Fifty years ago, Espo’s was a neighborhood Italian joint, tucked between modest homes a block from downtown Raritan Borough. Its dark, wood-paneled interior was lit by the roaring laughter of locals, who came in one, two, three times a week for red sauce dishes like stuffed shells, chicken cacciatore and stuffed peppers listed on a chalkboard menu.

A half-century later, it remains a shrine to the ethnic heritage of Raritan, and a cherished destination for family celebrations, date nights, special occasions or just a spot to enjoy traditional Italian-American cuisine. Espo’s founder Bobby Esposito died in 2018 after a battle with leukemia.