Starter and Stone — Restaurant in Toms River

A week ago I had the pleasure of checking out the House of Sugo in Toms River, NJ. I am not a major fan of dairy in general, but my family is, and they were hearing good things about Sugo, so we went to check it out.

Now Sugo is a artisanal pizza and pasta house. That much is VERY clear. They also have options for those that are gluten free or vegans which is great for family's with relatives who have those specific food challenges.

We started off with with the Mozz Squares which is crispy cheese squares fried with red sauce & date spread. If you like mozzarella sticks and the like, you will LOVE this. It a serious mozzarella "square" fried to perfection with a fresh marinara sauce. We also had Crispy Eggplant which is a spring mix, refried strips of eggplant feta cucumber, cherry tomato, red onion, balsamic vinaigrette. Very fresh and very delicious. When it came to pizza we didn't know if we should try something new like The Cookout or The Spicy or go with just plain pizza. We ended up going with the classic Old School (GF, V) topped with mozzarella & house sauce. This is your typical pizza, but I must say it was one of the best pizza's I had. Reminded me of my yeshiva days and getting pizza on 13th ave in boro park.

Naturally being in a dairy restaurant we had to try the Garlic knots. They were really good and had lots of garlic on them just the way I like.

We needed to sample the pasta while there, so one of my daughter ordered the Penne Ala Vodka which was penne served with house-made vodka sauce with sundried tomatoes, peas & freshly grated parmesan. Let me say, this did not disappoint. I think we all took turns poaching some of her dish.

Another dish I like to try in dairy establishments is Fish & Chips. Sugo's are served with ries, cole slaw, avocado mousse & tartar sauce. Probably one of the best fish and chips I had in recent years.

I wanted something especially good. After talking to our server Michelle I settled on the Ahi Tuna Crudo which comes with radish, avocado, yuzu ponzu, white peaches, cucumber, jalapeño, lemon oil & wasabi aioli, over ginger quinoa. The ingredient were so fresh, the flavor was bursting in my mouth. And that yuzu ponzu? So amazing. I am not a big fan of quinoa like my kids, but it was the perfect accompaniment.

We also had both the Ryder Fries which are loaded hand cut french fries with pico de gallo, impossible sauce & veggie crumble and The Beet which is a spring mix, fennel red onion, orange, avocado, pistachio, spring mix, whipped goat cheese,with citrus vinaigrette. They were fresh, tasty and eaten pretty quickly.

As my friend told me before, you need to try Sugo, there is a reason why lunchtime and dinner there is a line out the door. If you are in the greater Lakewood neighborhood, you need to...

They advertise as an UPSCALE, unique, professional pizza restaurant with waiter service. The decor of the restaurant is nicer than other pizza restaurants. The restaurant is very small. They don't have waiter service; they have a table side order taker. They automatically add $8 onto your bill to pay the order taker even if you hate his lack of service and his lack of caring, patience, and lack of sincere interest in his customers and in fully educating them about the menu. The fries, which were appropriately made from real potatoes, didn't taste fresh. They were wimpy, not crispy. Insufficient salt. The pizza bread was extremely heavy, tough and hard to chew, and flavorless. They are extremely stingy about the vegetables that they put onto the pizzas. The sauce and cheese tasted good, but not great.

The kitchen is extremely crowded with workers and the restaurant has one order taker. The owner chills and watches instead of being physically and actively involved. He doesn't lead by example. This must change. In addition, he needs a professional, experienced restaurant manager that he will respect.

They urgently need (more) waiters. The $8 forced tip that isn't properly or clearly advertised hurts everyone. An order taker that will automatically be tipped has little incentive to care about or to entertain his customers.

The setup/decor/perception of this restaurant is extremely confusing and is not as advertised. If you like their pizzas you can order to go.

I love the positive thoughts of specialty pizzas, both Neapolitan and New York style. Most people don't know the difference, and therefore require an education before ordering, so they can attempt to understand what they will order. Be extremely generous on the toppings. There was nothing artisanal about the pizza that I ate.

I would love this restaurant to significantly improve on it's current concept and on it's food. I don't know if this is possible in this location, but an immensely larger restaurant with lots more seating and a well lit dress casual decor is needed, along with real, completely professional WAITER service that people will want to tip without being uncomfortable! Better food is also needed.

Reservations are inappropriate and unnecessary unless you are bringing a large group. You can call before you leave home to check out the current situation. The restaraunt is tiny.

Currently, Village Pizza offers immensely better pizzas, toppings and an immensely better experience for 1/2 the price! Try their cheeseless garlic knots.

Hopefully the owner of Sugo will read and care about and listen carefully to this review, and immediately improve this restaurant. I care...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Sugo Pizza, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and a friendly atmosphere. The servers were exceptionally attentive, making us feel welcome and well taken care of throughout our visit.One of the standout aspects of Sugo Pizza is how quickly the food arrives. Despite the bustling atmosphere, we didn’t have to wait long at all for our dishes to be served. The efficiency of the kitchen is truly impressive.The food itself was nothing short of amazing. We ordered a variety of items from the menu, including several pizzas, appetizers, and desserts. Each dish was delicious and exceeded our expectations. The flavors were rich and authentic, and it was clear that high-quality ingredients were used. We were particularly impressed with the perfectly crisp crust on the pizzas and the freshness of the toppings.Another highlight was the fair pricing. Considering the amount and quality of the food we enjoyed, we were pleasantly surprised at the total cost. We left completely stuffed, and it only came to about $40 per person, which is an excellent value for the experience we had.Overall, Sugo Pizza provides a delightful dining experience with friendly service, quick delivery of food, and reasonable prices. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. It’s a place where you can relax, indulge in fantastic food, and feel like you’ve truly gotten your money’s worth. I can’t...