Adorable places hidden away. Just driving to this place makes you feel like you are going on an adventure in an old movie. We sat out side and it was a bit chilly but they had outdoor heaters that worked wonders! The food they had available was very tasty, I was disappointed that they didn't have some of the online options available though. I would love to go back again read more

We visited Rat's today for the first time for lunch. The ambience is beautiful, both inside and out. The inside feels like you are in a warm, cozy cabin. As for the service and food, it was very underwhelming. We started with ordering a few drinks from the bar: a wine and a beer. It took a good 15 minutes just for the drinks to come. The wine glass was small, but the beer was delicious! First, we were given a piece of thick multigrain bread with chive butter. Very good. For an appetizer, we got the tuna carpaccio. When you put all of the ingredients in your mouth together, it was very good. The reason I am giving three stars is the entrees. We ordered the French dip sandwich and the ham croquet. Both were no big deal at all. The prime rib was lacking flavor, and the ham sandwich tasted like one you would make at home. Next time we visit grounds for sculpture we will be dining somewhere else! read more

Came here while enjoying the sculpture park... Seemed like an upscale and kitschy place for a mid afternoon snack... Sat at the bar and ordered cocktails and a charcuterie platter... What arrived was certainly not!.. Bologna, Pimento Loaf and Kraft cheese!..YUCK!.. I'm sorry, but processed meat is not cured meat!.. And who still has pimento loaf?!? That stuff shouldn't been outlawed like lead paint!.. Very disappointed... read more

Worst hosts ever. Very nice place but the hosts are rude and unprofessional. Our dining experience was overshadowed by the disrespectful conduct of the host, who deliberately seated us at an undesirable table. Despite making a reservation for my husband's birthday at 2:15 pm on Saturday, 10/28, the discourteous behavior of the host left us profoundly disappointed. read more

We went for lunch. We had French Dip, Caesar Salad and I had the Turkey& Bacon on a croissant with an arugula salad. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. My sandwich was amazingly good. Highly recommended. read more

I was happily surprised with the quality of food at Rat's! We came to celebrate a friend's birthday. They provided complementary madeleines at the end. The service was very nice but on the slower side. We were there for 2.5 hours, and it's not like we were particularly slow ourselves. The charcuterie board was standard, but good! The escargot was not how I expected it to be served. Flavor was good but the price point is debatable. Of the 4 entrées we ordered (short rib, prime rib, duck breast, hanger steak), the hanger steak and duck breast were the most notable. The hanger steak was perfectly tender. The short rib seemed a bit dry, and the prime rib temperature was not as accurate. Overall, pretty good flavor. For the price we paid, I did expect a bit more consistency across the board. I'd still recommend trying it out, especially for the beautiful atmosphere being right in Grounds for Sculpture! read more

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Had reservations and got seated late. Took 1.5 hours to get a burger and mussels. Told staff we had an appointment at the grounds and still couldn't get them to get our check quickly. Burger was overcooked, bun wasn't toasted. The guests next to us had a waiter drop a glass near them that shattered and landed in their food and the other neighbor had issues with the croissant. Overall terrible experience. Would not go again. Poorly managed. read more

Came to Rat's for Christmas Eve lunch and really enjoyed my meal. First, our server did a fine job, but I was a little surprised by various staff cursing (one of the hostesses said GDI to another hostess right in front of us as they were figuring out our table, and another staff member dropped the F bomb a few feet away from us when we were eating). Not the biggest deal, but kind of brought down the classiness of the place, I think. Anyway, I got the escargots for an appetizer and it was decent, although pretty filling (and thus a mistake in a day full of food!). For my entree, I decided to get the seafood salad, and I really enjoyed it! Definitely a big hit with me, and while I ended up too full after eating it, I would 100% eat it again :) Beer selection was fine. Overall, I would definitely consider coming back here, especially since I still need to tour the Sculpture Park! read more

How is this place so beautiful yet so disappointing? Main host at front desk was ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE. Stared at everyone like they had 5 heads. Couldn't hear a word she was saying. Made us wait by the desk for 10 mins because she couldn't walk us to our table, a different host had to that was no where to be found? It would have taken her 1 minute to seat us. Was so put off by her attitude. Watched multiple other parties also be confused by her vibe. You can't put your worst employee at the front desk for first impressions...? A waiter (not ours) made weird comments to us when we were walking to our table about needing to pay extra for a "good seat"... i guess he was trying to make a joke but came off very rude. Mussels made me sick after eating, and i have an iron stomach. Food lacked flavor and was overpriced. Who is the chef? Who are their food suppliers? Who trains the hosts? How could a high traffic restaurant in the suburbs be SO bad?? Yikes. read more

The 4 stars are for the atmosphere and the creme brulee. I had the turkey Croissant and it was okay. The brussel sprouts were also okay, but not something I would order again. My friend reported that he enjoyed his salad, but since he was able to eat half of my sandwich (which I was perfectly fine with because nothing about the sandwich made me desire to eat more than half), I don't think sufficient food was provided to satisfy hunger pains. Given how pricey the food is, I assumed the food would be crafted in a manor that is more than average, but the creme brulee was very enjoyable and the atmosphere is absolutely beautiful and comfortable enough to make me want to come back again .... for a drink and a creme brulee. read more

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Lovely setting and facility. That is where the favorable rating ends. Food, awful. Medium-well burgers ordered. Received first plates and the twin burgers were virtually raw with red juice driping onto ciabatta roll. Asked for return for the burgers to be cooked as ordered. Restaurant manager delivered (unsolicited) cheese platter with apologies, assuring us the executive chef was overseeing our order and it would be straightened out quickly. Another 20+ minutes later replacement burgers were served to us. The burgers themselves were cooked longer (likely close to medium), but were so greasy the roll again was acting as a sponge instead of a roll for the burgers. This was one of the most disgusting food presentations we have ever received. Notably, the party of 4 next to us seemed to be experiencing the same thing.... 2 undercooked burgers and 1 undercooked chicken on a salad. Waitstaff asked how everything was and walked away prior to hearing the patrons responses. We could hear the neighboring patrons noting the waiter apparently did not want to hear their responses. 5 people out of 6 at 2 tables lunch time yesterday. Very disappointing. read more

I came here for lunch on a beautiful fall day, and I was seated outside. Definitely request this is the weather is nice! The exterior is beautiful and has it's own set of great sculptures for you to view after a long day of strolling the Grounds. I don't know if I got a French vibe from the food but it does lean a little American, at least for lunch. I rather enjoyed my turkey and croissant sandwich. That dill sauce makes it. My husband ordered the Rat's Burger. Don't let the name fool you, it's tasty and they definitely cook it to your liking. The fries that come with the burger are excellent. Crispy, salty, delectable. This is not the time to ditch the fries. If you are lucky enough to go on a nice day, definitely follow the signs and check out the hidden sculptures all around the restaurant. You may join a party or hang out with a fisherman. Either way, I really enjoyed my experience at the restaurant. It's definitely a "special occasion" type of establishment. Great place for a date or a small get together. It's a little higher end on the pricing so try to make the most of your time there. read more

Rat's Restaurant - Turkey sammie - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

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the entrees were okay at best. i assure you that you aren't paying the premium on food for the food... of course the environment and view were great as we were sitting outside with a OKAY view even though we weren't placed close by the garden when there were empty seats... the service was subpar. despite the barely semi-busy inside, our table on the outside did not get enough attention as our server brought, lazily i might add, either the wrong items or brought the items in very very late fashion. we had to annoy the busser for correct items and utensils... they were probably the best service in the whole restaurant. read more

Rat's Restaurant - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

I told someone that I was excited to try Sunday Brunch at Rat's Restaurant and she said "I don't think I would go to a place called Rat's." That comment took me aback as I think it's a cute name, and besides, Rat's has an excellent reputation as an upscale restaurant. It's been on my radar for a few years and this past Sunday I finally went. It was great in every way! We made reservation for noon and I am glad we did, because we overheard people without reservations being turned away. We were given the choice to sit outside or inside, and choose outside. I think we had the best table, right next to the pond. The view was magical! (Please see photo). My friend got the Frozé Rose ($12) to drink and I got a Peach Bellini ($10). Both drinks were on point! She ordered the frittata ($16) and I had the Rat's Burger and fries ($19), both delicious! We finished off with cappuccino ($6). Everything was presented beautifully, too. Our servers were all attentive but not intrusive. The whole atmosphere felt refined and relaxed at the same time. Some ducks waddled out of the pond and nibbled on my friends pocketbook strap, and then let me pet them. I love ducks and thought that was adorable. The restaurant is at the entrance to Grounds For Sculpture but you can eat there without going into the Grounds. read more

Rat's Restaurant - Lily pond - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

I came here to celebrate my grandmothers 85th birthday (party of just 4 people) and was so excited to eat lunch on the patio. We were running a little late and missed our reservation window by 5 minutes. We arrived at 3:20. Upon arrival we walked in and a woman named Evalyn at the front desk, said with a smirk and snooty demeanor, "well you missed your window." She was extremely condescending, not answering my questions and simply gestured to the bar without explaining anything. No one even seated us. We seated ourselves in the bar and we're limited to a snack menu with the happy hour menu. It was enraging and not a typical service experience at this restaurant. Our waiter was nice and made us feel better. The happy hour menu was underwhelming. They still made my son a burger though, which he liked. read more

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Out with a group. Unfortunately, it was a hot mess. The rolls and main course were great before things went off the rails. Dessert took 45 minutes to arrive at the table and the dessert order was messed up. The coffee was awful. The desserts were tasteless. The long wait ruined a seafood dinner-to-go (the manager took it back and trashed it) and then the check was largely incorrect. The manager was rude and devoid of any customer service skills - only interested in defending some undeserved charges for missing items and bad tasting desserts. This was my first time there. Magical place that is otherwise subpar in food and service. Perhaps, their time has passed as a leading NJ restaurant. Overall reviews on Yelp and elsewhere show a general - "thumbs down." At those high prices, they won't be around very long unless they clean up their act. read more

Amazing view. Great service. Lovey time with friends. Popover and dessert (chocolate torte w/popcorn).

Decided to go here for my 54th birthday...big mastake. Outside seating was nice and the visits from the ducks made it even better. Then the food arrived which was absolutely shameful and had not one single redeeming quality. Cheese platter arrived with stale bread. I ordered their French Dip sandwich which had no taste whatsoever. I was grateful for the small cup of salt the waiter provided upon request. I used almost half of it to bring my sandwich and the raw potatoes to life. Regarding overall food quality, this was hands down the worst meal I've ever been served in any restaurant anywhere on earth (22 countries as of this post). Lastly, we brought our own wine that were saving for a special occasion and were surprised by their $35.00 uncorking fee! read more

I was thrilled to get an early lunch reservation on a Friday while perusing through the Grounds for Sculptures. We even got outdoor seating which stole the show! Sadly the pros of this visit stopped there. There were a lot of staff working, at least the day we went, however everyone kind of just seemed all over the place. While we were there we counted over 12 parties confused of where to find the hostess area to tell them they have arrived for their reservations. Very all over the place and very distracting to us as we almost felt like we were working by constantly having to re direct fellow customers. I was expected to be blown out of the water for the prices ($18 for 5 shrimp lunch platter). It all fell flat. My sister ordered one of the few vegan dishes (roasted cauliflower) and it was very one note. Missing salt and basic seasonings. The $12 French onion soup was probably one of the worst sitting right with low end diner quality. The asparagus was cut up into small pieces, like for a toddler . The only thing that we did enjoy was the complimentary bread and compound butter (this we also had to ask for as they kept giving them to other tables and guests and always walking past us for some reason). While I am a frequent visitor of the Grounds, I will probably pass on Rats in the future. read more

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Experience was marred by the lunch-time hostess's attitude and demeanor not only to our party but to her co-worker. Outside dining service was subpar. Three dip appetizer was not worth $30. The onion soup was ordinary. I expected more from this establishment. read more

I've dined at Rats many times, including their New Year's Day Brunch. All the meals that I have had here have been good. I had one criticism of this particular visit. I felt for the price of each entree, the portion size was small and nothing was served alongside. I ordered the flounder and it was a very thin piece of fish with 3 little potatoes and a few beans. My husband ordered the pork schnitzel and it came with a tiny bit of cole slaw. However, if you want to treat yourselves for a special occasion, Rat's is a nice option and this particular visit does not sway my 4-star rating. Ambiance: For me, this is the main draw to this restaurant. I'm transported to a different time and place; the landscape, flora and sculptures are breath taking. The entire scene lends itself to amazing photographs. I love the peaceful and serene environment created here. If you have time, go visit the adjoining Grounds for Sculpture which is amazing as well. Food: The food is expensive, but think of it as part entrance fee to roam about the gardens at Rats (in nicer weather, of course). Considering the pricey menu, the Brunch is reasonably priced. The desserts on this particular visit were awesome! Service: Service has been very good with friendly and efficient staff. Special Events: Rats throws some great special events throughout the year including a Dance Club Night, Salsa Night, and a Halloween Party. I've attended all of them and have had an amazing time at each. The events do get quite crowded. read more

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This place is strange. The service was average and our server was strange. All the food was average. But I think it is a great spot to take someone because of how the decor is. it's simply unique. read more

Rat's is a hard place to write a review on. After dining there it seems part of what you are paying for is the atmosphere and being able to dine in the restaurant not the quality or taste of the food. If I could, I would give this place 3.5 stars. I'll start with service. Overall, the staff was generally friendly and courteous. However, they seemed understaffed and everything felt a bit rushed. There also seemed to be a lot of variation between the servers. The table next to us the server spent more time talking about the dishes and food where as our server just seemed to rush through the process. The food was what gives them 3-stars. I got the lobster risotto which as of this review is the 2nd most expensive entree on their menu at $36. The lobster tail was good and reasonably sized. My biggest complaint with this entree was the risotto was under cooked and crunchy. I've made risotto at home and it is concerning that they couldn't cook it right. The other thing I noticed was the lobster tail was piping hot and the risotto was luke warm. My wife got the crab cakes which she really enjoyed and the bite I had was pretty good. Overall, the flavors of both dishes were good and I enjoyed eating them. We ordered dessert getting the baked Alaska and chocolate cremeux. They were both pretty good though they used grand marnier lit on fire to 'caramelize' the meringue but it didn't do a great job of this so it was 'half baked' at best. The atmosphere is really why you'd come to eat here. Despite all the downsides of their food I found it fun to eat here and I find myself wanting to go back again to try other entrees. I'd recommend coming here at least once and making your own opinion of this place. Hopefully they can make the quality of their food more consistent as it seems many people have written reviews saying how much they love this place. read more

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Top local restaurant went for Mothers day brunch Massive spread a little tight in line If you go for brunch recommend you walk through first to plan what you want to consider the fill your plate read more

I'm usually not the 5 star across the board type but this place really deserves it. The food is unbelievable and the staff was fantastic. I've eaten dinner there and hosted a private event. I wasn't disappointed with either. Hamilton is lucky to have such a beautiful & scenic place like this. read more

Rat's Restaurant - Private party area - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

This place is a must go. Absolutely loved it here. Make sure to check out the museum and the garden sculptures after you eat. Also try to reserve a table just in case they are full as they asked if we had reservations. Food: In regards to the food, very well done. From the history in terms of where and how it was made, and they added a very nice touch in noting which farms the ingredients for the food where taken from. Our group tried and enjoyed both the deviled eggs as well as the escargot. Both were excellent, with the escargot being one of the best we'd experienced. The French onion and Oyster Chowder soups were incredible, and we could certainly see why their French onion soup has been a menu staple for over a decade. The entrees were hard to manage after such a stacked experience with the appetizers and accompaniments, but they were equally as appealing and were very well cooked and presented. Overall, an amazing experience. Ambience: The environment for Rat's likely couldn't be better, and they execute well in regards to their incorporation of the Garden of Sculpture artworks, as well as their own personal touches in order to give the restaurant its own personal flare. With ornate curtains, clean silverware, and a gorgeous view of a lake, Rat's certainly out does competitors when it comes to style. Service: Our waitstaff were incredibly well-informed, and as they worked as a duo, we were never without when it came to extra additions to our food or drinks. Our initial waiter also was the one that provided the information for the drinks, and it was well received that he could place his personal recommendations for Bloody Mary drinks, outside of his own kitchen. There was a third individual who was willing to clear our table and went out of his way to answer our questions as well. In the end, we had a very pleasant waitstaff experience, and appreciated their service. read more

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I'd give them negative stars if I could. They overcharged my debit card and refuse to give me my money back. I've spoken to managers on multiple occasions and still no refund. We paid with a debit card for 2 in our party and the balance was paid in cash. Close to $200. The waitress charged my card for the cash amount as well as the debit card amount. Wonder what happened to the cash? I think I know. Discovered this mistake when my bank posted 2 charges the next day. BEWARE! Such an unprofessional establishment! read more

Came here for a belated birthday celebration for my Dad and I. The restaurant was filled to the brim and according to my brother, the reservations were full a week before. The vibe was interesting. It's French cuisine but within a rather homely building. The entrance to the restaurant has some life-like sculptures you can take some pics with and a beautiful little seating area if you arrive a bit early for your reservation. Looks great on summer night with the sun still setting. Because the sculpture garden is connected, you can make a rather nice day trip out of the experience. I'd recommend you book Rats first and then schedule the sculpture garden for the day it works out. As for our experience, we didn't have any issues with the service. Our waiter was friendly and gave us a good amount of time for picking food. We didn't do any appetizers but they brought two sets of breads in-between along with some delicious in-house butter. Between breads, we were able to go outside the restaurant for little bit while we waited for food. There was a gorgeous garden and pond with many coy fish outside that really set a relaxing mood. I recommend others follow our footsteps in doing this. Food itself was great, I got the Bourguignon and I can't emphasize how good it was. It was a decent portion too. I've included the picture of it for those interested. Overall a very good experience. Just note, it is quite expensive so come with your wallets ready. read more

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More for the experience not the food. Forgot to ask for drinks, over priced d'Angelo's prime rib sandwich. Only reason why it's worth it is the statue trail. Crohns bathroom review: Nice smelling bathroom with a nice playlist of soft music. Sink was fancy but school foam soap 7.5/10 read more

Rat's Restaurant - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

I totally enjoyed my special lunch today with our women's group from our Community. It's such a special treat to go to Rats after strolling through the Grounds of Sculpture. Our waiter attended to our specific dietary needs and got everything right. I enjoyed a glass of Malbec snd had a prime rib steak sandwich with fries which was very flavorful and hearty. We ended with a fresh cup of hot coffee. Loved our afternoon in an uplifting venue. read more

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We came by with another couple on a Saturday and had a reservation for 6pm to stroll around the sculpture garden and 7pm for dinner. Arrival is down a winding driveway turning past the front door then around a circular drive into the parking area. Not too many spots but we got one. Interesting sculptures all around. We were greeted by the hostess and sat by a farm table awaiting our friends. The place is evocative of a French inspired, rambling farmhouse, rooms and nooks everywhere. Eclectic. Couples, families and children running about. Noisy, but in an oddly comforting way. Most of the tables looked out on the lake and grounds. There is a bar nestled in the center of the building, it was crowded. Our friends arrived and we ordered some drinks to have while we took our sculpture garden tour. It was a gorgeous spring day. The pieces of sculpture are all over and many look like facsimiles of familiar French impressionist paintings. Too many to describe all of them. I have included a picture of a piece I liked that seemed to move as we walked past. After a 45 minute stroll we returned to the main house and our table was ready as ordered. We were seated at what seemed to us to be one of the best tables on the edge of the dining room looking out over the pond with a bridge that recalled Monet's waterlilies. Very nice. Server arrived promptly. We ordered our cocktails then perused the menu. Selections are varied but not overwhelming. Mains we selected included short ribs, scallops, bouillabaisse and trout. Bread was brought out with a tasty flavored butter. Our starters were a spring salad, soup and escargot. My escargot were delicious. They were not served in the standard escargot serving plate but were presented in a cast iron skillet with a tasty butter sauce along with three pieces of baguette. I thought they were fabulous. My main was trout which was great. I order trout when I can it is not typically on the menu in most places these days and is a bony fish so you have to be careful. This filet was excellent. There was not a bone in it and the almandine sauce with a side of green beans was fabulous. Everyone else enjoyed their dishes. Service was good but not great. She was pleasant and informative but disappeared twice during the meal. She spilled one of our friends drinks into her hand bag and was somewhat brusque when cleaning it up. She was not anywhere on the radar as the meal wound down we had to call on another server to have our bill settled. All in all a very pleasant experience. We say ambiance "a", service "b-", food "a", value "b". We will return. Mark & Nancy. read more

Rat's Restaurant - A piece in the sculpture garden at Rats. - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

Typically, I don't write reviews - but I had such a disappointing experience tonight for dinner at Rat's that I need to share it here. I did not take pictures or complain because we were with friends and I did not want to make this an uncomfortable experience for anyone, but I have to express my disappointment by writing this review. We had a reservation and got seated quickly: it was a 6pm Wednesday dinner. Drinks and 1 piece of multigrain bread came quickly. The appetizers: a cheese platter (I was shocked how terrible it looked - the small pieces of cheese, nuts thrown all around the wood board - for $31!!!), three spreads were ok, and octopus (about a 4" long tentacle for $22!!). The main dishes: chopped salad (which was NOT chopped!! If I wanted just a tossed salad, I would have ordered it! I ordered chopped meaning you use a knife and chop everything - and again, I did not want to send it back because we were with friends and complaints like that make it awkward for everyone); scallops (4 medium size) came with a tea spoon of corn, hap-hazardly arranged on a platter. It was rushed and maybe the kitchen was understaffed but it was not worth the price of $38!! The wait time between courses was just too long. The dessert - they ran out of Creme Brule! Are you serious? It's a Wednesday night dinner, how do you run out of such basic dessert? There wasn't any other good choice of dessert on the menu but we each did order one (at $17pp). Strawberry shortcake was .. well I couldn't see what was there because it got dark, the lighting in the room was poor, and I didn't really even see what I was eating: I know there was vanilla ice cream in there. We left around 9 - it was a 3-hour dinner on a weeknight for 4 people! That tells you how much we waited between our courses. Our bill was over $400 for everything and we are unlikely to be coming back. read more

This was my second time dining there and the first time was great. I love the ambience - it's a unique and special place that is just lovely. The bar is cool and they have a great wine list. The prices are definitely in the upper range ($30+ entrees) so we expected a higher level of quality and service. We got neither. It took 45 minutes to order our entrees and didn't get our food until about 90 minutes after we arrived. We are not looking for a rushed experience by any means but having to constantly flag down the server isn't fun. We watched other tables get water and checked on as we sat mostly ignored. When the food finally arrived it was luke warm at best. I have no idea if it sat so long it just got cold but none of us finished our meals. It's just super disappointing as we really were looking forward to this dinner. Management didn't really seem to know any was going on and we honestly just couldn't wait to get the check and leave. I really hope this was a one off but at those prices I'm not sure I want to risk coming back again. read more

Lovely restaurant with great food. One problem: the extremely rude general manager, Jeff. I went here with my parents after having made a reservation. I requested an outside table, but Jeff told me outside seating would not be possible. I explained that both my parents are immunocompromised, and my mother was undergoing a heart procedure the following week, so it was important that she minimize her exposure to COVID, but Jeff still refused to seat us outside. I pointed out that there were many empty tables, but he said they were reserved. Eventually, the assistant manager, Sarah, agreed to seat us upstairs near the window away from people. (Unlike Jeff, Sarah was quite nice.) But Jeff made zero effort whatsoever to make any sort of accommodation. Finally, when we were leaving, I peaked outside, and lo and behold, there were again empty tables outside. So all of that when there was room outside after all. What gives? I will also note that I observed Jeff being rude to other customers as well. For example, some customers walked in without reservations, and Jeff acted like they were complete idiots for not knowing they had to make a reservation ahead of time. He told them there was a bar, and when they asked where it is, Jeff said: "it's in there." No effort to give directions. This guy is clearly on a power trip, enjoying the control he has over his little fiefdom. The reason this place gets three stars instead of one are (1) the food; (2) the grounds; and (3) the accommodating assistant manager, Sarah, and server, whose name I did not catch. If ownership reads this, I hope they seriously consider replacing Jeff with Sarah as manager. read more

Lucky to get an amazing warm fall day...enhanced with the perfect outside table right next to the pond. Truly very fortunate. Loved that the duck walked right up to us...he knew we were suckers and would share our bread. We started with adult beverages...Negroni was made perfectly and a nice pour. Prosecco with lemon and ginger a true winner (I tasted it). The big disappointment was the French dip sandwich. Meat was tough and hubby endured half. Should have sent it back but Hubby didn't want to make a big deal and ruin the moment. My rotisserie chicken salad was much larger than our friend's portion. For $20 a salad her portion was a bit sad. The winner lunch was the Croque Croissant sandwich. That looked delicious. Love the whimsical vibe of the inside. Not sure there is a bad table in the entire restaurant. We were surprised just how crowded it was for lunch. Even with the few mishaps I would come back. I think it is more about the vibe and atmosphere than the food. In fact my 4 stars is probably bc it is such a "feel good" place not as much about the food. read more

Yesterday we celebrated my daughter's high school graduation. I booked my reservation at Rats months ago because I wanted to ensure she had a "picture perfect" ending to what was a perfect graduation day. The graduation ran long so I called the restaurant to ask if we could push our reservation back by 45 minutes. They graciously agreed to do so which couldn't have pleased us more. But once we got there, the experience went sour. It took over 2 hours to be served our lunch! Despite the nice server and the manager apologizing to us, there was nothing done to rectify the situation. We ended up buying more drinks and didn't even receive bread or an extra appetizer to appease us. The table next to us complained several times and their meal was comped. I don't like to complain and told my family to wait patiently and just enjoy the view. Considering we hadn't even eaten breakfast because of the graduation morning chaos, we sat there at 3:00 still waiting for our lunch to be served. Trying to be polite and not cause a scene got us nothing. While the table of 2 had their meal comped, my graduation party of 6 got nothing to appease us. We were starving, our puppy had been left longer than expected, and my daughter was late to her friends' graduation party. It was such a disappointing graduation luncheon after what had been a perfect day. I never write negative reviews but this experience warranted one. So disappointed and we paid over $400 for that luncheon! This is not the Rats I remember. I felt so badly for picking this restaurant for my daughter's graduation. read more

Came here for lunch last Friday and what a perfect day, luckily we had reservations because it was very busy. We sat indoors although the weather was perfect for outdoor seating and if it's a little chilly they do have outdoor heaters. To the table they provided a complimentary charcuterie board and some delicious fresh bread with an herb butter. For an appetizer I asked for the octopus with squid ink aoli and small potatoes on the side which I loved, my entree was the Rats Burger.. it was perfectly cooked nice a juicy with a brioche bun the was a pickle and potatoe wedges, my mother ordered the parppadelle beef bourguignon which was to dry for my taste it needed more sauce and flavor although the pasta was fresh it was hard to appreciate, the banana bread pudding for dessert was delicious very popular saw many other tables ordering the same. I did try a pear martini and the pomegranate cosmo both delicious I would definitely return for happy hour. After our meal we stepped outside to enjoy the art and sculptures read more

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Over the past several years, I've routinely met a friend at Rats as it's a great halfway point for us. Whether seated inside or outside there's so much beauty and interesting decor. The service is spot-on and the food always delectable. Unfortunately, the host/seating service leaves much to be desired. One person in particular is never warm or welcoming and rarely acknowledges guests as they arrive. I will continue to meet my friend at Rats for all the wonderful reasons mentioned but please ensure the guest experience is superior from start to finish. read more

We had dinner at Rat's before Night Form's. The food was great! I highly recommend the Coq au Vin. My husband had the short ribs. They were delicious too. We shared a charcuterie board with friends. It was en I ugh for 4. Everyone was very happy. read more

This is one of the nicest looking restaurants I have ever been to! The restaurant itself is connected to Grounds for Sculpture - an awesome sculpture park located in Hamilton, NJ. When you get to Rat's, you feel as if you've been transported to somewhere on the French countryside. The building is designed to look like an old farmhouse/chalet. When you go inside, you're greeted with tons of art and bright colors. The outdoor area is a great spot in the summer. There's a large pond right next to the tables giving the opportunity for tons of ducklings to visit you. It's very cute - you feel like you're in a fairytale. The food is based on French cuisine. It's pretty decent. Nothing extraordinary, but definitely a good meal. The spotlight is definitely on the restaurant aesthetics. I like to make a day trip and combine Rat's with Grounds for Sculpture. Grab lunch and hit the park or explore the park first and then get a nice romantic dinner! An awesome experience! 4.3/5 read more