Stumbled upon this cute little accesible gem while visiting the area for a wheelchair rugby tournament. Great service, seems like a local favorite - yummy cocktails and good food. We ended up coming back again the second night and will likely return when we are in the neighborhood again :) read more

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First time visit My girlfriend and I decided to try this spot for Valentine's Day lunch, and it was a great choice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was pretty quiet for the lunch hour, which we didn't mind at all.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was excellent she ordered the arancini as her meal, and it was fantastic with the perfect crunch and balanced flavor. I went with the prime rib sandwich, and it was a total homerun. The provolone, onions, and crispy toasted roll paired perfectly with the rich au jus. Fries were spot on too. Our server was an absolute sweetheart friendly, attentive, and really took care of us. For drinks, she enjoyed a couple raspberry martinis, and I had a classic rum and coke. Both hit the spot for a midday drink. Overall, it was a great experience, fairly priced, and best of all, just a few miles from home. We'll definitely be back read more

Osteria 545 - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place, great food, great drinks, great people - our very favorite restaurant - sadly permanently closed![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

I have wanted to try this place, what a hidden gem! The bread and pesto kind of set the standard of what would follow. I ordered the starter Sicilian Octopus. It was delicious! The portion is BIG! The service is excellent!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]I like the ambiance too![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would love to come back again to try the other dishes! read more

Osteria 545 - Sicilian Octopus - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

I wanted to like this spot since this area is not full of dining options. We had reservations on a Tuesday evening after work. We walked in to empty restaurant at 6:00pm one other table was finishing. We ordered 2 entrees including my favorite veal parm and pasta , and also the short rib pasta with papperadelle pasta. They started out with bread and a sun roasted tomato dipping oil which was really good a great balance of sweet and savory. The bread and drinks got to the table and in less than five minutes both entrees came out. It was alarmingly fast. The veal breadcrumbs were seasoned well but fried so hard it was tough and rubbery. It was almost precooked and finished off. The pasta was fine and sauce was good. The short rib ragu was much tastier with large chunks of beef mixed with pasta. We did opt for dessert to go they have a good selection of in house made desserts. Wasn't impressed with the quality of the entrees and the speed of arrival to the table was what gives me pause especially for a Tuesday night empty restaurant. I could maybe understand on a busy Friday or Saturday but definitely not on Tuesday. The meal was subpar but the service was great. The waitress was from the area and engaged in conversation and was very attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself has good bones with a full service bar and separate dining area. Standard look and feel of an Italian restaurant[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. 98.77 all in for 2 entrees and 2 desserts fairly standard pricing these days. Probably a little on the higher side for the location. read more

Osteria 545 - Veal parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

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Excellent service and food. The corn was excellent. Large portions. We definitely recommend.

OMG, hidden in a small strip mall end in Paulsboro is Osteria 545, and delicious food. We were immediately greeted upon entering and advised of the happy hour going on at the bar side, this included food and drinks. The short rib rigatoni was delicious as was the meatball appetizer. Service was friendly and efficient. I can't wait to return! Thank you! read more

Good rotating menu, chef has a good pedigree of experience, best of all, small menu which always suggests top end quality. This is one of those places that a foodie like me is lucky to experience as they are about to hit their prime. If they maintain this direction and advertise what they are building here, i can see this becoming a top end restaurant in all of SJ. Also the bar tender Wendy does a great job keeping your glass filled as well as keeping you knowledgeable about what you will order read more

Made a reservation and tried this restaurant for the first time and it did not disappoint. The waitress was very nice and welcoming. Got the eggplant parmigiana and was absolutely delicious. Thin sliced, crispy eggplant over spaghetti. Husband got the pan seared salmon that came out perfectly cooked. Service was quick! Will return again. read more

Osteria 545 - Eggplant parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

Very weird experience for me. I felt like I wasn't welcome here when I sat down at the restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When I walked in, the bar was empty and there was a young kid bar tender walking around the restaurant poking his head everywhere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I sat on the restaurant side which was only serving 2 tables on a Saturday night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was not served any bread like the other tables. I've never been to an Italian restaurant where no bread was served. That was the second inkling I felt I wasn't welcome. I started with some meatballs. These were nice sized and tasted pretty good. They had large chunks of white stuff in them that I'd have to assume was bread. The meatballs are not homogenous. They are clumpy but again tasted good. I got a bite of what I thought was broccoli in one, but they swear no vegetables are in them. The sauce was tasty. I order the veal parm with linguine for dinner. The breaded and fried veal was a little thinner than I would have liked. I'm not sure what happened to the linguine. It had an after taste. Not sure if the sauce was different than the meatball sauce or if the pasta wasn't boiled in salty water, but something was off. A little salt and grated Parmesan and I was able to eat the linguine. I would not recommend paste here based on what I was served. For dessert I took a cherry crème Brûlée. This was the third time I didn't feel welcome. I'm almost positive I was served the plain crème brûlée. It had no taste of cherry. It didn't have any cherry color or any cherries on top. Looked like someone couldn't be bothered to do more than pull it out of the fridge and torched just the center of it while checking their emails on the phone is what I imagined. That desert tasted more like a dry flan. For the price point, I expect better. I'm not sure why the reviews were so good. read more

Lucky find driving between Wilmington to the shore. We will be back. Real Sunday gravy, Cesar salad, fresh bread with sun dried tomato olive oil. Chianti- Delicious. Great service, family owned and run. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lovely ambiance, lighting, music.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Osteria 545 was an enjoyable experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was very relaxing & service was quick.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Mussels were good & short rib was delicious. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A very nice fit out us on the chili Sunday night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They were winding down , but they were still about thirty guests in the dining room[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The bar was repurposed and looks like it was from the 30s. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Looks like a great spot for Friday night happy hout.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I really like the chefs idea., not your traditional South Jersey Italian read more

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Food was very good, service was excellent and the cello........yum!!!! They were very attentive to our needs even manager came out to check on us. read more

Tried this place on a recommendation from our neighbor. From Amanda behind the bar to Rich and his wife Lisa in the perimeter, this was an amazing experience!! You need to find this hidden gem and experience it for yourself. The staff and the patrons are very welcoming and professional but the quality of the food and the attention to detail and service will keep us coming back! There is so much going on weekly that you can come back over and over and have a different encounter. Ask about the Limoncello classes and just sign up after you've sampled the seasonal flavors available. Get on their mailing list and add them to your GPS because you'll be back again and again. Can't wait to try the entire menu and their happy hour offerings. Just get there!! read more

Went in here for a quick lunch and ended up ordering the whole menu, it looked all to good not to try! the food was amazing, every single thing we orderd! I'm so glad to have a restaurant like this is town. The menu size was perfect, pricing to portions was perfect you get a good amount of food! I will post some pictures of some of the thing we eat! Can't wait to try the dinner menu. read more

Osteria 545 - Aracini and Short Rib fries - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

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Second time trying osteria 545 and I will definitely be back. The food was amazing. The broccoli rabe was cooked to perfection. The Mussels marinara was so good. They have a nice bar there as well. Staff was very friendly. If you haven't tried this restaurant , you must read more

What a hidden gem! We went here as a party of 4 and have never felt so welcome! We ordered several appetizers and each ordered a different dish. The owner made it a point to visit each table to welcome each party and even brought us limoncello at the end of our meal! I ordered the beet salad to start (large enough to share!) and tortelloni which I highly recommend. I am vegetarian and there were several options for me to choose from from for both appetizers and entrees. So glad to have such a great spot on this side of the bridge- we can't wait to go back! read more

Osteria 545 - Chicken Entrée - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

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Food was delicious and amazing, service was excellent and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere is very nice and pleasant[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]! We will be going back! read more

We had a fabulous birthday dinner for my husband at Osteria 545. It's a small restaurant with two dining areas and a crowded bar. We started with cocktails and they were specially prepared by the mixologist. It's a busy place so there was a wait for the drinks but it was worth it. The berry sparkler even had dry ice and was quite stunning and tasty. The service was fantastic. Donato was our waiter and he made several recommendations as well as kept us updated on any delays in service. The food was out of this world! Each entree (we had the stuffed pork chop, lobster risotto and short-rib pappardelle) was exceptional and plentiful. And I must mention the complimentary bread. Simple, rustic, with a great texture and wonderful flavor. It came with a tomato/balsamic spread which was outstanding. There was an error in our order for a second round of drinks causing a long wait, so the owner Rich came out, personally apologized and comped them. What a lovely thing to do. At the end of the evening, he came back and offered us a taste of his homemade limoncello. We were too full for dessert but it looked good. We definitely will go back to our new favorite restaurant soon!! read more

We held my wife's 40th birthday party here with a buffet and lemoncello making class. Excellent food and a unique experience for everyone! From start to finish, the staff and food were top notch. I would highly recommend letting Rich and his crew host your next private event! read more

We were camping in Clarksboro, NJ, on the way home from VA. We stumbled on this restaurant because they serve GF pasta, and both my kids are GF/DF. I expected a strip mall Italian atmosphere and so-so food. The atmosphere was beautiful, the service fabulous, and the food was really delicious. It was so tasty, beautifully plated, and wonderful combinations of flavors. If you're in the area I highly recommend!! My husband got short ribs, my daughter had wings and GF pasta with marinara sauce, my son had a pasta Diablo with shrimp, mussels, clams, and a spicy tomato sauce over GF pasta, and I had the beet salad and sea bass special. read more

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Service is amazing, food has good portions but as for the food itself, it is unbelievably mid with a few standout dishes. This is not to say the food is bad, but for some of the prices of the dishes you are better off going somewhere else. The Octopus appetizer has an assortment of vegetables with great flavors, the octopus has little taste since it is so strongly charred, but aesthetically it looks unorganized and like a bit of a mess. The best dish is the longhots with short rib. Great spice and an accomplished mix of filling. The Hanger Steak is my main issue because for its exorbitant price of 36 dollars (as far as i can recall), you receive very little and it has little to no flavor while managing to leave a less than appetizing aftertaste. read more

Excellent!! Looking forward to our return visit! We arrived alittle early for our reservation so we sat at the bar and had a cocktail. The bartenders we friendly and made great martinis! Our waitress was attentive and friendly. The food was absolutely wonderful! One of the owners was walking around to tables greeting and thanking everyone for dining at the restaurant!! The place was packed ... so make your reservations early!!! Looking forward to returning soon!!! read more

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Amazing food and great service. Portions are very large for price. Welcomed change to Philadelphia!!!! Don't let the location fool you! It is worth it!!! Hidden gem! read more

We decided to try this new local Italian restaurant for my husband's birthday dinner. The server was very nice & attentive. We started with arancini & polpetta (veal mix meatballs), they were excellent! My salad entree was perfect, the dressing was really delicious. My husband got the chicken parmesan, it was a very healthy portion. Come hungry! The cocktail I ordered was very strong!!! They had a kids menu so we took our 5 year old daughter. She's staying home so we can relax & enjoy the food even more! I'll definitely be back. read more

Osteria 545 - Arugula salad with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Paulsboro, New Jersey

Excellent! Food, customer service, everything! Very good. My husband and I went on Saturday night to celebrate his birthday and we ordered several of the appetizers. Octopus - perfectly cooked and seasoned. Ahi tuna - prepared beautifully. Arancini - so tasty. White mussels - super. Meatballs were amazing and I never get meatballs out. The gravy and meatballs were superb! Our waitress brought us bread with a tomato pesto, olive oil and balsamic reduction to start. Very good, dense bread - perfect for dipping. We ended our meal with bread pudding and mini cannoli. Our waitress was fantastic! At the end of our meal, the owner even came to our table and talked to us. He was super nice and I enjoyed talking to him about our wonderful meal and hearing about some other menu items. Wish I could have tried everything! Can't wait till the next visit! read more

They have great cocktails and happy hour specials. The good is good and don't let the shopping center fool you, the inside is brand new and completely remodeled. Nice local place for a nice night out. read more

Finally made it this local restaurant and we will definitely be back! We enjoyed happy hour to try a few dishes at great prices and can't wait to go back for dinner! Wendy and Nicole were very pleasant to talk to while we enjoyed our drinks. Hope to be back soon! read more

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A hidden gem to say the least, the food is always amazing & the staff is always on point. I highly recommend the black pasta as an entree and if you like seafood, the Ahi Tuna is perfectly seared for an appetizer. Very high class feeling inside, perfect for a date night with your girl/man. read more

This place is delicious!!! It is good to have a great restaurant back in town. The service and workers are really nice and attentive. The rustic bread with the red pepper sauce and oil was awesome and the arancini was the best I have ever had. I had the chicken carciofi and it was amazing. Though I do wish the pasta would be served in the white wine sauce the chicken is in instead of the marinara, but I will just ask for that next time. My boyfriend got the spaghetti and meatballs and he said it was good as well. The ONLY downside was that I think the lava cake is just the Ghirardelli box mix you get from shoprite and had no gooey center, it was still good, just not what I expected for a restaurant lava cake which is usually a little bigger and has a gooey center. Overall, this place was great & I will definitely be a regular here! I can't wait to come back. read more

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Amazing dinner for my dad's retirement and mom's birthday. Wendi was phenomenal and Amanda was perfect. Food was delicious, portions were huge and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere was great for a perfect Sunday dinner.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will absolutely be back again read more

What a wonderful restaurant! Visited for Valentines and saw the great menu and reviews. Everyone is so friendly and warm-hearted from the waitresses to the owner. Such a wonderful dining experience. Will definitely be back!! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Excellent food, service and the ambience is so nice![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitress was awesome very friendly, happy and polite she was very knowledgeable about everything they have on the menu and just so genuine! I will recommend this place to anyone. read more

Truly amazing. We had a party of 14 and everything was great. From cocktails, apps, entrees and dessert, a wonderful experience. Go and experience it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

Honestly I really wanted to like this place a lot more after hearing so much about it. The calamari was great but my husband and I's entrees were very lacking in terms of flavor. I had a seafood special with pasta which was extremely watery and bland. I added pepper flakes and salt but still it just felt like I was eating watery pasta. My husband got the steak pizzaola. The steak pizzaola looked great and when it came to the table I was almost jealous I didn't order it. However upon tasting my husband talked about how bland it was. The presentation was good but the delivery of both dishes was lackluster. I don't think we would come here again, and if so not for a long time. The wine and calamari were honestly the highlights of the meal sadly. read more

This place is a local gem, with a chef who creates the best Italian food outside of Rome. Don't miss it!

I was very excited to make reservations and try this new place out with friends. We were seated in their smaller dining room in the back with one other large family table. Once the large table left, it felt like we were forgotten. It took about 10 minutes for a server to come to us for our drink order; It took about 20 minutes for our drinks to come once we ordered them (there were 6 of us). Bread was brought out with a very scarce amount of dipping sauce (tomato/olive oil). Appetizers were great and came out in fair time. Our entrees were all hearty and delicious. We finished our first round of drinks right after the apps came out, at that point nobody had come back to replenish drinks until the owner/manager stopped by 10 minutes later to ask how we were, so we conveyed that we had been waiting to order another round. I do not think they were short staffed because others were gathering around in the back dining room area while we waited. Here's why I have to give two stars: one of the friends at our table didn't love her meal as much as she thought she would. She didn't have a chance to say anything because nobody asked how we were. A server came back to pack up two of our meals while others still ate. When our friend said she didn't like her meal, the server immediately froze and didn't offer any solutions. I work in training a catering staff so I was confused as to why the server didn't know how to handle a simple qualm. She put the decision in my friends hands who was too nervous to say anything, but said she would just take it home. 10:00 was too late to make a whole new meal for her, since this was offered. Complimentary cannolis were dropped on the table following this. When the check came and the meal was listed on there, we expressed that we didn't think she should have to pay since she didn't like it and too much time passed for her to even get a chance for a new meal since nobody stopped by the table. A manager came out at this point and instead of asking what was going on or how we were, etc. he approached with immediate hostility saying "you want something off the check?" Where is the warmth in this? Why not just have a conversation first? He said since she agreed to take it home (more like pressured), she was paying for it. So we told them to take it back to the kitchen instead and take it off the bill. They agreed. Super bad taste in my mouth from the lack of hospitality and overall neglect of our guests at this back dining room area. Their food is the saving grace but I'll go anywhere else to get the same types of meals. read more

The mussels were awesome! Great atmosphere, friendly people. Someone else in our party ordered the polenta dish and was not crazy about it. I have only found a couple of restaurants that can make great polenta. Cant wait to go back and try the other dishes. read more

This place is absolutely fantastic. From the moment you walk in, You're greeted like walking into your Grandmothers house. Don't let the outside fool you, the ambiance and atmosphere inside is a Michigan star quality. Plus The owners, the staff and service members performance is top notch, with the care and love they show everyone is phenomenal. Than the food is above excellent, from the bread to the appetizers to the (family of four) size dinner plates. Everything about this restaurant makes it a must go to meal destination!! I know the max is 5 stars but this place deserves 5 starts plus two thumbs up for me.. Absolutely a must go to place. read more