The dining experience feels a little weird your first time, but it works well. My television stained imagination won't let me be 100% comfortable with the situation ("are they jealous of our freedom?"), but the gentlemen take pride in their appearance, facility, and product. The food is good and well plated. I wish them luck! Do try it out!! read more

Great find with chill ambiance and great servers, just wish they were open later since its a drive from my home

I love the food there the services and peccable and the staff are excellent ambiance and you could be in and out

What an amazing and creative restaurant! Located within the New Jersey Department of Corrections, I never even knew Mate's Inn existed or that it was open to the public, until I had lunch with a NJDOC employee here. Mate's Inn has inmates who are close to leaving detention as the servers. They are not allowed to handle any money, which is left to NJDOC staff towards the end, but the service has been friendly and professional. The food is delicious and very reasonable! When I went to dine in for the first time, I ordered the Ratatouille (Hearty Vegetable Stew garnished with Fried Eggplant) ($5.75). It was a decently sized portion with fresh, delicious vegetables and fried eggplant. The second time I ordered this dish for takeout, it was a bit too salty but still good. As mentioned, the wait staff were great. The food did take a bit longer than expected to arrive, but the waiters gave us a dish of complimentary cookies which were really scrumptious! The NJDOC employee who handles the money is also very friendly and a sweetheart. It really seems like a caring and friendly environment. I'd certainly encourage anyone in the area to try this unique and creative experience. I'll certainly be coming back here from time to time. read more

Mate's Inn - Mate's Inn Menu - American Near Me

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Mate's Inn on the grounds of the NJ Department of Corrections on Stuyversant Avenue, Trenton, is not an ordinary restaurant, and cannot be evaluated on the same standards. This is a rehabilitation project by someone who took a brilliant idea and made it a reality. Teach skills that can be adapted in the community at large while serving the general public with a food experience that cannot be duplicated in the open market. Learning to be a chef, sou chef, and other professional kitchen worker, creates opportunities for employment not otherwise available to "guests of the State." While they serve time, they also learn to serve customers and cook up some very tasty dishes. The Inn is on the campus of the DOC, in an old mansion converted into a restaurant on the first floor. It is set up nicely, with plenty of tables in a large dining room. Windows all around with views of the large facility. Access is restricted, and everyone must show a photo ID in order to pass through the main gate. Once inside, parking is easy, and walking into the building from the parking lot takes a minute. The menu offers five or six entrees, a few sides, soups and salads. It is fairly constant for a few weeks before it changes again. We chose the chicken wing special, Cajun pasta and the Italian hot dog (mine). The other plates looked good, and my companions expressed satisfaction with their meals. My hot dog was in fact 2 wieners, with a light topping of sautéed onions, green frying and sweet red peppers and roasted potatoes. The bun was the only real disappointment, as it had no taste nor texture. They could use a better bread purveyor. The homemade carrot cake was highly touted, and was tasty with a nice cream cheese icing that could have been thicker, but had the right addictive flavor. Otherwise, the service by the men in white chef's garb was very good, and the overall experience enriched by the reality that we were eating well and helping society writ large. We were told of a BBQ the next day. That was very tempting, but schedules did not permit such a rapid return visit. Certainly, next time! read more

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What a fantastic place ! We ordered chicken with lemon & capers - came with flavor fully seasoned squash and rice. Exceeded expectations. Also ordered Reuben - masterfully made with tender beef and sauerkraut (which I normally find too tart) which melted in my mouth and plenty fries. Both dishes were large portioned and at just $6.50 and $6.75 - no tips. Strawberry shortcake large serving with real & lots of strawberries at just $2.75. All the food screamed "homemade from scratch" and made by someone who obviously loves to cook. The inmates themselves were in good mood, polite and ernest. The lady cashier was positively glowing with happiness - maybe because it was a day after a holiday or because of the obvious camaraderie among the staff/server inmates, this is a happy place. Table next to our obviously had regulars - 4 old ladies eating a leisurely lunch and comparing notes on life policies and dividends and very pleased with their afternoon - can't blame them, we were too ! read more

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Good food! Department of Corrections run cafe. Menu was good. Enjoyed our visit. Menu changes every month or so.

A restaurant run by people serving time? This a crazy. No this is Mate's Inn. (Get it? It's "inmates" backwards). And this is truly a hidden gem in Trenton. It's a real restaurant for us regular folk, and a training program for prisoners, where they learn valuable skills before getting released. For your peace of mind, they all are serving time for non-violent offenses. Also, it's not cafeteria food either. And it's not like you're entering the set of "Orange is the New Black." It's on the grounds of the NJ Dept of Corrections headquarters...no one actually living there. When you enter the facility, tell the guard you are going to Mate's Inn and he will point you in the right direction. (straight back and to the left). Once you enter the cozy-looking restaurant, you will be seated. Here's a reason why people keep coming back. The food is good and the prices very reasonable, AND you can't tip. The menu changes weekly or daily. You can ask to be on the email list for them to send you the daily menu. Today the menu was: Country Fried Steak - Country fried steak smothered in homemade $6.25 mushroom gravy. Served with potato and vegetable Du - Jour. Baja Taco - Soft taco shells with seared monk fish, green onion, $6.75 tomato, shredded cabbage and a cilantro lime cream sauce. Served with fresh tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream. Hoisin Chicken - Grilled hoisin chicken breast sliced and served over $6.25 a warm oriental salad with carrots, scallions and a ginger dressing. Vegetable Primavera - Sautéed seasonal vegetables and penne pasta $6.25 tossed in a light herb cream sauce. Served with garlic bread. Sandwich Caesar Chicken Salad Wrap - Chicken Caesar salad lettuce, tomato $5.75 and Caesar dressing on a flour tortilla wrap. Served with chips and a pickle. Teriyaki Burger - Half - Pound Angus burger glazed with teriyaki sauce and a grilled pineapple. Served with French fries and a pickle. $5.75 Salad Taco Salad - Flour tortilla bowl filled with shredded ice berg lettuce, $6.00 diced tomato, red onion, cucumbers, seasoned taco meat, shredded cheddar cheese and south western ranch dressing. The portion is good and honestly, the food is great. Give it a try. read more

AWESOME!!! Food is outstanding, and the gentleman are super respectful as well as professional. Best little hidden treasure you will ever find! My best wishes to the crew. read more

A group of 7 of us had lunch here and enjoyed not just the food but our entire experience. This is a training program located on the Central Office grounds for the Dept of Corrections for inmates who are close to release and are transported here to work and learn. It's not obvious from the main street but just look for the DOC driveway next to the school and stop at the booth and they will kindly direct you. From the moment we walked in to all throughout our meal everyone showed us very friendly customer service. All staff work together very well as a team. My dish was delicious- chicken pesto panini. Our meals took a bit of time to arrive but we didn't mind, we were happy to support the program. Priscilla is so very nice and helpful with any questions about the menu or reserving for larger groups/special events. It's cash only and they are not allowed to receive tips, but they appreciate written comment cards which you can fill out if you choose when you pay at the end. Give it a try!! read more

Mate's Inn - Chicken pesto panini with peppers and side salad-very delicious - American Near Me

Good food is only as good as the service which accompanies it. The folk which prepare and serve the food at Mate's Inn show their commitment to quality in the attention to detail as well as the care they bestow on their patrons. I'm hooked on good food and good attention. Please don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself. read more

What a great experience! The food was excellent. The service from the Inmates was so courteous and friendly. The prices soooo cheap, too. Excellent! read more

We were at Ellarslie, the City of Trenton Museum, today at a wonderful 35th anniversary exhibit, and because I am nosy, I asked a group of women who were finishing lunch there where their food was from. Turns out it was from The Mate's Inn, a restaurant on the NJ Department of Corrections campus, and right down the street. I was excited because I'd heard of it but didn't realize how close it was. We had a delicious Tilapia Parmesan with homemade mashed potatoes and veggies and chicken salad with homemade focaccia bread. We thought we were done until a lovely woman named Dora approached out table and told us about the desserts. We usually share one, but ended up with 3! ALL were delicious, but the lemon bar was a standout. I should mention that during our meal several folks approached us to see how we were doing. It made for a very welcoming lunch. We put ourselves on their email list and look forward to trying one of the summer barbeques the staff told us about. read more