I rarely write reviews, but I felt like today had to be one of those days I needed to let others know about my experience.
This was my wife and my first time ordering takeout from here. We both ordered the vegan gumbo and the portions were fairly smaller than expected. But I would normally let that go if they charged the rates that we saw on their website for a dinner meal… we expected to pay $18 per meal however they ended up charging us $27 per meal… we tried doing the math, and not sure if they tried to charge us for the vegan gumbo $18 and a separate side of rice $8 which comes up to $26 dollars per plate, but the rice was already included in the meal description, which again still doesn’t make sense to me. Also they said their credit card machines are down also and wanted cash only and tried to add the card processing fee in the bill!
If you want to have a pleasant experience without getting ripped off, go anywhere else in Montclair but here!!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Mark
Fantastic dinner experience with farm to table food, a small menu and wonderful chef and staff. The place inside is intimate and cozy but approachable. We had the chorizo, the ragu pasta and the short rib. Everything phenomenal and can’t wait to go back and try everything else!
Vegetarian options: Meat side and veggie side of the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carmelle Suzeline Charles
I went there for Sunday brunch. The food was excellent. We enjoyed the atmosphere. Unfortunately, we witnessed the manager (Christina ??) being beyond disrespectful to the staff which left a sour taste in my mouth. Yelling and cursing at the staff is unacceptable. That alone would make me think twice before going back. That's unfortunate because I really enjoyed the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese French Toast
Josie Estes
Poor experience ! A staff member, likely the manager, was absolutely screaming at the kitchen the whole time we were eating ! Awful ! Shrill, rude, off putting, horrible service! Cannot believe someone would act this way when the entire dining room can hear them. And then to yell at a server “don’t tell me to shut up”…??????
The food was okay. Tables around us also seemed to be in disbelief and receiving bad service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Samantha Morales
I wanted to like this place because the menu looked good but it missed the mark in so many ways. Frankly I don't know how this place stays in business based on what I saw today. The first thing we were told was that their card machine wasn't working. When my friend asked for a juice we were told the juice machine wasn't working. I had to grab a drink menu from another table and they didn't give us a high chair or kids menu til we were ready to order. The tap water tasted gross (ok fine whatever .. it's tap water) and the food and drinks were terrible. My chai latte had COLD bubbles on top. Our sad food was plated terribly and had no flavor. It was all small portions and overpriced. All the while the waitress didn't even check on us. Finally at the very end my friend stated that her food didn't look cooked and the waitress made an excuse saying yeah that's how it's supposed to be and admitted that everyone who orders it thinks the same thing, taking no corrective action for it. she took 1 drink off the bill after I said we weren't happy with our meals either. Then she said not to punish them for the terrible experience. It was all very unprofessional and gross. I saw a worker sneeze all over the stack of high chairs. There was a dead lanternfly by our table. The waitress had earphones and was texting the whole time. Seriously , I don't know how this place is in business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amanda Z
Not even sure where to START with this review. The place next door was packed, while Le Salbuen was empty. A nice hostess reeled us in at the door, not to be seen again. Their credit card machine was down ( zelle or venmo), as was their juicer. Menus and a high chair ( later watched a worker sneeze on the chair stack) were not provided until we asked. We got a bad vibe, but stayed for some reason . A coarse, loud woman ( air pod in one ear, texting away on her phone), showed up to take our orders. ALL of the food, from the coffee to an undercooked vegan pancake were absolutely terrible and extremely over priced . I got ONE undercooked pancake with a little walnut and fruit thrown on top. I The "maple syrup" was 100% not real. There were unidentifed fried items on my friend's plates . I pointed out that my pancake was underdone . The waitress? Owner? Manager? said it was a common complaint, it was because of the almond milk. Ummmmm then find another recipe or take it off the menu ?? We straight up told this woman that the food was terrible. Her response? Don't punish US ( meaning the restaurant) . She took ONE drink off of the bill. This place was a " Kitchen Nightmares" level of bad. Avoid at all costs.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kimberly Byrne
Sweet little place with warm, friendly staff. Food was absolutely delicious. Great vibe with soft rock, acoustic pop music. Indoor and outdoor seating.
Dietary restrictions: Gluten free and vegan food available
Parking: Street parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephen Schwartz
15 dollars for one pancake. That’s all I gotta say. The taste is good. But the prices are insanity!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
mai zahran
The menu sounds amazing. Unfortunately, the execution is disappointing. For example, I order a very simple avocado toast with poached eggs. It came with a salad that had few of sauce not even mixed in the salad. The eggs were not seasoned either. We ordered other items, and although they all sounded amazing on the menu, they didn't taste good. It has the potential of being an amazing place in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Prelove & War (P&W)
Funny, the food is really great but, I did not appreciate the bit of mockery that I sensed after I found a few pieces of long hair in the take out food I was enjoying.Though the staff seemed very apologetic when I returned to the restaurant with my food, I was not convinced it was authentic.
I really tried being as nice as possible and understanding. I only wanted a refund because I did not trust what is in the food anymore. Instead of a refund which I should have gotten with no discussion, a bit of a debate happened with the staff and they settled on I would get a new omelette “FREE OF CHARGE”.
“Free of charge” ???! This is a great play on words when the restaurant accidentally made an omelette with HAIR in it for ME. I am the customer eating it.
They prepped the same omelette for me (which was actually was missing the sour cream) and a peace offering of homemade flan. I did not want to argue or make a scene but, I should have been given a refund with no questions. I never wanted anything else.
While a hair seems trivial to some, it’s not to me. The excuse I received was that “it happens in the restaurant business”.
The omelette and flan they gave me in lieu of a refund, I will not eat because I am sure the same people cooked it. My appetite was turned from the experience and I don’t trust what I am eating. In the end, I am at a lost. I encourage Le Salbuen Cafe to listen empathetically when the staff’s hair gets into a customer’s food. Controls for safety and quality should be top priority. Be respectful and leave out the subtleties. Jokes made were felt and some of the blank faces that sat across from me , I did not appreciate it. There’s not a bottle water or flan that can make me feel okay about disrespect and unfairness.
An overall unpleasant experience. They were out of several dishes, omitted components entirely (avocado on the salmon) or had made substitutions without letting us know - (ricotta (?) for creme fraiche on the bolognese, and most shocking: a corn tortilla for a gluten-free bun on a burger).
On the upside the service was suitable - our server did their best considering the circumstances and their own frustration with the restaurant's lack of detail and basic ingredients.
Hopefully management / ownership can right the ship - where its headed now is down, down, down...
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Sara Dischino
The ambiance, service & food is the BEST! Highly recommend - my go to is the Portuguese french toast :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese French Toast
Dan groschopp
Came here as a suggestion with a very close family member. I was expecting a good meal and good time and it even surpassed my expectations. Amazing service, amazing food, amazing atmosphere. First time I was here but it definitely won't be my last.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Ground Local Grain Pancakes and Bacon
Nataliia Jenssen
Awesome place! Our favorite spot for breakfast! Lots of gluten free options ? And the stuff is outstanding!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nikaurys Colon
Place was horrible they didn't acknowledge us maybe because we were hispanic. After an hour of wait they said they lost our order ticket. Everyone that came last got their food on time. .
I rarely write reviews, but I felt like today had to be one of those days I needed to let others know about my experience.
This was my wife and my first time ordering takeout from here. We both ordered the vegan gumbo and the portions were fairly smaller than expected. But I would normally let that go if they charged the rates that we saw on their website for a dinner meal… we expected to pay $18 per meal however they ended up charging us $27 per meal… we tried doing the math, and not sure if they tried to charge us for the vegan gumbo $18 and a separate side of rice $8 which comes up to $26 dollars per plate, but the rice was already included in the meal description, which again still doesn’t make sense to me. Also they said their credit card machines are down also and wanted cash only and tried to add the card processing fee in the bill!
If you want to have a pleasant experience without getting ripped off, go anywhere else in Montclair but here!!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Fantastic dinner experience with farm to table food, a small menu and wonderful chef and staff. The place inside is intimate and cozy but approachable. We had the chorizo, the ragu pasta and the short rib. Everything phenomenal and can’t wait to go back and try everything else!
Vegetarian options: Meat side and veggie side of the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I went there for Sunday brunch. The food was excellent. We enjoyed the atmosphere. Unfortunately, we witnessed the manager (Christina ??) being beyond disrespectful to the staff which left a sour taste in my mouth. Yelling and cursing at the staff is unacceptable. That alone would make me think twice before going back. That's unfortunate because I really enjoyed the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese French Toast
Poor experience ! A staff member, likely the manager, was absolutely screaming at the kitchen the whole time we were eating ! Awful ! Shrill, rude, off putting, horrible service! Cannot believe someone would act this way when the entire dining room can hear them. And then to yell at a server “don’t tell me to shut up”…??????
The food was okay. Tables around us also seemed to be in disbelief and receiving bad service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
I wanted to like this place because the menu looked good but it missed the mark in so many ways. Frankly I don't know how this place stays in business based on what I saw today. The first thing we were told was that their card machine wasn't working. When my friend asked for a juice we were told the juice machine wasn't working. I had to grab a drink menu from another table and they didn't give us a high chair or kids menu til we were ready to order. The tap water tasted gross (ok fine whatever .. it's tap water) and the food and drinks were terrible. My chai latte had COLD bubbles on top. Our sad food was plated terribly and had no flavor. It was all small portions and overpriced. All the while the waitress didn't even check on us. Finally at the very end my friend stated that her food didn't look cooked and the waitress made an excuse saying yeah that's how it's supposed to be and admitted that everyone who orders it thinks the same thing, taking no corrective action for it. she took 1 drink off the bill after I said we weren't happy with our meals either. Then she said not to punish them for the terrible experience. It was all very unprofessional and gross. I saw a worker sneeze all over the stack of high chairs. There was a dead lanternfly by our table. The waitress had earphones and was texting the whole time. Seriously , I don't know how this place is in business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Not even sure where to START with this review. The place next door was packed, while Le Salbuen was empty. A nice hostess reeled us in at the door, not to be seen again. Their credit card machine was down ( zelle or venmo), as was their juicer. Menus and a high chair ( later watched a worker sneeze on the chair stack) were not provided until we asked. We got a bad vibe, but stayed for some reason . A coarse, loud woman ( air pod in one ear, texting away on her phone), showed up to take our orders. ALL of the food, from the coffee to an undercooked vegan pancake were absolutely terrible and extremely over priced . I got ONE undercooked pancake with a little walnut and fruit thrown on top. I The "maple syrup" was 100% not real. There were unidentifed fried items on my friend's plates . I pointed out that my pancake was underdone . The waitress? Owner? Manager? said it was a common complaint, it was because of the almond milk. Ummmmm then find another recipe or take it off the menu ?? We straight up told this woman that the food was terrible. Her response? Don't punish US ( meaning the restaurant) . She took ONE drink off of the bill. This place was a " Kitchen Nightmares" level of bad. Avoid at all costs.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sweet little place with warm, friendly staff. Food was absolutely delicious. Great vibe with soft rock, acoustic pop music. Indoor and outdoor seating.
Dietary restrictions: Gluten free and vegan food available
Parking: Street parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
15 dollars for one pancake. That’s all I gotta say. The taste is good. But the prices are insanity!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
The menu sounds amazing. Unfortunately, the execution is disappointing. For example, I order a very simple avocado toast with poached eggs. It came with a salad that had few of sauce not even mixed in the salad. The eggs were not seasoned either. We ordered other items, and although they all sounded amazing on the menu, they didn't taste good. It has the potential of being an amazing place in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Funny, the food is really great but, I did not appreciate the bit of mockery that I sensed after I found a few pieces of long hair in the take out food I was enjoying.Though the staff seemed very apologetic when I returned to the restaurant with my food, I was not convinced it was authentic.
I really tried being as nice as possible and understanding. I only wanted a refund because I did not trust what is in the food anymore. Instead of a refund which I should have gotten with no discussion, a bit of a debate happened with the staff and they settled on I would get a new omelette “FREE OF CHARGE”.
“Free of charge” ???! This is a great play on words when the restaurant accidentally made an omelette with HAIR in it for ME. I am the customer eating it.
They prepped the same omelette for me (which was actually was missing the sour cream) and a peace offering of homemade flan. I did not want to argue or make a scene but, I should have been given a refund with no questions. I never wanted anything else.
While a hair seems trivial to some, it’s not to me. The excuse I received was that “it happens in the restaurant business”.
The omelette and flan they gave me in lieu of a refund, I will not eat because I am sure the same people cooked it. My appetite was turned from the experience and I don’t trust what I am eating. In the end, I am at a lost. I encourage Le Salbuen Cafe to listen empathetically when the staff’s hair gets into a customer’s food. Controls for safety and quality should be top priority. Be respectful and leave out the subtleties. Jokes made were felt and some of the blank faces that sat across from me , I did not appreciate it. There’s not a bottle water or flan that can make me feel okay about disrespect and unfairness.
Food: 5
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Steer clear.
An overall unpleasant experience. They were out of several dishes, omitted components entirely (avocado on the salmon) or had made substitutions without letting us know - (ricotta (?) for creme fraiche on the bolognese, and most shocking: a corn tortilla for a gluten-free bun on a burger).
On the upside the service was suitable - our server did their best considering the circumstances and their own frustration with the restaurant's lack of detail and basic ingredients.
Hopefully management / ownership can right the ship - where its headed now is down, down, down...
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
The ambiance, service & food is the BEST! Highly recommend - my go to is the Portuguese french toast :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese French Toast
Came here as a suggestion with a very close family member. I was expecting a good meal and good time and it even surpassed my expectations. Amazing service, amazing food, amazing atmosphere. First time I was here but it definitely won't be my last.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Ground Local Grain Pancakes and Bacon
Awesome place! Our favorite spot for breakfast! Lots of gluten free options ?
And the stuff is outstanding!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Place was horrible they didn't acknowledge us maybe because we were hispanic. After an hour of wait they said they lost our order ticket. Everyone that came last got their food on time. .
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