The Love of Grub — Restaurant in Clifton

I was introduced to this cute little restaurant recently and have been there multiple times. Poached eggs, burnt home fries, (my request of course, I love them crispy) rye toast, OJ and coffee. Cozy environment. Very friendly staff. Everything is fresh. Oh, and the burgers are fabulous. Give them a try.

2/25/24--I decided to update my review since it's been two year since my last one. (I cannot even imagine where all that time went) I dine at The Love of Grub literally everyday, sometimes twice a day. Not kidding. You will not find a place more accommodating. From the minute you arrive, you are warmly greeted by just about everyone. The food is extremely good. There is a great variety on the menu. I am very fond of my chicken Caesar salad, as well as the burgers, probably the best in town. Fresh roast beef cooked on the premises. The servers are all wonderful and friendly. Tracy has done a magnificent job with the place, constantly doing things to improve the entire experience. But that's not the only reason to give this gem a try. Tracy is also known for donating food back during the pandemic when people needed it the most. And to this day still donates food to the local shelters/kitchens in need. And if that isn't enough reason, well, how can you possibly go wrong with a woman owned business. Right! All that being said, lack of help is causing some minor short term problems. Tracy is in need of help in the kitchen. She's having to do it all herself and it will take it's toll over time. So if any of you know someone interested in working in this adorable establishment, please give Tracy a call. It's a fun place and everyone treats you like family every time you come in. If you order takeout or delivery, please call in a bit earlier than you might normally until she can fill the help wanted in the kitchen. It breaks my heart to hear a potential phone order decide not to place an order because the kitchen is running about 30 minutes behind on some days. Support Tracy and the staff, call a few minutes earlier and enjoy great food and great vibes. Having worked in the restaurant business myself, I know first hand the challenges when it comes to hiring staff and keeping food costs in line. So go get some Grub!! And spread the word if you know anyone looking for work in...

There’s a special establishment where it always feels like summer even when there’s a forecast of the returned polar vortex winds.

Located on Van Houten in Clifton, we were greeted upon entering the Love of Grub by the staff at this bright and colorful Key West-esque vibe, very relaxed and laid back as first-timers. With the music of Bertie Higgins “Key Largo” playing in the background, my partner and I got a table immediately. The interior featured a cozy, vintage charm with its rustic wooden furniture and an abundance of natural light streaming through the large front windows.

Their menu serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch with vegetarian, keto-friendly, and gluten-free choices available upon request. We decided on the cheesesteak with a side of sweet potato fries and the chicken pesto wrap with a small garden salad.

After trying multiple cheesesteaks in Jersey and NYC, this restaurant came out a winner with the right balance of mushrooms, onions, and peppers with real American cheese, not from out of a can. The chicken pesto wrap was equally delicious with the fresh homemade pesto grown from the owner’s garden. The food was exceptional; one could tell everything was made from scratch, like you were in your family's kitchen getting food made with love.

We were able to exchange words with the owner/chef, Tracey. She definitely puts her heart and soul into every aspect of her business and is dedicated to providing customers with the tastiest, freshest food possible. She’s a remarkable woman who gives back to the community by cooking for Clifton's warming center for people experiencing homelessness.

From the moment we walked through the door, the staff’s friendliness and welcoming smiles set the tone for a memorable meal. They were attentive and knowledgeable and made us feel right at home, especially our server, Galvan. The price was comparable to the area.

This is one of those places where, if one were to ask the locals where they recommend eating, this would be on their list, which we...

Seems more like a "beach house" than your typical suburban "casual dining restaurant", with the oceanic decor and (some of) the shirts the staff there wears (one certainly can't go wrong with wearing anything "tie-dye", I personally feel - DYK this place even sells some of those shirts, whenever available?), and the small family running this place (middle-aged couple + 4? college-aged daughters) certainly strives to make things feel as "homemade" as possible despite, obviously, being in a small local restaurant - the food is certainly nothing to complain about, either; literally the only complaint I have is about the rather short operating hours since the pandemic, but that might just be because I've never been a "morning person"; I'll definitely try to stop in instead of just passing by as I did many times over the past 2 1/2 years or so this place has been open so far prior to this past weekend!

UPDATE: after having personally spent basically the entire past fall and winter away from this little place, after having been there a few times last summer, I just wanted to tell anybody looking at this that my overall opinion very much still stands, especially considering one of the girls here last year basically instantly recognized me in spite of all that (and very enthusiastically, I might add), last time around - the decor is still very "tropical"; the portions, while being somewhat too big for the plates they tend to get served on (at least in my opinion), are still certainly quite delicious and filling; the staff is still very kind, the way it was last year; I finally managed to grab one of their "tie-dyes"; I'll definitely make sure to continue to stop by this fine local restaurant every so often; basically, pretty much the only regret I've had here so far was not having supported the place since it first opened around the very...