Restaurants in Livingston

Dollops of homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, and red or green salsa crown many of the dishes served at Restaurante Los Gallos, showcasing the vibrant colors that hint at the bursting, bold flavors of authentic Mexican cuisine. Homemade chicken mole is a specialty of the restaurant—it’s made with chocolate, traditional spices, and lots of dried chilies—as are tacos and burritos, served “taco truck” style.

Sweet River Grill & Bar's eye-catching interior beckons a second glance with its treasure trove of framed mirrors, sepia portraits, vintage advertisements, and a large sled mounted on the wall. Inside the central dining room, burgundy banquettes shine beneath Tiffany-style stained-glass lamps and vaulted ceilings marked with divots where Paul Bunyan famously bumped his head. To pair with these old-fashioned trappings, Sweet River's chefs take a modern slant on classic diner fare with sandwiches stuffed with ahi tuna and thin-sliced turkey and half-pound burgers bearing alfalfa sprouts and fresh avocado. A separate Mexican menu vies for palate popularity with sauce-slathered enchiladas, giant stuffed burritos, and sizzling fajitas with 8 ounces of steak or chicken. After polishing off the last morsel of new york strip, diners can peek into Sweet River's banquet room, where they'll discover a collection of antiques including fire-stoking equipment, vintage neon signs, and Louis Pasteur's very first milk mustache.

As a high-school student working at a local pizzeria, John Schnatter often pondered how he would do things differently if he owned such a business himself. After graduating from college in 1983, he got his chance, knocking down the broom closet in his father’s tavern to create his own pizza-delivery business. Since then Papa John’s Pizza has grown to 3,500 restaurants in 50 states and 29 countries. At each location, cooks cover the signature hand-tossed crusts, made with high-protein flour and clear, filtered water, with tomato sauce from vine-ripened California tomatoes, then pile on locally sourced ingredients such as green peppers and onions. The emphasis on fresh ingredients extends to the 100% mozzarella cheese, beef, and pork, which are never artificially inflated with fillers or undeserved compliments.

In addition to delivering pizzas, Papa John’s reaches out to the community with charity involvement, including partnering with the Boy Scouts of America and Junior Achievement to teach US students about entrepreneurship and the best method of capturing a wild roma tomato.

Panda South Chinese Restaurant mingles the complex profiles of Szechuan and Mandarin cultures into an array of Chinese comfort cuisine. For ease of perusal, the menu is also divided into general categories such as vegetables, chicken, pork, seafood, and historical autobiography.

Ono Hawaiian BBQ brings the island to the mainland with tender meats soaked in made-from-scratch marinades. Chefs hand roll chicken katsu in panko bread crumbs to give it a fresh, crispy texture, and assemble generous portions of crispy shrimp, island whitefish, and barbecue chicken in the seafood mix.

Canadian bacon, shrimp, feta cheese, and chopped garlic are just some of the gourmet toppings that chefs pile onto Mikalinos Pizza & Pasta's pies. The traditional Italian restaurant has never been accused of lacking ingredients, and the portions are as expansive as the menu; feast upon pizzas by the slice, french or parmesan fries by the pound, and minestrone soup by the gondola-sized boat bowl. Aside from the flagship pizzas, classic Italian sandwiches and dishes such as chicken parmesan and manicotti round out the selection of Italian fare, which guests can savor while watching the latest gladiatorial match on the dining room's televisions. Mikalinos also offers catering services, with packages and individual trays that serve 8–10 people.