Absurdly good. This place has been a staple in the area for a long time, and they really make the most of their space. The strip mall itself isn't anything special, but the surrounding area is beautiful , and once you're inside, the restaurant feels warm and inviting. The food is fantastic, and the variety on the menu is impressive. The chef clearly knows what they're doing because every single dish we tried was genuinely delicious. It's the kind of spot where you can't go wrong: date night, dinner with friends, or anything in between. We brought our own bottle and had a great time. Our waiter was super knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. The staff even joked around with me when I forgot my to‑go bag, and yes, I absolutely took it home because the food is that good. I also appreciate that they don't act like offering takeout is beneath them; even the takeout bag was nice. I honestly wish my meals were this good every night. I hope everyone who works here is paid well and enjoys what they do, because they're running the place exactly how a restaurant should be run. It feels like a true community staple somewhere that transports you a bit and makes the whole experience feel special. Lovely all around. read more

Luca's Ristorante in Somerset, NJ, is an amazing Italian eatery that captures the essence of what great food and pasta should be. It's tuck in a nook of a strip mall, but you will notice that the parking lot is packed. Seating has intimate small tables inside or larger tables for groups. Also, they have outside seating for those warmer days. I do suggest you make a reservation just because of the limited overall seating. I always like to start with a good calamari but what made it was the homemade sauce to dip them in. I also decided to go for the special which today was a crab cake stuff pasta. Luca's Ristorante is a hidden gem in Somerset, combining great food, attentive service, and a welcoming atmosphere. It's perfect for a casual night out, a family gathering, or a romantic dinner. Whether you're a fan of traditional Italian dishes or looking to explore new flavors, Luca's is sure to impress. read more

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This is one of the best restaurants I've been to. I live 4 hours away and feel like I need to start making up reasons to come out here. Every dish we had was delicious. We wrapped up what we couldn't eat for breakfast tomorrow. I highly recommend the Pompeii (chocolate lava cake). Thank you Luca's team for a wonderful dinner. read more

You can improve the prices That the people are nice there pretty inside but you need a lot of money to go there read more

Absolutely delighted by this restaurant. Interior decor made me feel as if I were in Italy. And well that's the start The bread basket was an assortment of various breads The dishes were mouthwatering. Not tiny portions. Worth the price 100% Our waiter was very kind and helpful with choosing a dish read more

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Luca's Ristorante can be easily missed as it is in an uninviting small strip mall. However, the restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere and is a smaller restaurant. The service is excellent but the food might take a while since they make everything from scratch upon order. Their breads are tasty and they provide an assortment. My favorite dish was the meatballs as they had a subtle sweetness to it that paired well with the cheese and sauce. The fried calamari was decent as well. I enjoyed their beet salad and it was one of the better beet salads I've had at a restaurant. They did not overdo it with the dressing and all the ingredients worked well together. The main dish I had Romolo and it was fantastic. The pasta was delicious, the salt and texture from the guanciale played nicely with the chicken, and the garlic tomato sauce made the dish complete. Of course I had to wipe up the remaining sauce with some of the bread. I enjoyed this spot and want to come back for other dishes like their pizza. read more

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I have been on the hunt for an authentic Italian restaurant for a while and had heard great things about Luca's. Don't let the strip mall exterior fool you, inside feels cozy, romantic, and worlds away for central Jersey. The service was great and it's BYOB with easy parking out front. Reservations can be made online but there is a cancellation fee. We came on a Wednesday around 7 and didn't need a reservation but there were a number of other tables there. I would recommend a reservation for larger groups or for peak times on weekends to be safe. We ordered the famous meatballs (very good but different with pine nuts and raisins), farro salad with beets, Luca pasta (packed with seafood and a good size portion but was over $40), and the gnocchi genovese (good short rib), and the pitsachio cannoli (not great). Overall, my husband and I decided it was good but not inexpensive. I don't think either of us would be interested in driving the 30 min to come back but we would if we lived closer. read more

Luca's Ristorante - Farro - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

What a beautiful, cozy, and delicious restaurant with impeccable service! The food is so authentic and the restaurant has such a warm and intimate feeling. I came here last night for my best friend's birthday dinner with a party of 10 and we had a great time! I loved quite literally everything we ordered: calamari, bruschetta, spiedini with spicy vodka sauce, polpette, marsala arrosto, chicken parm, agnolotti, valentino, porcini, and pappardelle. Each one was better than the next I haven't thoroughly enjoyed a meal like this in a while! Thanks so much for having us :) Already looking forward to coming back! read more

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Came to this restaurant to celebrate Father's Day and some birthdays. I've always had great Italian food growing up in New Jersey and New York, but Luca's is up there with the best. This restaurant is specifically themed around the Ischia island off of Naples. All of the art inside is made by artists from Ischia and of course the food is themed around it too. It's not a place I'd heard of before, but this restaurant makes me want to go. All of the dishes my family ordered were amazing- pasta is cooked perfectly al dente and the daily specials were truly unique and delicious. We were all blown away with the dessert, which was a pistachio tiramisu. It was one of the best tiramisus I've ever had! Such a deep and rich coffee flavor. Service was great as well, our wine glasses and water were always refilled promptly and it didn't feel as though we had to wait very long for our food even though it was so crowded inside. Overall, I strongly recommend and can endorse it as being certainly the best Italian restaurant in the area and probably one of the best in Jersey. read more

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Same great ambiance and service! Went for the third time to Luca's tonight with a group of friends and enjoyed the go-to prosciutto mascarpone figs appetizer and the rich fresh Gnochi short ribs! Absolutely scrumptious and I saw them making fresh Gnocchi which was an added plus. read more

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Luca's is the perfect spot if you're looking for authentic Italian cuisine in a cozy, rustic setting that transports you straight to Italy. The decor really sets the mood, making it feel like you're dining in a charming Italian trattoria. Bonus points for being dog-friendly and BYOB, which is always a nice touch! My husband and I started with the calamari appetizer, and it was perfect. They offer two sizes--one for 1-2 people and the other for 2-4--so we went with the smaller portion. The calamari was hot and fresh, straight out of the fryer, with a delicate, thin breading that didn't overpower the flavor. My husband, who typically avoids marinara sauce, loved this one. It was infused with herbs and had just the right amount of kick. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the complimentary fresh-baked bread served with both marinara and olive oil for dipping--such a great touch! For mains, my husband ordered the Luca while I got the Ischia. He really enjoyed his dish, especially the real crab meat and perfectly tender shrimp and scallops. The pasta was wonderfully creamy, and the asparagus was cut into convenient bite-size pieces, which he appreciated. As for my Ischia, not only were all the shellfish fully opened, but they generously added extra mussel and clam meat. That's a rarity in many places, and I loved it! The squid in my dish was so tender it almost melted in my mouth--if I had to compare it to anything, it would be like wagyu beef, it was that tender. You can tell the pasta is homemade and cooked to an ideal al dente texture. Our server was incredibly sweet and attentive, though we didn't catch his name. We accidentally left our leftovers on the table, and he actually ran after us to our car to return them. Now that's service! We'll definitely be coming back for more delicious meals at Lucas! read more

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Food was excellent! All of the dishes were flavorful, cheesy, and meat was cooked to perfection. I especially loved the complimentary bread which was absolutely delicious. I also loved the tiramisu and lemon sorbet - getting dessert here is a must!! Interior was very cozy and intimate. We came on Valentine's weekend so it was super busy but still enjoyable. Service was VERY slow, which is understandable as it was a popular weekend. It may be better on a regular weekend. Staff were all friendly read more

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This BYOB place has been here for decades and has great reviews, but this past Sunday afternoon was our first visit. We will definitely return. Dont let the strip mall location concerned you. The place is charmingly decorated and has a great cozy, relaxed vibe. Service was outstanding. Pace was perfect. We perused the menu as well as listened to the menu additions while we shared some wine. We decided on meatballs and cold octopus salad for appetizers which was served with fresh baked assortment of breads and olive oil. The meatballs were excellent including the gravy. Octopus was perfectly grilled in a very generous sized salad. Wish there was octopus. Pared nicely with a Rhone Viognier. For entries, the girls had the Cinquanta which is a fifty layered lasagna. Michael and I split the pork stuffed enocchi and grilled lamb chop entrees. The lasagna was rich and delicious with fine layers of cheese, sauce and meat. The pork stuffed potato enocchi was hearty. Six decent sized lamb chops grilled a perfect medium rare which went well with the Brunelli di Montalcino. The non-traditional tiramisu dessert was interesting. Nicely prepared with a unique flavor. The cappuccino could have been colder. In addition to their Ischia inspired dinner menu, they also offer artisnal pizzas which we will try on our next visit. While we were walk-in at noon on Sunday, reservation strongly recommended by our server. read more

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This place is located in a strip mall with ample parking. We had reservations for a friend's birthday. When walking in noticed this place is very cozy and filled with different types of ceramic masks. This place BYOB so the wine was great. Lol. We were served the best variety of breads, so good!!! We all tried different entrees and shared a bite of each other and all were equally tasty. Will definitely be back! read more

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Visiting from out of town and we had a wonderful experience. The portion sizes are excellent, the food was amazing.

Best Italian food in the area, worth every penny. Appetizers and entrees were both excellent.

Service was amazing, our waitress helped us out navigating the menu along with their specials, she was super sweet. My partner and i started off with a small order of calamari (i love how they do big or small orders!). I got a pasta with sausage and he got a pasta with fried prosciutto. The food was great but definitely on the pricey side. We tried their italian pomegranate soda and it was great! Our bill came out to be $99 without tip. the interior was very cute, rustic and old but it worked great. Overall a great place to have a nice dinner. read more

Luca's Ristorante - pomegranate soda - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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The food was absolutely amazing! I cleaned my literal plate. The bruschetta was light and flavorful, the pasta was savory, the bread before the meal was cheesy and seasoned and the non-alcoholic mimos was light and refreshing. I topped my meal off with a deliciously creamy, light & indulgent creme brulee! It was the perfect day to eat outside! Sunny and breezy with a beautiful area to sit -- flowers, canopy, lights and music. I cannot recommend Luca's highly enough! read more

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Very cozy spot nestled in a shopping strip on Rt 27. Had a business lunch yesterday and the food and service were amazing. We ordered the Calamari and Fico as starters to share. Both were excellent. I had the Luca for my lunch which was shrimp, scallops, and crab over linguine with creamy white wine sauce. Just fantastic! Highly recommended. read more

Luca's Ristorante - Fico in Camicia - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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Amazing food and service also ambient will definitely come back often for new dishes I'm looking forward for the age stake they got 10/10 read more

Luca's Ristorante - Boar meatballs - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

The service and some of the menu items are solid; we appreciated the complimentary bread (such variety! Strong start to the meal), and the friendliness of the staff. The portion sizes are large, definitely suitable for sharing. Where things went a little sideways for us was the food itself. The meatballs are not the best in NJ, if I'm being honest - texture is too loose/soft, and they're drowning in pine nuts. All of the red sauces are same-same-y. Artichokes accompanying the lamb were very greasy. Some of the mussels in the Marinero dish were off/not open, and should not have been served. Overall, the quality/taste of the food is not where it should be for this price point (entrees in excess of $60+). read more

The food is delicious and the service was phenomenal. Comparable to NYC restaurants. Worth every penny. read more

The slices are delicious. I just found this place and it's really good. Service is really good atmosphere is amazing. Totally recommended giving it a 9.5 out of 10. read more

Luca's Ristorante - Right here we have two regular slices and right now eating a vodka. Margarita slice very good. I give it 9.5. - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

We went to Luca"s on Saturday night. We had 6:00 reservation. We were meeting another couple. For an appetizer my husband and I ordered something which was a very small portion that looked like fried toast with tomato sauce. It was tasteless. The other couple ordered fresh mozzarella which looked a lot better. For main courses both my husband and the other husband ordered veal parmigiana.The veal was a very poor quality, it was thick pieces of tough veal. I ordered the special salmon which was expensive but good. My other girlfriend ordered ziti pasta. We thought the prices were much too expensive for poor quality food w/ A BYO RESTAURANT. Their ambiance is nice. TOO BAD THE FOOD ISN'T! I don't recommend eating there paying a lot of money and NOT GETTING GOOD QUALITY FOOD. read more

The food was absolutely delicious. Service was great! The place clean and feels really "Italian " A little pricey on their food but everything is fresh. Portions were large enough to have another dinner at home. The lamb meatballs were my favorite. I am not really into Italian cuisine, but I would come back here. read more

exceptional service and food! nice intimate interior. the pasta is house made, and there is so much variety. I had the Luca specialty pasta which was a seafood pasta. it was delicious and so flavorful. it did not lack of seafood or flavor! there are so many appetizers we wanted to try so we will be going back to try more. also it's BYOB read more

Luca's Ristorante - Gnocchi Genovese - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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It was well worth the 1 hour ride from Cherry Hill NJ! The radicchio burrata salad was bed ever! Met every mark 5 stars!! Will drive there again for sure!! read more

We went on a weeknight and the restaurant was mostly empty with exception of a couple other families. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with Venetian masks throughout. I was there with a group of girlfriends and we were all excited to try the pizza. Unfortunately the pizza are only available during lunch service and they couldn't make any exceptions. The waiter recommended we try the Bruschetta (see pic) and it was actually pretty comparable to pizza. We also ordered a couple different pasta dishes and they were all fantastic! We ordered the Tiramisu, Bosco, and Pompei for dessert and all 3 were great - but the Bosco was a standout! The service could use improvement but the food is too good to pass up - will definitely will be returning! read more

Luca's Ristorante - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Excellent food and friendly service that feels like you are eating with your family. You won't be disappointed.

Going to Luca's feels like the experience of going to your grandmother's for that meal you yearn for. I find Luca's to be one of the better local Italian spots to have a homey, delicious dinner. *AMBIANCE* Reservations can be found on OpenTable and I highly recommend making one since walk-ins, especially on weekends, are slim. Each dining room is uniquely decorated and it feels like you've transported to Italy. It's definitely more of a special occasion place, as we saw many people celebrating birthdays or anniversaries. *SERVICE* Service was very friendly/efficient and our server Sarah was fantastic. She also informed us this is a BYOB spot. *FOOD* Everything that I've tried here has been very delicious. It's a bit on the pricier side, but you are paying for higher quality / fresh ingredients. They also serve their appetizers in two sizes which I appreciate. Some standout dishes are: -Rollatini Gialli ($18) - cheese stuffed rolled eggplant slices which are so delicious! There are 4 pieces with the larger portion. -Luca ($41)- one of their signature pasta dishes which has a medley of seafood in them. Comes in a creamy white wine sauce which is really good. -Pappardelle ($29) - A traditional staple with bolognese meat sauce. Very fresh and yummy. Overall, great spot and highly recommended for this area of NJ. Can't wait to come back to try their other dishes! read more

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Absolutely delighted by this restaurant. Interior decor made me feel as if I were in Italy. And well that's the start The bread basket was an assortment of various breads The dishes were mouthwatering. Not tiny portions. Worth the price 100% Our waiter was very kind and helpful with choosing a dish read more

Love this place. Been there about three times I wish I could go more. Ignore the haters they don't know what good food tastes like. I've been to ischia and spent my summers there for years. I know what good italian food tastes like. Even though some dishes aren't truly traditional here, the food is very very good. The raisins in meatballs is Neapolitan so don't hate on that lol supposed to be in there. Although I was allergic to raisins so my nonna always took them out for me lol . Go and enjoy you won't regret it!!! Get the Luca ! My favorite Italian restaurant hands down besides restaurants in ischia lol read more

Luca's is one of the best Italian spots in the area, and that's saying a lot in NJ. It's a cozy, intimate spot, with decor that will have you feeling like you're in a little bistro in Italy. It's casual enough for a nice brunch with your girls, but also classy enough for date night or a celebratory dinner with your family. You can't go wrong with any of the dishes at Luca's-- from their chicken Bianco to their Branzino. But the standouts are definitely their pastas like their Cinquanta or their seafood Cannelloni, and their meatballs which have been ranked the best in NJ. And their complimentary bread basket will have you fighting your table for the last piece. Service is quick, attentive, and friendly, no complaints. If you're looking to dine at Luca's, run, don't walk. And grab a rezzy if you can, as they can get busy! read more

Luca's Ristorante - Cinquanta - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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Pricey for catering. We had heard so much about the place and sadly they could not deliver. Eggplant parm was undercooked and chicken parm overcooked. Not a very good experience this time. read more

Fantastic Italian food made by native born Italians using legacy recipes from their southern Italian roots and their own families. Where to begin! I have eaten here twice and every dish was delicious. Most dishes are shareable, I'd recommend keeping this in mind when ordering. Their octopus salad with farro is so good I've wanted to make it at home! Pasta dishes are all made with pastas made fresh on site. The calamari is so tender and crispy and served with their house marinara. The Luca pasta with shrimp is unbeatable for flavor if you're a shrimp fan. Can't wait to return, check my photos for a good look at what to expect; fresh food made the Italian way, you won't find your typical red sauce fare, they do so much more, so very well. Mangiare! read more

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Extremely overpriced. The polenta appetizer did not taste recognizable. The two positive points were the atmosphere, and the server was good. But the food being good is more important. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the food and the prices were over the top for the quality. read more

Excellent brick oven pizza with a unique taste. We went with a pepperoni pie. Picture says it al. We'll be back read more

Luca's Ristorante - Pepperoni pizza pie - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

We dine out every Friday night as date night. Luca's is on our rotation for every 6 weeks or so. Service is professional and homie at the same time. Gorgeous interior decoration from chef 's hometown. They only use very high quality ingredients. Creative dishes with Italian root. Food quality is always good. We are here probably 100 times, they always deliver. Favorite restaurant in NJ, period. read more

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Came here for the first time with my family to celebrate my brother's milestone birthday tonight. We told them so at the time of booking. There was no fanfare. No candles. No acknowledgment of this fact which was a letdown. The food was good. The service was not bad. We had to ask for a water refill even though the restaurant was empty on a Sunday evening. The prices are much higher than other Italian spots that I've been to. It averages about $40/plate which I think is overpriced. This place has white cloth prices but not white cloth dining experience. It's set up more like a casual osteria but with high prices. Although we enjoyed the food, we won't be back due to the credit card fee that's charged to the customer and their higher than average prices. Most businesses eat that fee as the cost of doing business. They pass it onto the customers without advanced notice. Not cool. read more

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Absolutely lovely dining experience - from the food to the service - everything was great. The olive oil served with the bread at the beginning of the meal is the best olive oil I've ever had! Thank you to Matt for professional and friendly service. read more

Luca's Ristorante - Cavatelli Valentino (no chicken) - Italian Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey