Excellent lunch spot with fresh ingredients and efficient service! The desserts are delicious!

With all the hype I hoped for the best and left underwhelmed. The turkey Reuben was supposed to change my life- but really all I did was help the hunger pains. While the sandwich ingredients were clearly homemade or well sourced, the amount for money was surprising. $15 for a small, thin sandwich and a few circle nachos from a big bag at Sam's. The dining room was mute with stored items clearly visible- it wanted to present as a boutique café, but really it felt more diveish than I expected. Perhaps I came with too high of expectation for this place. When I'm back in the area, I'll try again and hopefully I can improve my experience and review. read more

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I've used Emily's catering for 2 parties at my home and highly recommend them! Our guests raved about the food on both occasions. I highly recommend them! read more

The salads here did have an aesthetic variety--many flavors, toppings, colors, and layers. The atmosphere has a good writing or conversational aspect. It's a good go-out-on-a-rainy day experience. The music is also fine: not too loud, nor too fast. Service is also normal for cafes. A bit of an uppity tone does come through for a New Jersey place--where one might anticipate a down to earth ambiance. Other than that, the decor is nice to look at and the atmosphere tends to be clean and well maintained. Perhaps the lack of parking can dishevel a customer's desire to sit longer than necessary--for people are in a hurry to go in an out like a certain burger joint. A huge plus seems to be their sandwiches--which range from traditional styles to fascinating vegetarian artisans in textures, blended flavors, and memorable dressings. read more

Good spot for lunch, I would assume breakfast too. Like that they use local coffee, didn't try it as it was later in the day. Most people seemed to be ordering the soup and enjoying it. Order at the counter delivered to your table. Locals love it. In a nice area with quaint shops nearby. read more

Delicious catering meals!! I am definitely using them again!! I highly recommend! They make everything easy breezy!!

Dear Emily's Cafe and Catering Team, I recently visited your cafe in Pennington, NJ, for a Valentine's date with my girlfriend, and we had a great experience! 1. The food was excellent--everything was fresh and delicious. 2. The Wi-Fi was great, which made our visit even more enjoyable. However, I do have a couple of suggestions for improvement: * It would be helpful to have a QR code for easy access to the Wi-Fi password for guests. * Consider adding new items to the menu, such as milkshakes or other fun cafe-style treats that customers would love. Overall, we had a wonderful time, and I look forward to visiting again! Jack Lidstone read more

I've lived in Pennington for 8 years and never went here- I always thought it was just a catering place. What a cute spot! Very pretty and clean inside with outdoor seating. The food was delicious!! There seemed to be a lot of people working in the kitchen but one gentleman who took orders, brought the food to the tables and bused them- and it was busy. He was amazing and deserves a raise! Definitely recommend and I'll be back! read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - Special- Croque Monsieur - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

Good fresh food. Laid back and friendly. Specials every day. Did catering for my daughter's wedding reception.

Business lunch at Emily's Cafe...first time patron and I would definitely return. I chose the Power Salad and added Grilled Chicken. I was pleased with the portion size as well as the service. It's a smaller establishment but I liked the small, quaint feeling. My only request would be for them to add at least one gluten free dessert option to the menu. read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - Power salad with grilled chicken - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

We sat outside and ate fresh tasty panini sandwiches with a side of salad. The guys were friendly and the place was cute. Looking forward to the pecan bar. read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - Pecan bar - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

best food ever!!! on the more expensive side but totally worth it. it is in a cute area but sometimes parking is hard. the place is so cute and has art everywhere that you could purchase. the staff is nice and consistent. the panini's are delish every. time. and they always come w a side salad. i usually ask for the dressing on the side cause they tend to put a lot. the cookies are amazing and the perfect dessert. highly recommend have been going there for a couple years now- so good and so worth it. read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - prosciutto and tomato mozzarella Paninis - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

Solid five stars for Emily's Cafe. My mom took me here for lunch on a weeknight and there was not a single blemish with my experience. I enjoyed it so much that it was not long before we planned another lunch date at this cute café! The café is comfortable and cozy making it very easy to feel right at home. The staff was so friendly both times that I was there. Service was prompt and the panini I got was served hot and fresh. Speaking of the panini, I'm honestly still dreaming about it. I've had the chicken panini both times and it's one of the best ones I've ever had. It comes with grilled chicken, brie, arugula, and basil pesto. It is absolutely delicious and the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The multigrain bread I asked for as opposed to the focaccia bread was well toasted and the sandwich was oozing with brie from both the heat of the bread and from the grilled chicken. All of their paninis are served with a house salad that I also really enjoyed. Huge fan of the balsamic vinaigrette! Emily's Cafe is known for its outstanding catering so it's definitely on my radar for a future friend and family get together. Until then, I'll keep returning to the café for that panini! read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - Grilled chicken panini - DELICIOUS! - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

Unacceptable. I visited and ordered a 1/2 Arugula Salad ($5) to go. The menu read $3.50 for the addition of grilled chicken. Sounded wonderful. My total was $8.50. I got home, opened the salad and found one (one!) four inch piece of grilled chicken on a bed of arugula with a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles and toasted almonds. That was it. Assuming this must be an error, I politely called to inquire and was told because a half-salad is considered a side, "...so, uh, they put less chicken." Of course, this wasn't clear anywhere on the menu. Unacceptable. A poor value. Can NOT recommend Emily's Cafe. read more

We love Emily's! The young man who works at the register is the sweetest...so helpful and courteous. The owners are also wonderful and the food is consistently delicious. Highly recommended for cafe and catering. read more

Emily's catered an outdoor party for us this weekend. We had the ravioli, beef tenderloin and chimichurri chicken for entrees. Everything was amazing- we got so many compliments to pass on the chef. read more

****Second time attending an event with this caterer. FOOD IS GOOD, but please see below. I went to a wedding over the weekend and the bartender from Emilie's was the rudest person ever. Service should have started at 5:00, however, he was know where to be found until well after. Then he refused to serve drinks to guests but, when his friend walked up there was no problem pouring, and pouring and pouring. Finally, We had to serve our own drinks all night. The whole venue from nuptials, to dinner and desert was 5:00-9:30. Seriously, from drink 1 the bartender had the worst attitude. It was raining and I'm sure that makes it a little harder to keep the buffet serviced from the kitchen but, the servers never smiled once or tried to be courteous to the guests of the wedding. Food was pretty good but the service all the way around was terrible. Please, if the owner is reading this, do not send that server crew out again, they were completely unprofessional and were there to service a group in the hospitality business. From ex-catering waitstaff venue, the talk of the night was how bad the service sucked. Even after talking to the chef and asking him to give a polite pep talk to the servers, the face of your company seriously screwed you this weekend. Our friends that got married deserved better....service is everything or you have nothing. Smiles are free read more

I can't believe after 16 years I finally stopped in for lunch, and happy I did. My wife and I were very happy with the food , service, smiles, and friendliness of our he staff. Look forward to going back read more

Very enjoyable lunch. Although limited outdoor seating, the indoor is well spaced apart. Had a sandwich, and it was perfect. read more

Great cafe! Love stopping by for lunch. They make delicious sandwiches and soups. We also used Emily's Catering service for our friend's baby shower and were super happy. They did a nice job putting a custom menu together for us. The tea sandwiches and mini quiches were a big hit! read more

Emily's Cafe and Catering - Hidden gem in the heart of Pennington Boro! - Cafes Near Me - Pennington, New Jersey

The restaurant itself was very clean and nice. They have sandwiches, dessert, and beverages. Really enjoyed the BLT wrap. It was delicious and tasted so fresh. I want to go back and try more sandwiches. read more

Okay but food needs better seasoning and favor. The servers should be friendlier too.

I had an unfortunate catering experience with Emily's for my wedding. The planning process was incredibly smooth, the tasting delightful, but everything fell apart on the day it mattered most- my wedding day. I've since found out that they catered a bigger event the same night, so perhaps my 100 person wedding reception fell through the cracks. Phone calls to my point person went unanswered (the entire week before, actually), the staff arrived late, my guests were told there wasn't enough food (and I was left with platters of leftovers), and I walked in on one of the servers eating our ice cream dessert right out of the carton. Compared to these other reviews, it seems we got the short end of the stick. Bummer. read more

This is not a personal review but I felt the need to write it. Last week my mom was driving home and was cut off and nearly hit by a delivery van from this company. She had to slam on the brakes to avoid a serious accident. She called the company when she got home to report their driver's dangerous actions and left a number for them to call her back. She has no heard from them and is very angry. My mom happens to work at a large school with many people who throw big events and parties. She plans on making sure none of them use this company. Why take the chance your food won't make it to the location because the driver drove so recklessly he/she had a crash? read more

The food here is so amazing. If I had a lunch to cater, this is where I would go. I'd give it 4.5 starts because the ambiance is kind of lacking - seems to be in an old, converted office or something. But since this is the first post, I really want to encourage people to go check it out. It's so good. I had a prosciutto and arugula sandwich with shaved parmesan on herbed focaccia bread. So. Delicious. We got lunch pretty late and I was feeling quite hungry, but still couldn't manage to finish the enormous sandwich I got. Luckily, the boyfriend was there to help me out with it. He got a tasty salad there that he raved about (though I didn't try since my hands were full - literally - with the sandwich I had.) I think it was just over $20 for the two of us to have lunch, including an iced tea for him and a fairly generous tip for the inexperienced but very friendly and well-meaning waitress. read more

The food here is good and the people who run this place are very nice. However, upon arrival there was not enough seating for all the customers so we had to get our food to go. The lady was nice enough to give us some waters and a cookie for the inconvenience. The portions were tiny and we were overcharged for one of our entrees which cant be corrected unless I came back in, which unfortunately I can't do because i do not live close. Overall, very good food but I probably won't be back because of my experience read more

Just had Emily and crew cater my wedding. The food was absolutely amazing. Went with a buffet menu. Emily was very flexible with setting it up and made great suggestions. The butternut squash ravioli was killer. Went back for seconds for the extremely delicious fish taco, and it was all gone. That was fine because I made a pork taco with the roasted pig that we also had on our menu. It wasn't just the food that was excellent. The staff kicked ass. They made it a very enjoyable event. Highly recommend Emily's Cafe and Catering. Also check out the store front. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Emily's! They catered our wedding yesterday and we can finally write a full review of the wonderful support, guidance, and food they've provided over the past 6 months! We could not have planned our wedding without Jennifer. Planning a Princeton wedding from Philadelphia was challenging, but Jennifer was always accommodating when planning our pre-wedding conversations. Additionally, her extensive knowledge of our venue (mountain lakes house) and other area vendors was incredibly helpful. On the day of our wedding, Jennifer was a wonderful resource, helping us manage the inevitable questions and minor issues. We cannot express enough how helpful she was. Of course, the food is also amazing! Our guests talked all night about the great food! The pizza station was a hit, I personally loved the lemonade, and our dinner was perfect. The presentation of the food was also beautiful! Even aside from all wedding catering, we've always enjoyed our visits for a chance to have a sandwich in the cafe. We will be adding it to our regular list of places to visit when we return to nj for family visits! read more

Cute little cafe to stop for lunch . The beet salad was great but would like a tad more beets or different cut. I should say that if you go do not leave without a cookie ! read more

We live in CA so were planning our east-coast wedding reception from 3,000 miles away. Christina was incredibly patient, responsive, sweet, and went above and beyond in every imaginable way leading up to and during the event. The food and service were both phenomenal. So good. So good. The cupcakes, holy moly. Can't say enough about any of it. We got lots of compliments from our guests, which I feel like tends not to be the case unless things are exceptional. They were. They were extremely chill about dealing with vendors for us (bar, rentals, etc.), and are also very familiar with our venue (the Mountain Lakes House in Princeton) so could give us the inside scoop when we couldn't reach the caretaker there. On the day of our July event there was biblical rain (of course there was) and the good folks revised our table arrangements on the spot to keep us cozy and safe from the elements, keeping us updated and reassured all along. There wasn't an ounce of stress detected from anyone. So yeah, in case it isn't clear, I recommend Emily's for catering without hesitation. The cafe (when we went for a tasting a few months earlier) is adorable and yummy too. Thanks Christina and staff! read more

I love this cafe! The the soups and sandwiches are healthy delicious and executed with attention to detail. Paired so carefully with appropriate side dishes. The specials are interesting and the desserts are delicious as well. Service is always excellent despite the crowds during lunchtime. I never have to ask for a refill on iced tea or water. A great lunch time stop for a ladies lunch, but the menu is not just for the ladies. My team comes here often when we grow tired of the usual pizza, sushi, subs offered elsewhere. You can get a full select if you are hungry or a light soup and salad. I love the roast beef sandwich with horseradish and caramelized onion jam. That's my jam. Enjoy! read more

Emily was terrific on every count--planning, staff, execution, clean-up. My wife's 70th birthday was a huge success because of Emily, the hidden staff and Mike and Erinc who were on site. Thank you, thank you. Henry read more

I'm a local and I have been visiting this place for years. It's cozy, friendly, and the food is always a pleasure. I bring friends and clients here for lunch and everyone has always found something on the menu to suit their tastes and dietary preferences. Everything is fresh and tasty. I never hesitate to recommend it. read more

Can I give Emily and staff 6 stars? Emily's Cafe & Catering made my son's Covid friendly micro-wedding a huge success! The appetizers during the cocktail hour, the entrees and the wedding cake and assorted goodies were phenomenal! The staff were efficient, friendly and so very accommodating. Some noted mentions were the lamb lollipops, bacon wrapped scallops, Ahi Tuna and flatbreads during the cocktail hour; braised beef and butternut squash ravioli at dinner, and a delicious chai wedding cake with brown sugar buttercream icing. The staff were so friendly and efficient and made the day very special. A big THANK-YOU to Emily's Cafe & Catering. I highly recommend them! read more

Emily's is always great. They have set up a great online ordering experience through their website for easy and safe pickup outside their door. The food is always great and my kids love their grilled cheese. read more

We were so blown away with Emily's Cafe and Catering! From the beginning, Christina was so patient and speedy with all of her emails and answered all of my questions in such a thorough manner. Being a confused bride trying to plan a wedding was so overwhelming, and I emailed consistently, asking questions that definitely fell outside the realm of a catering company. Christina helped me every step of the way, even coming up with a list of alcohol to purchase when I was completely clueless with that. The tasting was amazing, and free, and Christina assured us that even though the food wouldn't be the exact same as at the tasting because they use seasonal ingredients, that it would carry the same quality. The saying "quality over quantity" definitely holds true to Emily's. We chose a simple menu and at first I was a little nervous about this. But I was blown away when the day came and every single person raved about both the food and the service. We missed most of the cocktail hour for pictures and when we returned to our table there was a personal platter just for us with a sample of all the food that was passed around. This was so nice. My family said that not once were they waiting for a server to come around with an hors d'oeuvre and every time they turned around there was a server offering something even more delicious then the last. The service was so friendly and personable. We were extremely impressed with Christina and everyone there that helped. I was supposed to have a wedding coordinator there through the entire day and when she unexpectedly left Christina didn't bat an eye as she took charge and everything went wonderfully. Emily's even brought beautiful wooden signs free of charge, chalk board menus, and used all of our dishes and decorations to set up our tables and decorate. This is something that no other Catering company offered to us. I can't recommend them enough. read more

Emily's catered my 50th birthday party and it was just fabulous! Samantha helped me plan a unique menu with interesting choices and plenty for the vegans in our family. The staff was friendly, efficient, and unobtrusive. They took all of the worry out of hosting a big event. Excellent job on clean up especially! From start to finish, Emily's is top notch! read more

Emily's catered our wedding last fall and they were fantastic! Emily and her staff were 110% professional and their food was fabulous. Their staff worked seamlessly with our rentals company, Brillman's Rental Barn, which was so amazing because Irene & Lee completely complicated my dream wedding. But Emily's team work hand in hand with all my vendors, added extra staffing and just made all the craziness non existent. Their food was excellent, their staff incredible, it was my dream wedding! read more

Since I moved to pennington over two years ago multiple people told me to go to Emily's. Perhaps I tried the three wrong things on my three different visits, but I just didn't enjoy it the way I was hoping. There was nothing terrible about the food, it was just lacking in overall flavor. read more

As I am beginning to order Easter Dinner, during the epidemic, I realized that I have never review the Cafe or the Catering on Yelp. So, we are local and have been frequenting the Cafe for years and have had birthday parties and other events catered by Emily's. After each event, the guests raved about the food and the service. A few years ago our daughter got married and we turned to Emily again. The wedding reception was spectacular! Everything was perfectly arranged including the outside cocktail hour...well until it began to drizzle! I will never forget the visual of the staff literally picking up the beautiful tables with appetizers and taking them under the tent...and the cocktail hour continued! The food and the service was outstanding. A year later, a work colleague's daughter was engaged to be married and I recommended Emily's. She had exactly the same experience that I did. A flawless reception. They will plan with you, arrange a tasting and then an evening to remember for years to come. read more