La Taverna

I was looking for some good Italian food, while I was staying in Jersey. I came across this restaurant with great reviews and I was not disappointed! Everyone in my family finished their food, nothing was spared. If you’re in the area, check this place out! Our waitress Joan was extremely sweet!

We had a great time with some coworkers at La Taverna. Staff was super friendly and gave awesome recommendations on their menu. we shared few appetizers, and I had the soup of the day, Pork Shank and Cheesecake with Espresso. I will definitely come back here

So excited I found this place. The vibe was very laid back and relaxed. The service is just 5 stars, so attentive and polite. As for the food, high marks for taste and flavor. I am going back.

Quick prompt service :) I got the vegetable ravioli with brandy mushroom sauce. Lobster bisque was filling and the special of the day was peppers stuffed with prosciutto and cheese!

Amazing place for a great meal. The staff is second to none, everyone was so pleasant. Plenty of parking and numerous menu items. Everything we had was excellent! Our party had the salmon, burger, filet minion, bolognese, and a shrimp and scallops special. Amazing, and we will definitely be back to try some of their other menu items.

Delicious food, with great burgers, pastas, and appetizers. Very cute place, with a cozy, fun vibe. Almost feels historic, and who knows, maybe it is! We love the tavern burger, the ravioli, and the calamari. We also enjoy the bread and oil that they bring out! A great option in the South Brunswick area.

Food was really good! Cocktail was strong and good. We had pizza, gnocchi and salmon special. This place was good and I will come back!

Always impressed with home made raviolis!! Servers are really friendly and careful during COVID times. Great selection of beer. Love the taste of each and everything I ordered including the fresh bread and yum olive oil that had basil in it. Dessert was alright but overall love the place, portions and pricing!

The food here is excellent! I had penne vodka and it was delicious. The waitress we had was very kind and helpful. Her name is Vicki. I think she did an outstanding job as a waitress. This restaurant gives off a homey vibe, and old fashioned vibe.

Such a good spot! It's such a warm and beautiful place, much bigger than you think! The bruschetta was not my favorite but a huge fan of everything else - the penne vodka and vegetable ravioli with pesto cream was great! The winner tho was the spicy vegetable pizza - super unique and delicious

Quality balsamic vinegar in the herb chicken sandwich ($15). Delicious sautéed onions and peppers help provide the moisture to this sandwich. This is served on a nice crusty Italian bread and covered in a fresh melted mozzarella. So thankful for the team who accommodated my request for onions on the plain pizza. My mom was very happy with this bubbly, thin-crust personal pie ($16). My favorite bite though was The Dark Side of the Moon Chocolate ($10). I don't even really like cake, but having half of this extra dark and rich sweet was so satisfying. I absolutely adore the chocolate crescent moon decoration.

Amazing people, delicious food! The wait staff was so attentive and helpful in planning and made the day perfect!

Joined a large group dinner gathering in their upstairs room. It's a great space for a gathering however there is no sound dampening so it's very difficult to hear each other with 30 people talking to each other! The food was delicious and the service was very attentive which we appreciated! I enjoyed the calamari and caprese appetizers, the salmon was cooked very nicely except that it was served on a bed of very plain Angel hair pasta - seemed odd and a lost opportunity for some additional flavor! I would have appreciated some vegetable with that as well. This is a good spot to try if you're in the mood for Italian, in this area!

No stars. Was treated rudely at the door when I walked in and asked for a table for 3. The man at the host stand looked at me, shook his head and just said "No." Not, "I'm sorry but we are full." or even "It'll be about an hour wait"... so we won't be going back. And PS the parking lot is ridiculous. If you're doing so well that you just dismiss customers at the door, then get your parking lot done.

We saw this place while driving by and stopped in. Love the atmosphere outside the restaurant. Open restaurant and they have a lot of space outside . Drink was good. Love the blue moon here on a hot day :) cocktails were good too. Loved the service . Quick service . Food was ok. Quantity was a little less.. chicken wings was good .. veggies and aspharagus were good too, except for the quantity . Overall we liked it . Thumbs up .

Traveled through we had dinner at this cute eatery. Service was friendly and helpful. This tavern has outdoor dining as well as indoor. The wine, the food and the atmosphere was that of an old establishment that locals get to enjoy. I would definitely return if I was a local just for their salad alone. Quick, easy and left satisfied.

Dinner on a Friday and we're off to La Taverna.... Apparently a neighborhood favorite with lots of regular diners judging for the friendly banter coming from several tables of the "Over 55 Active adult "set. Seated in a cozy,dark paneled dining room decorated to mimic some early 1900 drawing room we perused the menu and decided on staying with the favorites... The excellent French onion soup all around.. good but could have benefitted from a shot of sherry to add some kick to an otherwise savory broth. Fried calamari was lightly breaded and fried but the marinara was just too salty and sour. Baked eggplant Rollatini,Shrimp and crabmeat ravioli,Fettuccini Bolognese and the special scallops and shrimp in a vodka sauce hits the table and I won't bore you with the details because everything was...OK...just OK. Here's the thing... OK is just not good enough at $40.00/person plus tip with no alcohol for what basically amounts to generic Italian food....sorry, I want more. I hear the burgers are good... but the same can be said of 5 guys at half the cost.Look go if you must but no one is busting the door down to dine in a glorified pizza parlor.

Nice little restaurant, have a very family owned kind of vibe. The servers were very nice and polite. It looked like it's famous among the older friends and families but our young group had fun too! The food was delicious, we had asian calamari, roasted peppers for appetizer. The apps tasted great. We had spicy veggie pizza for the table to share, they call it spicy for a reason, it is pretty spicy but it's pretty good also! My entree was lobster ravioli, and it was very good! I was so full with the apps but I took the leftover home and enjoyed as a lunch for next day and it was still pretty good. Oh! also they have on the house bread, crusty outside warm and soft inside, served with basil-olive oil, i want to learn how to make that bread. Just the best bread ever! The selection of dessert is also great! I forgot to take pictures but yummy cannoli and chocolate mousse cake, Only thing I wouldn't recommend is their espresso martini! Otherwise go for it and enjoy the delicious food!

The food is delicious especially the fish specials. The staff is super friendly. The restaurant is beautiful inside and they also have outside seating.

Mediocre at best! Small portions, not well prepared or presented. Staff was very nice; however, spend your money elsewhere. We won't be back.

After pumpkin picking at Von Thun farms, my friends and I got dinner at La Taverna. We ordered the garlic bread to share and the white bean ravioli, chicken francese, lobster ravioli, and chicken sandwich. The garlic bread was AMAZING and probably the best garlic bread I've ever had despite it being a bit oily. We also got complimentary bread with a pesto olive oil, which was greatly appreciated. My lobster ravioli was less expensive than lobster ravioli at other restaurants and was pretty tasty. However, I feel that the pasta aspect of the ravioli was slightly more chewy/tough than i would have preferred.

Fresh food full of flavor. I deducted one star because the ambience is a bit lacking. This place used to have such a cozy romantic dimly lit interior. Now the dining area is just one big room with tables in a brightly lit blue space. The chorizo flambé is an awesome appetizer and is cooked tableside. A must for starters! Try any of their seafood dishes- all are flavorfully prepared. Don't forget the drinks! The bartender made a special original concoction for me when I described what I liked and it was amazing! Friendly and delish! Like I said, I just wish it was a bit more cozy. For a quick bite, have a seat at the bar where the atmosphere is warm and welcoming

Exterior of building is blah but interior is nice. Had ravioli with shrimp and lobster, which was good. Service ok. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Parking lot needs a paving.

Always delicious, fast, and patient with rustic charm and service. A dining experience and I never feel rushed.

Wanted to try Taverna for a few years but decided to wait until things calmed down for the summer. My first impression is a good one. Beautiful interior which is welcoming and warm. The service was impressive and did not miss a beat as the server was well spoken and professional. A completely stress free dining experience. We order salad and calamari appetizers that were well portioned with excellent presentation. Our main courses, a brick oven pizza and shrimp with orzo, both delivered with proper timing. I recommend Taverna for a wonderful dining experience in downtown Newark.

Really nice meal here with friends stopping through town. Great atmosphere, we didn't have a reservation so sat at the bar initially, the staff was very friendly. When we got our table the waitress was attentive and gave good suggestions. The short rib ragu was tasty.

Great intimate dining. Great date night location. Wonderful food. Fun drinks. Visited recently on a Saturday where is was 90's retro night. Fabulous 90's Free Style DJ.

I can't wait to see the inside! My only experience at La Taverna so far had been with the outdoor dining situation because of the pandemic. Not only that, I came during torrential downpour. Luckily they had a tent, and the staff were still so lovely and accommodating. It's a nice looking establishment and I'm looking forward to another visit in the future. I enjoyed the chicken parmigiana with a glass of house sauvignon blanc. All the menu items sounded so delicious, especially the half chicken or lamb shank. Next time I'mm come hungrier and get the Burrata as an appetizer!

Hidden gem! From cocktails to entrees to dessert, the food and service was on point. Very pleased with our dining experience this evening. We will be back soon!

Food was average. Limited menu. Below average service. Nice atmosphere. Will never go back and will share our experience. We are not drinkers, but we did order soups & salads before our upper priced entrees & coffee after. Asked for dessert menus, which were never brought. Instead, we were told the owner asked us to leave, so someone else could have our table. Very rude!

We love La Taverna! Great atmosphere. Friendly waitstaff. Very cool interior. Their Burrata appetizer is just great - never had better. So is their pesto oil. Great burgers, artisan pizza, pastas, entrees - all solid. So much better than the chains that surround them...

Decent food, please don't ever get the espresso martini (more milky than I anticipated); very bad service (I think there was a 30 min wait between being served water and someone coming out to get an order; and by the time they came we'd forgotten what we wanted to get!) However, dessert was fabulous- would recommend the Peanut Butter Explosion (but! remember to order it while ordering apps so you get it in time!)

This was the 3rd time we where there. This time there was only 2 people seated in entire restaurant, it was 4:10 Pm. The waiter asked owner where to seat us, he looked at us and he said no seats, there was reservations coming in. We can sit in the bar area. We weren't happy about that. The bartender was very nice and understood that we weren't happy and the waiter also was very nice. He came back and said people who where waiting for others to come didn't show and he could seat us in dining room. We had finished and got up and saw that only 2 other table was occupied, and the waiters where just standig around not busy. We did not feel welcome from the owner and won't be back. There are many other great restaurants in the area, and you would think the owner would have been more welcoming.

Steak was Perfect Martini was Perfect Service was Excellent What more needs be said.

La Taverna is an Italian restaurant in the body of a colonial era tavern in Dayton, NJ. It has been very well preserved and today is a comfortable retreat with long cozy bar, enclosed front porch dining area and back of house eating rooms. There is plenty of parking, although the surrounding lot is in serious need of repaving. We chose a deuce high top in the barroom and received excellent service from the bartendress. It was mid-afternoon, so we opted to share their Original Burger (medium w cheddar), sweet potato fries, and the homemade Ravioli with Vodka Sauce, as recommended by our server. Everything arrived prepared for sharing. The burger transected on two plates, and a large bowl of square ravioli pillows accompanied by two clean side plates to handle the distribution. The burger was as requested and had very good taste and texture with enough juice to require extra napkins. The fries were perfectly done straight arrows, crisp bite and fresh taste with a touch of ketchup. The ravioli was fun to eat, freshly made with thin membrane dough and a soft cheesy filling. The sauce was creamy pink tomato coverage which we finished with a few twists of a black pepper mill. Liked it all alot. We are out this way once or twice annually to visit family gravesites, and La Taverna was the right place to stop afterwards to refresh and reflect. We are very likely to do it again.

We had an awesome experience this week at La Taverna. We reserved a table for 12 at noon to wish our supervisor good luck in her new job. Tim took our orders over the phone ahead of time. We were seated in a cozy but spacious spot and the food was delivered by our friendly waiter five minutes after we sat down. All of the orders were correct and every dish was delicious. One person forgot to add chicken to her salad and the waitor cheerfully took care of it. We were really able to enjoy our lunch, relax, reminisce and laugh together. It meant a lot to all of us that because if the professional service and tasty array of lunch entrees, we had such a lovely farewell. We'll be back. Next time AFTER work, so we can have a drink or two!

Haven't been here in a while-not sure why! Drinks were good, service excellent and food amazing. It was super packed on a Tuesday night too! The brushetta appetizer was yummy.

Wow food is out of this world. Sat outside under the tent. Service was impeccable and everything was fresh, clean and timely. We dined with another couple and shared most dishes. Definitely nice size portions. We had as follows: Burrata, Calamari, French Onion Soup, Original Burger with was subbed with grilled vegetables, Short Ribs, side of broccoli rabe we shared, linguini & clams. The grilled vegetables were delicious, consisting of grilled onion, red pepper, asparagus and eggplant. Top notch. We had dirty martinis & espresso martinis that were made perfectly. *side note, the linguini and clams were a bit too salty for our friend who ordered it. But some people like really salty.. if you're sensitive to too much salt I suggest another dish or requesting no/less salt when ordering. We are already planning our next trip back.

Our wait staff were very nice but the food I thought was just ok for the prices. The coffee was not hot, and he bought out only one little creamer for all of us. Also I think they could have put two bread baskets because we were a party of eight people. They also charge for using your credit card. The building is unique. But other than that, I don't think I will be going back any time soon.

A very cool pub with alot of character. But beware - menu is overpriced and mediocre quality. Stick to burgers, sandwiches and pub type appetizers. I ordered the Taverna steak rare, which I had several times before and was very good. Tonite, it came out tough and medium and the server told me it was rare because it looked "glassy". not to be a snob but I know what a rare steak is. Also my wife ordered the filet mignon special and it was cooked to order, but tough. No offer to take my steak off the bill or offer something to replace it. Again, a cool place to hang out, but avoid entrees.

Beautiful outdoor dining, excellent high quality food, and great service means we'll definitely be back for more! Everything that came out to other tables looked delicious as well! Great pricing and great portions!

Every time I pass by this restaurant I tell my fiance that I want to go there. Well, the other night we finally went! First off it is a beautiful building with a really interesting classy eclectic style that made me feel like I was one of the dinner guests in Knives Out. I would love to go back again and sit in all the other rooms and the bar, just for the ambiance. I will say that we did not look at the menu beforehand (except for one picture of goat cheese raviolis on yelp) and we were not expecting the menu to be italian (which in retrospect I guess the name should have been a clue), but were pleasantly surprised! Some say you can judge an italian place based on its bread, and La Taverna really blew us away with their warm fluffy bread and amazing pesto dip. It was such an unexpected pleasant touch to the dinner. The menu itself is a bit small, I get the feeling that this place relies more on its specials than its base menu? There were not too many things on the base menu that grabbed my eye as being unique that you couldn't get elsewhere, but the food itself was prepared in a way that felt very unique if that makes sense. Unfortunately they were out of the white bean and basil ravioli, and all the interesting ones I saw in the yelp pictures were not available! Well, you always need a reason to go back...

Surprisingly delicious! I remember thinking there weren't too many options to eat when I was traveling for work, but this place really surprised me. Delicious entrees to the point I was scraping my plate for more. Delicious and great job.

Excellent food cocktails and service . We've been there twice in a month and will keep going back!

Food is delicious. What makes this for us is the outdoor dining. Although it is only the corner of 2 busy streets, it does not feel that way. Great place to eat outdoors.

A friend and I decided to try this place the other day. I'm glad we did. The service was very polite, prompt and helpful. We started with the bruschetta which was yummmm. For the entree she had the portabello mushroom ravioli which was good and I had the sesame crusted salmon salad. It was quite nice but definitely needed more dressing. For dessert she had the profiteroles, again very good and I had the creme brûlée. It was one of the best I've had. In fact the desserts were so good, we go gobbled them up and I forgot to take pics We will definitely be going again

Friendly service and staff. Great food whether dinner or just some bar snacks . Great atmosphere

Would never step foot into this restaurant ever again after the deplorable treatment by the usher and the waitress....

Honestly meh. The history is cool. The building is so beautiful, the french onion soup good, meatballs ok, but the rest of the food 'meh'. My chicken was prepared a ling time ago and dry. Worst part was the service really. The bartender has a REAL bad attitude. It seems like she prob only likes locals. Bo one comes to check on you after you get your food. I won't be going back.

We were really looking forward to trying a new restaurant but were very disappointed. I ordered my favorite meal, chicken parmigiana, but it was drowning in jarred sauce and nearly inedible. My husband ordered the braised short ribs and they too were dowsed with gravy. Sadly disappointed.

I love this place! A little old home turned into a restaurant. Great spot to meet friends.

Comfy, local restaurant with a diverse menu. Everything tastes great. Good service, decent prices.

Awful food. Even the bread was stale. My husband got flavorless, dry salmon, that we had to add sauce to, in order to make it edible. I ordered scallops with mushroom risotto - which wreaked of a fish smell and also had no flavor. Scallops had no char on them - despite being pan fried. Risotto is hard to ruin - but they ruined that too. And to boot, our meal was quite expensive.

Atmosphere is adorable. Food just ok. I say that because I ordered a burger medium and it was literally pink. I got take out so had to recook the burger when I got home.

This was our first visit to LA Taverna. The food was delicious. The service was fantastic. I would definitely return to this neighborhood gem. The only downside is when you are presented with your tab at the end of the meal there is a $5.00 credit card fee. Ordinarily it would not be a big deal, but when your are spending well over $150.00 on dinner for two, and there is no notice of this ridiculous surcharge, it kind of makes the whole evening kind of sour. When I voiced my opinion, the server even said it was "tacky". When I spoke with the manager he said it was "due to the pandemic". And the other choice was to "raise prices". Honestly I would rather a slight raise In price than a tacky credit card fee. Very disappointing.

Came here for a business lunch. Ordered French onion soup, grilled salmon and tiramisu for dessert. The food was great and I'm glad we came here. Our server was attentive but messed up a co-worker's order. The food took a long time but it was the lunch rush. Prior to coming for much, I had heard their Chilean sea bass was very good. Unfortunately they don't have it on the menu anymore. Would love to try their happy hour menu.

Fried Zucchini special order but great- all else good as always! Bring back happy hour!