Ristorante da Benito

Went to this place with my bf in 2015. We wanted… well I really wanted to go because I heard Obama had been there lol. I would say it’s not exactly what I expected but it was small classy place. Can’t remember what I ate but i remember that they put together the plates beautifully. The food was good and fresh. To be honest it’s February 2016 so I don’t remember a lot. Also, I’m sorry but just a few weeks before I was at Mario’s Tutto Bene and they are on the same street so I couldn’t help but to compare. I would recommend Mario’s but both places are really nice. Honestly it all depends on what you’re looking for and what you like. I would give both a try. For years I’ve been passing both places and never thought anything of it so you never know, give both a try.

Why do I love this place? Because it served me the most perfect, titillating filet mignon I have ever tried outside of NYC. Ristorante da Benito should just change their name to Buono since my experience from start to finish was nothing but that. Before I even write my review, I’m going to answer the inevitable question of whether I would come back again. The answer ladies and gentlemen is a resounding YES!
I made my first visit to this place during a corporate meeting. I don’t really expect a lot from these meetings, food-​wise, because of past experiences but boy was I about to be proven wrong. Sitting on the usual long tables talking about the usual business idiocy that makes me fall asleep, I couldn’t wait to finish and go home. Thankfully the antipasti came out and my eyes lit up. Hold up this thing looks incredible. Mozzarella, roasted pepper, and roasted tomato drizzled with a perfectly tangy glaze woke up my palate, and myself for that matter, because of how fresh and delicious it was. I swear the mozzarella was so fresh you could almost hear the cow in the distance calling out to you mooo. The pepper and tomato had the same freshness present that truly made this an amazing start to the meal.
Okay so after a couple of minutes the main course finally came out. Getting a sense of how this place seems to take pride in their cooking I was curious how they would do with what I had ordered – perfectly medium filet mignon. Well let me tell you I can safely say I haven’t had a filet mignon this good in New Jersey. That’s a tall order for me to say but I stand by it. The filet is pan seared on a bed of potato gratin and blue cheese with a tarragon, Marsala, and red wine reduction. Yeah I know ridiculous right! That filet mignon came out so perfectly medium you would need to take out a cookbook to see the true definition of medium in order to appreciate it. The sauce was earthy and bold but never overpowered the beef. And the blue cheese flavored potato gratin was rich and fluffy with a hint of sweetness that balanced everything out. Man even now I still think of that dish.
As if a cherry on top of a cake, the dessert I ordered rounded out the meal on a sweet note. I ordered the trio of crème brule. Now I think I’ve made it obvious how much I have an affinity for crème brule so I wanted to see if da Benito would have one weakness. Well I guess there is such a thing as being too much of an overachiever because this restaurant served up a sugar-​inducing coma with their traditional, coffee, and peanut butter flavored crème brule. With its crunchy top, soft and decadent body and a velvety consistency on my palate sums up pretty much everything that dessert was.
After stuffing myself silly, I left that meeting wanting, no needing, to come back to this restaurant. It’s a great place for special occasions and based on my experience will certainly not fall short on the quality of their food.

This place is amazing and is one of my favorite restaurants. The shrimp and avocado appetizer is amazing and their NY strip medium rare competes with some of the best steak houses out there! (And I’ve been to a few ;)) if they have their lasagna on their menu (usually Sunday’s) It’s definitely worth a try. Finish it off with their chocolate cake desert and you will be the happiest person in the world! Did I mention their drinks are also amazing! Their dirty martini, French martini and chocolate martinis are all amazing. (Yes I like Martinis) To top it off they have great servers that are always pleasant.

Been to da Benito many times. Tonight was a last minute dinner for a party of 8. From the apps to the entrées, everything was spot on. Great time with great friends. Be back soon!

As soon as I walked in, I knew I was going to love it. It was so cute, small and authentic. I ordered the penne. It was by far the best pasta I’ve ever had and the service was just as good. I can’t wait to go back next time I’m in NJ!

Odd service, and never crowded. But wow, the food and the wine are unparalleled. This is a place that you never would expect to be as good as it is, but once you go, it’s all you can ever think about.

We love this restaurant, in its unlikely spot, and we’re not even big fans of Italian food. Chef Benito doesn’t vary his menu much — it’s been the same standbys for all the years we’ve gone now, with slight variations — but it doesn’t matter, because why mess with success? Benito is an extremely experienced and skillful chef, and his versions of classic dishes never fail to please. Everyone we’ve ever brought here has enjoyed the food tremendously, and the welcome is always friendly and warm. Favorites include the veal ossobuco, the chicken ricoperto (best lemon chicken I’ve ever had), and, when they have it, the wagyu steak. Pasta dishes are excellent too, especially the bolognese. Round it out with an incredible wine list at reasonable prices (Benito has kept the older vintages priced as they would have been upon release), and it’s an A+ choice for us.

EXCELLENT! It’s a hidden gem! everything is delicious! Highly recommend the center cut veal chop, veal osso bucco, salmon and chocolate cake for dessert! Everything was delicious from appetizer to dessert!

Extremely satisfying meal. I started with the baby calamari which was delectable. As a main course, I went with the grilled shrimp which was very good. The service was solid. The décor — ehh. Looked like the dining area on a cruise ship but it didn’t take away from the experience.

I thought the food was great. The thing I liked the most about this place though is the service. I hate waiting for service and this place has their waiters checking on you every two minutes at the most, which is just awesome.
The only negatives are that my wife thought the food could use a bit more salt and that I found it a bit pricy, having eaten in other comparable places nearby.
I’m definitely coming back. :-)

Went to Ristorante de Benito just yesterday for the first time on Valentine’s Day. We couldn’t have picked a better place!
I had the lamb chops, which were cooked to perfection and my girl had the pan roasted swordfish which she said was very good. The appetizers were grilled shrimp with corn and avocado salsa and the requisite melon and prosciutto. The wine selection was pretty good as well.
While admittedly the portion size was rather small, the quality of the food and the atmosphere more than made up for it!

I’ve been going to this restaurant for over 25 years. It is my favorite restaurant in NJ. The food is always excellent but what sets it apart is the service. Donna, NIam, Lourenco, Tony, Agron and Benito are providing VIP service the old fashioned way.

I live in Union, NJ and decided to finally try Benito’s out. My experience was similar to many of the reviewers, except no visit from the chef. The PRO’s are the service, the ravioli appetizer and the overall quality. The CON is the price to value ratio. My wife and I went for our anniversary but it felt like a regular dinner. I had recently dined at Babbo in NY and felt that was much better for a similar price.

This is just my favorite restaurant in New Jersey. The food is excellent and the waitstaff is very attentive. I’ve been coming to this restaurant for over 15 years and I never get tired of it. Chef Bonito makes a point of coming out of the kitchen to speak to his guest to make sure everyone is enjoying their meals. And one last thing the wine selection is great.

Just had the Filetto Manzo and it was amazing!!! If you’re a meat lover then order this dish. Ask for Dona or Vlora and they’ll help you out. Great food Benito!!!

Had heard amazing things about this place and have lived down the block from it for 10 years but have never gone. Prices are on the high end and you would think for that you’d have a slightly more upscale dining experience. I would give this a ³⁄₅ for ambiance and the food ⁴⁄₅. Overall the service was slow but not to the point where it left you scrambling to grab someone’s attention. I had the swordfish special which was really good and my wife had the rack of lamb which was awesome. I’m thinking the back dining room could have been a better option to sit for an anniversary dinner but not this go around. The front dining room has a big flat screen TV, not something I would imagine for an ‘upscale’ restaurant. Suggest wine by the glass as there wine list, while extensive, is pricey.

I rate it a 3.4. At first I was the only on in there except for a few folks at the bar chatting as if they were at home and regulars. Eventually 2 other tables got occupied — perhaps because it was a Thursday night only.
They gave us table breadsticks and bread with some olive oil — I liked the thinner breasticks as they tasted warmer and fresher. It was a hot day but I started to get too cold as we were sitting under the ceiling vent — so bring a sweater if you dislike that.
We tried their 4 cheese Ravioli and it was tasty along with an order of their meatballs. I’m wondering if it wasn’t so cold, my mind may have been more blown away like a few other reviews I’ve read. One meatball was enough per person but we had 3 between 2 of us. For dessert we tried their chocolate cake with the ice cream and it was good. They also gave us a plate of cookies too. We also ordered a side of spinach. I think I may have given a better review if the AC wasn’t making me so cold — the food may have tasted a bit warmer.
The staff was very nice though so I’d come back… with a sweater… :)

I have been frequenting this place for the past 10 years. The food has always been the best Italian food that I have ever had. No matter what I order, it has always tasted phenomenal.
a MUST ORDER is the FOUR CHEESE RAVIOLI… This item is not on the menu, but I am willing to challenge almost any other Italian eatery to top this Ravioli and I will be a fan FORVER…
The chocolate cake is an excellent dessert choice and is also on my MUST ORDER items. The Ambience is upscale and the service is very good. The atmosphere can be a little intimidating sometimes, but I go there for the food and that has never failed me…

Al Pacino ate here. Al f*ckin’ Pacino and I’m giving it 3 stars. This place is definitely a spot Tony Soprano would have holed up in and got down on some fine homemade ravioli while trying to wine and dine some goombah. Benito’s has been around for a while and is most definitely an old school locals spot. I unfortunately wasn’t so impressed, mostly due to the price/​value ratio.
The place is huge, definitely a great site for a holiday/​engagement party/​private event, etc. They have rooms that are sectioned off for privacy and the remaining space has an open dining area concept. Another plus is that there are no hard seats here, almost like lil’ couches, your bottom is nicely cushioned at this linen napkin upscale joint.
Our Caesar salad for 2 was Pathetic with a capital P. First of all, a caesar salad for two means you are making two people get the same salad; one would hope there would be a reason for this. So when a waiter saunters over with 2 plates with 2 measly servings of drenched lettuce, it will always be a huge fail. Why make 2 people get this? My FIL-​to be enjoyed his crab cake very much, so I’d suggest you steer your appetizer eyes over in that direction.
Moving on to the entrees, my veal scallopine was the best cooked scallopine I’ve ever had. Super thin, perfectly breaded and sauteed; this dish was seriously tender. The problem was portion size. Now, now, now, I’m not one of those people that needs a doggy bag, but for $ 30, I definitely wasn’t satiated. Johnny Mac got the swordfish special and it was a big thick cut, nicely prepared. The warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was heavenly. Warm fudge literally oozed out upon the first bite. All the desserts are homemade and definitely worth the caloric intake. Coffee was complimented with free biscotti and Italian cookies, which is always a nice touch.
Chef Benito came out and gave us a grazie for coming in, I’m totally into it.
If I was a baller and lived in Union County area this would be on my list, however while I’m living in JC, I’ll stick to my Hudson County gems.

My hubby and I celebrated our 5^th year anniversary @ Ristorante Da Benito and really glad we did! We were seated promptly and greeted by a friendly waiter. The host could have been nicer but didn’t really bother us. The food that we ordered were all amazing and the chef came out to say hello. We thanked him for making such great dishes and he seemed to like it and very passionate about his craft.
I can’t believe it took us 3 years to try this place! Definitely going back to try their other dishes.