Il Colosseo Ristorante | NJ — Restaurant in Middletown Township

We had wanted to try Il Collosseo since it opened, but never had the opportunity. Went tonight with a group of 9 (7 adults, 2 children under 8). The restaurant was packed (which was a good sign) but it was LOUD and I feared that it would be a bad experience, especially for my older parents. Paul, our server was excellent. In fact all the servers worked in unison to help each other out and it seem d like it didn’t matter who walked past our table, everyone was willing to help - top notch service!

For appetizers we ordered 1 regular calamari, 1 calanari agrodolce (special), 2 clams oregenato, 2 margherita pizzas & 1 order of meatballs with ricotta. Food was delicious. Each bite seemed better than the next. The calamari were cooked perfectly - light and tender. The Agrodolce (sweet & sour) sauce on the other calamari dish was outstanding, I’d out that sauce on anything and it would taste good. Clams were tasty, although a bit on the larger side for oreganato & the pizza cooked in their wood fired oven could stand toe to toe with some of the best in the state.

Entrees ordered were the Veal Chop, the Pork Chop, 2 Shrimp Fra Diavolo with spaghetti, Chicken vodka parmigiana with penne & a fresh parpardelle pasta dish. They had fresh chicken & fries for the kids and we were told most entrees could be made into kid sized seevings. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered. The portions were very generous and leftovers were taken home.

Pasquale (owner? Manager?) greeted our table and was a gracious host. Many after-dinner drinks (limoncello, amaro, espresso, etc) were consumed and dessert after that.

Table ordered pistachio tartufo (special) tiramisu, crème brûlée & Affogato. The tiramisu & crème brûlée are definitely made in house. They were extremely fresh and delicious. The pistachio tartufo was also fantastic.

All in all a great night out celebrating 2 birthdays with delicious food and excellent service. If I could change 1 thing, it would be the noise level, but to have that amazing food and service in Middletown NJ, I’ll take...

My wife took me to Il Colosseo for my birthday and all I can say is WOW. From start to finish the service was impeccable. Antonio waited on us and he was absolutely brilliant. Attentive, funny, conversational, the whole nine. Right off the bat, we had our perfectly heated Italian bread (incredible) at our table along with all the necessary accoutrements (olive oil, Parmesan, red pepper etc). It was our first time here so we, by rule, ordered strictly off the menu. The calamari, the grilled octopus and the carpaccio were all amazing. My wife had the veal Milanese and I had the chicken Francese (subbed the gnocchi as the pasta side and it was done without hesitation by Antonio). OUTSTANDING! Desserts were top of the line (I HIGHLY recommend the tartufo). We’re local to the restaurant and, unfortunately for us, it was our first time here. Fortunately for us, we’ll be going back time and again. Our next trip there will be to try the pizza, Brooklyn-style. I’ve read a few reviews about Il Colosseo not being BYOB anymore. My wife and I, of course, prefer BYOB. But we don’t go out to eat just to drink wine that we could’ve had at home. We go for the food, ambience and service. And Il Colosseo seems to be second to none! Thank you to my awesome wife and to Il Colosseo for an unforgettable...

08/2022: My hat goes off to the Chefs here. The food is presented well and taste delicious. Bravo!

However, service was poor at 5:30 on a Sunday. Two servers working 15 tables. This is managements fault but Henry did not top off a glass, clear plates, or ask how our food came out. Poor team player. We had to call for him as he passed each time. Runners did a great job clearing tables and topping off drinks.

This is a very loud place to dine in, unless you sit outside with a view of the parking lot. Also, airflow is poor as several small fans are positioned around the dining room.

Tables are packed closely together with employees constantly bumping into chairs multiple times. Minus a star for this. Good luck getting to the bathroom that is not kept.

The suggested tip amount is based off the total when it should be based off the subtotal. Don’t tip on tax. I thought I was in Times Square for a minute trying to get hustled for a tip.

This review is honest and tough if you want to be talked about when comparing it to others Italian restaurants in Monmouth County. Colosseo just needs a little tune up and hopefully it can shoot to a 5 star restaurant. To many small issues to rate 5...