Original Owners Back in Business

If you are racing to make any of the lights on Main Street, you may miss one of Freehold Borough’s specialty restaurants. , is only a few yards off of Main Street, but is not visible from the road. It boasts its own parking lot and casual atmosphere that provides an escape from the rush of Main Street. 

Although only being around for the past three years, San Marzano has had a few different owners. The site of San Marzano, opened in 2001 as Goodfellas restaurant. When the owner of Goodfellas, decided to sell the business, Anthony Mentesana and three other partners decided to open San Marzano in 2009. After being in business for some time, the partners received an offer they couldn’t refuse from a customer who wanted to buy the place. However, once the economy was hit, the new owners ended up selling the restaurant back to Mentesana and partner, Mario Todaro.

“In business if something is worth a dollar and someone is willing to pay 10 for it, you got to think about it pretty seriously,” said Mentesana. “It was disheartening to leave, but coming back was a great thing. We are very happy to be back in the Borough.”

Mentesana and Todaro have been back in the Borough for three months now, and are happy with the progress they have made building the restaurant’s reputation as a neighborhood trattoria.

“We are a family trattoria,” said Mentesana. “The meaning of trattoria in the dictionary is a simple inexpensive Italian eatery that serves pizza and good Italian restaurant quality food, that’s who we are.”

The restaurant sets itself apart from other Italian restaurants and pizzerias by making their own brick oven bread daily and by making their pizza in their own wood burning pizza oven. Another interesting feature of the restaurant is their commitment to their name. Mentesana explained that their restaurant only uses the Italian, San Marzano tomato in their dishes; giving not only a special taste to their meals but the restaurant an identity as well.

Having a second chance for business in the Borough, Mentesana mentioned one specific change he plans on doing with the restaurant in the New Year.

“In 2012 we are opening the restaurant to be used as a place for fundraising for charities and organizations. Monday through Thursday an organization can come in and we will give 10% of that day’s profits back to that organization or charity.”

San Marzano is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The restaurant serves everything from pizza, to seafood to specialty pasta dishes and daily specials at low prices despite increasing food costs.

“Our food costs have gone up 30% since 2009, but we haven’t passed that along to the customers, we have absorbed that,” said Mentesana. “We’re family people like everyone else. I understand how hard it can be to spend that $40 or $50 dollars on a dinner for four because I know maybe you didn’t get your bonus this year – we’re in the same boat. You can always come out to eat here.”

For more information on San Marzano, you can visit them online at sanmarzanofreehold.com or by stopping in at their 31 East Main Street location for a slice of their one-of-a-kind pizza and entrees.