Ava's Kitchen - Kenilworth

I returned for dinner on September 13, and my meal arrived before those of the other two diners and even before our appetizer. The waitress offered some vague explanation about the situation. When I looked at my meal, I noticed it came with chips instead of fries, as stated on the menu. I called the waitress back to point it out. Instead of simply taking the plate away to replace it with fries, she asked to see the menu to confirm my order. After verifying I was correct, she took my plate away. A little while later, she returned with my plate still containing chips and informed me that the manager insisted that’s how it’s served. I asked her to take the plate back and decided not to order anything else due to her rudeness. I’m done with this place.

BY FAR THE BEST PIZZA AND FOOD IN THE TRI STATE AREA. If you are a fan of great ingredients, a menu that is always up to date and experts that know food! GO TO AVA'S! You will thank me later. Best regards, David Q.

I made a reservation for a farewell dinner before my daughter left Kean University for Europe. Since I was unfamiliar with the area, I wasn't sure where to book a casual meal. However, the food and service exceeded my expectations. We enjoyed a range of dishes, from tacos to pizza and substantial entrees, all of which were delicious. The staff was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I only wish I lived closer, as it's a place I would visit frequently.

The pizzas were decent but definitely overpriced for what they are—more "personal" than truly exceptional. Honestly, you could probably order one pizza along with an appetizer to share between two people, but we weren’t informed of that option. Lesson learned. Additionally, there wasn't much flexibility in the menu. We had a six-year-old with us who wanted a small side of pasta, but they only had one size available. As a result, we ended up paying $21 for a bowl of rigatoni tossed in oil.

Our first and last time here. Very disappointed. For a neighborhood bar it looks like a great place to hang out with friends. However we went for dinner based upon offerings on the open table website menu. Several items we would have liked weren’t on the menus at the restaurant. For the calamari and shrimp dishes we were hard pressed to find them.. buried in with the other components of the dishes. Mussels were plenty. We were served a bread dish which came with burnt bread. I don’t know how a chef would let that out of the kitchen nor how a server could bring it to the table. Plus when brought to the attention of the server I can’t understand why it wasn’t removed from the bill.