I absolutely love the dish. I'm a college student who got my own apartment recently in highland park. "The dish" as me and my girlfriend call it has been a staple in our weekly routine. There is two amazingly kind ladies who work as servers and they always treat us with so much kindness. We are starting to have our regular order memorized by them and it makes the experience amazing. The food is just so homie and comforting. Love the vibe of the place too. Always quiet and calm. Would 100000% recommend. read more

You wouldn't guess it from the outside, but Dish Cafe is very spacious. Arranged like a typical diner with a breakfast bar and lots of booths, it's a great location to meet up with some friends for breakfast or lunch. Our server was prompt but a bit lacking in the personality department. The prices were very reasonable. I ordered a 2-egg Florentine omelette with chicken sausage, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and feta with toast and potatoes for $10.50. The omelette was generously stuffed and there was a heaping portion of potatoes. The problem...it was quite bland and overall underwhelming in the taste department. Overall, the Dish Cafe is worth stopping in for a cheap breakfast in a spot that offers you plenty of space and time to linger and catch up with a friend, but I wouldn't anticipate being wowed by the meal. read more

Dish Cafe - (Half of a) Florentine Omelette with Breakfast Potatoes - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Dish café USED to be a really wonderful place to eat in Highland Park! The food, the ambience, and Service! But (I believe due to the new change in management?) the quality of the food has severely decreased. For the price of the food, my expectation is that the food would be as good as it used to be before. It's sad to say and it's hard to even write this review. read more

This is a tough review for me to write, because at its heart, I love Dish Cafe - and have been eating there happily now for 15 years. But the restaurant has recently changed ownership, and what I originally chalked up to "growing pains" has now become a pretty significant and troubling situation for the Highland Park staple. The food is still usually pretty good, and it seems as though they've stuck with most of the same recipes as before. That's probably its saving grace at this point. But the biggest issue seems to lie with management, and that the restaurant is severely understaffed and managed poorly. Three times now since the summer, I've eaten at or takeout from Dish Cafe, and had significant issues all three times. In person, the wait staff is running around handling too many tables at once, and messed up both of our orders in terms of timing and incorrect items. I don't blame the servers, I blame the management. Our server was kind and fixed the issues. For takeout, they NEVER pick up the phone when I call. For weeks I thought the restaurant had actually closed for good - they don't even have an answering machine set up. I went in person to order breakfast takeout after failing to get anyone, and they ended up giving me the entire wrong order. After it was swapped out, both of our meals were missing items. And then today, after magically getting someone on the phone to place an order, we ordered two omelettes. One was fine, if a little overcooked, but the other (mine) was missing the protein and two vegetable fillings. I know mistakes happen, but the crux of the problem is that while someone did pick up when I placed the order, it was then impossible to get anyone on the phone to fix it. Unacceptable, and at the end of the day I'm stuck paying for something that was missing most of what I ordered. I don't think I'm heading back there anytime soon. I hope they fix these issues, but considering how long its been since they changed hands, I really doubt it. read more

Dish Cafe is located on Rt 27 right in the middle of Highland Park. It's got a small, unassuming storefront when you drive past it. I and my sister have passed this place multiple times and figured now would be a good time as every to try it out. So we went in pursuit of brunch. A kind lady working at the register sat us down with some menus. Service took a while because of the late Sunday crowd. but our waitress was very kind and checked on us often. We started off with coffee ($1.95) which they fill often. The coffee was solid. Not amazing, but not terrible either. I went for the mushroom omelette and my sister got for the goat cheese omelette, both of which come with toast and hash. Serving sizes were very generous. I thought they went a little too light with the seasoning on the hash and the mushroom omelette and would have appreciated a little more flavor. Nevertheless, I'd give this place more of 3.5 stars, especially for the service. I hope to come back and try other items on the menu. read more

Dish Cafe - Omelettes - comes with hash and toast - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

The food was wonderful. It was perfect, and everyone got just what they wanted. We also did not have to take a loan out to eat out. Nice family atmosphere. read more

Visited Sept 5th: Just the post workout meal we needed. They had indoor seating but we opted for their outdoor option. Although we regretted later when the bees came swarming in. Both my Crunchy French Toast and the Belgian Waffle my husband ordered tasted great! We also ordered the 3 eggs omelet which came with home fries and toast. Finally we added a side of Turkey bacon. The fruits on my French toast were very fresh which something i always look for. The server also ensured that we didn't get frozen butter which was a nice plus. We plan to visit regularly. read more

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I came here based on a recommendation of a friend. Although it was packed we still received good service. The menu was a little confusing and some of it was hand written. Had the server not pointed it out we wouldn't have noticed the specials on the side of the table. Like most places in Highland Park, the parking sucks, but if you can find a spot or walk this isn't a bad stop. Kinda wish they had some sort of student discount or something, but still, the prices were fair sans discount. read more

Dish Cafe - Turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and a plain bagel. Also my partner's eggs Benedict in the background - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Here's a friendly little spot for a casual breakfast or lunch. I enjoy the homey atmosphere and feel welcome here. A lot of the menu is handwritten! The food is reliable standard diner fare, with eggs made however you like them and classic sides like french toast with fruit toppings. The coffee is great! One special thing that I've never had anywhere else is the salmon hash. It's surprisingly good! Be prepared to park a few blocks away and walk, as Highland Park has notoriously little parking. read more

Wow! Breakfast specials that don't think bacon is its own food group? Four different veggie burger specials? Fresh veggies in omelets! I have totally found my new brunch place. It is SO RARE that I open a menu and find lighter, fiber friendly options that don't have a week's worth of saturated fat or loaded sugar and carbs. I was actually EXCITED to order. I ordered the vegetarian skillet with eggs sunny side up and Kay R ordered the huevos california, no tortilla. The veggie skillet came with broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, cheddar cheese, toast, and home fries. The heuvos california was the perfect ratio of egg omelet to salsa and filling. The home fries were not the best I've had, but are well seasoned enough where I cease caring. We both also got the iced coffee which was okay. This is one area where I think improvement could be made as the cold black coffee was provided with milk on the side. Kay can't have sugar substitutes, so she was resigned to trying to mix granulated sugar into a cold drink, which never goes well. Perhaps it should automatically come with sugar syrup? Service was good, prompt about getting us menus and water. They were thorough about taking our order and checked in on us only as often as necessary. They allowed Kay and I to sit for a long time to leisurely chat and munch. The location was also pretty big for Highland Park but the tables were almost all full! The value was also quite good, but note you must pay up front at the register. The location is clean, sunlit, and friendly. While Highland Park is mostly street parking, we didn't have a problem finding a spot that morning at 11:30. However, carpooling is still probably wise. read more

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New breakfast spot! Loved their French Toast! It came out quickly and tasted very homemade. Check my pictures! The restaurant has two seating areas, booths and tables. They have a lovely coffee bar by the window. Their credit card machine was acting up so bring cash just in case. Sunday is the best day to go since parking is plentiful. They have a good amount of Vegetarian specials and meals, always a plus in my book. Can't wait to go back! read more

Dish Cafe - Maple Crunch and Toasted Almond French Toast topped with fresh bananas and strawberries! - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Mother's Day treat for brunch, I chose to stay local. I read several good reviews on Dish Cafe. I like small cozy cafe with some real fresh homemade food. This was definitely it! Not to loud and the locals were happy to wait for their food. I knew I picked a winner. We were seated immediately with a group of five. Server came over set our utensils, brought over our menu, and water. This was awesome. Fast service. I ordered Belgian waffles with bananas and strawberries side of bacon with one sunny side egg. When my plate was placed in front of me, I was like oh my goodness-food porn. I couldn't wait for my first bite. Waffles weren't dry, it was amazing. It had the right amount of confection sugar. I was enjoying every single bite, even found my self doing the happy dance in my seat. The server never made us feel rushed, she was very nice. Overall service was great, fast, and efficient. I would definitely come back. They have a pretty big menu. Special menu for Saturday and Sunday. read more

Dish Cafe - Belgian waffles with bananas and strawberries!! - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Best breakfast with a diner feel. The waitress was fast and there was plenty of portions when served. The coffee was great and the atmosphere is very homey. Highly recommend! read more

A cozy brunch place in highland park, right off route 27. They were a little busy on Saturday afternoon but we only waited a few minutes to be seated from the time we arrived.The service we received was excellent, our waitress helped me find gluten free options that I can eat. Instead of having the avocado eggs Benedict on an English muffin, I was able to get it served on home fries, they didn't have sour dough, a win for me. They have multiple breakfast, brunch, and lunch options... I gave them 4 stars because I had a great experience and we didn't wait too long to get our order. However, the server only came by once and we waited for quite a while to get the check. I think the service would have been better if they weren't as busy. Overall, I would recommend this place to friends and family and I would consider trying it again the next time I'm in town read more

Dish Cafe - Avocado eggs Benedict - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

This place is a sloppy disgusting mess. Seriously. I'm currently trying to eat here but I'm having a hard time due to the hair in my food and flies landing all over me. This place is disgusting! Service isn't good here either. I can't find anything good to say about this place. I do not recommend this place at all. read more

Delicious hot food, wonderful service and the best waitress Lulu . Found this place driving in the area and it's a great place. Nice homely feel and I definitely recommend. read more

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This place is firing on all cylinders. Quantity: 5/5 Taste: 5/5 Speed: 5/5 Service: 5/5 I had a veggie omelet, it tasted very fresh and they had it ready within minutes. #RepeatCustomer read more

Dish Café is a Greek luncheonette on Raritan Avenue (Rt. 27) in Highland Park, NJ, just north of New Brunswick. I stopped in for a late breakfast earlier this week and was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The servers were prompt, attractive, friendly and attentive without being cloying. I ordered the Almond Crunch French Toast. It arrived as two transected slices of bread that had been dipped in an egg mix that included thin sliced Almonds and Sugar that attached itself to the surface like it was born there. It was completely integrated into the texture of the bread. When finished off with melted butter and maple (?) syrup, it was a sweet dish with a crunch in every bite. Very well done. Two slices were more than enough; filling me up as much as three slices would have without the nuts. My companion ordered the Yogurt Delight, which was a large flat bowl full of Fresh Cut Fruit, Granola and excellent Plain Greek Style Yogurt, the thick, creamy, mildly sour kind that works so well with the sweeter taste of the Strawberries, Grapes and Cantaloupe. Pretty as a picture, and so healthy. The coffee poured freely, too. Dish is definitely worthy of a place on the high breakfast honor roll. read more

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Breakfast here is like a meal at your favorite aunt's house - the food is exactly how you like it, cozy, and your coffee cup is always full. Pros: Staff is very friendly and attentive. Every meal I've had here is delicious, served fast. Great breakfast specials - make sure you get to see them too, not just the regular menu. Coffee is good. Prices are better than reasonable. Very comfortable atmosphere. Cons: No sweet potato sub option. Even when it's really busy, you get the same quality service and food as when it's only half full... Highly recommend this place! read more

Dish Cafe - Chorizo skillet with eggs over easy... You have to try it here!! - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

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Mediocre food, with mediocre service. Had to ask for coffee three times. Pie was nuked rather than warmed. Hashed potatoes partly burned. Greek salad swimming in dressing. read more

I went here for lunch (never had breakfast here). I had a quiche of the day and a salad and the food was good. Everyone else has more traditional diner fare. There was nothing exciting or exceptional on the menu or on our table. As for service, they were very friendly and we were served very quickly. After service though - we didn't see the waitress again until we flagged her down for a check. In short, this is a good enough restaurant, but I've been to much better. read more

Dish Cafe - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Be careful International ppl, especially Asians. They are so rude against Asians unfortunately. I'm scared to go to the restaurant again because I will be discriminated by the owner again.... I am now so depressed and discouraged. I just wanted to enjoy the meal, but the owner didn't let me.... I'm just so sad. The owner is Racist and rude. The owner and waiters change their attitude towards Asians as always. I felt it all the time, but today was the worst. Even though I tipped 20 present tip on the bill, the owner tutted at me when i left. I didn't even do anything to her. She never gives any bad attitude when I'm with Americans. she is always very rude when I'm with Asian friends. I realized that She HATES ASIANS and look down on ASIANS. I thought Highland Park is an immigrant friendly town. I'm very sad there is a still racist restaurant in the town. I just want to have lunch and dinner comfortably... read more

I've been coming to this place for years and never have been disappointed. Food is excellent, soups are amazing and their breakfast is high-quality. Always friendly service and prices are extremely reasonable. read more

We decided to venture over to Highland Park to try this place for breakfast. The description of the French Toast by other Yelp reviewers sounded delicious, and they state that they use real maple syrup, which is a must for us. If their basic breakfast was good enough, we might make a return visit to try the French Toast as a treat. We first wanted to try their eggs over easy, sausage, and rye toast as a test to see how it measured up to our other favorite breakfast places, because we generally prefer that over sweet carb breakfasts. The server was very pleasant and welcoming. We noticed they had fresh squeezed orange juice on their regular menu, and also on their specials menu, so I decided to order it. The server said, "I'll be honest, it's really not fresh squeezed." While we really appreciated her honesty, we were left wondering if they had run out of fresh squeezed or if it's never really fresh squeezed. Coffee comes with the breakfast, which is nice, but the coffee itself was not especially good. The eggs were fine. The sausage was good, but not as good as our favorite at the South Bound Brook Diner, where they also do have delicious fresh squeezed oj. I did not like the potatoes. The rye toast was good, but not as good as one of our other favorite places. The prices were on the high side. Overall, the experience did not inspire us to make a return visit. We love to try out new places, but in order to attract our repeat businesss, they need to offer something special, and I'm sorry to say we just didn't feel that here. read more

This very friendly and cozy diner located along Raritan Ave. in Highland Park offers a great variety of typical diner foods. The food was not especially memorable, but the service was phenomenal, which makes me want to come back to this place soon! The owners are Greek, and I happened to come with my Greek friend, which made the dining experience even better than expected! The owners were very attentive and checked on us frequently to make sure everything was wonderful and satisfactory! I ordered the Belgian waffle with ice cream and a side of bacons. The waffle was HUGE! It was fluffy in the inside with a light crisp on the outside, and the ice cream added more sweetness and texture to the overall waffle! However, the vanilla ice cream was a little too sweet for me, and somehow it wasn't very creamy. The bacons were pretty good but a little too crispy for my liking. The food was not the BEST, but I definitely had a great brunch experience with my friend because the service was awesome! read more

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Friendly service, great food, and nice atmosphere. Had the chicken tenders and the chicken enchiladas. Generous proportions.

Dish Café is my go to place. I come here at least once a week, usually 2 or 3 times though. The service is excellent, the friendly staff always makes me feel like they are happy to see me. The Chorizo breakfast skillet is fantastic, just the right amount of everything. The Mexican fare is consistently good and the standard American breakfasts are always better than most diners. Since they expanded their hours recently, I've been able to go more often. Prices are kept lower than most restaurants and diners. I highly recommend this place. read more

This is that small tow cafe/dinner type place where you see the same friendly faces coming weekly. My aunts office is a few doors down from here, and this is a common place I go to grab something light to eat when I visit my aunt. I usually order for pick up, but every time I go to get the food, I always get a positive vibe from the employees and the customers. It's very obvious that everyone enjoys the food and the environment. The food is not spectacular. It's your average small cafe menu. But, it's good enough to keep coming back here. I don't have any complaints about the place. There just isn't a "jaw-dropping"'factor about the food. I am a return customer for sure! read more

What a wonderful, cute little place. It's like a clean, mini-diner. Multi-grain pancakes various fruit and nut options. Belgian waffles. Corned beef hash. SALMON HASH! A lot of omelette combos, most of which include actual veggies, dark greens such as spinach and broccoli. Other notable fillings include goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Not just peppers, onions and mushrooms. As light as the menu looks, you can still expect to leave the place with a full stomach. I know I have on both occasions. read more

I should have written this review a year ago, but better late than never. On my first day in Highland Park I decided to get brunch at Dish Cafe -- the only place with a full breakfast in town. When I tried to order waffles, the waitress told me it was too late. I looked at the menu which said, "breakfast served until 11". I looked at their clock (it was 11:03) and asked for an exception since I was only 3 minutes over. The waitress looked at her watch and said, "my watch says 11:05. I'll come back and you can order something from the lunch menu." Then she left. Rude! I left without eating. I considered giving them 2 stars for of all the money that rude woman saved me. If she had been nice, I would have been dropping cash there at least once a week. read more

Horrible Horrible Horrible! I was looking fot good breakfast at a diner and i was so disappointed!! I like to use Yelp when im going to a new place-check out pictures and reviews and boy was i mislead!! I ordered home fries, bacon(crispy) eggs(medium over easy) whole wheat toast and coffee. Home fries looked good but were dry and flavorless(I couldn't believe it..they looked well seasoned),, Bacon was cold and harddd and the coffee was just ok. I Dont know how anyone can mess up breakfast...but they did. I won't be back. If you do decide to go stay away from the home fries!!! read more

I had the quiche of the day. It was really delicious! Broccoli, cheddar and tomato. It was more like an omelet on a crust which I really liked. Usually quiche can be way too heavy for me. This one was really delicious but not terribly heavy on the cream. It also cane with a nice side salad. The balsamic dressing was tasty. The coffee was good as well. Nice service as well. read more

Dish Cafe - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

The service here leaves a lot to be desired. I've been here multiple times with my spouse because of convenience, and every time manages to be worst than the last. Expect to wait 5-10+ minutes to meet your server. You can play the game of "if no one comes in 5 minutes we're leaving." OR if you wanted take out and wanted to call in your order so you don't have to waste your time sitting at their counter, you can call them and count how many times someone LITERALLY HANGS UP ON YOU without saying anything. My high score is 7! Can you beat that?! Food is ok, not worth the shitty service. I only come here when I'm incredibly lazy or pressed for time (I've learned I'm still better off driving somewhere because they will not be speedy like most diners). read more

It is hard to write a detailed review like I normally do because I had gone to this place a few months ago and forgot to write the review! How could I? I do remember wanting to go somewhere for breakfast and this isn't too far from me so I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in it. I went for breakfast and there was a lot of options to choose from, I ordered French toast and I was a little unimpressed with the overall flavors. My boyfriend was not a huge fan of this breakfast either. We thought it was a bit pricey for a breakfast meal. If I wanted to spend as much as we did, I would have driven to Skylark diner. We were looking for something cheaper and convenient. I'm happy we tried this place and others seem to love it so it may just be me, but I don't think I will be back to visit. read more

Still a great place for a Sunday Brunch. Decent prices and great food. The coffee does come up short...so order a juice instead. read more

This restaurant is a Highland Park institution, and it deserves it. The food is typical diner fare and the menu isn't adventurous except for the daily specials, but everything I've had there has been tasty and good. The "big breakfast" is just that: really big. The weekend brunch specials are excellent, especially the almond french toast. And I have friends from out of town who request the Dish Cafe when they visit so they can get the buffalo chicken wrap. The speed of the service depends on how crowded the place is. When they have lots of people and even a line, the service speeds up! When they have space, they let you take your time with your meal, and service is a little slower unless you ask. Either way, the ambiance is usually nice and quiet, so it's a good place to go with friends and chat. Is it a 5-star restaurant? No. But as a local, diner-like place where you can take your friends and family and expect a good meal, it's definitely as good as it gets. read more

My girlfriend and I were looking for a small cafe/diner for something inexpensive, quick and good. We arrived at 3 pm (closing time 4pm) and could immediately sense that the staff wanted to get us out of there as soon as possible (and yes there were two other parties still dining). The host "greeted us" by looking at the clock and shrugging without stopping her conversation over the phone. The other waitresses were mopping, cleaning tables and closing down the place even before the waitress took our orders. We kept it simple and both ordered two eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast and bacon with two coffees. The food was out promptly and tasted great. The potatoes had a smoky flavor and had a variation of texture with some crunchy pieces of potatoes inside. The eggs were cooked to our liking and the bacon portion was plentiful. Unfortunately a mere two bites into our meals the waitress asks us to pay now because they want to close the register (the time is 3:10) so we did. As we finished our meals we couldn't help but feel rushed as the reaming staff continued to break down the place as we quickly scarfed down our means. Then, after we finished our meal we go to exit the establishment and the door was locked (another sign that they were in such a rush with still 30 minutes until closing time). As a costumer i always value food over service and since the food was satisfying a feel that a 3 star rating is appropriate. But if you are someone who highly values service i might think twice about stopping by Dish Cafe... Or at least go farther away from closing time. read more

Dish Cafe - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, New Jersey

Best diner in the area easily. Best toasted Blueberry muffin out there!! EVERY SINGLE THING has been good here

I am genuinely shocked at the good reviews for this place! Granted, I went here for there first time today, but it was awful! First of all, I ordered a turkey sandwich (which costs $7 for a turkey, lettuce, and tomato sandwich without cheese, a bit overpriced for the portion and quality). One thin slice of cheese was an extra 80 cents. The turkey was dry, obviously in the fridge for way past its prime. The sandwich actually tasted like nothing. Second, the pickle that was supposed to be included with my meal was missing. So when I requested one from the waitress, who had quite the attitude, she didn't say a word and walked away, coming back with an off colored 'pickle'. My boyfriend ordered a ceaser salad and it was literally ONLY lettuce and dressing. And the lettuce was on the verge of rotting, it tasted so unfresh and had that nasty after taste. He also got a breakfast sandwich, which looked okay. Overall, the food quality was beyond poor, the waitress had a nasty attitude throughout the meal and didn't show her face for twenty minutes, and the prices are ridiculous. My meal was $28 and both of us left hungry and frustrated. DO NOT GO HERE. Unless you like being charged too much for food that would not pass inspection. read more

Dish Caf is just your friendly, local diner in Highland Park, NJ. The wait staff is all very friendly and attentive, the food is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable. It's a place where many locals can see each other every morning for breakfast. Though it's only open for breakfast and lunch, it doesn't lack a thing. Give it a try sometime. read more