I will start by saying that we have been customers of redeye since they opened and enjoyed the food & service - until recently. On our most recent visit, we waited more than 45 minutes for a salad and cold sandwich. When we stopped one of the staff to ask about our food (since no one had checked on us, given us napkins/silverware, given us a heads up on the wait, or apologized for the wait) we were given an insincere "sorry" and told our meals would be the next out of the kitchen. When the next meals out of the kitchen were not ours, I did something I have never done and walked out. An honest apology, heads up, or an offer of bread would have gone a long way. We are local and have gone to brunch, lunch, dinner, and even picked up take out from here but I will not be returning in the foreseeable future. read more

I went to Red Eye Café last month on a Sunday (Nov 4, 2012) for the first time to have brunch. It took me a while to get around to writing this review because I thought maybe it was a fluke. All the reviews here are high; I went again for coffee and received the same terrible treatment. They don't greet their customers and are just overall not friendly people. My initial experience with Red Eye I found to be subpar. What was supposed to be a nice brunch turned out to be an extremely frustrating morning. First off, I would suggest getting there early because the wait can get to be quite long. We waited 20 minutes for our table and when we finally were seated, we were seated in the far back corner in the right. We waited another 10 minutes only to be approached by our visibly disinterested waiter. My boyfriend ordered the Highlander and I ordered the Red Eye Hash. It took another 30 minutes to get our food. The table next to us, who were seated after us, received their food before us. The Highlander was good but the portions were small (2 small balls). The Red Eye Hash was good but it nothing memorable. I had wanted to add hot sauce to my Red Eye Hash and at no point did our waiter revisit our table during the meal. I tried to make eye contact, wave, nothing. Finally, I got up to approach someone for a bit of hot sauce and he waved over to the shelf of hot sauces and said, "Yeah, just take one." I head back to table to eat my cold food. After we were done eating, we had to wait another 15 - 20 minutes before I couldn't take it anymore and waved my arms like a wild woman to get the waiter's attention. We decided to pay upfront because God knows how long it would take for her to come take the card from us. This brunch took us a little over 2 hours. I have talked to other people in Montclair about Red Eye and they said they felt rushed because the waiter kept hounding their table. Why is there no middle ground?! I will not be going back to Red Eye Café. read more

My wife and I have gotten coffee and had brunch at Red Eye Cafe several times this year and last, and we've tried very hard to love it. The problem is, it doesn't love us back. Now, our experiences may have been colored by the fact that we normally go here for brunch. But brunch--with all its messiness and pressure and mixed company--is where a place can really shine. Or fall flat on its face. Good stuff first: The espresso drinks here are excellent--it's a cafe after all, and Intelligentsia is tough to beat. But their regular coffee, supplied by a local brand whose name escapes me, is just bad. Yuck. Service at the espresso bar is reliable, even when the barista is taking heavy shelling. And the baristas, we've noticed, are generally poised, friendly, and efficient (unlike, for example, the servers...) The food is in the range of Ok to Pretty Good, depending on the day or dish. Consistency, we've noticed, is consistently a problem here--in terms of food and service both. Thankfully, the prices are pretty low, so when your food doesn't come out quite right, it's hard to get too worked up. Still, it wouldn't take too much for Red Eye to get into the Good or even Really Good category, with a corresponding bump in prices. Like, say, nearby Raymond's. The Not So Good and the Downright Bad: I say this knowing this is casual fare, brunch fare, but Red Eye consistently falls short of its own relatively modest standards. Plates come out lukewarm or partially cooked. Or not at all, in the case of our most frustrating dining experience here. Here's the thing: if the dishes were just made the best way they could be made each and every time, I'd say the food was really good. Not the case. This kitchen needs some serious tightening up. Customers can't eat the platonic ideal of a menu item: they eat whatever makes it to the table. Speaking of tightening up, the server staff here are a real scruffy grab-bag. In general, they're as inconsistent and indifferently composed as the food. As I said, the baristas have always been friendly and solicitous to us; same goes for the hosts. But the servers, well... The servers. It often feels like you showed up at a brunch party thrown by a hipster collective that forgot they were having company. In other words, they seem bewildered and peeved by your presence. I don't mind singleing out one incredibly rude young male server/floor manager (the worst of the bunch, whom we've had multiple run-ins with) whose idea of tableside manner consists of darting by tables in need while asking others, no matter what stage of dining they're at, if they're ready for the check--then shooting them nasty looks when they say no or appear confused. Diminutive, snide, exceedingly tight pants-wearing restaurant worker: you know who you are. Manager/owner: fire this person, he's poisoning your business and seems to be having a real blast doing it, too. Here's what it comes down to. The owner(s) or upper management have little or no control over the kitchen or the staff, and it may be the downfall of an otherwise very cool, very promising local cafe. Or if it's not the downfall, it's definitely the reason my wife and I will wait a very long time before returning in the hope that some of the problems I've tried to identify have been fixed. And, ok, if you've read this whole lengthy review, you may as well know that I worked as a server for 10 years at everything from crap bistros to world-class restaurants; and my wife helps run a small local restaurant group. So, yes, we may be more demanding than the average customer. But we're also potentially more forgiving, too (we know what's unavoidable and what's not). What we are not is willing to take such a big gamble every time we walk into Red Eye Cafe for a coffee or brunch. Will it be awful, ok, or pretty good? Will we be treated indifferently or with actual rudeness? These are questions we don't need to be asking on a lazy Sunday afternoon. read more

When I just want a cup of coffee I prefer to not be mostly ignored and feel like the business is doing me a favor for allowing me to purchase their beverages. Way overpriced and underwhelming. The 'way too cool' attitude that fills this place and it's employees is everything I avoid in a place. Avoid. read more

I always said breakfast (or brunch depending on the night before LOL) is the most important meal of the day. Getting the day started right is what served me well in my past career as an actuary. And it is serving me right in my recent move to Montclair! The Red Eye Cafe is a great breakfast and brunch place known for a mean cup'o'joe and delicious and imaginative breakfast treats. Red Eye was the first place I went to with my new wife Tonya M. Tonya had previously been in jail for voter fraud but has reformed and landed an adjunct faculty position in the fraud prevention and forensic accounting department at Montclair State. She deserves a shot at this since she has been through so much. But we are giving up a lot moving on to a new chapter in our lives. I miss my twin sons Bradley and Bryan (aka B'n'B) dearly. They live in suburban Philadelphia with their mother, Cynthia, whom I harbor no ill will towards. However, new beginnings come from some other beginning's end, as the song says. I would recommend the Red Eye Cafe to anyone in the North Jersey area who wants a hearty breakfast while also taking a first step in life in order to help your new wife put her past behind her. read more

We waited for over an HOUR, watching people arrive, be seated, have breakfast, and leave. If you are a party greater than 2 people, DO NOT come here. The severs and hosts don't know how to manage the seating, clearing and turn over to accommodate bigger parties. They're all young kids. They tried to tell us we'd said party of 2 when we said 3. If that had been the case, we would've eaten an hour ago. They said they'd seat us in a bigger table within 5-10mins, but then they offered us to place our party of 3 in a tiny table in the corner and said there was someone ahead of us when there was NO one left that we recognized being there when we got there. Can't comment on the food because at this point we left. Bottom line: IF YOU'RE A PARTY GREATER THAN 2, DO NOT COME HERE. read more

My second time here and the food/service was great! I got a Pastrami Smoked Salmon Sandwich with a side of Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ Candied Bacon. Would highly recommend! Only complaint here is we sent pancakes back caused they were over cooked and burnt. We felt it took too long as everyone at our table had finished their food. Didn't help that we saw other tables getting pancakes as we were waiting for ours. Overall, they comped the pancakes and we were satisfied. Would recommend! read more

Quaint and lovely cafe with tasty, though limited, breakfast/brunch options and fantastic coffee.

My son was extolling the quality of the food at The Red Eye Cafe in Montclair and finally coaxed me out for a dinner. Partners Jeremy Gamble and Anthony Brinton have put together an amazing melange of flavorful dishes in this small, 38 seat oasis to the adventurous foodie. The entree of the night was the Moroccan spiced shrimp with chorizo and tomato jam over coconut infused grits. I had a similar dish in New Orleans last year but this one was, hands down, tastier. The shrimp were tender and bathed in the aromatic and ras al hanout infused sauce with a dollop of this sweet tomato jam hovering lightly on the shrimp all of which sat in a sweet bowl formed by the sweet coconut grits. I tried to get a piece of everything on my fork so I could savor each bite and even though the chorizo provided the heat for the entire dish, it never over powered the sweetness from the jam or the grits. Dessert was equally prize-winning and unique. They had baked a giant s'more with a toasted marshmallow nestled right on top of this fudge embedded warm cookie accompanied by a dish of malted flavored vanilla ice cream. It seems they pride themselves on their unique flavored ice creams as well. If you want to see what we ate, google: red eye cafe serves up savory flavors. If you go, parking is difficult in that neck of the woods so leave some time for a spot and they book up those few tables quickly. Be patient, it's worth the wait. I think the shrimp and grits is served on Thursday evenings, but call to make sure. read more

Perfect love the local art work for sale and changes every time! Breakfast is good for a change

I've been here twice. It's my understanding that this place is known for the coffee but I don't drink coffee so I can't speak on that. The food is fresh and delicious. The portions are average for a brunch place and service is alright. While it's not my favorite brunch place in Montclair I think you should try it if you haven't yet! read more

Everyone I know from family to friends to neighbors loves this place at a 5 star level. I think the coffee is pretty good...though it could be stronger. I've been here many times since it opened. I've come for lunch, I've met business clients here for lunch and coffee. I've had breakfast while killing time after missing a train. I've grabbed countless lattes to go in the AM. Most recently, I reconnected with a family member here over lunch. She absolutely loved lunch. Me, I'm not too into the menu beyond the coffee. That being said, the place has wifi. Of course, it also is kind of cramped with those little tin foil tables you find in public spaces in Manhattan. For some reason, I pick up on some really strange vibes from the help. But, that's likely some kind of passive aggressive thing they reserve for me because I don't fit some sort of cognitive profile they have in mind, so I'll give the place 3 stars just for satisfying the rest of the world. I thought bestowing this cafe with 3 stars was the fair and objective if not overly empathetic thing to do. I gave the spot a solid 3 just out of acknowledgment that most people are quite happy with everything about this cafe. I commented on how the coffee is pretty good and its availability is dependable. I recounted my memorable experiences. I should really be consumed with whether or not I feel well served though, yes? The food is not really something I care for, but I have enough self awareness to know and to state that this is just my personal taste. Plenty of other people are happy with the food. But, then I get passive aggressive comments left by the owner, basically confirming the disagreeable energy that I had picked up on in this place. I'm the last person on Earth that needs to be lectured about how "the help" is somehow an offensive term. As an undergrad, I French Served in a tux, valet parked cars, worked in customer facing positions and generally built character and served zealously as "the help" without ever feeling the least bit shameful, so don't project that nonsense on me. When you are providing customer service, the customer should not be made to feel conscious of your discomfort with serving or your neurosis about being a server. Nobody spends their hard earned dollar to be made to feel uncomfortable. This is especially true for those of us who are sensitive to our environment. read more

Love it here! The atmosphere is really laid back and the coffee is fresh and hot. Their green eggs and ham are fabulous, but I highly suggest the Saturday brunch. The waffle sandwich and French toast are AMAZING! read more

We felt we were treated differently due to our race and color which is sad since the food was really good and would have love to come back again and again. The hostess seated us after the other people who came after us. Then waiter made us go to counter to pay although the other customers were paying at the table. read more

Waited for nearly an hour on Saturday morning and left. Poor mgmt of customers who sat around chatting after paying the check while the line got longer and longer. Apparently the kitchen was backed up too because two patrons already seated left when their food/coffee did not arrive. No way we will go again given that the food can't be THAT good for anybody to wait that long even for Montclair I wish there was an option for zero stars.. read more

It's definitely an interesting menu/selection but I love their french toast! The dirty chai latte is pretty good too. I usually never have to wait which is a plus! read more

Stopped in for breakfast this morning. I had the green eggs and ham, and substituted a side salad for the hash browns, and added a side of avocado. I have to say, the omelette was delicious. The avocado was ripe. The coffee was perfect. Everything was clean and well maintained. Parking was a piece of cake during the week. All of the staff seemed genuinely concerned that I was enjoying my breakfast. I think it was also the first time that I have ever heard emo being played in a restaurant. But you know what, it worked! I'm becoming a big fan of Red Eye. read more

Love this place. Great little spot for brunch with creative spins on classic dishes. Will always hold a special place in my heart as the place that introduced to me to the joy that is a dirty chai. read more

Okay, so this place is awesome. The only complaint I have is that it's right across from an excellent French-style cafe that does fancy-simple fare better than Red Eye. That being said, Red Eye is my first pick almost every time. Great coffee, and boy do they know their espresso drinks. If ever you come here and are feeling like you want coffee and dessert, you must try their salted caramel affogato. This one offering alone is enough to make me recommend the place. But let's not forget about their macchiato, dirty chai, and of course their namesake, the red eye. Full-bodied is the best word I can use. But they also have a variety of sandwiches, soup, usually with some special ingredient that distinguishes it from others of its kind. See: grilled cheese with caramelized onions, breakfast burger with bacon jam. What? The atmosphere is perfect at night for a date, and on weekend mornings as a brunch spot. If you're around, be sure to check this place out. read more

What a find! Fresh food, well prepared and with some unusual but excellent combinations. Gluten free and vegetarian options. My favorite, however, is their homemade ice cream. Blueberry sorbet with a strong blueberry taste, dark chocolate to die for. Service was good and the ambiance is friendly. read more

I love this place more, now that there's the dirty chai and the vanilla chai to wake me up. These guys know what they're doing! And the food! The green eggs and ham is my favourite. But the chicken tarragon salad sandwich is amazing. The salmon salad sandwich, amazing. The falafel sandwich, amazing. The dessert pastries, not the most spectacular, but pretty satisfying. I still go here mainly for coffee because brunch is impossible on a weekend. But when you're in, you'll be truly satisfied. Go here if you're in the mood for local art, local business, espresso-laced chai and it's not a weekend at brunch time. read more

I got the sunrise quesadilla and was a little disappointed. The plate was delicious but the tortillas were very soggy. The plate would be better off without them. The lemonade was VERY good. Not a bad spot, really nice and the people here are friendly. Just lose the tortilla! read more

Awesome coffee. Great brunch spot for 2, not so much for more (limited 4 tops). Green eggs and ham and huevos rancheros are recommended. Limited waiting space can be annoying. Don't miss the trivial pursuit cards in the sugar holder! read more

The scotch egg bahn mi.... Hnnnnnng. So good. It looks like there is usually quite a wait for this place after around 9:30 am. Prices were good, food was delicious. But the scotch egg bahn mi was such a creative dish. I've never had anything like it at a breakfast restaurant before. read more

great local cafe!! atmosphere is relaxing and casual. food is creative and scrumptious.. coffee is decent definitely worth checking out service is great too!! read more

We just moved to this area and were looking for a nice place to have breakfast, and we found it right away. My husband had a caramel latte that was amazing, not too sweet and the French toast that was just as good. I had an omelette with avocado which was delicious. Additionally we ordered a cheese quesadilla with sausage and scrambled eggs on top. Normally I am not a fan of food like that at all but I loved it and we even took the rest of it in a to go box :) I can highly recommend this nice little place to anybody. It has something like these little cafés in Italy where you get amazing food. We will definately be back. read more

Amazing venue!!! Love the food and def knocked out afterwords. Any place that can do that is a 5 star rating.

This afternoon after drawing blood and mailing a package to nana, we decided to stop in at Red Eye, a local hole-in-the-wall on Walnut Street in Montclair. We were greeted at the door by an array of friendly faces, one of which gestured us towards a nice corner table for two. We settled in for a long lunch. We started things off with water for two. No ice. Didn't seem to bother Carmen but Jack would have liked a cube or two. After a short while, our friendly waitress took our orders (with no pad, mind you!). Carmen ordered an omelette with avocado, goat cheese, and broccoli. It came with "hash and toast" on the side. Jack ordered the "Turkey and Pear" sandwich, complete with the titular ingredients, along with avocado, brie, and arugula. We didn't get any bread or anything, but keep in mind that - due to our busy afternoon - we didn't make it to RE until after 2:00 pm. Following another brief wait, our waitress brought us our meals. Perhaps we would have liked to get our meals a bit more hastily, but they were clearly having a busy afternoon at RE. We understand that. That said, our meals were outstanding. Each of the ingredients in the "Turkey and Pear" sandwich complimented each other beautifully. Jack - in a state of utter disbelief - admitted that he'd never had a sandwich quite like it. Innovative. Carmen's omelette was similarly delicious. She had a good time putting the omelette on the toast and eating it. While she threw up her lunch within hours of consuming it, we are sure that it was from her lunch the previous day (potato tacos???) which gave her on-and-off stomach troubles that evening. Our meals were reasonably priced. There was a bit of embarrassing confusion about how to pay; see, we left the money on the table (as is common), unaware that at RE they prefer to have their customers pay at the register by the door. We corrected this unfortunate mistake with haste and headed out the door. We stopped at a pet shelter across the street, hoping to get a look at the cats. But they are closed on Mondays. Better luck next time! read more

Good food and coffee! Huevos rancheros although not traditional style are delicious;)

The service can sometimes be great and other times I feel like questioning the waitress if she has a brain. Everything I visit Red Rye I try something new. read more

Love this cozy and charming cafe! I ordered the Sunrise Quesadilla (Chorizo & queso fresco quesadilla served with 2 fried eggs, topped with mild tomatillo salsa) from their weekend brunch menu and loved it! Great quality, portions, service, and coffee. There's cool art on the walls and fun trivia cards at each table. read more

I was staying a friends house in Hasbrouck Heights and we decided to try this place for dinner and I am so glad that we did! I had the Artichoke Chicken and it was probably the best dish I have eaten in a very long time. No seriously, I cannot remember the last time I went out and had food that was this good! You really don't know what you are missing until you go to this place. The presentation was very nice, and the food was delicious. Everything on my plate was absolutely perfect. The flavors blended together beautifully. I also tried the caramel latte and it was devine. What tops it all off os that the decor is very cool as well. Also, it is a BYOB place which is pretty cool. Also, it was not vey crowded but, we also went after 8pm on Black Friday. The prices for the quality of food are also pretty decent. read more

Ehhhh.....I am giving 3 stars on this one as I was pretty disappointed after hearing and reading great things. I'll start with the positives: Adorable place with great atmosphere, HOT GOOD coffee which can be difficult to get sometimes, and the breads were really high quality and yummy. Now for our experience. I think my husband was wanting more of a true breakfast and was disappointed to see only sandwiches offered. He ordered the Fritatta sand with Chorizo and although the bread it came on was amazing (as I said) the sandwich just wasn't. It really could've been anything in the fritatta because the mayo they had on it overpowered everything. Don't mind the spice, but it was too strong of a flavor to be complimentary....just call it a Sriracha sandwich then (that is my guess on what was used). Also looks like the fritatta was made in a loaf pan so overall had a very tofu-like texture to it. Didn't care for it. I had am omelette which is hard to mess up. Saw 2 people eating pancakes after we got our food which was REALLY disappointing as we would've ordered those for sure. There wasn't a special board, nor did our waitress mention. Guess you have to be in on something super secret to have access to their full menu?? I won't be back with places like Raymonds and Toast so close. read more

Great service! The decor reminds me of a small cafe I would find in San Francisco. I ordered the Dirty Chai (I believe it has a shot of espresso), it was so delicious with a good amount of foam. I ordered the Frittata sandwich, it was amazing! Good sized portions as well. You can order from the breakfast section anytime of the day. It is located in a relaxed/chill area around other restaurants. read more

The sweet and sour sliced steak sandwich is amazing, so thinly sliced with an explosion of flavors on delicious bread

this place is awesome! such a laid back environment inside, with interesting decor (bookshelf of random books, local artwork, etc). Seems like the staff is very "eco-conscious"-- served water in old wine bottles :) we went for breakfast and ended up going back for lunch-- the Turkey Pear with brie sandwich was a-mazing! If I was from the area, I'd probably be a regular - no doubt! read more

Big fan. I went for the first time the other day, and got a really good Cuban sandwich for only $8. It wasn't one of those thin ones either--it was pressed of course, but STACKED with meat and all the other good stuff. Atmosphere was cute, staff were nice. I'm gonna try and go back ASAP! read more

left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied, and that doesnt happen often. there is a wide range of options to choose from. the service is exquisite. 10/10. love. read more

We just moved to Montclair from Brooklyn and were feeling VERY home sick until we found this place. A great coffee place is hard to come by - even in Brooklyn - coffee snobs; maybe. Either way, love this place. read more

Great brunch place with outdoor seating. They were nice enough to offer my dog water :) service on the slow side but they were busy and I understand. Iced latte phenomenal, similar to our favorite coffee spot in the city. My iced dirty chai was a little on the sweet side. I had the green eggs and ham (simple fresh ingredients, good choice for a light meal) and the other half had the highlander sandwich (interesting, a bit dry but otherwise not bad). Would definitely come back! read more