JS Shaker Cafe, located right by the Hunterdon County municipal complex, has that classic, old-school diner vibe that works well if you want a quick, reasonably priced meal. However, my recent Sunday visit was a vaguely "meh" experience due to some disappointing service. We found out the hard way -- only after being seated, handed menus, and perusing our options -- that they strictly observe their "Breakfast Only" rule on Sundays. I was really craving a sandwich (having already eaten eggs earlier in the day), but when I asked for an accommodation, I got a blunt "No, we can't do that. We only serve breakfast on Sunday." I mentioned I was lactose-intolerant and almost all of the breakfast options (omelets, breakfast burger, etc.) were made with milk or cheese, but our server said the kitchen doesn't like making substitutions. This felt especially draconian considering there was only one other party seated in the restaurant at the time. To make matters worse, once I settled on a two-egg breakfast platter, the server informed me they were out of my first two meat preferences. My dining companion's omelete was served without key ingredients she added (and we were probably charged for). Our server never dropped off a check, so I walked up to the counter to pay after finishing our meal. Our server seemed genuinely surprised when I handed her enough cash to cover what she said our total was.. plus a ~20% tip (which I paid in spite of the service issues because I'm not a barbarian). The food itself was alright once it arrived, but the service just felt disjointed and "off" the entire time. It's a decent enough spot for the basics, but between the total lack of flexibility and the service hiccups, I'll say 2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars and definitely won't try again next time I'm in Flemington. PRO TIP: They don't offer complimentary tap water with your meal, but they are happy to sell you a 16 oz plastic bottle of Poland Spring. read more

What a great spot for breakfast! Everything is homemade, and it's a family owned restaurant. They make you feel so welcome! I went here on a Saturday morning, and we were sat immediately. Since I can never decide on sweet or savory for breakfast, I opted for both! I ordered the JS Omelet, which has pork roll, peppers and onions, and American cheese. I also split the Elvis French Toast with my friend, which had peanut butter, banana, and bacon. It was divine! The bread was so thick, and the bacon was a great addition to the creamy peanut butter and banana. The homefries and toast that came with the omelet were also so good as was the coffee. Overall, it's a great place for breakfast. You can find both classics and specialty items. Highly recommend! read more

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I wasn't planning to be in Flemington, but be that as it may, I found myself there precisely at the time I began feeling very hungry. So, my choices are fast corporate food along Rt. 202, or dive onto Mainstreet and what's cooking . I drove down 94 degrees Main Street, past the RR tracks, past the Hotel construction (looks impressive) to find JS Shaker Cafe. I call it Shaker. The dining area is large and filled with tables & chairs. I like sitting at the counter. So I did. The person that approach seemed like the owner. She was very nice and friendly. I like the layout as a real Americana cafe. I saw egg salad sandwich platter and couldn't keep reading. Diet Coke with ice and a lemon twist. Nice touch. The egg salad sandwich with bacon was amazing. Perfect. I snapped a picture. The bread balanced a healthy serving of the salad, topped with lettuce & tomato. I'm planning on returning and, creature of habit that I am, will be repeating that sandwich. The fries (which I'm not supposed to have) were hot and crisp. Splash some hunts catsup on those bad boys and you're ready to have a summer egg salad romantic encounter. read more

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Wow! This is definitely a great place to have a quick bite! I got the Full JS Platter and boy was it good! The service was amazing, she came to our table with a smile on her face and a wonderful personality! The cafe was warm and cozy with nice music. It felt as if you were back home, in a cozy cabin! Definitely coming back to the JS Shaker Cafe!! read more

Baffling Experience - Refused Seating for No Apparent Reason! I'm still trying to wrap my head around the bizarre experience my group had this morning. We called ahead and let them know that a party of eight (8) was coming in. They said it would be no problem. We arrived and were excited for their highly recommended breakfast, but what happened next left us stunned. The restaurant was COMPLETELY EMPTY except for 3 people at the counter. When we said the party of 8 was here, the owner informed us that they couldn't accommodate our group because it was "too many" people. Yes, you read that right. They couldn't seat us because our group was... too big? Eight people? That's two tables of four. They refused to seat us. We were confused. We even offered to split into smaller groups or wait for a bit, but they refused. The cook was sternly saying "It's not happening!". The cook was extremely nasty and hostile. We left confused, off put, and insulted. We ended up eating at Flemington Coffee Shop and had an amazing breakfast and an amazing experience! read more

Food is just OK, service is usually friendly, health issues has them closed a lot, so unreliable.

A charming, diner style restaurant on an adorable Main Street! I stopped by for a quick lunch, and let the server know I only had thirty minutes. She was very accommodating. I got the Sunshine wrap (apparently a favorite,) and it was tasty and well-priced. The parking lot behind the restaurant is an added bonus. A cute, friendly and nostalgic spot worth visiting for your next casual meal. read more

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Always a pleasure to stop at the Shaker for breakfast or lunch for good food and good company. Ferris and Jenn are always good company.

My wife and I have come here a few times for breakfast. I am sure they're having a hard time finding employees but only having two or three on increases the time for your order. I feel bad for the server. She's constantly taking orders running food, intending the register. the flavor of their food is average and the variety of their menu decent read more

Probably good food but we wouldn't know, owner guy brought us drinks then never came back to take our food order. We were the only ones in the place. Staff was all sick and coughing into their hands. read more

I like this place. I don't hit it up that often, but when I do it's always good. Just their basic menu is creative without needing to worry the specials (do they even have them, they must...). read more

JS Shaker Cafe - Stuffed French toast is I recall. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Flemington, New Jersey

Historic downtown Flemington, NJ, isn't what it used to be. The beautiful Union Hotel on Main Street is boarded up. The old Hunterdon County Courthouse where the famous Lindbergh kidnapping trial was held in the presence of the international press in 1932 is now a forgotten dusty corner. It is up to the new generation to save this burg and restore its pride with new energy. I was thinking of how the mighty had fallen when I walked into the JS Shaker Cafe on the west side of Main. A homey looking luncheonette with counter and kitchen in back behind a large dining room, I was greeted immediately by a server I couldn't yet see. There were two seniors at the counter engaged in conversation, and they paused as I pulled out a stool, sat down and ordered coffee/milk from the young woman who appeared with menu from the kitchen area. The convo resumed and I ordered the Italian Omelette, which came with home fries and rye toast. The java was strong. The breakfast platter pretty ordinary. Although they advertise 5 eggers, I wanted but 3. The eggs were slightly overcooked and firmer than I prefer. The potatoes were greasier than expected, with a gritty texture. The toast was not traditional rye, but a lighter variant lacking the sour savoriness of old fashioned rye. Each of the elements was a bit off, but still adequately edible. It just so happened that there was a Yelp bonus coupon pop-up that appeared on checking in. I showed it to the server who refused to honor it, claiming she was unaware of the deal. The 10% would have been nice, but I could overlook it. Later reading showed that this had happened before. Too, there was no savings from using 3 eggs rather than 5. That would have been a welcoming touch. Not this morning. By the time I walked back out into cold February, I knew this place would not be part of the salvation of Flemington. Rather, it was more of what had brought it to this economic dystopia. read more

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The food was pretty good, not amazing. When my friend asked for egg whites, she got regular eggs. When I mentioned the 10% discount with Yelp from checking in, the waitress gave pushback and said the previous owner would advertise and give discounts, but the current owner doesn't use yelp or any other such things. They still honored the 10% discount, but were sure to tell us it wasn't from them and they had no idea about it. There was only one server for the whole place, and there were maybe only 6 tables taken by 9-10am on a Sunday. Most of the crowd were old regulars. I'd give it another try but we don't usually eat on that area. read more

The service is great. The food is great I highly recommend chocolate chip pancake. great people working and servicing read more

If I could have given ZERO stars I would have. We have never had a pleasurable experience food wise here, but Market Roost was closed, so we figured, lets try it.. What a mistake! We walked in the front door, and within seconds the Chef/Owner and his wife were literally yelling from 50 feet away that we cannot bring outside beverages in the restaurant. One, we were looking for a garbage and two too make such a scene and lose $40 of revenue and a customer is ridiculous. How about walk over nicely, explain your policy like a normal respectful business owner and we toss them and spend $$ in your restaurant. This husband and wife team should NOT be in the hospitality business. Stick with Market Roost, Country Griddle etc where ownership has respect for there customers. Never going back! read more

I really wanted to like this place! We're so loyal & like to establish the go to weekend breakfast spot. We happened to go to the new bakery down the street Bread & Culture. And because they didn't offer eggs my wife kindly suggested a full breakfast down the street. So we left with some treats for later. I also need to bridge I caffeine until to several cups that will follow this one. We had a bag & two coffees upon arrival at JS Shaker. it was as if I walk him as a live chicken. "You did not see the three signs" " do what you need to do with them" as I try to explain I will be ordering food and more coffee and drinks. Incredibly rude & unprofessional, the menu look delightful lots of options but if you want to go get treated like shit. I'm a large hungry man. I'm capable of knocking down three or four coffees in one Meal . It would be nice to be treated like a human. A. But that seems to be too much to expect these days. Bistro 55 was outstanding !! delicious avocado toast & falafel and egg sandwich the first ever had and I loved it. The service was impeccable and we will be back for dinner and lunch soon. By the way the coffee was outstanding!!! read more

Had some time before my next appt in Flemington. Came here for coffee and sandwich. Excellent! Chef Faris makes a great sandwich! My coffee cup always remained refilled!, by Hostess Jenny. read more

The JS Shaker Cafe is the best place to grab breakfast in town! I was catering for a photo shoot of 20 people, and they went above and beyond creating the perfect order for us. The breakfast sandwiches are so delicious our crew loved them! You have to try the Taylor Ham + the Croissant sandwiches. My crew loved everything! The muffins and croissants are a MUST to try! The Staff are so kind and helpful. They went above and beyond to prepare our order and help our shoot go smoothly! I will be coming back to visit. read more

Food was delicious! The pancakes though....A+. Great experience. Definitely going back.

Went for breakfast . The service was cheerful and very inviting. Food was great and reasonably priced. Coffee was amazing. Owned by a husband and and wife team for the last 7 years. Parking available in the back. There might be a wait on the weekends. Support local and delicious. read more

As Flemington high street shows signs of coming back there is no better place to go and meet than Shaker Cafe..Chef...Ferris, and his lovely wife Jenny at your service, the food is simple well prepared and excellent value for money. The service is excellent, plenty of tables normally and food is delicious we certainly will frequent this easy to visit cafe. Plenty of parking to the rear....enjoy the breakfast!..as much coffee as you need! 10/10 read more

You're breakfast options are great! But, I did take out and the omelette was runny . Sometimes when I go in to the restaurant, the waiting time can be long. read more

Absolutely rudest people. Really intensely angry owner and server. They take it out on you. Second time in and we will never go back again. They discriminated against someone with a disability even when they were informed they would not make ANY accommodations. We were asked to leave. I said their police's were not nice and the "chef" - grumpy old man which can make a sandwich - started going off on me. I walked away - 15 steps to the front door and when I got there he was still yelling - meanwhile the restaurant was packed while this was happening. This place won't be there in a year. read more

Amazing Service and top quality breakfast food. The hostess is incredibly nice and approachable.

Sat down and ordered coffee and saw a cockroach walking on the wall. First and last time here. Left $5 on the table for the coffees and walked out read more

Walked in on a Sunday around 10- we had been there before and enjoyed the food however this time as soon as we walked in, both the chef and the waitress yelled at us "we are closed! Look at the sign!", though there were 3 open tables. After this experience we will never return. They could've handled this much better and it was rude and embarrassing to be yelled at in front of all the patrons in the restaurant. read more

Nice breakfast lunch place. Great selections for both. Had the fruity french omelette brie ham and strawberry jam. One star less they don't offer real maple syrup. Otherwise great place good prices and service. read more

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I have been here a few times, and the food is amazing, always great customer service! I usually get a pork roll egg and cheese with they always perfect. The waiter gets to know you very easily. I would 100% recommend it! read more

I was looking for breakfast on a Tuesday morning and having little luck when I passed JS Shakers and it was open. The sign said closed Tuesdays and maybe it should have been. I ordered 2 eggs over easy, bacon and home fries/potatoes EXTRA CRISPY. When I received my plate it was like, why did I bother ordering if the cook only knows eggs medium to hard, and potatoes doused in oil. The bacon was cooked well I might add. I did ask if the this was EXTRA CRISPY and she replied " you didn't want them burnt did you." I'm telling you there was a month of allotted oil on those potatoes and wondered how they kept them from sliding off the plate. By the way, 5he coffee was old as well. Probably left over from earlier in the morning. Just saying they should have taken the day off. Maybe found a cook that can cook eggs and potatoes. read more

Warning!! Do not eat here!! We went here because we used to live in the area and the shaker cafe was always a great place to eat. It appears it's under new ownership from the shaker cafe we remember. We ordered the tuna melt, it was low quality brown tuna with Mayo, not a tuna salad. It was very greasy, and had large chunks of tomatoes and onions thrown on top. My husbands French fries were raw and greasy, my stepdaughters burger did not have any seasoning. Our iced teas were so watery that they lacked any flavor and it tastes the same as drinking water. When my husband went to pay for the check he wanted to just pay and leave, but our server asked how our food was, he politely told her that it wasn't very good and she got so offended that she ripped up the bill in his face, said no one has ever complained to her before and kicked us all out of the restaurant. read more

best pancakes of my life and the waitress was sooo nice and helpful. would definitely come back.

Sadly, a very disappointing experience on a Main Street that so desperately needs some love. First off, the place was freezing (12/23). The owner is obviously too frugal to keep the heat on. The table next to us actually got up and left before ordering because they were too cold. The place had just one server - who was quite literally running back and forth. She really was trying hard. We were informed that as the place was so busy (only 6 tables occupied), the chef was taking absolutely NO substitutions. We couldn't even remove the potatoes from the breakfast (we weren't adding anything else). So sad when a restaurant takes that sort of attitude. Do they really expect people to come back? As much as I like to support small town, non-chain eateries, we won't be returning to this one read more

We enjoyed a great take-out breakfast at JS Shaker yesterday- an Elvis stuffed french toast and JS platter (eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast, and pancakes). The food was delicious, affordable, and prepared quickly. The lady who took our order was also very nice. We will definitely be stopping by again! read more

There are too many other options for breakfast in the Flemington/Lambertville area to suffer the rudeness of this owner for run-of-the-mill food. I had the apparent audacity to inquire about ordering a waffle and the waitress was insulted ("Nobody makes waffles anymore! Where are you getting waffles??" --uh, everywhere!) The owner came out and hollered at me "This is our menu! This is IT!" Coffee and juice already delivered so we stayed. (Could not get a glass of water, only bottled.) Blueberry pancakes had tasteless frozen blueberries. BF's Taylor ham sandwich was fine. 2 stars because the coffee was good, but I would eat at McDonald's before I ever went here again. read more

Had a BLT. It was fine. Fries really good. Only problem is that for to go orders come in styrofoam containers. -1 star for tht. Otherwise, good. read more

Friendly staff!! Awesome breakfast place nestled in the middle of downtown Flemington!!! Had the JS breakfast platter..3 eggs.. Crispy bacon - the best.. home fries with onions and spices... banana-walnut pancakes.. and toast.. couldn't finish it all but it really hit the spot and I'll be good for the rest of the day. Highly recommend the place!!! read more

If you are a local, this is the place to hang out "where everybody knows your name". Alas, we didn't feel welcome. The waitress spent most of her time chatting it up with the insiders. I couldn't get her attention to top off my coffee. Only when I went up to her to request the check did she offer. Oh, bring your own water. They charge $1.25 if you request water. read more

The owner got angry with us that we wanted to eat at an outdoor table for breakfast. We were even willing to carry the food out as take-out. Maybe he was having a bad day. What's the point of having tables outside if you don't want your customers to use them? read more

We were waiting to be towed on Main Street and wanted something to eat. Spotted JS Shaker so gave it a try. Jenny who greeted us could not have been more friendly and helpful. We ordered takeout to go back to the car - a BLT and Grilled Cheese sandwich -came with Fries and delicious... so glad we tried it. Came back for sit-down breakfast another day and got same awesome service and food - this time steak & eggs and a mushroom omelette - we both needed to bring home boxes the portions were so generous. It's like a small homey diner right in the center of town - try it! read more

Horrible service horrible owner. Was served French toast that was only cooked on one side - the other side was soggy dropping wet bread soaked in raw egg. Owner said that was just the way challa bread is. EXRREMELY RUDE, cut me off several times and told me he didn't have time for my arguments. If I could give zero or negative stars I would. This place used to be amazing a few years ago but changed ownership. read more