Great place! We had had fried Zucchini which was on the bar menu. Also we had chicken and eggplant parm. The sauce was very good. Everything was delicious! The staff was extremely friendly and the service was excellent. Very nice ambiance. Can't wait to go back! read more

My husband and I visited Locale for the second time in November, 2014. We had a pleasant experience during our first visit in the summer, but I can see now that visit was helped along by the summer evening outdoor seating. This time, we sat inside, and while everything was nice enough, the food was good but average by comparison to similarly priced restaurants in the area. We included our detailed review in our blog which includes pictures and more information on our experience. http://bergencountydiningduet.blogspot.com/2014/11/locale-closter-nj_12.html read more

When my husband and I moved from the upper west side to the suburbs it was difficult to find a "new spot" by luck we came across Locale. Like all great relationships "it was all downhill from there". We have been coming here every Saturday night for our date night for the last 2-3 years since then. The staff is amazing and the owners, Vinnie and Merita are amazing! We have never had a bad meal or service. My husband and I will continue to come back each weekend. read more

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I had my daughters engagement party at Locale. It was amazing. The food was great & the service was wonderful. All my guests were raving about how delicious everything was. A beautiful night on the patio. Thank you Vinny read more

We really wanted to like this place, but came away disappointed. The waiter 'forgot' about us to the extent we were on our 2nd bread basket before we corralled a replacement to take our order, then when the cocktails arrived after the appetizers were finished (note to self, keep it simple, mojito was undrinkable). Service aside, the main problem is that each dish looked fine, but tasted bland. Fine ingredients, poor service, bland food and an uninspired menu. We hoped for better. read more

We came at locale saturday night around 8:30 we got seated at the table it looks good there on all down hill service was horrible our dinner got mixed up not a good night and not to busy , no excuse And its not cheep read more

Delicious consistent food, good service and good prices. I go here with my girlfriend alot and we always order pasta dishes. The pastas, although a small selection are always fresh, homemade and some of the best in the area.. we order the cavatell and are never disappointed. This Friday when we went, my girlfriend couldn't decide if she wanted mushroom ravioli or the gondola ravioli. Long story short the waiter had a special ravioli in a truffle oil sauce just for her! It turned out to be a terrific time. read more

Lucio's - Homemade cavattel and broccoli rabe and sausage - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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Locale has always been a classic favorite for my family and me, but even more so during these difficult times! With two adjoined heated tents, Locale provides a wonderfully comfortable and safe space. Throughout COVID, they have continuously followed proper guidelines and protocol with ample space between tables. Locale's indoor dining room is beautifully decorated with a cozy fireplace and distanced tables. Above all, the food is consistently superb. Locale's menu features delicious options that are sure to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Moreover, there is always a new variety of specials. The service at Locale is equally as great as the dishes. All of the waiters are very friendly and attentive with a priority on customer satisfaction. I cannot speak highly enough of this establishment as a whole; Locale has truly helped my family and I get through these tough times! I highly recommend! Eating here is a memorable and delicious experience each time! read more

Lucio's - Braised lamb shank over truffle mushroom risotto - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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Locale is our favorite Italian restaurant in the area! We love coming here and just relaxing after a long day. The atmosphere outside in the summer with the patio and the sound of a waterfall in the pretty pond at the back of the patio is the perfect place to unwind with a glass of wine or a cocktail-- served by the very friendly and personable wait staff. As for food, try the goat cheese gnocchi or the gondola pasta--they taste house-made and are our favorites! The intimate but social bar is also a great place to either have a drink or your full meal, and the formal dining room with a fireplace is perfect in the winter. We love this place and are have had special events there and we can't recommend it enough! Have no idea what some of the other reviewers are talking about with their experiences, but trust me that this place is great! read more

It is May 12th 10pm now waiting 2 hours for entrees. Food is good but service is beyond slow. They must have Zombies working in the kitchen. Seriously they really need help. I have always liked this place however the service has really slipped. No explanation as to why the kitchen is so slow. No offer of a comp of any kind. Unfortunately the future looking bleak for this once gem. Correction : The appetizers for entire table were comped to make amends. Really hope the work things out. The outdoor dining room is Fab. read more

We just brought our family here for lunch after my daughter's baptism. Although we didn't specifically ask to host a private event at Locale, the restaurant treated us as if we did. They gave us a beautiful dedicated space outdoors (their outdoor options are gorgeous in general) and the service was top notch. From the moment we called them to reserve the table, the restaurant was beyond kind and accommodating. Then when we got there, the food was fantastic. Everyone in our party was raving! We ordered tons of food so I couldn't begin to specify but I don't think anyone was anything other than thrilled with the dish they chose. Thank you for helping us making our small Covid baptism so special, Locale! read more

This place is relatively new - it used to be a Korean BBQ restaurant and I was surprised at how completely different it looks (in a great way). The sleek decor is split into 2 sections: a bar area which is right by the foyer and then a large dining area. The menu has a decent variety. It's an italian restaurant, so there were a lot of pasta dishes and some favorites, like calamari. I had the salmon (delicious) and also sampled a fellow diner's pasta carbonara (also delicious). The wine selection was surprisingly large, but a bit overpriced based on the year and countries of origin. Overall, Locale had great service and decent food. read more

Now that the holiday has passed I finally have time to write this. Let me start by saying that this is what they pride in according to their website. "Customers love and cherish those companies that treat them the way they like to be treated, and that's a lot easier to achieve when the staff is a perfect mixture of : friendliness, experience, empathy & passion." That was far from my experience on Christmas Eve. Our reservation was for 6:30 and we where there for almost 3 hours. When we first arrived it was almost 20 minutes till menus were put down. Once menus and drinks were brought it took over an hour for our waiter to refill our water. For appetizers it was an hour and 30 minutes till we were served chewy fried calamari that was over salted as well. Than almost 30 minutes later food was served not to mention as the orders came out the waiter said "By the way we ran out of Cavatelli so here's penne." Why weren't we notified when they ran out so we could change our order if we wanted too. Overall food was just ok nothing life changing. While we were waiting for drink refills, appetizers, & food no one in the restaurant communicated with us to inform us why everything was taking so long. Other tables were frustrated and went up and asked multiple times. One table walked out after drinks and didn't wait for their food. After asking to speak to the owner multiple times, he came out conveniently as we were almost finished. He claimed he stated that the food was his top priority and I believe that customer service is priority because no customers = no business. He had no explanation for why things took as long as they did and instead of apologizing he said "I don't care about the yelp reviews." Well according to the hostess, she said "he gets sick over the reviews". On our way out he had the audacity to say under his breath " oh these are the people that come once a year... they should just never come back." I'm sorry but I had never experienced an owner as rude as this one and one that talked about his guests like that. Now I had some understanding since it was the holidays but overall if this was my choice to come here I would have chosen somewhere different. read more

Went with a big group about 2 months ago. My waiter suggested apps while knowing full well he was over ordering. By the time the mains came no one ate. The food was average but the server knew better and took advantage. read more

Food okay not great. Prices hefty and we had 7 people wait on us. We came late and only 1 other large table occupied on a Friday night. We were confused why so many different people waited in is. Decor is lovely. Won't rush back. Maybe a patio evening in summer read more

Went there with the family for Thanksgiving and was very disappointed. The restaurant was physically cold and although we mentioned it twice to the waiters, it never got any warmer. They were preparing for a large group in the dining room connected to ours and we were subjected to the sound of tables and chairs being dragged across the floor as well as the sound of plates and cutlery banging together for quite a while. Two of us ordered the turkey and were surprised to be served large "hunks" of dry white meat, rather than slices of turkey. We sent it back and got some much tastier dark meat with gravy. The stuffing was unfortunate, however. It was also very dry, with large pieces of stale bread. There was a very limited choice of vegetables and the apple tartin for dessert was very cold, as if it was right from the fridge or even freezer. My mother has eaten here a number of times before and has enjoyed the restaurant. I don't understand how they could have gotten a holiday dinner so wrong. The only reason I gave them three stars is that the service was very good -- the waiters were very charming and accommodating. It gives me no pleasure to write this negative review, but I complained about the noise at the time and was told that they had to move the furniture and there was nothing they could do; I complained about it being cold in the room and nothing was done about it. They did take the dry turkey back and exchange it for dark meat, but I didn't have the energy or interest to complain about the stuffing or the dessert. read more

I recently had my daughter's first birthday party here and the food came out so slow I had to write a review to warn others. Its a great place to come with family and friends, food is great too but I don't think they can handle a large party. We had around 70 people and only 2 servers. Before the party I emailed Chris (event coordinator) the schedule I wanted to follow. 12:30pm start time 2:00pm dohl jabi (picking out object for future occupation) 2:15pm birthday cake 3:00pm end of party The food started coming out around 1:45pm (everyone was starving, adults were eating bread and drinks and the poor kids were getting bored and tired), by the time the cake and dessert came it was 3:30ish and most of the guests had left because the party took too long. Another thing I wanted to mention was Chris wasn't even there, Norman the server did his best to help us out but it was unorganized and too hectic. I wish it turned out better. First birthdays are so important in my culture but I guess I can try to make up for it on her second birthday. read more

It's unfortunate for me to write this but... my husband and I came for dinner and sat outside. We sat there for 20 minutes. Nobody came over the whole time. No water. No wine list. Nothing. We got up and left. No one noticed. Right before we did that, we overheard the couple next to us saying they were sitting there for longer with the same issue. read more

Hooray they are open! Loved this place in the winter indoors and went back Father's Day after their re-opening following the pandemic close. They never disappoint - superb & warm service, delicious & appropriately priced menu, and lovely outdoor terrace dining. Staff treats you like family - management pays attention. Always fresh food, my chicken martini was wonderful. One family member came from Manhattan to dine outside, had the homemade black linguini which he devoured. My husband loved the stuffed veal chop special. Highly recommend - Locale will not disappoint. read more

Woow what a delicious dish at locale restaurant make me feel really special service was wonderful everything lovely in this place this plate you can't find nowhere I can't wait to come back again read more

Lucio's - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

We Love Locale! I can't see anyone giving it less than 4 stars - that's ridiculous!! The owner, Vinnie is wonderful as is the staff. We have been many times for dinner. Today we went on Sunday for lunch. We tried several apps, the crab cake, eggplant involotini, shrimp all very good. Some of my faves: Their braised short ribs, the chicken Caesar salad, Salmon, free range chicken. Mom loved her key lime tart, My favorite dessert is the creme brûlée - go there you won't be disappointed- every place has an off night so don't judge it on some of these people who felt it was too pricey so gave it one star or the guy who waited 2 min more for a soda and therefore he decided to give them one star - the food, presentation , and their service, and outdoor patio on a nice day -all terrific!!! I prefer Sunday lunch and midweek for dinner - not as crowded-enjoy it read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I always take friends and family here when we want nice ambience with amazing food. The food is always so delicious and fresh, and very reasonably priced. In addition, the staff is always so welcoming and friendly, and the manager Vinny is amazing. The black linguine is one of my favorite dishes so make sure you try it! One of the best restaurants in Bergen County, you won't be disappointed ! read more

Residents of closter just received a postcard for this place so we decided to give it a try for an early dinner. We were welcomed even though we showed up at 5:30 and the hubby was wearing shorts! The service was friendly and attentive. The bread basket was a mix of warm crusty bread and somewhat stale bread but the white bean and olive dips were great (try mixing them together for a tasty treat). We tried the lobster pasta and fish and were super pleased. We would go back for sure! Be ready to spend some cash though...it was $150 for two after tip with wine and bottled water for two meals and one appetizer. Valet parking available. read more

This was a big surprise to me.... They just opened the out door seating area... What a nice job they did on this. Nice pond with a water fall and seating around it. The food was very good and the service was great. It is Albanian owned and their food is very similiar to Italian. I do recommend trying this place. read more

First time here tonight and I would give it a 3 star and a half. The setting was very nice and service was good . However, for the quality of the food they overcharge. I had a Caesar Salad which was pretty good but is was $12. Duck is one of their specialties and while it was good it was small and came only with some lentils. My wife's mussels were small as well. We are not drinkers and it appears that the bar is well thought of here. read more

Excellent restaurant and service. We use Locale for our Corporate functions. We held a Casino night and the buffet had short ribs that were so tender. The pasta was cooked to perfection. The sliders and grilled cheese appetizers were very good too. I highly recommend Locale for business or a nice relaxing meal! Ask for Vinnie! He is amazing host! read more

Waited 20 minutes to be seated even when they had many empty tables. The ditsy hostess had no idea what she was doing. Waited over 30 minutes for one appetizer - and they had run out of the other appetizers we ordered. The main dishes never came even after an hour. And all the tables were left filthy after customers left. Wait staff would not do their jobs and just talked among themselves. We left without getting our main course. Even after asking for the check they were bumbling around without even giving the correct check. read more

This is just an awful restaurant and I really regret taking my family here for a dinner. In case you didn't know most of the Italian restaurants of this type are actually owned by Albanians so welcome to Locale - the quintessential Jersey Italian restaurant. You can tell the imitation Italian experience from many things like 'Mambo Italiano' playing in the background to decoration and the fonts on the menu which actually has the fonts and layout of a French bistro menu. Of course none of these are the real reason for me to hate this restaurant. Everything we ordered - pappardelle, gnocchi, veal piccata was poorly made. As I started working through my calamari prepared with one dollar crushed tomato sauce to the pappardelle with industrial quality ingredients in it I realized that everything was awful and that includes the service too. The waiters are horrible, the guy acts and looks like a prison guard and at the same time he is trying to fake a polite attitude by saying things like 'you are welcome' although I never said 'thank you'. He asked me 5 times how the food is when my mouth was full and I really wanted to say that everything was awful but I couldn't so here I am doing public service and trying to convince readers not to waste their money here. There were only two things I enjoyed here: the bottled water and the spacious parking lot. read more

I really enjoy this place. The environment can be a bit stuffy if you are sensitive to that sort of thing, but the staff does do well to make you feel welcome. The food is always enjoyable. Pricey, but worth it for special occasions, especially if you are a local. read more

Good food and service. Desserts are excellent. Try the Creme Burlee. Bit pricey but worth a trip.

If you are hungry forget about this restaurant. I went here for dinner last night and started with a wedge salad, the menu said it had crumbled applewood bacon, which it didn't. In addition, I waited a half hour for it to be served followed by a 45 minute wait for the main course. I ordered mixed fruit for desert and after a long wait the manager sent a free desert which I did not want. Finally, my desert which I paid for came. While this was a bad dining experience, I must say my scallop main was excellent. read more

The worst service ever. DO NOT GIVE THESE RUDE PEOPLE A DOLLAR. the wife of owner bad mouths people out loud as she is walking away from tables. Our waiter was non existent. had to go to bar to get a drink. Took over an hour to get appetizers and plates sat on table for over 20 minutes after we were done. I had to seek out someone to remove plates because the limited staff must have been having a party in the kitchen as there was not a soul working the tables. When I complained to waiter about service, he was rude and nasty. I told him we were leaving and wanted check to pay for what we had as we were not waiting any longer for main course and he told me he would get it to me when he felt like it. After a heated discussion, I finally got the check. We were their for 2 hours and were served one drink and some appetizers. Nasty, pretentious people who do not understand what customer service is. STAY AWAY!!!!! read more

Greetings, my name is edward and I am a foodie and a food blogger. I am writing this to you because I heard so many wonderful things but those were, to be honest all lies. We arrived and it took the waiter literally 15 minutes to bring a coke to the table. My glasses were empty for the better part of our meal and as excited as I was for this homemade pappardelle it was delicious it would have been better if my plate was clean. Presentation was horrible. The pappardelle with duck ragout looked like crusty motor oil . The kid ordered a Parmesan crusted chicken and received chicken picatta. I don't normally complain if the service was awesome but the service didn't even reach sub-par. For my first time there i was sorely disappointed on so many levels. Yes I saw you had a huge dinner party unfortunately for you its not my problem. I think you should have prepared for this party ad well as your regular patrons. We as patrons were pretty much left out in the wind to fend for ourselves. We were intent on trying your creme Brulee but realized by the time we got it we would be 60 years old by then. Then the waiter disappeared for god knows how long and when I spoke to the lady up front turns out the guy just had my card lying next to the machine without it being charged. Whether you take this seriously or with a grain of salt this wass a big problem. I am a huge fan of fresh homemade pasta. It was good but I will not be visiting your restaurant ever again. I hope you prepare for any parties you have after this one this evening . I would hate to have someone else have such a horrible experience as we did. Good day. Sincerely, Edward read more

My party of four arrived on time at 7:30pm. We were seated immediately. The owner, who is Albanian stopped by our table, since our friends were here prior. We all noticed the very high ambient noise. Bar service was rather slow for our initial cocktails. I ordered a bottle of Gattinara, which was rather expensive for $68. We noticed that when they served the food they did not know where to serve them. We noticed that we did not have a single waiter to serve our table. Numerous waters served our table, which was rather confusing. We all enjoyed our appetizers except for me with my beef carpacio, which was rather flat and bland. It could of used some salad uplift and some nice sauce. My wife was happy with her beet's napolean with goat cheese. My friend's little neck clam casino were good except for one clam, which was a little large and one clam with some sand. The two steak au poivre's were excellent. My seafood de pesce was ok. The coffee and cappucinno were nice. The total bill was not cheap at close to $400 or just under $100 per head. read more

This is my favorite spot in the neighborhood - the place I go for my anniversary, the place I take my parents, and the place I occasionally splurge for no reason whatsoever. The food is great and the atmosphere is really wonderful. I love the classic movies projected on the wall behind the bar (so what if the bars in Brooklyn do it!) and the service is always friendly and top-notch. read more

The food is a little bland but the outdoor seating is nice. Not the worst but certainly not the best.

Food is good enough that is is worth a shot. Nothing shoots out that makes the spot ' a go to spot". The staff is very pleasant and professional. The decor is OK and paint job would help. Give it a whirl. read more

Always a great meal at locale and the cocktails are delicious. The service is always exceptional. I can't wait for the outside dining during the summer time! read more

Wish I could give zero stars considering I never even got a table WITH RESERVATIONS. On my 60 th birthday with any restaurant at my choice to celebrate I STUPIDLY chose to go to Locale bc I always wanted to try. I called day before and made 8 o'clock reservations for 4 on Sat. night. Got there at 755 and was told "we are behind, may be half hour. A nice lady waiting overheard the hostess and bluntly said to me BS. "I've been eating 50 minutes past my reservation time. We decided to wait (1/2 hr as told) and finally gave up at 920(with 8 o'clock reservations)and drove to Louie's on Avenue that was gracious enough to squeeze us in. I will NEVER go to Locale nor EVER refer them. Terrible, terrible hospitality. read more

Taking a quick trip to NJ I drove past this gem, noticing the patio we decided to turn around and head in. The place was surprisingly well decorated, the ambiance was simple but sophisticated. The food was great, they serve a spread with the bread which is to die for, and free. The place was a little empty when I came in, it was a weeknight so I don't know if this is unusual, however, quiet is my typical preference. My seafood was perfectly cooked, the waiter attentive, if you are ever in the area I would absolutely recommend this place! read more