Benito's Italian Cafe Pizzeria

Late Saturday and we wanted to grab a pizza to go. We ordered a large pepperoni and a medium margherita pizza. The pepperoni was good and tasty. Nice crust and sauce. The margherita looked good but lacked basil. There was just a few specks of basil. Also, I'm used to margherita pizza with whole slices of tomatoes and not tomato chunks. Overall, it too was pretty good, but the lack of basil is definitely a 1 star deduction. Pricewise, it is rather expensive. 2 pizzas to go were over $26.00.

I've been looking for a good neighborhood Italian restaurant for a while. While not the best place I've ever been to, it's probably the best I've found in the area. We arrived about 6:30 on a Friday to a full but not packed restaurant with a nice ambiance and decent styling. There was live music, which for many is a bonus, I however am not one of those people. I find live music while eating a distraction unless I specifically came to see someone perform. Our waiter was friendly and we ordered lasagna and gnocchi. My gnocchi was good, a solid 3 out of five stars but the sauce was very chunky. While chunky tomato sauces aren't a problem for me, undercooked garlic and onion in it is. Let's just say it was...assertive. I could have killed someone with my breath. My wife really enjoyed her lasagna though and that made me so happy. It was very traditional tasting. I thought the sauce could have used a bit more depth and a touch of spice personally, but it was enjoyable. Overall I enjoyed our experience and I'd come back. I think I'd probably just try something different as the pizzas I saw at other tables looked fantastic.

I tried this place out for the first time since I heard ownership went back to the founding family. Our server was terrific with a great attitude and personality. Very cozy interior with large bench seating for us. We came for an early dinner on a Tuesday evening. After your drink orders are in, you get free warm fluffy bread rolls just covered with fresh chopped garlic and butter. There were four in a basket and were definitely fresh. Between the four of us, we devoured them and our waiter gladly brought us more per our request. As with most Italian places, portions are very generous. I ordered the calamari with marinara and the calamari was perfectly cooked. Very tender and crispy on the outside. I also highly recommend their fried mozzarella. They're not your average cheese sticks, but instead you get two thick fried mozzarella triangles and they are HUGE! They were exceptionally tasty, tender and filling also served with marinara sauce. I asked for ranch dressing on the side, too. We shared the Fettuccine Alfredo and added the chicken. The chicken addition was $3, but don't think that the flavor warrants that extra price. I would've liked this entree better cooked with a bit more butter and Parmesan cheese. If you like garlic, ask them to add it for this dish. The mussels were plenty and definitely different. You can really taste the wine is this dish, but it was pretty flavorful. Served in a large bowl, make sure to ask for a spoon to scoop up all of that wonderful broth or use the bread rolls to sop it up. Loved how nothing was over salted and simply prepared. Depending who's cooking, I'm sure you can make special requests. Overall, our bill was about $60 plus tip for four dishes, unlimited garlic rolls, a few beers and spot-on service. If you're coming out this way or live close, I would definitely recommend. :

I ordered delivery from this establishment and the service was great. Food got here quickly and everything I ordered was correct. The food isn't bad, but not the best Italian food but I am super picky as I'm originally from Jersey. The fried mozzarella is actually a grilled cheese sandwich fried, that was a fun surprise. The fresh mozzarella is more tomato than mozzarella, but that's my personal preference to want more cheese. Most of the food was also heavy in the garlic, again comes back to more personal preference. Not many Italian restaurants in the area, so I was hoping for a bit more but overall a decent meal.

Had the chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. The food was very good, and it had a nice authentic flavor. It had simple flavors without all the extra stuff like you get at the chains, and I really appreciated that! It was simply good. The only draw back is the interior could use some updating. The floors had paint coming up where all the chairs scraped. It was probably nice about 10 years ago. Service was excellent. Felt family run, so everyone had a stake in the business sort of thing. I would recommend going.