Nana's Kitchen

We had an amazing experience tonight. They did a wonderful job setting the ambiance for a special Valentine’s dinner. It was beautiful. The service was great and the women were treated with a thoughtful rose from the owner. We enjoyed every dish we ordered. Scallops, short rib ragu, crème brûlée and cheesecake were beyond delicious. And the bread was fantastic! Highly recommend. ❤️🍽️🇮🇹

What A lovely Gem of a restaurant, the pasta/seafood is amazing. Staff/Chef was so accommodating made us a custom mint drink to our preference which was such a pleasure to receive, not many restaurants are this accommodating but Nanas Kitchen was by for the Most!

Almost forgot about this little “gem” of a restaurant! Beautiful atmosphere with chandeliers and tables spaced at a reasonable distance! Top notch piano entertainment on Saturday night, possible Wednesday and Friday also( call to confirm). Food priced for value and BYOB! Great for a romantic dinner! The veal chop Milanese and Halibut dishes were Top Shelf! Appetizers we’re nice portions. Don’t be in a rush because each dish cooked to order! Sit back, have a another glass of wine and enjoy the singing and piano music!!!

Rushed. Food was great. Chicken Parmesan was fantastic, eggplant rigatoni was great. Constant asking if we were done was extremely annoying. Dishes were half full and we were actively working on the meal and had to answer this question about 5 times during the dinner. Everything else was great. Clean, quite and warm. But my goodness let people eat at their leisure.

My mom threw me the most amazing bridal shower here yesterday. The staff was incredible! They were thoughtful, and kept the party running smoothly. They were friendly and supportive and really did a fantastic job!! I highly recommend hosting an event here!!

Delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. Definitely a spot to check out if you're craving italian. A bit pricy but I felt it was worth every penny. I'll be dreaming of the stuffed mushrooms lol

First time back to this place in many years. Had a group of 12 and I need to tip my hat to Dean, Erica and the rest of the staff and Nana's Kitchen. Excellent job by everyone. Food was fantastic, service was top notch and just a really nice vibe to the place. We will definitely be back!!!

Food did not come out hot. The gnocchi was extremely mushy. However, it all had good flavor. The entertainment got very loud and we felt like we were on a party cruise. Food took extremely long to come out. Especially dessert. From start to finish, dinner took about three hours.

i recently attended a first birthday party at Nanas. the food was amazing, the ambiance was great, and the staff was super friendly. pretty little parties set up the decor flawlessly, i was incredibly impressed. Would definitely go again!!!

Went for uncles celebration. An angry woman st the host stand who told us that her name was Joseph, came by to check on us and coughed all over our food for an extensive period. Quite unpleasant.

Nana's Kitchen is a beautiful restaurant! It's not your usual jeans and tee shirt place. The dining area is immaculate and beautifully decorated. There's some interesting art on the walls. The tables are set nicely. Keep in mind it's a BYOB place. The service is great. You are seated by the hostess and your waiter is classy and very cordial. The menu is limited but I bit upscale. Expect some interesting specials. We had the Fra Diavlo and the Vodka sauce. Both dishes were excellent. Tips here are make a reservation. Bring money! This place is a bit more expensive than it should be. That said it's a nice place.

Very personable and attentive staff. The food is fresh and delicious. This may be a hidden gem-"hidden" due to it being tucked between a few businesses. Fair pricing for a nice experience with plenty of food. We will be back.

We finally got the chance to come here for dinner and the food was excellent! We had the rucola salad, polpette meatballs, chicken milanese, veal parm and creme brulee. The veal parm was outstanding, bone in chop. The portions were very generous across the board. Friday night about half filled, with live music on the piano and guitar which created a nice ambiance. The service was good but a bit slow for food to come out, but we weren't in a hurry so it was all good. Prices were fair as well. Def recommend and we will be back!

We ate Christmas Eve at Nanas Kitchen which we have done before. This year there was a price fixed menu that included appetizers, entree and dessert. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the price per person, it was $95 . I couldn't imagine what it would have cost if it wasn't BYOB. I don't mind paying a fair price but don't like being gouged. Last week we went to Manhattan and had dinner with drinks and didn't cost near that. In the future I will ask if it is a price fixed menu and what the cost is. The food was good and so was the service but I hate being taken advantage of.

Excellent upscale food with good service and Italian cuisine. We really enjoyed the dining with music on a Saturday night! Really a gem of a restaurant in Middletown, NJ!

We had a baby shower here and I must say it turned out really well. The staff went above and beyond. They were extremely helpful with the set up and provided friendly/gracious service. My guest loved the food which was key. I would highly recommend them for dinner or a private event.

We've been wanting to try this place for a while and we will be back. Food was delicious. Everyone loved their selections - 3 went for the pork chop with rave reviews, I loved my chicken parm and the kiddos loved their pasta. I seriously can't believe how much my 4 year old ate. Good service too.

Our server Eleanor was super helpful, kind, and welcoming! We ordered the garlic shrimp, Caesar salad, and gnocchi special to start all recommendations from our lovely server! The rigatoni Bolognese was delicious as well!

Grilled octopus. Very nice place great food great view . Staff is so friendly . I love the ambiance .

When it came to choosing a caterer for our wedding, we wanted someone who could deliver not just incredible food but also provide a tailored menu--and Nana's Kitchen delivered beyond our wildest expectations! From the very first tasting to the last plate served at our reception, every interaction with their team was seamless, professional, and genuinely caring. William the owner specifically is one of the kindest and most personable of all the vendors we were dealing with. The food was nothing short of spectacular--every guest raved about the short ribs which melted in your mouth and fell apart with every fork touch. The salmon melted like butter and the vanilla fruit cake was so simple, not too sweet and delicious it was the perfect pastry/ wedding cake! They perfectly accommodated our dietary needs and offered options for kids, ensuring that every guest felt included and well-fed. What really stood out was their attention to detail. We had them travel to NY and everything was packed away with nothing missing. They even packed extra serving utensils and display dishes to ensure that we had everything we needed to feed our guests with class. The presentation of the food was beautiful, and the service staff was warm, efficient, and so attentive that we didn't have to worry about a single thing. If you're looking for a caterer who will exceed your expectations and leave your guests raving for weeks, Nana's Kitchen is the choice. They didn't just cater our wedding--they elevated it. Do yourself a favor and book them immediately!

Cute local Italian venue. Our waiter was very experienced and running the show. It seemed a bit short staffed, given the holidays, but overall a solid experience. - clams were excellent - clam pasta was even more excellent - bread was hot and olive oil was well mixed - BYOB wine; cork was broken, but they filtered it - ice cream was excellent Overall, food was served quickly, tasted excellent, and would come again.

We went there for an engagement party. The ambiance is nice and the food was pretty good. Good place to host an event.

Love this place...great food and outstanding service! It's nice that they have entertainment on the weekends!

Beautiful restaurant hidden in a nice plaza in Middletown. We discovered Nana's Kitchen through Yelp when looking for a good Italian restaurant to pickup takeout from. We have had food from Nana's twice now and it's absolutely delicious and made with fresh ingredients. The first time we ordered, we got 3 entrees to share for just 2 adults since they had whole branzino on the daily specials (always get the Branzino when it's available-it was sooooo good!!). Their food never disappoints and we look forward to dining there soon. The restaurant interior is beautiful and spacious, and they have a private room that would be great for large family gatherings or special occasions. The staff is so attentive and friendly, they are all wearing masks and following social distancing for all tables in the dining room. To avoid any crowds, the server recommended booking reservations for Thursday and Sunday nights, although she highly recommends coming for the amazing live piano music and singing on Friday nights (starts around 6-6:30pm until 10pm closing). We are huge fans of Nana's Restaurant and look forward to bringing the rest of our family here for a nice dinner!

The service was excellent. The waiter kept coming by to see if we needed anything. The food was fresh and tasty. I had the peach cobbler for dessert and I was in heaven. So fresh and just delicious. It was also a nice touch as they had a piano player which I thought was nice.

Just left the restaurant after our first visit and I assure you it's the last. 7:45, ordered steak, no steak. Then ordered, Bone in Veal chop. Got Veal Cutlets and the waitress ARGUED with me that it was a BONE IN VEAL CHOP!!!! Seriously!?! Basically, tossed the plate back at me and said this is what you ordered. Said there ISN'T a bone in veal in the menu. Until I showed her where it was. Then goes back to tell me it's gone too. Lnao. Only to THEN tell me I can have the special, which is, brace yourself, BONE IN VEAL CHOP!!!! LMAO. SERIOUSLY!?!?! After an hour and a half back and forth I finally get my meal. My date has finished her's and I eat my very bland veal chop, which came with asparagus I told ber 3 times I didn't want, but she included anyway. SMH. Who does that? Who doesn't know the difference and then ARGUES with a customer about it? SMH. Then there's the wanna be Billy Joel Piano man who feels the need for speakers in a medium sized restaurant to blow the ear drums out of everyone. Not to mention the Josie speakers are blown anyway. They are cheap and need to be replaced, from what I could tell. This place is great for those that don't know what real Italian food and service is, but if you know....don't go. As a side note, the average age of the clientele the night we were there was well into retirement, so maybe not the hippest spot to check out I'd say. Ha. Just my opinions for what they are worth, but having lived in Italy for years, I do have some basis for my 'opinion', and this ain't it. I've been to diners Around town and gotten better service as a matter of fact. Not sayin', just sayin'. ;)

Wonderful food and wonderful service. Would highly recommend. Piano was a nice touch as well.

We love Nana's. The service is exceptional, the food is great and they love it when we bring our pup. BYOB and they'll make sure it's chilled as needed. Excellent salads, great appys and superior entrees with nightly specials. I've enjoyed the shrimp, the salmon and other seafood dishes, but pasta fans and vegetarians won't be disappointed either. We end up so full the desserts have to be "to go"!

I m sorry I wanted to love it. How it started : bread for the table I could have broken my tooth on plus it just wasn't good. How do real Italian restaurants not have good bread? We started with the stuffed mushrooms and eggplant pasta dish. They were fine. Then we had 2 specials chicken marsala and stuffed flounder. Both dishes lacked flavor. Very bland. Very disappointing. If you don't know good Italian food you will like it here. Desserts I won't even mention. How is this place surviving with the competition? No pictures taken of the tasteless food. Service was really great and the ambiance was nice. Not sure any of that matters if your not serving amazing food.

Great dining experience - excellent food and entertaining waiter with memory issues. Great experience will be returning!!

Eight for dinner Food - wonderful Service- even better.Yolanda and James were terrific. Ambiance- outdone by the food and service and still great See you again!

Had 5:45 reservations (inside) before the crowd! First timers & like BYoB!! Wow. Great outdoor dining area, and beautiful indoor dining ! Wonderful blue with classic white accents and trim.. very classy! Seated at a nice table against a wall and the busboy came over Immediately with bread(hot!) , olive oil and ice cold water.... Very nice & courteous with a smile!. Waitress soon followed with more smiles and an awesome positive attitude! Provided menus and specials! Placed appetizer order for sausage stuffed mushrooms and main course of NY Strip and seafood Zuppa.. clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops over linguini. At 6:30 the Piano and bass player started... wow- great touch!! Food came out and appetizer and main dishes were truly awesome and spectacular!! NY strip cooked perfectly, and Zuppa was an absolute dream!! Wow!!! Service,Food & Atmosphere- all 5 star!! Well done Nana!! We will be back!!

Have been hearing all sorts of good things about this restaurant. Boy, were we disappointed. 7 of us, went there for dinner to celebrate the birthdays of my son and grandson. The main restaurant was only about 1/2 full. There were 7-8 empty tables. So, they were definitely not busy but they took forever. My grandson ordered a soda and it took almost 10 minutes to get it. We ordered the mozzarella and tomato; Nana's meatballs and stuffed mushrooms, for the appetizer. Frozen meatballs from Costco are much tastier and the sauce, tasted like it was from a jar. When it came time for the entrees, they came out 2 at a time, several minutes apart. With 3 waitresses, they could have had them brought out together. My wife had the halibut which she said was delicious. She was the only one that enjoyed the meal. 2 people ordered the Penne vodka which they both said was bland. I ordered the veal chop parmesan which came with linguini. Unfortunately, the linguini came with the same jar sauce that accompanied the meatballs. However, the veal chop was very good. The one waitress, while walking past the table, asked if everyone was enjoying their meal. I remarked, 'No', to which she just continued along her merry way. Another waitress, asked if I enjoyed my meal, when I said 'No', she said she would be right back and left the table. When she returned to the table, she went to the other side and started clearing off their plates. The short rib dinner was not enjoyed, better than ¾ went unfinished. Finally, the one waitress returned and asked if I wanted my meal wrapped. I said to just wrap the meat as the sauce on the linguini was not enjoyable. She chuckled and remarked that she has not tried the sauce. While the waitresses we polite and cordial, the service can stand some improvement. There is no way that I can recommend this restaurant, to anyone. I certainly will not be returning.

The service is so friendly despite the kitchen missing scallop in our seafood linguine. Our waitress Erica is attentive, professional, and polite. With the kitchen's couple times of mistakes, we need to return a dish and changed it to the seafood linguine. Then the kitchen forgot the scallops. Erica did not show any frustrations at all but patiently help us to choose our alternative and also asked the kitchen to add back the scallops. She also gave us a complimentary dessert. The price is not cheap but the food is tasty. The prawns, clams, calamari, and scallops are fresh and tender. Highly recommend this restaurant. We also ordered an apple walnut arugula salad as appetizer which was one of the best salad I have ever had, so fresh and the dressing has the right amount of balance, absolutely delicious!! They also has music performances (Frank Sinatra type) Friday and Sat, no extra cost. The only cons is they need to change their dated sign on Rt 35. That sign is totally degrading and misguided this restaurant's image .

Had many enjoyable meals at this restaurant in the past. However, tonight was one of my worst dining experiences ever. The server tried his best but the kitchen was a train wreck. My wife and I had meals from the menu that we have enjoyed in the past. This time they weren't worthy of the price. The Ragu meat tasted old and the sauce was too akin to water. The $46 Strip Steak tasted like Chuck Steak from Shop Rite. Flavorless and with the consistency of a piece of leather. I have tasted cardboard in the past that was better. Going to give them some time and maybe go back in the Fall. Hopefully they'll have corrected their mistakes. I used to really enjoy this restaurant and am extremely disappointed. I don't know what's going on in the kitchen, but someone needs to pay attention to the Quality of the Food!!!!!

First off I have to thank our server Barbara, who made our first experience at Nana's amazing. We had the specials for the which were the bone in veal chop and the Florentine style pork chop. Both cuts of meat were very generous and seasoned well. They had a music which was very pleasant. The restaurant is BYOB. This was my boyfriend and I first visit and we were not disappointed. Thank you again for the great food and service.

Absolutely love this place! The food was incredible the atmosphere , the service , the prices all incredible as well. We can't say enough great things about this place. Tried it out of the blue looking for someplace new to try on a night out and we are so impressed. Sweetest most inviting greeting when you walk in the door and just soup to nuts all around 5 stars. We will return ... often !

Ate there last week was pleasantly surprised. Terrific atmosphere with the piano player and base. Food was very good service friendly reasonable prices The only complaint very difficult to find and set back from road and not a big sign Definitely will go back again

Recently went to Nana's on a busy Saturday night with 5 friends. Reservations which we had were definitely needed. Service was efficient and friendly. The short ribs with pappardelle was well prepared and very tasty. My husband's veal chop milanese was just ok. The shared tuna appetizer was very good though very pricey for the small portion. Others at the table enjoyed their meals though without raves. Prices are on the high side. George at the piano was a plus

Always great food and service. This place should be busier than it is, most likely it's not due to it's location not being in a downtown area. It's owned by the same folks who own Fresh in Highlands. So when you can't get into Fresh or one of your other favorites definitely try Nana's, no issue parking and the food is really excellent.

The food is Fantastic!!!! Authentic Italian cuisine at its finest. Will definitely recommend and go back !

Five days after the perfect private lunch party for our Mother's belated 100th Birthday, we returned to celebrate her 101st Birthday. It was definitely the perfectly delicious icing on the cake of her celebrations! Since our first family dinner at Nana's Kitchen in July 2019, has been come our "go to" place for family celebrations. We are so lucky to have discovered this wonderful Italian restaurant. Having been raised with homemade pasta, Italian classics and Italian Pastries (our father was an Italian and French Pastry Chef), we are very particular about dining out at Italian restaurants--The quality of the food and the friendly yet professional service never let's us down. We are looking forward for our next excuse to enjoy this gem of a restaurant in Monmouth County.

If you value excellent itaian cuisine with great service, this is your place! We had a Wedding there, and a luncheon. We had a Ball! The staff took care of all our needs, and we are very happy and recommend it highly!

Great atmosphere from the momeent we walked in I know it was going to be great! The ambiance was perfect...just enough light, low noise levvel, a baby grr as piano-but disappointed there was no pianoo player! Our server was fantastic I did not get her name, but warm, attentive and made us feel special. Mom has pork shank, she said it was delicious..don't eat meat. But my halibut, although overpriced @ 34.00 wAs cooked perfectly woth an orzo fried patty, and broccoli raab done just right, not stringy. Soster had shrimp and chicken franchise and brother-in-law shrimp fradiavlo. Meals were great. A speciial app of Burrado cheese and Nanas meatball were a big hit!! All In all, a really good exxperience will def go back!

Formerly "Anna's"...now, the same owner as "Fresh" in Highlands NJ...who greeted us, along with John the maitre'd...Barbara was our dutiful server...obviously, everyone was quite accommodating...started with complimentary buffalo mozzarella with reduction as well as interesting rolls...we (4) shared appetizers of a cold seafood salad and rapini...my entree was frutta di mare with a light red sauce...delicious...the attention we received was exceptional...did not stay for dessert (we were invited to our friends')...everyone else said their dinners were great...I'm happy to find a good Italian restaurant in Middletown NJ! PS BYo

Came here for a baby shower. Food was really good! Loved the hummus! Couldn't get enough of it! Loved the salad although it was missing croutons. Outside area was set up very well. While there the ash tray for smokers went on fire due to having garbage in it. I do believe the ash tray is for the entire strip and not just the restaurant. Overall it was a great place to attend a baby shower.

Great service, great food and great entertainment! Came here Xmas eve and not only was my food on point, the waitress was so nice to my girls and invited my husband and I to stay and enjoy ourselves while she walked them to watch the pianist. It made our night! I can't wait to come back!

Incredible restaurant that you will have a great experience at. Food is gourmet and you can taste the passion the chef owner puts into it. Top notch service by people you feel enjoy working there. Food was fresh, well prepared and plentiful. BYO is a big plus as well! This is the place you wish all restaurants would aspire to be like. Go enjoy!

Hosted surprise birthday party for 30 people on a Saturday evening. Service was good, food was great and the room was perfect for the occasion. William, the owner, made the planning process easy providing menu ideas, various options for setting up the room and meeting with us to discuss our plans. The servers helped decorate the room and made sure the surprise went off without a hitch. Slightly more per head than other places we spoke with, but we wouldn't have had a private room. It was worth the money. I'd host a party here again without hesitation.

Nothing to speak about. Owners' family gets special food, all others see menu.

Horrible service. Waited over an hour for a meal. Would absolutely never come back. Wish I could give 0 stars. After leaving this review, I am now receiving nasty messages from an employee at the restaurant.

What an amazing surprise - this fabulous restaurant is a hidden treasure. We enjoyed our farm to table dishes - seafood and pasta were outstanding. BYOB. Best surprise was when we ate in their courtyard, the outdoor walls were painted with a mural as if we were in a lovely bucolic setting - brought back memories of our trip to Italy. Great service and can't wait to return.

First time at Nana's Kitchen -simply wonderful! We dined on Saturday evening. They had a Jazz duo - piano and bass that provided great dinner music comparable to any of the great supper clubs in Manhattan. Great musicians! Dinner was excellent! There were four of us dining. We ordered two appetizers for the table- Vongole and Cozze. The Vongole had very fresh medium size little neck clams in a white wine lemon sauce, a little too salty for my liking, but very tasty. The Cozze was fresh PEI muscles in a tangy and delicious Italian red sauce. For the entree I had the grilled Ahi Tuna filet, served medium rare Asian - Italian fusion style. It was SM accompanied with sauté spinach over mashed potatoes with a mildly hot tasty wasabi and soy reduction - so delicious! Two others had the Grouper special with crab stuffing served with sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes with a very tasty sauce - enjoyed by everyone. The other person in our party went with the Bone-in veal chop. A very large cut and very tender and delicious. My overall impression is that this is a first-rate restaurant and among the best Italian Continental style restaurants in all of Monmouth Ocean counties. I also have to give the service by the waiters and staff an A+! Very professional! I highly recommend Nana's Kitchen, if you desire great food, BYOB, dedicated service and wonderful music ( Friday and Saturday only).

loved them for many months but after covid I think they are having a hard timeof getting it straight. I will give them a pass as they work hard to give us good italian food most of the time.

Excellent restaurant. Beautiful ambiance and delicious food with the very best service. Will make it one of our frequent places to dine. During the week they have a $30 price fixed menu which includes appy and dessert choices to accompany a nice selection of entrees. Desserts change daily. This is the sister restaurant of Fresh, which we also enjoyed. It is a BYO and has ample parking.

First time here and it was really good! We started with the octopus which was cooked perfectly. I ordered the linguine with clams which was delicious. My husband ordered the Veal Milanese. The veal was breaded and had a great crust that wasn't soggy. The toppings on it were absolutely delicious and perfectly paired. Our waiter wasn't the best, but I know staffing is difficult these days so my rating is more on the food than our waiter. We did notice that the other staff was much friendlier. We can't wait to go back!

Excellent meal. 6 of us on a Friday night. BYOB. Service was brisk- which was great . Wine was opened as soon as we sat, bread with really good pesto/garlic and sun drip tomatoes in oil for dipping was on the table. Got apps- stuffed mushrooms and mussels. Both very good. Should have tried the meatballs- next time. I got chicken parm because I had a taste for it , but really nice menu with plenty of sea food and steaks.good desserts and very accommodating with extra glasses for our BYOB liquor cabinet assortment. Will go again.