Iavarone Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Town of Oyster Bay

I do not recommend this place. I’ve tried going here twice. The first time I went 45 minutes before their posted closing time. The hostess said they closed 15 minutes ago and wouldn’t seat us. I tried again tonight and was told there was a 30 minute wait. While waiting, their sign fell on my foot. It fell hard and made a loud noise. Three employees at the hostess stand and at least 2 at the pizza bar looked over at me and saw me hobbling and wincing. Not one of them checked to see if I was alright. My friend had to ask someone for ice. The manager brought the bag of ice and apologized and removed the sign. They’re lucky the sign didn’t fall on a child. They told me there was a chair in the corner of the restaurant. They did not bring the chair to me. After waiting 40 minutes, the hostess brought us to a table outside in this very hot and humid July weather. They never asked us if we had a preference to be seated inside or outside. When we said we can’t sit outside and asked why they didn’t mention outside seating or at least ask our preference when they took our name, the manager’s response was “did you specify inside or outside?” They became very defensive instead of apologetic when we asked how we would know they had patio seating and that it’s their responsibility to inform customers of the choices. Since I never ate here previously, how was I supposed to know there was outside seating in the back? Shouldn’t they be the ones to ask their customers what their preference is? Then instead of instructing his staff that they should always ask customers their preference, he asked his staff member if we specified whether we wanted indoor or outdoor seating. I’m very put off by their rudeness and lack of empathy. I understand that the restaurant was busy and crowded, but that doesn’t give a free pass to be rude to patrons (or potential patrons in our case). I think people work hard and deserve to be treated with dignity when they go out. Service in the restaurant and hospitality industry should be customer focused and excellent. Sadly, it was an awful experience and I’m never going to go back...

If this was our 1st time here I would give 4 and a half stars for the food. We were so satisfied on our first visit , a prime time very busy 8:30 Saturday night, we wanted to bring our extended family and impress them. We booked thru open table and could only get 5:45 on a friday even though there were many empty tables during our meal. While the mussels in wine sauce were fantastic on our first visit, a full pot in a nice steaming pot of wine sauce this visit they were luke warm in a watery sauce and a full 30 percent empty shells. We ordered the cacio de pepe, a special, which turned out to be spaghetti in butter sauce with mild peper flavor, no copious amounts of parmesan and pecorino. We also ordered the Pappardelle san Gennaro, you'd be hard pressed to find scallions or fresh mozzarella in the dish. We ordered off the menu penne, crumbled sausage and broccoli rabe which was bland and no sauce or oil of any kind. The other dinners and appetizers were all very good I must say, and the staff is extremely professional and attentive. It's a nicely designed restaurant, very upscale. Since we had night and day experiences I guess we'll give it another try...

Iavarone Kitchen was the perfect venue for our son’s baptism lunch. The space itself is light, airy, and beautiful, creating an elegant and welcoming atmosphere. The food was absolutely exceptional – not only was it incredibly delicious, but the family style apps, buffet and cake portions were generous and more than enough for our group of a little over 40 people.

But what truly sets Iavarone Kitchen apart is the outstanding service. Our servers Michael and Yeimi were incredibly attentive, going above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect. Multiple guests came up to us to tell us how fast, kind and attentive they were to each and every person in attendance. They checked in with us throughout the party and even wrapped up the extra food for us at the end which was so appreciated.

The staff’s flexibility in allowing us to come in early to decorate was also invaluable, and their warm and friendly demeanor made the entire experience even more special.

We can’t thank Iavarone Kitchen enough for making our son’s baptism lunch such a...