to the entrees. Pasta tasted pre-cooked, not fresh, definitely made many days in advance then stored in the walk-in. Mushrooms overcooked and hard. Sauce lacked depth. Chicken in my husband's dish was tough, hard, he questioned whether it was actually chicken. For $20+ entrees (I am not complaining about the price), please get a proper cheese wheel grater and don't come around with a bowl of what looks/smells/tastes like Kraft parmesan from the plastic bottle. The take-out/delivery pasta dishes we've had a few times from Ray's Bistro in town are better, and I consider that more of a casual pizza joint. Maybe we just ordered all the wrong things? Want to give Girasole another chance, but don't think we will be rushing back. read more

A pleasant surprise while traveling for business in Bridgewater. Looking for a nice local spot to eat with coworkers, checked on yelp and found Girasole. I do love local quality Italian places especially the types you find in New York or New Jersey, they had a special of Bolognese, all three of us went with that! Really good, but we each only finished about half! One important note, this is bring your own wine! I did not know that going in, fortunately there is a place close by! read more

My team and I were looking for a place to have a nice dinner to cap off an event we took part in nearby in Somerset. I was jonesin' for some pasta and when this place popped up, I thought I was in for a treat. Of course I was actually treated to the door being closed in our faces. We were a group of 9 and we completely understood that without reservations we'd probably have to wait a little bit but when we arrived we were just flat out told 'no'. On top of that, the seating outside was completely empty. Then we watched a different group (smaller nonetheless) walk in effortlessly and without reservations on top of that. We weren't so much as given a wait time or anything. Just straight up told 'no' it was disgusting. read more

Girasole is a great restaurant that has a mom and pop feel to it. All of the staples are excellent. There are tiramisu dessert is fantastic, as is there ice cream with espresso poured over it. I highly recommend it. It's a BYOB. It's family owned and operated and you can feel the love coming from the owners and the staff. Definitely book weekend reservations in advance as they fill up quickly. read more

My friend and I found Girasole to be a delightful spot to have a relaxed lunch. Great service, great selections on the menu, perfect hideaway unrushed ambiance. We ordered the capellini pescatore with no regrets. I'll be back to try a lot more soon! read more

Good place for a solid meal. Nothing earth shattering but a good, solid spot for a decent meal.

We had a few of the appetizer specials and well, they were pretty special (mussels in spicy sauce, and eggplant. I had the pork chop special as an entry and a side if the broccoli rabe. It was EXCELLENT! Our sever Will was attentive and quite helpful describing the menu choices. The restaurant has nice vibes and is quite enough so you can converse in a normal tone. The place gives off a warm feeling. This was our first dining experience there but it will certainly will not be our last. It is worth the drive if you aren't close by. The best for me is that it is a byo because I enjoy a selecting wine from my collection. read more

These reviews were not wrong! We moved to the area very recently, and a friend told us about this wonderful place. We decided to give it a shot last night. I called hoping for a last minute reservation for 5.... first of 1) they responded to me immediately and happily accommodated us 2) perfect parking- plenty of space etc 3) the restaurant is very inviting, cozy, beautiful 4)the staff were INCREDIBLY friendly, attentive and just all over things quickly! Our server was Gina, the woman rattled the specials (LONG) off the top of her head without missing a beat! Everything sounded incredible and 5) and most importantly, THE FOOD WAS PHENOMENAL! wow, we have traveled all over the world and I can tell you, THIS was the best italian food we have had to date. EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING. Zuccini Flower, Tuna, the bolognese pasta, the stuffed pork chop, the desserts were just amazing. the prices are GREAT!! We are definitely making Girasol a regular for us to visit!! read more

This is one of my top 5 restaurants. They are very friendly and the food is always prepared to perfection. The meal also came with a salad. That is a bonus. read more

Delicious! We went there for our Anniversary. We have lived in the area for over 30 years. Drove past this gem many times and never stopped in until yesterday. Excellent service. BYOB. And make a reservation for a group. It is a cozy place. read more

Excellent Country Italian cuisine. Nice restaurant and I met the owners . Great people . Worth every penny

Whether for private dining or a planned group event, Girasole can handle it all! Not a pretentious location, but that is forgotten once inside the warm coziness of this special spot! Just don't forget that it's a BYOB restaurant. Cheers! read more

My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner. We had a 5:00pm reservation and sat outside. Our server was very attentive and had the long list of delicious sounding specials memorized. Our appetizers and meals were all wonderful. The manager came to check on us which is a great sign of customer service. Our 2 desserts were then on the house because they found out we were celebrating our anniversary. We even ordered meals to take home which were ready to go when we paid the bill. All around great service, food and experience! read more

Girasole is always our restaurant pick for any fancy work outings. And there is a good reason why... their classic Italian dishes are delicious! Try the calamari and antipasto appetizers - you will not be disappointed! Some of my favorite entrees from Girasole include their penne vodka, mushroom raviolis, capellini pescatore, rigatoni con pollo, and their fish specials for the day (I've tried both the salmon and tilapia... both equally as good). My coworker raaaaves about the Pollo Balsamico so I do feel obligated to mention it here. The only miss I've had with their entrees is with the Pollo Girasole which happened to turn out slightly under seasoned and tough. Oh, and they serve yummy bread with garlic oil + a refreshing salad in vinaigrette dressing with your meal. Perfect start to your meal! Let me just say I have never been disappointed with any of their desserts. And we're talking a whole lot of desserts: tiramisu, cheesecake (so incredibly light), cannolis, molten chocolate cake, and the tartufo. During the holidays, they are PACKED. Make a reservation in advance! They offer party platter sized appetizers and desserts around this time of year. The dessert platter has one of EVERYTHING and it is glorious! Waiter service is always attentive and speedy BUT cook times can be long. For a weekday work lunch I would not choose Girasoles :( Tips: BYOB restaurant! They have a small private lot that fills up quickly. Go around the street corner and park anywhere on the residential street and take the 5 min walk. It's worth it :) read more

I keep telling myself to be more picky in my reviews so I can adjust the Gauss in my rating curve. But once a while a restaurant comes in and commands my attention and love. Girasole is a gem 1 mile off the 13A exit of I287. To a city boy, this area is the essense of absolute nowheresville. The restaurant is marked "dressy" on Yelp, which initially turned me off because I didn't bring any dress pants or shoes to my NJ escapade. What the heck - I went with jeans and tshirt anyway. The sign outside was not lit up at all making it hard to find. But after parking my car in an almost full lot at just 5:50pm and walking in to an almost packed restaurant tells me this place has done its share of advertising already. Advertising through peer awesomeness of food that is. I got a seafood crepe off the special menu. I am not that big on seafood nor crepe, but with Girasole magic I am suddenly a French boy on the beaches of Brittany. Everything about it was good. Needless to say I cleaned the plate. They could probably rinse it and put it back in the cabinet because there was absolutely nothing left on that poor plate. The Veal Girasole - nice. I love veal and I love eggplant. They put the two together and all my worries in life were gone. The waiter came over and asked how I was doing and I bobbed my head up and down like a rockstar because I felt like one. I can talk about the decor. Sure it's not as classy looking as most Italian ristorante in the big city but it was good enough. The bathroom wasn't designed by a Fengshui master unlike most places in the city. The price was fair, but definitely not cheaper than city. The appetizer and entree brings me up to 40 bucks without tip, which should definitely qualify it for $$$. Service was unintrusive and efficient. Worth the travel if you're within 20 miles. read more

Girasole - Seafood crepe - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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I didn't feel that this place lived up to its reviews, but maybe our experience was an anomaly. We started with the Antipasto All'Italiana. It was good but wasn't really anything to write home about. For our meals, we had a stuffed pork chop and the Rigatoni Con Pollo. We asked for our pork chop to be cooked medium, and it came out raw. We had to send it back. The pasta was okay. Everything just seemed to miss the mark. read more

Girasole - Antipasto - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

I am really surprised I have not written a review about this place, but I realized now that the last time I had been to this place was before I was a Yelper. Yes, it has been a few years. I don't throw out 5 star reviews to just anyone, but my family has been coming to this restaurant for years and these folks really treat us like family. This is our go to place for birthday's, anniversaries and other big events. We aren't the only ones. On this night there were two large tables of at least 20 people here. On this occasion we were here for the birthday of a cousin of mine. Our party wasn't huge. There were 10 of us. The regular menu is good here. I won't say anything bad about it and I've definitely had a good amount of the items on here, but I usually come for the specials. They get pretty creative there. Before the meal even starts they give you fresh bread. Ok, pretty standard there. The bread is good, but the thing that makes Girasole stand out is that they also give you brucshetta on crusted bread. Those little suckers are about gone before the plate hits the table. To start out our meal, my brother and I shared a bowl of mussels in a slightly spicy tomato broth. They tasted very fresh and the broth was really good for sopping up with bread. This bowl wasn't long for this world as my brother and I both have good appetites. For my main meal I did go with one of the specials of the night. It was a toss up between striped bass and steak. I went with the striped bass. It was breaded and over a bed of tomatoes, asparagus and gnocchi in a lemon sauce. I really should pay more attention to what I'm about to eat. My description doesn't do this dish a lick of justice. The simple thing I can type is that it was very good as is just about anything that this place prepares. The surprise of the night was the platter of desserts that were brought out to our table that were on the house. As I said, we've been coming here for years and they really do treat us like family. Cannoli, tiramasu, cheesecake and tartufo. Oh my. Unfortunately I didn't get any cannoli (there were 10 of us here) but I got a bit of all the rest plus the chocolate/strawberry/whipped cream deal they placed in front of my cousin that she didn't like. Service here is really good and obviously you can tell that I'm a fan of the food. Not too many reviews for this place, but they all look to be pretty good. It is well deserved. They have been doing this for years and I hope that it continues. Find them. You will be glad you did. read more

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What can I say about this local gem!!! Just flat out amazing every time! Delicious well prepared food and amazing 5 star service every single time! You can tell how great of a place this is based off the consistency with staff. Same friendly faces. The owner obviously takes care and is loyal to his staff and they return that with amazing service. The food is just so consistently good and flavorful and well served. Best Italian restaurant anywhere around here and easily can compete with any of the famous Italian places in the tri-state area! Worth traveling for! read more

Can't believe how good the food and service was and the reasonable prices they charge. Don't sleep on the desserts. Will definitely be back.