this restaurant has been around awhile, but it took some time for me to try it. and when i finally did, i was pleasantly surprised. scallops cooked really well. they accommodated a substitution for pasta instead of escarole. but of course i ordered the escarole also. mushroom risotto good texture and flavor, with truffle. fra diavolo seafood pasta - shrimp were large, plump, and cooked perfectly. the calamari looked undercooked, but surprisingly were so delicious, don't let looks deceive you. and then the burrata was so good - one of the best textured burratas i've ever had. i'm excited to try more things the next time i come back. read more

Overall *** 2.67 weighted stars. I have been laying a bit low lately as many establishments have been a disappointment and I don't want to be overly critical as often the reasons are out of their control. Locale may be suffering from somewhat the same fate. It is a very attractive restaurant that has a great outdoor seating area but scores low for Service and Value with the Food not worth returning for to me. (5/23/02) Setting **** We sat outside so I don't have a great take on the inside other than it being dark in a Capital Grill kind of way, which isn't a bad thing. The bar is L shaped so it is partially wall facing but can sit about 20. They did a really nice job setting up the large outside area. The tables aren't jammed together and there are plenty of heaters about if needed. The chairs aren't the most comfortable as they are metal with a thin cushion on them. The area has no cover that I could see so check the weather accordingly. The clientele was mostly 50+ couples and it quieted down quickly after 9:00. *Valet only, at least on Saturday night. Service ** Friendly but very, very slow and barely competent. The bartender struggled to get any drink right and even when you ordered another we received different glasses each time. That may sound like being overly picky but a Gin & Tonic served in a rocks glass gives the proper proportions. When your next G&T comes out in a giant wine glass with it being 90% tonic it isn't the same. Here is the real funny part though. When asked if I could get my drink in a rocks glass instead of the wine glass the waiter picked up the wine glass dumped what would fit of the contents into a rocks glass at the table! He seemed very proud of that fix as well. Food *** Most everyone at our table used the same description, tasteless. Seafood tower for two was the best of what we received. The lobster tail and shrimp while cooked properly but lacked any seasoning. The oysters didn't look or taste overly fresh and there wasn't much I could do to add much flavor as the accompanying sauces did nothing. We also had appetizers of Eggplant, Shrimp Avocado and Calamari. All suffered the same fate of being ok but pretty boring on the tongue. Two table mates ordered the Veal Chop but described it as "meh", my wife did not enjoy her Branzino, instead just pushed it aside and ate the sides. My Chicken Scarpariello was more like steamed chicken and with only 4 of 5 thin pieces of sausage (the best part). Again edible but not worth coming back for, especially not at... Value ** ....these prices. I get it, everything costs more but then you have to at least justify it with a quality product. Terribly made mixed drinks at $15 each, "meh" Veal Chop $44, Scallops $40, Branzino $32, all are on the higher end of the value scale. For a table of 6 with tip was $745 which isn't ludicrous these days but certainly not what I want to spend for what I received. read more

I can't imagine why this place only has 3 stars. I have been here twice and both times, it's been amazing!! Best scallops ever and the black ink pasta is to die for, although I requested larger shrimp this time with an up charge. They also have a very nice pleasant outdoor setting and we had excellent service both times!! Oh, not to forget... great cocktails... a little pricey at $16 but well worth it! read more

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

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Have gone with a party of 8 and as a date night both good experiences with staff. Minimal to no wait with reservation. Reasonable waiting time for appetizers, followed by entrée. Food has flavor, reasonable wine menu for costly wine or budget friendly choices. read more

Sat outside for dinner the atmosphere is so relaxing, friendly service and the food was great.

If you're looking for a nice place to have a drink and unwind head over to the bar and visit Zen. You will not be disappointed. Cheers read more

Lucio's - The bar & a pretty glass of Cabernet - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

Let's see....where to begin? I'm afraid that my one star review is going to skew my actual rating. If Yelp allowed a zero star review I have a feeling we would not be the only ones serving up a zero star crappy review tonight. Let's start at this, we had to ask for our check multiple times once we realized we weren't going to be served our dinner. We were there for over 90 minutes and were served a salad and drinks (those took over 30 minutes to arrive). As we waited for our food, there was a steady stream of servers bringing tray after tray of food to a large group at another tent outside on the patio. That group was seated after us and yet had no trouble getting their meals. Our table of two was ignored. We asked multiple times for our meal, and each time were told it would be "soon". After three times of asking for our food, we gave up and asked for our check. We had to ask for that three times before we got it. If I was the place, I'd be embarrassed to even ask for payment for the pair of drinks and salad that we were served. It is that reason alone that has assured them of this review. No apology from management. No excuses. Just here's your bill and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I see that other patrons tonight had a similar experience. That's a shame. This seems to be a nice place and had previous good reviews. We made reservations for our dinner a week in advance. There was no surprise that we were coming, along with all the other guests. They simply cannot handle the amount of reservations they took. I'd be real careful if you are considering visiting this place on a Saturday night (like our visit tonight). There are so many places in Bergen county that can handle a crowd. So many places that serve good food. It's a shame that this one chose to blame a poor experience on the fading pandemic (see other reviews from tonight). If you cannot manage your place, find someone that can. If not, stop taking so many reservations. I cannot speak to the quality of the food because we never got it. (Guys, that's a big problem for a restaurant). For all I know, the food was great. But I'll never know. Oh, I like to leave something nice to say in every review. The valet parking guys were friendly, full of smiles and did a great job. read more

We booked a table via (open table app) which was canceled by them 30min before, after calling Locale we where happy they had plenty of space for dinner. On first attempt to site outside our table was full of bees and bugs flying all over us, after moving into the tent that didn't help either so we asked to move inside. The indoor dining room had a weird Old-Cleaning smell but at this point we didn't care as we came to have a birthday dinner. Our server claimed that bread is not available since they closing soon (?!) eventually we got fresh bread with our salad following main course (pasta) and desert was pretty good and only the morning after were we both had a terrible stomach pain we both felt it is very unfortunate for this place as we really wanted to enjoy here, we didn't. read more

I was pretty surprised by the low reviews of Locale, because the experience my husband, father, and I had on Father's Day was excellent. I had booked via OpenTable, which ranked Locale a lot higher than Yelp did, and was actually concerned when I turned to my trusted Yelp for reviews and saw the low scores and reviews of cold food/terrible service. As mentioned in some of the reviews, Locale has valet parking only - the valet is free, which is great, but know to bring cash for tips for the valet (we were scrambling, as none of us usually carry small bills). The restaurant was really pretty - the outdoor space also looked gorgeous, and I give huge props to those who chose to sit outside because it was humid AF this past Father's Day. Our server came over shortly after we were seated with menus and water, and we proceeded to order a bottle of a California Pinot Noir off the wine list, which also came out quickly and was delicious. The wine list is good - not crazy extensive, but had a lot of different categories and types of wines available from various regions. After digging into our wine and enjoying the bread that came out with hummus and an olive tapenade, we ordered apps to share - Blue Point oysters on the half shell ($18 for 6) and clams oreganata ($12). Apps came out quickly, but not too quickly (read: they definitely seemed like they were freshly prepared versus sitting and waiting to come out). The oysters exceeded my expectations - they were fresh and delicious, perfect for a hot day. My dad and husband loved the clams - my husband almost never eats shellfish and he put down half of what came out, which is pretty impressive. My dad, who has a house at Cape Cod and often catches (digs?)/then preps his own clams oreganata, was very impressed by the shellfish that came out, and he is a tough critic. For entrees, we all surprisingly went the vegetarian route - I ordered the goat cheese gnocchi, that came in a tomato sauce, my husband ordered the "Gondola" (my dad and I had no idea wtf he was talking about when he ordered it - it's raviolis), and my dad ordered the wild mushroom risotto. Everything was delicious - the gnocchi and sauce were perfect, the raviolis were delicious and very filling, and the risotto was perfectly cooked. We were all really impressed, and I was secretly so relieved/happy that what I had seen on Yelp was not the experience that we had. The reason for a 4 instead of 5 star review does hinge on service - while our server was professional and relatively quick, we weren't blown away by the service. We'd definitely go back because the food and overall experience was great, and if service just slightly stepped it up, there's no doubt in my mind this could really be a 5 star experience. read more

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Love this place!, Amazing friendly staffs, fresh delicious food, good environment n excellent service!! Thank you Vinnie!, Carlos n staffs!! read more

Lucio's - Love this place!, Amazing friendly staffs, fresh delicious food, good environment n excellent service!! Thank you Vinnie!, Carlos n staffs!! - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

We have been twice for lunch so far. The food was excellent both times... a step up from the previous owners. The specials have been really good. We had Dover sole, octopus, the shrimp and avocado salad, halibut, rack of lamb, the calms appetizer, a seafood mix over homemade pasta special, tuna tartare, calamari, and a filet of sole. The coffee and deserts were also delicious. We sat outside once which was lovely, and indoors on a heat wave weekend. I'm surprised it isn't busier for lunch. The service was very attentive without being overly so. This is a great local spot for really top notch food. Can't wait to go back! read more

Food is always very good., service is as well. Great place for a nice dinner without the "divorced ladies" looking to score (like so many other restaurants nearby. A pick up joint it is not...and that's a good thing. Decor could use an update but it's not bad and has a more mature vibe. We have been going for years and it still remains our local go to restaurant. read more

Food was DELICIOUS ... service was awful. Evidently we were told 3 servers called out. Had a 7:00 reservation and didn't get our appetizers until 8:30! Locale was always a favorite restaurant and we hoped Lucio's would be as good. We will try again... provided the service improves! read more

1) we out outside which was quiet and pleasant. 2) when our waiter was serving us water we held the glass by the rim with his hand. That is a big no, no. You're always supposed to fill someone's glass by holding the bottom of the glass and never the area where your lips touch. I didn't drink my water. 3) I had the surf and turf which was cooked just right but had no seasoning at all. I had to add salt and pepper to everything. read more

Had a 6:30 reservation finally got our food at 8:00. When we ordered they were out of two of the specials and multiple regular menu items and bread for the table I know it was Mother's Day but there were plenty of empty tables so there was really no excuse for running out of multiple items on the menu. Off my list of places to go for dinner. Lobster Ravioli. Ran out of this. Ran out of bread. read more

You NEED to go here! Great food, great vibe, and the owners are indeed great people!! 4 of us dined there Thursday. The mussels were great, deep dive scallops were delicious, and the filet mignon was perfectly tender. Capped off the night with a cocktail and a cigar on the patio!!! It doesn't get any better. Thank you to Raul and his family for taking such great care of us!!! read more

My friend suggested this place for New Year's celebration and we were very satisfied we picked it. They had a pre fix menu and complimentary drinks and even a DJ that night. The bartender Zen - makes one of the best drinks I have ever tried. I highly recommend this place! read more

We tried this restaurant for the first time within the last year. It's now become an area favorite for us, and I wanted to update the review to share our experience during COVID. All dining has been moved 100% outside. It's incredible. They have two full sized tents so you're completely covered even on a rainy day. The garden has water features, flowers, and they had jazz music playing over the speakers under the tent, creating a really charming and beautiful atmosphere. Staff all wore masks, and tables were spread apart so you felt safely distanced from others. The food is excellent as usual! And the cocktail list was fun. I had a really excellent martini made with gin and fig vodka. Overall we had a wonderful experience once again and were really pleased with how well they adapted to the new regulations. If it's a weekend you may want to make a reservation. It was busy! Very much recommend this place! read more

Food was great place looks amazing. Wait staff very attentive perfect for a date night

We had dinner last night with 4 close friends and had a horrible experience. We reserved a table of 6 the day they began taking reservations. When we arrived and were led to the table closest to the entrance, we asked for another table we were told in a nasty tone to sit down that it is just a table by 2 different people. Things only got worse from there. They brought 5 of our main dishes together and were told the 6th, the special would be right out. Fifteen minutes later, with everyone done with their dinners, and still no sixth dinner. Nobody came and checked and trying to find out the status was a difficult task. Finally the meal came and it was severely undercooked. We finally got someones attention and told them to please take it away and asked for an adjustment of the bill as compensation. The restaurant felt that 2 deserts which we didn't want, for 6 people was fair compensation. They didn't even offer to comp the drinks that we had gotten. They made us feel that the mistake was our fault and everything was handled in an extremely poor manner. I understand the restaurant reopened, and all they had to say was there was an issue with the order and be up front and honest. This was nowhere near our first time dining here and the meals we did get were very good. However, with the way we were treated, it will be a while before we return. read more

We were in the area on business and stopped in as it was just opening for the day. The waiter and hostess were very welcoming and the food was fresh and excellent. The waiter brought out some warm, fresh baked bread with tapenade and a bean spread to start. We then ordered some specials - mushroom raviolis in a truffle cream and saffron risotto with scallops and clams. Delicious! read more

Great place! We had my daughters baby shower last weekend and everything was fabulous. Great food and wonderful service. Vinny and Chris were a pleasure to work with. Everyone loved the food. Locale is a great place for dinner for two, a family dinner or a party. The room we had the shower in was perfect for decorating with a fireplace. They also have a beautiful outside space when weather appropriate. Looking forward to our next night out. read more

Lucio's - Baby Shower at Locale in Closter - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

We absolutely LOVE the food and service at Locale. So much so that we had our micro-wedding service and dinner there! They assisted in helping plan the small ceremony and didn't even charge us to use their site. Norman was beyond helpful and was always there to meet with us and take our phone calls when we had questions on how things would work. THE FOOD! We have a family of foodies and also some picky guests and there was something for everyone! We had escargot, the BEST calamari: (light and airy, not greasy), eggplant rolatini, Buffalo mozzarella, octopus salad (YUM), fresh fish specials for dinner were out of this world along with homemade ravioli, steak...I could go on and on about the food, it was amazing, tasty, fresh, and served hot. The staff were all attentive while also giving us our space. Norman headed this event for us and we couldn't have asked for a better person to help us. Thank you again and we will be back soon! read more

Went to an event today here and the drinks were flowing and so were the awesome appetizers. Service staff was the best and it looked like everyone enjoyed themselves. read more

Food /service were awful!! Never again. Food took forever. And just no taste ?? Very blurr read more

I have dined at this establishment numerous times and Locale never disappoints! Its our go to spot at work because the quality of food and service is impeccable. We have booked Locale for Department Lunches as well as Corporate Events and the feedback is always great. On this occasion, I went to have lunch with one of my coworkers for my birthday and was there earlier in the week for a Department lunch! Yes, I was there twice in one week and I wish I had taken pictures of the spread of the Department lunch because it was incredible!! For the Department Lunch, we started with shared family style appetizers that included Eggplant Involtini, Mini Crabcakes, Clams Oreganata and Cold Antipasto among other things as recommended by our waiter. All tasted delicious but the winner was the Eggplant. Incredible flavor and perfectly cooked. Everyone left that day completely satisfied. For my birthday, we kept it a bit more simple. My co-worker started with the Crabcake that comes with a mini salad and I had Mushroom Barley Soup. Both were really good. The soup was incredibly light and exactly what I was in the mood for. For lunch, I opted for the Shrimp Avocado Salad since I had eaten so much the previous visit while she had the Homemade Papardelle (Duck ragout with wild mushrooms in madeira wine sauce). Its honestly her favorite dish and she orders it every time! lol I usually get the Homemade Black Linguine that comes with cherry tomatoes, shrimp and crab meat all in a garlic white wine sauces with baby arugula...so good!! What's great about the Shrimp Salad it that it had a good amount of both Shrimp and Avocado so it was not just 2 pieces of shrimp which some places try to cheat you out of! lol The waiter also surprised me with a birthday sorbet while the waiters sang me Happy Birthday. I thought this was really sweet and can't remember the waiter's name but he always takes such good care of my group. Overall, Locale is simply awesome! If you have not given them a try, not sure what you are waiting for :) read more

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Once again, one of our favorite places to eat and drink. We love sitting at the bar and having Norman take care of us. Pours a good drink. Vinny the owner is always gracious and warm. Food is always delicious. My chicken scarporiella (?) was great as was my wife's Caesar salad and eggplant parm. Love the place. Now that we're quarantined, they deliver to us. Always on time, fresh and hot. read more

Had lunch outside with my sister in law. The staff was amazing, everyone wore masks and the tables were appropriately distanced. Our server Sebastian was great. Friendly and accommodating. His suggestions for drinks and appetizers were spot on. We had the tuna tartare, clams oreganato and the special which was stuffed zucchini flowers. We will definitely return for a full meal in the near future. read more

I've been there twice we've tried several dishes my favorite seared scallops the best I've ever had

Dined here several times... great food and service and love the option for outdoor dining

Loved Locale & all it emcompassed! my fiancè and I got here a bit before our reservation so we grabbed a drink at the bar. The Locale Tequila Cocktail was so delicious-- repasado with lime, grapefruit, & fresh mint from their garden. On the bar they also have some awesome homemade chips that were so addicting! For appetizers, we all had the escargot and it was so well prepared in a yummy herb sauce. Dinner was consisting of specials, such as Surf & Turf, Halibut, plus their classic Ribeye. All were perfectly cooked and phenemonal, especially the Halibut that had such a great citrus sauce. We closed out dinner with some of their special teas (Once Upon a Tea & Zzz..), Creme Brulee, Tiramisu, and the Tartufo. The tea was so lovely, served in a personal tea pot, and the tartufo was amazing between the dark chocolate, pistachio gelato, & raspberry! Service was excellent. Outdoor seating was super cute, and the indoor bar/ dining room was charming and elegant. We cannot wait to go back!! read more

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Consistent quality of food unlike some of the other places nearby. Whether it is the rib eye, any of the fish specials, or their pastas, the taste is spot on. read more

I was there last evening with a party of eight people. When the bread came out there was only enough for about four people. No butter no oil served with the bread. Just two little minuscule dishes of two different type dips. I ordered the spinach pappadella with seafood. There were four muscle Shells with very tiny fish inside. The few scallops were the size of my pinky nail. The lobster tail was the size of a large shrimp. The cost of the dish without a salad was $39. For a Saturday night, the restaurant was not full. You decide. I was still hungry after the meal, read more

Lucio's - Pappedelle with seafood - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

Made a reservation to eat lunch outdoors today. Due to chilly temperatures, they were not going to serve on the patio. However, they were gracious enough to set up a table for us to eat under the tent. Food was delicious and service (from Fabian) could not have been better. Kudos for flexibility and a most enjoyable experience. read more

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. Most of the reviews are 100% accurate when they talk about a rude staff. There was one woman working there, who was extremely condescending and just plain obnoxious. We had been sitting for over an hour and hadn't gotten our food. We asked if it was almost ready because we were about to leave and her reply "I'm not sure if you're aware, but we are coming out of a pandemic so we are very busy." I would never talk to a customer like this at my place of business. For a restaurants excuse to be "too busy" you probably need to hire more servers. This is not how to run a restaurant business- by alienating you're clientele. At that point we decided to leave, we asked for the check and she gave us a rude response and waited another 15 minutes. We just left cash on the table and walked away. read more

Came here for a private party with a prefix lunch. I loved their olive tapenade. The handmade pasta app was incredible - we're talking legit melt in your mouth fresh pasta and sauce. My salmon was perfectly cooked which is often a rarity in my experience with prefix meals. The chicken parm was huge and fried perfectly. The fruit was fresh though the grapes smelled like fish - maybe a refrigerator issue? I'm absolutely looking forward to coming here again for dinner or lunch based on my experience. read more

Ate here tonight for dinner and everything was amazing! Our server was on point and all the food was beyond expectation. I started with the octopus salad which was grilled perfectly .. great flavor and not chewy at all. Then i had the scallops for dinner which were delicious . The gnocchi was amazing too. I highly recommend here read more

Lucio's - Marinated Grilled Octopus Salad - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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When we first walked in the owner greeted us with a smile, and asked if we wanted to check our coats. We had reservations but decided to eat at the bar. We're glad we did, our bartender, Camille was awesome! My dirty martini was nice and strong. The food was great! I had a mixed green salad with walnuts, pears and gorgonzola. Then had the pork osso bucco with black truffle risotto. Finished it off with crème brûlée. My friend had a grilled artichoke salad, veal piccata w/artichokes and an apple tarte tartin. read more

Lucio's - Burrata w/ garlic sautéed spinach, prosciutto and cherry tomatoes. - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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I wish I could give them 0/10 rating. When we asked the person who was serving in front of the door if we could get seated outside, she replied, " I'm busy right now, ask someone inside." Straight up rude. My family made a reservation a couple days ago and still had to wait for 25 min to get seated after. We sat down and ordered immediately because we knew the order was going to take forever. Our one and only appetizer came out after 30min. The other appetizer didn't come out because they apparently ran out of ingredients at 8pm.. We waited for our food to come out for an hour and a half, and couldn't wait longer, so we left. The staffs there weren't even sure what they were doing. The waiters were complaining about their jobs to the customers. We could clearly see that waiters were fighting with people inside of the kitchen lol Oh! Most importantly, some staffs were just fooling around when other tables weren't even cleaned... How do you let your customers eat in that type of environment? See my photos for reference read more

Lucio's - Tables weren't cleaned for hours - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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We held a baby shower at Locale last Saturday.6/26/21 I can't say enough good things about the staff. In particular, Edmond & Hernan; they were amazing. Everyone was so helpful & kind and every request was met with a smile. The food was delicious too. All the guests were raving about it. My daughter & son-in-law had such a special day. They said it was perfect so that's all I could ask for! If you are considering having an event here, do it! read more