I cannot explain why it took 7 years after Florence, Italy natives Alberto Buglione and Ivan…read moreGuarducci took over this restaurant for me to visit. It is outstanding! Over the years I have heard nothing but good from friends -- "Excellent" "Exactly like they make it in Florence!" "Best Italian food I've ever tasted." I went with a party of four. For appetizers we split the Polpo E Patate (grilled octopus & potatoes) and Patate Fritte (French fries). The octopus was amazing, tender almost like perfect scallops with a tasty pesto. The French fries with herbs, garlic bread crumbs and pesto were crunchy, tasty, delicious. For mains my companions had Branzino with eggplant carponata, an amazing 4-cheese Gnocchi, and swordfish. I tasted all, and all were spot on; everyone loved their main course. I had Linguini Vongole (clams and linguini); the clams were perfect - tender and tasty; but the star of the show was the homemade linguine, seasoned perfectly and cooked to al dente perfection. We finished with cappuccino and Tiramasu. The service was excellent. Attentive and quick, and our waitress, Merin, was able to answer every question about the menu with authority, and even about the ingredients and preparation. The ambiance is understated, relaxed, and what you hope for when enjoying a special meal. I am quite stingy in passing out 5-Star ratings; I reserve them for the best of the best, for restaurants where I'm confident readers will also enjoy an outstanding meal. Mangia Toscano is clearly 5-Star; it is *the* must-do restaurant in Metuchen.

The food, service, and atmosphere were definitely a vibe! Everything about the experience was…read moreenjoyable from start to finish. I had the Salmon and the Gnocchi Al Pesto, and both dishes were delicious, savory, and full of flavor. The staff was attentive, the ambiance was great, and the overall experience made me want to come back again. Highly recommend!

Outstanding food and service! This place is very unassuming on the outside but cozy on the inside…read more We have been here several times before and always enjoy it. The special stuffed pork chop was delicious and enough to split between two people. Loved the calamari with balsamic glaze appetizer and the veal parmiggiana was a huge portion, very tender and yummy. Service was excellent. We had a group of six. The other plus is the restaurant is BYOB.

If your looking to eat dinner in a dump that smells like a$$, this is the place! Not sure why the…read morehost is so rude like this is the hottest ticket in town. The place looks like a dump and we questioned even getting out of the car. Not sure what was worse, the rudeness, the smell of mold or the dumpy atmosphere.... Read on and I'll share what we experienced. Mistake #1 deciding to go here Never heard of the place but saw on the gps there was an Italian spot while cutting through town. We went for it! Mistake #2 getting out of the car We pulled up to a gross old building, crumbling parking lot where people were creating their own parking/ blocking in each others cars. It was completely bizarre. After much debate about how to park and not have our car hit, we parked. We kept seeing people coming out of what looked like a rear kitchen/ service door. Odd. We walked through the horribly lit parking lot, in bad need of a repave and made our way to the front door. This door is street side and has an unlit sign over it. I pulled the handle only to have half of the metal handle pull off in my hand??? What in the world! Two elderly gentleman cutting through the lot on a walk let me know that the "kitchen entrance" was actually the main door. When they saw how perplexed I was, they laughed and said "There in lies the problem. This place is weird and doesn't have a proper entrance. Did you try the broken handle yet?" Followed by their laughter. Wonderful! They told us to not have big expectations as this is the local greasy spoon and to hold our nose when we entered. I'm not going to lie, we debated getting back in the car again as we walked past it.... Which brings me to mistake #3 Mistake #3 Not getting back in the car when we had the chance We entered into the building and were immediately hit in the face with a smell that I can only describe as that of and old wet basement paired with a moldy wood smell and a kitchen in need of an air out. It was not good. A guy came up to the host stand (a random podium in the dining room) and asked for our reservation- not if we had one- but the assumption that we must have one to dine at this fine establishment. I told him no we just came in and he immediately snickered at us and said, "come back in an hour" Ok Peter Luger. Best Decision We Made #1 immediately leaving It's really unfortunate for a place to have such crummy interactions on the heels of giving gusts every reason to run before even coming in. A simple- hey we are booked with reservations, let me peak to see what we can do- ok first spot will be in about an hour. Does that work for you? Or how about, have chairs???? There's literally nowhere to wait. You'd have to stand in the smell waiting and hoping to not get legionnaires disease. I would not recommend this dump.

Took my family from out of town for a special dinner, celebrating my grandmother's 90th and they…read moredid not disappoint! Our server was Vincent and he was wonderful. He really made us feel at home and helped make the evening seem special. If there was a criticism, the menu seems to be a bit smaller than when it was Torino II which made it a little challenging for some of our pickiest eaters to find what they were looking for, but Vincent helped them navigate. Several of us had the Caramelized Onion Cacio e Pepe and thought it was delicious. The past was cooked perfectly and the sauce was very flavorful. If you don't enjoy black pepper, this dish is not for you. Others had the Pistachio & Stracciatella and said it was fantastic. Kids were happy with the kids portion of pasta and chicken fingers. The atmosphere was very light and relaxed. Service was wonderful, we had a really good time and will be back.

I am sorry to write this update to my review, because Torino (now Terzo) has always been my "go to"…read morefor fine Italian food in Metuchen. But apparently Torino II has relaunched itself as "Terzo," which according to their website does "...classic Italian flavors and ingredients in a reimagined way, using farm fresh ingredients & homemade pasta." The menu now includes 7 appetizers, 2 salads, 7 pastas, 7 entrees and a few desserts. We were immediately told that two of the appetizers and two of the entrees were not available "today," so even less choices. Thing is, anything resembling the classic dishes in every Italian restaurant were absent from the menu. Ah, but then I spotted "Caesar Salad" -- but it was actually "Summer Kale Caesar Salad." Hey, there;s a time and a place for kale; that would be in a health food or vegan restaurant, not in my Caesar salad. But I figured, keep an open mind. We ordered two appetizers, Salmon & Shrimp Arancini and Wagyu Meatball Pomodoro -- both excellent. But the entrees, and this is the crux of the matter, varied from mediocre to poor. I ordered the Airline Chicken Parm, which was a giant portion of panko breaded chicken breast, with marinara and cheese, and a small pasta on the side. The homemade pasta was excellent, but the chicken -- tough as leather and tasteless. And sadly the other three in my party also felt the same about their entrees. Some were overcooked, others were tasteless. The bill, for a party of four (and we ordered no wine), excluding tip was $220. We did provide a 20% tip as the server was excellent, but the selection of menu items was poor, the food was mediocre at best, and cost was outrageous considering quality of the food. As I said, I hate to write this review, but Terzo leaves me with the challenge of now finding a new "go to" Italian restaurant in the area.

Really delicious pasta and pizza…read more We got the Peppa Pig and squid ink pasta I would definitely recommend both and be back again. The flavors are superb, the crust was excellent and toppings generous. The free bread at the beginning is not to be missed Service is very prompt and ambience is a little noisy with a nice upbeat vibe I will be back again to try more of their delicious food!

Great spot for beers, cocktails, pizzas and pasta…read more Everything we ordered was delicious. The ambience is very welcoming and servers are friendly. The restaurant can accomodate large groups easily.

Just had a great lunch to celebrate a friends birthday. The menu has new and old Italian items …read more The specials are also fun with new interpretations of classics. I enjoyed the baby lamb chops over white bean salad w/lemon vinaigrette after sharing calamari with a spicy mango sauce . My friends enjoyed the grouper and the lobster salad ; all were good sized portions cooked perfectly. We shared profiteroles and carrot cake and everyone was pleased . Service for a large group was attentive and restaurant allowed you to bring your own bottle so the final bill was more manageable . Parking is available out front.

03/30/2026 Came to gather with my wife, my sisters and…read morebrother in law. We'd had a birthday gathering at their Fresco restaurant and went home very full and happy. We were brought downstairs to a large room full of tables and were the only ones in there. We wondered if we'd insulted someone, or if one of us might be 'offensive', (no one was) but as it turns out, it was a 'Godsend'. We're all in our 70's and hearing/speaking can be challenging in a crowded/noisy dining room. We remained the only ones there for almost the entire 2 hours we were there and really enjoyed ourselves without having to yell or ask "WHAT!?" We shared a couple of salads (Greek and Arugula) and calamari, all very good. My wife had the seafood capellini and one sister the seafood fra diavolo, which they both enjoyed. My other sister had a seafood salad and my BIL went for the double cut pork chops, which he too enjoyed. I opted for the Halibut / risotto. Halibut is not an easy fish to make 'moist or juicy'. I make it at home and it comes out 'pretty good' (at least my wife says so) but here, this portion was fantastic! So light an flaky and tasty. Definitely give it a try if you enjoy Halibut. We all shared a couple of desserts... a home made carrot cake and a chocolate cake from 'outside'. Both good, but the carrot cake was served warm, which was a first for all of us... and it was terrific! Without a doubt the best carrot cake we'd ever had, so save a little room for their carrot cake if/when go. Our servers, Alyssa and Dagmar provided excellent service as well as some humorous dialogue while we were there. Made our meal just that much better!. Yes... it's a BYOB!

Villa Gennaro has come to be the workplace go to spot for after work gatherings. The food, and…read moreservice are always excellent, it is always a pleasure to have a place take good care of large groups with efficient staff and a smile.

I was so excited to come here for a small Christmas party. There is a nice amount of parking in the…read moreback of the building and you are able to enter from there as well which is very convenient especially in the winter chill. The dining rooms have a nice amount of space so you don't feel cramped and on top of one another. Very traditional Italian restaurant in looks. There were a few challenges with getting a wrong dish and having an extra dessert on the bill. When the extra item was found on the bill there was a bit of a dispute and back and forth but they fixed it in the end. The wrong dish was a compromise on our party's part, one of our friends accepted the plate even though it was not what she ordered, there was no move to fix it on the restaurant's part. As far as the food, it was not my top Italian choice in the area, especially when factoring in price. I felt the food was not as flavorful as some of the competitors nearby, especially the appetizers.

My family and I love this place! The owner is incredibly kind and made a point to walk around,…read morecheck on every table, and ask how everything was, which made us feel so welcomed. We ordered a variety of dishes, including the pizza, which was delicious, a fresh grilled chicken salad, and the penne, which ended up being everyone's favorite at the table. The portions are generous, so you'll definitely leave satisfied. I also have to mention the bread basket. One of the breads was topped with an incredible tomato sauce, and I honestly haven't stopped thinking about it. It was so simple, yet so flavorful. I could have eaten an entire basket of just that alone! It's also BYOB and has outdoor seating, which makes it an even better spot for a relaxed meal. We'll definitely be back!

Lovely selection of pizzas with plenty of delicious choices! Pasta is excellent too. The pizzas are…read moreflavorful and there's something for everyone. If you have a sweet tooth, definitely try the Nutella Pie and Pistachio Cheesecake--they're absolutely delicious and a perfect way to finish the meal.

Steak pizza Chicken Pizza…read moreChicken Parmesan Sandwich Definitely recommend Francesco's Pizzeria! You'll tell others and be back!

Excellent pizza places... Great service every single time…read more.. I'm from the Old Bridge NJ and it's always excellent to stop on for excellent food. Staff is excellent also

Yesterday, 07/25/26, i ordered for myself & my group for D&D since we were playing in the area. I…read morehave ordered from La Rosa a few times before while at work, since I work over in Edison, & have never been disappointed! The inside of the restaurant nice but haven't really gotten to experience eating inside. I've mostly ordered to go, but I have not been disappointed any time ive gone! I love their cheesesteaks, one of the best cheesesteaks in NJ ive had so far! I can't wait to try other food items on the menu. I convinced my group yesterday to order cheesesteaks as well. Some did, and one other person got an order of shrimp scampi, which she enjoyed. Another got a Chicken Parm Sub & he said it was chef's kiss! The staff were super quick & friendly! Definitely love coming here!

As far as your simple neighborhood pizzeria goes, La Rosa is a solid place for pasta and pizza …read more Service is friendly and fast. There are tables to sit on/dining area and a to go counter as well. We for their plain and pepperoni pizza, as well as their ravioli. Amazingggg sauce and the ravioli was cooked just right. Pizza crust was thin and crisp, a good size to share with 7 people. Parking lot, credit cards, and it is in the same complex as Latin Port and Sumiyaki Japan.

We stopped by The Greek on Main for lunch and immediately found it to be a warm and inviting spot…read more *AMBIANCE* Located on main st in Metuchen, street parking can be a bit tricky. We walked in for lunch and were immediately seated. Though they also take reservations on Resy. We came dressed casually though the vibe seemed a bit dressier with the dimly lit interior. The restaurant has a clean, modern feel while still maintaining the charm of a neighborhood eatery. *FOOD* The menu offers a great variety of Greek-inspired dishes made with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. I ordered the lobster gyro, which was absolutely delicious. The lobster was flavorful and the combination of ingredients came together nicely in the pita. The dish also comes with a side of fries. *SERVICE* The service was friendly and attentive throughout our lunch. Our waitress was welcoming and checked in periodically to make sure everything was going well. Overall, great experience all around and it's the type of place you'd want as a regular neighborhood favorite. I'd definitely return and look forward to trying more of the menu!

Will never go to a place that is racist and does not treat every patron equally…read more Especially a hungry well dressed patron who had along day at work and travelled so very sad. You just lost a customer