"The berkshire pork chop is always delicious and is a staple in the menu."
"You can taste and see the quality—I love farm to table restaurants!"
"The tomato tartare, artic char crudo and burrata for apps were out of the world."
"The pastas are all made in house and are as gorgeous tasting as they are looking."
"The food was amazing and the best I’ve had in a long time."
"The food came out quickly. And absolutely everything was delicious."
Cons:
"Interesting experience. I dined here with three other people and two of us loved our food and two of us found it bland and uninspired."
"Food is meh from previous experiences."
"I had the Bolognese special that was good, but not great."
"The food was mediocre at best and not worth the prices...limited menu."
"The food is not the best either, the pork was overcooked and dry the last time we were there."
"Food lacks taste and is extremely salty."
"The tuna did not taste fresh or high quality enough for a tartare."
Service
Pros:
"Service was wonderful. Our waitress was fast to respond and checked in often without being bothersome."
"The staff was all so wonderful and friendly."
"The staff approach the table with respect, never feel rushed, and professional through and through."
"Our server, Ryan, told us all about the restaurant and their philosophy and was very knowledgeable about the menu."
"The service was outstanding!"
"Our server was Karen, she was phenomenal. The entire staff was so attentive."
"The service was great and friendly."
Cons:
"When I was asked how was my food I said 'terrible' … the waitress got upset and said 'you don’t have to tell me that'."
"Service is atrocious as our reservation was given away because one person in our party of five was a few minutes late."
"Our only gripe is the 90-minute shot clock you're on while eating there."
"Only allowed 2 hours and constantly reminded and rushed throughout entire meal."
"Terrible dining experience with friends rushed limited menu food served in record time got kicked out in 90 minutes on the dot."
"Staff is extremely rude and unprofessional, servers and manager are unprofessional and lack basic personal skills."
"Disgraceful and poor customer service all around."
Ambience
Pros:
"The ambience started it all off. Simple, unpretentious and homey."
"Delicious food, friendly service, and clean and atmospheric design."
"The atmosphere is calming, and the food is exceptional."
"A fantastic restaurant for the downtown Red Bank area."
"The atmosphere was great, we ordered the barata, hush puppies, and salad for appetizers."
"The atmosphere was lively which contributed to a perfect night out."
"The service was fantastic. The reservations were for a Monday night and it was busy when we arrived."
Cons:
"It made the meal feel rushed and cheap."
"The atmosphere is below average as well."
"The atmosphere is not very warming and it is loud."
"It's a small room and can be a little noisy if full."
"The noise level was high, but that maybe had more to do with the table next to us."
"Pretty snobby attitude and service in my opinion."
"From the moment we walked in until we left, there was no warmth at Semolina."
Management Policies
Pros:
"When you book they are VERY clear about their seating policies and I respect that."
"Plan ahead, be on time, and realize that the empty table across the dining room might already have someone else's name on it."
"The host/manager Richard was very pleasant and articulated the policies beautifully."
"This restaurant runs the way restaurants are supposed to."
"The chef rotates the menu every so often to give his loyal customers new tasty options to try."
"They were very busy for a Thursday night - be sure to make a reservation."
"We will definitely return when in Red Bank."
Cons:
"PSA, they take their don't show up 16 minutes late and expect to sit down policy VERY seriously."
"Can only imagine what other rules are imposed on the customer once you walk through their doors."
"Was told by host they would not be able to accommodate us 2 until 615pm. Tons of empty tables to the naked eye."
"Our meal was heavily overpriced and under portioned."
"No idea how this place has such high reviews."
"However, what distinguishes Semolina from the myriad of culinary letdowns is its owner, who embodies arrogance and stands as a stain on the entire hospitality industry."
"After reading through the obnoxiously long list of rules on their website as to what this restaurant won’t do to accommodate their guests, I’d rather take my business elsewhere."