I'm not sure why people like this place. Within 5 minutes there are two hands down better restaurants Osteria and Cuzzins I honestly think the food was bland at best and both uninspiring mushy risotto and Bronzini had no flavor. Sadly I haven't been here in two years and now I remember why. Not good. read more

Been coming here for many years. Good food. Good service. The staff is very friendly, and is always accommodating. If it's not on the menu, just ask. It does get a bit busy on Friday and Saturday nights, and the service suffers somewhat. But it's still always enjoyable, and very consistent. read more

By far my favorite restaurant in the area. My friends and I love the atmosphere and the exceptional food and service. I've had my sons communion party and confirmation dinner here and have attended a few birthday parties. All of my guests remarked about the food and service. A very welcoming atmosphere. And it's not overly loud which makes it a great place for dinner with family or friends. I've never ordered a dish I didn't love and the staff are always great at helping picking out new choices. read more

Horrible service. Slow as hell. Waiters are clueless. No one knows what is going on. Utter chaos. Overpriced. Place is noisy as hell. Filled with the nouveau rich classless loudmouth patrons. Money doesn't buy class - if you catch my drift. Food takes forever to show up. 45 minutes to cook dinner ? Seriously? They try to explain it by saying how they make each dish to taste and fresh. BS. The end product tasted average. Actually below average compared to area restaurants. Waiters are too busy attending to their regular clients. The average age of patrons are 65 plus retirees. So if that's your scene - then yes. Not going back. If I could give this place a negative 5 rating I would. Don't waste your time going here. read more

Decided to go for Christmas Eve Dinner. We went last year and it was wonderful....This year - not so much! What a mistake! The bread sticks were rock hard and stale. Pasta was under cooked, chicken overcooked and tasteless, and "Cesar salad" was tossed with something that tasted like warm mayo. Clearly they were in a hurry and ran out of some main ingredients. To top it off, most of my family was sick within a few hours of eating there. They offered a refund in the form of a gift certificate!! Why bother! We will never eat at this place again. read more

We came here for Christmas Eve. We were promptly seated and out hors d'oeuvres were served in a reasonable time. We had backed clams and and antipasta, which were both good.Our dinner on the other hand took unreasonably long. While I understand that the place was fairly busy. We go out every year this night and never wait this long. When the food finally came out. They gave my daughter fish instead of the chicken she ordered. My wife's food was cold. They bought her chicken which was under cooked. 2 out of the 4 meals were ok at best. We've been here in the past with no complaints. Unfortunately, this will be the last time we dine here. read more

Beautiful restaurant in a stately Victorian Home with it's own parking lot in rear. We were 3 couples at 7:30 pm on Saturday night. It was perfect timing because we sat down almost immediately, but as fast as we sat down, the waiter couldn't wait to take our drink order. We said we needed some time to catch our breath and review wine menu. It was very crowded and extremely noisy. This could be very romantic if it weren't so noisy because there were linens on the tables and fresh flowers. My husband appletini was made exactly the way he ordered it. We were all able to share the $9 Caesar salad with no complaints. I had the Halibut special for $38. It came with some fresh veggies. It was a decent portion. The filet mignon was okay. The chicken marsala was nothing to write home about. The pork dish looked great and it must have been good, because the plate was totally clean after our friend ate. Our dinners came in a reasonably acceptable time, but other patrons were waiting for 1.5 hours for their dinners to come out and were very upset. I guess we got lucky. We had other plans for dessert, so we did not order. I don't think I would go out of my way to eat here again. It just seems that it's a big hangout for the local neighbors. read more

Scalientella of NJ! Food and service is excellent. No riff raff. Take Uber or wait and return car from NY and have a blast. Well worth the short trip. Place could easily make it in Manhattan. Service and food is damn good. Come and check it out. Saw 2 famous people here tonight. Come and you'll see what a nice time it is. read more

Sam Vera is a family favorite. We came for dinner last Thursday (5/31) and the staff did not flinch when I walked in with 12 week old son. As always, the staff was incredibly accommodating and the food was excellent. Portions are generous and the veal was extremely tender. Additionally, their Italian cheesecake is always delicious! read more

Over the course of the last two years I have become regulars at Sam Veras. Whether we go for dinner or lunch, we have not had a bad experience. The service here is attentive but not overbearing, the food is always served hot and fresh, and there is never a sense of being rushed. As far as ordering meals, I have not ordered off the regular menu there, I have always enjoyed their specials. As far as being good for kids, thats a tough call. My kids ages are 21, 16 year old, and they have enjoyed Sam Vera. I have noticed other couples with their children of various ages and the staff there has always gone out of their way to accommodate them. read more

I am thoroughly horrified with the service I was given tonight. The waiter was nasty, the food was disgusting, and the waitstaff did not cater to any vegetarians. They told us "you can leave here if you want to eat a vegetarian meal". Our waiter gave us four dirty wine glasses which we had to give back and asked for clean ones. This establishment is disgusting. read more

Not worth the cost of the meal. Bland fish special covered w more butter & garlic since it wasn't fresh. No refill on sodas, brought me the wrong wine..menu was dirty. Very inattentive waiter. Better choices in the area. read more

Food was great, but I experienced the worst service I have ever experienced at any restaurant in the last 10 years.

Decided to try as it looked nice, they start with a wonderful plate of olives and bruschetta then it goes downhill . Veal was so over cooked and tasteless maybe the worst I have had in years. A plate of ravioli for a kid was $20 which is ridiculous and sane child was charged fir each soda refill costing $8. Never going back read more

We were so dissapointed in this place. We have heard nothing but great comments about Sam Vera so we finally went there last night and what a mistake. I understand that Saturdays are busy nights but that should be more the reason to work harder and serve better food to a busy crowd. We sat down and didn't have a menu for over 20 minutes. Right off the bat I new we were in for poor service. Then we ordered our drinks and the bartender did not know how to make a creamsicle drink when the waiter said they can make anything. We also had to constantly ask for our water to be filled. It took over an hour and 20 minutes to finally get our dinner and when we did it was cold and had a film over it so we knew that it had been sitting there for a long long time before served to us. The waiter also smacked right into my 2000 watch when he put the plate down so I was not very happy about that either. In the end we complained to the manager and we said either pay to fix my watch or do something about this horrible service we had an dinner. The manager did do the right thing and comped our entire dinner so I cannot say they don't cater to their mistakes, but we will never ever go back and highly recommend others to go elsewhere for a good meal. If you're looking for good food or service this isn't the place. I dont mind paying for a good meal but not a dry, old piece of meat. read more

My family has lived in Marlboro for 23 years-- my parents had gone for the first time two years ago and it was my first time tonight. I was a little dodgy about heading here for my birthday but I am so happy I came here! Food was so delicious. Everything tasted fresh and I wish I had more room. Highly recommend their seafood dishes, yum!!! And the cream puffs for dessert, seriously the best. So happy I found this hidden gem in Marlboro!!! read more

I am so surprised reading the reviews. I had a totally different experience. The staff was fine very friendly. The restaurant is so noisy. They sat six of us at a dark table in the back. I ordered one of the specials the food was not good at all. I had the short ribs, no flavor at all. The best part of the meal was my drink and the antipasti plate they put on the table. I would never go back!! LL Morganville, NJ read more

My boyfriend took me here as a surprise to celebrate almost 3 years together. The restaurant is lovely on the inside and outside and we were seated promptly. I was so excited to try a new restaurant, since most of my friends look forward to my recommendations of restaurants. The service was sub par. Bread sticks were stale. Waiter never asked how everything was throughout our meal or even if we wanted another drink. That is inexcusable especially at a place that tries to be upscale. I felt once the waiter took our order we were abruptly dismissed. Even 2 attempts w waiter and a different server to get more bread was ignored. The food was very bland at best. The bill was close to $80.00 and we left a tip reflecting how we felt. We didn't even stay for dessert. Sadly, this is not a place to try. Save your money and go somewhere where you are made to feel welcome. My boyfriend obviously had planned a lovely night out and he was so disappointed in the service and food! read more

Lets just say, what i ate didn't sit well. the food was a little bland however the desserts were good. The waiting staff was a little short tempered for my taste, I do have difficult barely english speaking parents....but still. Ate here and had stomach pains for a a day. but that could be just me....try it and see? read more

Stale bread, salad lettuce was wilted and clearly going bad, fish was tough not flakey. Service was good but food was terrible.

We just came from Sam Vera where we celebrated my wife's special birthday. There were 12 of us including 4 children 6 and under, and everything was perfect. The service was right on, the food was beautifully prepared and plated and the atmosphere was perfect. I rate a restaurant on food, service and surroundings and and on these three counts nothing could have been more to our liking. The children were brought there food first and they devoured all of it and the adults all received their dishes simultaneously. Steve really knows how to run an establishment and this was a perfect choice for our celebration. He had us order the most delicious cake from Abate Bakery in Matawan who delivered it on time and it was served to our table after our dinner. All in all this was a wonderful experience and we look forward to our return visit. Thank you again. read more

Please do not let the beautiful building fool you. This sadly was not a great experience. We had a repast lunch for both parents on Saturday. I booked this in March making sure it had handicapped accommodations. Went for lunch and was showed the area we would be in. Set the menu with full bar. What a disappointment. My brother (who has one leg) had to hop up to the third floor and sit on his butt to get down after event. The bartender was also the waiter so the bar area was mostly unavailable. The menu was not what we ordered and when I complained the manager took 10.00 off pp. I paid for appetizers ( an array) lunch and dessert and my guests were told ONLY coffee no tea. I have lived on NJ for 30 years and have many family events please do not use Sam Vera you will be disappointed. I am so angry I want to post the video of my brother (which I sent to owner) and the picture of our 1/2 potato and soggy veggies. All i wanted was an apology SAVE YOUR MONEY not worth it. read more

Ok- the 2 stars are for atmosphere, but that's where it ends. Service was very inattentive and cold with a " could care less attitude". Drinks were average, when they decided to bring them. A ball of uninteresting Bread was served cold with 3 out of the box breadsticks and frozen butter clumped together on the side. Appetizers- "special" $17 crab cakes were awful and ridiculously priced, like 2 silver dollar pancakes - flat as a pancake literally. Mozzarella w tomato and peppers - right out of the refrigerated container and then sliced- small portion. Entrees- Chicken Francaise and Saltinboca, had exactly the same sauce on them -the difference was a slice of prosciutto and spinach (where is the fontina cheese or mozzarella?) As another person wrote-"if you like average catering hall food passed off as gourmet fare this is your place". Desserts tasted like they were right out of the Restaurant Depot box. Do yourself a favor and keep driving down Rt 520 into Red Bank and find some Good Food and give this a pass. read more

Great food and attentive service. They will make whatever you desire even if not on the menu. You are greeted like family if you are a repeat customer. Specials are creative and including things like octopus, rabbit and other unique dishes. read more

The service and the food stink! The host rushed us to our table, tossed the menus on the table and within one minute the waiter, bus boy and manager kept asking us for our order. We didn't even have time to read through the appetizers. The manager was constanly looking at his watch and giving us dirty looks for us to order. The place wasn't even packed with numerous empty table s so I didn't see what the rush was. My party and I all left with stomache aches. The fish was not fresh, veal was tough as nails and the chicken was bland not to mention the outrageous prices. read more

Been going here for 6 years now and the food is just as good...nothing bland about it. I've had the best chilean seabass ever and their stuffed artichoke is excellent too. Never once had a bad meal here. Staff is very attentive too, and the restaurant is beautiful. read more

Truly great food and great service. Every dish was perfect. The wait staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating. Make a reservation, especially on a weekend, but you'll love it. FYI, upstairs appears much quieter than the main floor. read more

I went with a friend to SamVera's last night. We were a little wary about going because some reviews were negative. We had a wonderful time. The food was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the service was fantastic. When we sat down there was a small tray of bruschetta, cheese, olives, and red and green peppers. The main dish, veal marsala was delicious, as was the dessert, tiramisu. Rhonda B read more

Good food and atmosphere but I and my friends always find that the bill is upcharged for something... or there's a 'mistake'. Be sure to review your bill before paying read more

Best restaurant in town! Very personable treatment. Great food. Great friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended.

This place has amazing food. Staff is friendly. Definitely a go to place for a great meal. My family and I are frequent patrons and we are always overly satisfied with our visits. Accommodating with selections that are not on the menu. Great neighborhood eatery. read more

This is a very strange local restaurant in that it never advertises; so very few people really know about it. Yes, it is located pretty centrally, next to the A&P but I had asked dozens of people about it and no one knew anything. I finally took my wife and went in and the food and atmosphere were pretty good. The only problem is that since it doesn't advertise, it is very exclusive. You walk in there and people look up from their tables as if the Slomins Alarm just went off and they aren't thrilled to see a new face. Another reviewer said "it's like walking in on Tony Saprano." I wouldn't go that far but you really don't feel truly welcome as a new-comer. But the food was good and I wanted to see the inside once in this lifetime so I gave it 4 stars. read more

HORRIBLE! Never reviewed a restaurant before in my many years of dining out but felt compelled in this case. Went there on an early Sat evening; party of 5. So many negatives that it would be too lengthy to list however they center on the service. Food was average to slightly above average but again this was so overshadowed by poor inattentive service that the overall rating drops to one star at best. The only good thing was our bottle of wine which even they couldn't screw up. Stay away! read more

The evening started out well, then turned bad when I realized the next day that the waiter charged us for two teas and 1 cappuccino that we did not order. I called and was told I had to come back to the restaurant with my receipt before any adjustment would be "considered" and the person I spoke with was rude. I'm not driving 45 minutes back to the restaurant for $10.00 credit. A simple apology and a response such as: "please bring this to our attention the next time you come in for dinner and we'll adjust your bill" or give you a complimentary cappuccino and tea. Something, other than the response I got would have brought me back. read more

Went there for the first time after years of wanting to go.....as soon as I walked into the tight dining area I was turned off....then the waiter and old Italian guy was rushing my table to order spoke about us in Italian like we didn't understand him annoyed my dinner by staring at us and his watch as if we were holding this non packed restaraunt up......the veal was like a bike tire and the fish dishes were most def not fresh at all ......then for dinner I had an ice cream sundae because I didn't finish my meal due to the bad food and annoying staff......so if you like ice cream sundaes for dinner this place is for you read more

Let's see, where do I start. Had a reservation at 8, wanted to have a drink so my wife and I arrived 20 minutes early. But the matridee sat us down immediately. So they sit us down at a table for 2 that they squeezed very tightly next to a column!! No joke. My wife didn't want me to say anything so I dealt with the seating arrangements.They bring out this complimentary dish of hard cheese and peppers and olives that was probably sitting in the refrigerator all day.It was terrible. The wine was good but overpriced. If it was up to the staff they would of had us out of there in an hour. Luckily because I had to get loud and rude and let them know we were in no rush we were able to order the appetizers first and then the main course. But I have to tell you the longer I was there the more aggravated I became. Our table was so bad. We were right in the middle of where the waiters and servers had to go. They must have hit my leg 5 or 6 times. As far as the food goes the menu is your basic pizzeria/cafe menu. I was not impressed. Especially for the price. The decor is very old looking. Needs a facelift. So if your looking for a quick, so so meal that's going to hit your wallet hard this is your place. read more

SamVera is a great restaurant - the food is the best and service always so good. Steve, the owner, goes out of his way to make sure everyone is doing well and having a good time. read more

I love this place! The owner, Steve, is very welcoming along w his staff.. Sitting us down wasn't a problem. The meals there are delicious and only get better.. The bar is also great, they make any drink. The bartender is very nice. The waiters make sure to ask if you need anything which is always important. Beautiful restaurant and I highly recommend this place to everyone, you won't be disappointed!! read more

My friend and and I frequent Sam Vera's as it is close to home. They have a bar area that makes great martini's especially the watermelon tini's. The food is good, the service is excellent The staff is very friendly and accomodating. The food can be pricey but it is good quality eats. I would recomend it. read more

I love SamVera. I used to go here with my grandmother on New Years Eve for dinner. They never rush you. A pretty Good Caesar Salad, Great Proscuitto and Melon, and really good Mozzarella in Carozza. I had the Veal Saltimbocca here, and now I can't have it anywhere else. Its not even close. read more