Trattoria Toscana

This is my absolute favorite place to eat! Food is amazing — huge menu filled with classic Italian fare but a lot of speciality items as well! The service is amazing! Love going in and chatting with the owner Rudy and his top notch wait staff Laurie!

Food ok but not worth the price. Owner very rude and abrasive and appearance very unprofessional.
Help pours unused water back into pitcher
There are so many Italian restaurants in nj so save your money as this owner just wants to schmooz with his friends and could care less about new customers!

Food’s great! I almost always get the gnocchi and it’s never disappointing. Service can be a little rough around the edges but it’s all part of the charm.

The «service» is the main issue with this restaurant. Laura is the name of the woman who waited on us and she’s not a pleasant person. I believe she’s either the owner or manager. I’ve been there 3 times and have been treated rudely each time. In the middle of our meal, I asked Laura for an espresso. She has a propensity for scowling at people, so I made sure to be extra polite while ordering (please and thank you with smiles). The espresso came with my dining partner’s wine. I said thank you and received the typical sideways scowl, my friend said thank you and received, «Oh you’re so welcome, honey!» When she left I asked the table if they also sensed the animosity that our server was harboring. They all agreed that she was being quite rude to me in particular. I promise that I had done nothing to elicit such a response and it is not atypical behavior for this woman.
Laura may be knowledgeable about the menu, but whether her knowledge of the dishes extends beyond a, «Yeah, that’s good» I cannot tell.
I understand that some restaurants prefer to serve meals that are events potentially lasting a couple hours, but some people do not wish to sit in an uncomfortable chair for 20 minutes before ordering and another 15 to 20 afterwards for the check.
For the area, the food is good. The pear insalata is wonderful. I also had a mustard and caper encrusted salmon over broccoli rabe. The salmon was slightly overcooked and overpowered by the copious amounts of oil. The oil makes the fish tender and succulent but the delicate salmon taste is not presented well.
Finally, the $$ price estimation on Unilocal is inaccurate. Main courses are generally around $ 25.

DELICIOUS! Fresh and very, very good. My partner found the mustard encrusted salmon too salty, but I found it was just right. Eaten there three times now and have not been disappointed.

Stopped for dinner this past Saturday for the 1^st time. The food was unbelievably delicious, and that is coming from a 1^st generation Italian-​American. The complimentary starter — bruschetta with cannellini was delicious. All four entrees (2 couples) were quite scrumptious. Ruddy, the owner, was warm, welcoming and entertaining. Will be back for more!

My coworkers and I came here for lunch and as soon as we entered we had a horrible feeling about the owner. He did not greet us or look happy to see us in any way. For most of my coworkers it was their first time and we have been dying to try the restaurant. Upon ordering, the Owner gave us a nasty look when we decided not to have wine. We all decided that we would have ½ portions of pasta, not because of the cost, but since the regular portions are too large and would go to waste. Instantly the Owner turned red and said «If that’s what you want you should have gone to TGI Friday’s» simply because we didn’t want a large portion. He then began to disrespect my friends and called us fat! He was truly a rude, disgusting, racist pig. I’m surprised this place has survived as long as it has. The food is good however aside from this guy there are no other waiters, just a busboy who was very pleasant.
After our meal, the owner began his lunch (he sat with his family in the back) as we waitied for the check and for our plates to be removed. We finally ahd to get up and tell him to give us the check, to which he responded in Italian «Why even pay they barely ate. Complained about portion and now they want to pay» and laughed in disgust with his family.
The interior is old and dated. If they had new management they could flip this place around and make it into something much better and more successful.
To the owner:
You survive because of your chef, not because YOU are successful in anyway. You must rely on others for your success and therefore humility, kindness, and generosity are traits that you must have. You must also treat your customers with respect… But it’s ok, Karma will come back to repay you for how you treat others :)

Cute little Italian place that is almost literally on Route 10.
My wife and I never go out for Italian but during a snow storm our options were limited (we were staying in the area due to unforeseen circumstances). Parking lot is directly in the back.
There aren’t many tables but they do fill up. You know you are in for a treat when it’s snowing yet it’s busy.
We were greeted by the host which turned out to be the owner. He recommends reservations next time and I can see why.
They start off by bringing you a bean bruschetta which is very good but it’s drenched in oil. The left over oil was absorbed by the hot Italian bread they bring out. We ordered a couple of apps. The wife had the pasta fagioli (which I sampled and was pleased with) and I decided on the buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes (thick cut tomatoes drizzled with a balsamic sauce) — very good.
For our entrees: I had the veal milanese… oh thank you for pounding the crap out of the veal. It was so thin and delicious. The greens were dressed in a light dressing and there was shaved bits of cheese… delicious! The Mrs., on recommendation of several Unilocalers, had the short ribs… so good! No knife needed for both of our meals.
The service was spot on. Always checking in and making some time for some convo.
Prices are good as well. Glass of wine is $ 8 and entrees range from 12−25ish. They are good portions as well.
We didn’t stay for dessert (next time) but on the way out we spoke with Rodolfo the owner. Classy and down to earth man. This place definitely won us over and we will be returning with friends or family next time. ENJOY!

We were regulars. For the record the best waitress in world, Lori works there. Food fantastic. We went in there one Sat night and Rudy asked is if we had a reservation. We thought he was kidding said yea. He came back and yelled at us «liars» in the middle of the dining room. We have never been back since and are okay with that.

True neighborhood gem. Most people I know who have lived their whole lives in the area don’t even know this restaurant is here (tucked in front of a railroad museum in a tiny caboose of a building). The ambiance is old school pink tablecloth in an intimate setting; the service is classic New Jersey Italian, with all the pluses and minuses that entails. Portions are large and delicious. Out of all the times I’ve been, the short rib tagliatelle has won the most raves. Complimentary white bean bruschetta starts each meal. If I want to impress out of towners looking for a delicious and authentic dining experience, Trattoria Toscana is on the short list.

I had high hopes since a lot of my friends and coworkers are regulars here. My boyfriend and I decided to get away from our usual date night restaurants and opt for Italian last night.
The entryway was a little odd. You walk down a long-​ish hallway into the restaurant area (I’d say it’s about the size of my living room). We didn’t wait long before sitting down, as the place was not very busy at all.
The list of specials for the day was about double the size of the menu (which seemed odd to me), but each dish sounded great. But when the food came, I was pretty disappointed.
My boyfriend ordered mushroom ravioli in a rib sauce of some sorts, which sounded amazing. I had a chicken dish with peppers, onions, and sausage. My dish was very filling, but not unlike and other «Sausage and peppers» night at home (aside from the added chicken). His on the other hand was the problem. There was only about 5 or 6 raviolis in a brown sauce with a couple pieces of shredded meet on top.
Very odd.
Not once did the waitress stop by to ask how our food was, or to make sure everything came out ok.
I’d say the food is «decent» but nothing to write home about. The atmosphere was like a glorified pizza parlor. The service should focus less on catching up with «the regulars» and more on welcoming new customers. And the prices are ASTRONOMICAL!
Definitely won’t be returning here.

A hidden gem, the real deal Italian food that is better than most places in Manhattan. We will be going back for more. They like when you are reservations. Leave the kids at home.

Great service. We had 11 in our party. Fast and efficient service. Good food. Killer tiramisu. Pasta was good. Lots of food. Quality was great. Quiet and fun.

So a big thank you to all my fellow Unilocalers. My sons and I were traveling out of the Statue of Liberty Park and on the way back to our campsite. My youngest son said he wanted pasta and so I turned to Unilocal to see what was in the area. This one seemed to have great reviews and so we gave it a shot.
If you are reading this review and if you want one of the most fantastic meals you’ve had in a long time do not read anything else and go straight to trattoria Toscana.
We walked in at 4:55 and where the first people in the restaurant for the evening. We were seated by a wonderful waitress who immediately brought out water and complimentary bruschetta.
She explained that we were earlier than our normal crowd but we were more than welcome to stay. You could tell by her mannerisms in the restaurant that this was a real find and treasured by the people who were coming in and knew of the value and quality of the food presented. This restaurant is owned and managed by a true Italian Tuscan and you taste it in the food.
I asked for suggestions and both of my sons were pointed to the cheese ravioli. By far one of the best and it brought smiles to both of their faces as they were eating. Of course dad snuck a few bites and you could tell that the cheese was fresh as was the pasta. The only thing that made the noodle better was the sauce over-​the-​top which was phenomenal. Fresh and flavorful.
I asked her what the best item on the menu was and pulled a «Keicher» she suggested the beef short ribs and I jumped at the opportunity. OMG!!! If you visit please have one of your table mates order the beef short ribs. I don’t know that I have ever had a better serving. All the way through the plate I kept saying «wow, wow, all this is so good.»
And after a long day of sightseeing nothing tasted better than a glass of the house key auntie which was both smooth and appropriate it wasn’t too young of a wine that you sometimes get at Italian restaurants.
To paraphrase the most interesting man in the world «I don’t go to New Jersey often but when I do my friends I will stop at Trattoria Toscana».

This is a nice casual Italian restaurant. The menu is expansive and the service is good. When we dined we were the only four in the place and the next twosome was. Sat right next to is. I found that odd as we seemed to otherwise have the restaurant to ourselves. We all ordered from «the classics» part of the menu. I was the only to get a veal dish, and I was completely underwhelmed. The veal was tender but tasteless. There was likewise no taste to the masala. My dining companions had no complaints on the chicken parm or the chicken Marsala (I find it odd that it was fine on the chicken but tasteless on the veal). That being said if I was in the area I would try the restaurant again but probably try the pasta.

It is a small location and a little hard to find. It is well worth the search though. The staff was very friendly and had very good recommendations on three menu.
The meal was excellently prepared. The best dining experience I have had in months.

For the past few months a hospital co-​worker has been raving about Trattoria Toscana, which led my girlfriend and I to finally give it a try last night. Our experience exceeded all expectations to say the least.
I’ve been to Tuscany, and while there I had the opportunity to indulged in some of the finest meals the world has to offer. Trattoria Toscana took me back to the time I spent in Italy. We began with the fried calamari and antipast that were just as authentic and delicious as I could remember. For entrees I had the Rigatoni Bolognese and my woman had the shrimp scampi. The sauces were incredible and describing them now is seriously making my mouth water. Sauces were out of this world and I might even have to go eat some of the leftovers out of the fridge when I’m done writing this (portions were an appreciable size leaving quite a bit to bring home). Our server (who I believe may have been the manager or owner) also had some great wine recommendations to go with our specific meals. The service was very warm and friendly.
Though we were too full for desert, you better believe we’ll be back here soon and will do our best to save room… I’m also incredibly surprised to see one of the comments below. Kind of hard to believe, especially considering my girlfriend and I are an interracial couple and were treated like royalty here (so are my friend and her husband that recommended Trattoria Toscana). Meanwhile I remember most of the staff being of mixed ethnic backgrounds… That dude must have some personal problem or special interest… Things like that just don’t happen around here… So, from my experience, I’d have to say it’s deserving of 5 stars, hands down. It’s truly authentic, which is hard to come by.

Went for an early New Year’s Eve dinner with some friends. Probably the fifth or sixth time here as they really like the restaurant. This was the first time though that I realized how very good the place really is.
The appetizers and salads that we had were terrific. I had the arugula salad which was dressed perfectly. Two others had the pear salads high looked terrific as well. One person had a sausage and lentil dish that was reported as tasty as well. I’d have gad trouble eating the sausage appetizer as it was tough on the eyes.
The entrees were fabulous. I had a filet (three pieces actually) that was perfectly cooked and was smothered in a delicious brown sauce and topped with gorgonzola and blue cheese. The ladies had lamb chops and veal chops that they raved about. They loved their dishes and insisted that they had out-​ordered me. I doubt it but if they hàd, then they had a delicious meal. The fourth of us had a lemon sole special that he was happy with.
Dessert exceeded expectations as well. One group shared a lemon tart and the other a chocolate lava cake. Both dishes had generous amounts of gelato and whipped cream to top off a perfect meal.
We will definitely return soon and look forward to continuing to enjoy the great food that the chef has to offer.

Arrived for dinner around 8:30 on a Tuesday. The place had a few tables that looked like they were regulars so I had high hopes. Then the waiter came out, stained polo shirt, jeans and a rag/​dinner napkin over his shoulder. He was very pleasant to his regulars, but to us. not so much. I was expecting a great spot based on the reviews, but the place was out dated and I can’t get the waiter out of my head.
Our food was good, can’t knock that, but it came out in about 8 minutes, which made me think pre-​cooked? I mean I did not order a slice of pizza, I ordered short ribs… will not be back again. Sorry

I now understand why there are less than 20 reviews here… I’d say most of the people dining are probably not familiar with apps like Unilocal for example. But I love it like that. On Friday night, needed to wait about 10min for a table. But do call ahead of time cause the my can start putting your name down while you are on your way.
Thanks to those who suggested the braised short ribs and brick chicken. Especially the brick chicken…
They are so good, perfectly cooked, seasoned and portioned. We could have skipped the salad which was just so so.
Our neighboring table ordered a cappuccino that looks divine so we had to have one ourselves. Good call.
They are not Byob. The wine by the glass is generously poured. For 2, the bill came to be 80 before tips.