Belmontes Ristorante — Restaurant in Asbury Park

Horrible experience here for multiple reasons.

Had an 8pm reservation for 3 and wasn't seated until 8:25. Had one side of bread, and then when we asked for another basket the server said "sure" but then came back minutes later and said "unfortunately we are out of bread". Which would be understandable, but we were seated right next to the kitchen and could see TONS of bread. Plus they kept giving bread to other tables for over and hour after we asked?? 3.There is a mandatory 20% tip on all orders on Monday and Thursday nights (which is more than reasonable because its half off pasta night). But what they don't tell you is they are giving 20% of what the bill WOULD have been at regular price. We ended up paying A 35% TIP!

Response to the owner:

1. 25 minutes past a reservation time is excessive. Especially when we arrived on time and then had to wait in the rain for 25 minutes. 2) We saw bread being brought to tables the entire night. I don't "think" we saw bread. We clearly saw baskets of bread being brought to tables throughout the night. 3) I wasn't accusing you of breaking fire code. I was commenting on the NJ fire code as a whole. However, I do see how my comment could be misconstrued and I do apologize for that. I will remove that comment from my review. 4) Making tips mandatory is completely reasonable because I wouldn't want any server stiffed. However it should be off of the bill and not the "potential bill". If I buy something on sale I don't pay the sales tax for the full MSRP. I pay the tax for what I spent. You implemented the mandatory 20% tip, and that is protecting your staff from being stiffed. You don't need to gouge your customers into leaving 35% tips. Also, if your main concern is the well-being of the waiting staff why don't you just pay them a fair wage? Instead of making your customers pay your staff, why don't you just make the food more expensive (if that's even possible) and pay your staff a fair hourly wage? You're right, your staff does "work just as hard to serve you 1/2 price pasta as they do when it’s full price". So why don't you just pay...

I love the food at Belmonte’s It’s my go to Italian restaurant in Asbury. I hope this review is read by its owners for improvement. I’ve been here many times. When I was making the reservation I read the recent google reviews about the service and it did not reflect my past experiences. Sadly, after I booked, I did have a similar experience. It was only two of us dining. The food remains excellent. But the wait staff needs better training. Our order was taken in a timely matter but it was 30 minutes before our drinks of diet sodas were delivered and only because we finally said something (water was served when the order was taken). There were three tables who came in after us who were eating their entrees before we got our appetizer. (They said the fryer was broken so there were no fried options available like Calamari but a review of 4 months ago said the same thing…) . We couldn’t get our servers attention, she never stopped by to check up on us. When we were able to finally get a bussers attention to ask him to get our server, she acted as if we were requestions something extra. . We finally got our appetizer, 45 minutes after the order was taken. I hate to be that person who asks about our food BUT again, after the appetizer, there was another 20 minute wait, we HAD to ask for our entrees. Normally, if a restaurant is busy, understandable. But it was NOT at its busiest, there were empty tables and three tables that came in after us were on their way out before we got our entrees. The worst part was that there was NO care from our server. No checking up on us. No explanation for the delays. No apologies. I’m in the service industry. We all make mistakes but I make sure my customer knows Im very apologetic. There was no one there who seemed in a supervisory position to talk to hence my review. We still tipped 20% but it was not an earned 20%. I was surprised to see there were tables empty on a Thursday, Now Im not so surprised. Considering the reviews from past customers and my own experience, the restaurant needs a manager. IYou don’t want to lose your non...

We held a wedding rehearsal dinner for 26 people at Belmonte's Restaurant. The beautifully set tables added to the ambiance. The service of each course was timed to allow guests to savor the cuisine and to converse without feeling rushed. Among the seafood appetizers, the Clams Casino stood out as well as the garden fresh Jersey tomatoes and basil in the Caprese Salad. Everyone loved the baby spinach with bacon, and the vegetable combinations in the Insalata Misto. Among the entrees, the pasta arrived at our table al dente, the filet cooked to perfection accompanied by a sherry wine sauce, and the pork chops wowed us with their tenderness (the chef confirmed they had been brined). The hot food came to the table hot and likewise for the cold dishes. Also, the interior volume allowed us to comfortably converse with one another. As the hostess, I felt pleased that our guests loved the dining experience. Thank you to Stephanie and the staff for creating an excellent and memorable event. Try it - I guarantee...