Mother's Day dinner at Matteo's of Howard Beach with the family. Me, my father, mother, and sister walked in hungry and skipped appetizers like real professionals. Straight to the main event. First up was the Sunday sauce... pork ribs, sausage, meatballs simmered for hours like an Italian grandmother was in the back yelling at somebody. Absolute heavyweight champion of comfort food. Then came the skirt steak with onions and mushrooms. Simple, classic, no nonsense. Olive oil, lemon, garlic, parsley. The kind of dish that reminds you sometimes men really only need steak and peace. But the MVP? The chicken parmesan. Crispy, cheesy, perfectly cooked, and strong enough to unite an entire family for 10 minutes without anybody checking their phone. Dessert wasn't optional. We demolished the house-made Italian cheesecake, tiramisu, and cannoli like we were training for the Feast of San Gennaro. Yeah, the place was loud... but if an Italian family-style restaurant is quiet, that means something's wrong. Great food, big portions, louder conversations, and memories with the people who matter most. That's the real special on the menu. #nycfoodie #italianfood #mothersday read more

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No wait on a Sunday 6 pm sept 7 th 2026 Wait was a little long for the food to come out I ordered the past fagoli soup because I wasent feeling good Was ok nothing special My husband ordered the veal piccata nothing absolutely nothing came with it plain no salad no pasta never in my life I seen anything like it they wanted $9 for a side order of pasta insane Waiter where pushy and way to on top of you Food is nothing to rave about so many better and nicer joints in area Restaurant is plain and no ambiance read more

Back at Matteo's once again, and it still delivers. Classic Italian, solid portions, and flavors that never disappoint. The pasta is always fresh, the veal parm hits every time, and the seafood dishes are top-notch. The ambience? Warm, inviting, and just the right mix of upscale and neighborhood comfort. Service is attentive and keeps things moving, even when it's packed. It's one of those spots you keep coming back to--always a good meal, always a good time. Still one of Howard Beach's best. Live, love and laugh. - SHA read more

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The ambiance is lovely, it's has a very relaxing aura. The music wasn't very loud. Service and food was good and the wait for food wasn't long. read more

I ordered penne a la vodka with prosciutto. Yet, the dish tasted bland. I realized that, instead of using prosciutto, they used some awful ham instead. If you don't have actual prosciutto, simply say that. You don't give customers a lower quality meat in the hopes they don't notice. It's dishonest. read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Ham, not prosciutto. - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

Fabulous restaurant. Superb service, Nice, old school, white table cloth type of place. We loved it! There are zero Italian restaurants like this in LA. read more

Matteo's is a excellent restaurant to visit with a large party or for a date night. The atmosphere is just elegant and welled detailed. Staff was outstanding. Well mannered, patient and professional. Italian food has always been my favorite. I love the shrimps linguine with garlic bread. I had a tequila sunrise drink. 10/10 read more

I would NOT recommend this restaurant. We went for Easter and the main floor was crowded. When I went downstairs to use the bathroom I saw they only had 2 tables of people down there. I was confused why they didn't seat other families downstairs. Food was nothing special. Then when we went to leave I realized they put an extra table in front of the Handicap exit. I have 2 elderly parents. I asked the man if there was another handicap exit and he told me he would help them down the front steps that had no railings because "that was a good customer and he couldn't move the table." I reminded him that he wasn't suppose to block the handicap exit. He then moved that table which was front of the handicap exit for my parents to walk to the handicap exit with their walkers. That disturbed 2 tables while they were eating their dinner. read more

Loved Matteo's! We brought my mom for her birthday and it was a really nice celebratory dinner. Reasonably priced for the quality of the food. You can tell it's fresh made Italian food. We started with the Matteo's salad which is basically like an Italian chef salad - delish. I got the salmon which came in these delicious medallions on top of a buttery wine sauce. Soo good even though I was also considering getting the veal chop which looked amazing (will have to save for next time). The ambience was a bit crowded and loud the night we went (Friday night) but they managed the house well. One of the waiters stopped me and then they sang happy birthday for my mom (they called her "Miss America" which was hilarious.) Their brownie a la mode was a great way to end the meal with something sweet. Would recommend Matteo's as a yummy family style Italian dinner. read more

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Matteo has very good family style food. I ate from here several times and enjoyed their variety of cuisine.

Very nice restaurant. Gives the authentic Italian feel. Very good food and great service. We arrived a little late and was seated quickly. Will def return. read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Fried calamari and chicken Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

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I tried to make a reservation for tonight and the person who answered the phone was very rude I wanted to ask him another question but he slammed the phone on me meaning hung up on me. VERY RUDE. read more

Great food and great services It was a party and we were served family style. Calamari was excellent , chicken Marsala was also delicious. read more

Overall, this was an un pleasant experience. We went on a saturday night and they had the tables packed in so tight we were elbow to elbow with fellow diners. Every time the waiter walked by in the narrow aisle he bumped my brother's head or chair. It was extremely loud. Food was not terrible, but for example my brother ordered Veal Junior which was described as having sweet cherry peppers among other things and it had hot jalapeno peppers. They are NOT the same and who ever heard of Italian food with jalapenos? The menu is meant to be family style, I guess but I'm used to getting a complete meal in an Italian restaurant with pasta along with an entree. If you want pasta you have to pay over $20 to get a "half" order which is way too big for one person. Anyway prices were very high and the food quality did not measure up. To top it off when I asked for the bill, they took my credit card and added on the tip for me. Without my asking. Outrageous! We were a party of 4, not a large group and I have never had a reataurant automatically add a tip for a party of 4 and the check was $400. We will NOT be back read more

Favorite spot jumping off the plane from JFK. This gem gives all the home cooked Italian feels. Huge portions and delicious dishes. Staff was exceptional and super attentive. read more

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Food here is always great. Definitely a must at all times. I flew back to NYC for an event and I made sure this location was definitely on my list to go eat. Keep up the great service and food read more

Great neighborhood staple, foods always good. The cocktails are wonderful. Friendly customer service, nice atmosphere. I recommend this place. read more

We came here for late lunch while in town and I enjoyed my food here. By the time we arrived, lunch crowds were gone and inside was pretty quiet. We were going to share some appetizers but our server forgot to put an order. We reminded him after our main dish came and he admitted he made a mistake and brought the appetizers (baked clams) on the house. I just thought that was nice gesture to do so. I had today's special. Cod with asparagus. Great flavor, right portion size. Our group wanted to have some desserts but couldn't decide what they wanted to eat, so they asked for assorted dessert. Although I didn't eat any, their favorite was gelato. If I wasn't trying to lose weight, I would definitely skipped appetizers and pasta to have room for dessert. They looked really yummy. I think we were there for about two hours. From appetizer, pasta, main, dessert and coffee... it's a nice place to come for dinner. read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Assorted dessert - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

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Visited today for the first time for my daughter and friend's graduation dinner . It's known as a family style restaurant however we all wanted our own dishes . We did spilt family style apps consisting of mozzarella and tomato and mozzarella sticks and stuffed artichokes as well as some zuppa di mussels . Entrees we had a variety of dishes such as chicken Marsala , penne ala vodka , pasta and broccoli rabe and some mixed seafood dishes . We all enjoyed the food and the service was excellent . The place seemed a little small but still was comfy and elegant . Juan was our server and he made us feel like family . It was a nice night to cap off a long but wonderful graduation day . read more

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Went here for Easter with the fam and we had a great time. The food was really great and we had a wonderful time. Matteo's is the place to go! read more

The service was definitely attentive. The special chicken of the day was well prepared. They had zucchini flowers that were great. The coconut sorbet was absolutely excellent. read more

Friends and I came here for a get together. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our meal, even discussed having an office holiday party here. Classic Italian restaurant with an upscale atmosphere. Linen table clothes and attentive staf. The pasta and sauces are housemade. The full service bar provides great cocktails (Old Fashioned). I had the house chopped salad with pasta dinner. The salad is huge for one and my companions are straight non-vegitarians so I ate my fill. My entree was the Spaghetti Alla Marechiara and it was spot on. We bypassed dessert simply because the pasta dish is so filling. It will be easy for us to come back. read more

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Excellent dinning Experience. Excellent food and great service. The sauce was amazing.

I'm not saying this would happen for everyone. But I had my last meal in New York for a while here before flying out. I ate alone, and sat at the bar in the back. I commented that there wasn't a lasagne on the menu, and the chef offered to cook me one. "I got sheets, I can do that!" Unbelievable. I had the most unbelievably delicious meal here, which they don't even serve, just because they wanted me to be happy. I had two serves of bread while I wait for a lasagne which, again, they don't even sell! Then an incredible main, then delicious desert and good coffee. I'm still smiling. read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - A lasagne just for me - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

don't be fooled by BS positive reviews from their friends. This place is Terrible! don't waste your money. Small portions and rude staff. Classes and utensils Smell like a dirty dishwasher and carpet wreaks of mildew. On top of that, this place is well known for taking deposits on reservations and still offering your reservation to anyone else that will guarantee a higher headcount. Then you're screwed and they try to offer you a business credit instead of giving you money back. Also, Stay away from the party room rentals. They are a restaurant, not a catering hall and cannot handle the workload. They also keep their food stored outside in a metal container that's not climate controlled. outside loaded with rats too. You've been warned. read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

The food and the service was a 10. We'll definitely come back for more.. The baked clams were the best in town.

Food, service, and ambiance is amazing!! Dress up, dress casual you'll have a wonderful time. Their Sangria is phenomenal! read more

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Good but prices are high I was on Monday it was occupied 80%, make a reservation upfront Service is good, waiters are very friendly and polite! read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - a table set for two - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

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I love this place!!!! Been to the last 2 visits to JFK and wasn't disappointed. Here's the deal: Atmosphere: Staff couldn't have been nicer (waiter even brought us his homemade peppers for our bread - forgot what it's called, but in Chicago, we call it giardiniera) Place immaculately clean but looks like it hasn't really changed (except the flat screens) sine the 70's....loved it.... felt like I could see Henry Hill or Jimmy Burke walk through the door at any time! Finally, the food...Veal was outstanding, pasta was great, portions were huge - nothing I tried wasn't amazing...but the cannoli was the best I've ever had! We're trying to schedule another group meeting in March. The choices are Charolette, Miami or JFK....I'm pushing for the place with the worst weather and traffic - just so we can go to Matteo's!!! read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

My family went for the first time in a long time , and we absolutely loved it. Our server was named Ever , he was extremely personable and professional. He made great recommendations. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish we had. The frutti di mare was exceptionally good. We can't wait to come back and try other things read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Frutti Di Mare - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

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Arrived for our reservation and taken to our table. The waiter was very good. We had meatballs, mussels, and baked clams for apps, they all were great, the meal all came and were wonderful. The attention to detail the waiter had was great. There were several birthdays in the restaurant that the staff would sing for. It is a comfortable place and the food is amazing. Check it out. read more

When you have a large party no where is more accommodating than a Italian family style restaurant! The staff was super friendly and made us feel welcomed. Someone even stopped by and greeted us when the food arrived and told us to enjoy. That felt personable. We had the seafood in a red sauce and substituted the angel hair pasta for regular spaghetti, chicken Alfredo, shrimp Alfredo, baked claims, and fried calamari. I felt the Alfredo sauce could have had more flavor. But everything else was pretty good. There's also a parking lot which is super convenient. One thing I noticed was the bill was taxed then additionally, tax both cards, when paying. I never seen that before. We split the bill and was tax for using a card on top of the bill already being taxed? Anyway still a great restaurant to dine at I guess bring cash! read more

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Homemade delicious food. Like you're eating at an Italian family dinner.I think they have Nona and Mama in the kitchen.

Omg!!!!! To be fair it is very rare that you would find me in Howard Beach, but a friend recommended this place and I'm so glad he did. Here are the reasons why: Número 1: Valet parking, like yea it's big deal Número 2: the place is packed with families dining, always a good sign, food and service must be excellent Número 3: the owners Mike and Anthony (I believe are their names) these guys care about their customers, they personally approach you to ensure everything is up to standard and they are super friendly and attentive. Número 4: the service, everyone is on top of everything, everyone is smiling and they just want you to have a wonderful dining experience, our waters were always full and our waiter checked on us constantly Número 5: la comida: the skirt steak cooked to perfection and the chicken parmigiana is to die for. The sauce is everything!!! To top it off we had the brownie, just wow!!! The red sangria was perfect, didn't have that "spoiled" taste that most sangria have. Thank you Matteo's for an outstanding dining experience! We can't wait to go back! read more

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Its a shame I have to write this review being that I come from a large italian family and have been to many italian restaurants in my lifetime... First off my husband and I came for my birthday and even though he had called ahead and made a reservation we were seated at a table for 4 in the the middle of chaos. I understand it was a busy night ,but again he called ahead and explained it was a special evening for 2. The waiter was decent with his explanation but definitely needs a 101 on etiquette. With that being said when my husband recieved the bill it had a BIG sticker saying " CASH TIPS ONLY". Thats fine, however I was a bit blindsided when I saw an 20% gratuity added on our bill. I asked a nice couple as we were leaving if they had a 20 percent gratuity added to their bill and they said No... One important detail I failed to mention...I am an italian woman and my husband of 20 years is a black man. I would hope that had nothing to do with the way we were treated....i hope that I am wrong, however unfortunately I don't think so. And as for the gentleman than served our food that gave us the bill with the gratuity handwritten and added to the bill...please wash your hands before serving food. They stunk terrible of smoke....disgusting. I guess this restaurant fell off, because the food was sub par. The appetizer of potato croquettes were horrible...tasted like instant mash potato Breaded and fried. We got an individual cheese tortellini and veal marsala.... definitely not worth the 150 dollars we spent . What a shame....do better Matteos...do better!! And please have your waiters wash up and spray down before serving food. Nobody wants to smell stale smoke while being served food. Shame read more

Went there for a post funeral luncheon. Not good at all. Service was horrible!! Couldn't even get water!! Some of the food was average, some of it was poor. Not someplace I would ever go back to. read more

The food is absolutely amazing. Nice family style restaurant with good service. I've ordered for delivery before as well and the food never fails to satisfy. read more

Not a bad choice for Italian food. Very calm and welcoming ambiance with a friendly and helpful staff. The caesar salad is spectacular and so is their Caprese salad. I enjoyed and amazing plate of Chicken Française with a side of sautéed spinach. While they were both extremely tasty their portions were perfect as well. Above all, very conveniently located with ample parking and vallet is option too. Bon apetit! read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Mozz & Tomato w/ Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

Good location. Will return or have an event. Good food for a family event. Good parking available. Close to Belt Parkway.

Matteo's is always amazing and one of my favorite places ! Right now they have a summer lobster special . For $35 you get a 1-1/2 lb lobster and it's an amazing deal and meal! The waiters and service are always top notch! If you go my favorite things and recommendations are the chopped salad, shrimp Luciano, they always have a great skirt steak and Chilean sea bass. The pork Chop Matteo's is amazing . Burnt Broccoli is always my favorite side . I also reccomend the expresso martinis ! It is family style but you can also order half orders if you want to try a few things. Good is always delicious. Have been to Matteo's soo many times and always leave happy and full! If you want a good Italian meal family style Matteo's is an excellent choice! read more

Matteo's Howard Beach - Expresso Martini - Italian Near Me - Howard Beach, New York

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