Reviews of Gourmet Cafe (Restaurant)

John and Dora Sullivan

Service and meals were great. Highly recommend.

Maneshjani

Great service.. good lunch portions. Friendly staff.

Kathy Mungo

Excellent food and service

Scott Burt

I went to this restaurant for the first time this evening for dinner with coworkers and 2 business partners. The five of us enjoyed a dinner with three shared appetizers and five different entrees. All five of us raved about all eight items. This is a locally owned, let me see proudly locally owned, restaurant that we are glad to of chosen for dinner. Note that they don't have a liquor license but thay you may bring your own wine or beer to have a dinner. Be sure to chat with the owner and I think you'll be giving him compliments on the dinner. I live in Colorado, but would otherwise come here frequently.

Darryl Sokolowski

Great atmosphere, great food!

Vivek Joseph

Disappointing. Nice upscale restaurant in the corner of a strip mall. Easy parking which is a plus but the food was definitely mediocre for a place that charges 20+ for entrees

Betsy Adams

My husband and I use this as the only place we go on our anniversary. The food is amazing and the service is excellent. The decor is simple. If you want fantastic food at a reasonable price this is the place to go.

Ron Berju

Very good food and a great staff that was friendly and attentive. Able to get a meal that was gluten free. Will definitely go back.

Ava Collazo

Delicious! Had the special - ravioli in pink sauce with shrimp, peas, corn & chorizo! Would certainly recommend!

Sam Hornstein

Tomato soup is great. Overall the menu is full of fresh and tasty choices. Reasonable portions, freshly prepared food, great owner and service. Can't really say anything bad about this place. It's a "go-to"spot.

Anthony DeLuca

Had a great time, place is cozy and service was attentive and informative. I had the beef braised ravioli with crab meat and it was well worth making the trip. The owner comes out and asks you how the meal was! I was very impressed and will definitely be coming back.

John Vourtsis

Always a superb experience. Don't hesitate.

Bianca Warner

Best service and best Italian food. Its made to order. Jo gave us the best service ever! We are visiting from Baltimore and gonna squeeze another meal before we leave.

Michael Marques

New go-to lunch spot. Fantastic options packed with flavor.

Madeleine Vasquez

Always excellent ! BYOB

steve dickens

Just a wonderful venue. Great food, Great chef.

Daryl Johnson

The front facade is very deceiving. The food was excellent, service was fast.

Xin Li

Came to this place starving at 8 pm. They were able to seat us quickly and the pasta was so good!

Joanne Willans

Amazing food, wonderful staff and very accommodating chef! They made our birthday celebration special.

Harvey Applebaum

Great food great service owner Mat always comes out of kitchen to say hello and say Thank you for coming.

Jan Rossi

Oh man oh manicotti! We had an impromptu family reunion -12 of us descended on this small place and it was fun, food was delicious and large portions and we brought wine, ate desserts and talked too loud!! Sorry! Your staff was so accommodating to our group. Many thanks. Your chef and staff are superb. Great place! Highly recommend!

Brian Poller

I would with out a doubt highly recommend this place to anyone looking for fresh, real Italian food. I went to this restaurant the past weekend with my family for my wife's bday and everyone was extremely satisfied with the meal. First off, I called this place on Friday and asked about reservations for the following Saturday. The owner expressed that Saturdays are usually very busy but he did what he could to accommodate my family on such notice. I was extremely appreciative for that. When it came time to ordering, my son wanted a orange juice. This restaurant doesn't have orange juice but the waiter went next door to the convenience store to grab my son a orange juice. Just seeing someone go above and beyond to make your dinner delightful is always so comforting. The food was excellent, desert was also excellent! I would highly recommend this restaurant!

Heejin Kim

The food is great, and the owner is super accommodating and attentive.

adrija p

awesome food awesome environment awesome service awesome people....people should visit this place they wide variety of pasta...

Elaine Denton

Great food and attention

Carmen Gonzalez

Very good

Steve Pincus

Fantastic food and service. Will definitely return

Angelo Curcio

If you didn't know better this is mediocrity at its best

Arnold Finkel

Intimate restaurant tucked into a strip mall. Well known by locals, and reservations recommended any day. Excellent food, reasonable price, super staff. Owner/chef Matthew often comes around later in evening to chat with diners. Great attention to dietary needs e.g. gluten free, no salt, etc. Recently updated interior. Just celebrated 10 year anniversary. A local gem. BYOB.

francois errandonea

Good food & service - been going for 10 years

Jasmine Lim

Blackened salmon over spinach sinfully delicious but healthy as you can get.

Jan Amento

The food and the service are outstanding! Chef Matt and his staff are always fantastic!

Josh Schilling

Noodles were quite aldente. Chicken Marsala was so-so.

Richard Healion

Staff are great and the food is the best.

Dennis Marshall

This is the neighborhood gem you always hope to find. Chef owner Matt makes sure you are happy with your experience, from the well prepared and presented food, to the friendly and efficient service, and the cozy, pleasant dining room. Prices are reasonable and it is byo. My wife and I go often and enjoy sharing it with friends.

Joe Bergman

Excellent service and food

Carol Drury

It was our first time here. We had lunch and it was delicious! The staff was so nice and attentive. We both had the chicken franchise and it was cooked perfectly. I wish I lived closer as I would make this a frequent visit for exceptional cuisine. If you haven’t tried this quaint and lovely place please do so. You will not be disappointed.

Mitch Ravitz

Excellent staff. Very good Italian menu.

Stephen Mandel

Matt is the consumate host/chef. Food and service are consistently first rate.

Alan Carrell

My awesome wife scored big when she found this special place and Chef Matt for lunch one day. We went for dinner and he came to our table 3X!, an honor to have him sit with us after eating his amazing food. I lucked into a special veal chop that may be "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and looked the size tha Fred Flintstone would order. My wife enjoyed the seafood pasta dish and all four courses we had were fantastic. I would rate it higher if I could. Totally worth any wait.

MELODYE LANGNER

Excellent food and staff

Nydia Sanz

Good is always fantastic

Kathy Zack

Awesome food. Chef Matt makes incredible dishes.

Bob S

Great place, great food and great service. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Hank Wagner

Great food, fair prices.

Frank Valentin

Good local food

John Resciniti

Great food and chef and staff. Just go try it once. Chef Matt is so into what he does, it's always a great meal. Lunch or dinner.

Connor Shipp

First time in New Jersey and to this restaurant. Very nice little Italian place. The food was great and the wait staff was very nice and attentive. Started with the brocolini and sausage. The brocolini was tender and the sausage had great flavor. I had the veal marsala for the main course. Very tender with a delicious marsala sauce. The vegetables were good but weren't extraordinary. I finished with three scoops of great vanilla ice cream.

Andy Dee

We're choosing this place for our big birthday dinner we have had quite a few meals here in the past that were exquisite and exceptional you don't need to go to Little Italy or New York City to get great food and the service is awesome. The gourmet Cafe is the place to be!

Eddie Congdon

Great food, great people

Donna McHugh

Great dinner, ambiance and owner Matt is always a welcoming host!

prasad kandukuri

Love the coffee

Laura Pflug

Great food made the way you want it and great service too. Always a good idea to call ahead to make a reservation even if it is just for two because this place packs them in even on a Tuesday night. BYOB

Ray Dragos Jr

I went here yesterday with family. No bread upon seating, though it is the restaurant's policy for lunch time, but we weren't offered the option. No dressing came on or even on the sides of the two caesar salads ordered. The veal in the veal cappellone was did not seem like an acceptably sized portion. That said, our special request order of blackened shrimp was terrific, my chicken mediterranean along with the pork chop giambotta were both ample portions and tasty. Also, the broccoli rabe with sweet sausage was very nice. Service was good up front but got spotty as the place filled up. I realize this restaurant gets 4.6 stars/review on Google Reviews, and I might have given a more favorable one had it not been for the average age of my father and uncles present giving their old school and experienced criticisms.

Don Dalrymple

Fabulous food awesome staff! Love dining here.

Bignickg55

Great place but they need to add calamari to the menu!

Bill Vnenchak

Very good food, pleasant atmosphere & great people. Overall a wonderful BYOB!!

Jessica Rivchin

Friendly, warm, cozy, terrific food!

John Mcglory

Great food and service. Bring your own wine or beer. Reservations a must

Terry Landrigan

Great food and super service.

Pete Cammisa

If you're looking for a place with delicious Italian food with friendly service that's owned and operated by a Chef who is genuinely interested in and connected with his customers and his craft, look no further. This unassuming BYOB sits in the middle of a strip of stores and could easily be missed by a passer-by. Once you enter, the decor is simple and refined. Having eaten at Gourmet Cafe at least a dozen times, for both lunch and dinner, I can truly say you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. A favorite of mine is the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. My absolute must-have every time is the bread pudding. They manage to create a bread pudding with a consistent texture throughout, which I fine hard to find elsewhere. It's delicious and sweet and everything you could want from a bread pudding. While I don't live very close to the Gourmet Cafe, I make sure to head to the Gourmet Cafe every chance I get.

Craig Heller

Wow!!! What a restaurant. I went to dinner for the first time and the restaurant was fabulous. I have heard many wonderful things about the restaurant, but have never been there. We were three people. We split two appetizers (fantastic caprese salad and fried risotto) and three main courses (2 specials and one regular menu). Swordfish, pork tenderloin, and parmesan crusted chicken were all done to perfection. Service was terrific. Thank you Connor and Amanda. The best touch was Chef Matthew stopping at our table not once, but twice. And then there was dessert. We were all full, but I read too many reviews about the desserts to leave empty-handed. Expressos, and carmel bread pudding were in order. Oh my!!! Bottom line: if you live or work within 30 miles (or so) of Gourmet Cafe, and you haven't been there yet, you need to figure out how to get there and enjoy and be part of the experience.

John Schafer

Great food and service.. better then expected. ..

Chris Gambino

Truely the finest restaurant I have ever had the opportunity to enjoy. Chef Matt is a master cook with many years of experience preparing the finest italian and other specialties on Earth!!!!!! Simply put, the finest food and hospitality I have ever experienced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alina M.

I'm impressed by this place based solely on one takeout experience. I got the house salad from here with grilled shrimp, which is $12. For this same price elsewhere, you definitely would not get 5-6 great quality jumbo shrimp in your salad so kudos to them for great bang for your buck. The salad itself is pretty simple but I loved the balsamic dressing and it also came two types of bread - dark with raisins and a white roll (though I kind of wish it didn't because now I'm tempted to eat the bread obviously... MUST RESIST CARBS). Everyone was super nice too, from me placing the order on the phone, to everyone inside the restaurant being so happy and smiley when I was picking up. It might seem like a small thing but it really goes a long way these days. I can't believe I've never been here after so many years of working in the area but I'll definitely be back!

Anthony DeVincenzo

Mathew is TOPS! Excellent Chef and food is always on the money! New Years dinner was Delicious!

Deborah Klein

Once you come to Gourmet Cafe it will become a regular spot in your routine. It could be the fantastic dinner, the homemade butterscotch bread pudding or the way Matt makes you feel so special by personally checking to make sure you are happy EVERY time you dine in his restaurant-- you will definitely want to come back. From our first experience at Gourmet Cafe, in 2006, when Matt came running out of the kitchen prepared to wait on us, cook for us and make sure we had a fantastic evening, to my bridal shower, baby shower, baptism, Monday charity dinners, anniversaries, birthdays and a multitude of date nights WE LOVE GOURMET CAFE! This is the perfect place for a nice dinner, it's affordable (it's a BYOB), the food is delicious and you can go casual or dress it up for a more special night. You will not be disappointed by your experience at Gourmet Cafe.

David Sica

Practically hidden in a small strip mall just off Route 46, the Gourmet Cafe is as fine a dining experience as you'll encounter anywhere. The quality of the food is easily as good as any high-end restaurant I've ever been in, and the custom personal (and personable) service from Chef Matt makes it obvious that he enjoys his work as much as we enjoy eating there.

Nicole Bridy

Lovely service

Mitesh N

Food was very tasty. Will visit again

CECELIA CULLEN

It was just all right.

Peter Auteri

Great food friendly staff and owner

Ed Lynch

A small, quaint, and friendly chef owned restaurant that I absolutely enjoyed visiting. Traveling by myself and found it on the map. Read the reviews and said, I have to try it. I am happy I did. Ordered their signature scallops appetizers. Black olives with scallops I would never have thought of, a splendid combination. Autumn flavored salmon was magnificant. The Chef Matthew stopped by several times and we shared a few ideas. I am looking forward to coming back again and again. Happy Birthday Matthew!

Matthew Diessner

Love going here but you better call ahead to make reservations! Food is very good. Service on a Sunday with the sisters are wonderful!

Frank Corbo

Good service.good food.bring your own.

Bill Chappell

This is one of my favorite lunch spots of all time.. I've actually driven from Bucks County, Pa to eat lunch here. Matt is awesome !!

Priyanka Mandyam

Love the food!

Srinivas Iyer

I had some chicken marsala, tomato basil soup and bread pudding. Everything was tasty and so light. I would come back again

I. Robert Marash

Good food great service

Robert Keller

Excellent fare produced by chef/owner Matthew Pierone. Daily specials are always a surprise to entice even the most particular palate. It's a small place only holding 40-50, so make reservations. BYOB. You will return to try more of the extension Italian menu.

Ed Hutter

Reasonably priced and interesting Italian food

Abby Ying Li

Honestly I really don't understand why it can score this high. I searched for a dining place nearby and it came out with the highest score. We ordered a napa valley salad, a mussel apitizer, two pasta and a chicken entree. The salad was so disappointing that we barely touched it. It was nothing like Italian dish and even home-made casual salad would beat it. The shrimps in the pasta were so over-cooked and it was like chewing plastics. The potato in the chicken entree turned out to be the best part of the entire meal. The waitress was very nice and the service was okay but I do care the food more.

John Cannaveno

Great food great staff great prices great owner and Chef.

Peter Toriello

First time here for lunch. One of the specials was listed as "broccoli rabe sausage risotto". Ordered it, pumped. Risotto was dry and had hardly any broccoli rabe OR sausage (the first two items in the NAME of the dish. Smh

Elizabeth Morban

I had the Arugula salad with chicken! It was very good. It was so good that I ate it all and was not hungry for dinner.

Frank Cahill

Great homemade food, great service, very reasonable prices.

Jakob Boyer

Absolutely a place worth trying, the food is excellent and fresh, the pricing is convenient and it is always neat there. Great work.

Tom Land

Amazing food and great service. Highly recommend.

Rebecca Myers

There is a reason this place is rated so highly! Great food at a fair price. The restaurant is tucked away in a row of shops but upon walking in there is a beautiful, quaint, white-cloth restaurant in an intimate and warm environment. The service is attentive and happy to be there. The food is plated with care and is as nice to look at as it is to eat! The desert menu looked wonderful but I was too full of the delicious ravioli to try it - next time I will start with desert!! Don't let the white table cloths fool you, though! I brought in my 4 and 6-yr old and almost left thinking it was 'too nice' for kids at a busy lunch time. The staff (including the manager and chef Matthew Pierone) are wonderful and genuine and ensured we felt welcome and had everything we needed. We will be back, frequently!

Tiffany Pless

Food is delicious!!

Kiran Kumar Kendole

Good place

Sandie Okolita

Food is always delicious and excellent service.

Susan Davis

Wow. Eat here

Cathy Elko

If you haven't tried the tomato basil soup, you're missing out on one of the most savory pleasures around! It's a Gourmet Café favorite!

Carol Sventy

Our absolute favorite restaurant! Chose to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary here coz the food & service is consistently the best!

Vicki Sciuk

Delicious dinner. We all loved our food!!

John Paton

Wonderful meal, attentive service,awesome chef. Great value ad well!

Blaise Scibetta

Another shoemaker

Shaun Zhao

No wine available lose one star. Ingredients quality don't meet the standard according to their prices, lose another. Flavour is average.

Ravitte Pratt Ginsberg

This restaurant has become my favorite. Great staff committed to make your experience delightful. Food is wonderful, and the chef is happy to accommodate any changes to the menu to make it exactly as you want.

Patricia Tierney

Had the house salad with black and salmon, it was delicious.

David Behler

Matt is an owner that truly cares about the experience his patrons get while here. The food is excellent, in fact the best Italian I have had in New Jersey. Unfortunately I've learned through the years many Italian restaurants are high profit margin rip offs serving box pasta and can sauce, I can say in fact that Gourmet Cafe is not one. I had many interactions with Matt in a business to business relationship serving his restaurant and he's first rate and so is his excellent eatery.

Russ Miller

Fantastic food. Very attentive staff. Chef Matt always has great specials. Our favorite local restaurant

Ton Reyes

Delicious. Went here for lunch. I had the Penne Vodka. Huge servings. Friendly staff.

Ryan Johnson

Good food!!

Mike D.

Food is outstanding with the service to match.

Douglas Longworth

Great food and service!

Ally Schlosser

Outstanding food and outstanding service. My favorite place to spend my Sunday nights!

Rita Poole

What an incredible dinner! The food was fresh and delicious and the service was perfection. My husband cleared his plate and moved on to mine. The Owner & Chef, Matthew Pierone, comes out to meet the customers. What a nice touch. We will be back!

John Cruz

I can't say enough about how great this place is. Chef Matthew and his staff are awesome. They treat you like family. The food is delicious their and service is superb. Make sure you make reservations fills up quickly.

Sally Stocker

Great -- as always

luisa Fieno

Everyone is super nice and the food is amazing.

Barbara Flynn

Yummy food, super nice staff! This is our favorite Italian restaurant. We love Matt, he is a terrific chef and has become a friend.

Cathy Tedeschi

Great food with Fabulous Friends.

Faik Askin

Nice and cozy atmosphere,delicious food .

Curtis Lang

I simply love their dishes. I always get great service there. The place is clean and the workers are always super friendly. Would recommend to others.

Kyle Hanselman

Amazing food and atmosphere. The owner/chef is very welcoming.

Kevin Smith

Excellent and inspired food at more reasonable prices.

Doug Ilic

Great food, great place amazing owner and staff

Tom Yankee Fan

Sorry, I thought my review posted, lol. The food was delicious, I love the bread, & the service was excellent. Terrific restaurant!

Sal Romano

Very good allowed time to enjoy meal. Food was excellent. Enjoyed the experience

Stan Rizzolo

Great hidden gem

Joshua Zalut

Awesome!!

Robert Hauck

Ate there last night for first time. Don't let the fact that this place is in a strip mall fool you. REALLY good food and friendly, attentive service. Great job guys, we will be back!

Faith Damian

BEST Italian food in New Jersey. The food, the atmosphere and the staff are all amazing. My family and I love this place! We have never had a disappointing meal- we practically lick the plates clean. You will not be disappointed. The portions are great and the prices are very reasonable. Best BYOB/Italian we have been to in New Jersey. You need reservations but that just shows you how loved this place is.

First Name Last Name

Great food, great service, reasonable prices. Have been back several times now! Highly recomend!