We were looking for a quick dinner before watching a show at the NJPAC and the chef/owner…read moregraciously acquired us a table - by chance! Chef Kai was super welcoming and engaged in convo with us, including with our 8yo daughter - he set the tone for a cozy dining experience that felt like we had entered his home. Everything was fresh, quality, and obviously made with TLC. The dipping sauces were each characteristically delish and I loved that they gave all of them at once so we could try them all. Best ground chicken burger I've had - juicy and worked well with the brioche bun. The oxtail burger was super flavorful and tender. Next time I need to try the shrimp burger. I went with the side of sweet potato tots and oxtail gravy, and it was the best tots I've had especially in the gravy - again, quality and fresh. The pink lemonade was perfection - fresh lemons, real sugar, and not overly sweet at all and check out the container it comes in! Plus lollipops with the check - such a cute added touch. The location is in a park, walking distance from the NJ Pac and train stop. If we had more time (and could take a to go bag with us) we would've absolutely ordered wings and tried another burger - so that'll be for next time! Love having this kind of dining experience in NJ and supporting a community gem like Chef Kai!

I really wanted to support this restaurant, but unfortunately our experience left us feeling…read moreuncomfortable. When we arrived, the owner/chef told us the wait would be about 10-15 minutes. Shortly after, another couple came in and were told about 20 minutes. We were the only two parties waiting. When a table opened, the waitress began seating us, and the chef stopped her and asked the other (AA) couple if they were there first. He then told the gentleman, "I see you with family, and I'm not trying to start any problems." This was said while we were literally being seated, and nothing was said to us. It put us in an awkward and embarrassing position, as we would never intentionally skip ahead of anyone. As a Hispanic couple, the interaction also left us wondering if we were being treated differently, even if that wasn't the intention. Then the drink order added to the frustration. I ordered a hibiscus lemonade and my boyfriend ordered a regular lemonade. The waitress repeated it back incorrectly as strawberry, and I corrected her. About 10 minutes later she brought a strawberry lemonade anyway. When I said that wasn't what I ordered, the chef took the drink and handed it to the other couple who had just ordered a strawberry lemonade , saying it was freshly made and "they didn't want it." That was uncomfortable because I never ordered strawberry to begin with. Overall, the interaction felt dismissive and awkward. Mistakes happen, but the way this was handled -- especially the comments made -- left us feeling unwelcome. I hope this feedback helps improve communication and customer experience moving forward.

Ambiance : decor is very modern art deco features local artists paintings but could use more…read morecleaning Service: the greeting was very welcoming but however being served was not organized i was seated before someone but they order was taken before me. Food: chicken was very good and flavorful, grilled cheese was good and toasted golden brown. Waffles were bland thick and hard to swallow even with syrup still bland . The worst thing about my whole meal was my drink there was something floating in the bottom of my drink that no one could identify.

Let me start out by saying, we've been coming here for years and used to love their food. But after…read moreour last visit, we won't be back. As we entered the restaurant, the floors were "crunchy", sticky and tacky. I assume they mopped the dining room with the same mop they use to clean the greasy floors in the kitchen. They don't have high chairs, So we spent most of the time with our toddler in our lap. The sweet tea tasted off, sour almost. Had to give it back to the server because I couldn't stomach it. Had my husband taste it, and he immediately agreed that something was wrong with it. The plastic utensils were such a turn off. We're dining in, is it too much of a hassle to give your customers actual silverware?? Got fish and grits. Potatoes, toast and eggs. Honestly, the only flavorful item on my plate was the potatoes and eggs. Was upcharged to add cheese to my grits, but the cheese never melted. Pre shredded bagged cheese is what they have on hand it seems. My husband ordered shrimp and grits and asked for a side of eggs, but that arrived 15 minutes after we all received our food. Not sure why it took so long so cook up 2 eggs for him. He was also disappointed in his brunch. It was obvious they used frozen bagged shrimp. Probably the 26-30/lb because the shrimp were really small and had the nerve to be overcooked. Workers just seemed disheveled. Not sure what happened to Vondas but it fell off for sure. We're not from Newark and would travel here for years. Not anymore. This is the end of an era, definitely won't be back. Absolutely don't recommend.

Cousin Mo and The Weekend Spot never disappoints me! I moved to Atlanta and when I come back home,…read moreI try to get to The Weekend Spot!!! Since I have already done a review, I'll just share that I'm so glad they are still here! I can go back to Atlanta with a full stomach! Ha! Again, the Caramel Chocolate Crunch Cake will make you slap yo mama!! So I ate mine before I got back to her!!! We ordered Smothered Turkey Wings, Stew Beef, and Kettle Fried Chicken! Sides included mashed potatoes, corn souffle, yellow rice, Gaelic string beans, mixed veggies, and mac 'n cheese! Dessert: Cheesecake w/ Raspberry Drizzle and Caramel Chocolate Crunch Cake!

We were looking for Puerto Rican food in the area and saw this option. We couldn't have been more…read morepleasantly surprised! We were intrigued by the 'Rico Soul' cuisine and it was delicious! The owner of the restaurant was not only friendly but very accommodating. In addition to our order, this restaurant was putting out catering orders and more walk ins like us. I highly recommend anyone looking for something both Latin and Soul food - home cooking at its best...made and served with lots of love! Notable were the greens, cornbread, Pollo Guisado, potato salad and the Arroz con Gandules. Take out only.

I heard good things about the food here but it left a lot to be desired. They do charge extra for…read moreusing a card vs cash, as most food establishments tend to do these days. I do appreciate it being plainly shown on the receipt so it's up to the customer to decide next time opposed to just blindly up-charging the customer, like other places. Parking is hit or miss in the area, so I intentionally went not long after opening hours. The restaurant was completely empty when I arrived. I thought that would mean no long waits for food. I was wrong. Also, the service wasn't the most pleasant for placing a takeout order. The gentleman behind the counter seemed frustrated and hesitant to offer a menu, as if I was supposed to know everything they offer despite being a first time customer. I had the grilled chicken rasta pasta. Almost an hour wait! It was a decent portion, but overly salted. I probably would not get that again. Perhaps I'll try something else on the menu another time, but I am not in a hurry.

I ordered food on door dash because I didn't want to cook lol…read more Pros: the food was delicious! 8/10 its clean and was prepared very well Cons: none

Tops is the tops of all NJ diners. We had a special event…read morenear by, needed a good place to celebrate and eat well. Based on prior experiences, we made a reservation which saved us. Place gets packed despite the many tables. Service was amazing, food was great (slightly higher prices than others, but the quality execution and quantity balanced it out). We had cornbread (very good), fries (was fine), chicken parm with pasta (we asked for vodka sauce which they accommodated for small charge), fried chicken (must have), churrasco steak breakfast and turkey club. No false notes that we could tell. Some standouts were mashed potatoes (really good), cornbread (toasted and slight sweet, with strawberry butter which was wild), whole wheat bread toasted (it was good I tell you) and fried chicken (it will haunt me in my hungry moments). Didn't think a diner would impact me as much, but they over delivered. Go, but make a reservation unless you want to wait.

READ FULL REVIEW!!!…read more March 2026: First time at this establishment was just ok. Hosted a very small get-together here (5 guest). Atmosphere was nice. Music was wayy too loud to hear the person you're sitting next to. Food was tasty and fresh. Coffee was good with great creamer selection (at the time). Our server was my least favorite part of this experience. He was over the top with his energy and upscale tactics (pushy with getting us to order extra drinks and appetizers despite declining). I was hosting this event and did not need him selling us after already being told "no, thank you" twice. It was awkward and ultimately changed the vibe. He hardly checked on us after that encounter and we constantly had to remind them about request that were never brought out to the table. Staff needs to be trained better. This was just an ok experience. April 2026 : What ultimately lead me to write this review was my 2nd experience at this diner. The server was a lot better than our first experience, but we did run into a few too many problems. First, we ordered coffee and are informed that per managements request, we can only have half-half or cream with our coffee. Previously they had French vanilla creamers and other flavored creamers but I guess management decided to save on the additional cost. This was a bummer especially realizing that they could easily afford creamers. This restaurant easily pulls at least $150,000 per week in revenue, so I didn't understand cheapening out like that. I still ordered the coffee. When it came to the table I added the cream into the cup only to find something floating in the coffee. I send it back and ask for a new cup, which the server politely provided. We order our meals and all goes well. Eventually two of the three meals come out and we wait for the final plate to come out. It's common courtesy to wait for everyone to have their meal before eating, so we wait. We wait about 6-7 minutes and the final plate comes out only for it to be cold. All of us ordered breakfast, so you can imagine trying to eat cold egg, potato, and sausage. We ask for the waiter, but before he could get to us the manager passes by and we let him know the issue. He takes the plate to the back and about two minutes later he comes back with the same exact plate. Before the manager arrived to take the plate away, I saw the guest split the egg half and add black pepper on everything so we knew it was the same plate and food she started eating off of that was reheated onto the kitchen grill where other food is being prepared for guest. The manager informs us that he had the chef heat the food up on the griddle and that it should be a perfect temperature. We refuse to accept the plate because it was reheated and not remade entirely. We were shocked that this was the solution even being offered. Reheating food on the griddle seemed unsafe (contamination risk, diseases, illness, etc) and offensive. No one pays these prices to have reheated breakfast served to them. I could've just made that at home for a fraction of the price. We politely refuse the reheated plate and he apologized and took the plate to the back. The server comes over to see what the issue is and we explain everything. He says that he will look into it and take that meal off the bill. Now I'm frustrated because one out of the three of us aren't eating anything and the experience was off. At this point, I'm not eating my meal but the 3rd guest is eating. So the guest who sent their plate back and myself are waiting for the 3rd guest to finish their pancakes. He ordered a stack of 4-5 chocolate chip pancakes and was happily eating away at layer by layer. Eventually he gets to the last 2 pancakes and before he adds syrup he notices what appeared to be an eyelash or short piece of hair imbedded in the pancake. Picture of the clearly imbedded hair included with this review. He immediately stopped eating and looks sick. He had already eaten 3-4 pancakes by then and the idea that he ate more of whatever that was felt unnerving, to say the least. We both start looking to see what he's looking at and long behold the hair was there. At this point we are extremely frustrated and completely over this experience. Management did not make this experience right even after addressing all of these issues both separately and together. I felt like my money was not valued and my business certainly wasn't. They did nothing to remedy these issues and I will NOT be going back to this establishment. This restaurant may look visually beautiful but the service is not. Staff needs more training, music needs to be turned down, chefs need to wear hairnets and everyone needs to follow safe food handling skills. You're putting your guest and your business at risk ignoring these issues. I really really wish I had a better experience.

Nice joint around the surrounding colleges. Missed my breakfast, so waited til lunch to grab a good…read moresandwich. I ordered the Big Daddy Chunky. It was made to order so it was nice receiving a nice, hot sandwich. It wasn't a WOW sandwich; maybe something I can get at other places. I think I should have for sure gotten one of their staples. Maybe they play it safe with breakfast? Ample space inside and out. You can pay cash, or card (+fee). Their desserts looked yummy: maybe for next time. I suggest this place in the event you need a quick bite

Late night staple for Rutgers students. The owner is very friendly…read more The fat sandwiches are all generally good. Some better than others but that can be qualified as personal preferences. Absolutely comfort food, and great if you have the munchies. However, I do think sometimes the sandwiches are dry, but definitely depends on the content of the sandwich. Overall, a nostalgic place to visit and perfect if you're out late and you are ravenous enough to eat a horse. If it's mid day and you're looking for lunch, only eat half. You will get the itis if you eat the whole thing. There is a decent amount of seating, even during the day. You can sit at a table and do your homework here if you would like. Their cheesecake slices are amazing. I don't know what bakery they source them from but I'd like to buy a whole cake!

Updated menu. Things are still consistent as all times we have been before. Here is a newer menu.read more

The wings look like they have sauce but had no flavor, but there was extra sauce so I was hopeful…read more They sent little sauces in the brute & high octane. The high octane tasted straight up sweet, so I'm assuming it was the raspberry scorcher (0/5 for that sauce), the brute was fine but I would have preferred at least one ghost pepper since that's what I ordered... I was excited about these because it's their own sauces they used, but it fell very short.

Great food, service and ambiance! The Cesar salad is incredible. Live music. Outside seating.read more

Very decent restaurant with a confluence of dishes and extensive menu. A group of us came towards…read morethe end of closing (10pm) but staff were very hospitable and efficient with getting us seated, food ordered and delivered. My favorite dishes were the eggplant parmigiana (great texture and consistency), the Caesar salad (well dressed) and the pizza alla vodka (great tomato sauce and crust texture). Their drinks are good but not unique. Plenty of places to sit with booth tables and the overall decor is nice. Highly recommended!

360°... of HDTVS !!! If New York Knicks' legendary PG &…read morelong time color commentator was announcing tonight's NBA Playoff game from the main bar at Michael's Roscommon House, that's exactly what he would say! In 26+ years of living in NJ, I had no idea there was a huge sports bar teeming with Knicks fans, & featuring hi def television screens mounted literally in every direction, including up! Add to this an oversized menu with too many delicious sounding food & drink options to decide on ... Following tonight's Knicks record setting, series clinching blowout vs. the upstart Atlanta Hawks, MRH became my #1 "go to" destination to drink & stuff my face, while binge-ing on the evening's "must watch" College & Pro sports events. In other words.. You gotta' check this place out!

I've been coming to this place since I moved to the area about a year ago. The beer is good, and so…read moreis the food. The reason I give it 3 stars is because I don't think they've ever gotten my food order 100% right. They make a tasty burger, but they always forget at least one requested topping on the burger. The menu says "lettuce, tomato, and onion on request" and even though I always request all three, I never get all three. If I ask for a different kind of cheese, I get American anyway. A lot of the time my receipt will have all of my requests on it, but the burger doesn't match. Also, they seem to have downgraded their onion rings. The old ones were awesome and were a major selling point for me as an onion ring enjoyer. The new onion rings remind me of Burger King. Overall solid spot with a nice Irish pub vibe. Waitresses are mostly cool and friendly.

I went to Yaya Tea on Sunday during NJIT's mini anime convention event. The atmosphere is clean,…read morebright, and cute. I've been here in the past for their onigiri, but I was surprised to see that they now have udon, snacks, and decorative pins for sale! I really like their onigiri, which you can get in either small or large sizes. My personal favorite is the ume onigiri, which is a tangy plum flavor. But if you want something with more protein, the salmon onigiris and the chicken onigiris are really good as well! The staff are welcoming and kind, and they were open to answer any questions we had. My husband and I shared 3 onigiris and an udon, and that was enough to fill us up! The shrimp tempura that came with the udon was delightfully crunchy and savory. All in all, I love how convenient this spot is for students, and I'll definitely be back to try more onigiri flavors!

I learned about Yaya Tea from a friend who lives around the area and had their rice balls for lunch…read moreone day. While Yaya Tea is most known for their teas and rice balls, I was feeling adventurous and decided to pick something up from their take out menu for lunch. I called in an order for vegetable yaki soba (extra charge for proteins) and was initially shocked and disappointed at the size of the container as it was much smaller than I had expected. However, my thoughts changed when I dug into the dish -- the noodles were packed to the brim of the container so I found the portion to be quite filling. I wasn't so terribly full, but at the same time, I also didn't need to procure additional snacks to get me through the rest of the workday. The flavor was good, albeit a little salty for my taste, and what really made the dish were the mushrooms that had a nice spongy texture that was reminiscent of animal protein, particularly Chinese food beef. Will be returning to try their other entrees and rice balls!