I can't get over the 3 stars this place has. I think it's one of the better Italian restaurants In the area. The meatballs are wonderful and same with the lasagna. Service and price is also great! read more

Food was good, however, when I ordered pasta as a lunch meal I expected hot fresh pasta. The short cut trick of putting a big spoon full of hot sauce on top of room temperature pasta was noticed and not appreciated. read more

I went to la pastaria a few years ago and remembered it being good. I recently returned, having remembered good things from the last time I dined here. This time, I sat outside and the service was good. However, I knew something was iffy about the place when I entered and barely anyone was dining. The portions were huge. I ordered salmon and could not even eat it. It was incredibly fishy tasting, like a gold fish. I was disappointed. Probably wouldn't return read more

forgot to make my order, waited a while for them to make it. Very disappointed and I received my order with an open lid which ended up spilling all over my car :( read more

Best italian place in Summit! Came here with my mother and wife. I ordered a small portion of spaghetti with calimari , the plate was huge! Food tasted great. This place is byob. The meat market next door sells wine, there is also a liquor store just down Summit Ave. Portions are nice and big for a cheap price. And because it's byob it won't be an expensive bill. read more

The kale Caesar salad was excellent. Also get the tiramisu dessert. Wow. I'm surprised this place only has three stars. The Sylvia salad is also really good! Have had both which chicken and I would definitely return for lunch! read more

Food was completely tasteless. Beyond bland. Chicken parm was big portion but sauce had zero flavor. The oil they give with bread same. No flavor whatsoever. Waiter was a bit odd. Older gent w broken English, was hard to get answers to menu questions we asked. Quite Disappointing. Would never return. read more

Have been going here for nearly 20 years. Consistently good BYOB. Great for a night out, special occasions, take out or catering...and service is excellent. Always treated well and never leave disappointed. Highly recommend La Pastaria. read more

Wow, very disappointed with this place after two great prior visits. Server spoke little English and when asked if I could have chicken instead of veal piccata was told no. When I asked twice to speak with someone else I was ignored. After saying I would just eat bread he went to ask about my simple request. They said the chef would make an exception. So, food comes out and it is chicken piccata with greens vs risotto. Arrrrggghhhh. When asked why, they said they didn't do the dish on menu, but a "special dish for me," like this was someone's home vs a restaurant where we were paying customers. So then, the staff of several decide to talk about my order FIVE FEET FROM ME. As I am not one to bite my tongue, I as graciously as I could informed all what I had initially asked for. The manager then said, "oh,you should have asked me!!!!" Seriously? She should have gotten involved when she heard the commotion when ordering..... We have yet another restaurant in Summit marked off our list. Glad to see a new place is going up around the corner. read more

The more I go this place, mostly for lunch, the more I like it. They have a number of different pasta and sandwhich and salad choices available, some of which are very creative. Normally I don't order salads, but I loved their cranberry salad that I ordered. I've also enjoyed some good ravioli and fetuccinne alfredo there too. Best of all is that the portion size is reasonable, not huge, and the price is reasonable. When 5 of us ate, no drinks, it cames to $50 including tip and tax. read more

My company had an awards dinner earlier this week here. The common consensus was that the food was great and everything would be family style, so come hungry. I heeded this advice. Walking into the place you definitely get the feel of a cozy, great environment Italian restaurant. Music in the background to give you that "it's Italian" feel. The place inside is quite spacious seating nearly 60 of us comfortably. The wait staff was over attentive. They brought out the following items as appetizers: Calamari (crispy, fresh and light...very good), Eggplant Rolotini (small which is good, flavorful, slightly breaded, good cheese amount and tasty sauce...very good), salad (excellent dressing, fresh lettuce...excellent), stuffed mushrooms (tremendous stuffing, fresh mushrooms...excellent). Pasta's: ziti with marinara sauce (lumps of tomato's is not my style of sauce...it was ok), tortellini carbonara (chunks of prosciutto, sauce was heavy but not too much, tortellini cooked to perfection...excellent). Main dishes: sausage w/peppers/crispy potato's (don't like sausage therefore didn't try it), whipped potato's (...eh), spinach (seasoned and good), roasted chicken in a light sauce with mushrooms (chicken was a bit dry....decent). By this point I was stuffed which I am sure you can imagine. Finished the meal off with Italian Cheesecake (great) and coffee. Overall the food was above average. Will be returning to try additional items. Parking is street parking and it's a BYO which keeps costs down big time. Looking over the menu (just out of curiosity) the apps/pasta's/entree's are very reasonably priced. read more

I prefer to write reviews when I have a stellar experience somewhere, but this was the worst restaurant food I've had in a very very long time. The salad was something you would get prepackaged at your local bodega. The mozzarella balls were rubbery, oily and tasteless. The pasta sauce was watered down and bland. The pizza, and who doesn't love pizza, was no better than a generic frozen one prepared at home. The ambience was nice and this place always looks full, but with three failed dishes for us, I have no idea what dishes other 4 and 5 star reviews are talking about. Will not be returning. read more

Pastaria is a reliable old standby. Food is good. Service generally good. Great place for a group or family celebration. This time, however, our waiter reaked of cheap cologne and cigarettes, killing our appetite. Restaurants should have some policy for their wait staff to avoid these situations. Not sure we'll return to risk having that experiences again. read more

My family are long time customers of La Pastaria. Last night my husband and I dined there and we noticed the menu had changed a bit. When we mentioned this to our waitress - Nicole - she was a bit short with us and said they like to do this every few years. Which is fine. We were still able to order half portions which is one of the things we like in addition to the food itself! When our salad arrived my husband asked for an extra dressing which he never got. When the food arrived, our waitress was not around and we had to ask Denise if we could have some cheese. She was very helpful and seemed to be working very hard! read more

My kids' birthday party was held here. 60 people. Family style. The food was good. The problem was the service and amount of food. The place allocated 2 waiters to the entire party. People finished the first portions and asked for seconds, and the wait staff had to ask the cooks to prepare a new batch. Took a long time to make more food. While waiting, the bus girl started taking plates. People came hungry and left the same. And people were often left without drinks. I had to help the wait staff because they needed it. Ownership saved how much money on the food they didn't but should have served and service they didn't but should have provided? Was it worth it? Bad business acumen. Never again. read more

I was so disappointed with our dinner. First, the server smelled terribly of cigarettes. He had obviously been out back and the stench was awful. Secondly, my husbands stuffed shells entree consisted of four small shells for $18.95. Ridiculous! Thirdly, the kids Mac and cheese either wasn't prepared properly or they did a recipe change... Not good. Prices seemed higher, portions lower and quality was questionable. read more

Great ambience and food! Really enjoyed Nona's Sunday Meatballs, really great app. Additionally the gemmelli con pesto has great texture, as well as the penne Bolognese. Service was top notch too. read more

Apparently La Pastaria deletes reviews that they find less than favorable, because I noticed mine was missing. My original review reads as follows and was posted in early February of this year... What a disappointment!!!! We were in the area, so I recommended it for a late lunch today. I should preface my review by admitting that it's been years since my last visit to the restaurant, during which time I had dinner, and the deterioration in the food was shocking. We arrived around 2:00 p.m., just as the people at the other three tables were finishing up their lunches. The fact that the restaurant wasn't busy was not an immediate red flag. After all, it was the middle of the day, middle of the week, in this suburban town. While scanning the menu, I ordered a diet coke, while my lunch companion ordered sparkling water. She took a sip of her water, which tasted flat, so she ordered a diet coke. Unfortunately, I didn't try the soda until she ordered hers, so it was too late to tell her that the soda was flat, as well. We ordered straight off of the menu. She ordered tomato soup, while I ordered the special portobello vegetable soup to start. Each of us ordered the cranberry goat cheese salad, and mine had the addition of grilled salmon (chicken, shrimp, and salmon are listed as add-ons under the salads section). When the soup came, she commented that the tomato soup was bland. My portobello soup didn't have anything that resembled a portobello or any mushroom for that matter. What I noticed was a lot of peas and pasta, so I asked to speak with the waitress and kindly expressed that I was given the minestrone soup by accident, rather than the portobello soup. She apologized and brought it back to the kitchen to exchange it for the soup I ordered; however, she returned to tell me that my soup was in fact the portobello soup. I must have looked shocked, because she quickly said that she would take it off the bill and asked if I wanted anything else. I said it was fine, as I assumed our salads were on the way. Our salads did soon arrive, mine with a huge portion of salmon, so my optimism was restored. That was short lived. No sooner did I cut the salmon, did I realize that it wasn't fully cooked. The inside was raw. I know the difference between "seared" and accidental undercooking. Starving and frustrated, I politely asked to speak with the waitress, who apologized and offered to send it back so that it could be fully cooked. I declined that offer and instead ordered the recommended "Sylvia's salad" (arugula, cheese, candied walnuts, strawberries, and berry dressing. In the meantime, my lunch partner commented that the salad was lacking. It was bland, like the soup, the walnuts tasted like candy, and the dressing tasted like it came from a bottle sold at the supermarket. When my salad arrived, the strawberries weren't fresh and were coated in a syrup-like film. There were more strawberries than arugula, so I spent most of the time pushing these frozen, candied berries out of the way, so I could get to the arugula and cheese. After this $30 waste of time, we left. I was equal parts disappointed and hungry. In closing, Summit is an affluent suburban town, dense with diverse dining options. A 10 minute drive in any direction offers a host of other multi-ethnic options for delicious lunches and dinners at wide-ranging price points. I don't know when the quality of food took a nosedive, but I know that if my experience has become the rule, and not the exception, the restaurant must reform itself and provide a level of quality that falls in line with the expectations of the clientele it serves. read more

I ordered a full tray of Chicken Parmesan for a New Year's party that I was hosting and the chicken was SO delicious! My friends had told me good things about the restaurants takeout and catering, but I had never tried it before. I was told the tray would be ready around 5:30 pm, and we arrived at 5:15. We had to wait for the tray to be ready, as they seemed very busy with takeout orders, but, they kept their promise and had the food ready at 5:29. The chicken was easy to serve to our guests as we just had to throw the tray over some sternos and it was ready to go. All our guests were extremely happy with how delicious the chicken was and it certainly saved some time in the kitchen. For the price of a meal that fed 20 people, it was certainly great value. I definitely look forward to bringing my family to dine-in in the near future. The atmosphere seemed very traditional and I love that it is a family establishment. read more

All I can say is WOW! The menue is amazing and full of delicious dishes. Eating here is suprisingly reasonable. We dined at 8:30 ,brought our own wine and settled in for such an amazing nite. Looking forward to coming here again. read more

Have been there twice in past month, once a large group and another as couple. Food is very good. Service is iffy inn large group; we were served at a variety of times so that some had finished when others just started. Reservation is only available for parties of six or more. When we came as pair, they said 30 minute wait but it was only half that. Outside seating is nice. Food was good, and I like how it is BYOB. Our waitress for party of two was very good, but kitchen was a mess, both of our orders had sold out. So all in all, a mixed bag, yet I would go again. read more

Favorite Italian place in Summit! BYOB. Great specials and their regular dishes are excellent too. For the price you cannot beat it. We love the fact that on a nice night we can bring our dog and a bottle of wine, sit outside and people watch while we have dinner. Service is usually friendly and quick. Only taking a star off because I've been here a few times with a larger group and the service has been less competent with a big table, but maybe that's just my experience. When it's just 2,3,4 of us, it's been great all around. read more

Nice medium-end Italian resturant, with a good choice of pasta dishes that are a lot like the dishes you'll find in Italy. Wasn't so keen on the pizza on the occasion I tried this. It's BYOB so grab a bottle of Italian wine and feel as though you're on vacation. read more

We thought this place would be acceptable for a funeral repast since it is walking distance to the funeral home. However, the owner was not accommodating and not cooperative. The menu was not customizable and there was no private space. The hostess who showed us the room was flirting and somewhat inappropriate in dress and behavior, considering the somber nature of our appointment. The food here is not bad, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. read more

La Pastaria has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. It is a great place regardless of how many people are in your party. Also a great place for families. My Favorite Things about La Pastaria *The food of course! Always consistently good. I love the bread they put on the table..dipping it in oil and basalmic takes it to another level(be sure to ask for the balsamic, it isn't on the table!) The menu doesn't change too much which is why I didn't five it 5 stars and I rarely order any of the specials. My favorites include the boccaccini app (fried mozzarella in one of the best marinara sauces I have ever had), mussels, shrimp parm, rigatoni broccoli rabe and sausage and my husband always orders the Cappellini Angelo (vodka sauce) *Portions- they allow you to order small or large...the large is big enough for me to have leftovers for 2 days! *Price- the most reasonable pricing for Italian food in the area *The waitstaff- always friendly and fast *It's BYOB (always a plus in my book) *Private parking lot in the bag (I hate fighting for parking on the street in Summit) *Private parties- I have been to several private parties in the back room here and they always do a great job accommodating large groups. *Outdoor seating during the warmer months *Spotless...I have never ever seen this place dirty..they keep it beautiful at all times *They offer take out! read more

We enjoyed the food from this place at a friend party, who had it catered from La Pasteria and We loved it so much that decided to go to the restaurant. They don't take reservations, but we were fortunate enough that got seated as soon as we arrived. The place is always packed and I understand why. The food is magnificent, my husband ordered the Penne Vodka with chicken and I had the Gamberi Di Arrabiatta. We ordered the Italian Cheesecake, Tiramisu and Regular Cheesecake, to bring over to our friends place and do some tastin read more

Haven't been here in years and was very disappointed to see it had become a combination pizzeria and restaurant. Very noisy and brightly lit and very overpriced. Caesar salad dressing was mayonnaise like, and although the portions were generous, it wasn't the romantic, nice atmosphere restaurant that it used to be. No tablecloths. The "other side" of the restaurant was taken over by two private parties. I wish they had told me this when I made the reservation. Won't be returning..... read more

As stated in other reviews - La Pastaria does good food at reasonable prices and turns tables over quickly. We came the other night because our favorite local Italian place was closed for the holiday. The bread is yummy and the small pasta sizes are more than enough for most people. You won't find finely seasoned dishes or amazing sauces, just basic recipes that satisfy. We judge Italian restaurants by their tiramisu. This was all custard and creme - not a hint of espresso. Which some people might enjoy. At the very bottom of the dish was a small bit that might have been ladyfingers in some alcohol, but it was mush. read more

Just had my daughters baby shower with 50 guests and all enjoyed the great food! Special commendation to Tatiana; manager that was hands on and accommodated all special requests, great job, truly committed to make event memorable, thanks Tatiana read more

Dined this evening with a friend of mine and had a somewhat decent experience. First time dining here and I was taken back by the service that was presented. Busboys don't use trays to pick up glassware, the gentleman stuck his fingers inside the glassware and carried them away like that. After that he comes outside to pour more water in our glasses but holds it at the top where I mouths touch the rim of glass. From managing restaurants for 6 years, this is such a violation and highly unsanitary. Just something that should be addressed to management/ownership. Also, ordered a medium rare New York shell steak and came out medium well, the server apologized for the mistake. Ambience was nice though. read more

I ordered the squid ink pasta which was okay. There was really no flavor to it and it appeared to have been doused in oil. I do have to say that the calamari which came with it was very well cooked. My friend ordered the broccoli rabe pasta which was similarly bland. I feel we may not have ordered what the restaurant is "known" for, but we were slightly disappointed nevertheless. We ordered the tiramisu for dessert which was very good. read more

Not impressed...food gotten to go was soggy (pizza) and swimming in oil (pasta) Prices are way too high IMHO. Person who took my order gave me a total that was $10 higher than what their online menu said and she said oh I don't know, the prices went up...well your change your info online then! Will not go back, this is nothing I couldn't make at home and there are many nicer places to eat in town. read more

really good for lunch, check the regular menu, for Pasta $7 or there abouts... BY-OW, we had special occasions here too. Group gatherings value, watch out for extras, cash for Gratuity's, no problem but don't tax me on cash extras, just saying, take note...passing it around... read more

We've been twice in a week, once for dinner with 6 and then a birthday party with 25. The party was perfect, nice private room, EVERYONE loved the food, the portions enormous and service excellent, the management quite accommodating. The chicken meatballs were outstanding as was the chicken pail lard with mushrooms as well as the veal Milanese. Amazingly, free off street parking in the rear. Recommended! read more

Stay away from this place!!! Worst flavorless pasta I ever had in my life! We were not expecting a wow experience but after yesterdays experience I much rather go to Olive Garden than this place. To begin with we stood 5 minutes at the door and no body greeted us. I order the squid ink pasta and my boyfriend order the pasta with pork and shiitake mushrooms and both came flavorless and bland. Specially the Squid ink pasta whose squid was plain without any seasoning (not even mix in the pasta!!) as it just had been thaw and put on top. The pasta tasted like a a piece of cardboard with butter. The server came and saw that we did not eat our food and did not bother to ask if everything was ok, so we got our check and left. Needles to say we felt like we wasted our money away. If you decide to eat here do it at your own risk! read more

Bread is good. Pizza is bad. Pasta Fagiole is good. Pasta ( cavatelli and broccoli) was nothing great, whole broccoli stalks are hard to eat. Service not great. Ambience is good! Wont come here again :-) queen margherita in nutley is 10x better ! read more

Always liked going there but the last visit was a DISASTER. While my husband is placing his order the waiter walks away taking only half the order. He had to be called back but was very unhappy. I asked for a salad before my meal, he never asked what size, what kinda dressing, nothing. I asked him for bread and he said they don't carry bread. Are you kidding me???? At an Italian restaurant, Really??? and while answering my question he walks away. Needless to say we left giving him NO TIP. NO service, no tip. The food has always been good and a saving grace. Don't know if we will go there again. The food is great but service.............SUCKS. read more

I tried this place for the first time tonight because it was a quick doordash delivery, but I will not be eating there again. Very mediocre - if it were a burger place I'd compare it to a Wendy's dollar burger (and I was expecting at least Smashburger / Five Guys quality). The pizza was not Italian style (not thin crust). The pasta was seriously over cooked and poor quality. Really disappointing meal. read more

I've been going this restaurant almost every Friday night for about 10 years! I bring my friends here, we bring family, it's just the best. They have excellent traditional Italian food, and have started serving "tapas-style" Italian samplings as well. I used to get the rigatoni vodka every single time, until about two years ago when I started ordering the shrimp arribiata. It's so good, I haven't ordered anything else since making that switch a couple of years ago. The majority of the entrees also come with either a side salad or a side of pasta. It's a BYOB, which is nice, as it keeps the cost down, and the wait staff is very friendly. read more

I really enjoyed this restaurant. It's very pretty and has a nice ambiance. Our waiter was very pleasant and helpful. The bread was great and the olive oil for dipping was very tasty. My friends and I ordered Fritti Boccacinni to start - this was so good. They were little fried mozzarella balls, with a flavorful marinara sauce for dipping. I had a plain personal pizza for dinner, which was great and I had some leftover to bring home for lunch the next day. This is definitely a solid Italian place. read more