Nice gem of a restaurant. We decided to have dinner in a new place. What a fantastic find. BYO if you plan to go, but we forgot ours and had their house iced tea (yummy). Appetizers -calamari was cooked to perfection with some shrimp and I had the special scallops with bacon with house sauce. For dinner my SO had the gnocchi and I had the penne vodka dinner. SO said the cream sauce was so tasty and a perfect base for his gnocchi. My penne was perfect Al dente and the peas with pancetta and the vodka sauce literally made my mouth water for more. Choice to sit outdoors or ii doors - we choose indoors and it was beautiful and the music was perfect that we could easily carryon our conversation. We were waited on by two gentleman who were pleasant and very attentive. read more

See all

I was hesitant to make reservations here since the sister Sea Isle restaurant was a lot to be desired. We went here on a busy Saturday evening on Fourth of July weekend. Our reservation was at 9:00 pm we opted for patio seating but we're told nothing was available. We sat in the restaurant nearest the service station and bathrooms so already not a great spot to be. The tables were spaced out in the restaurant well but we were a table of six that were squeezed in to two small tables placed together. We started with three apps one Spinach salad which was quite nice goat cheese and fresh melon lightly dressed. Caesar salad was standard fair nothing special. The calamari appetizer was smaller portion but had shrimp thrown in . We ordered for entrees chicken piccata, chicken Milanese, veal parmigiana, and risotto with shrimp. All entrees arrived to the table timely except one that came a short time after. The Milanese required salt was under seasoned. The risotto was a nice portion with five jumbo shrimp. The Veal parmigiana was a hearty portion opted for rose sauce in lieu of red they didn't disappoint and served as expected. The temperature of the food was warm to hot which is always a good thing. We opted to pass on dessert since it was so late. The overall vibe is good , service was slow but good, the noise level in 10+ which can be an annoyance if your trying to talk to your table mates. All in with 25% gratuity for 6 with one appetizer and two salads was 296.00 no bad for shore restaurant. Not rushing back but will try again. read more

See all

This was an excellent dining experience. Food was top notch and service was perfect. Sat outside on a beautiful Friday night. Big crowd provided a lot energy. Started off with two orders of the scallops wrapped in bacon in a pesto cream sauce. Every part of this dish was perfect. The scallops and bacon were cooked perfectly and really was accentuated with the pesto cream sauce. Entrees were the veal piccata, gamberi alla Fontana and two of the halibut special with crab in what tasted like a piccata sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted great. Everyone enjoyed their entrees. When we sat we asked the server to temper the food delivery so we had plenty of time for cocktails and catching up. That was executed perfectly and got this experience a fifth star. read more

See all

This is my go to Italian restaurant when vacationing in Avalon. Food is delicious here., seasoning perfect and food is very fresh. One of the best chicken francaise dishes is served here. Salmon livernese excellent and all pastas delicious, especially the ravioli. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night in the "off season" (beginning of May) and almost didn't come because of the reviews on here but gave it a shot and so glad we did! We started with the Brussels and artichoke. Both good portions for sharing for two and very tasty. I got the gnocchi with crab meat and subbed blush sauce instead of the white cream. The gnocchi melted in my mouth, it was so so well made. The helping of crab was also generous! You could see the lumps of it where as some other places don't give as much. My wife got the special that was lamb shank with mushroom risotto which was HUGE. The meat cut like butter and the risotto was perfectly cooked. I wish we saved room for dessert but we were way too full and still had leftovers for the next day! read more

See all

We had a great dining experience at Polpo in Avalon NJ. The gnocchi were homemade and very fluffy. Bronzino was excellent. But the best part of our dinner was the Cappuccino prepared by our server Angelo. Hands down the best we have ever had. It's not often you remember your server but Angelo was a wealth of information and kept us entertained while we were there. read more

A friend of mine applied here early May. We live in Pennsylvania but he planned on living down there to work over the summer. After he applied, they got back to him fairly quickly and said he was a great fit, they set up a date for an interview, and once that date came it went down hill very quickly. They never had him set up a time, so the day before of the scheduled interview, he texted asking what time worked best, and they never got back to him. The day of, he texted once again, no response. he decided to call the restaurant, and the person who answered told him to hang up and call the person he had the interview scheduled with. So he decided to call the number who he had been texting with, and the manager, the same person from the previous call, specifically said "Buddy, you can't just call me, I am in the middle of something." He then abruptly hung up. My friend then texted again, and he responded with "I can't give an interview today" My friend later texted a few more times the next couple of weeks and got no response. This is extremely unprofessional, and outright rude. My friend and I both did not appreciate the tone that was used towards him on both text, and between phone calls. If you wish to not hire someone after setting up an interview, do it in a professional manner. read more

Food was good but the 5/5 is for the service. We had Kira as our server tonight and she was awesome. We were a table of two surrounded by much larger tables and we were never forgotten about. If you visit Polpo, ask for Kira. read more

We went in January. Food was good. Service was interesting- we seemed to have multiple servers? The environment left much to be desired. It was lit like a cafeteria. It was so bright! Not ideal for date night nor for relaxation- there was a large table who were doing the, "We're important and will talk loud.", thing. Might go back...not eager to do so. read more

POLPO PARADISE!! Finally...some solid Italian food at the Jersey Shore! Maybe the best in OC/SIC/Avalon/Stone Harbor?!? Well I'm my opinion, no doubt about it. Great outdoor seating setup with the COVID -- private but electric and exciting! Service was OK...but we are going for the food - am I right? If you're looking for a perfect date night spot or just an evening out with the fam -- look not further! Worth the trip from surrounding beach towns! Oh...it's BYO! -$TEVIE J. read more

Polpo - DELISH! - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

We went to Polpo on Friday night. We sat "outside" which was fine. It was very loud. The server came to the table and was very nice and went over the menu thoroughly. I know Avalon has gone up in price after Covid but beware of the specials there are no prices on the menu! I ordered the orichette (sry for spelling) with pesto which comes with shrimp, crab meat and lobster. I personally don't like crab in my pasta so I asked not to have it. The server said it would t be a problem. When my dish came out, there was 2 shrimp, no lobster and scallops. Where the scallops came from I don't know so basically the dish was 2 shrimp and pasta. I'm not one to complain because it doesn't really get you anywhere but when I got the bill and discovered my dish was $52, I had to say something to the server. It wasn't the servers fault, I blame the kithchen. It was too late but I needed her to know that there was no seafood in the dish specifically the lobster. I didn't want someone else to be disappointed. I won't be going back for awhile. Not a great experience. read more

Twice we have attempted to dine there but the service was so poor we left both times. This last event on Saturday was beyond words. Clearly they overbooked and were challenged to accommodate reservations. After finally being seated our server took her time to get to us. When she was talking to the table next to ours to share the specials she glanced at us and said "are you listening?" Then the people at that table who had been there longer than us told her they didn't want their bread she picked it up and dropped it on our table. I said to her that we didn't want something from another table she picked it up and walked away. It was at that point we would rather be out another Uber than stay there longer. After 2 bad experiences not going for a 3rd. read more

We avoided this restaurant for years on the advice of friends who said it was over-priced and underwhelming. Well, they were right, at least regarding the octopus, which we eat often. We decided to order it to take out figuring that should be their signature dish and at $22, over 20% higher than the three other restaurants we get it at, it should be better than average. Not so. To start with, it is pre-grilled and served cold, unlike the other three who pre-prepare octopus but grill it after ordering so it is served warm, and the least tasty of the four restaurants. Second, as you can see from the picture, it is almost all the ends of the tentacles, not the meaty parts which are more tasty and tender. Compare the picture with the one of this dish on their website, which has the whole tentacles. That's what you want. Maybe you have to order it in, not takeout, to get the whole tentacles. Third, it is by far the smallest portion. At the highest price, it should be average sized at least. I zeroed out a bowl on top of my digital scale and the pulpo came in at 2.31 ounces. The average is about 4 ounces and often it is around 6 ounces at the other three places. It is served with a lot of artichokes and onions with a green sauce, traditional, and that is good. So far the highest price by far, it is the least tasty, least choice meat, least amount of meat and least well prepared (not freshly grilled); over-priced and underwhelming, I am sad to report. It is half the distance from our house than the other three restaurants, which is why we wanted to try and like it despite the warning, but I will drive a little further for better food. read more

Polpo - Pulpo separated from the artichokes and onions. - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

My veal francaise over cappellini was delicious!! And fried tomato appetizer was also very, very good!!! My wife loved her carbonara and said it was made in the traditional italian style! Our waiter, Charlie (aka Zorba the Greek) was excellent and entertaining!! Can't wait to go back. read more

Well what can I say? This was supposed to be the best dining experience in Avalon, but it was very disappointing. 1) The background noise was unbearable. I have had quieter meals eating on the tarmac at Newark airport. 2) We ordered a bottle of sparkling water, which came warm, and tap water for the rest of the table. Only one place at the table got water served. It took multiple tries to get the bus staff to understand that the rest of the table needed water. 3) The wine opener dude was very rude. He said there was a corkage fee, was that OK? We questioned the corkage fee because a few weeks ago there was no corkage fee. Turns out the corkage fee was a whopping... $3! But a big deal was made over the corkage fee, which was confusing to all of us. 4) Our Insalad Especiale was not very special, especially with an orange that contained all of the pith in it and was inedible. When we gently mentioned to the waiter that the oranges should have been sectioned, the waiter indicated he was not the chef--a truly bizarre statement. Having been a waitperson myself, the correct response is, "wow, I am so sorry about that--you are right, and I will relay this to the kitchen staff. Is there anything else I can help you with?" 5). Several of the wait staff could not speak or understand English (probably part of the issue with the water debacle), or maybe it was because we were eating while a jet was taking off next to an operational jackhammer (130 dB). 6). A spicy marinara pasta dish with lobster tails did not have the tails out of the shell, yet they were covered in red sauce. How do you take them out politely without getting pasta and sauce all over yourself? The wait staff was taken aback when we asked that they remove the tail from the shell. 7). It took an hour for us getting served. With a business that is serving 6-8 hundred meals an evening, I believe some people are having their veal for breakfast. This place was unique and more pleasant when they opened a few years back when they were a bit smaller and treated every customer as special. With customer service be dictated in this poor manor, the name needs to be changed from Polpo to PolPot! read more

"Perfect for an overpriced, mediocre Albanian dinner" Be sure to stop in here if you hate to get seated quickly, you dislike any non-pasta Italian dishes, and want to be surrounded by the bougiest people in Shore points. - $40 seafood ravioli (price only revealed on the bill) - $25 pasta primavera - Every sauce is red, white garlic or blush with risotto or pasta. Gnocchi too. So imaginative. It is BYOB. read more

saturday night reservation allowed us to be seated quickly at a lovely outdoor table. BYOB was fun and service was OK-not great. selected app, salad, pasta and dinner courses. Menu was good but not creative. execution was good, nothing exceptional. dinner course was not even hot. in the end it was good but over-priced for something mediocre. read more

Can I give it 4 1/2? Are you looking for great italian food and great service? This Italian eatery is a must. In the majestic town of Avalon NJ, this place is a BYOB with an upscale feel. First course... The Scallops were on point, local and fresh. Grilled Octopus was outstanding, that's what they are known for, so youust try it!! Chicken Milanese crispy and tasty. I finished it with amazing chocolate gelato. Thanks for the great meal read more

Wow! The food was soooo good. We ordered the mussels in white sauce, Caesar salad, penne a la vodka and the linguini Pescatora. I wish I took a photo of everything but we ate it all so quick before the food is delish. Our service was amazing too. Red was our server and was an absolute delight. Will be back! Also, it's disappointing to read these other reviews. People need to use this app for what Yelp is for. It's for reviewing food. Be polite. Times are extremely difficult. read more

Polpo - PENNE VODKA - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

Great outdoor seating area on the corner. Every dish we got was delicious. Went in a bit skeptical based on some of these negative reviews and was very pleasantly surprised. One of the best meals I've had in Avalon. read more

While my particular meal was adequate, the general opinion of our party of four was that we should have gone elsewhere. I won't waste my time with the details. Go elsewhere. read more

My favorite restaurant DTS. Sometimes there's a bit of a wait but the food is absolutely worth it. Highlights from the menu are the lobster ravioli, gnocchi alla sorrentina, and artichokes with horseradish and prosciutto (but honestly you cannot go wrong with this menu). Highly recommend. read more

Polpo - lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

Wow!! This place is awesome!! First time here and it did not disappoint!! We started off with the calamari and the Brussels sprouts, followed by the crabmeat gnocchi and crab with angel hair. Kayla was our waitress and she was amazing, super attentive, great personality and wonderful!!! Loved it!! read more

See all

Nicer dinner vibe on the island, good for families/large parties due to lots of space and accessibility. Bread kept on coming which was great, and waitress was super sweet. Taking a star off because I received the wrong item but just rolled with it (wrong type of gnocchi), it was fine. Mussels stood out - delicious white wine sauce and they gave us extra bread to soak it up- super garlicky and creamy! Can get busy on the weekend so might be best to call and make a reservation. read more

Service was great! Food was delicious! Ambiance was a happy vibe!! Will definitely come back! read more

Delicious food and ambiance was nice but they are nickel and dimlng their customers. Now charging a corkage fee, a credit card fee, and a charge for menu changes. Also made reservations for the patio but was told they took too many reservations for that area and we had to sit inside. Disappointed. read more

The wait time with a reset was ok The service was slow the description of the specials was inaccurate the shining star was the bus girl she was on top Of things and able to fill the gap of the server The meals were just ok nothing special arrived at the table warm not hot Will defy try some place next time read more

The food was delicious, especially the bread (which was homemade the day we came in)! Our server Valerie was the highlight of our night! Everything came out correct, and her presence lit up the beautiful candlelit room! Recommend any new-comers to have her as a server, you won't regret it!! read more

Always a reliable meal! Have yet to order anything off the menu that we did not like. Our "go to" restaurant in Avalon.

Super attentive staff everyone was so nice. Food was great, not many kids options but that's okay. We sat inside and it was lovely. Nice lighting and not too loud. read more

Polpo - PENNE VODKA - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

This restaurant 2 years ago used to be great. We are locals and recently Polpo has become very greedy. Stale bread, very skimpy on the pasta sauces, the crabmeat (positano dish) was nearly non existent. The medallions of veal were huge and tough. It's a pity this lovely restaurant has gone down hill. Greed has gotten the best of them. read more

Came during memorial weekend. It was busy and loud. The hostess was great accommodating us, server service was slow. Prices are high like the other dinner spots on the island and it's Italian just like all the other places on 7 Mile. BYOB, never got the bucket of ice for our beer. The food is above average in my opinion. We had the octopus app, it was prepared just well with bold Mediterranean type of flavor. The side of spaghetti is the same as the entree spaghetti but less than half the price, so just order the side. Our other entrees we're good, I just wish our overall experience equaled the prices they are charging... I would recommend if you haven't been here before and want to try it out. We aren't sure if we would come back any time soon. read more

Polpo - The namsake - Italian Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

I visited Polpo with two friends, who had previously enjoyed takeout from here. Fortunately we had reservations, because even on a Thursday evening, there were throngs waiting for tables. We were seated right away, and then sat for quite some time before being approached by our waiter, whose name remains unknown. He never introduced himself, and evidently was having 'a bad day'. We know this because one of us asked him point blank if he just didn't like us! Yes, he was just this side of snarly. He told us that he was having a bad day. Subsequently, whenever he was at the table would pointedly smile and ask 'Is this better?'. Very unprofessional. The specials? We don't know if there were any, because he never told us. Split a salad between two people? NO, they don't do that. Two dressings on the side? One showed up, the other one did not. More bread? He opened the napkin in the (empty) basket as if he was shocked we had consumed all of the bread. Three people, two pats of butter. I asked him how to pronounce a certain word on the menu. He pointedly looked at me and pronounced the word with a quizzical expression. Our meals: The menu description of the Pollo Alla Fantazia makes no mention of garlic. However, that was the overwhelming flavor. The menu should say 'sauteed with (very little) asparagus.' The mozzarella that topped it was THE strongest mozzarella I've ever tasted. It was not mozzarella. The lemon white wine sauce had ridiculous amounts of butter and olive oil. And quite a few lemon seeds. Gross. The homemade pasta was delightful, and the accompanying Bolognese was very tasty, although extremely fatty. The third diner asked if any of the entrees came with anything, and our nameless waiter replied 'No'. So she ordered a side of the truffle fries. When her Veal Parm arrived, it had a side of pasta. Our reservations were for 7:00 PM. When all was said and done, our check did not arrive until 9:30 PM. No appetizers, no dessert. We don't understand all of the hoopla. Awful service, (except for one of the runners, whom we tipped separately), and so-so food. Perhaps it was a bad night. But we won't be returning to double-check. read more

Wow! Fantastic food especially the Dream Bombe! Its worth just going for that but its all so delish

I'm only giving Polpo 2 stars because of the first experience I had when I first visited. This time I ordered takeout and now understand why they don't have the best reviews. Here's my experience from today: After ordering online, my boyfriend gets home hungry and excited to have dinner. I begin laying out all the food onto the table to soon find, we were missing the extra meatballs, marinara sauce, dessert and drink we had ordered and paid for. I immediately call Polpo to explain everything we were missing. The man on the line then states, "we cannot make the soufflé for to go orders because it needs to stay hot but can offer you a chocolate cake ". There was absolutely no empathy displayed for this irritating inconvenience but instead, a nonchalant, dismissive- I should have known this fact attitude. Mind you, No one had the courtesy of mentioning this detail when my boyfriend was picking up the food; but Instead, charge me, wait me to call them after my boyfriend drives all the way home (ready to eat) and offer to have us pick up another dessert and mention nothing about refunding me for any of the missing items ?.. I explained I only wanted a refund for all the missing items they charged me for but still have yet to receive a refund. This has not only been a HUGE inconvenience and disappointment, But a total mood-killer for any date night. read more

Ambience was nice inside. We also loved the outdoor seating area, great lighting and cool vibe. Our server was a bit of a dick, older guy so I cut him some slack. I'm sure he's trying to be nice but just being himself. But I almost gave 3 stars because of his approach. Byob which is great. I asked for something to chill our beer and he gave the table a smart remark and never got us anything. The food was very appealing presentation wise and came out fast. The star of the show was the gnocchi with crab, unreal! So good great apps and the cheesecake was to die for read more

Our party of six visited during 4th of July weekend. Our reservation was for outdoor seating but was told that was not available when we arrived. We were sat in the back of the restaurant near the toilets and kitchen. Very congested. The seating was tight and we had to maneuver to feel comfortable. The restaurant was very loud. If you have audio sensory issues I would not recommend this establishment. Our table ordered appetizers which were okay. One appetizer ordered was the calamari. We noticed the portions were not consistent from one table to the next. As we mentioned this to the staff we were told the chef was "annoyed" with our comment. I personally ordered POLLO ALLA FANTAZIA which was less than impressive. It appeared to have one asparagus stalked chopped. The chicken was a bit chewy. It did not come with a side so I ordered a side of pasta with garlic sauce. It arrived with marinara sauce. With the previous comment from the chef I feared to have it corrected plus it was getting late. Our waitstaff and Ingram was exceptionally attentive and kind. Overall...not impressed. read more

Highly recommend this restaurant for a nice dinner. Went yesterday with a group of 10 for a birthday and the staff/ kitchen did an amazing excellent job. Hats off to the chef for such tasty food and great presentation. Would love to come back when it's warm enough to sit outside. read more

First, thank you to all restaurants for being open during this time. Unfortunately not a great restaurant. Family of four out to dinner. Two veal dishes smothered in tasteless brown sauce, one Halibut house special overcooked and one shrimp pasta dish that was good. Server not present except to take order and deliver order. Hostess stopped by to ask that we give up our table as I signed the check. Total dining time 70 minutes. Enjoy! read more

I have consistently found Avalon's dining scene to be overpriced and underwhelming. It's hard to give a star for the magnitude of disappointment at the outrageously overpriced bland pasta seafood special. I had anticipated something tasty, especially for a featured item, but the two shrimp, one scallop and bland sauce were at once paltry and dull. Not only did the manager refuse to take the $51 for the dish off my bill, he did not even come to the table to apologise. Diners beware! Prepare to pay through the nose and leave dissatisfied. read more