La Pastaria

Food here was amazing. Great portion sizes for the price and super flavorful! The service was a little slow, being the only reason I didn’t give the full 5 stars. We had to keep calling them over for more water or whatever we needed because they never checked up on us. Overall this is a fantastic Italian restaurant, it really has an authentic Italian feel.

First, let me say that I have been eating at this restaurant for many many years. I work in Summit and live nearby. I always loved the food atmosphere and the service. The food was always tasty, the sauces flavorful, the pasta great and al dente and the portion sizes more than adequate and the prices fair. I can’t tell you how many people I have sent to La Pastaria over the years. I have eaten at the Red Bank restaurant and and liked it as well.
The last few times that we were there in Summit we were very disappointed in the food. We decided to go one more time and order our favorite dishes and then decide if we would ever return based on that experience. We will not be returning. The red sauce lacked its usual flavor. The veal was tough and chewy and over cooked. It tasted old or left over or stale. The waiter offered to give us other selections but by that time we decided that there was no hope. Three strikes and you are out so to speak. There are so many other fine restaurants in the area to choose from. This restaurant has «jumped the shark» if I can use a TV term. Goodbye La Pastaria. It was nice. You cannot rest on your laurels any more. Lastly, one star is a gift. They deserve no stars. I am truly sorry.

My kids’ birthday party was held here. 60 people. Family style. The food was good. The problem was the service and amount of food. The place allocated 2 waiters to the entire party. People finished the first portions and asked for seconds, and the wait staff had to ask the cooks to prepare a new batch. Took a long time to make more food. While waiting, the bus girl started taking plates. People came hungry and left the same. And people were often left without drinks. I had to help the wait staff because they needed it. Ownership saved how much money on the food they didn’t but should have served and service they didn’t but should have provided? Was it worth it? Bad business acumen. Never again.

Another great Italian restaurant in beautiful Red Bank. The vibe was great. I went with my girlfriend and two other couples, and we walked it to a wonderful vocalist singing some great love songs. The waitress was a delight and catered to us every step of the way going above and beyond making sure we were happy. The food was top notch as well. I had the lasagna and it was such a generous portion for one person. A plus is that it’s BYO. The owner was great as well, even going as far as to join us is a sing along! I had a wonderful time. Only negative about the restaurant is that it’s a little tight depending on where you sit. Overall I certainly recommend this cute restaurant to anyone looking for a great Italian vibe with great staff!

Haven’t been here in years and was very disappointed to see it had become a combination pizzeria and restaurant. Very noisy and brightly lit and very overpriced. Caesar salad dressing was mayonnaise like, and although the portions were generous, it wasn’t the romantic, nice atmosphere restaurant that it used to be. No tablecloths. The «other side» of the restaurant was taken over by two private parties. I wish they had told me this when I made the reservation. Won’t be returning…

Terrible customer service.
We called ahead, were told that they don’t take names or reservations, and that the wait was then 20 – 25 minutes. We arrived 15 minutes later, and proceeded to wait. And wait and wait. We spent an hour in line before giving up.
A trio of friends of the owners showed up after us and after another party that had already been waiting a long time too. They spent their waiting time chatting with one of the owners. Guess who got the 1^st open table after about 30 minutes? So the only thing I can conclude is that some guests are more important than others.
To be fair, the food that we saw being brought to the tables looked great. So recommend you either show up early, be in their «friends & family» network, or be prepared to endure 2^nd-​class-​citizen status at peak times.

Delicious foods with large portions (pasta available in a large /​smaller size) where the small was sufficient. Cute place that was a smidge loud as it was packed. Our server was very friendly and made us feel like we were regulars instead of first-​timers.

I’m not very familiar with downtown Summit, but there is a small parking lot where you can park for free. I decided to eat at La Pastaria because I was craving some comfort Italian food and wanted to park somewhere for free before my Workshop event at Paper Source.
This restaurant reminded me of being in Italy. I ordered fried mozzarella and a seasonal salad with butternut squash. The food was flavorful and comforting. Not too expensive and a nice place to grab a bite to eat. Also, I really loved the bread and oil!

Always great. Last visit was 12÷24÷15. We had 9 adults and 2 babies. Our servers name was Robert. His patience and efficient and professional, great attitude, would be reason enough to give this BYOB 5 stars. But the food was over the top. Absolutely delicious. It seems like it gets better each year. Very Impressed!

Been coming here for years. BYOB
The people and the wait staff are always great and accommodating.
I feel the food quality has gone down the last couple of years. This place should be and could be a 4 or 5 star review. They have a good menu and are very family friendly they just need to up the quality of the food that comes out of the kitchen.
I am saying this because I really like coming here and really want for the restaurant to succeed.
… Wanting to love it again!!!

Love the food, and atmosphere is great for families or a date night out!
We have been coming here since we moved back to the area, they have always been friendly and courteous and food is great!

I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. Stopped by here for lunch with a company 5 and made reservations ahead of time. After entering the restaurant we were seated quickly and had our beverage order taken along with warm bread being brought out. At the table, there was already small plates with an olive oil and herb mixture on it, I wish I could have poured the oil myself as then I would have known how long it was sitting out for on the plate.
For the appetizer we ordered Fritti Calmari (fried calamari with marinara) and the Melanzano Di Forma (short stack of breaded eggplant, ricotta and asiago cheese in a marinara sauce). The bread that was served was crusty on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The oil herb mixture was a great compliment to the bread. The calamari was crispy fried goodness on the outside and delicious calamari on the inside that was not over cooked or rubbery. The stacked eggplant was delicious and fresh with a nice amount of creamy ricotta in between each piece of eggplant. So now you’re thinking, the appetizers were fantastic why in the heck is it only 3.5 stars, or rather 3 stars that is seen and my answer is that had this all that I had eaten it would have been a 4 star, but the main course and dessert brought it down.
For the main course I ordered the Gemelli pizza (shrimp, sun dried tomato, basil, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese) and he Tiramisù for dessert. The pizza was disappointing. While the shrimp wasn’t overcooked, the rest of the pizza was lacking. When I read the description of the pizza I imagined leaves of basil on the pizza, what I got was decorative flakes of basil sprinkled on next to the crust of the pizza that didn’t contribute anything to the overall taste of the pizza. Either the sauce or the sun dried tomatoes on the pizza were too salty for my taste. The crust was just average in my book. Seeing Tiramisù at this Italian restaurant I was so excited to try it. The Tiramisù was presented terrifically in a wine glass with fresh whipped cream on top sprinkled with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. There was a thin layer of coffee soaked lady fingers on the bottom of the glass. The ratio of mascarpone to lady fingers was off as there was too much mascarpone cheese and the coffee flavor wasn’t evident/​present in the lady fingers. Had they given me food coloring soaked lady fingers I would not have been able to tell the difference between the two.
Overall, great attentive staff, awesome appetizers, okay pizza, and not properly proportioned Tiramisù. The sandwiches that others in my group ordered were humongous and delicious from what I was told. If I come back I will try the sandwiches as they looked filling and yummy and are definitely large enough to to be split between two people.

Still trying to figure out if the waiter was just socially awkward .but the food was good I have been here a few times over the years. The chicken savoy was very tasty and everyone was pleased with the dinners and apps!

The appetizers are huge ! I had Melanzane or eggplant Parmesan and a Cesar Salad, stuffed and fabulous!-

They waiter that greeted was rude. We ordered drinks right away, and he literally put a wrapped straw in my drink.
Shortly after that another waiter showed up who was pretty friendly. Took our order but we never saw him again until the food came out.
The gluten free pasta was overpriced and wasn’t that great. The sauces on both were just below average.

This is probably the best casual Italian restaurant in the area, along with Copolla in New Providence. Food is always good and reliable, and the wait staff is friendly. If you come on a Sunday, try the Sunday Gravy over Cavatelli… it’ll remind you of your grandmothers cooking :)

Pastaria is a reliable old standby. Food is good. Service generally good. Great place for a group or family celebration. This time, however, our waiter reaked of cheap cologne and cigarettes, killing our appetite. Restaurants should have some policy for their wait staff to avoid these situations. Not sure we’ll return to risk having that experiences again.

I used to love La Pastaria and upon recommending it to a friend who was visiting from NYC I was appalled when we were eating there and the restaurant was filled with flies. The food also came out not properly cooked. It may have just been an off night, but I certainly will not be back to find out if that was the case or not. RIP La Pastaria — thanks for the memories.

Dinner out to connect with old friends. Third visit and food was still top notch.
Cauliflower app was fantastic. Had the veal parm entrée, outstanding! The veal was gigantic, enough for three dinners portions. Rest of group enjoyed their food as well.
Plus, BYOB, free parking in rear of restaurant. Negative, why do you have a big screen tv on the wall of the main dining room? Very distracting.

This is your basic BYOB pizza/​Italian joint.
It’s a good place to go with kids or family. The prices are reasonable and the portion sizes are more than adequate. They aren’t doing anything particularly special, but the food is absolutely fine.
My kids enjoyed the pizza. I enjoyed the grouper oreganata. I went on a Sunday, and they did a good job of presenting a fresh fish option.
They have pretty much your standard Italian fare, including pasta, chicken, mussels/​clams and salads.
The service was adequate – though they did forget to bring out one of our soups and had to be reminded a couple of times.
The meal came out quickly enough – always a plus when dining with children. They even brought out the kids’ pizza with the appetizers, another plus as the kids tend to get impatient.
You won’t get blown away here, but it’s a fine enough local option to get a decent Italian meal.