Arugula

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a restaurant that serves great food and good customer serves. I usually drive to NY to eat great food. But this is so much closer

I went to Arugula yesterday evening for a family birthday celebration. The waitress was extremely friendly and she couldn’t do enough to make our dinner a memorable experience. She was knowledgeable about the whole menu and helped us make decisions on what entrees we should consider. The dinner started with an antipasto plate which arrived quickly and was very good. The sharp provolone cheese was drizzled with honey which gave it a delicious taste. The entrees we ordered ranged from wild board over pasta, salmon, chicken parm and scallops over risotto with a cream sauce. Everybody loved their entrees. They were fresh, made to to order and delicious. We all sampled each other’s entrees to share in how good everything actually tasted. My scallop dish was incredible and I will be back to Arugula to try that dish again soon. We ended our meals with four different desserts that everyone enjoyed. The waitress and the food made for a great night and my family looks forward to going back!

This was my second trip here. The first wasn’t memorable, which isn’t a bad thing, I just don’t recall much about it. I live in NYC, but my mother is local to the area.
My girlfriend and I took my mother out for Christmas Eve dinner. There was a 5-​course price fixe for $ 45 per person. The courses were: antipasto, soup, roasted peppers w/​cheese, pasta, and then a main course (various meat dishes or fish). There was too much food for us to eat all of it, and we asked if we could take it home in a «doggie bag» and were readily accommodated. We took home several containers.
The pork loin with mashed was very good, but the short ribs in a savory sauce with polenta were exquisite. There were three pieces of each of the two main courses, and we ate about half of what was presented and were more than satisfied. The price wasn’t bad for such an extraordinary meal… about $ 185 including the tip.

Best Groupon find of the year. I felt like a thief for the amount I paid for it versus the quality and portion size of this very good «new school» Italian spot. But if you live in the area your Groupon might not be the same, my advice is to ask a friend from afar to purchase it for you.
Groupon or not this is still worth a visit or more. I’ll be short and sweet here: wild boar pappardelle bolognese was possibly a top 5 pastas dish of the year, homemade mushroom ravioli in brandy cream sauce with shrimp perfect for seafood lovers not in the mood for tomato or garlic based sauces, and the veal parm with gnocchi was way better than standard versions with its inclusion of pesto.
The clientele reflected the new school feel, no seniors or really anyone approaching that range on this Friday night (except maybe me) But that’s not to say they wouldn’t appreciate this place. There were some tried and true dishes on the menu, but I suspect each was tweaked just slightly. The BYOB combined with the age aspect made the end of our meal very noisy. In future visits I would try to arrive at an earlier time. The strip mall location does not prepare you for the very nice contemporary interior, a bit more lighting would probably be welcomed by those of us approaching senility though. Service was friendly and informative to begin, but as the place filled up it was a bit diluted. Not a cause for concern on our part though. 4 great gods of Groupon Unilocal

Absolutely tremendous! Vince got a Groupon for this restaurant — WHAT a deal!
Arugula is w/​in a small shopping strip and the restaurant itself is on the small side. It reminded me of being in someone’s modern house! Nice décor and DIM lighting. I loved the snowflakes on the ceiling!
We started w/​the ‘wild boar pappardelle,’ which I was a bit hesistant about — I was dying to try the pappardelle but wild boar? I was talked into it! It was pretty good — reminded me of ‘fancy’ ground meat — the sauce it came in was really good and pappardelle is one of my new top 3 favorite pastas!!!
The bread was served w/​a really nice olive oil dip w/​a splash of vinaigrette and roasted (I think?) tomato. Two big slices to dip were had !!!
My entrée was homemade ravioli that were OMG good! Partnered with it — large shrimp, spinach and mushrooms! A brandy cream sauce topped it all — luscious!
Vince had the veal parm. I tasted a bite since I’m not a huge veal (psychological reasons!) fan. It was v good. Nice big portion served with gnocchi and a good flavored sauce.
No room for dessert but the cream brulee cheese cake sounded like it would’ve been my pick.
If you get the chance, you owe it to yourself to GO!

The fold was great but beware the service is absolutely horrible. We made reservations for 7:15 pm and waited 10 minutes for someone to seat us. When the manager finally arrived he said they were cleaning off tables for they were short staffed. Finally at 7:45 we got seated.
Wife had a pear salad and I had the meatball appetizer and both were delicious, my main bitch it is now approaching 9pm and the waitress said is there anything else I can get for you. We said YEAH how about our entrees that we ordered 45 minutes ago. Finally after flagging down the manager our entrees arrived at 9:15, mind you our reservations were at 7:15. In defense of them the waitress all of a sudden got suddenly remorseful, I. So sorry, we are short handed, the order got lost blah blah blah.
They did give us free coffee and desert so it somewhat ease the unexcusable delay.
Again the food is top notch but the service leaves a lot to be desired.
Frank V.

It’s not often that my wife and I are even able to share a date night out, without the kids. let alone is it often that I write a review on anywhere we go… But it’s also rare to find a place like this that is worth reviewing!
First of all, a big thank you to Olivia, for keeping it sweet and simple, as our server for the night! As for the rest of the night, the whole reason we ended up going to this location was because of a stellar Groupon I came across when searching locally. And with that, we were for once able to order across the menu! Appetizers off the Wine-​It Wednesdays tapas menu, Cheesesteak eggrolls and Prosciutto. holy cow! Then shared the Kale Caesar salad. stupendous. Oh wow, you mean we still have entrees to consume? I literally told my wife, we’d come back JUST for the first two courses!
The main meals, all perfectly timed on arrival by the way. Risotto and Cortecce, .You know that feeling of disbelief when you’ve been looking forward to something, even if for only a short while, and when it’s finally in front of you, you take that first bite .and you just can’t believe it’s thaaat good?! Well guess what, it was! It most certainly was THAT good!
Dessert — are we deserving, but of course! Did we have room, not quite .but when in Rome ;-) Besides the fact that I had looked up the entire menu on their beautiful website, and long before even arriving, had decided on what I was having for dessert! And to my chagrin, was sadly informed that the selections I had preselected were not on tonight’s select menu. But get this, they kindly and incredibly still do what they could to help us round out this exceptional dining experience! So the Ghirardelli brownie and the espresso Affogato is what we dreamed to be real, and what a dream it was!
If you, indecisive and uncertain, foodies and date-​niters are anywhere near Sewell/​Washington Township, New Jersey. do yourself a huge huge favor, check out Arugula! … And bring your appetite :-D — the Davisons

This place is right around the corner from my house so not only is it convenient, it’s one of my favorite places to go. Why would I drive when I have this gem practically in my neighborhood?! It’s one of my favorite places to take new people and out of town visitors. The food is always spot on and the menu always changing. Some visits have been better than others but even when I’ve experienced longer wait times for food and service I’ve still walked away with happy. It’s BYO but has selections from a local winery which is one of my Favorites, Auburn Road. The servers are always very friendly and helpful. Some of my favorites: mussels, short rib and veal bolognese, cheese plates, calamari, scallops w/​pork belly, and the list goes on! Every occasion I say I’m going somewhere new but always end up here and I’m quite the foodie and a local restaurant owner myself.

My boyfriend took me here for a surprise on my birthday! Let me start by saying… I can not stand when people make noises while eating… but I could not help myself from saying MMMMMM with every bite!!!

Its a shame this restaurant is sooo understaffed. Only two waitresses for over 20 tables, no busboy and a hostess that just stands at podium. Food was good but two dishes were served cold. Way too long in between courses. Just wouldnt go back

Second time here & we won’t be returning. My husband & I were here when it first opened and it was better the first time. Over priced, but our experience last night was terrible. It’s a shame because it was our anniversary.
Anyway there was a total of 7 – 8 tables the entire time. We were there an hour and a half, it took at least 20 minutes for our appetizers. The food was not rave worthy besides the Lobster Bisque.
Listen to others when they say it’s over priced.
Maybe our «chef» was hungover or was watching football back there. You would think that they were in the weeds. The only time we saw our waitress was when she was dropping off food or a check. The sauces on our apps & entrees were thrown together. It took so long for everything we just took dessert to go. When we got home we laughed. One of the desserts was a graham cracker with a dollop of chocolate syrup and whipped cream thrown into a small styrofoam box. I wish we took a picture.
The only thing I enjoyed from Arugula was the Lobster Bisque. I bought spiced apple wine there (not there’s) & I enjoyed my husbands company.

We’ve returned multiple times since my original review and it seems to get better each time!

BYOB Place but wine store across the street fixes that :) My friend had the chicken Marcella, I had the Filet. They were both wonderful entrees. The service was very very good and very accommodating. It is a nice little place and somewhat romantic. It seems the chef has been there for sometime and the menu changes daily. They always have a different menu. I would go again if I have a chance.

Been wanting to eat here for about a year. Had reservations once but cancelled. Finally by chance went to arugula just by chance. The meal was outstanding and tasty. The lobster bisque was amazing but very rich. It’s worth it. The Caesar salad was also very good. The dressing was just right. The main course was one of the best meals I had in a long long time. I had the salmon and my husband had the filet Minion. Both very amazing. The lemon cake was the perfect end to an amazing meal. Portion size was just right. The service was excellent. I would go back in a minute.

Came here for farm to fork week with a girlfriend. Interior was modern and stylish. Not what youd expect from an Italian restaurant. My friend raved about the food and I found it to be mediocre. I had the carrot risotto which was very bland, needing salt and pepper. However he texture was creamy and consistency correct. Her course of the mussels was tastier. My second course the grilled peach salad, was decent but the peach’s were not ripe enough and still bitter. My entrée was the Zubatan, cooked perfectly but completely lacking flavor. The blueberry sauce that was suppose to accompany it may have been nice but the smear was dried and stuck to the plate. I wasn’t scraping for it. Her squid ink pasta and clams was packed with flavor, I wish I had gotten that. Desert was decent but not memorable. Overall it was a nice night but I wouldn’t return. There are many other places with great modern italian food with larger portions for the same price

Came here for Restaurant week 2015 with friends.
With the help of Unilocalers, I chose: The «Scallop & Bacon», Lobster Bisque, Pappardelle. Dessert was a preset trio.
The grilled bread basket was paired with whipped ricotta and a drizzle of a fig flavored reduction. Tasty bite to start off on.
My first course was mind blowing. A scallop cooked to perfection and a succulent piece of pork belly topped with «bacon jam» complemented by a smear of corn crema. This dish has become part of my «food memory lane» as my mouth drools thinking about it I recommend this one.
The lobster bisque was also quite good (though I feel most creamy soups usually are); I loved how they poured it in front of me at the table. The amount of crab meat paired with it was also adequate.
The pappardelle pasta dish, in a pork ragu tomato sauce with cherries and nuts, melded its flavors well, but I also felt it was missing a punch of flavor. I had somewhat wished I got a different 3^rd course, but still a good dish itself.
The mini dessert trio consisted of a Ghiradelli chocolate brownie atop a raspberry jam of sorts, a salted caramel pudding topped with homemade whipped cream and crushed oreo, and a cannoli with orange zested filling.
While the salted caramel pudding was probably the best, the other two desserts were good, but forgettable.
As a dessert lover, this was a bit disappointing. I had also expected something a little more sophisticated.
The décor of the restaurant is intimate, modern, and classy without feeling snooty. Love the star lanterns in the ceiling.
Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and I give Arugula a solid 4 stars for their take on modern Italian.

I attempted to try Arugula while visiting my hometown several months ago, but it turned out to be Restaurant Week, and I didn’t feel like having a long meal at the time so I left and bookmarked it.
I happened to be in the area again last Friday night and called to see if they had any availability. They did (about an hour later), so I booked, we waited it out, and headed in. Upon arrival, we found out that it was somehow YET AGAIN Restaurant Week. The same one (SJ Hot Chefs), but the spring version. [Note: It really started this past Sunday — they apparently started theirs early. Siiiigh.]
We took a glance at the menu and it all looked great, so we decided to stick around this time. Plus I had something special to celebrate, so it was a justified visit!
It was a pretty good deal for $ 35pp. We started with the whipped ricotta for the table, which was one of the better ricottas I’ve had recently. Next, I had the Italian sausage meatball trio. They were a bit sweet, perhaps because they included golden raisins.
A caesar salad came next. It could’ve had more dressing on it. Or maybe it was just too light? I’m not sure. Either way, it wasn’t my favorite.
On contrast! My main entrée — the black angus short rib — was phenomenal. I tried to cut it with a knife and it fell apart. Literally (using the term appropriately) fell apart. Amazing.
For dessert, they offered a generous trio: a ghiardelli brownie, caramel pudding with an Oreo topping and a petite cannoli. I loved the brownie and enjoyed the pudding, but didn’t like the cannoli. I often don’t like cannoli, though, so definitely don’t let that steer you away from it.
I’m only giving four stars instead of five because there were gaps in between the courses. I’m assuming their kitchen was struggling under the demand of a packed restaurant and preparing a bunch of courses, which is understandable, but it made for a veeeeery long meal.
Note that Arugula is surprisingly trendy and modern with interesting lighting and décor. I liked it. I’d say it’s unique to the area. (Correct me if I’m out of date on that.)
I’d say that, overall, the restaurant is a great addition to Washington Township and I hope they do well long-​term!

My girlfriend and I went here for the first time tonight. We were celebrating valentines day as we both work on Saturday.
Overall everything was pretty good.
Food was delicious and we both definitely loved the homemade pasta!
The only things we didn’t like were: the hostess. Wasn’t the friendliest and couldn’t bother to say your welcome after a thank you, or say good bye after I said have a good night…
Also. It’s very dark in there. So much so that we had to use our flashlight apps to see the menu. The ambiance also looked a lot like a night club. These are nitpicky things though. Server was great. Food was great. Will be back!

My experience in one word: underwhelmed. Given all the good things I’ve heard and read I expected better.
Started with a board of grana padano in white truffle honey, prosciutto and crostini. Truffled honey was great and satisfied overall with the board, but the quantity was so small for $ 8.
Next up was the cheesesteak egg rolls, which was a great size for the price. But, incredibly greasy, and tasted basically like a simple cheesesteak in an egg roll. Caramelized onions got lost in there. When you pick up an egg roll you don’t expect your fingers to be covered in oil when you put it down. Had indigestion after the meal and I suspect this to be the culprit. Caesar salad was ok. Underdressed and pretty average though.
The pappardelle with veal bolognese was pretty good, a bit under-​seasoned, though. Had a bite of my wife’s butternut squash agnolotti. Incredibly under-​seasoned, just sat in the plate in a pool of butter/​oil which we thought was unappetizing. Also, butternut squash naturally has a sweetness to it, but this filling tasted extra sweet, sugar had to have been added to it. Since it was already under-​seasoned, the sweetness was all that came through, boggles my mind. A mushroom component would’ve been nice with this dish I think.
The service wasn’t bad, but not great either. Our waiter didn’t have anything to add to the experience, was just short and to the point, and didn’t check up on us at all during the course of the meal.
I thought the décor was pretty awful too. Felt like I was walking into a hair salon. Just weird in my opinion. To each his own.
Score of this review is based on the meal.

It’s unfortunate that I’ve had to reduce my 5-​star rating down to a 2-​star.
Went on Friday (11/​21/​2014), had a reservation for 7:15pm. Arrived early, and were promptly seated in the dining room in front of the curtained lobby-​area. So my father had to repeated get up to close the curtains as none of the staff passing through could do it.
We sat at our table for 20 MINUTES waiting for someone to take our drink order, or heck, fill our water glasses. Servers past our table, hostesses past our table, nothing. Yeah, it was busy night, but our server didn’t stop by to say…“sorry we’re super swamped tonight, I’ll be right with you.” Nope, we sat.
Our server finally came by, got our drink orders, and she told us the specials. She disappears, and we decide on apps and entrees. Server comes back with wine, and takes our dinner orders and all is good for awhile.
Obviously there was some sort of issue with the wait staff. Either they were understaffed, or they had too many people seated for the staff on duty. As a restaurant owner, you should know that you can’t seat people you can’t serve in a timely fashion.
Apps come out, and they were delicious. ALL OF THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS, but the service was atrocious, and that is such a shame.
The Philly cheesesteak eggrolls were awesome, delicious, and amazing. Lobster bisque was delicious, and the meatballs yummy.
Server comes to take away our plates and says…
«Entrees are on their way out.»
And then we wait…
For 25 minutes.
Yep, «on their way out.»
Entrees were good, except my mother’s steak was well-​done when she ordered a medium.
Meal took two hours and 45 minutes. Seriously?
No idea if there was a manager on duty, as no one was walking around to see if people were having a nice meal. Hostesses were of no help, as they didn’t want to spend any extra time in the dining area than necessary.