I would have given it a five had it not been for the interior decor. The building is "Victorian"/antique, but the decor is a weird mix of modern with gold and crystal?? The furniture is neither, so there is this wild unpleasant clash of mixed messages for the eyes. read more

Cute little place. Decent food and price. Service was quick and friendly. They have a lot of food options. read more

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It's not easy to find decent food in Vernon, and while this wasn't terrible, the search continues. The Millennial Chum and I stopped by here for lunch this past Saturday after building up an appetite ziplining at nearby Mountain Creek. The menu was large with almost a diner-like quality (not a bad thing), and I was in the mood for some avocado toast specifically. It was a very nice day and I would have been perfectly fine with the outdoor seating situation off to the side of the building, but the Millennial Chum was very taken by the interior and declared we had to seat in there. It was fine - it looked like it had been recently renovated/done, but also had a dash of quaint country store to it. Not to an extreme level like a Cracker Barrel, but it's a pleasant vibe. I was kind of impressed that they had literally the most basic avocado toast option possible - literally just avocado on toast. In this day and age, I usually have to navigate around some weird crap (my limit is maybe some feta or pepper flakes, but once you start putting basically an entirely different meal on it, I'm out), so it was refreshing from that perspective. That said, this really should be an avocado mash - per the attached picture, they just chopped up pieces of browning avocado with no seasoning whatsoever, which I could easily make at home. It's extremely rare for me to add seasoning, but as soon as I saw this, I doused it with pepper. A rare instance of this being a little TOO basic. But they have the right idea. Honestly, I didn't like the strawberry pancakes. I thought they tasted artificial and not good at all. I had a few bites that were heavily centered on the strawberries, but the strawberries weren't ripe yet so they weren't juicy/flavorful. For what it's worth though, the Millennial Chum DID like them and hosed most of them down on my behalf, so maybe it's just a personal preference issue. Like a diner, the portions here are gigantic - huge points for that. Even though I was pretty tepid overall on the avocado toast, it's a portion that was arguably twice as large if not more than the serving you'd get at a bougie cafe in Jersey City or something. And in line with that, the price point is pretty amazing as well. We got a ton of food here and split a bill that I think ended up hovering around $30; really not bad. The service was okay. Our waitress was nice and we ordered/received our food promptly, but it did take a bit of time to locate her again to obtain the check. Not a huge deal though. This was okay. And given where you are, that's probably good enough. read more

The Crystal Cafe - Strawberry Pancakes & Avocado Toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

Everything we ever have from here is very good, fresh and great prices for what you get. 100% would recommend.

We sit outdoor and there are too many flies. The bells keep ringing in a song and it became very noisy. The food actually is pretty good though with big portion. Lots of choice in the menu. But the flies are too annoying, which affects the overall rate of this experience. read more

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I am writing this review for "The Mixing Bowl" when I visited in 2021. I understand it is now a different name and perhaps different owners? I do not know if this will relate to the new ownership or not, but this is my account from when I was there. We were told by everyone at the nearby hotel we were staying at that if you want breakfast locally, this was the spot. That was proven by the very busy dining room when we arrived. We had to wait a while for a table but eventually we were sat and given menus. The server was friendly but she was stretched too thin and it was painfully obvious. She put in our friend's order incorrectly so we had to wait for her to get her proper meal before we ate, causing our food to begin to get cold. No we didn't HAVE to wait...but we have manners. I got a western omelet with cheese, home fries and toast. The omelet was good, the home fries were flat so I added a bit of salt and they were still flat so then added some ketchup. My gf and our friend seemed to enjoy their food well enough. Total was in the ballpark of $45 for 3 people. It was perfectly fine, and I probably would have liked it more if people hadn't really hyped it up for me. An adequate breakfast but I don't think I'd return. If these are new owners maybe I would to see if anything changed. read more

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Crystal Cafe is a delightful spot that perfectly captures cozy, quaint vibes. The charming atmosphere makes it a wonderful place to relax with a cup of coffee or enjoy a leisurely breakfast. The breakfast menu offers a great variety at reasonable prices, making it easy to enjoy a tasty meal without breaking the bank. The staff is friendly, and the service is efficient. While the cafe can get a bit busy during peak hours, the overall experience is worth it. We waited a little over 15 minutes for a table for two. I ordered from their specials the Apple fritter French toast which was amazing and so delicious it did not need syrup or butter. I opted for a side of bacon which came out so nice and crisp. I also ordered a side of hash browns which were well seasoned and crunchy. My friend ordered the scrambled eggs platter and was very happy with her portion size. We both orders lattes one just regular and I ordered the blueberry matcha which didn't taste like blueberries but was still delicious. Our bill was under $40 and it was a great meal and I would stop by again if I was in the area. Highly recommend for a relaxed, affordable breakfast in a warm and inviting setting. They have their own private lot however the spots aren't marked so as long as people park reasonably there aren't any issues finding a spot! read more

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Perfect spot to refuel before a day full of activities and sports! The portions are LARGE, the prices are low, and the servers are very attentive. There's both cozy warm indoor and outdoor seating, plus a convenient parking lot. read more

The Crystal Cafe - Pancakes and Taylor ham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

Great value for money. My favorite dishes were the cheesy grits and the mac n cheese. We ordered the kids mac n cheese and it was super creamy, and came with fries and a drink. My friends really enjoyed the country fried steak--the eggs were over easy and the gravy was tasty. We thought the fried fish could have had less breading and been more crispy, and the tacos could have been more crispy as well. The portions were huge and almost every dish came with fries on the side. Great spot in Vernon NJ area if you're looking for some comfort food. read more

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Food & service was great. Great stop along our route to mineral hotel. Prices were good as well. Nice setting. Good ambiance. read more

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The food is pretty much diner food, which isn't bad, but just no frills. The staff could be a little friendlier. read more

The Crystal Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

The food wasn't all that bad, except for the tasteless home fries. But they have an older lady with glass that unless you looks like her she won't even a knowledgeable you , walked away while you still talking to her. My honest opinion she's is a Karen that have a bias and judge people based on how you look. read more

The Crystal Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

Gluten Free options for bread and pancakes, and the service was very good. Atmosphere is quaint and less diner style, than other places. They are all ready added to the app called FindMeGlutenFree . The price is very reasonable for all selections. read more

Nice little and local Café with indoor and outdoor dining. Very friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Great place for a tasty and quick breakfast or brunch. I recommend adding salt pepper and ketchup to their home fries though. But other then that i have always had a delicious breakfast here. Their Coffee and Latte's are really good too. I recommend. read more

The Crystal Cafe - Build your own Omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

Lunch was excellent. Service great and food was fantastic. Reasonably priced Definitely will return

Nice little place friendly staff ! Food was good decent portions Will definitely go there again. read more

Went today, was given the option of 2 tables to sit at. We made our selection and sat, and waited. We waited 15 minutes and not one person came to our table. No menus, no we will be right with you, and definitely no sorry for your wait. We got up and walked out . Will not be back! Zero stars was not an option. read more

First time after the new Owner took over. Nicely done renovation and face lift at this Vernon stable. Love the fact the didnt do much to the traditional outside beside adding a very nice outside sitting area. The inside look is clean, fresh and straight to point. Food : was ok If you know what you get into. It is NOT a 5 star Restaurant more than a traditional homestyle restaurant with southern flavors and dishes added. Menu is hugde and you can find something for eveyone. My little gad a grilled cheese and eat it all. My Wife had a burrito wich was nicely seasoned with a bit kick by the end. The burger for my bigger girl was good too. I had the Chicken Cordon Bleu ... the chicken was good unfortunately dunked in a dark gravy so the nice crust was soaked again... why? Mushrooms where nicely season and my kids loved them. The Mashed Potatoes arent good tasted like a product from powder and the vegetables was a frozen mix... but why you in the area with tons of farm during harvest season get something fresh amd potatoes shouldn't be a problem. I never understand why someone calls himself a chef would use that crap... If you need help reach out and I can teach you some easy sautee or roast procedures for veggies who wont be much more $$$ and effect you're food coast.... read more

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Stopped here after a long day of traveling and had a great brunch. One of the broadest variety of menus I've ever seen and the service was exceptional. I definitely recommend! read more

Group of 8; waited about 20 mins for a table which was great being that there were so many of us and it was on a Sunday morning. We were sat on the outdoor patio which was very nice. Our server was nice, she took our orders, read it back to us to make sure it was correct and answered all of our questions. And here's where it went bad: The food - flavorless. I mean everything. I got two eggs, toast, Canadian bacon with a side of home fries. Surprise!!!!!! The home fries are a pile of salt less shredded potatoes and not cut up pieces of potato with onions and peppers as I expected. I wouldn't be surprised if it was from a frozen bag that you can find in a supermarket. The orange juice tasted like bad room temperature juice from a continental breakfast. Not good at all. No one enjoyed their meal; a quick glance around the table everyone was adding salt, pepper and ketchup to try to save it. Quick note: one person had pancakes and said it wasn't bad. read more

We've been coming here since we were still in the process of moving to town, and it has never once disappointed. The food is great - some of the best in the area, and the staff is wonderful. Service is friendly and usually quick, and the qualiy is consistent. We've brought family and friends, and everyone always loves it. read more

Quiet breakfast spot close to the ski resort. Well priced dishes with a large amount of food. Would recommend the "lumberjack slam" for anyone looking to leave full! The wait staff was kind and responsive to any needs as well! read more

Stopped for breakfast today, nice little Cafe. Had the pancakes with eggs and sausage. Fair price and good coffee. read more

We love the Crystal Cafe and have been going since it was "The Mixing Bowl" and love the new place. It's a quaint atmosphere, the food is great, it's reasonably priced, and the waitress was so sweet to us. We look forward to coming back! read more

We ordered take out Country fried steak dinner which comes with potato, salad, veg. - the steak wasnt steak. It was some kind of mixed chopped meat that was smothered in garlic to mask the taste. Plus, they didnt pack the salad. 0 points. Next up is a Reuben on toasted rye, I specifically asked for extra dressing on the side. Not only did I not get the dressing, none was put on the sandwich. The bread was not toasted so the sandwich was a soggy mess. Far too much sauerkraut, 2 thin slices of corned beef the fries were cold. -0 points Next up is a cheesesteak sandwich with mushrooms, peppers and onions. Sandwich was lean but otherwise edible +3 points Lastly was an order of mac and cheese, it was very bland, tasteless. 0 points. Cost: $58.00 plus 3.9% surcharge for using the credit card. Please pay attention, it costs nothing. We wanted what we ordered. We will not be going back. read more

best food in vernon township aweasome experience thanks to eric thanks to entire stuff thanks to the best lkitchen people you guys are the best ivan read more

Went at breakfast time and it was not busy at all. I did not care for the staff sitting in the front just watching us eat. The food was ok and service quick. read more

The Crystal Cafe - a plate of food and a drink - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vernon Township, New Jersey

This old timey breakfast bar gets me excited every time I walk through those beautiful pink doors. When you enter, the design sends you back to simpler times, and the look is that of a retro, old style restaurant that one could find while walking the streets in any city during a cool, calm night, in the early 1900's. I can recall one afternoon with my good friend Archibald Graham, aka "Moonlight," when the two of us walked the Minneapolis streets and stepped foot in an old restaurant with pink doors that looked exactly like the Crystal Cafe. In those days, you could buy a sweet tea for half a penny. Nowadays, I'm lucky to get sweet tea for a ten! The Crystal Cafe gives me the good vibes that I've been missing for so long. The smells. The scenery. The tastes. Oh my it's like 1915 all over again. The days of simplicity. How I wish I could return. The quality of food at the Crystal Cafe is incredible. The pancakes are delicious. The waffles are fluffy and yummy. The lunch foods are so goodylicious. I will return once again in the near future to continue remembering the good ol' days with Moonlight and the boys. NPSwizzle read more

We ate at the Crystal Cafe for the first time today. My over all impressions were good. I had the turkey pot. The dish actually comes in a small pot! The flavors were very good. The problem with my dish were the mashed potatoes were over cooked and very watery. My partner had eggs Benedict, the Hollandaise sauce was not lemony. The cafe had run out of Canadian bacon, my partner substituted sausage and enjoyed the dish. The complimentary mimosas were ...meh. The orange juice was obviously canned. The cafe was very clean, and swept frequently. The bathrooms were clean. read more

Crystal Cafe has fresh delicious tasting salads. The staff are very friendly and there's never a long wait for food to come out! My only con is when i ordered breakfast a couple times some of my food was cold. It's still very delicious and i'll continue to eat here! read more

Good dinner food at fair prices. They have a nice burger selection that tastes better than most in the area. Staff is friendly and attentive but not overly so. Open season area leaves a little to be desired. All in all a good occasional spot when you're trying not to break the bank. read more

The staff all gathers by the cash register and stands there and stares at you and watches you eat while they gossip...Not that your waitress would come over and ask you if you need anything or how everything is....food was lackluster. read more

Had breakfast with family and friends. Good food and friendly staff. Outdoor ambiance was comfortable and inviting.

Such a cute spot with attentive staff and some of the best French toast we've had! There's a robust coffee bar with a great all day breakfast lunch and dinner menu. Staff knows the regulars and made everyone feel right at home. read more

We came in on Memorial Day after the Mt Creek bike race and the service was prompt and the food was good.

Went to mountain creek for a weekend ate here twice. Couldn't be happier with the service and food. Great prices and looks like place you wouldn't mind being regularly. read more

Burgers are pre fab. Blah. Charcoal grilled would help. Coleslaw maybe homemade. Not flavorful. Had lunch there once and they had really good soup. It's often hard to find someone who can make good soup. Oh and Plentiful Kitchen cheesecake was overly sweet, dry/stale and overpriced for attempted quality. Server was nervous? Spoke incredibly fast. Husband kept saying "what did she say"? I saw this in another review about this place; the staff stares at dining room customers when they have nothing to do? Very surprised manager allows this! Liked: no music in background. And no TV's. LED lighting by bar was unnerving . Don't we get enough from cars on the road? I'm a harsh critic but it's not easy to find a plain old decent affordable place to eat in this area. read more

Excited to try this new place. Didn't disappoint. They own several diners and that is what you will get. We sat outside. Pleasant and friendly hostess and waitress. Had starter of homemade hummus and early bird turkey dinner with crisp salad. Hubby had chicken cordon blue dinner with salad. Grandson had chicken tenders and real chocolate milk. All included dessert and coffee/tea. Outside swings and train to play on. This is not a five star gourmet restaurant. It's tasty homemade food. Bill just over $50 Highly recommend. We will return. Welcome to Vernon! read more

We stopped here on the way to Mountain Creek Waterpark. It's a charming place with a smallish, crowded dining room and additional seating on the "porch" outdoors. We were there during a brunch rush on Saturday and the room was packed and loud. Our orders were taken quickly, but it was at least 25 minutes until they were served. The menu has all the diner staples with character. We ordered breakfast tacos (western omelette wrapped in pancakes), silver dollars, chicken fingers and a chop chop salad. The food was good, better than standard diner fare. The waitstaff were hard to hail and we waited too long with no one checking back or looking over when we were looking for a check. On the flip side, it does seem like a place that you could brunch at almost indefinitely if inclined. No one was rushing us through the meal or trying to turn the tables over even though they were full with people waiting to be seated. Cool decor, very stylish and retro at the same time. Kid friendly and not intimate. read more

We just moved to the area and wanted dinner, we noticed this cute little spot and decided to go there since all the locals said it was a great spot to eat. Highly recommend! Loved the burgers and wings, can't wait to try their breakfast. read more