Spano's Ristorante Italiano, Point Pleasant, NJ:
A Restaurant Review

Spano's Ristorante Italiano, Point Pleasant, NJ:

Spano's Ristorante Italiano
آ 719 Arnold Avenue
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Restaurant Highlights

Fare:  Traditional Southern Italian

Price:  Moderate

Food Quality:  3 Stars

Service: Friendly, attentive with old world style attention

Ambiance/Decor: Dated with wood paneling. The ambiance is complemented by piped in background Italian music.

Overall Rating:  3 Stars

Note:  Four star Rating System from 1/2 Star = poor to Four stars= Best in Class

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Serves fresh home made pastas and award winning red sauces, creatively prepared giving traditional regional Italian favorites a unique flavor --- not found at the many other  Ocean County traditional red sauce Italian restaurants.

Noise Level:  Moderate - High

Dress:  Casual

Recommended For:  Cost conscious diners who prefer a BYOB with creatively prepared Southern Italian red sauce dishes using fresh, quality ingredients

Not Recommended For: Diners who enjoy an upscale,  trendy setting with full bar service and an eclectic menu

Recommended dishes:  When available, Bucatini Amatriciana With tubed Bucatini pasta, guanciale (Italian cured meat) and onions in a Roman style tomato sauce; The Sunday Gravy Tradional Italian Sunday dinner with Italian sweet sausage, homemade meatball and homemade pork bracciole simmered in Spano's award winning marinara sauce served over homemade rigatoni; and The Grouper Romano Fresh grouper fillet broiled, topped with jumbo lump crab meat and sliced cherry tomatoes in an amaretto cream sauce served over blanched asparagus spear.

Liquor:  BYOB

Spano's Ristorante Italiano with old world Italian ambiance is one of the best traditional Italian red sauce restaurants in Ocean County.

It's popular with diners who prefer a BYOB style eatery with a well executed red sauce menu prepared using fresh, quality, local seasonal ingredients served in huge portions.

Spano's Ristorante Italiano is family run --- owned by Chef / Owner Joseph Spano.

Chef Spano's menu is heavily influenced by old world traditional favorites from both his mom Carmela who came from Naples and his father Frank "Pop who emigrated from Bari, Italy. The exceptionally prepared sauce is a product of his mother's recipe, while the menu ingredients are influenced by his father and his regional favorites that feature fresh vegetables and legumes including broccoli rabe, escarole, beans, eggplant, and homemade pasta.

This is as close as it comes in New Jersey to getting a Mulberry Street, Little Italy, NYC Italian dining experience.

Their fresh home made pastas and award winning red sauces are creatively prepared giving their traditional regional Italian favorites an edge over the many other Ocean County traditional red sauce Italian restaurants.

The portions are huge, though it does not diminish the quality of the dishes. A choice of a house or Caesar salad, or soup is included with each entree.

Spano's is child friendly with a kids menu.

The decor is dated, consisting of tin ceilings, hanging chandeliers, ceiling fans, wood paneling, hardwood flooring, vines of artificial grapes and white Christmas style lights stretched along trellises hanging from the ceiling, and walls adorned with paintings of Italian Villages. The ambiance is complemented by piped in background Italian music.

Acoustics are not optimum and the noise level can get to a high pitch.

Service is friendly, efficient, and anticipatory.

Reservations only!

Parking is available on the street and in nearby municipal lots. 

Spano's is open seven days/week for dinner

(updated: September 2024)

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