Illiano's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Ocean Township

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

If there were a competition for the worst pizza, the "Dough Disaster" would undoubtedly take home the trophy. From the moment I walked into the pizzeria, I was met with a peculiar smell that can only be described as a mix between burnt rubber and stale bread. It was a warning sign I should have heeded.

The menu was a confusing jumble of bizarre toppings that seemed more like a dare than a culinary choice. I decided to keep it simple with a classic cheese pizza, hoping that even the worst establishments could manage the basics. Little did I know that simplicity would be the least of my worries.

When my pizza finally arrived, it looked like a sad, wilted creature that had seen better days. The crust was an abomination—thick and doughy in all the wrong places, with an inexplicable soggy bottom that made it feel like I was eating a wet sponge. As I took my first bite, I was greeted by a flavor that can only be described as “what happens when cheese goes bad.” It was an unidentifiable combination of blandness and a faint hint of something vaguely reminiscent of mold.

The sauce was another disaster. It tasted like someone had taken canned tomato sauce, added a splash of vinegar, and called it a day. There was no seasoning, no sweetness, and certainly no freshness. I could only assume it was meant to be a condiment, but it completely overpowered the already unfortunate cheese.

As for the toppings, I opted for some basic pepperoni, thinking it would save the day. Instead, I was greeted by a sad sprinkling of what appeared to be the lowest quality pepperoni imaginable. It was so thin that it barely registered as a topping, and the texture was rubbery, making it hard to chew. Each slice was a battle between my taste buds and the overwhelming desire to spit it out.

By the time I finished three slices (out of sheer stubbornness), I felt a wave of regret wash over me. My stomach was not only unsettled by the poor quality of the ingredients but also by the sheer disappointment of what could have been a simple pleasure.

In conclusion, "Dough Disaster" is a cautionary tale for pizza lovers everywhere. If you value your taste buds and your stomach, steer clear of this establishment. There are far better options out there—even if it means making a frozen pizza at home. Trust me, it’s...

No respect for customers and a dismissive owner who allows his staff to behave unprofessionally. You can get equal or better pizza right down the street at Merendino's. (Check my extensive review history... I'm in no way associated with them.)

An incident took place when my wife arrived to pick up an order. She waited nearly 10 mins to be acknowledged by anyone behind the counter despite the place being virtually empty. When she brought it up, a young lady behind the counter chimed in with a great deal of attitude even though another employee was already handling the issue. As my wife directed her attention to the owner, the young lady continued to argue with her and the owner made no attempt to calm his hostile employee despite recognizing my wife as a long-time customer with zero prior issues.

Suffice to say, Fausto Illiano was highly dismissive and continued to allow his employee to bark away in the background. After my wife calmly called back to speak to him about the matter, he doubled down and made no attempt to acknowledge the atrocious customer service where employees are allowed to irrationally lose their temper and berate customers without recourse.

Prior to this horrible customer service spectacle, my wife and in-laws supported this restaurant for 25+ years as it was right down the street and had "the best pizza around." (I never understood the praise myself.)

The majority of my reviews are quite positive, and I waited a good while to even decide if this rant was worth posting, but people deserve to know that their hard-earned dollars and customer loyalty are not valued...

After living in the area for years, I finally decided to give Illiano's a try. My husband and I were going to eat in for lunch, and a young waiter brought menus. After a minute, my husband told him we were ready to order, and he said he'd be back in a minute. A decent period of time passed and he still had not come back. Finally, my husband pleasantly asked the older man behind the counter if he should order with him, and the guy said, "Can you read what the sign says?" (It said "Counter for takeout only"). First off, we hadn't taken the time to read any signs — we just wanted to eat. Then he said, "Do you want to come back here and work? I'm by myself. He'll take your order." We were literally aghast that any businessperson would speak to a customer in this manner. As I said, my husband wasn't being remotely difficult; he was simply asking a question, and the guy pretty much went off on him. He could have easily said, "No, he'll be right with you," or "Sure, what can I get for you?" But no. I thanked him for explaining to us what the sign said and told him to have a nice day as we got up and left. He told us to go ahead and leave. I was shocked and upset that anyone would treat a customer that way. I will never go back here, and I will spread the word. There is way too much good competition to spend our money with people who disrespect us. We went a quarter-mile up the street to Merendino's, also for the first time, and the waitress was very pleasant and the food...