Marabella's Family Restaurant

We love this family friendly place. The fried aged provolone is mouth watering! Dishes are large portions and reasonably priced. I didn't leave hungry.

My family came down to Stone Harbor this year in October 2022 which was the same week as hurricane Ian tropical storm. We made reservations at Marabella’s as our usual yearly visit but unfortunately due to the weather and flooding the restaurant closed. The owner was nice enough to call me back and offer other restaurants that were still open however we wanted to give them business so we ordered takeout. The food was EXCELLENT. Thank you so much for being so accommodating. Family restaurants are the best and Marabella’s will be one that we will continue to go to each year

The South Jersey shore has always had a real problem: visitors either pay through the nose for subpar food they would never even consider eating at home or they have to spend a small fortune just to feed themselves and their family a decent meal that they usually would get at home at fair market value. Simply put, visitors are at the mercy of South Jersey restaurants. And that is what sets Marabella's apart from its surroundings: they serve incredibly delicious food that any visitor could afford to feed their family. Marabella's is as great as some of the best Italian restaurants in Philly or NY, but they have the added benefit of being situated in the high-end South Jersey town of Stone Harbor while never exploiting their guests to cram a year's worth of profits into one summer season. Marabella's is above just serving you microwaved pasta with jarred tomatoes at a 1000% right-up to hold them over a cold winter. No, they wouldn't do that to their guests at the shore anymore than they would do it regardless of where their restaurant is physically located. It's abundantly clear that Marabella's appreciates quality food and welcomes their guests to enjoy it as they would their own family, and, yeah, of course, the guests need to pay the check all the same. However, when the check arrives, the guest acknowledges that they had a great meal and for a fair price at the South Jersey Shore points, and that is a rare occasion that some might not believe. But, make no mistake, any visitor that decides to take this leap of faith will be rewarded in kind: it's true; it's possible; and it will make you a believer that you and your family can enjoy a phenomenal meal while visiting "the shore" and not need to take out a loan to cover the costs. And, about the food, it seems rather bland to recommend mozzarella sticks, but when they are homemade as they are at Marabella's, trust me, you will carry the good news of eating it up the coast. And what's apparent about all of Marabella's menu items is that rather than try to do a little senseless razzle-dazzle on classic staples, they excel in getting these classic dishes right every time. This is why when my family and I spend a week down the shore, we don't just visit Marabella's once for an annual visit but rather we entrust them to feed us three to four nights while we're in town. This is the type of restaurant food that you'll miss and long for when you're back home come September and be practically ready to buy property in Stone Harbor come February because you're so anxious to visit.

Lastly, when my wife and I dated when I was in college and barely could afford to feed myself, we started eating at Marabella's for the above-referenced reasons. I specifically remember going out to eat a certain large bar/restaurant right outside Ocean City and paying $60 for two cheese steaks and fries. The meal was terrible and I couldn't believe I spent that much on awful cheese steaks so close to Philly. Additionally, it cut into my budget for no sense of satisfaction. However, the following weekend, my wife and I brought a bottle of red wine to Marabella's, had their famous mozzarella sticks, chicken parm, and linguine with crab meat, and walked out only having dropped $75, and I/we could justify every penny of it. That was almost 20 years ago. My wife and I got married, continued to visit Marabella's every summer, and now we bring our two children there as well. We've given Marabella's a lot of business, and they have given us a lot of great food and memories in return; other South Jersey Shore restaurants, please take note, this is how you make it down the shore. Be sure to visit Marabella's.

Delicious Italian food that never disappoints, and the family-friendly atmosphere is hard to beat! We have been coming here for years and always enjoy it! Try the veal Parmesan, the homemade fried mozzarella (scrumptious) and the rigatoni broccoli rabe.

Great Italian and seafood dishes. Steak and chicken dishes served too. Service and prices are good. We've made a point of dining there during our annual Jersey shore vacation for over 20 years.

One of my favorite Italian places!! Their appetizers are the best - fried provolone, broccoli rabe, and calamari are all excellent. One of the best chicken Parms you can get!

This place is an institution in Stone Harbor and has reliably tasty Italian food in a no-frills but cozy atmosphere. The service is very friendly and attentive - and the portions are pretty large - large enough that I ate our leftovers for dinner the next night (we did share an appetizer though, and you get a small salad and bread with dinner, so we were a little full when the meal came - but we like to have leftovers to take home so that was fine). It is a byob so we brought a nice bottle of wine and were comfortable. We visited a bit off season so it was quiet and an adult crowd - but in season there can be waits, and there are usually an abubdance of families with children of all ages - so it just depends on what you're looking for (not always my cup of tea on a really busy night). It has been open for at least since we've been coming (over 35 years) - and I believe it's been open much longer than that. Just a pleasant, reliable, comfortable neighborhood place to go for good food and service. No fancy culinary experience - but we very much like and have appreciated this place over our years in Stone Harbor!

Stayed in Avalon for the week . We were looking for something to eat on our last night in town. Marabella's came up as a recommendation. It's was definitely worth giving it a try. We are from the Philadelphia area and have several Italian restaurants. I will put the food from Marabella's up there with some of the best I've eaten. If you're in the Stone Harbor or Avalon area definitely try this place .

Great Italian food, we go here multiple times every summer. It's the go-to place for a nice BYOB Italian dinner in town so it can get crowded in there. Definitely bring some wine, it'll help distract you from some of the entitled rich people who go in there and sometimes stir up a ruckus (one couple sent their BABY'S steak back because it wasn't rare enough).

Came here on recommendation of friends. Today is 2nd day open for 2017. Appetizer, salads, entrees all excellent, service great, staff attentive. Highly recommend to anyone looking for value! Many other clientele here with children. Highchairs available.

GREAT gluten free menu, very pleasant waitstaff, understanding of dietary needs (gluten and dairy free). I had the Tutto Mare in red sauce with gluten free pasta and couldn't stop talking about how good it was - in fact I'm craving it again already. Delicious! My picky 2 year old ate every bite of his gluten free pasta. Others in our party had gluten free veal parmesean and chicken parmesean. What treat! We WILL be coming back!

This is definitely old school shore dining at its best. The food is really good served in a relaxed atmosphere with top of the line service. Definitely a recommended stop while in Stone Harbor!

We go here for dinner every year when we make our beach trip.

Food and service never disappoints, excellent meals and great staff!

Great place to eat.

Great restaurant- one of my favorite at the shore : terrific food and great prices. Very competitive prices and I love the spicy tuna entree. Very kid friendly and byob is always a plus 🍷🍷

Fine Italian cuisine. One of the best chicken parmesans. Reasonable prices, unlike most of the restaurants in Stone Harbor.

cute low key pasta place.

The most delicious eggplant I have had in a long time. Chicken soup was also delicious.

Delicious food, good service, nice atmosphere and decent prices. Great experience from beginning to end.

A Stone Harbor classic. Been eating here since I was a kid. This place just stays the same - food is consistently good, mostly classics with a few newer items thrown in.

Delicious food and great service despite shortage of help. Susan, our waitress, was terrific!