Anthony J’s Bistro

Awesome experience on a snowy night!
We have been here before and had enjoyed it very much. With the snow storm, it was in walking distance from where we were staying so off we went.
Started at that and Joe was great as bartender and welcomer. After A drink we sat at a quiet table and Laura took great care of us for the rest of the night. Our meals were fantastic and we left wondering why we would eat any where else when we come to Mystic!

My boyfriend and I were staying in Mystic for our anniversary this weekend, and we got completely snowed in to our hotel. Nothing in the area was open… Except Anthony J’s! We made the trek out in the snow and we were so glad we did! We missed our reservation for dinner at Mohegan Sun, and we were worried our anniversary dinner would have to be had at our hotel restaurant. Both my boyfriend and I had such an amazing meal here that we would recommend it to anyone! I ordered the filet mignon and my boyfriend had the Eggplant Parmesan. My filet was perfectly cooked, and it was HUGE for the price (I don’t know if this is a normal thing here, maybe I was just lucky)! My boyfriend said the eggplant was so fresh and delicious. Prices were extremely reasonable and we were treated excellently by our waitress (Lauren?).
The only (and I do mean only) thing I would have changed was the atmosphere. It’s a pretty small place and there was no real area where we could sit and have a quiet meal, as the bar was packed with people and extremely noisy. There’s really nothing they could do differently to change it, but it did take away from the experience a little.
Regardless, thank you for saving our trip and being open and still cooking killer meals during a blizzard!

Been coming to Mystic for a long time and always seen Anthony J’s but never tried it. After finally trying it last week I have to say I was disappointed. The pros: service and atmosphere are very nice. Cons: the food. We found the lobster bisque to have way too much butter. I received a veal parmigiana that I needed a chainsaw to cut through the veal and the cheese was totally burned on top. My girlfriend had a spinach gnocchi that was loaded with oil and was almost inedible. The only Sav Blanc on the menu was Anthony J’s own blend and it was equally poor. May have been one bad meal but this is not a place I’d recommend.

This was really good… Nice atmosphere… Good was well portioned. Service was spot on! Great lunch.

We were at a convention in mystic, great little place, food and service was great. Love the atmosphere, will be back!

Yum!
After visiting the Seaside Sanatorium, my friend and I came here for lunch. We shared the burrata and the seafood hot stone.
The burrata was super fresh and was perfect with the tomato and basil; so classic. The seafood hot stone arrived sizzling and amazing. The tables around us all admired our fancy entrée choice. The seafood selection was really fresh and eating it while being able to smell the ocean made it all the better.
The outdoor seating is really cozy and the service is really quick. Our server was so nice and friendly and we definitely enjoyed ourselves.

The food was fantastic, ambiance was great. Definitely enjoy the patio over inside. The sauces are so flavorful. Split dessert as they’re huge. I would give 5 stars if the service was a little more prompt.

Try the bolognese with gorgonzola. Yum! Also remember to ask for the house bread and dipping sauce! The dipping sauce is made with garlic boiled in olive oil until it’s the consistency of a mashed potato. A few extra spices, tomatoes, & red wine vinegar. Amazing!
The wait staff are super attentive and accommodating we had a sleeping toddler with us and immediately they knew that we shouldn’t go inside because there was a loud group inside. Beautiful heated outdoor patio which can be used well into October.

Go, go, go… Date night guarantee!
Everything on menu is great! Hotrocks are a must. Mozzarella a definite must eat.
Salads are great too… Can’t go wrong.
Drinks, atmosphere and food all perfect to set the mood for what comes next on a great date! Not really a family place for dinner, gets tight and more an adult vibe.
Michelle is great at the bar or waiting…

Service was very slow. Extremely noisy. We had to yell to hear each other.
Bread was bad. No space to move, very tight. Wasn’t worth the money.

Love the pear salad, they were even able to swap the Gorgonzola for Goat cheese. Happy hour prices are reasonable and the bites on that menu are generous portions. I love their scallop pasta dish. The wait staff is always friendly and we’ve always had great service here!

Our party of six people arrived on a Friday night in June around 8:00pm delighted to get a table right away; actually there were a few available tables. Even though the restaurant was not full the noise level was so bad we had to practically shout to be heard. The first time here, a couple years back, we had a pizza and thought it was okay so we agreed when our friends suggested we eat here. Don’t know what happened last night but our food was a disaster.
I had a glass of Chianti which was good. My husband ordered his bourbon neat and instead was served a glass of bourbon filled with crushed ice. It was returned to our waitress who brought back the very same ice cold glass sans ice. Apparently the ice was strained out leaving a very diluted drink.
The bread and olive oil so many other reviewers raved about is really rather mundane; it squishes together when you hold it. I ordered the Sicilian pasta and husband asked for the Bolognese pasta; these dishes are under a section labeled «Baked Pasta». Our pasta came floating in sauce, more of a soup than a baked pasta dish and I had to search for the penne pasta… I doubt there was a cup of cooked pasta in the bowl! And the pasta was overcooked.
Finished off the meal with an espresso. Our share of the bill came to $ 88 before tip for two drinks, two awful pasta dishes and two espressi. We have been there twice… but never again. Don’t like to give a poor review but the food and bourbon drink were just not good.

Nice cozy restaurant but one of the worst bartenders ever! Very delicious smelling aromas upond entering Sat at the bar, ordered a wine and, pondered the menue, desided on the Hard Rocks fish and asked the bartender if we could order She said «yea» then we listened to her talk about easter eggs a bunnys with her friend at the bar for at least 10 min, then watched her put glasses away for another 5 min She finally turned her attention back to us– we were so turned off — We left and went next door for a delightful meal and a very friendly staff

Great Great Great Food. We had the Raw Fish Cooked on the grill on our table. Funny and great ! Our server was very nice too. The owner is Italian and you can tell from the menu with Italian fusion.

Excellent. Clean. Fast. Affordable. Friendly. We rotate our favorite restaurants on or list each week and this is always on the top. Go there you’ll go back again.

I’ve become a fan of the meatball salad, a Rhode Island thing. AJs does not have one, but I recommend getting the veal meatballs (4) and a Caesar salad (1 order will serve 2 and they will split it for you). Eat the meatball and salad together. If you want to get fancy add in an order of the burata (mozzarella app).
It’s my favorite thing to get from this place and should be a regular menu item.
You are welcome.

The Food:
They have half price appetizers before 6pm, which is a pretty good deal. I was going to get the Calamari as it’s one of my favorites, but I just wasn’t that hungry tonight. They bring over bread when you sit down, accompanied by a dish of olive oil with a little tomato flavor and some garlic. This was an interesting take on bread and oil. My meal consisted of pasta in a red sauce with some sausage slices and broccoli rabe. I thought it was very tasty. The other two guys with me thought theirs were good as well (manicotti with sausage, and the carbonara).
The Service:
The waitress we had was very good. She was very attentive. One thing I liked was that when we ordered our beverages, she also brought over a large class bottle of water. I like when places do this because it allows you to easily ensure you have a full glass, especially when you are thirsty.
For those who are concerned, they will split your checks here, and they do it with a smile. (see my other review dated 10/​27/​2014).
Overall:
We found this place on accident. It was a Monday night, and it seemed like a bunch of other restaurants were closed. We decided on this place after driving by, and I am glad we did. I would definitely come back here again, and maybe try the Calamari.

Had a 1^st date & the birthday dinner in July, the food is hands down amazing. One night the service was just ok but the food made it worth it. I recommend the steak cooked perfectly!

I meant to do this a long time ago but forgot.
Shortly after writing my review I got an email from the manager of Anthony J’s — he was very nice and apologized for the slow service that we received, but did confirm that it’s because their kitchen is small and everything is fresh, and they work their best to get the food out as quickly as they can without affecting the quality.
Even if the food wasn’t great (which it was), just the fact that they are paying attention to reviews and reaching out to customers that didn’t give a glowing feedback makes me really happy and appreciative. With all the chains taking over the world and customer service at a rapid decline everywhere, it’s great to see the amazing attentiveness and passion in their business that I grew up watching my mother run my grandmother’s restaurant.
I cannot wait to get back here!

Great Italian place off the main street!
They were able to seat us right away on a Friday night.
For appetizer, we shared the veal meatballs. It seemed to be the one to try as everyone around us also got the meatballs. I thought they were pretty good but nothing too special.
I really, really loved the dip that they served with their bread and even asked the waiter how they make it so I could try to re-​create it back home. He said there was olive oil, balsamic and garlic which seems pretty standard but for some reason to me, it tasted much better than everywhere else I had.
For entrees, I had their seafood risotto and my friend got their bolognese. The risotto was a bit too runny for my liking but I tried my friend’s bolognese and it was delicious!
For dessert, we shared their chocolate lava cake which had a salted caramel gelato on it. Interesting combination but it worked!