If you ask Yelp reviewers, the best pasta shop in the U.S. is in North Jersey. Well, duh… you could’ve just asked us, too.
The Pasta Shop in Denville landed at the top of Yelp’s inaugural 100 Best Pasta Places of 2026 list. The list “showcases the best trattorias, pasta shops and markets in the U.S., as ranked by Yelp data and community reviews.”
Yelp noted that reviewers appreciate The Pasta Shops’ “first-come, first-served restaurant and market with its open kitchen, wood-burning oven, and pasta-making demos in the front window,” and recommend folks arrive early to snag tables.
Denville, NJ — July 29, 2025 — A popular North Jersey Italian restaurant, The Pasta Shop in Denville.
It’s not the first (nor it will it likely be the last) accolade for chef/owner Tommy Pollio and partner Sergio Sciancalepore’s Denville eatery. Earlier this year, it made USA Today’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list, along with 39 other restaurants across the country.
If you’re curious, The Pasta Shop has 4.6 stars on 867 reviews on Yelp. It also has 4.8 stars on over 1,500 Google reviews. Or, you could just drive past it one evening and see the line outside the door.
From the day Pollio and Sciancalepore cut the ribbon on the metro-chic Italian-American joint in 2018, North Jersey residents sang its praises; both through word of mouth and their visible commitment to braving the elements to wait for a table. Indeed, get there early.
If and when you do get in, go for the homemade pasta of course: a made-from-scratch Rigatoni Alla Vodka or the Spicy Argentinian Red Shrimp over Black Linguine, which has been a basil-topped crowd pleaser since day one.
We also like their rotating specials like Spaghetti Carbonara, Porchetta-Style Pork Shoulder and Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Ravioli. And don’t leave without trying their mozzarella sticks.
See inside The Pasta Shop in Denville, named one of USA TODAY’s best
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Denville, NJ — July 29, 2025 — A popular North Jersey Italian restaurant, The Pasta Shop in Denville. (NorthJersey.com-USA Today Network)
Only a handful of other New Jersey spots made the list, which was coordinated in part because Yelp has detected a “carb comeback” in the U.S. – searches “pasta shops” rose 52% in the period from Sept. 2025–Aug. 2026, compared to the 12 months prior. The list was released ahead of National Pasta Day, October 17.
Pasta Volo in Asbury Park landed at No. 8, L&D Sapore Ravioli & Cheese in Middlesex came in at 57, and Mavi’s Pizza and Pasta in Fort Lee is at 65.
And if you need more pasta recommendations, or just have a hunch that Yelp reviewers missed out on some great spots around here, we recently named our favorites in North Jersey.
Matt Cortina is a food reporter for NorthJersey.com/The Record. Reach him at mcortina@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The best pasta shop in the U.S. is in North Jersey, per Yelp reviewers
