Ninette Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Horrible, One of the worst meals and experiences I have had. Upon entering the place looked dingy and in need of a major makeover. I have been there many times over the last few years and at best it was only just OK, but my Mother in Law liked it so we went there to my objection. Since my MIL passed away a couple of years ago we haven‘t been there until last Saturday Night. The service was terrible as it took them 5 minuets just to seat us, I wanted to leave at this point but my wife wanted to stay because we were hungry so we stayed. They had a party in the back porting of the dining room and all their attention was not on the walk Ins unless they knew you and gave those patrons their undivided attention. I ordered lasagne which the waitress said it was excellent. My wife ordered a chicken cutlet parmigiano sandwich. First, with my dinner there was no salad just bread with butter. When the lasagna came out 20 minuets later it looked disgusting. It was not layered just one sorry looking plate of I don’t know what. I called the waitress over and said this is not lasagna, where are the layers of pasta, cheese, sauce and meat? She said that they make it non-​traditional and they roll it. The waitress service was as unappealing as the meal and she served us as she was doing us a favor. It was not rolled at all it was flat on the plate and looked like somebody just threw some meat, cheese, sauce and two pieced of pasta on a blade and backed it. It tasted the way it looked. The Sauce they used for my dish and Wife‘S sandwich tasted like it was straight from the can, just disgusting. This is the first review I have ever posted because I was so upset with the entire experience. Avoid this place at all costs.

I love Ninette’s I’ve been coming here since I was little and they have great Italian food without the frills and at a great price.
Everything on the menu is good from the pizza, to the antipaste, and all of the pastas. Go with the specials that they offer, the fish dishes are great and there is sometimes a homemade pasta on there.
This is a place to come with family or a casual night. It is often filled with families of all ages, kids and parents after soccer, and the old timers enjoying the food.
The service is warm, accommodating, and understanding.
Maybe not for a date night, but add to your regular list.

First time at Ninette’s and it was just OK. The first thing that turned me off was that the carpet was so dirty that my feet stuck to it like flypaper. The penne with vodka sauce was just mediocre. The antipasto had lettuce that was a little past its prime. The eggplant rollatini was pretty good. Service was good. I don’t know if I will go back.

Used to love this Restaurant. Back in the day, they made the best Pizza around. Fresh, quality ingredients. Pies that could not be beaten anywhere.
It seems that they are now under new ownership. Gone are the familiar faces. Also gone are the quality pies. You can tell that they have gone cheap on ingredients. Their pizzas are sloppy, greasy, and without flavor. Thought perhaps I got a bad pizza, but a second time purchase garnered the same lousy pie.
The thrill is gone as far as Ninette’s is concerned. I found another great pizzeria less than a mile away from them. It’s nice to find a new favorite that doesn’t skimp on quality ingredients at a time when everyone is tightening their belt.

Love this place! Every now & then i get a craving for one of their: subs, calzones or eggplant parms. Their one of the better Italian places in the area — definitely higher quality ingredients. And their cannolis are absolutely delicious — incredibly fresh!

They have the BEST SICILIAN PIZZA EVER! Great sauce, not just a foundation of dough with cheese like a lot of places. The regular pizza is also great, I’d put it up against anyone else’s. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is comfortable. My buddy swears by their mussels.

Amazing service, and top of the line Italian food. Paul, the owner, and his daughter, Judith, make you feel like home. The service is great, and everything is homemade. Margarita pizza is one of my favorites. Food is always fresh and I never leave unhappy. Total 5 stars for Ninette’s!

My family and I have been customers of Ninettes for 30+ years. Paul, Judith and the staff are nothing but accomdating and warm, and treat you as though you are dining in their home. They know most of their customers by name and and treat them like family. That is the atmosphere you encounter when you come to Ninettes.
If you are looking for good, homecooked Italian food like your grandmother («Nona» if you are Italian like me) used to make, this is the place to come. The pizza is very good too, with the sicilian being one of the best I’ve ever had.
The stand-​out dish for me is Eggplant Rollatini with the Gourmet salad as an appetizer.
Not sure why there are a few bad reviews but those are NOT the norm for Ninettes. Great prices, great food, family atmosphere.

Great service and vibe, had a calzone and chicken pesto on focaccia bread, everything was delicious !!! Very nice staff and great food. Clean restaurant as well ;)

Awful! The service was terrible! Had to get my own menu, server was rude and slow, and the food was terrible! I would definitely not recommend!

I’m in this place so much I might as well work there haha! GREAT food, GREAT service and a GREAT atmosphere. Love it and love taking my kids here as I was brought as a kid. Good food!

The only thing I’ve had here is the Florentine pizza with bacon, and it’s so good that it’s ridiculous. I like that the bacon is in small crumbles, not slices or chunks. I also don’t mind that each slice has what feels like a metric ton of said bacon crumbles. The florentine is also offered with mushrooms instead of the bacon, if you’re trying to keep it on the light and/​or vegetarian side.

My baked ziti was good. My friend wasn’t impressed with the sauce. Pizza was OK — I’ve had better in Staten Island. They don’t make their own ravioli (comes in boxes). Their lasagna is partially home-​made — they buy the noodles.

I’m not sure if they drugged the food or if the people giving positive reviews are actually serious…
The atmosphere reminds me of the former Mike & Nelly’s on Rt.35 in Ocean (which, if anyone remembers, was shut down after being featured on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares): They play the same CD every night in the same order, the carpets are filthy and it’s just, well, sad looking. Beyond the fact that the lemons for our waters were slimy, I was underwhelmed from the start but tried to have an open mind.
We had appetizers to share at the table. Starting with the «Fried Calamari» (quotation marks are necessary because they were more like lukewarm, breaded rubber bands and less like calamari) was flavorless and entirely too chewy. Fried? I think not. Re-​heated from a freezer bag? DING DING DING! We have a winner. The hot dipping sauce was okay though. Next, the Zucchini Flowers. They were, I suppose, meant to resemble a fried piece of zucchini. They tasted instead like ¾ tempura batter and ¼ zucchini remnants. Greasy and practically inedible. The chef gave us tomato and mozzarella on the house, and the mozzarella was fresh, but the tomatoes were certainly not ripe yet.
Main course:
I ordered the angel hair pasta with white clam sauce. Holy tits. The pasta was overdone, and the clam broth was FLAVORLESS. Absolutely flavorless. The clam bits had to be canned. I tried to add salt and pepper onto this dish to make it taste less like mild clam water, but to no avail. My friend ordered the penne vodka with chicken. The chicken tasted like it might have come from a bag from Costco, pre-​sliced and a little dry (much like the calamari) and the sauce… WHOO LORDY that sauce was SOUR. I ever asked her if she thought the vodka sauce tasted funny and she said she noticed it tasted different than other vodka sauces, but she didn’t hate it. I politely asked to wrap my food up and promptly threw it out when I got home. Never again.

I will never return to this pizzeria. Eat here if you like a pie loaded with grease, on top of that they overcharged me for a pitcher of Pepsi. Not worth going to this place, there is far better around town. The pie was so loaded with oil, the pizza was drenched in it. Upon returning home my son felt like he was going to throw up. Anyone knows a good pizza is one not loaded with oil. Besides $ 7.50 for a pitcher of Pepsi was a bit much, and after speaking to the manager he did not offer anything off. I will never return to this place.

Went there this past Sat. night. All I can say is, «fantastic!» From the guitarist, through the appetizers, salads, main courses and dessert, and last but not least… the waitress, Judith… Fantastic! Judith was attentive, personable, and had a genuine desire to male sure we enjoyed our experience. She suggested a salad made with arugula, mozzarella, roasted peppers and pinoli nuts. It was great! The fried calamari was tender and the marinara that came with it was good, warm and plentiful. I asked the waitress if I could order something which wasn’t on the menu, but I had had it at a private function there a few years back. She readily replied, «Absolutely, not a problem.» When it came out, it was succulent, flavorful, and just as I remembered it. I try to cut down on my bread, and Wifey gives me looks when I eat it, but I just had to sop up the leftover sauce! We finished our meal with cappuccinos and a delectable dessert made with lady fingers soaked in some sort of almond flavored «juice» that was out-​of-​this world. And I dare say, I ordered a cannoli, which was the best in the area. They fill them to order, so they’re crisp, not soggy. (Unlike LaRosa’s).
Will I be back? Sure will! My new regular place when I want Italian. I look forward to going back again. And I’ll be recommending it, as well.
A few more experiences where the food and service is this good, and I’ll be glad to hang up 5 stars. Thx, Judith for making our experience a memorable one.

Great food at a great price.

Their calzones are really just the best. The people who work here are awesome, and they are reasonably priced.

*****UPDATE*****
Came here for lunch, and while the service is still sub-​par, the pizza remains delicious.
Perfect crust: crispy without being burnt. not too thick. not too thin.
Perfect sauce: Not too salty or sweet
Perfect amount of cheese.
I can never give this place more stars simply because the waitresses will never be pleasant nor will they ever refill your drink. All this can be overlooked however, for some damn fine pizza.

Wow they have tons and tons of specialty slices.
The florentine with bacon is sublime, please try it. The chicago style eggplant is also pretty freakin good.
Now although the regular slices of pizza i think aren’t up to nyc standard, they are pretty good for nj. And i wouldn’t have trouble comming here to get my pizza fix in red bank area.
Their cold cut subs are meh at best but the chicken parm looked pretty good.
Try it~