Il Posto Ristorante — Restaurant in Avalon

My wife and I arrived back in Avalon from a long day of driving. We spend most of the year in Avalon, so we are well aware of the dwindling number of places to eat, not even considering the quality of the few options available. It was close to 8pm, and the Princeton had a 20-minute wait, so we decided on Ill Posto. We have dined at Ill Posto in previous years, and this was our first visit this season.

In the past, the food and service have been adequate; tonight, the only thing good was our pleasant server (Breanna?). We split a Caesar salad, which was mediocre at best. It featured chopped romaine, store-bought croutons, shaved parmesan, and lackluster dressing. My wife had chicken in a blush sauce with shrimp, spinach, cheese, and two steak-fry-style potatoes. The chicken was tender, which was the highlight of the dish. There was so much blush sauce that she had to search for the shrimp, which, in our opinion, did not meet restaurant standards. The cheese was most definitely American cheese. Really?!!

I had Chicken Parm, which in any decent Italian restaurant should be one of the best meals on the menu. This was the worst I have ever had at a restaurant. The portion was small, the chicken lukewarm, the red sauce definitely did not simmer all day, and the tiny side of spaghetti felt like an afterthought. It was topped with the same American cheese that adorned my wife’s meal, again, Really?!!

Come on, Ill Posto! We know it’s a seasonal town, but you have built a nice following. There’s no reason for me to come home and take the time to write this; you can do better, and you have done better! Get your “A-game” together quickly… the Shore season is upon...

A Night to Forget Our dinner at Il Posto in Avalon, NJ last evening was a disaster from start to finish. We arrived on time for our reservation, only to be greeted by an aggressively rude hostess whose attitude could sour milk. The wait staff, however, were friendly. Sadly, the food was a different story. After an agonizing 1.5-hour wait, the rib eye steak arrived looking more like a sad, thin slice of lunch meat slathered in cream sauce—barely 1/2 inch thick. The flounder was so salty it was practically inedible.

Considering the high prices, we expected much better. The best part of the meal was the delicious wine we brought ourselves, as the restaurant is BYOB.

Perhaps the off-season staff isn't up to par, as we've had better experiences with the summer crew and at A Modo Mio, the Sea Isle City location. However, between the rude hostess the excruciating wait for our food and the disappointing meal, this was an evening I’d rather forget. Hopefully management will take this feedback seriously and make needed...

In the famous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, “I’ll be back”. Such a wonderful restaurant, located on the main drag of Avalon. Everything we ordered just hit the spot and was way more than we could ask for.

We started out with some appetizers and salads, but they looked and were so good we forgot to take photos first! For our entrees we had chicken francese, rigatoni alla vodka, the pasta special (ricotta cavatelli with shrimp, scallops, crab, spinach and cherry tomatoes in a pesto cream sauce) and the tuna special (ahi tuna served with a cherry tom and crabmeat risotto drizzled with a chipotle aioli). The chipotle aioli was so flavorful and added the perfect amount of kick to the tuna. For dessert we went with the crème brûlée, a peanut butter tartufo, and a chocolate mouse cake.

We spent the whole ride back home talking about how amazing the food was and were planning our next trip back....