Cordivari’s Restaurant

Reviews

• Michelle P.

  star star star star star_border 21 July 2026

  Cordivari's is the newcomer to the scene of a small beach town with an already large Italian restaurant presence. I think the main difference with Cordivari's is the quality and the heart.
  
  I paid my first visit about a month after opening. Let's give these newcomers a break for the moment. And certainly don't hang on every last negative word coming from Yelp.
  
  So this was probably Brigantine's most hopping spot outside of the beach. We attempted to go there for dinner one night and it was a 30-45 minute wait. We went back on a Sunday night and still had to wait. Thankfully the turnover was pretty quick.
  
  The atmosphere is what it is. You are in an old Wawa that may need a little more Italian artwork. My view was of basic window treatments and a highchair.
  
  The service was top notch. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager came over to us at one point to check in. I gave honest feedback that they were running out of soap in one bathroom and paper towels in the other. She made sure that was addressed and that we were doing well otherwise.
  
  The best part of the experience was in the pasta. I went with the Papardelle Abruzzi. Fresh, homemade papardelle in oil with sausage broccoli rabe &  sausage in oil & garlic, finished with pecorino romano. It was a nice portion without being too huge. The freshness of the ingredients was everything.
  
  It was a nice touch that all dishes come with a side salad, made with decent greens and a hearty balsamic vinaigrette. They also serve AC bread!
  
  I'd recommend going in with an open mind and giving them a try. The fresh pasta is really a standout.

• A C.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 16 July 2026

  Italian.... but we've had better.
  
  We were excited to try this new addition to Brigantine. So far we have found food on Brigantine to rank between poor and mediocre. We felt this was at the top of the Brigantine food chain at mediocre.
  
  First, we waited outside in the parking lot like two unwanted peasants for 40 minutes.
  Strike 1
  
  We ordered fried calamari and it was average. Nothing special. We got a side salad but we're not given a choice. For an entree I ordered the chicken parm to see how they made it. I asked for a ziti or rigatoni instead of the spaghetti that it comes with because I have a tendency to spill.... I figured tube type pasta might be a bit easier to manage.  I was told that they make all the pasta fresh but they only make long stranded pasta. I was told they don't have an attachment to make any type of tube pasta.
  
  So here is the thing, I was here for a dinner and didn't care that the pasta was all handmade. Why do I need to have that kind of pasta if I don't want it.
  
  I did not come here for the homemade pasta.
  
  They should have dishes that use homemade pasta as the centerpiece of an entree. If it's a side who cares, offer dry pasta. Especially if it's going to be just a few strands on the side not an entire dish of it.
  
  I know they are proud to offer the handmade pasta but I think it's a poorly executed strategy considering the owner has been in varying capacities of the restaurant business most of his life.
  Strike 2
  
  Lastly, and this is a point that not everyone will understand.... the tomato sauce is not a nice silky purée it's a chunky type sauce that is not typical in the restaurant business. I make my Sunday sauce sometimes thin and sometimes thick depending on what I'm serving with it. But never chunky. It's not something that I have seen in some of the finest Italian restaurants.... in Italy. So like I said it's a matter of preference but mine is not like they serve it.
  Strike 3
  
  Would we go back?  Nope. Too many really great choices 7 minutes over the bridge. Why would I settle for anything less.
  
  Should you try it?  Absolutely. You may not be as picky as we are and you might enjoy a nice evening here.

• Jason H.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 16 July 2026

  This is a new restaurant on Brigantine island, in the old Wawa store it appears. The interior is pretty bland, so it's definitely more of a casual place. The menu is varied, with Italian and seafood options.
  
  Overall, the food was very bland. They don't use enough salt and pepper, mostly. It wasn't horrible, but just not seasoned properly at all. The portions were good, but the food was just a bit uninspiring.
  
  At one point, we asked the serve if they could turn down the AC just a bit, as it was pretty cold. They came back and said "they're not going to do that."  Kind of an odd way to put it. Not a big deal, but they could have been a bit more service-oriented in the message.
  
  I may try it again, since they've only been open a short time. There are definitely other options on find island with better good, at least for the moment.

• Christine K.

  star star star star star_border 15 July 2026

  Lovely restaurant. Homemade pasta, nice seafood and Veal dishes were very good. One small caviat -salad was overdressed.
  Staff was on point!

• Cynthia S.

  star star star star star 12 July 2026

  Tried this cute restaurant on the basis of an Uber driver's suggestion -- and glad we did! Very fresh and tasty homestyle Italian in a re-purposed building. The menu covers a lot of classic dishes and everything we had was fresh and tasty. Our server was pleasant and attentive but not in an annoying way. Our appetizer of calamari was cooked to perfection with a light breading and very fresh tomato dipping sauce. Of our three entrees, my linguini alla romana was my favorite but that's because I like simple, straightforward dishes. The fresh, homemade pasta was outstanding. A side order of meatballs was also very tasty. The dessert selection was outstanding and we wanted one of everything, but selected the pistachio cheesecake and a cannoli. YUM. Highly recommended if you want a solid dining experience based on good, fresh reliable food in a friendly setting.