I liked this place, with its fun atmosphere, food and drinks offerings. It's one of the few places in town that serves liquors (most are BYOs), so it's got going for it. I sat at the bar and was immediately greeted with a smiling bartender (should out to Ms Ryan). Can't say everyone else was as friendly but that's not saying that they were NOT or that they were unpleasant in any way. The place was BUSY! Packed and busy (it was a Friday night) so maybe everyone else was just focused and trying not to bump into others. The menu boasts some really interesting options, it was hard to pick. I didn't want a big entre so I opted for what I thought would be two small starters... boy, was I WRONNNG. I ordered the octopus tentacle- it came served on a butternut squash (?) or root vegetable ragout which was sooooo yummy!! Probably my favorite part of the dish! The tentacle was overdone and therefore hella rubbery. I also ordered the Brussels sprouts which were fried but toted a promising recipe of mixing sweet and savory flavor with its pancetta jam. The décor was... idk how to describe it, maybe eclectic. But it was nice. Spacious indoors. There were families as well as friend groups enjoying themselves so literally there's something on the menu for everyone to enjoy. read more

Joebellas - Inside - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

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Finally paid a visit to JoeBellas. Great bar scene and quaint atmosphere. The food and drink menu was really good and staff super attentive. Started with their fried mozzarella which was their take on Bruchetta without the bread. Delish! Also ordered fried calamari also perfectly cooked. Shared Asiago chicken.. it was a comfort food dish with mash potatoes. So good!! All and all a great meal and reasonably priced. I will definitely revisit soon! read more

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Meh. Hard, undercooked rigatoni smothered with a gray, cheesy "bolognaise", limp salad over-smothered with an awful house dressing , some awful tasting pasta with shrimp dish--also with chewy hard pasta. No wonder it was virtually empty. Time for them to hit the reset button, get a new chef, and brighten up this dingy dining area. Sorry guys, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I tell it like it is...our meal was terrible! Our college-bound waiter was very nice, albeit inexperienced. read more

Based on my first visit, I was excited to go back. I made a resy and our group was seated immediately. Service was terrific and very nice atmosphere. My friends raved about the Asiago chicken and chicken parm. I often get the ahi tuna and decided on that. The server told me it was prepared pink which I also prefer. But when I got it, it wasn't very pink. It was ok. I thought the eggplant caponata was an unusual accompaniment for ahi tuna but it is an Italian restaurant after all. They have a nice menu and it's worth checking out. read more

Joebellas - Ahi tuna - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

Everything was so good from the service to the food. The vibes were so good and I can't wait to come back!!

We had been to JoeBella's a few times when it first opened. We thought it was OK, but decided to give it another try since it's close to home...we are glad we did! Luckily, we got seats at the bar and had the pleasure of being served by bartender Ricky. He had a great personality and never left us wanting. He gave meal suggestions, too, which were spot on. I think he was the busiest person in the room! The food was great, in particular the crispy rock shrimp and penne Romano. And I found a new favorite drink...fig and pear was divine. Can't wait to go back! read more

Super irritated. Food is ok my issue is that the bartender and or maybe manager at 4:30 pm today were more interested in speaking with a vendor then a customer. Apparently joes girl is like 40 and has abs and they are like in aruba right now. Not how I would run a business very unbusiness like read more

Cute restaurant. The staff was great. The waiter stayed on top of drinks and service. My 3 star rating is because of the food. I was hopeful, but my meal fell short. It was ok but nothing exceptional. read more

Joebellas - Menu - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

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Our bartender Amanda made a delicious drink. I had a Christmas special drink called Italian cookie- it was like dessert! She was professional and quick, also very down to earth and friendly. This was our first time to this restaurant and she was a great first impression with her attitude and customer service. After that we went to our table since we had a reservation. Andrea took very good care of us, was informative about the menu and attentive to what we needed. Our reservation was for 4:30 pm and as we sat there, the tables began to fill up. The menu and specials had something for everyone. We had an appetizer of grilled Octapus, w beans - the warm bread for the table was so fresh- great to dip in the beans and sauce under the octapus. I had rigatoni w fresh mozz and San Marzano tomato sauce - yum! My husband had braised short rib that melts in your mouth, with tasty sweet brussel sprouts and a big portion of mashed potatoes. The portions were big! We took home left overs. The place was not cramped or over crowded. They spread everyone out. We will be back, looking forward to bringing friends and family next time. read more

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Recently tried this place for my wife's birthday. We went on Sunday at 6pm. Service was excellent. We sat in the front of restaurant near the bar. I had the crusted mozzarella app and my wife had muscles. Both were delicious. For entrees I had baked gnocchi and she got the short rib ravioli special. The portions were huge. Food was very tasty. She enjoyed her after dinner chocolate cannoli expresso martini. We had a great overall dining experience and can't wait to go back. read more

I had a birthday celebration at Joe Bella's restaurant on Fischer boulevard in Tom's River this past saturday. We had about thirty people. Everything was perfect from start to finish. Joe , the owner, was easy to deal with during the planning process. He made himself completely available to answer questions along the way. The room was set up beautifully and comfortably. The staff was attentive, efficient, and very pleasant. The food was absolutely delicious and plentiful. I have been to this restaurant many times to dine, which I would highly recommend , but I would also highly planning any event here. Everything was just perfect! Thank you Joe and staff. read more

Came here for a small birthday dinner and it was a great meal (as usual). The chicken parm and the tuna were the 2 winners of the evening. Our waitress heard it was my birthday and brought out a yummy piece of cannoli cake with a giant sparkler as a surprise! So sweet of her! read more

We truly love this place!!! they have five star drinks, food and service. ita our go too anytime bar or table you won't be disappointed.

Food mediocre, payment policy illegal. No parking due to fighting with business next door should have been a warning. Food was average, not worth returning for. When bill came had cash and non cash prices. We paid with debit so advised server should be cash price. Another girl came with the bill stating cannot give cash price, all employees 20 yrs old, owner not there but we can call him next day. I said charging higher price when paying with debit is illegal she responded, " You know what else is illegal. Not paying your bill"! We were now enraged and insulted but my friend calmly explained that we had all intentions of paying and that she needs to be careful misinterpreting a situation. I explained there needs to be signs and policies written in menu regarding this to comply with state law. I asked her to call the owner and she returned saying she was taking 3% off bill. I filed a report with the state. read more

Walk through the door and its transformational. My daughter deserves credit for that thought because as we sat there to celebrate her new job she said "this doesn't feel like Toms River.' Now, that's not a slight on this Central NJ town because my daughter loves it there rather its a reflection that Joe Bellas takes you away from wherever you were to a good place to enjoy good food and drink! It's not what one would call fancy perhaps more rustic. The truth is it just feels so comfortable. Ok, one note and its not there fault but in the other dining room there was a child screaming almost from the moment we arrived; parents DO NOT TAKE YOUR BABIES to a place people are going to as an escape if your baby insists on SCREAMING!! And, when they scream take them outside or better yet take them home (I will not that my 2 1/2 year old grandson was with us and perfectly behaved.). Frankly the service was extraordinary! I loved how the one staff member was thrilled when my grandson waved back at him. But enough of that stuff ... onto the main event the meal! They have a great selection of cocktails, craft beer and wine that ranges from the not too expensive to a $160 bottle of Caymus (I want fair wine prices when I eat out!). But the starter was the first OMG moment of the meal ... the Zappa de Clams, which is not a clam soup but steamed little necks in this incredibly delicious garlic white wine sauce (Maybe a hint of lemon too.) that we kept ordering bread to sop it all up with. I would say a couple of the clams weren't as sweet as I like but they come from the sea ... I could just do bread and the sauce!! Our little one ordered the kids pizza and grandfather snuck a couple of bites. It was really good! Probably the best children's pizza I can remember eating in a very long time not that I often order children's pizza. Each entree was spectacularly good in its own way. Plates were cleaned down to schmears of sauces except mine. When I ordered the day's special lasagna the waiter said I would be taking home food because he couldn't even eat the entire meal in one sitting. He was right, I boxed the lasagna and had two awesome meals out of the one that started at Joe's! Our choices were: Rigatoni Pomodoro, Gnocchi alla Siciliana, Seafood Diavolo, Asiago Chicken, and my choice the special Casio E Pepe Lasagna. Here's the only complaint other than that persistent baby ... my entree, which arrived last still had cold spots when it should have been bubbly hot. I will let that pass because my oh my it was soooooooo good! When I ate the leftovers at home it was bubbly .... It was a celebration so we made room for dessert and ordered two, which was more than enough. Superb creme brûlée had my grandson's fingers in it as he licked up the sweetness and the Zeppoles were extra good! Service right to the end was excellent! Ignore that negative review because this place was truly special and it would. have even been better if the baby wasn't crying! read more

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Wonderful staff, FOOD, & atmosphere! We love the ambience, specialty cocktails & fresh pasta. read more

Came to this spot during the Holidays on a recommendation and we were very glad we did. Warm and cozy atmosphere we were seated at a nice table right next to their Christmas tree which was very nice. Our waitress, I hope I'm remembering her name right, Mary Jane, was absolutely fantastic. Friendly, attentive and she even shook our martinis right at the table. To start, my wife and I ordered the Crispy Rock Shrimp, Calabrian chili aioli with a charred lemon. These were delicious, the shrimp were cooked in a light batter and served right on top of the aioli and the portion was way too many for an app. Ate half and took the rest home for the next day. For our mains my wife ordered the Pan Seared Halibut, butternut squash & brussels sprouts succotash, squash puree, lemon crema. Not only was this piece of fish delicious, perfectly cooked, flaky and tender, the size of it was equally impressive. My wife loved it. I went with the 14 oz Berkshire Pork Chop smothered with a roasted mushrooms, roasted garlic, pork crema, served with a side of mashed potatoes. This was amazing. I was worried at first that there was too much of the gravy but it was so good I wanted more and the pork chop was tender and moist. We had dessert at home so we skipped it on this visit but will definitely give one a shot next time. What a great place. read more

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Service was decent, but food was subpar to say the least. The nightly special was Shrimp and Scallops Fra Diavolo and both the Shrimps and Scallops were over cooked. Chicken Parm was flavorless. Not sure how you mess up Penne with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, but it was just bad. Drinks were decent, but for a dinner that was $200+ it was a huge disappointment. Maybe an 'off' night? Unfortunately, we won't be back to find out. read more

Just what Toms River needed! Fresh homemade pasta. Stuffed Artichoke dip & Meatballs for apps! Bolognese & Pappardelle, and Penne with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage- Amazing!!! Will def be back! Great vibe, great meal! read more

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It's a fantastic establishment. The ambience, service, drinks and food were all top notch. I am gluten free and the rest of the party was not. We were all happy with our choices. Everyone agreed we would come back. read more

In January, my husband and I actually got married here and had a small intimate dinner afterward. This evening, we went back for the first time since then and it was just as amazing. For the table, we ordered the cheesy garlic bread which was perfectly toasted and had the right amount of cheese! For dinner, I had the Asiago Chicken which originally came with potato croquettes, but I opted for it to be over pasta instead. Phenomenal. End of story. My husband ordered the Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna (which comes rare like it's supposed to) accompanied with eggplant caponata succotash. You didn't even need a knife to cut the tuna, the succotash was the perfect amount of sweet and sour. He absolutely loved it. For dessert, we ordered the Warm Banana Bread Pudding patterned with vanilla bean gelato and it was fantastic. I'm normally not a bread pudding person, but the consistency was firm and sweet! Nicole was our server and she was beyond nice and funny. Definitely request her section. She quickly transitions from drinks to apps to main courses to desserts with ease. read more

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LOVE LOVE LOVE JOEBELLAS!!! whenever my boyfriend and I are celebrating something, this is the place we go too. Loved the lobster specials they had this summer, but I always love the shrimp linguini. all of the cocktails are amazing and so unique too! read more

Drinks: well poured and generous. Appetizer: The octopus was well thought out and delicious. Dinner: The pasta was aldente with an amazing sauce. A real gem of a spot. read more

After many incarnations in the same location, we now have Joe Bella's. It's actually nice to have a restaurant with an upscale atmosphere and a bar in Toms River because there are not that many places like this here. Most Italian restaurants in this area are BYO. I would recommend this place to people visiting down the shore, and they own a house in Seaside Park or Lavalette. It's not far from the bridge. The two pasta dishes we had were both excellent. The sauces were deep and full of flavor. The pasta tasted fresh. My truffle mushroom pasta could've had a little bit more truffle in it, but it was still very very good. The service was excellent. I could tell that she was really trying to make us happy and took extra time to explain things on the menu and wine list. They had some attempt to serve craft cocktails, which I often order at upscale restaurants. They do have Icarus on tap, which is a plus. But we tried three different craft cocktails, and they were way overpriced. The peach one I tried tasted like cough syrup, and it was undrinkable. I had to send it back. Then I got an old-fashioned, but it was just like any regular one. It was not worth $14. I do not recommend getting the craft cocktails here. That's a slightly disappointing thing because that would be the whole point of having an upscale bar/restaurant. Otherwise I would just go to a BYO place with a better food. I'm expecting that they will listen to customer feedback and improve their craft cocktails as they move forward. I am not one of those people who thinks all craft cocktails are too expensive! read more

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What an amazing dinner I had to celebrate my Birthday. The Restaurant is very nice inside with brick walls and great decor. The drink menu was awesome and I had the Italian margarita which was so good and not too sweet. The meatball appetizer was delicious then the Puttanesca was so good with the yummy olives. Then finished off with the Banana bread pudding. The dinner was great with a super friendly waitress. read more

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Only complaint is the front room (entrance/bar area) is FREEZING. If I can't get a back table next time I'll probably leave. Had to eat with my coat on the whole time. Every time the door opened, forget about it. That being said, place is great looking, everything we ordered was great, the meatball appetizer (size of baseballs) the buffalo calamari, I had one of the specials (salmon) and my husband had some pasta dish, everything was delicious! read more

We have been to Joe Bellas for a few years now and absolutely love it. If you are pasta snob like me, you will love this place. The homemade pasta is cooked AL DENTE every time with hearty portions at a reasonable price. The ambiance as well is awesome. I'm not a big drinker but their extensive and creative drink list seems awesome. Their appetizers as well are amazing. The fried gnocchi and crusted mozzarella are great. read more

Joebellas - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

Delicious fresh pasta. Excellent attentive happy servers. Best specialty drinks! Excellent overall experience. Can't wait to go back.

Food was good but not great. We ordered meatballs , didn't have too much flavor nothing special. For meals we ordered truffle tagliatelle and Asiago chicken. Chicken came out somewhat burnt. The truffle pasta didn't have enough truffle and the mushrooms were very chemically Drinks were 6/10 , not sure if we would go back or try another spot.. read more

Amazing food & drinks! 8 of us went for dinner and everyone loved their food and the drinks were great also!

Amazing food everytime Amazing Drinks everytime Amazing Customer Service everytime Joe Bellas is one of the best restaurants in TR and the shore area as a whole. My fiance and I have been going for years with her family and they have never let us down read more

Went for Valentine's Day. We always have a good experience here and as usual tonight everything was perfect. We asked to be moved to a booth and the hostess moved us no problem. The pitcher of Red Sangria is a great deal and delicious! We got the Mozzarella Sticks and Thick Cut Bacon for appetizers and both were really good (just wish the bacon came with more then two pieces). I got the Asiago Chicken, which was perfectly cooked and the whole meal complimented one another well. My husband got the Penne Vodka, which never disappoints. Desert we went for the Zeppolis which are very delicious and come with a side of Nutella. They even surprised us with two complimentary Chocolate Covered Strawberries!! Our waitress Jennifer was so sweet and very attentive and made our overall experience great! read more

Joebellas - Red Sangria Pitcher - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

Great atmosphere! Beautiful interior. Large portions. Lobster and crab mac & cheese was amazing - calamari was very good. We all ordered our own dinners and my gosh - we had enough for 4 more people. I love that. Good quality and large portions. We were all very happy and will be back asap. read more

We decided to try this place for Mother's Day, and I have to say that this is one of my new favorites. The artichoke dip was out of this world. It had SO much flavor and game out steaming hot, the bread was delicious as well as the meatballs. I got chicken parm which came with fresh pasta which was another amazing dish. I also ordered the strawberry pound cake martini, which was probably the best drink I've ever had. I am a huge fan of strawberries, cake, and sweet drinks. This one was The service was very quick and overall we absolutely loved it here. Definitely better than most restaurants in town and we will absolutely be back very soon! read more

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We've been multiple times over the past few weeks, and each time the food has been fabulous. The drinks exceptional, and the staff phenomenal. Consistency is a plus, as each and every time, we have all enjoyed our meals. The freshness and roominess is evident throughout. I certainly recommend making a reservation. read more

Always drove by this restaurant and finally tried it... awesome drinks according to my GF, great food, calamari with some fried jalapeño great touch...and delicious dessert! Waitress was awesome , friendly and helpful as well! She suggested a dessert style drink that was delicious and great to look at to boot! Great experience and will be back! read more

We have been back several times and this restaurant just keeps getting better, it is now one of our favorite restaurants to go to! In my original review I had commented on whether they could in the future have higher end glasses of wine by the glass and lo and behold the now do! They also update their specialty cocktails monthly and they have updated the menu a few times since we've been back and the selections are amazing! Last night we had the artichoke hearts franchise and the eggplant mozzarella and tomato stack in garlic cream sauce, I would've been more than satisfied just to get the appetizers. But then came our entrées, veal Milanese and I had the rigatoni pesto with burrat, they were so delicious! Then we decided to try their cannolis, one is traditional, one is peanut butter, I was skeptical about the peanut butter and now I can't stop thinking about it! I don't want to forget to mention the amazing service, decor and the bathrooms are spotless and well-maintained. read more

My grandparents raved about Joe Bella's, and it certainly lived up to the hype. The place was bustling - not an empty table in the house and the staff was impressively efficient without appearing rushed. Despite the busy atmosphere, our waiters were very friendly and attentive, answering questions and lightheartedly joking with the table. The asiago chicken was divine, as was the gemelli with fennel sausage. We shared the house salad - who would have thought fried chickpeas could accent a dish so well? To close, we split the flourless chocolate cake, which was dense and flavorful without being too heavy. The portions were very generous too - coming from NYC, it is rare to find food at such great value that also tastes amazing! Drink-wise, the cocktail selection is robust, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they had Icarus on draft (quality craft brewery). Overall, Joe Bella's provided us with a splendid dining experience, and we look forward to trying out more of the menu in the near future! read more

I was in NJ last weekend, and I was fortunate enough to have dinner at Joe Bella's. The place is adorable, the service was great, but the reason to go is THE FOOD! I had the Asiago Chicken, and my friend had the Berkshire Pork Chop. The combination of flavors from the pesto, garlic cream sauce, and the cheese was amazing with every bite of the tender chicken. I highly recommend this entrée. My friend insisted I try a bite of her porkchop even though I do not particularly care for porkchops in general, and it was delicious! If you do enjoy an occasional porkchop, you must try this one - your taste buds will thank you. As much as we loved our entrees, our appetizers were just as yummy - perhaps even yummier, if that's possible. We had the eggplant pancake and a butternut squash appetizer off the special Fall menu. The squash was so sweet and tasty, with some crunchy pistachios mixed in, that it felt like we were enjoying a decadent dessert before we ate dinner! My favorite dish of the entire delectable dinner, though, was the eggplant pancake. If you dine at Joe Bella's, you must get this appetizer. It was the tastiest eggplant I've ever had in my life! The scrumptious flavor mixture, with eggplant cooked to perfection, was out of this world. Kudos to the chef! Next time I'm anywhere near the Jersey Shore, I will try to get a reservation again at Joe Bella's. read more

Ambiance and service was great. Food needs improvement. It was okay. You know when you go to a friend's house who is an at home chef and the meal may not be excused as well as they expected. That's like the food here. The Berkshire pork chops had great flavor but they were slightly dry. Same with the Braised short rib. The effort is put in but food prep requires more fine tuning if they want to achieve a more remarkable culinary experience. read more