Girasole

Never disappointed. Had dinner at Girasole on Saturday night — awesome. The place was packed, as usual. Service was excellent, food was excellent — overall experience. .. excellent. They don’t earn 5 stars from me because I just wish they had a good Italian Cheesecake to finish off an otherwise wonderful experience.

My favorite restaurant! I love it here. The food is amazing, the wait staff are attentive and it’s BYO. Had my bridal shower here, brothers college graduation as well. They do private parties great as well. Not enough good things to say about Girasole. Hidden gem, need reservations!

Finally got a chance to try Girasole. I have heard how good it is and how it can be difficult to get a reservation yet on a Tuesday evening when original plans fell through I called here on a whim and no problems getting a table for the time I needed.
Parking is mystifying here — there seems to be too many cars in the lot for the people in the place and where you go if the lot is full I am not sure… perhaps the AT&T store next door assuming it is after hours. The lot itself is tight — as in the closest spaces I have seen anywhere in this area.
The inside is nice and service is friendly and efficient. For my meal I had the soup of the day which was lentil and a rack of lamb special as well. Both were good but after hearing everything great about this place I was looking for something more and on that point the place missed the mark.

Totally underwhelmed is the best way to put it. After reading several glowing reviews and even some recommendations from friends, Girasole did not live up to the hype.. not even close. A shrimp with escarole starter was very average and unimaginative. It was dredged with way too much garlic… the kind that comes out of a jar it seemed based on appearance. The three medium sized shrimp were ok but just that. Another starter, eggplant rolatini looked very much like the frozen version from Celentano in the freezer section at Shop Rite. Again, it was very average. A simple salad is served with entrees and the vinaigrette was quite good, in fact a highlight of the meal. Finally, my rack of lamb entrée came out of the kitchen looking gray. It was totally tasteless and fought my knife the whole way. The chops were not meaty at all and the dish should have never left the kitchen. I sampled some other entrees like shrimp with penne and broccoli… again very average. Desserts were pretty good though. The service was below par by a lot. No one asked if the wine we BYOB’D needed to be chilled nor did anyone ask if additional bottles needed to be uncorked.
I won’t go into detail about the urgent trip to the rest room before we vacated Girasole or the need to stop to use it again on my 18 minute drive home. Suffice is to say something didn’t agree with me during this meal. I was fine before and I’m not saying it is as a result of eating there necessarily, but it would seem the likely culprit.
All in all, I’d spend my money elsewhere. Very disappointed.

Girasole is always our restaurant pick for any fancy work outings. And there is a good reason why… their classic Italian dishes are delicious! Try the calamari and antipasto appetizers — you will not be disappointed!
Some of my favorite entrees from Girasole include their penne vodka, mushroom raviolis, capellini pescatore, rigatoni con pollo, and their fish specials for the day (I’ve tried both the salmon and tilapia… both equally as good). My coworker raaaaves about the Pollo Balsamico so I do feel obligated to mention it here. The only miss I’ve had with their entrees is with the Pollo Girasole which happened to turn out slightly under seasoned and tough.
Oh, and they serve yummy bread with garlic oil + a refreshing salad in vinaigrette dressing with your meal. Perfect start to your meal!
Let me just say I have never been disappointed with any of their desserts.
And we’re talking a whole lot of desserts: tiramisu, cheesecake (so incredibly light), cannolis, molten chocolate cake, and the tartufo.
During the holidays, they are PACKED. Make a reservation in advance! They offer party platter sized appetizers and desserts around this time of year. The dessert platter has one of EVERYTHING and it is glorious!
Waiter service is always attentive and speedy BUT cook times can be long. For a weekday work lunch I would not choose Girasoles :(
Tips: BYOB restaurant! They have a small private lot that fills up quickly. Go around the street corner and park anywhere on the residential street and take the 5 min walk. It’s worth it :)

I didn’t feel that this place lived up to its reviews, but maybe our experience was an anomaly. We started with the Antipasto All’Italiana. It was good but wasn’t really anything to write home about. For our meals, we had a stuffed pork chop and the Rigatoni Con Pollo. We asked for our pork chop to be cooked medium, and it came out raw. We had to send it back. The pasta was okay. Everything just seemed to miss the mark.

So surprised by all these reviews went there with a group of friends and I got a simple scampi dish that was just horrible… the restaurant is dark and unappealing… would never come back… probably one of the worse places I’ve been in over a year… doesn’t even deserve one star…

Great restaurant and amazing food! I have been coming here for years and my family has had many parties here. It’s a BYO joint with nice sized portions of food and our service is always amazing! It is a real gem of Somerset County. Can’t wait till we come back again!!!

Consistently delicious Italian food. Superb service, friendly staff, clean & warm atmosphere. Is a great place for parties, wedding & baby showers. Reservations are a must bc this place is always packed!

I am pretty surprised by all these good reviews. Restaurant is very dark inside and stuffy reminds me of mid-​90s Italian restaurants. You get a free salad with your meal, which was probably the only food item I enjoyed even though the lettuce was still wet from them washing it, which in my opinion is a very amateur mistake. For dinner I had the scampi which was terrible. I never had shrimp that over cooked in my life. No vegetarian options at all and only around three non-​meat options. Only went here because we where a large group for my grandfathers bday hopefully won’t be returning.

We recently celebrated my father-in-law’s 90^th Birthday at Girasole ’ s on a Saturday afternoon for a party of about 35 guests. They started us out with fresh appetizers. We had a choice of three entries and I selected what our server Gina suggested: a veal dish. Omg. It may have been the best veal that I have ever eaten. First of all… it was large. About 6″ by 4″. There was a thin layer of egg plant, tasty prosciutto, following mozzarella cheese, and the whole ensemble was smothered with a light tangy sauce. I can’t wait to take my wife back and try the other items on the menu. Don’t forget to ask for Gina, aka, Julie Roberts. Live back round music completed the affair.

Just went to Girasole tonight after trying to avoid it for 6 months. Lets just say it did not take long before we gave into the good reviews from the area. Girasole lived up to its reviews. My boyfriend and I made reservations for 6pm on a Monday in October. There were only a few people in this restaurant when we got there which was quite pleasant. The atmosphere is very nice. It has that modern italian feeling. We were sat right away in the back of the restaurant in a cute little nook for 2. We bought a bottle of wine with us since the restaurant is byob. I have to admit, we did look at the menu before coming here so we were very prepared with our order. I ordered the butternut squash soup (special) as an appetizer and the salmon (special-​see pics) as my entrée. Both were fantastic. Nick had the tortellini soup and fettuccine. He liked his soup except he had hoped there would be more tortellini and less vegetables. There were about 6 small tortellini’s and lots of greens in a large bowl. His dinner he loved. We highly recommend this place and will be coming back. What was outstanding was the free bruschetta and the garlic in olive oil dipping bowl that came with the italian bread. The servers were great and on the ball. Even when they had to start serving 2 very large parties containing over 20 people each. I took a look at their menus and it is conveniently fixed for speed and proper service. We departed at 7:20pm feeling very content with our overall experience. I am sure almost anyone who enjoys italian food will find something they love on this menu. If you are not an italian fan, I would hit up another place.
I did thought Girasole was lacking a larger parking lot and wish it was in a more appealing location. I understand that it is good for business since the restaurant was located in such a busy area but 28 is just a mess. I hope that the owner maybe relocated to a bigger, nicer venue someone. For now its perfect for what it is but i see major potential for this restaurant. i should not be complaining being that this great place is less than half a mile from my apartment, but I know others would appreciate these suggestions.

I had Pino as my waiter tonight, joined by two friends we started with the recommended appetizers of stuffed zucchini flowers and the seafood crêpes. Bothe were delicious. We then had house salads and then moved onto the veal, pork chop and seafood pasta. We ended with the the cannoli and the apple pastry. This was a great meal served by a true professional in the business. I will be back.

Solid place, veal pistachio is amazing. Byob is the greatest. Prices 20 $ a dish. Make reservations. Specials always sound delicious, waiters clean table after every meal #classy

Amazing Italian food! Very unexpected. Usually when I go out to dinner with co-​workers, the food they pick is bland but not this place! Exploding favors all over! I had the shrimp scampi and after cleaning my plate I wanted more. Love how quaint it is and very nice service.

Great food, at a great price, and BYOB. This is the best food in the area.
Just a warning, parking can be hard to get because it’s always packed, and it may take a while for food to get to your table, but that’s because it’s cooked fresh to order and because, well… it’s always packed.

This is my go to neighborhood Italian restaurant. The décor is great, the service excellent, and the food is delicious. You definitely need a reservation as it fills up quickly and there are maybe 20 to 25 tables.
My favorite menu items are the mushroom ravioli, veal/​shrimp «Roberto» and the warm chocolate torte for dessert.
Bring your own wine and enjoy!

Great food, professional service, BYOB, cozy atmosphere. The highlight of the meal was the stuffed pork chop — amazing! It’s hard to get a reservation for Friday and Saturday, so plan ahead. Parking spaces are also limited and there does not seem to be much street parking available.

Very, very nice, romantic Italian dining option along Rt 28 in Bound Brook. Service is totally polished and helpful without being over-​friendly. Food was delicious from start to finish, and the BYO policy here means you can enjoy a great meal, bring the wine of your choice, and escape with your wallet lightened only a little. In fact, I’d say this place is quite a good value because the ambiance is so nice, and the food so good. Certainly you’d pay double this price for similar quality in Manhattan. And I do not need the NYC pretentious attitude that I find in many NY Italian eateries. At Girasole, it’s all smiles, and practiced efficiency.
I highly recommend either the Vitello Ilana or Vitello Isabella entrees — both delicious veal dishes which are «right-​sized», perfectly cooked, and artfully presented.
The appetizer we shared was a anti-​pasta with some excellent mozzarella, delicious smokey black olives (possibly the best olives I’ve tasted), prosciutto, and roasted red peppers. Perfect for two, followed by a complimentary, simple green salad which was lightly dressed but very tasty.
To me, one measure of a great restaurant is the quality of their decaf coffee. Truly well run restaurants know that discriminating diners like a good cup of coffee after a meal, but don’t necessarily want the caffeine. That does not mean we want weak, watery coffee though, and my decaf cappuccino here was excellent. A great finish to a great meal. I will definitely be back.

Showed up fifteen minutes late for a 5:30 reservation. Didn’t matter place wasn’t full then. I would come here again if it were closer! Took a hour and a half due to traffic and GPS direction to get from WNY, NJ to Bound Brook.
Started with two appetizers: Calamari and (the night’s special) Squash Blossoms.
Calamari was good. It was cooked well but the marinara was okay, nothing special. Squash Blossoms were a little too thickly breaded as you couldn’t really taste the blossom itself. They were stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella in a wine sauce that was delicious.
We split a Caesar salad. Dressing was good and lettuce was crisp and fresh. A few anchovies would have transformed this from very good to great.
I ordered the stuffed Pork Chop special (stuffed with sausage, and broccoli rabe) with a mushroom risotto. Girlfriend ordered a Mahi Mahi with crab meat special with potatoes and spinach. Both entrees were delicious… however, we both agreed (upon tasting each others) the the Pork Chop was the better of the two. Interesting, considering the Pork Chop was over cooked. There was nothing wrong with the Mahi dish the flavors of the pork dish were simple better despite it’s flaws. BTW the Mushroom Risotto was delicious.
We then ordered dessert (we rarely do this). Cannoli or Tiramisu decisions decisions… fine we’ll take both. Um… well…both were amazing… I prefer Tiramisu and thought it was terrific… as was the cannoli. My girlfriend prefers cannoli she thought it was good as was the tiramisu. Winner dessert course??? Maybe not, but it was really good… try both!!!
Staff was ridiculously attentive through the
the point it was pushy at times (my plate shouldn’t leave while still chewing).
Cute place. BYOB. Parking lot was full when we left 8:30ish