Keep coming back here This is our bi monthly go to Great options for kids and adults - great service and staff as always Wanted to write a review about chorizo croquettes with poached eggs dish which I thoroughly enjoyed Also enjoyed a side of crispy bacon and my friends got eggs Benedict and some omelettes Enjoyable breakfast / brunch read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Chorizo Potato Croquettes - chefs special - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Outstanding restaurant that is always bustling. Their menu is huge and offers a ton of different breakfast dishes including vegan and protein-heavy dishes including lentil soups, chickpea salads, and harvest bowls. staff work hard to get you seated and "treated" efficiently. They have seafood, flavored coffees, and unique desserts. Even with a long line out front, you'll generally wait just 15 to 20 minutes to get seated. Come here on a weekend and it may be longer. From outside the place is unassuming but this is probably the best brunch place in the greater Livingston area. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Even with a long line out front - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

I had the chicken shawarma again and it was good. The reason I took off one star is because my husband's omelette was ice cold. The last time I let it go the last time, but twice in a row, no deal. I know it takes a while to marinate the chicken and the restaurant was not crowded so why not make the egg last? It shows little consideration for the customer. The waitress was kind and gave us a piece of cake on the house which was very nice. It was quiet and comfortable inside. However, we won't be back for a while. I'm pretty turned off by this kind of service from the kitchen. read more

I took my daughter here for the first time over the weekend and the food was amazing and the atmosphere was very cute vibe. I spoke with Michelle one of the managers and she was so kind to help me with my lost credit card. She went above and beyond for a complete stranger. We need more people like her in this world. read more

Super busy place for very good reasons. We were a party of 6, were still sat right away on a busy weekend day for brunch. They have a pretty extensive menu and lots of different options from healthy to indulgent. I had strawberry cheesecake pancakes and they were to die for. Also had a pumpkin latte with almond milk which was perfect. Great kids options as well! Food is very well excited and fresh. If you don't mind a crowd, a great spot for a meal. Parking lot can be chaotic, so just prepare yourself. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Toddler approved Chocolate Chip Pancakes - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Food is best in our region for fresh authentic Thai! Owners are eager to accommodate special asks and it is in an easy-to-get-to location. Good for intimate or smaller groups too. read more

Popped in for a Sunday Brunch with the Mrs. I had the Salmon Grits and Apple Cobbler Pancakes. The Mrs had the Veggie Omelette and the Banana Pecan Pancakes. The service was great although the food took awhile to come out, mainly due to it being busy. Great atmosphere for everyone. So I could not give them a 5 Star review because our pancakes were kind of cold when we got them and the Salmon wasn't quite seasoned to my liking. However, when we ate our leftover pancakes on the next day.... read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - (NEW) Apple Cobbler Pancakes - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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Busy restaurant so stop by before 11 if you want to do brunch on the weekends! The star of the show are the pancakes, skip all the savory dishes and just "treat yoself" it's worth it! The eggs Benedict was "fine". I think about their pancakes at least once a week! read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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The interior of the restaurant was cute and festive, and the server was so sweet. Food-wise, though, this was an ok spot! I ordered the harvest bowl; I wasn't sure if it was bc there was vinegar or something in the bowl, but it smelled distinctly sour? It was tasty, but I was just worried about the smell stemming from some ingredients having gone bad. One of my sisters got the goat cheese and spinach omelette, which was pretty mid.. not terribly good or bad. My other sister ordered the spicy chicken sandwich, which was actually quite good. Overall, I wouldn't recommend the restaurant if you're looking for really good brunch, but the ambience and service made up for it. read more

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Nothing special here, except the extraordinary high price.... I was in the Livingston area doing some errands and I stopped by to try Sweet Basil's on a recommendations from a friend. The restaurant was spacious and busy for a weekday at about 1:00 PM. I almost thought I would not get a table, but luckily there was one left. There was plenty of items to choose from on their 3 different menus, and I decided on ordering their Spicy chicken sandwich. crispy chicken cutlet, spicy slaw, Sriracha sauce, Swiss cheese, bacon, tomato, pickles ($16) + Fries ($3). Unfortunately, the sandwich was not as tasty as I thought it would be, nor was it spicy either as the name suggests, sriracha sauce ?? I didn't even get a hint of that. And the extra fries weren't anything special either. Sad, for a $20+ meal.... I was seated close to the kitchen, which allowed me to see other dishes, flying out. Those salads actually looked pretty darn good, but I probably won't be going back. I would like to say, that an alternate waiter helped us way more than our initial waiter, and for that, thank you. Parking is quite limited in their parking lot, but if you make a few laps, you may be able to score a parking spot. Follow me on Yelp, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube as I travel the world in search of the perfect dining experiences . Insta/X. @Noodlesoupr read more

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Make absolutely sure that you book a reservation if you want to have brunch here on a weekend day. You may not be seated for a while if you didn't book a table ahead of time. The tables are kind of small, but the wait staff are attentive and nice. The prices are consistent with the area. Coffee is always good, and I personally like to have variations of french toast/pancakes/etc for brunch, and the items that fit that description have always been wonderful every time I've eaten here. The menu has a decent selection, and I have brought a vegan friend here and had no issues identifying food that respects her dietary choices, which is not common to find in the area. It is a little noisy, and also a bit cramped, but if you can tolerate that, Sweet Basil's is a nice splurgy brunch spot. read more

BEST FRENCH TOAST IN NJ!!!! Lovely, cute and intimate cafe with friendly staff. I stopped in for brunch and ordered the poached pear french toast along with sunny sided up eggs and turkey sausage. My entire meal was delicious. The pouched pear french toast was amazing, decadent, flavorful and filling. Also, the fresh smoothies are a must. The Green Giant and Tropical Breeze are so refreshing. The menu was robust with so many appealing options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thank you @Sweet Basil's Cafe!! I will certainly be back!! read more

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Three years later and I still seem to enjoy that cold pesto! lol I finally revisited this month (Jan 2024) with two other companions and we all enjoyed ourselves. Despite saying I should try something new, i ended up with a sandwich again lol although this time it was just their grilled chicken sandwich, i still loved the simplicity of it along with an additional side of pesto pasta. I also tried their hot smores latte however despite the flavor, i find the base of the coffee somewhat bitter. Perhaps their iced coffees are better? anyway, my friends ordered from their vegan menu and both fritata and tofu scrambled looked great! the tofu scramble was pretty delicious! As usual they were still busy during the weekends and it was already packed by 11:30 on a sunday. As for parking, I got lucky finding a spot as soon as I arrived meanwhile my friends had to park at shoprite. Overall, we had a great time and our server was pretty nice and friendly too which was a bonus. Glad to have revisited and still had a good experience. read more

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I've been to Sweet Basils Cafe several times. And I'm sure I'll go back again. You may wonder why I am going back to a restaurant that I think deserves no more than three stars? Simple, the restaurant has a large selection of food that is gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. You will find not just something, but many things, for everyone to eat at breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner. If you order breakfast, you'll have an excellent meal. Maybe you don't want breakfast at lunch but I recommend it as the best option. Burgers and salads are good, not great. Other dishes including the sandwiches and specials are all over the place, some good, some badly conceived from the start. But all the vegans and vegetarians who've eaten there love their entrees plus the large selection. Note the pricing, even accounting for the post pandemic bump, is higher end. The parking is dicey especially when the place is busy. You'll circle the small parking lot round and round. (Parking lot for ShopRite is a good option.) Service is quick and attentive. The restaurant itself has an open feeling and pleasant atmosphere. So if you want to take your gluten free and vegan friend to lunch, this is the place. I suggest if you're not eating a vegetarian, vegan or gluten free meal to eat breakfast. read more

A small cozy location for a delicious breakfast. No reservation was needed, but it was quite full that Saturday morning. The patrons kept going in and out. The food was delicious and the portions were filling. I'm glad I found this breakfast spot. read more

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My husband and I had breakfast at Sweet Basil's Cafe during the holiday break a couple of weeks ago. I'd been to SBC when it was at a different location, but I've wanted to check out the current spot near Northfield Ave for a while. We got there 10 minutes after it opened for the day and there were already a bunch of customers seated at tables, and what looked like a DoorDash pick up table ready with orders to hand off. We were seated right away at a cozy wooden two-seater table. Our waitress was nice and checked in on us throughout the meal. Some of the food runners were warm, saying "enjoy your meal" and looking like they meant it. It's those interactions that make an impression. I ordered Steak and Eggs with fries and rye toast. My husband ordered a Santa Fe Omelet with home fries and rye toast. Overall, food was good. Our only criticism - and it could have been a one off - was that our potatoes were kind of dry, hard, and not crisp. They may have made them ahead of time in preparation for the rush of customers, which I understand, but it brought down the meal a notch. We regretted not getting a pancakes there instead (which looked amazing at the table next to ours). I'm curious what the dinner experience is like and during the work week because their menu looks appetizing. Despite the potato thing, I still give the dining experience a high 3/rounded-up-to-4 score. read more

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We were able to get a table right away because they had just opened up. The place is very casual. The service was good. Our waiter was very patient with us since the kids were with us. It is kid friendly. The food was good, but was average. I would compare to diner like food. We had ordered were the following: - Kid's scrambled eggs but had them put it into a wrap. - pancakes either a side of strawberries - southwest wrap - classic eggs Benedict read more

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So amazing. If I could give more stars .I definitely would! Food is super great. We ordered the ahi tuna tacos and the smiley face pancakes. Definitely consider going here when you're looking for a place to eat. Their service is pretty good, too. I absolutely LOVE it. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Smiley face Pancake - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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Top 3 restaurants in Livingston. Alan and Mary transitioned nicely from West Orange. Eclectic menu. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Employee taking smoke break - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

This is a nice little brunch place and especially good if you have anybody that is vegan or celiac in your crew. I am gluten-free myself and really liked how the menu was designed to make it quite easy. There were a lot of options that were gluten-free. I came for breakfast, but ended up getting fish tacos with mango which were pretty good. Others in my group and they liked it. Honestly, just the way they labeled their menu would mean I would probably be back. The parking is a bit tricky and there were signs about where you might get towed, but it wasn't a problem read more

I visited Sweet Basil this morning and was greeted by the host at the door. Host was friendly and offered seating upon arrival. Waiter was friendly and polite, answered all my answers as this was my first visit. I chose chorizo scramble with toast. Home fries were delicious. My friend ordered the pancakes and bacon. I was disappointed due to not having a full meal with pancakes, eggs and meat. Items had to be ordered a la carte. I tried the pancakes and they were thicker and denser than I liked, the chorizo scramble was okay. The food arrived fast and the waiter was attentive throughout the meal. Restaurant was clean. The breakfast food that is not something I would want to try. I will go back for lunch and update my review. read more

Came here based on a recommendation for a friend. First, the parking situation is crazy. We had to drive around 3 times before we could park. It was 130pm on a Wed. The place was packed and clearly popular. Service was not the best...I had to ask for a refill and some condiments. I ordered the Harvest Bowl and had high hopes...but it was really lacking flavor. And you could barely find the butternut squash in it. It seemed like it was mostly quinoa and brown rice. Hubby had the spicy chicken sandwich which was not spicy at all. Overall, it was overpriced for what we ordered. $50 for 2 lunch and 2 sodas. $1 extra for tzatziki sauce, +$5 for falafel and fries don't come with the sandwich?? +$2. This seems like a good place for friends to meet and I saw a few people eating dessert. But for a meal, it is really overpriced. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Harvest Bowl with Falafel (extra) - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Food,outstanding! Service perfect! Delicious quality chef created options Highly recommend 5 stars! read more

My bf picked this spot for brunch before our movie date on a Sunday afternoon. It was such a beautiful day out too which means BRUNCH to me, ha! Sweet Basil's Cafe is a BYOB, first come, first served café and grill and does not accept reservations. When seated, we noticed it was fairly warm inside and it wasn't that hot out either. It started to be uncomfortably hot so I just whipped out the fan in my purse; saves the day every time! I started off with a fresh lemonade which was refreshing along with my entrée, which was the veggie omelet paired with home fries. I love potatoes in every form so their home fries hit the spot! The veggie omelet was overloaded with spinach, mushrooms, onions and feta. Had to take majority of it out to enjoy but it wasn't bad! My bf ordered the wild berry pancakes which were a 1000/10!! SO GOOD! I kept picking at his plate lol! Definitely would come back here and I would FOR SURE order the wild berry pancakes! read more

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Sweet Basil's Cafe serves pretty decent food -- solid portions, well-prepared, and generally hits the spot. But the experience gets knocked down a few notches because of the woman who answers the phone. She's not just curt -- she speaks with the urgency and stress level of someone bracing for a natural disaster. Every interaction feels like you've called during a state of emergency, even if you're just asking about wait times or placing an order. A little kindness (or at least calm) would go a long way in improving the customer experience. Until then, the food might bring me back, but I'll definitely hesitate before calling in. read more

Overall I'll say that I would go back and just stick to the traditional menu items. I ate here a long time ago and something about this particular brunch was not as good as usual. It's still a great diner and their sweet breakfasts (pancakes and waffles) are superb but some of their more novel items were just okay. The chickpea burger was really lacking in seasoning and with just some basic veggies and a regular bun it was nothing special. The pulled pork Benedict was good but the pork is sweet enough that the flavor combination feels a little strange. The frittata was good. Portion sizes are decent as well. My favorite thing was the potato home fries. Although for some reason they brought them out first so we were just eating potatoes for a while. Service is very attentive and although they were busy we got a table right away and didn't have to wait a super long time for food. read more

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Hostess was so rude that we walked out, had an attitude from the moment we walked in. Rolling their eyes and gesturing at us like some animals and not even acknowledging the other people in line read more

Went on a Sunday morning with my sisters and we all loved it. It was quiet and peaceful. I loved my wild mushroom, spinach and goat cheese omelet. It was stuffed with mushrooms and spinach. The fruits were fresh. Our waiter was very accommodating. read more

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As a celiac, I would have to say the gluten-free options are really not gluten-free. Having dined there yesterday with a group, I can say, with certainty, that I was cross contaminated. The gluten-free bread was probably not handled with clean gloves. The knife that spread the mayonnaise was probably used for other breads also. All of the potatoes are made in a contaminated fryer so those are not good for celiacs either. I certainly would not recommend this restaurant for anyone who has serious allergies. And I can say, having spent $150 for brunch, it's the restaurant's loss read more

Another visit to a fav place with my sister. I had the Vegan Pasta and Eggplant dish. Unbelievable! So good! Wonderful staff and exceptional service. Love this place! read more

Was recommended to try this cafe for brunch w/the bff. First thing I saw were the Whiskey R&B Pancakes and in fine print, trust us no substitute. This instantly had me intrigued and it was strongly suggested I get them w/a side (bacon). Also had the potatoes and eggs; I didn't try the eggs but the potatoes were huge but weren't cooked in onions and peppers and needed to be to be dressed with a bit of salt for my liking. Also had the peppermint hot chocolate which wasn't bad at all, strong peppermint taste. Had my eye on 2 smoothies that I will definitely try next time. read more

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Came here for breakfast/ brunch over the weekend. Excellent service and family friendly atmosphere. Service is very quick. They have a huge menu, including a vegan menu and specials - able to cater to many dietary needs. I ordered the health kick scramble with pesto infused egg whites, toast and a side salad -- delicious!! My husband ordered the southwest breakfast wrap which he said was really good. We will absolutely return so I can try other menu items. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - The Health Kick - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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I've been to Sweet Basil's probably 3 times throughout the past few years, and today was my 4th time. The past few times warranted 4 stars - service was pretty good, food was decent, and place was nice to gather with friends. Loved that there was finally a nice brunch place in the neighborhood. Today, however, I ordered the chicken bacon and avocado sandwich on the lunch menu and it was disappointing. The sandwich itself was pretty decent, but for a sandwich called "chicken bacon and avocado", you'd expect a decent amount of avocado, at least 3 or 4 thin slices minimum. My sandwich came with 2 small slices of avocado split in half so there was one tiny slice per sandwich part. My sandwich was more like a "chicken bacon and tomato" sandwich. I get that avocados are more expensive now, like 99 cents an avocado, but I seem to have gotten about 15 cents worth of an avocado in my $13 sandwich. I'm leaving disappointed in my sandwich that could've been so much better, but I did enjoy the tropical breeze smoothie (7.5) and the waiter was nice overall. Hope they don't skimp on the ingredients next time, it makes all the world a difference in the sandwich. read more

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Waiter dropped our food. They rushed and brought more food out quickly. Food was bland. I would have preferred to take their time and bring out good food. read more

Nice comfortable cafe in the area for brunch. We went before 12 and got a table right away. This place filled up pretty quickly. The service was decent and that poached pear French toast was good. My picky 4 year old picked up his fork and pick up the French toast and pear himself. That's a testament of goodness. The country skillet did not come in a skillet. It was pretty good but it's typical brunch food so nothing too special. Would definitely come back to try other things and maybe another poached pear French toast. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Poached Pear Vanilla Bean French Toast - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Very good good we had meatloaf special it was enough to share. A shout out to Devin our lovely server who went the extra mile for our meal.

This place has something for everyone! Whether you are in the mood for breakfast or lunch, there's something on the menu that should definitely please your palate. It's good to get here early for brunch as they don't take reservations. The poached pear French toast was solid, but a bit on the sweet side. I think a side of bacon or something would have been a good balance. My friend said her Florentine dish was fantastic. Overall, the service was on point and the ambiance was very welcoming. I would definitely return and plan to try something new from the menu! read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Poached Pear Vanilla Bean French Toast - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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Went for dinner and was impressed. Great food. Great service. Great prices. Everything came out quick and tasted fresh and delicious. Portion sizes were much larger than expected. Nice to see some restaurants are not ripping off customers like alot do these days. Also, the menu is clearly marked with vegetarian and many gluten free options. Atmosphere is a nice casual open floor plan. As an added bonus it is BYOB. read more

I was seated very quickly. The staff was very pleasant and attentive. My beverage came out less than 5 minutes after ordering with my food not far behind. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. I will definitely be back. read more

Sweet Basil's Cafe - Vegan Tofu Sausage Scramble - New American Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

I really love going to breakfast and brunch this place has been on my list for a while, so I thought I would grab my man and we would have a nice breakfast out. Super cute inside and our server was very efficient and friendly she came over to us right away and brought us coffee and hot chocolate. I ordered the chicken and waffles the waffle was really good but the chicken was kind of over battered for my taste. He had the steak and eggs, the eggs were great but the steak was a little too tough. The french fries were great ended up eating the whole thing, their specialty pancakes look good I will be back for those! read more

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