Rosario's at Willow — Restaurant in Hoboken

I want to preface this review by providing some context before sharing how disappointing my experience was at this local establishment. The bathroom at this location is situated on the side of the building, accessible either through the side door or by entering the restaurant and walking toward it. On two previous occasions, I’ve used this bathroom—once after buying a slice of pizza, and once without asking, since it seemed like a general understanding that the bathroom was available for use.

In this instance, my toddler urgently needed to use the restroom on our walk home, so I stopped in to use the bathroom as I had done before. While I understand that businesses generally prefer customers to use their restrooms, based on my past experiences, I assumed it would be okay to use the bathroom. I also respect that policies can change, and maybe the employee who told me the bathroom was available wasn't correct in the first place. What I find troubling, however, was the way the older woman—presumably the owner or manager—handled the situation.

We were in the bathroom for only about five minutes—just enough time to use the restroom, wash our hands, and leave. I made sure to leave the space just as I found it. As we were exiting through the side door, I suddenly heard loud banging on the window, followed by her coming outside to aggressively yell at me, claiming I couldn’t just walk in and use the bathroom without asking. To be clear, I wasn’t approached before using the bathroom, and we didn’t linger; we simply walked in and out.

Instead of yelling, a gentle approach explaining that the bathroom is for customers only would have been far more respectful, especially given that I was with a toddler. The experience was truly disrespectful. If it’s such a significant issue for non-customers to use the bathroom, the door should be locked at all times. The way this was handled could have been much more professional and...

Rosario's: Your Local Italian Oasis (and Potential Witness Protection Program)**

Oh, Rosario's, how I never knew you existed during my decade in Hoboken! It took moving to Weehawken, a brutal ShopRite traffic jam, and a hungry, indecisive wife for me to stumble upon this absolute gem of a restaurant. Google said you were nearby, and thankfully, Google didn't lie.

Let’s set the scene: I walk into Rosario’s and immediately hit it off with the owner, a Yankees fan (instant trustworthiness unlocked). As we're chatting, a mysterious man eating bolognese pizza and dipping bread in oil hits me with a cryptic "Who are you?" Naturally, I responded, "I’m a Lombardi, who are you?"—to which he replies, "I’m nobody," and vanishes like he’s auditioning for a mafia movie. Honestly, it was cinematic brilliance right there in the dining room.

But let's get to the food: the bolognese—chef's kiss—and the pizza? Perfection. Salads that don’t skimp on quality or generosity. It's the kind of meal that reminds you why small businesses like Rosario's are the backbone of humanity. Their customer service is flawless—they know me so well now, they practically have my order ready before I call. It’s like having Italian food ESP.

To top it all off, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rosario’s has a side hustle as a safe haven. Running from the cops? They’ve got your back. Just tell them you were “never here,” and they’ll handle the rest.

Rosario's isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an experience—a slice of Italy, a touch of mystery, and a whole lot of amazing food. Don’t miss this Weehawken wonder....

I love pizza and will try pizza anywhere, being lactose intolerant like I am makes this an issue though. Living in this area gives you A LOT of options and helps you forget you shouldn't be having pizza. I've been around the slices in this town and I would call myself a pretty good judge. This pizza is absolutely amazing. Where many places fail is in the sauce. Rosario's sauce is perfection! The crust also perfectly complements the whole slice, not too much, not deep, and won't crack when you do the pizza fold. Also, and importantly, When you get it delivered it's still hot and tastes like it just came out of the over. Like many Americans I find french fries to be a staple in my diet. You can really fail when it comes to french fries.... but Rosario's isn't so. These fries have the perfect amount of salt and are exactly as crispy as you would hope they would be. Also, the cannolis are life changing. Hope this...