Phenomenal place for authentic NJ style pizza: they talk pizza, they walk pizza: even their jokes are about great pizza versus the ordinary stuff! You can see the atmosphere has an other-worldly feel just by sitting around writing down an idea or two on anything: and nobody will disturb you, but before you know it, your pizza will be ready, piping hot, fresh from the oven as if someone great Italian and Chicago chefs got together and mingled on succulent tomato discourse! Each area is clean and country--friendly while you sense that many a pizza--lover will be ordering more varieties for a home party on a rainy day: perfect weather for your favorite family and friends to share: or, just by yourself. I also didn't realize that a simple spinach pizza on Alfredo or a plain, old fashioned pizza can taste so delectable, every morsel, every bite! The chefs even speak other fun languages and make enough time to share a funny joke or two! Great food. Good people. Nice ambiance! Whether you are a gourmand, or a gourmet--type, this place shall not disappoint you. read more

I typically never leave negative reviews because I know how difficult customer service and the restaurant industry can be. We all have bad days, and I truly understand that. However, after witnessing how my elderly father and his group of friends were treated during lunch on Wednesday afternoon, I felt compelled to share this as constructive feedback. My father and several of his friends, all gentlemen in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, met for lunch. There was some confusion about the final size of the party. Initially, they thought there would be six people, but as more friends arrived, the total ended up being eight or nine. One of the gentlemen immediately apologized for the mistake. I completely understand that changing table arrangements can be frustrating. However, what upset me was the way the hostess handled the situation. The first group of gentlemen had already been seated when additional members of their party arrived. Rather than simply moving them to a larger table, the hostess appeared visibly annoyed and began squeezing more and more chairs around the small round table they were already sitting at, repeatedly reminding them that they had said six people. She rolled her eyes, rushed them along, and spoke to them in a curt manner that made these older gentlemen seem like an inconvenience rather than valued guests. What made the interaction particularly confusing was that the dining room on that side of the restaurant was largely empty at the time, aside from people coming in for takeout slices. From my perspective, there appeared to be plenty of room to comfortably accommodate everyone, which made the frustration and lack of patience all the more surprising. As I dropped my father off, I witnessed this interaction myself. I was honestly shocked by how little grace and patience were shown. When the hostess later laughed it off to me and remarked that "they didn't know how many people there were," I simply replied that mistakes happen and that these are older gentlemen who deserved patience and kindness. Before leaving, I even asked that they please take good care of my father and his friends. When my father returned home, I asked how the lunch went. He mentioned that while the server did her job, she and the hostess were both rather rude throughout the experience. I wasn't present for the entire meal, so I can't speak to every interaction, but I can speak to what I personally witnessed, and it broke my heart. If you have an elderly parent or loved one, you understand why this upset me so much. But honestly, this isn't even about age. No one should be made to feel belittled or like a burden. My father taught me to respect my elders, and I was disappointed to see so little respect shown in return. The reason I'm giving two stars instead of one is because the food itself was enjoyed, and thankfully my dad's friends have a wonderful sense of humor. By the end of the day, they were actually laughing together about how mean the ladies had been. But that doesn't change the fact that kindness and patience are just as much a part of hospitality as the food itself. This review is meant as constructive criticism. Service is hard, and everyone can have an off day, but I hope management takes this as an opportunity to remind staff that a little patience and compassion go a long way. For the record, I watched these gentlemen arrive, and there was no complaining, arguing, or rude behavior from them whatsoever, just an honest mistake about the headcount. People remember how you make them feel, and unfortunately, that is what will stay with me most about this visit. read more

The food was good, but the service was disappointing. We were dining in at 8pm and since we were the only customers, the staff began mopping the floors while we were still eating. The strong smell of cleaning chemicals made the experience unpleasant. It felt inconsiderate, as they didn't acknowledge us at all and seemed more focused on closing early. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. read more

I attended a luncheon with over eighty people. I was so impressed with the service offered. The waitresses were extremely attentive. The food was perfect. read more

Making my favorite pie from Brooklyn! Thin crust, crispy, well put together, golden and a great returned from Covid exodus, pizza maker!! read more

Villa Francesco's - Pizza Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

We booked their party room for our daughter's communion luncheon so we wanted to actually try the food, haha. I think I found a new spot and sad I slept on this place for years! Their pizza, penne vodka, chicken parm all delicious!! I have to go back and try other items! Their restaurant is really pretty, a pick up area with a small eat in for casual, and a dining room for sit down service and they have a party room in the back. I shopped around for the best value for a luncheon and their prices are decent. Definitely recommend! read more

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Solid pizza and a few good pasta dishes, better for takeout as opposed to in dining. A family favorite is the paparadelli gypsy.

We eat there often and are never disappointed. The food is delicious and the service is very professional. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Additionally, I had a catered affair there for Chrismas Eve and it was wonderful. There were 19 people who are still raving about the food and service...which is so rewarding on a night that the restaurant was crowded with many groups celebrating. read more

My wife and I grew up in Brooklyn and we've eaten at hundreds of Pizza places over the last few decades. The Brooklyn pie at Villa Francesco's is better than any other's that we ever had. read more

Oh how I wish that I lived closer to this gem of a spot. I was visiting my family who live in Lawrence Twp and they treated us for a nice, Sunday takeout dinner from this place, and I can't stop thinking about how delicious this food was!! We all ordered the ravioli with shrimp and vodka sauce. My goodness.. it was perfect. The perfect al dente, shrimp were a nice size, seasoned and cooked to perfection. The vodka sauce had just the right amount of sweetness... just wonderful. We also ordered some of their garlic knots which were delicious as well. If I'm ever just driving past on the way home, I will make sure to try some of the other items on the menu. read more

We've heard about Villa Francesca's for sometime now and finally decided it was a good opportunity for us to test them out this past Saturday night. Google maps actually were a little bit off so we called the restaurant for a little bit of navigation hopefully they finally got us set us at one table little cold by the windows so we have to be moved into the center restaurant which they gladly did and we were off to a good start. Upon reviewing the menu and some yelp reviews on a wife and I were ready to start placing our order we opened up the night with the anti-pasti di mare, Jumbo shrimp clams muscles scallop and grape tomatoes in a garlic wine. A very nice start, all the muscles were open, certainly was a jumbo shrimp and a jumbo size scallop to share, And a very tasty broth. Before the entrées we were served with a Health Salad nice mix greens of fresh. For our entrées my wife ordered veal cardinale, prosciutto spinach mozzarella shiitake mushrooms in a marsala wine sauce with grilled vegetables. For my dish I had the chicken rapini, roasted peppers broccoli Rob fresh sun-dried tomatoes I passed on the smoked mozzarella and it was in a light marinara atop orecchiette. Both are extremely tasty very fresh and filling dishes I actually took part of mine home. To wrap up the evening my wife took home a slice of homemade Italian ricotta cheesecake which she said was fabulous. A testament to this restaurant we arrive and seated by five and by time we left a little after six the place was packed. read more

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I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service received from a waitress during my last visit to your restaurant, on Wednesday. I was having dinner at your establishment with my friends, and the waitress who served us demonstrated a notable lack of experience and professionalism. I also want to take the opportunity to highlight the excellent service that we have always received from Barbara, who was not working in the restaurant that day. Their experience, knowledge and kindness are invaluable to the smooth running of the establishment. We hope that on our next visit it will be her who takes care of us and not inexperienced people. read more

The three Gonzales brothers claim to love cheffing Italian food at their Villa Francesco Restaurant on Rt. 31 in Pennington, NJ. After an initial visit for dinner last night, it is obvious they speak en veritas. Their dining room is spare, but simply elegant with very high ceilings under which a 10' ramada fit easily over our table, a long bar graced the southern wall, and a small pizza parlor inhabited the front (back) of the house. Too, there is a large patio with umbrellaed tables for al fresco dining. The primary entrance is from the parking lot behind the 3 building complex. Overall, an excellent first impression, enhanced by our Valpolicella red wine selection from home. This night we dined alone inside, while the exterior tables were full. Given the heat and spacing, we made the right choice. We ordered Vitello Sorentino and Chicken Francese for entrees. They were accompanied by small house salads and bread plate & olive oil dipping plate. Must say that the veal was tender, and the grilled eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella in a white wine reduction and side of colorful veggies, really engaged the senses both visually and gastronomically. Delicious. The Francese was likewise a pleasure, with the egg/butter/white wine/lemon sauce over pasta and two medallions of egg wine dipped, breaded chicken breast also a home run. Service was friendly and efficient without cloy. Soup to nuts, we were out in about an hour. Not bad for a weeknight with work the next morning. Prices were also competitive with similar menus this side of the Delaware, and a few bucks better than most per dish, providing a strong value proposition. Are you sure those Gonzales guys aren't Italian? It sure tastes like they are! read more

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I've been here often in the past....always good. We'd have holiday get together. Wait staff is always friendly and good service. It is a good place if you want to catch up and talk....not loud and large enough for conversations to be heard. Food is standard Italian....spiced nicely, comes out steaming hot. My husband raved about the Shrimp fra Diavlo. I had a special which was different and tasty. BYOB...which we did! read more

Disappointed. The waitress was disrespectful. She told our group if you are unhappy that she will get the owner. A man came out from the kitchen and told us he was the owner. He was also very disrespectful. We tried to explain to him how unhappy we were. He told us "never to come back" because we were telling him we were unhappy with the waitress ( blonde lady). I have never experienced such disrespect from any restaurants. read more

Exceptionally good sauces and pasta...meats well prepared. We sampled 7 different dishes, and appetizer and salad--all were delicious. Favorites were the Shrimp and Scallop Di Mare, Gnocchi Gorgonzola, Chicken Vitale (sauce with shiitake mushrooms very yummy and unique) and the simple penne with tomato sauce as side (tasty). Staff was very attentive and accommodating of our special requests. All around great experience! read more

I drove 40 minutes to meet a friend that was in the Pennington area working for lunch. I did the research and found favorable reviews of Villa Francesco's. My friend and I (he is a black man) came in and were met by a scowling woman who was less then friendly or welcoming. The place at 12:45 on a Thursday afternoon was pretty quiet. There were only 3 tables with folks seated in the white table linen dining room. She said nothing to us and sat us all the way in the back of the room in a dark corner. We both looked at each other and said we didn't feel comfortable sitting there (it was a bright sunny day). We never sat down and went to the pizzeria area of the establishment. The gentleman behind the counter was very welcoming and friendly. We sat by a window and got counter service. We started with a Pana water that we pulled out from the fridge. The counter guy gave us lemons and a cup for ice. I ordered the cheesesteak panini. It was so tasty and filled thick with meat and cheese. The fries were generous and hot. My dining partner ordered a delicious chicken wrap with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese. He really enjoyed it! I am that guy that will not let a bad situation (as well as an exceptionally good situation) pass without saying something. I told the counter guy about our experience with the hostess. He said she came to the US only a couple weeks ago as that would be the excuse for not being cordial. He was not forgiving. The food was good (reason I gave 3 stars instead of 1) but this situation that we experienced won't happen again because we won't be going back. read more

Happen to stop while driving trough town and so glad we did. The food was very good. We all had the Trio special that was just amazing and the clams casino are in my top 5 maybe even 1st. Just that good. Stop for the food you will be glad you did. read more

Okay, our group ended up here after an event because it said it was good for large groups and had a good Yelp rating. Soooo, it is only good for large groups if you are willing to have one person pay for the whole thing and then Venmo or give them cash. We had a group of about 20 folks, which they accommodated easily but would only do one check instead of the five that we were asking for. The waitress said if was the managers decision and that there was nothing she could do, which seemed suspect, seemed more like laziness. Older Female waitress serving us was fairly rude and seemed annoyed that we brought a large group to her section resulting in service with observable attitude. Food portions were on the small side. Plate of raviolis for $20 and you get 4 large ravioli filled with cheese. Nothing special. The food itself was rather basic and had little flavor. The sauce was a basic under seasoned tomato sauce that had no hints of anything identifiable as an herb such as basil, oregano or garlic. I ordered the lasagna and it was a smaller portion that was simply ok. I will not return here and I would definitely never bring a large group here. There are simply too many Italian restaurants out there to choose from so I would make a different selection. I have no idea how this place has 4 stars on Yelp, folks must have lower expectations or the chef quit and I got the backup in training. read more

Barbara is the best! The food is consistently good and clean ingredients. Great value and great quality

One woman running the entire restaurant by herself at lunch time. We were a party of 4. This sweet but harried woman played hostess, server, bussing tables, and I believe cook as well. I understand help is hard to get right now, however, it put a damper on our lunch. We felt rushed to order and yet sat a long time waiting for our food and then the check. She didn't write anything down when taking our order and the result was...I didn't get what I ordered. Darn, I was looking forward to it too. However, I knew at this point I had to just eat what was served. Fries were cold and dried out. My guess is the fries sat on the plate first as sandwiches were cooking. Everyone decided we won't be back. My suggestion to this restaurant is close the dining area until help is hired. Just do take out and have tables available for those wanting to stay. On a good note, a month prior I was part of a group (25 women) for a ladies lunch and the food was delicious. We only had 1 server and she was great and running around between us and serving the rest of the restaurant patrons. However service was very slow that day as well...we just chalked that up to our large party. Hmm. read more

Just had another amazing lunch here ! Sat on their outside patio - such a great space and beautiful day. Service was excellent and the food - even better !!! Everything is amazing but the scallops and asparagus appetizer is my all time favorite to start with and you can never go wrong with the gnocchi !! The paninis come with little side Gorgonzola pear salads - such a nice touch. Will be back soon !! read more

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This is my new favorite Italian restaurant in the Ewing, Pennington and Trenton area. I cannot stop raving about this place! I have been here twice now for dinner and enjoyed a delicious meal both times. The service is great, the servers are attentive, friendly and fast. The food came out really quick! All the food was delicious, hot and well cooked. We started with bread for the table with olive oil on the side. The bread was average, it didn't taste homemade to me. All dinner entrees come with either a choice of soup or salad. I've had both and both were good. For an appetizer we got portabella florentina, this was amazing and so so delicious and tasty! Please get this, it's a must! It's portabella, broccoli rabe, red peppers and smoked mozzarella on top in a garlic wine sauce. For my entree I got penne vodka and my bf got the gnocchi Gorgonzola. Penne vodka was perfection, the sauce was just the right amount not too creamy. It was light and delicious. The gnocchi was great also! I recommend both these entrees! I want to try the pizza here next time. It's BYOB so we brought a bottle of wine of course! read more

Villa Francesco's - Portabella florentina - Pizza Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

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Zero, if I could select that rating! Worst service ever, rude waitress and rude counter service. Do NOT come here. The pizza is not great, weak crust. The crazy thing is they would not give us menus and made us move twice to different tables, then they complained about their cost for the table linens on the tables! Never saw anything like it. Will choose Osteria Procaccini across the street, every time. Will not come back here. read more

I haven't had food from here for over a year and just like that -- I started to crave their outstanding chicken français, so I drove to the restaurant, I ordered it plus a side of pasta, brought it all home, and even on day 2, I can't get enough. These recipes are fab, their kitchen staff is fab, and a year later I'm so happy to know they haven't sacrificed their quality or professionalism. Villa Francesco's is a gem! read more

This is a gem of a restaurant. I don't know why there aren't lines out the door ? The best Italian restaurant in the area! This place is a little difficult to find the address is Route 31, but it is slightly tucked away and you may miss it if traveling too quickly. My husband and I have eaten here twice . Authentic Italian , all food is fresh and made to order. Fish , Eggplant, chicken , veal, trust me, you will love it! All dinners come with soup or salad , both fresh and the best you will find anywhere! read more

Ordered takeout twice and both times the food was very good and consistent. The tomato pie and the penne melanzane were a hit.

We are in lockdown for 8 weeks and counting. Plus I'm recovering from covid pneumonia and too tired to make dinner. Last week was the first time ever we tried this place and we have no idea what it's like inside the restaurant. BUT they delivered piping hot linguini w clams and salmon w tomatoes, artichokes and angel hair. Delicious!!! Tonight we ordered again, this time shrimp scampi w Caesar salad and veal piccata w linguini with a side of broccoli rabe. Again, delivered hot! After the first delivery guy delivered pork chops which we should have just accepted but then the folks who ordered pork chops would have been screwed. We live in Michigan and are renting an Airbnb in Pennington since January. We have to drive home at some point and we will really miss this place! read more

My only complaint here would be if you're seated near the open kitchen, it's a bit noisy. I'd try to get away from that area.Went for a Sunday lunch. I had Vitello Cardinale. Good veal with lots of vegetables of a high quality.Didn't have appetizers or dessert. Everyone seemed pleased with their meals.Its BYOB and reasonably attractive.It offers you a pretty fair range of dining options.I would go back. read more

Villa Francesco's - Menu - Pizza Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

Visited this restaurant on a weekend afternoon for quick lunch. Restaurant was empty, we were only customer there. Restaurant was connected with a take out pizza place section. Dining area was very spacey and beautifully decorated for holiday season. But chairs were not as fancy as this restaurant looked. Just regular event venue chairs. Well, that's not a big deal. We ordered some soup and shrimp& scallop di mare. My husband wanted to have slice of pizza. It suppose to not to served in restaurant area but our server was so nice to allow it for us. Shrimp & scallop di mare was so delicious. Cooked al dante, sauce was so delicious. Sausage pizza was not disappointing. We took some slices to go. Everything was great except for the soup. It was disappointing. It was very salty. If I visit this area again, I'll would definitely come back. Service was good. Spacey parking spots in front of the restaurant. read more

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Went there for the first time with my wife today for lunch. We were seated in an empty dining room and ordered a couple ice tea's When the waitress came back we wanted to order a tomato pie but she said we would not be allowed to eat it in the dining room. She wanted to move us to a small area near the counter so we said no and paid for our tea's and left. The man making the pizza's said they have to pay to have table cloths washed and so on .....so I guess a pizza and drinks didn't cost enough for us to eat on the cloth covered tables in the dining room. We will not be returning. read more

I've been here twice with family...both times the food was excellent -and very tasty! Will definitely be back!

Poor customer service! I shouldn't even give one star but just so I could write a review I had to put one star.I am usually a very easy person to please, all you have to do is smile and be polite when when you greet and seat me at the table.Well from the moment me and my sister walked in, till the time we decided to leave,which didn't take too long.I didn't see the server/owner be polite and welcoming to us at all! It seemed like she was forced to serve us and hated her job.One of the other girl made an innocent mistake of putting someone else's salad one our table, to that this lady came and quickly picked it up without having common decency to politely excuse us for the mistake and instead just grabbed the plate telling us this is not for you! After that it was hard to sit and still give someone a chance to disrespect their costumers.If you live nearby and have no problem with poor customer service then go ahead give it a try but if you are specially driving for an hour to come for a nice cozy welcoming experience, this is not the place for you.Remember you work too hard for someone to treat you like shit! read more

Needed a place to meet family and found this place. Delicious food and nice atmosphere. We went on the earlier side and it wasn't crowded at all. Didn't realize we couldn't get pizza on the restaurant side so that was the only downfall as we had kids with us that were looking forward to it. Clean and the staff is attentive. I definitely recommend. read more

I love these guys. The food is always delicious. I appreciate that it tastes and feels like home cooking rather than greasy stuff. The chicken Maximo is so freaking good. It's loaded with veggies and deliciousness. Go get it. Right now! You'll thank me later! read more

We visited Villa Francesco's for the first time. The food was DELICIOUS! The special -sesame crusted tuna with asparagus & roasted potatoes-was great. Chicken Maximo with asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms in sauce over homemade pappardella pasta was outstanding! The homemade Pasta Fagioli soup was just perfect. Our waitress-Barbara-was very attentive and made sure we were happy. We liked that restaurant was BYOB. Nice atmosphere and good prices for a top notch meal.....We will definitely be back. Thank you!! read more

The food is excellent the service great I have been there several times I highly recomendable and there is plenty of parking

Hands down, "perfect" pizza! Paper thin crust, the perfect amount of sauce and cheese, crisp crust. If this wasn't over an hour from my house, it would be my, "go to" pizza place. Highly recommend. Maybe next time I can try the attached restaurant. read more

Villa Francesco's - Two slices of pepperoni. (Duh) ;) - Pizza Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

At first, I was perplexed that our area was getting another red sauce Italian restaurant (we already have more than enough). However, I am happy to say that Villa Francesco's is by far the best of the bunch. The food is very solid (if a bit expensive) and I find that they do even basic dishes like Chicken Parmesan really well. The penne with vodka sauce is also outstanding. We have young children who are far more discerning diners than their parents, and they also love coming here. They have a kids meu with portions big enough that you end up taking some home. It would be nice to see this place stick around and gain a following. read more

We've been a few times, once prior to Covid, twice now during Covid and I have to say I'm sorry we haven't ordered more frequently! The food is absolutely delicious! Their meatballs and marinara are to die for! We've gotten pizza which is excellent and a few pasta dishes all amazing! And what makes this experience even better is the ease of online ordering and their curbside pick up system and their excellent service, friendliness and professionalism! Please note: in order to see their extensive menu, you have to click on the online ordering function. Their menu is extensive and the food is fantastic!! Our new go to place!! read more