What Happened to Starlight Restaurant and Pizza? (West Orange, NJ)
Current status
As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: Yelp's listing for Starlite Restaurant & Pizza, updated June 2026, marks the Pleasant Valley Way address closed; no source located described a relocation or reopening under a different name.
- Season / episode Season 13, Episode 1
- Original air date
- Address 993 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
- Current name Starlite Restaurant & Pizza
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What happened after Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)?
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) opened its thirteenth season with "Ambush: Faded Star," which aired March 9, 2016, and centered on Starlite Restaurant and Pizza (listed in the source batch as "Starlight," though the business's own Facebook page and Yelp listing spell the name "Starlite") in West Orange, New Jersey. Chef Robert Irvine's own social media post at the time confirmed the crew had ambushed the Pleasant Valley Way location, and local outlet TAPinto covered the visit for its West Orange readers.
According to coverage of the episode, the business had been run for decades by an owner identified as Patty, whose son contacted the show for help after years without the restaurant turning a meaningful profit; that financial detail was disclosed on the episode itself rather than sourced from an outside outlet's independent reporting. The renovation reworked the dining room and pizza-focused menu during the show's typical short production window.
Starlite had operated at the same Pleasant Valley Way address since 1961, according to background included in coverage of the episode, making it one of the longer-running businesses to appear on the series. Yelp's business page for "Starlite Restaurant & Pizza," last updated in June 2026, marks the location closed, and no source located during this research described a relocation, a sale to new operators, or a reopening under a different name at that address.
A Weebly-hosted site associated with the "Starlite Restaurant, Pizzeria & Bar" name was also located during research, but its content did not carry a clear, current update date, so it was not treated as reliable evidence of an ongoing operation and is not relied on here to contradict the Yelp closure listing.
Taken together, the available sourcing supports that Starlite Restaurant and Pizza, after more than five decades in business and its 2016 Restaurant: Impossible appearance, is no longer serving customers at its long-time West Orange address, based on the most recently updated business-directory listing found.
Featured on Restaurant: Impossible
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Ambush: Faded Star
- What was featured
- kitchen and dining room renovation, pizza menu overhaul
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Starlight Restaurant and Pizza
Frequently asked questions
Is Starlight Restaurant and Pizza still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026.
What happened to Starlight Restaurant and Pizza after Restaurant: Impossible?
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) opened its thirteenth season with "Ambush: Faded Star," which aired March 9, 2016, and centered on Starlite Restaurant and Pizza (listed in the source batch as "Starlight," though the business's own Facebook page and Yelp listing spell the name "Starlite") in West Orange, New Jersey. As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026.
Is Starlight Restaurant and Pizza permanently closed?
As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.
What is Starlight Restaurant and Pizza called now?
Now: Starlite Restaurant & Pizza (formerly Starlight Restaurant and Pizza). As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026.
Where is Starlight Restaurant and Pizza located?
993 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Restaurant: Impossible featured Starlight Restaurant and Pizza?
Season 13, Episode 1 of Restaurant: Impossible, first aired March 9, 2016. The episode is titled “Ambush: Faded Star”.
Did the makeover last at Starlight Restaurant and Pizza?
The episode first aired March 9, 2016. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 10 years later —: As of September 2026, Starlight Restaurant and Pizza has closed — confirmed via Yelp, June 2026.
Is Starlight Restaurant and Pizza still using the Restaurant: Impossible menu or branding?
The renovation reworked the dining room and pizza-focused menu during the show's typical short production window. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 993 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
- Venue type
- pizzeria
- Official website
- None found
- State hub
- TV restaurants in New Jersey
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/chefirvine/posts/just-ambushed-the-starlight-restaurant-in-west-orange-nj-wow-come-grab-a-broom-a/10153809254887836/
- tapinto.net — https://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/sections/food-and-drink/articles/restaurant-impossible-ambushes-west-oranges-star
- Yelp — https://m.yelp.com/biz/starlite-restaurant-and-pizza-west-orange
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Record ri-143 · last verified .