This place is excellent, went for the first time last night. I had the chicken francese, delicious. We ordered rice balls, good stuff. I tried my friends garlic bread, I almost died. Not for me lol. My friends were very happy with their meals. I had my signature drink, margarita. The staff came out and sang HB to my cousin. Great waitor/service. Dessert was omg. I had the oreo ice cream cake....definitely recommend me this place.
(5)
Steve M.
Gonna miss dinner here before and after Islander games. They should host game watch events as I think they'd be popular. Pizza us the best and priced reasonable.
(5)
Rich M.
Decent place, food tastes good, fairly priced.
(3)
Irene G.
Now that I have tried Borrelli's I know how great Italian Cooking taste!!! I was so very impressed with the customer service and the savory food that I wish I lived closer! If you have not stopped by Borelli's on your way to the Nassau Coliseum you must add this casual dining restaurant with great food to your bucket list! I eat lots of Italian food all over the world and this place was amazing. I had to meet the chef! This chef know how to keep customers returing for more! Thank you for a great dinner experience.
(5)
Anthony A.
This place is excellent! Great pizza, great appetizers and delicious Italian food. I come here about every other month or so and I'm always glad I did. My favorite my favorites are the fired broccoli and the meatballs, although I'm always in the mood for their incredible pizza.
(4)
Britt H.
I always make a point to stop by Borrelli's when I'm on Long Island. I love that it's still owned and operated by family. Always great and friendly service! Do yourself a favor and get the Famous Chef Salad (I seriously dream about it) or the baked stuffed clams. I'm originally from Boston and have had my fair share of New York pizza, but Borrelli's pizza is the best around in my opinion.
(5)
Kruger K.
I have been going here on and off for 30 years, since I was a kid. The staff and food are great. I highly recommend trying them.
(5)
Jenna B.
Borrelli's Restaurant is owned and operated by the Borrelli family since 1955 (proud to be apart of it) this is truly a restaurant that is dedicated to its customers, and serving the community for 60 years! My personal favorite dish that I recommend to everyone would be the Margarita Pizza with Shrimp, or the Chicken Borrelli!!! delicious!
(5)
Lesley O.
I have to be honest, when choosing an Italian restaurant to dine at Borrelli's has never been my go to choice but I have to compliment them for a doing such a nice job taking care of a small gathering my family had here not too long ago. The minestrone soup served first was incredibly delicious and I was so incredibly impressed with it. They also served two salads to start, Ceaser and Antipasto and both were outstanding. The next course was a pasta dish and the choices were penne with a la vodka sauce or penne with meat sauce. I chose the penne a la vodka and the sauce was quite good, although the pasta was a little too al dente for my liking. The next course was the meal and there were quite a few choices. I chose the Veal Marsala and the veal was tender and there were plenty of mushrooms but the marsala sauce was not as flavorful as I had hoped. I did enjoy it very much but I wish that there were some vegetables served with the protein since the pasta was its own course. For dessert they served a small canoli and some delicious spumoni. The service was really great and the server payed attention to every detail and I am incredibly thankful because she made an incredibly difficult day for us much easier for us. I am incredibly thankful for their kindness and consideration and overall great experience.
(3)
David B.
I chose Borrelli's on the basis of positive Yelp reviews. I've lived in all parts of the tri-state area, and have traveled to most of the major metropolitan areas in the country. Most of the time I go out to eat, the go-to is Italian. I figured this is Long Island, and given the reviews it had to be good. Boy, was I ever wrong. It was the worst Italian food I've ever eaten. The fried calamari had a cardboard-like coating, and was largely tasteless. My wife had the Zuppa de Pesce, and there was an abundance of calamari, one shrimp, and if there was a scallop, it wasn't to be found. My daughter's shrimp dish was horrible ... it just tasted awful ... not spoiled, but not good. I had the eggplant rolatini, which was OK. The salads were largely nondescript. The bread was excellent and the service good, so I gave them two stars. But the food, particularly the seafood, was just not good. And, by the way, for two of our party this was the second time there ... they just didn't realize it until we pulled in the parking lot. I was forewarned NOT to order the stuffed mushrooms. The bottom line is we didn't hit it on a night when the chef was out sick ... our experiences covered two occasions. So, if you go, go forewarned, and for certain, stay away from any seafood offerings.
(2)
Joe M.
This place has pretty good food. This is a landmark in East Meadow. The restaurant has been around since 1955. If you come on Friday or Saturday night at dinner time you will probably have to wait and the parking lot could be full. The entrees are ok but the pizza is better. Their prices have always been good. If you grew up around East Meadow you have been to this place several times. If you want casual Italian food this is a great place to start.
(3)
Nikky M.
The food was incredible, our waitress was very ditzy which kind of made our experience a little annoying. However like i said the food was incredible! Will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Ashley S.
Excellent food and fast delivery! Pizza is tastier than other Italian restaurants. They also have a great choice of desserts.
(3)
Sarah C.
I come here at least once a month. the food is usually consistently great tasting. borellis is a little pricy. for appetizers, the prices are a rip off- the portions are small. very expensive for 5 shrimp cocktail. however, their meals are expensive but their portions are huge. I always get at least two meals out of it. I highly recommend the grilled chicken parm or the stuffed rigatoni. the service is fast and the bread is delicious. I recommend this place!
(4)
Joan M.
What a shame! My friends and I went here yesterday because we were nearby, it's been here forever, and none of us had ever been. So disappointing...first, the salad is not included in any of the pasta entrees, just all of the others, but we ordered it anyway and it was Great! Both the house and the the Caesar were very good! That's where it ended. I ordered pasta with broccoli rabe which was tasteless and the rest of the girls ordered the stuffed rigatoni which they also said was bland. Because we were out for a birthday we ordered the Italian cheesecake which we sent back because it had that refrigerator taste. He gave us the American cheesecake, and that was okay. Will not go back...sorry.
(1)
Ken C.
I went here right before the hockey game nearby the islanders at the coliseum but anyway we decided to go to dinner here with no regrets the waiters were kind and helpful and fast with our orders and brought out the food very fast always asked if we wanted more drinks and the food was awesome the booths and tables can fit anyone between a party of 2 and a party of 12. Chicken tenders and chicken Marsala was awesome and cooked great definitely a place anyone should go too when in the area!
(5)
Jim L.
I live locally about a mile away and we just ordered to a local hotel , the food quality varies way to much by means of portion and quality . We just ordered two pies and a ziti for over 50$ which is absurd , both pies were burnt and tasted like grease with no flavoring , each pie was a little bit bigger then the dominos style of pies which are pretty small . Iv never complained about pizza in my life but this didn't even taste like cheese , just grease . The ziti was very dry and tasted like tomato paste out of a can . Not to mention it arrived cold . For a restaurant that's been on business so long it had to of had it's fair share of neglect and management change Which leads to the food just simply not being prepared to expected levels . Were no longer wish to order from borellis again.
(1)
Barry F.
I have been to Borelli's a half of dozen times over the last several years and I have always had a good experience. It isn't what I would call, "fine dining", but the food is always very good, the portions are always big, and the service is always good. I look forward to going to Borelli's again soon for some great food and good times.
(4)
Aaron Z.
When you want a place to come to with friendly staff and yummy, filling food, this place reigns pretty high. During Hurricane Sandy, they were willing to let me charge my phone, and didn't mind either. Something to be pointed out- the bar area and main dining room do seem a little dated. The newer back room is more modern but it doesn't even out. The food is swell, and I've never been displeased.
(4)
Matt M.
I tend to come here once every few years because I always forget about my past experience. I do enjoy the ambiance with the brick walls and showcase of the desserts in the front, but it seems that it needs a new face lift. The bar seems misplaced and when one of the members of the party ordered a special veal dish, the waiter asked if she wants salad (ok), pasta (ok) or, fries (WHAT!!!) In an authentic Restaurant, you are going to offer fries on a specialty veal dish? how does that match well? Anyway, the pizza was very good, a nice change to the ordinary NY pizza the chicken in my parm sandwich was good, but the sauce was chunky. My friend's Penne alla vodka was "kick ass" as she proclaims and the other member loved his chicken franchese. All in all, it was a nice quiet dinner that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The yelp deal helped a little as well
(3)
Andrea G.
Service could be a little better but overall the food was great! They have the best lunch specials around.
(4)
shelley h.
My boyfriend grew up right around the corner from borelli's. The calimar was great and linguine with red was even better. They accomadate to most requests. Great people. Great place. Great flavor. Guarantee to leave full and with a smile
(5)
ToniAnn N.
I went here last weekend (Sunday the 27th of October) and I would say this was my 4th time dining at Borrelli's. The only reason that I've been there so many times is because my mother has some sort of cosmic connection to this place. I think she has some fond memories of her single days going there. Bottom line, if you're looking for great italian food, don't go there. If you're looking for mediocre Italian food that was possibly frozen and reheated, then you're in luck! First off, our waiter may or may not been high on some sort of drug. He was so absent minded and not "with it" that we kept on getting frustrated with him. It took him so long to take our order after we got our appetizers. We ordered a few appetizers that were forgettable. The mozzarella sticks were something you could get at a fast food joint. One thing I wont forget is how horrible their garlic bread was. HARD as a rock & burnt. For my entree I made the mistake of ordering lobster ravioli. I took one bite into it and it tasted worse than the imitation crab meat that you get in a California roll at a crappy sushi place. It had a lumpy, fishy consistency. The pink sauce was horrific. Oh and there were FIVE - normal sized raviolis on my plate. Really? 18 dollars for that?! Needless to say, I sent my meal back. I told him that I did not want anything else but to get me an extra plate so I could share lasagna with my mom. It took him forever to give us a plate so I grabbed one off an empty table. Sure enough, while he sees that I'm clearly eating with a plate, he squeezes two plates and two knives next to me. Really guy? You don't see that i already have a plate???? The lasagna was bland, tasteless & boring. At that point I started to wonder if my waiter cooked the food himself. Oh and guess what, when we got the bill, our lovely absent minded waiter forgot to take the lobster off the bill. Ha I could have predicted that would happen! This lead to my mom getting very angry. Somehow he still managed to get a 20% tip. he should consider himself lucky, my mom wanted to give him ZERO. Thee prices are not in line with their quality. one word = OVERPRICED! I will say the only perk of this place is that there's never a wait. LOL
(1)
Danielle M.
I was here for a baby shower today, in the semi-private area in the back of the restaurant. The staff was very helpful and the service was fine. We all really liked the salad and my chicken francese was fine. The entrees come out a la carte, which I thought was a bit strange, though they were preceded by a pasta dish. Still, it would've been nice to have pasta with the entree (to sop up the sauce and juices) or maybe just a vegetable. Overall, it was fine and we had a great time. I'd give it a second try.
(4)
Kelli W.
Food was amazing and the service was great as well. I ordered and the food was delivered 30 minutes. The shrimp parm was prepared perfectly!
(5)
Samuel C.
Great venue for a large group looking for italian food. Stumbled on this place after sidestepping the 2 hour wait at Cafe Baci. Just about restaurant you go to on Long Island on a Saturday night with a group larger than 6, there is a guaranteed 2 hr minimum wait. This was the only place I found that has decent Italina food and a short wait on a Saturday night. Not bad.
(3)
David M.
Long Island Landmark Italian Restaurant that's been around longer then the trees in nearby Eisenhower Park. Menu is comprised of typical southern Italian red sauce dishes and pasta dishes. I've been here a few times and I always leave wishing it was a little better. Food is just OK. I wasn't impressed with the Lasagna or Spaghetti and white clam sauce. My wife's shrimps were tasteless. Twenty Five years ago there were not many other Italian restaurants to try, but now with the Islanders gone and growth of retail in nearby Carle Place & Westbury, I fear classic Borrelli's may be close to the end.
(3)
Harry G.
The place got very loud very fast. The service can use some help. And how does an Italian restaurant not have powered garlic for you to put on your food?
(2)
LISA N.
Parking is large, and reminds me of a car sales lot. I went here before going to a concert so we wanted to get drinks and food. Good thing it was my friends birthday so we got a round of drinks free from the young bartender. Good thing we were looking dolled up that day too! Service was friendly and nice. Bathrooms were clean. Surprisingly packed for a friday afternoon. Get the personal pizzas, I had the white..pretty good I must say. No complaints here. I'd definitely go back. Oh and if you're sitting at the end of the bar, make sure you don't trip over that little ramp hump thingy on the floor. I almost fell in heels.
(4)
Angela D.
Disappointed. Not what I remember borrellis to be. Salty salty soup, mushy tasteless baked clams that were sold past their prime. Tomato sauce was tasteless. Asked for veal (chewy) Marsala with NO salt (due to diet restriction) and I think they added extra. Can't go back. Service was good.
(1)
Family M.
I've eaten here 2 or 3 times in the past few years. II wish it was even decent, because it's incredibly convenient - my husband works next door, my kids are in school down the street - we've met there for lunch/dinner more than once. Each time we vow never again, despite the fact that we just wanted a little simple food and a table to share on a busy day. I've never seen it more than 1/4 full. None of us have ever finished a meal here - it didn't make us ill - but it wasn't good, and we're really not the types to leave food on the table too often - especially not italian food!
(1)
Arnie S.
Larrado has been making pizza at Borrelli's since the mid 60's. His pizzas are excellent, but without the artistry of Da Faro's. The rest of food is good but not great. However, just had a spicy tomato sauce which was quite good. Service is excellent and the restaurant is very clean.
(3)
Victoria K.
Went here with a friend recently for some lunch on Presidents' Day. We used to go all the time years ago and the food was really good. Don't know what's happened since then, because now its awful!! My friend got tortellini Alfredo for around $15 and there were 11 tortellini on the plate! He's a big guy, but even for a regular person this seemed like a joke. I got the rigatoni with sausage, which was my favorite thing to eat there back in the day..it was terrible! It was cold, except for the nuked sausage which had hot and cold spots. And the cream sauce was more like a paste. Such a disappointment! I guess I won't be going there again. So sad.
(1)
Michelle K.
I am a very strong believer in giving second chances. So, being that my plans today were to do some Miniature Golfing with my girls and Borrelli's was directly across the street from the park, I decided to try them again for lunch. Well, I'm happy to write this time around that there were no problems. However, I am going to have say that there definitely is a message on the menu regarding the Bread Basket. I didn't see it on my lunch menu so I boldly asked the waitress "someone told me they saw something on your menu once about having to ask for a bread basket, is there one?" Her reply was "YES, but it's on the dinner menu and baskets are given when only entrees are ordered, not pizza" And with that, she came out with a nice warm bread basket for our table. I played it safe today and ordered the House Salad and Pasta Fagioli for myself, Baked Ziti (be sure to ask for the Ricotta Cheese) and Mozzarella Sticks for my girls. Everything was good. I can't rave about our meal because of what was ordered, I don't think any of these dishes could be made to be extraordinary, but I can say we did had a very nice lunch. Hopefully, if I can convince my husband to try Borrelli's one more time, I would like to go back for dinner again. Otherwise, I may have to go solo.
(4)
Joe C.
I've been here a number of times and the food has always been very good - never out of this world but never terrible. The pizza is also very good, the buffalo chicken slices are fantastic. One appetizer that is absolutely delicious is the broccoli bites!!! They have Karaoke on Friday and live music on Saturday nights. The owner Frank is probably one of the nicest people you will meet. Constantly gives back to the community whenever he can.
(4)
Laura M.
I've always liked Borellis because of the appetizers and pizza. I've definitely had much better Italian food. Service is eh. Depends on who you get. There are service experienced long timers who are fantastic but the younger staff is not too attentive. The remodel and atmosphere is nice. And it's nice that they've been an east meadow landmark for so long. They need to work a little harder to live up to their reputation.
(2)
A J.
Almost always have a great time here. The place was only 25% full. Usually the bread comes as we are looking at the menus. We waited 15 minutes after sitting down before we were told it would be just two (2) minutes; got it 5 minutes later, 20 minutes after we sat down. But the bread is home-made, pleasing to the palate, mmmmm and worth the wait. I ordered the baked stuffed clams and I must recommend those if you like chopped clams, mozzarella cheese and garlic. I asked the bus-boy for a napkin, he tossed seven on the table! The lentil soup is also home-made, not salty and delish. The Tuscan Bistro salad is a perfect main course for me, very tasty but I forgot to order the dressing on the side. Good thing I checked, I got the handwritten check for $20 more than it should have been; it was for the wrong table. Got the correct check, I left a 22% cash tip, gave her the cash and the credit card, she never even said 'thank you' after counting the tip amount/percentage and giving me the credit card slip to sign. So food gets 5 stars Service gets 2 stars.
(2)
Randy K.
Fabulous pizza! Order the cheese pie. It's so tasty that it doesn't need toppings to jazz it up. Crust is golden brown and just the right thickness. Not too much cheese that you can't taste the very good sauce. As good as you get anywhere in the NYC metro area.
(5)
Anna-Lisa F.
for a busy night...fireworks and all ... we had excellent service and delicious food. waitress was very sweet our food was hot and very tasty...we had to bring some home it ws so good!! the best salad that I ever had and hot freshly made bread! dessert was sooooo good and the owner came to our table to verify that we were enjoying ourselves!!!! We will be back...
(5)
Christopher S.
I've been here a couple of times,nothing special to talk about.
(2)
Lisa P.
I've only had the (regular) Pizza delivered but it was REALLY good pizza! :)
(4)
Kathy T.
This restaurant went through a bad spell several years ago. My husband and I figured we would give it another try. We were pleasantly surprised by the renovations and the food as good as we remembered from the past.
(4)
Kyla D.
I found this restaurant while trying to find some good Italian food for Valentine's Day. I was enticed by the sign saying its been opened since the 50s and that its family italian food etc. it was the most horrible valentines dinner I have ever had. I order stuffed shells, the food was very very bland. no spices, no flavor. There red sauce was horredous. I never thought that someone could mess up Italian food so much. My boyfriend ordered the chicken parmigiana which also was very very bland. Even the bread was horrible. I would not recommend anyone eat here. There food tasted worse than Italian food that you would find in the frozen isle at your local supermarket.
(1)
Lisa S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. My friend and I went there last night before a concert at the Coliseum. Most reviews looked pretty good and it was close so we gave it a shot. First impression was that it was PACKED, but it was around dinner time and a concert that night so I wasn't surprised. We noticed the bar was empty except for one person so we asked the bartender if we could sit there and order food. Talk about RUDE!! He said, the line would go fast and we'd get quicker food service in the dining room. HUH? Your bar is empty pal. What's the problem?? SO I said, it's ok we're not really in a hurry and I'd prefer to sit here. He gave me a dirty look and reached down with an attitude to get us menus. SO of course I said never mind I don't want to sit here. A bartender that has an attitude like that is REALLY bad business. Turned out the wait really was only about 10 minutes to sit in the dining room. I should say that the HOSTESS (which I'm pretty sure was an owner) was GREAT. Very friendly and professional. Ok, on to the food. The lobster bisque was pretty good, no complaints. Their Italian bread was DELICIOUS! Nice and hot and crunchy. Found out they make it there fresh. YUM! After asking the waiter which pizza he recommended (from what I'd read they were well known locally for their pizza) I went with the margherita personal size and my friend had the buffalo chicken personal size. Both we just "OK"...nothing special as I was expecting. Too doughy and the fresh mozz maybe not so fresh. Waiter was super friendly and accommodating even though the place was so crowded and he was running around like crazy. All in all, I'd probably go back here before a concert, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the food...OR the grumpy, lazy bartender.
(3)
D R.
The portions could be a little larger. Food was bland. It's more convenient than anything.
(3)
C. M.
We came here on a strong recommendation from a friend. Now I just discuss movies with him. The food is unremarkable and just tastes "off."
(2)
John P.
Grew up in this area in the 1970s. Even then, this was a classic Nassau County institution. Have been here numerous times and have never been disappointed. Service is consistently outstanding, as it ought to be in a family-owned place. The pizza is great and platters are decent sized and always good. The wine list is decent, although not wonderful. The location can't be beat: basically across the street from both the Nassau Coliseum and Eisenhower Park. Overall: one of the most underrated places in Long Island.
(5)
Phil J.
My wife and I live in Freeport that is loaded with fine restuarants on the waterfront. We however like to treat ourselves to Borrelli's Italian Restaurant for a few reasons. Borrellis has been around like forever. It's a family run restaurant that this 63 year old went to as a teen living in Levittown. It must be doing something right. In very recent years they upgraded and we have taken advantage of the small party room in the back for our Freeport Friends annual Christmas Party. They have good food (our favorite starter is the chopped salad), bread made on premises and really good Italian dinners and sauces at special prices for groups. We like te diversity of choices and the competitive prices. Te place is also just across from the Nassau County Colosseum making it a good stop before an evening show or right fer an afternoon show with the kids. Best though is being able to stop in and sit down for fresh pizza pie, pasta and more good food as a romantic couple or a family group. They have a great staff that has always aimed to please us. I'm now thinking ths must be the oldest restaurant I have occasion to continue going back to. Probably though, their makeover, through the years, is better than mine. Amazing, the Borrellis family keeping their name out there with good food and service. My wife and I recommend them and went with five stars because over the years, they have never missed yet when dining there and because of Hurricae Sandy thy have continued to help people, still without kitchens to be provided with delicious diners delivered home via an ongoing project called Angel Food Deliveres. Borrellis donations help keep the private program going. Thank you Franky and Beth Borrelli.
(5)
Richard P.
Took a special lady-friend there for dinner last night. I have never had a bad experience there, so it seemed like a good idea as she was in the mood for Italian (insert joke about my ethnicity and ancestory here). Place was relatively quiet, which is understandable for a Sunday night, a few other families and a few couples scattered around the restaurant. We were promptly seated and got started with the menu. She decided on her goto dish, Penne ala Vodka, and I was torn between my goto dish, chicken parm, or the veal parm. Considering she is a vegetarian, I wanted to stay away from the veal (some people get iffy about it, I'm sure yelp is familiar with those types) but she pushed me to get the veal. She isn't one of "those types"... which is awesome. Before we were even able to finish the bread our meals were brought out. The service was extremely quick, and the food came out piping hot and damn near perfect. The veal was extremely tender, and their marinara sauce is one of the best I've ever had out (obviously family recopies aside). The vodka sauce was also good, a little heavier/thicker than my mother makes it, but still quite good in its own regard. Needless to say the meal was delicious and the evening went swell. Borrelli's, in my opinion, is one of the best Italian places in Nassau County.
(5)
Christopher B.
Went here last night for an after Christening party and the food and service was very good. We had everything from salad, appetizers, pizza, entrees, and mini canolis for dessert. The portions were big and priced very well for Long Island. Next time I'm near East Meadow, I will stop here for dinner!!!
(4)
M C.
Food is mediocre. Our waitress short dirty blond hair kept disappearing and we had to go locate her in the bar area watching tv. She got annoyed every time we found her to order, request a drink, etc. When she gave us our check, she said don't come back.
(1)
Diana L.
I went to Borellis a few months ago with a friend and our 3 children. The food was mediocre. The prices were high. I was not impressed with anything about the place. I had always seen this restaurant from the road and wondered about it. Now I can wonder no more. I won't be back.
(2)
Eddie P.
Ok spot. Think of Italian Applebee's - ok food with not real good service. Had apps - fried zucchini, fried mushrooms & the rice ball .. All bland and took 10 mins to get ranch... Lobster Raviolli not real good. Again, ok spot.
(3)
Christopher J.
Overpriced pizza and refills aren't free. Shitty live singer and service subpar. Ordered a white pizza, way too greasy
(1)
Joel L.
My friends and I have been coming to this quality, family owned restaurant for over 20 years. Everything from the pizza to the egg plant and veal parmesan dishes is awesome. The service is warm and friendly and the price is very reasonable. One of the best Italian restaurants in the USA!
(5)
Jemere S.
Excellent food and service. I highly recommend the seasonal lobster and shrimp scampi. I told the waiter this needs to be on the menu!
(5)
Paul C.
I used to eat here frequently as a Hofstra student in the 1970s. The food back then was great and priced reasonably for students living in the tower dorms at Hofstra at the time. They delivered back then and did so quickly. I no longer live on Long Island, but when I am in the area attending events at Hofstra, I have stopped in a few times. Typically, I've had personal pizzas which are always very good although they charge "premium prices" for toppings. On several occasions I've ordered various full size dinners and found that they still do an excellent job with many of their veal dishes. They also always bring warm bread and butter and I have never had a bad waiter or waitress, so that's a plus. All in all, Borelli's is a well run family Italian restaurant with average cuisine that like so much on Long Island these days is very overpriced. Are there better Italian restaurants for the money in Nassau County? You bet. Are they as convenient to Hofstra, Hempstead Turnpike and East Meadow? Sure. But for spur of the moment stops, Borelli's is OK and will do in a pinch.
(3)
Terry U.
Staff is excellent, and if you've been there several times in the past few years, you'll notice the same servers on every visit. I think that says a lot about how well the restaurant is run. Food is good and plentiful. Saturday night is live music night. Be prepared to shout a lot if you sit close to the band.
(4)
Dan P.
Hot fresh and delicious... Hot fresh baked and butter. Ordered the mini meatball app as I wanted to try their red sauce and meatballs. The mini meatball app was awesome delicious fresh tasting sauce. I used the fresh bread to mop up the gravy.... For my entree I ordered the carbonara. The cream sauce was awesome good viscosity not too thick just right balance and the razor thin smoked pancetta was perfect. Would recommend for a good italian dinner you won't leave Hungary ..
(5)
Danielle H.
My favorite Italian restaurant on Long Island. Their meatballs can't be beat. The appetizer combo is a great way to try a variety of items such as meatballs, eggplant rollatini and stuffed mushrooms. Another delicious suggestion is the four pasta meal for 2 which includes my favorite dish, tortellini alfredo. There's plenty more delicious dishes to choose from.
(5)
Vanessa C.
We visited this restaurant and we are very happy we did! Decor is appropriate, warm, simple and just perfect. Staff is fun and friendly, service was great! We has calamari and stuffed mushrooms for appetizers and both were awesome! We ordered pizza and some ordered pasta and it did not disappoint. Everything was light, fresh and tasty. Pizza was really good, I really enjoy the crust. For dessert most of us had gelato and cannoli, and it was just the perfect way to end dinner.
(5)
Gary S.
This place has been open for 60 years. It was my parents go to Italian place when I grew up in Bellmore and we used to get there as much once a week. I felt nostalgic so I went there with my girl last night and it was disappointing. The salad was small, made mostly of iceberg lettuce. The chicken Borelli was so unappetizing we sent it back. Chicken breast drenched in a tan creme sauce with a huge amount of mozzella cheese melted over it and some red peppers tossed in. I think this place is probably best for the standard pizza parlor menu. Pizza, chicken parm, meatballs etc. Eggplant rollatini was good. Linguini and white clam sauce was good too. Baked clams were tiny with way too much raw garlic. They were out of scungilli. They do a $19.55 anniversary prix fix which is a good deal if you pick the items they do well. Wait staff were not easy to find. No one came around to refill empty water glasses.
(2)
Naomi M.
I went here with a group of friends and at first we thought we were in luck when the seated us right away, we soon found out that would be the only good thing about eating here. First, their menu was out of date and the appetizer we wanted was no longer served. We then decided to order the stuffed mushrooms and JUMBO baked clams. The mushrooms were bite sized and the stuffing was sludgy. The jumbo baked clams were also bite sized. Not a good first impression. I ordered the Chicken Liver Marsala, I should have known by the look on the waitress's face that this was a bad idea. The plate that was presented to me basically looked like mushrooms covered in blood. The liver was RAW!!! I NEVER send food back, but I really had no choice. My friend ordered the tortellini alfredo, it looked and smelled like it came out of a Kraft food box, and to top it all off my boyfriend had ordered the calamari only to chomp down on a scrap of plastic. The waitress assured us that it was just a shell from the calamari, but since when does a squid have an exoskeleton?! I tried to eat the side of spaghetti that came with my entree of blood, but the noodles were over cooked and the sauce tasted like it came straight from the can. Now that I've gotten the nightmare out of the way, I will say that our waitress was wonderful, very sweet and apologetic about everything. She tried her very best to salvage our dining experience, but it was pretty much a lost cause after the whole plastic thing...the restaurant did give us 2 free desserts a brownie platter and a platter of cream puffs some with cannoli filling and the other was bavarian cream...we could not tell the difference between them, again not impressed at all, but at least they tried to make it up to us. Lesson learned, we are NEVER going back there again, and you would be wise to do the same.
(1)
Christine L.
I think people rave about this place for the sake of tradition. It's overrated and overpriced. The food is nothing special, I've had better from the freezer section of the supermarket. Service was not great. Atmosphere is kind of tacky (which can be charming, don't get me wrong- but not when the prices are that high.) I won't be going back.
(2)
Man M.
This place is an East Meadow icon but the food isn't great. I find their pizza to be greasy (though I have ordered it a lot) and the few times I've eaten at Borellis's and did not order pizza I was not impressed. For better pizza, I would recommend Galleria pizza in North Merrick. For a better Italian restaurant, check out Baci's further up Merrick Ave.
Tiger L.
This place is excellent, went for the first time last night. I had the chicken francese, delicious. We ordered rice balls, good stuff. I tried my friends garlic bread, I almost died. Not for me lol. My friends were very happy with their meals. I had my signature drink, margarita. The staff came out and sang HB to my cousin. Great waitor/service. Dessert was omg. I had the oreo ice cream cake....definitely recommend me this place.
(5)Steve M.
Gonna miss dinner here before and after Islander games. They should host game watch events as I think they'd be popular. Pizza us the best and priced reasonable.
(5)Rich M.
Decent place, food tastes good, fairly priced.
(3)Irene G.
Now that I have tried Borrelli's I know how great Italian Cooking taste!!! I was so very impressed with the customer service and the savory food that I wish I lived closer! If you have not stopped by Borelli's on your way to the Nassau Coliseum you must add this casual dining restaurant with great food to your bucket list! I eat lots of Italian food all over the world and this place was amazing. I had to meet the chef! This chef know how to keep customers returing for more! Thank you for a great dinner experience.
(5)Anthony A.
This place is excellent! Great pizza, great appetizers and delicious Italian food. I come here about every other month or so and I'm always glad I did. My favorite my favorites are the fired broccoli and the meatballs, although I'm always in the mood for their incredible pizza.
(4)Britt H.
I always make a point to stop by Borrelli's when I'm on Long Island. I love that it's still owned and operated by family. Always great and friendly service! Do yourself a favor and get the Famous Chef Salad (I seriously dream about it) or the baked stuffed clams. I'm originally from Boston and have had my fair share of New York pizza, but Borrelli's pizza is the best around in my opinion.
(5)Kruger K.
I have been going here on and off for 30 years, since I was a kid. The staff and food are great. I highly recommend trying them.
(5)Jenna B.
Borrelli's Restaurant is owned and operated by the Borrelli family since 1955 (proud to be apart of it) this is truly a restaurant that is dedicated to its customers, and serving the community for 60 years! My personal favorite dish that I recommend to everyone would be the Margarita Pizza with Shrimp, or the Chicken Borrelli!!! delicious!
(5)Lesley O.
I have to be honest, when choosing an Italian restaurant to dine at Borrelli's has never been my go to choice but I have to compliment them for a doing such a nice job taking care of a small gathering my family had here not too long ago. The minestrone soup served first was incredibly delicious and I was so incredibly impressed with it. They also served two salads to start, Ceaser and Antipasto and both were outstanding. The next course was a pasta dish and the choices were penne with a la vodka sauce or penne with meat sauce. I chose the penne a la vodka and the sauce was quite good, although the pasta was a little too al dente for my liking. The next course was the meal and there were quite a few choices. I chose the Veal Marsala and the veal was tender and there were plenty of mushrooms but the marsala sauce was not as flavorful as I had hoped. I did enjoy it very much but I wish that there were some vegetables served with the protein since the pasta was its own course. For dessert they served a small canoli and some delicious spumoni. The service was really great and the server payed attention to every detail and I am incredibly thankful because she made an incredibly difficult day for us much easier for us. I am incredibly thankful for their kindness and consideration and overall great experience.
(3)David B.
I chose Borrelli's on the basis of positive Yelp reviews. I've lived in all parts of the tri-state area, and have traveled to most of the major metropolitan areas in the country. Most of the time I go out to eat, the go-to is Italian. I figured this is Long Island, and given the reviews it had to be good. Boy, was I ever wrong. It was the worst Italian food I've ever eaten. The fried calamari had a cardboard-like coating, and was largely tasteless. My wife had the Zuppa de Pesce, and there was an abundance of calamari, one shrimp, and if there was a scallop, it wasn't to be found. My daughter's shrimp dish was horrible ... it just tasted awful ... not spoiled, but not good. I had the eggplant rolatini, which was OK. The salads were largely nondescript. The bread was excellent and the service good, so I gave them two stars. But the food, particularly the seafood, was just not good. And, by the way, for two of our party this was the second time there ... they just didn't realize it until we pulled in the parking lot. I was forewarned NOT to order the stuffed mushrooms. The bottom line is we didn't hit it on a night when the chef was out sick ... our experiences covered two occasions. So, if you go, go forewarned, and for certain, stay away from any seafood offerings.
(2)Joe M.
This place has pretty good food. This is a landmark in East Meadow. The restaurant has been around since 1955. If you come on Friday or Saturday night at dinner time you will probably have to wait and the parking lot could be full. The entrees are ok but the pizza is better. Their prices have always been good. If you grew up around East Meadow you have been to this place several times. If you want casual Italian food this is a great place to start.
(3)Nikky M.
The food was incredible, our waitress was very ditzy which kind of made our experience a little annoying. However like i said the food was incredible! Will definitely be coming back!
(4)Ashley S.
Excellent food and fast delivery! Pizza is tastier than other Italian restaurants. They also have a great choice of desserts.
(3)Sarah C.
I come here at least once a month. the food is usually consistently great tasting. borellis is a little pricy. for appetizers, the prices are a rip off- the portions are small. very expensive for 5 shrimp cocktail. however, their meals are expensive but their portions are huge. I always get at least two meals out of it. I highly recommend the grilled chicken parm or the stuffed rigatoni. the service is fast and the bread is delicious. I recommend this place!
(4)Joan M.
What a shame! My friends and I went here yesterday because we were nearby, it's been here forever, and none of us had ever been. So disappointing...first, the salad is not included in any of the pasta entrees, just all of the others, but we ordered it anyway and it was Great! Both the house and the the Caesar were very good! That's where it ended. I ordered pasta with broccoli rabe which was tasteless and the rest of the girls ordered the stuffed rigatoni which they also said was bland. Because we were out for a birthday we ordered the Italian cheesecake which we sent back because it had that refrigerator taste. He gave us the American cheesecake, and that was okay. Will not go back...sorry.
(1)Ken C.
I went here right before the hockey game nearby the islanders at the coliseum but anyway we decided to go to dinner here with no regrets the waiters were kind and helpful and fast with our orders and brought out the food very fast always asked if we wanted more drinks and the food was awesome the booths and tables can fit anyone between a party of 2 and a party of 12. Chicken tenders and chicken Marsala was awesome and cooked great definitely a place anyone should go too when in the area!
(5)Jim L.
I live locally about a mile away and we just ordered to a local hotel , the food quality varies way to much by means of portion and quality . We just ordered two pies and a ziti for over 50$ which is absurd , both pies were burnt and tasted like grease with no flavoring , each pie was a little bit bigger then the dominos style of pies which are pretty small . Iv never complained about pizza in my life but this didn't even taste like cheese , just grease . The ziti was very dry and tasted like tomato paste out of a can . Not to mention it arrived cold . For a restaurant that's been on business so long it had to of had it's fair share of neglect and management change Which leads to the food just simply not being prepared to expected levels . Were no longer wish to order from borellis again.
(1)Barry F.
I have been to Borelli's a half of dozen times over the last several years and I have always had a good experience. It isn't what I would call, "fine dining", but the food is always very good, the portions are always big, and the service is always good. I look forward to going to Borelli's again soon for some great food and good times.
(4)Aaron Z.
When you want a place to come to with friendly staff and yummy, filling food, this place reigns pretty high. During Hurricane Sandy, they were willing to let me charge my phone, and didn't mind either. Something to be pointed out- the bar area and main dining room do seem a little dated. The newer back room is more modern but it doesn't even out. The food is swell, and I've never been displeased.
(4)Matt M.
I tend to come here once every few years because I always forget about my past experience. I do enjoy the ambiance with the brick walls and showcase of the desserts in the front, but it seems that it needs a new face lift. The bar seems misplaced and when one of the members of the party ordered a special veal dish, the waiter asked if she wants salad (ok), pasta (ok) or, fries (WHAT!!!) In an authentic Restaurant, you are going to offer fries on a specialty veal dish? how does that match well? Anyway, the pizza was very good, a nice change to the ordinary NY pizza the chicken in my parm sandwich was good, but the sauce was chunky. My friend's Penne alla vodka was "kick ass" as she proclaims and the other member loved his chicken franchese. All in all, it was a nice quiet dinner that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The yelp deal helped a little as well
(3)Andrea G.
Service could be a little better but overall the food was great! They have the best lunch specials around.
(4)shelley h.
My boyfriend grew up right around the corner from borelli's. The calimar was great and linguine with red was even better. They accomadate to most requests. Great people. Great place. Great flavor. Guarantee to leave full and with a smile
(5)ToniAnn N.
I went here last weekend (Sunday the 27th of October) and I would say this was my 4th time dining at Borrelli's. The only reason that I've been there so many times is because my mother has some sort of cosmic connection to this place. I think she has some fond memories of her single days going there. Bottom line, if you're looking for great italian food, don't go there. If you're looking for mediocre Italian food that was possibly frozen and reheated, then you're in luck! First off, our waiter may or may not been high on some sort of drug. He was so absent minded and not "with it" that we kept on getting frustrated with him. It took him so long to take our order after we got our appetizers. We ordered a few appetizers that were forgettable. The mozzarella sticks were something you could get at a fast food joint. One thing I wont forget is how horrible their garlic bread was. HARD as a rock & burnt. For my entree I made the mistake of ordering lobster ravioli. I took one bite into it and it tasted worse than the imitation crab meat that you get in a California roll at a crappy sushi place. It had a lumpy, fishy consistency. The pink sauce was horrific. Oh and there were FIVE - normal sized raviolis on my plate. Really? 18 dollars for that?! Needless to say, I sent my meal back. I told him that I did not want anything else but to get me an extra plate so I could share lasagna with my mom. It took him forever to give us a plate so I grabbed one off an empty table. Sure enough, while he sees that I'm clearly eating with a plate, he squeezes two plates and two knives next to me. Really guy? You don't see that i already have a plate???? The lasagna was bland, tasteless & boring. At that point I started to wonder if my waiter cooked the food himself. Oh and guess what, when we got the bill, our lovely absent minded waiter forgot to take the lobster off the bill. Ha I could have predicted that would happen! This lead to my mom getting very angry. Somehow he still managed to get a 20% tip. he should consider himself lucky, my mom wanted to give him ZERO. Thee prices are not in line with their quality. one word = OVERPRICED! I will say the only perk of this place is that there's never a wait. LOL
(1)Danielle M.
I was here for a baby shower today, in the semi-private area in the back of the restaurant. The staff was very helpful and the service was fine. We all really liked the salad and my chicken francese was fine. The entrees come out a la carte, which I thought was a bit strange, though they were preceded by a pasta dish. Still, it would've been nice to have pasta with the entree (to sop up the sauce and juices) or maybe just a vegetable. Overall, it was fine and we had a great time. I'd give it a second try.
(4)Kelli W.
Food was amazing and the service was great as well. I ordered and the food was delivered 30 minutes. The shrimp parm was prepared perfectly!
(5)Samuel C.
Great venue for a large group looking for italian food. Stumbled on this place after sidestepping the 2 hour wait at Cafe Baci. Just about restaurant you go to on Long Island on a Saturday night with a group larger than 6, there is a guaranteed 2 hr minimum wait. This was the only place I found that has decent Italina food and a short wait on a Saturday night. Not bad.
(3)David M.
Long Island Landmark Italian Restaurant that's been around longer then the trees in nearby Eisenhower Park. Menu is comprised of typical southern Italian red sauce dishes and pasta dishes. I've been here a few times and I always leave wishing it was a little better. Food is just OK. I wasn't impressed with the Lasagna or Spaghetti and white clam sauce. My wife's shrimps were tasteless. Twenty Five years ago there were not many other Italian restaurants to try, but now with the Islanders gone and growth of retail in nearby Carle Place & Westbury, I fear classic Borrelli's may be close to the end.
(3)Harry G.
The place got very loud very fast. The service can use some help. And how does an Italian restaurant not have powered garlic for you to put on your food?
(2)LISA N.
Parking is large, and reminds me of a car sales lot. I went here before going to a concert so we wanted to get drinks and food. Good thing it was my friends birthday so we got a round of drinks free from the young bartender. Good thing we were looking dolled up that day too! Service was friendly and nice. Bathrooms were clean. Surprisingly packed for a friday afternoon. Get the personal pizzas, I had the white..pretty good I must say. No complaints here. I'd definitely go back. Oh and if you're sitting at the end of the bar, make sure you don't trip over that little ramp hump thingy on the floor. I almost fell in heels.
(4)Angela D.
Disappointed. Not what I remember borrellis to be. Salty salty soup, mushy tasteless baked clams that were sold past their prime. Tomato sauce was tasteless. Asked for veal (chewy) Marsala with NO salt (due to diet restriction) and I think they added extra. Can't go back. Service was good.
(1)Family M.
I've eaten here 2 or 3 times in the past few years. II wish it was even decent, because it's incredibly convenient - my husband works next door, my kids are in school down the street - we've met there for lunch/dinner more than once. Each time we vow never again, despite the fact that we just wanted a little simple food and a table to share on a busy day. I've never seen it more than 1/4 full. None of us have ever finished a meal here - it didn't make us ill - but it wasn't good, and we're really not the types to leave food on the table too often - especially not italian food!
(1)Arnie S.
Larrado has been making pizza at Borrelli's since the mid 60's. His pizzas are excellent, but without the artistry of Da Faro's. The rest of food is good but not great. However, just had a spicy tomato sauce which was quite good. Service is excellent and the restaurant is very clean.
(3)Victoria K.
Went here with a friend recently for some lunch on Presidents' Day. We used to go all the time years ago and the food was really good. Don't know what's happened since then, because now its awful!! My friend got tortellini Alfredo for around $15 and there were 11 tortellini on the plate! He's a big guy, but even for a regular person this seemed like a joke. I got the rigatoni with sausage, which was my favorite thing to eat there back in the day..it was terrible! It was cold, except for the nuked sausage which had hot and cold spots. And the cream sauce was more like a paste. Such a disappointment! I guess I won't be going there again. So sad.
(1)Michelle K.
I am a very strong believer in giving second chances. So, being that my plans today were to do some Miniature Golfing with my girls and Borrelli's was directly across the street from the park, I decided to try them again for lunch. Well, I'm happy to write this time around that there were no problems. However, I am going to have say that there definitely is a message on the menu regarding the Bread Basket. I didn't see it on my lunch menu so I boldly asked the waitress "someone told me they saw something on your menu once about having to ask for a bread basket, is there one?" Her reply was "YES, but it's on the dinner menu and baskets are given when only entrees are ordered, not pizza" And with that, she came out with a nice warm bread basket for our table. I played it safe today and ordered the House Salad and Pasta Fagioli for myself, Baked Ziti (be sure to ask for the Ricotta Cheese) and Mozzarella Sticks for my girls. Everything was good. I can't rave about our meal because of what was ordered, I don't think any of these dishes could be made to be extraordinary, but I can say we did had a very nice lunch. Hopefully, if I can convince my husband to try Borrelli's one more time, I would like to go back for dinner again. Otherwise, I may have to go solo.
(4)Joe C.
I've been here a number of times and the food has always been very good - never out of this world but never terrible. The pizza is also very good, the buffalo chicken slices are fantastic. One appetizer that is absolutely delicious is the broccoli bites!!! They have Karaoke on Friday and live music on Saturday nights. The owner Frank is probably one of the nicest people you will meet. Constantly gives back to the community whenever he can.
(4)Laura M.
I've always liked Borellis because of the appetizers and pizza. I've definitely had much better Italian food. Service is eh. Depends on who you get. There are service experienced long timers who are fantastic but the younger staff is not too attentive. The remodel and atmosphere is nice. And it's nice that they've been an east meadow landmark for so long. They need to work a little harder to live up to their reputation.
(2)A J.
Almost always have a great time here. The place was only 25% full. Usually the bread comes as we are looking at the menus. We waited 15 minutes after sitting down before we were told it would be just two (2) minutes; got it 5 minutes later, 20 minutes after we sat down. But the bread is home-made, pleasing to the palate, mmmmm and worth the wait. I ordered the baked stuffed clams and I must recommend those if you like chopped clams, mozzarella cheese and garlic. I asked the bus-boy for a napkin, he tossed seven on the table! The lentil soup is also home-made, not salty and delish. The Tuscan Bistro salad is a perfect main course for me, very tasty but I forgot to order the dressing on the side. Good thing I checked, I got the handwritten check for $20 more than it should have been; it was for the wrong table. Got the correct check, I left a 22% cash tip, gave her the cash and the credit card, she never even said 'thank you' after counting the tip amount/percentage and giving me the credit card slip to sign. So food gets 5 stars Service gets 2 stars.
(2)Randy K.
Fabulous pizza! Order the cheese pie. It's so tasty that it doesn't need toppings to jazz it up. Crust is golden brown and just the right thickness. Not too much cheese that you can't taste the very good sauce. As good as you get anywhere in the NYC metro area.
(5)Anna-Lisa F.
for a busy night...fireworks and all ... we had excellent service and delicious food. waitress was very sweet our food was hot and very tasty...we had to bring some home it ws so good!! the best salad that I ever had and hot freshly made bread! dessert was sooooo good and the owner came to our table to verify that we were enjoying ourselves!!!! We will be back...
(5)Christopher S.
I've been here a couple of times,nothing special to talk about.
(2)Lisa P.
I've only had the (regular) Pizza delivered but it was REALLY good pizza! :)
(4)Kathy T.
This restaurant went through a bad spell several years ago. My husband and I figured we would give it another try. We were pleasantly surprised by the renovations and the food as good as we remembered from the past.
(4)Kyla D.
I found this restaurant while trying to find some good Italian food for Valentine's Day. I was enticed by the sign saying its been opened since the 50s and that its family italian food etc. it was the most horrible valentines dinner I have ever had. I order stuffed shells, the food was very very bland. no spices, no flavor. There red sauce was horredous. I never thought that someone could mess up Italian food so much. My boyfriend ordered the chicken parmigiana which also was very very bland. Even the bread was horrible. I would not recommend anyone eat here. There food tasted worse than Italian food that you would find in the frozen isle at your local supermarket.
(1)Lisa S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. My friend and I went there last night before a concert at the Coliseum. Most reviews looked pretty good and it was close so we gave it a shot. First impression was that it was PACKED, but it was around dinner time and a concert that night so I wasn't surprised. We noticed the bar was empty except for one person so we asked the bartender if we could sit there and order food. Talk about RUDE!! He said, the line would go fast and we'd get quicker food service in the dining room. HUH? Your bar is empty pal. What's the problem?? SO I said, it's ok we're not really in a hurry and I'd prefer to sit here. He gave me a dirty look and reached down with an attitude to get us menus. SO of course I said never mind I don't want to sit here. A bartender that has an attitude like that is REALLY bad business. Turned out the wait really was only about 10 minutes to sit in the dining room. I should say that the HOSTESS (which I'm pretty sure was an owner) was GREAT. Very friendly and professional. Ok, on to the food. The lobster bisque was pretty good, no complaints. Their Italian bread was DELICIOUS! Nice and hot and crunchy. Found out they make it there fresh. YUM! After asking the waiter which pizza he recommended (from what I'd read they were well known locally for their pizza) I went with the margherita personal size and my friend had the buffalo chicken personal size. Both we just "OK"...nothing special as I was expecting. Too doughy and the fresh mozz maybe not so fresh. Waiter was super friendly and accommodating even though the place was so crowded and he was running around like crazy. All in all, I'd probably go back here before a concert, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the food...OR the grumpy, lazy bartender.
(3)D R.
The portions could be a little larger. Food was bland. It's more convenient than anything.
(3)C. M.
We came here on a strong recommendation from a friend. Now I just discuss movies with him. The food is unremarkable and just tastes "off."
(2)John P.
Grew up in this area in the 1970s. Even then, this was a classic Nassau County institution. Have been here numerous times and have never been disappointed. Service is consistently outstanding, as it ought to be in a family-owned place. The pizza is great and platters are decent sized and always good. The wine list is decent, although not wonderful. The location can't be beat: basically across the street from both the Nassau Coliseum and Eisenhower Park. Overall: one of the most underrated places in Long Island.
(5)Phil J.
My wife and I live in Freeport that is loaded with fine restuarants on the waterfront. We however like to treat ourselves to Borrelli's Italian Restaurant for a few reasons. Borrellis has been around like forever. It's a family run restaurant that this 63 year old went to as a teen living in Levittown. It must be doing something right. In very recent years they upgraded and we have taken advantage of the small party room in the back for our Freeport Friends annual Christmas Party. They have good food (our favorite starter is the chopped salad), bread made on premises and really good Italian dinners and sauces at special prices for groups. We like te diversity of choices and the competitive prices. Te place is also just across from the Nassau County Colosseum making it a good stop before an evening show or right fer an afternoon show with the kids. Best though is being able to stop in and sit down for fresh pizza pie, pasta and more good food as a romantic couple or a family group. They have a great staff that has always aimed to please us. I'm now thinking ths must be the oldest restaurant I have occasion to continue going back to. Probably though, their makeover, through the years, is better than mine. Amazing, the Borrellis family keeping their name out there with good food and service. My wife and I recommend them and went with five stars because over the years, they have never missed yet when dining there and because of Hurricae Sandy thy have continued to help people, still without kitchens to be provided with delicious diners delivered home via an ongoing project called Angel Food Deliveres. Borrellis donations help keep the private program going. Thank you Franky and Beth Borrelli.
(5)Richard P.
Took a special lady-friend there for dinner last night. I have never had a bad experience there, so it seemed like a good idea as she was in the mood for Italian (insert joke about my ethnicity and ancestory here). Place was relatively quiet, which is understandable for a Sunday night, a few other families and a few couples scattered around the restaurant. We were promptly seated and got started with the menu. She decided on her goto dish, Penne ala Vodka, and I was torn between my goto dish, chicken parm, or the veal parm. Considering she is a vegetarian, I wanted to stay away from the veal (some people get iffy about it, I'm sure yelp is familiar with those types) but she pushed me to get the veal. She isn't one of "those types"... which is awesome. Before we were even able to finish the bread our meals were brought out. The service was extremely quick, and the food came out piping hot and damn near perfect. The veal was extremely tender, and their marinara sauce is one of the best I've ever had out (obviously family recopies aside). The vodka sauce was also good, a little heavier/thicker than my mother makes it, but still quite good in its own regard. Needless to say the meal was delicious and the evening went swell. Borrelli's, in my opinion, is one of the best Italian places in Nassau County.
(5)Christopher B.
Went here last night for an after Christening party and the food and service was very good. We had everything from salad, appetizers, pizza, entrees, and mini canolis for dessert. The portions were big and priced very well for Long Island. Next time I'm near East Meadow, I will stop here for dinner!!!
(4)M C.
Food is mediocre. Our waitress short dirty blond hair kept disappearing and we had to go locate her in the bar area watching tv. She got annoyed every time we found her to order, request a drink, etc. When she gave us our check, she said don't come back.
(1)Diana L.
I went to Borellis a few months ago with a friend and our 3 children. The food was mediocre. The prices were high. I was not impressed with anything about the place. I had always seen this restaurant from the road and wondered about it. Now I can wonder no more. I won't be back.
(2)Eddie P.
Ok spot. Think of Italian Applebee's - ok food with not real good service. Had apps - fried zucchini, fried mushrooms & the rice ball .. All bland and took 10 mins to get ranch... Lobster Raviolli not real good. Again, ok spot.
(3)Christopher J.
Overpriced pizza and refills aren't free. Shitty live singer and service subpar. Ordered a white pizza, way too greasy
(1)Joel L.
My friends and I have been coming to this quality, family owned restaurant for over 20 years. Everything from the pizza to the egg plant and veal parmesan dishes is awesome. The service is warm and friendly and the price is very reasonable. One of the best Italian restaurants in the USA!
(5)Jemere S.
Excellent food and service. I highly recommend the seasonal lobster and shrimp scampi. I told the waiter this needs to be on the menu!
(5)Paul C.
I used to eat here frequently as a Hofstra student in the 1970s. The food back then was great and priced reasonably for students living in the tower dorms at Hofstra at the time. They delivered back then and did so quickly. I no longer live on Long Island, but when I am in the area attending events at Hofstra, I have stopped in a few times. Typically, I've had personal pizzas which are always very good although they charge "premium prices" for toppings. On several occasions I've ordered various full size dinners and found that they still do an excellent job with many of their veal dishes. They also always bring warm bread and butter and I have never had a bad waiter or waitress, so that's a plus. All in all, Borelli's is a well run family Italian restaurant with average cuisine that like so much on Long Island these days is very overpriced. Are there better Italian restaurants for the money in Nassau County? You bet. Are they as convenient to Hofstra, Hempstead Turnpike and East Meadow? Sure. But for spur of the moment stops, Borelli's is OK and will do in a pinch.
(3)Terry U.
Staff is excellent, and if you've been there several times in the past few years, you'll notice the same servers on every visit. I think that says a lot about how well the restaurant is run. Food is good and plentiful. Saturday night is live music night. Be prepared to shout a lot if you sit close to the band.
(4)Dan P.
Hot fresh and delicious... Hot fresh baked and butter. Ordered the mini meatball app as I wanted to try their red sauce and meatballs. The mini meatball app was awesome delicious fresh tasting sauce. I used the fresh bread to mop up the gravy.... For my entree I ordered the carbonara. The cream sauce was awesome good viscosity not too thick just right balance and the razor thin smoked pancetta was perfect. Would recommend for a good italian dinner you won't leave Hungary ..
(5)Danielle H.
My favorite Italian restaurant on Long Island. Their meatballs can't be beat. The appetizer combo is a great way to try a variety of items such as meatballs, eggplant rollatini and stuffed mushrooms. Another delicious suggestion is the four pasta meal for 2 which includes my favorite dish, tortellini alfredo. There's plenty more delicious dishes to choose from.
(5)Vanessa C.
We visited this restaurant and we are very happy we did! Decor is appropriate, warm, simple and just perfect. Staff is fun and friendly, service was great! We has calamari and stuffed mushrooms for appetizers and both were awesome! We ordered pizza and some ordered pasta and it did not disappoint. Everything was light, fresh and tasty. Pizza was really good, I really enjoy the crust. For dessert most of us had gelato and cannoli, and it was just the perfect way to end dinner.
(5)Gary S.
This place has been open for 60 years. It was my parents go to Italian place when I grew up in Bellmore and we used to get there as much once a week. I felt nostalgic so I went there with my girl last night and it was disappointing. The salad was small, made mostly of iceberg lettuce. The chicken Borelli was so unappetizing we sent it back. Chicken breast drenched in a tan creme sauce with a huge amount of mozzella cheese melted over it and some red peppers tossed in. I think this place is probably best for the standard pizza parlor menu. Pizza, chicken parm, meatballs etc. Eggplant rollatini was good. Linguini and white clam sauce was good too. Baked clams were tiny with way too much raw garlic. They were out of scungilli. They do a $19.55 anniversary prix fix which is a good deal if you pick the items they do well. Wait staff were not easy to find. No one came around to refill empty water glasses.
(2)Naomi M.
I went here with a group of friends and at first we thought we were in luck when the seated us right away, we soon found out that would be the only good thing about eating here. First, their menu was out of date and the appetizer we wanted was no longer served. We then decided to order the stuffed mushrooms and JUMBO baked clams. The mushrooms were bite sized and the stuffing was sludgy. The jumbo baked clams were also bite sized. Not a good first impression. I ordered the Chicken Liver Marsala, I should have known by the look on the waitress's face that this was a bad idea. The plate that was presented to me basically looked like mushrooms covered in blood. The liver was RAW!!! I NEVER send food back, but I really had no choice. My friend ordered the tortellini alfredo, it looked and smelled like it came out of a Kraft food box, and to top it all off my boyfriend had ordered the calamari only to chomp down on a scrap of plastic. The waitress assured us that it was just a shell from the calamari, but since when does a squid have an exoskeleton?! I tried to eat the side of spaghetti that came with my entree of blood, but the noodles were over cooked and the sauce tasted like it came straight from the can. Now that I've gotten the nightmare out of the way, I will say that our waitress was wonderful, very sweet and apologetic about everything. She tried her very best to salvage our dining experience, but it was pretty much a lost cause after the whole plastic thing...the restaurant did give us 2 free desserts a brownie platter and a platter of cream puffs some with cannoli filling and the other was bavarian cream...we could not tell the difference between them, again not impressed at all, but at least they tried to make it up to us. Lesson learned, we are NEVER going back there again, and you would be wise to do the same.
(1)Christine L.
I think people rave about this place for the sake of tradition. It's overrated and overpriced. The food is nothing special, I've had better from the freezer section of the supermarket. Service was not great. Atmosphere is kind of tacky (which can be charming, don't get me wrong- but not when the prices are that high.) I won't be going back.
(2)Man M.
This place is an East Meadow icon but the food isn't great. I find their pizza to be greasy (though I have ordered it a lot) and the few times I've eaten at Borellis's and did not order pizza I was not impressed. For better pizza, I would recommend Galleria pizza in North Merrick. For a better Italian restaurant, check out Baci's further up Merrick Ave.
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