We had an absolutely amazing experience at Popolari. Even though it's BYOB, we ended up buying their Cabernet and it was fantastic. I finished too quickly and am ordering another as the price itself seemed like a steal. Honestly, every single thing we ordered was excellent. The calamari was fresh and perfectly done, the spicy penne vodka was incredible, the Caesar salad was crisp and flavorful, and the veal Francese was outstanding. Everything tasted fresh, well-prepared, and full of flavor. I have favorite restaurants and I compare it to all of them and it's crazy how amazing every meal they served was. What makes it even better is that the prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and the overall experience. A special shoutout to Adam, our waiter, who was delightful, attentive, friendly, and made the whole night even better. He even took the time to tell us about the history of the deli, something I love, and it's incredible how storied this restaurant is. Great food, great service, great wine, and great value. We will definitely be back and highly recommend Popolari to anyone looking for a genuinely excellent meal. read more

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I thought this place would be busy on a Saturday night so made a reservation but was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant not so busy for an early dinner. There is a small little parking lot that can fit 4-5 cars right off the main road. Inside was decorated with cute Christmas decor, and the domestic violence scene from Godfather Part 1 casually playing on the TV while I'm trying to eat my food. Good variety of options of appetizers, small shared plates, pizza, fresh pasta, and entrées to choose from our group decided to split the popular pizza. Then everyone offended for themselves - our table ordered the gnocchi with pesto and chicken Milanese, chicken parmigiana with penne, Arancini, and the "focaccia"/house garlic bread. The Arancini was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and luscious on the inside. The pizza was a perfect sweet and savory combo of burrata, prosciutto, and balsamic glaze. The pesto was a bit thin and ate a little soupier than I prefer. Buyer beware with the focaccia - although it's called focaccia, it's also listed under the pizzas so it was served thin and crispy like a pizza rather than thick and fluffy like we had been expecting. I would absolutely return again to try all the other dishes, especially the shared plates, different pizzas, and other fresh pasta offerings. read more

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I went to Poplari for a Sunday dinner with my family. We decided last minute to go, so we arrived a bit late in the evening. I ordered the pappardelle bolognese, and it was fantastic. Huge portions, rich flavors, and very reasonably priced. Service was good, and since it was later in the evening, the restaurant was quiet and relaxed, which made for a pleasant dining experience. The interior is very cute and nicely decorated. They've done some renovations since Bibiana's, the previous restaurant closed. I also heard that the original location is in Bloomfield. Parking is a bit limited. The restaurant is BYOB but they also have a wine and drinks menu available. Overall, I would definitely go back. Poplari is a great spot for a casual family Italian dinner or even a nice date night. The combination of generous portions, friendly service, and cozy, inviting atmosphere makes it a solid choice for Italian cuisine in the area. read more

Popolari - Pappardelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Little Falls, New Jersey

We came early. We were the only ones here. We waited to be seated as the person working was on the phone with someone going over the logistics of seating arrangements for the evening. She was our waitress also and very pleasant. It was quite warm inside. A little too warm to eat a hot meal. The two girls working couldn't seem to get the air conditioning to work. We got two pieces of bruschetta while waiting for our appetizers. We had fried calamari (of course) which was good. It was all rings no tentacles. Baked cauliflower with tahini which was tasty and tender. Grilled radiccio with gorganzola cheese that was supposed to be drizzled with balsalmic glaze. It came in a balsalmic vinegar pool. It looked like a soup. It was too much and inedible. When our waitress came back to clear our dishes I told her it was too much vinegar and I could not eat it. She did not ask if I wanted something else, but just said sorry and took the plate. She never even took this off of the bill. We actually ended up paying $15 for this inedible dish. Very disappointing and not right. For dinner we had salmon that came with mashed potatoes (definitely seemed like instant) and grilled spinach. Everything minus the potatoes was okay. We also had pasta carbonara which was good. The only thing is that it came smothered and drowning in the sauce, although it was good. I asked for bread. When that came it was like pizza dough with garlic on top which was tasty. Definitely a disappointing Saturday night out especially if their policy is to pay for a dish that you cannot eat or offer a replacement. read more

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recently tried the Tuesday special twice for family, birthdays, and very good taste of all items chosen, great variety, and perfect price point in these economic times read more

Popolari was packed on a Saturday night and we opted for take-out. The order was placed online and it was given to us about 20 minutes after it was promised. In addition, we ordered a cavatelli and broccoli with shrimp and they forgot the shrimp. We went back and they apologized but this was a big mistake. Check your orders, people! The food was ok to good. My wife loved her Pappadelle Bolognese. I didn't like the flavoring of the rice ball. I also didn't think I'd like the tomato pieces in the cavatelli but they didn't overpower the entree. The shrimp are small but well grilled. Overall, the meal was a positive experience with some issues with the take-out. I would try the place again. read more

Popolari - Cavatelli Broccoli with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Little Falls, New Jersey

Just stopped by here for lunch. Food was great but the service was even better. I highly recommend this place. It's also a cute looking small non-chain restaurant. read more

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came here for a baby shower and was SO impressed the entire time only con is that it's a small shop and there's limited parking so we had to park down the street in the residential area but bedsides that, amazing staff, super friendly and attentive; DELICIOUS food and home made sangria! i truly devoured everything and it left me wanting more! the staff made you feel like family and treated you like one of their own & celebrated with you - good vibes, highly recommend! read more

I placed an order online for takeout and then called with a request for one of the meals. They were very accommodating. After a few minutes they called to tell me that they couldn't find my order. Turns out I unknowingly placed it at their Bloomfield location. So they called the location to inform them of my request and took care of it for me. The service was excellent. The food was great too. Since it was takeout some things were a little soggy like the chicken parm sandwich but hubby said it tasted good. Spicy vodka, shrimp scampi, carbonara, pizza and puttanesca were all tasty. I would definitely order from Popolari again. read more

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I did not have high expectations when we chose this restaurant for a quick lunch, but I was EXCEPTIONALLY surprised at the quality of food and friendliness of the staff. I had the mussels which came with a huge bowl of wonderful, delicious white sauce and more garlic than I've ever seen in my life ....along with toasted bread that was delicious. It's an absolute excellent value and enough for a full meal. My friend had a Caesar salad that was beyond the ordinary with real grilled shrimp. The prives were very reasonable and the Service delightful. ( very friendly waitress). I would highly recommend ....not fancy just great quality food and friendly service! read more

Ordered Arancini mushroom and it was great! The gravy was on point. The margarita pizza tasted fresh and good.

The food was amazing, the service was great and the ambiance was so nice displaying Italian retro

I'm gonna give a 5 cause the food is amazing. Had a meatball parm sandwich. It had great flavor and looked great. Be careful there's 2 big jalapeños on it. I can't eat that . Was spicy a little after taking them off. Wasn't much cheese on it as well. Aldi got a spinach ricotta pizza. Amazing. Great taste fast service. Definitely will return. read more

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Don't trust their website for hours. We went Wednesday evening since the website said they were open 11am-9:30pm. The website even gives you the option to make reservations. Since we saw they had open tables for reservations we went for dinner - so we thought. They were closed!! Poorly run. read more

Adam A was our server and I have to say he is one of the best we have had in a long time. Attentive and pleasant, the rest of the staff was attentive as well. The food was very good. We will return read more

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A very cozy new local Italian restaurant with a great menu and fantastic attentive service. The Calamari Fritti was excellent. Great flavor and texture, The Lamb pops were equally as good. Fantastic flavor and taste. The Chicken Parm over angel hair pasta was tender and delicious. The Spaghetti Alle Vangole was also perfectly prepared. My only complaint is that they charge $3.45 for a can of club soda. Very limited parking lot however, free street parking is available. The owners are very nice and accommodating. read more

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We've been to the one in Bloomfield, which we love, and this new location in Little Falls is even better. A very welcome addition to the town. Very well designed interior. Great place for kids and families alike. You really can't go wrong with any dish here, but I highly recommend the Four Cheese (Quatro Formaggio) pizza. It is divine! Lastly, the staff here are super attentive and super pleasant, making anyone want to return again. read more

Rather loud early on a recent Saturday evening, probably because of the ceramic tile ceiling, but not enough to affect the rating. This review is for the new Little Falls location, probably a former deli. Food was outstanding. Zuppa di clams and Caesar salad were both delicious and very generously portioned. Likewise the penne Alla Norma. The pesto gnocchi was also delicious and came with a generous portion of burrata. Wine can be purchased but you can also bring your own. Outdoor tables are available. The pizza chef was busy all evening, so they must do a brisk takeout business. Service was prompt and cordial. Our server, Alex, was particularly efficient and friendly. Credit cards can be processed right at the table -- something that has been available in the rest of the world for years, but is still rare here. A much better method, since your card is never out of your sight. Other restaurants need to catch up. Parking is a problem (only 4 spaces in front of the building), so get there early. read more

Adam was awesome made Us feel at home. went over the whole menu with us. chef Rosa cooked my pork chop perfectly and was so tasty ! My wife loved the chicken Milanese. will be back soon read more

Owner was rude ! Food was awful. We paid our full bill and left without eating. Tried to pass their frozen mussels as Fresh caught ! We asked before ordering. When served in half shell - their Frozen. Just should have been honest read more

This place was very a good. Staff very attentive and friendly. The place is small and I feel like there are way too many tables and chairs in there so on a busy night I could see it being really loud and cramped. The waiter mentioned that they would be serving brunch soon which I will definitely check out. Best of luck to them! read more

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We were in NJ for the weekend and looking for a local Italian spot with great reviews, and this is exactly what we found. This cozy neighborhood spot has a warm interior and the food is excellent, the pasta is homemade and very flavorful. Even the bruschetta on the table was amazing. The salad portions are large and the salad itself was crisp and bright. We licked our plates clean. Highly recommend read more

Our server Alex was tremendous as he was on our first visit. The restaurant even though packed was freezing cold. Many of our dihes were served room temperature. The owner is very unfriendly and once again we were rushed out. I was not as impressed as our first visit. Not sure if we will return. read more

cozy place...semi casual. service was super friendly it was a fixed menu for Valentines my first time there all pasta dishes were very good. presentation was very good I had Pesto Gnocchi...very good. Prices were good and I think its a place that you go often for pasta because over all its very good and prices are solid. read more

I have been to the Bloomfield location a few times, so I was excited to see that a second location was opening up in my town. I love their homemade pasta dishes. The fried calamari and Arancini (huge portion) are amazing. Service was great too. I have not tried their pizzas but they looked amazing. Also there was someone celebrating a birthday and they did a great job all the servers happily clapping and singing and someone playing the accordion. It was fun. read more