Nero’s Grille

Nero’s… great service, great staff… and the food… look for yourself. Very friendly place to stop and hang out with the locals. I travel for a living so it is a pleasure to have a meal at a restaurant that feels like I am a local and not just passing through. I stopped during happy hour and the staff was very attentive even though the bar was full. I did not wait long to be served and they were very attentive.

Octopus appetizer is amazing! Steak cooked to perfection. Loved the Moscow Mule drink as well!

Well the food is OK but I have a Handicap license plate. When I went to park in the designated spot, there were two cars in there that had no authorized handicap plaque. So I parked as close as I could. As I walked into the restaurant, the parking attendant said I could not park where I was. I said there are unauthorized cars in the designated handicap slots.
He told me it was the «owners’ car» there; illegally. REALLY? The owner has guts to park there. Could it be he’s «connected»?

Pretty good food, but vastly overpriced for what they’re doing.
They are consistently inconsistent.
Some of the servers are outstanding. Others simply don’t have their act together.
Very good selection of beer and fun cocktails.
They do a great job of adding specials to the menu on top of their already extensive menu.
The food is well prepared and fresh.
However, from time to time those service issues rear their ugly head. Every so often the food takes way too long to arrive.
I simply can’t get past how much they’re charging. At their price point, the food and service has to be consistently spot on. The food is quite good though not outstanding. The service is usually excellent but subject to lapses.
Another thing that strikes me is their birthday routine. Sure it’s great to bring out the cake and candles and sing. However, do you really need to dim all of the lights to the point that other diners are in uncomfortable darkness?
It’s a good restaurant that unfortunately doesn’t quite live up to its price point.

Place is very dated and food is very forgettable. I think its time for a massive overhaul to get in with the 21^st century!

Frankly speaking, and this is not my first time here, I have never experienced a good dining experience. Flavor wise at best is 2.5 stars. If you love salt, you might give Nero’s Grille 3 stars. Clams Oreganato, 6 of the smallest clams with a bread crumb mixture that was about 25% salt, the sauce was not bad, but didn’t help the dish. Linguine with Clam sauce. I ordered it with whole wheat pasta. Again, overly salty but that was not my issue. The pasta, while it was al dente, was in pieces that was too short to twirl, and too long to stay on the fork. Seriously, for a dish that costs $ 26.00 for a plate of pasta, at least the pasta should be prepared properly. 5 other dishes were placed on the table and I had to wait an extra 10 minutes for my sub-​par dish to arrive. Save your money.

First off I’d like to mention that I read all the negatives reviews before going here. The positive ones is what made us decide to give it a try. And we are glad we did.
This was our first time visiting this establishment. We were a party of six and arrive pretty late about 9:45. It wasn’t busy at all and they put us in that «back room» all the other negative reviews mentions. We are in our 40’s and I agree the décor is a little dated in the room but it was clean and friendly. We were the only people in the room so we didn’t have to deal with children running around in the other negative review I read, but hey, that’s not a restaurant problem that’s a parenting problem, so Not relevant to the place.
We were greeted with a friendly hello an to give them a minute to setup a table for 6. The waiter was very attentive and we didn’t have to wait for any significant time to get his attention. (the place was empty tho because it was only an hour before closing.) We order drinks and got them quickly.
They gave use a huge loaf of bread with butter to munch on while waiting. My wife loves breads they give your as a snack, so she was sold.
For our apps we ordered:
3 shrimps with cocktail sauce. (Huge shrimp cooked perfect) priced per shrimp
Crab meat cocktail (Delicious and fresh)
9 oysters on half shell (Delicious and fresh)
Mediterranean grilled octopus (people who have eaten it often liked it, those that don’t did not.)
2 French onions soups (broth was very good, one of the best I’ve had in jersey)
As for entrees we had:
1 10oz filet mignon (cooked perfect) (rare as allowed by law)
2 5 oz flite mingon (cooked perfect) one well done, one medium rare. Waiter kept asking if the well done was ok. (Our well done friend now knows what a good steak is without being well done. However those who do like well done, the meat was still moist)
1 lobster risotto (loved it) Only issues was the green sauce they put over the top was a little licorices flavor which my pallet doesn’t like. However mixed together it wasn’t significantly noticeable, I will however ask for no Aioli sauce the next time I order it. It was very good tho.
1 Grilled Swordfish Puttanesca (delicious, very meaty like chicken, filling)
1 mac and cheese (so good, homemade goodness)
1 mashed potatoes (rich and creamy)
Everyone enjoyed the entrees. There was no complaints from our group. Everyone really enjoyed the food.
We finished up with some espresso and the girls were looking for a desert, which they had many good options but decided maybe they shouldn’t. So the waiter brought out the espressos then a minute later bough out biscotti dipped in bitter chocolate and another dessert split into 6 pieces on the house!
I am very glad I decided the positive reviews out weight the bad so tried this place. We will be going there again for sure. Staff was assertive and friendly and food was delicious. From a price standpoint I enjoyed what I paid for and feel it was priced accordingly.
Again the place was empty because we got their late, so attentiveness may vary on a busy night, but the food was on point and that’s the most important ingredient!
We will be back their soon!

Double bone pork chops were amazing, date had the crab cakes, just as good, desert go for the pot ice cream it’s flavorful and light best meal in years…

Good overall experience. We are in our early 30s and we felt really young there but food was pretty good and prices were fair. Overall it was a good experience

After reading many reviews of places in Livingston, I wonder where these people are used to eating because so few ever have anything positive to say. Why so hypercritical? Nero’s is a perfect example. I have eaten there numerous times over the years and it has yet to disappoint. Food is and drinks are consistently good. Service is attentive and professional. Restaurant is aesthetically pleasing and spacious. They even have a valet so you don’t have to fetch your car if it’s raining, snowing or the zombie apocalypse.
One thing to point out is the variety of their menu. If you’re not in the mood for a gigunda meal they have wraps and small plates that they offer all day and night, not just during lunchtime. They also have a nice outside area complete with a huge sectional couch that never seems to get much use. I actually prefer sitting there, especially if we are just going for drinks and a snack or appetizers.
Bar area is lively and generally crowded but getting a drink is easy as the bar staff is as efficient as their waiters. The tall Brigette Nielson looking woman runs the place quite well and always makes us feel welcome and comfortable.
Nero’s has been a fixture, sitting proudly on top of the upper echelon of the Livingston dining scene for the better part of since I can remember. They are always busy and always a great place to enjoy a delicious meal and some top notch drinks. Show them some love, people. C’mon.

Food and service was excellent! I had the salmon, which was cooked to perfection.

I pass this restaurant all the time, and finally decided to try it out last weekend… After reading the reviews, i was not expecting very much. Well, I’ll say, this place exceeded our expectations. The food was great, the service was great, we mentioned it was our first time, and the manager came to check on us twice! (that’s how you get customers to come back). After we placed our orders, i saw a few plates being delivered that looked amazing. The server assured me it was ok to change my order, and I’m so happy i did. the Chicken Milanese not only looked fantastic, it tasted fantastic! The Shrimp cocktail were huge, just like a NYC Steakhouse… and the the cheesecake might have been the best I’ve had! (they comp’d our dessert being it was our first time).
Great Service, Great food, You will definitely see us again!

Used to be okay, not great. Downright awful now. Last time I was here I ordered salad that was supposed to contain some type of mixed greens. The greens turned out to be iceberg lettuce. Hardly any chicken, I would say 2 – 3 tablespoons chopped up-​I guess to make it appear like there’s more than what actually is. Last time here.

I have friends that love this place. I have eaten here at least 5 times. Of all the times I have eaten here, only 1 time did I actually enjoy my food (and that was this recent trip).
This time, I ordered Chicken Nero. It was good.
The service is excellent. It is fun to watch the singles at the bar.
If you are not in the area, do not go out of your way to eat at Nero’s. Also, we never use the valet. I have heard of people using the valet and their cars get stolen.

This was my first visit to Nero café. Family affair for dinner. Soup, salad, fish, sides, all the best. Portions are plentiful. Great dining experience

I get dragged here every now and then, but not anymore. Nero’s is basically diner quality food. Portions are also small and expensive.
My nephew ordered the fish special at lunch and they gave him the smallest piece of fish. Literally the size of two fish sticks.
It’s really is amazing this place is still in business. But I guess not considering the other options in the area.

Big disappointment, the menu has changed.
That makes the special dishes that they used to serve, not so special anymore.
It’s a shame it was a good old stand bye.

The food at Nero’s is consistently good. What hold it back from a higher rating is the service. When I order a $ 29 plate of pasta I expect high quality service. We dined as a family here tonight and we suffered from disappearing waiter syndrome. Service is slow and inconsistent. Food comes and I get no entrée. How hard is it to deliver a dish on time? Second round of drinks took forever. Were they distilling the gin? The service will likely cause us to eat elsewhere. Prices have increased and the service has not. Our food was excellent but tarnished by the less than stellar service we received. Took quite a while to get the check as well. My delayed gin gimlet was excellent kudos to the bartender. The clientele is old as in liver spots and depends old. Not a place got the young. I
Might try again but not if he service continues to be subpar.

I have been coming here since I was a kid with my family… and hadn’t been back in forever.
After reading the reviews on Unilocal, I was a bit nervous to come back to Nero’s.
What’s not to like here???
No, it’s not «farm to table», hipsters w/​tattoos, or trendy. It’s not the city or Brooklyn, or even Jersey City, it’s freakin’ Livingston.
If you are looking for a young, hip crowd, then this is definitely NOT the place, however, if you are looking for delicious food and good service, then this is the place.
Fresh Florida grouper tonight with perfectly cooked broccoli rabe, and delicious soft shell crabs (yes, they are only in season NOW, in MAY).
Husband had the chicken Milanese, delish, and we had chopped salads and a nice selection of wines by the glass.
Very nice service, and the typical local Livingston crowd.
Great value, very reasonable for the big portions and that is why it is ALWAYS crowded and has been in business for over 35 years.
Why would you give this place a bad review?
It’s a local, family, Italian restaurant.
Hospitality «old school» never goes out of style.
We will put it back in the rotation

I was super ecstatic about returning to Nero’s. The appetizers were fine disregarding the fact they took a little too long for them to serve. My mother had been coming to Nero’s for 35 years because the restaurant had been a family tradition. However, when she ordered the Chicken Aglio e Olio, the chicken was alright; however, it was smothered in burnt, blackened onions. When sending the dish back, the waitress was unapologetic and churlish saying this is the way it is supposed to be served. The dish came back with only the most burnt onions taken off. Just ridiculous! Then the maitre’ d and the manager both came over. Not only did they not console us, they also responded with, «This is the way we serve it.» The waitress then ceased to serve us. Very expensive, bad service, with otherwise okay food. A clear decline in the restaurant.