Bamonte’s

Original old school place open since 1900. Not many of these joints left. Lots of old white men talking and laughing about very important things. Everyone has unbuttoned their white shirts and let down their suspenders. If you are a person of color you will be alone!!!
But the food is better than I thot! Feels like grandma whipped this pasta up.

So, where do I begin, this was one of the worst meals I have had in recent memory. The restaurant is a cornerstone of the area, it is like walking into the typical 1980’s Italian joint, which was great. It felt authentic, it looked authentic, and we were extremely excited to eat and enjoy some old school dishes done really well. After all, they have had so many years to perfect their recipes, how could it possibly not live up to our expectations. This was the break down for our order, we got mussels (white sauce), cold antipasto, clams casino, the stuffed pepper with crab special, the ricotta gnocchi special, the tripe, and the manicotti with meat sauce. This seemed like a well rounded order, we skipped the protein because we decided to try the tripe special instead. In my opinion, this gives a very broad interpretation of what they are serving, a mix of specials and dishes that from the look of it had been on the menu for a very, very, very long time. Just as a side note when we asked the waiter what we «had to try» he looked at us, laughed, and said «what do you like? Everything is good, order what you like…». I should have known from that complete lack of basic front of house skills we were totally screwed. As each dish rolled out, we were completely baffled, over and over again. «The next one will be better» was the blanket statement of the evening. It started with the mussels, maybe left over from the weekend!?! Not sure, but some were small and definitely smelled fishy to say the least. The white sauce though, was really good, which was epically disappointing because it had potential, but lacked in the key ingredient. Second was the antipasto, which was the most underwhelming of the bunch. Ugly tomatoes, two slices of salami, two pieces of low grade mozzarella, some sad looking and tasteless pepper, and a couple of tasteless olives and some provolone. All in all, something my local pizza place could do and has done much better. Next was the stuffed pepper special, nothing to write home about, again a huge disappointment. Clams casino then made an appearance, they came out with red sauce, a slice of bacon, and no breading. Wow, just wow, another bomb. Next was the tripe, was probably the only decent thing they made, tender, not chewy and had good flavor. Manicotti was next, literally was at least a ¼ inch thick or more in some places, ricotta filling was good but again the execution was atrocious, like they took lasagna noodles and used those instead of doing it the right way. Finally was the ricotta gnocchi, which made my friend exclaim, «I want to throw this in one of their faces.» I think this is all that needs to be said about the gnocchi. All said and done, I think we picked a broad selection of dishes, specials, staples from menu, recommendations from staff and everything was poorly done and underwhelming. A complete waste of a meal but an experience non the less.

Classic spot… like others have said real deal old school, unpretentious and refreshing. Fun to go with friends and share family style. Been here many many times

Love the vibe, service, and atmosphere.
Enjoyed all the apps, and my entrée — lamb chops. Didn’t get the pasta. Seated near the kitchen, and saw them opening boxes of Barilla dried pasta. I can make that at home.

This place is a National Treasure. I bring everyone here. I try to dress up although you don’t need to. Not a huge wine selection but the ambiance makes up for it. Delicious old school joint. I’d give it 10 stars.

Dennis is in agreement with everyone here who loves Bamonte’s, a bit of old Williamsburg (Brooklyn). There is a gorgeous old bar in front where you can wait for your table or just hang out and enjoy the scene — families who have gone to Bamonte’s for years, some who have moved away and still come by. Sunday is a big family day but we’ve noticed the food is much better on some nights than others. Saturday seems to trump Sunday. Yes, some dishes are better than others, but we never regret coming, we love being here. #1 recommendation: the pork chop alla Bamonte. Also the portobello appetizer and clams on the half shell.

After visiting my sister in NYC for going on 18 years, Christmas Eve marked our first time checking out the famous Bamonte’s of Williamsburg.
I was excited to visit Bamonte’s, first because of the reviews that accurately describe the mob-​stalgic feel of the place –in fact, my sister mentioned at dinner that the open view kitchen allowed the big boss to carefully watch his food being prepared… hmmm! We made a reservation several weeks ahead of time, and they were flexible when our party of 6 with one child ran late.
The restaurant was bustling with food, wine, and overall Christmas Eve merriment — a memory I’ll gladly savor!
The waiters wore their fancy jackets and courteously served my family and I with plates, and plates full of traditional Italian-​American fare. For appetizers, we had mussels, prosciutto with melon, stuffed mushrooms, and calamari. The highlights for me were the calamari, that was breaded and fried crisply and light, with a lovely marinara sauce. The mussels were a hit — perfectly steamed with a delicious and utterly garlic broth!
My husband and I shared entrees — the linguini with white clam sauce and the pork chop parmigiana. The pork-​chop was an utter mouthwatering delight — perfectly battered and broiled with a healthy dose of melted cheese and red sauce. I could see the many slivers of garlic just calling my name…“Lidiiiii you know you waaaannnt meeeee!” Agh, awesome!!! Anyway, the linguini with white clam sauce was also a huge hit, and we had plenty leftover for a midnight snack and breakfast. We did not do dessert, but next time we’re gonna definitely going to take them up on it.
Overall, Bamonte’s is perfect for a loud Mexican family like mine, or any group, large or small, that is cool with a fast-​paced and classic NYC dining experience. Service is great, flavored are classic, and I can’t wait to go back!

Best spot to go to for Italian food in Brooklyn. Staff is excellent

To understand Bamonte’s is to have a respect for tradition. How about 100 years worth? Here is a Neapolitan restaurant that will make your brains fall out. To quote Soupy Sales, «you have to hold onto your head because your brains might fall out.» That’s how good the food is.
Each year we have our Xmas family dinner there. There is a lot of pride in what they do. To fail you is a personal insult. Go there. See if I’m crazy. I’m going there all my adult life. They have a list of notable people who have been there, but they will never speak about it. No hype. Just quiet excellence. Take someone you love there.

The food was very bland and lacking, In general. I got the tortellini bolognese sauce– the pasta was not fresh, tasted store bought. The sauce was thin, watery, had maybe a tablespoon of meat and not enough sauce to cover the pasta. My bf got the «linguine with crab sauce», which we thought would be similar to linguini with clam sauce, but with crab meat instead of clam. Instead, he received linguini with red sauce and a small crab on top with barely any meat. While the servers appeared very fancy in their tuxedos, the service was only slightly above a fast food restaurant– they gave you what your ordered and didn’t come back to check on you, except to ask if you want dessert. Our beverages weren’t even refilled. As a reviewer before me said, you’re better off going to Olive Garden (and I hate Olive Garden!).

ambience to this place is awesome– full of old world charm. we went at 6pm on a saturday and suprised to find it packed already. we had:
–stuffed artichoke: above average
–endive salad: fresh and delish!
–chicken with lemon: my favorite of the night, tender, moist, perfect amount of lemon for a little kick
–spaghetti and meatballs: sooo disappointed. tasted like cafeteria spagetti, minimal red sauce, overcooked pasta, meatball was tough and tasteless

Came here last week with my Number 2 Goomah.
Turns out my Number 3 Goomah recently started waitressing here. Number 3 sees me with Number 2. I says to her «It’s not what it looks like, babe. This here is my orthodontist.»
Number 2 is not happy. She says to me «Is that all I am to you? Your Ortho?»
(She really is my Orthodontist)
I says «No, baby. You’re my Number 1 Goomah.»
Then Number 3 says «What does that make me? Number 2?»
I says «No. It’s a tie. You’re both Number 1!» (Not true)
Next thing I know Number 2 flings her delicious plate of Bolognese all over my suit. Then number 3 dumps a steaming bowl of gnocchi on my lap (lovely plating btw).
Then, outta nowhere — and this is the crazy part — my ex Number 4 Goomah comes out the bathroom, she sees the big brouhaha, she takes this very well-​crafted negroni from the bartender and pours it over my head.
This restaurant has great ambiance, but I recommend coming on a night (Tuesday or Wednesday) when your Number 3 isn’t working and your ex Number 4 isn’t there for her sister’s birthday (Nov. 7)

Very underwhelmed. Came here after seeing Master of None. Aziz had me questioning myself why I had never tried this place before. After my barely edible lunch, I now know why. I had the spaghetti and meatballs, my wife had the manicotti. Meatballs were at least 5 days old, probably closer to a week. The sauce was thin and flavorless. My wife was equally put off by her meal. I wonder how much Bamonte paid Netflix for their shameless promotion. I’d take Olive Garden over this kitchen nightmare. Avoid!

This place is straight out of a scene of Goodfellas: waiters dressed in suits; red color everything — drapes, carpets, flowers, wallpaper, and ceilings; a picture wall.
The food was great and served within a reasonable amount of time. We order the stuffed artichoke, garlic bread, chicken parm, seafood diavolo, eggplant parm, and a stuffed shell pasta with chicken and spinach.
The plate size is pretty decent for an Italian-​style place, and the prices were fair at around $ 20 – 30 range (on the high-​end, but substantiated by the quality/​size).
My only real complaint was the service. It was not attentive (need to waive them down several times) and not very friendly.
Overall, I think is a great place to go with friends and family.

Bamonte feels straight out of a set for a mob movie with it’s wood paneling, jacketed waitstaff and fading photographs. With old school charm abundant in its décor, the place sadly lacks that same charm in its food.
We went in the day right before the restaurant closed for vacation and, like school on the last day before summer break, we got the distinct impression that mostly everyone had already checked out. Given all their other stellar reviews, this possibly explains the lackluster meal we had… and the a giant fly we found in the clam linguini — a real feat considering the 10 000 mega-​watt fluorescent lights shining down garishly over the open kitchen.
Ultimately we found portions to be hearty but the flavors to be middling. It’s homestyle and rustic without any of the soul. It’s mom’s cooking if mom just had a very long day and wanted to get dinner over with. Aside from the fly-​specked clam linguini (a dish which the waiter removed from our table but not our bill), the portobello penne and tortellini were soggy and the Seafood Fra Diavolo («shrimps, clams, mussels, and calamari in a spicy tomato sauce») while a generous heaping mountain of seafood was one note and lacked any heat. Arguably with the Seafood Fra Diavlolo, the ingredients should be the star but if you were to cover said ingredients in a sludge of sauce, shouldn’t the sauce also shine… at least just a bit?
The only highlight of the meal was the eggplant parm. Thinly sliced eggplant covered by gooey, Ninja Turtles cheese. The one comforting dish of the night… this after we were told the kitchen had run out of lasagna (How is that even possible? Did they run out of pasta? Of sauce? Of cheese?)
While Bamonte nails it in its nostalgic atmosphere, it falls woefully short of the mark for food and, given its $ 20−30/dish price point and much hyped 115 year history, you’d think they would meet all expectations.

Love this place. Though as I read certain negative reviews on this forum, it occurs to me that
dining here requires a mature type of diner. And I don’t mean old, I mean someone who is intelligent and experienced enough to understand where they’re eating, who is serving them, who is cooking for them, and just what they’ve been doing for the last 115 years.
We went here recently for lunch and had a great meal. Yes, it’s old-​school and kitschy, but it’s a refreshing change from the unfortunate norm in BK restos, dining under Edison bulbs, eating mediocre food and forcing down some mixologist’s infused «genius». (I mean, dude, you bar-​backed at Dutch Kills for 6 months and now you’re a cocktail expert?)
At Bamonte’s, we ordered chicken livers, veal Parmigiana, manicotti, linguini with crab, then tartufo and tiramisu for dessert. All things we hadn’t had in years and don’t cook at home. All were very good to excellent. We also had a lovely bottle of fairly priced Brunello.
The classic, affable service, Good Fellas style room, and spot on representations of Italian American food, left us very happy, and me planning a surprise date night with the Mrs.
Go, sit back and enjoy. It’s a restaurant for eating and being convivial. If you go there trying to be «wow-​ed» or judge it like some poor man’s Pete Wells, you ain’t gonna get it.

I feel like I’m insulting somebody’s grandparents writing this (and I know I am), but this place is pretty terrible by modern New York food and service standards.
My boyfriend and I came here looking for an «old school» Italian American experience and they definitely delivered on that aspect. Everyone is like family; they all know each other, people look like they’ve been working there for 30 years. A guest of the restaurant even started belting out an opera song right in the middle of nowhere. It was odd AF, hilarious and charming all at once.
Made a 730 res, were told it would be 10 mins; after 35 mins got the worst table in the house (two-​top seated right at the mouth of the LOUDEST most ridiculous fluorescent-​lit kitchen I’d seen in de ages) and asked politely if we could be reseated. The hostess said no, it would be 45 minutes; other bigger tables were reserved for larger parties. I said OK, sat there for a few while one bus boy was getting ice next to my ear and another was slamming down condiments next to my other ear and told our server I was really sorry but we needed another table. My boyfriend’s reflection was bright white from the fluorescent lights, I couldn’t hear him, and the only thing he could see from his seat was into the kitchen. Hostess comes over and argues with me that it’s not a bad table, «people love sitting here!» (Yeah okay!) and we don’t get seated again until about 830, a full hour after our reservation time, and it was at one of the same larger tables she refused to give me at first. I also think she gossiped about me to the bartender because he refused to make eye contact after that. For awhile I thought we were just blacklisted and I started looking up other restaurants nearby.
The food… Not good. I wanted old school spaghetti and meatballs and it was somewhat nostalgic but also tasted kind of like cafeteria food. No flavor; cheap, chunky meat sauce. I covered it in Parmesan cheese and salt to make it palatable. See pic.
My boyfriend got rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe. He described it as «pretty straightforward» (he’s way nicer than me obviously) and when I tasted it I laughed. It was literally plain pasta, chopped up sausage and steamed broccoli with no seasoning or flavor. Oh, and they didn’t really drain the broccoli or pasta because once he ate through part of it, it revealed a watery «soup» underneath (see pic; def not intentional).
I vowed I would maybe come back with my parents (they appreciate Italian American cuisine, old-​school NY experiences and the like) but ONLY for entertainment value. I would never recommend this place to friends or anyone looking for a serious dining experience.

Making History Since 1900
I can just stop the review now as having a business open for 115 year is on a whole nother level, but let me break it down.
Atmosphere — as old school as it gets (you are in a mob movie)
Food — classic italian selection and large portions (nap time after)
Service — a bit slow but that’s because the staff has been here for ever and are a bit older (they get a pass)
Location — hidden in Williamsburg on a residential street (one of the few non hipster things in the area)
I tried the calamari, seafood fra diavolo with clams, mussels, shrimp, and pasta, and chicken francese. All of the food was rich and made just right.

Braved the Mothers Day traffic and drove to Williamsburg Brooklyn to have a great family dinner at Bamonte’s Italian Restaurant. After an hour trek we pulled up to the valet who took the chariot and parked it in the corral next to the restaurant… a great service on a busy holiday. We entered to a full house with a 6:30 rezzy and were pleased to be seated in about 5 minutes! We were served by our stalwart waiter; Mario who has taken care of us as far back as I can remember…35 years +++. Eating here is like a large family gathering… lots of banter and good food passing on all sides.
We started with a super large bottle of maltapuciano de Abruzzo red wine that is great for swigging when eating southern Italian fare. Our favorite appys are the Zuppa de Clams and today an Stuffed Artichoke… They brought our garlic bread… loaded with garlic and delicious to sop up the Zuppa sauce… its that good! Next we got Cappelini with Clam Sauce… two for 3 ppl and there is nothing to compare with the taste… its addictive and we always order it.
The mains were also great; Veal Valdostana in a madera wine sauce. Shrimp Parm… always a favorite and delicious and I had Eggplant Rollatini. Honestly, cant remember the other dishes, was too far gone celebrating Mothers Day. Mario saved us a Blueberry Pie for dessert. Can t say enough except to say order it! We of course had coffee with Anthony offering after dinner cocktails to us all.
We all left full and happy we celebrated Mothers Day in such a festive atmosphere! We will probably return for Fathers Day!

Not like any other place in Williamsburg. The crowd was composed of regular families and people of all ages, not just young people which is unusual for this part of town. The atmosphere is awesome with a massive open kitchen in the back brightly lit. I have to agree that the food is average, but I still really enjoyed the visit. The service is fantastic, very classy. We were the last of a few tables at the end of the night and rather than try to rush us out, they offered us a night cap.
I would definitely like to go back!