Almost every town in New Jersey has at least one family-owned casual BYOB Italian restaurant featuring tasty cuisine in a laid-back ambiance that's perfect for a casual night out with family or friends. La Pastaria checks all the boxes for the residents of Summit and the restaurant was packed with diners of all ages when my dining companion and I stopped in for dinner on a recent Saturday night. The overall ambiance is what one would expect from a casual BYOB -- slightly better than average decor; adequate but not overly attentive service; and freshly-made and tasty Italian favorites at reasonable prices. It's obvious that the chef takes pride making meals that present well and taste great. The dinner menu features a variety of Italian favorites including pastas, chicken, and shrimp dishes, which offers enough variety to appeal to everyone (including those with dietary restrictions like gluten or dairy intolerance). My dining companion and I started off our meal by splitting the Bruschetta Di Pomodoro ($13), comprised of three pieces of pane toscano topped with freshly-diced tomato and red onion. I opted for the Chicken Savoy ($26), with a generous portion of white-meat chicken sautéed with garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar, and Italian spices, and served along with side of pasta and tomato sauce. My dining companion ordered the Chicken Milanese ($26), a generous portion of breaded chicken atop a bed of arugula, fresh tomato salad, red onions, garlic, basil, and olive oil, and (unlike Milanese dishes at many other Italian restaurants) served with a side of pasta and tomato sauce. Both of us really enjoyed the freshness and flavors of our meals. We'll definitely be back. PRO TIP: La Pastaria doesn't have a private parking lot, but there is plenty of on-street parking and parking in the Summit municipal parking lots off Springfield Avenue. Bring change or use the ParkMobile app for the meters ($1 per hour) Monday through Saturday from 8am til 6PM; all street meters are free Monday through Saturday after 6pm and all day on Sunday.

Fine Italian restaurant that has been around for many years. They have delicious pasta dishes. A childhood favorite

Came here again recently and it was delicious as ever! We had a birthday and boy did the staff delight the birthday girl with a birthday jam. Love this classic place.

We ate at the sidewalk table, had a very friendly waiter and had a good meal! Our waiter has worked here for years and made great menu suggestions. We will be back for another meal soon!