Wonder Green Brook — Restaurant in Green Brook Township

If you're like me and were wondering about Wonder 'a new kind of food hall' which claims to be a one stop shop of iconic chefs top restaurants... We got a 50% off coupon in the mail up to $20 and I had to go to Greenbrook anyway so I figured why not?

So basically it's like a mall food court as far as options. Offerings from burgers, poke bowls, salads, wings, pizza and BBQ and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. Again these are all displayed on the app as different restaurants and somehow supposed to be food from top iconic chefs. But it's a service counter designed for pickup or delivery orders. And it looks like fast food in the back. Which leads one to ask where are they cooking all this stuff and is it frozen and reheated ala Applebee's? Hmmm?

I ordered the BBQ from Tejas BBQ and I got the combo 2 meats and 3 sides normally priced at 45 plus tax. If you choose their free delivery they still charge extra in service fees, so delivery would have been $58 but I picked up so after the $20 off it was $28 out the door.

When I got it home I was excited to give it a try. The combo had over half lb of "pulled" pork, just around a half lb of brisket, half lb of Texas pinto beans, a half lb of potato salad and a nice square of corn bread and camec with pickle slices and bbq sauces on the side.

I prepped a plate with half the offerings, saving half for Later, and as you can see it was a decent sized plate. It looked tasty and few of the things were. But most were not

Pulled pork was actually chopped pork. Now I'm not splitting hairs but if you're a BBQ JOINT (gourmet BBQ) you should certainly know the difference and label your food accordingly. The pork was tender but lacked flavor other than the sauce it came swimming in. Smoke flavor was zero. Sauce tasted like typical commercial style nothing special.

The brisket had no smoke ring, was soggy and grey (take a closer look at that photo... Yeah grey) Again it lacked flavor with zero smoke flavor and the bark was as bland as the grey meat.

The Texas pinto beans were the star of this mediocre meal. Saucy, tasty and with a nice hint of smoke flavor.

The potato salad was decent. Potatoes were diced very small which was different. The flavor was better than commercial premade but nothing you would have at a BBQ and need to 'get that recipe'

The corn bread was average. Not bad but again nothing special.

BBQ isn't cheap there's a lot of time and effort (usually) put into it. So for the amount of food for $45 I don't think they are over priced. The problem is that it's just not good. If you're having it delivered and it's $60 plus tip and now you're over $70 it's way overpriced and again it's still mediocre.

Maybe I'd give Wonder a second whirl based on a trusted recommendation, but trust me skip Tejas BBQ unless you really think Applebee's is gourmet BBQ... Hmmm, that might be who's doing the cooking? Did I get duped into eating Applebee's 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Until we eat...

This was our second time trying out Wonder, the new food hall concept. The first time, my boys ordered delivery and absolutely loved their food. This time, we decided to visit in person, not knowing exactly what to expect.

First off, this is not a traditional sit-down restaurant. There are about four tables available if you choose to eat there, but the setup is more focused on takeout and delivery. The space is clean, modern, and nicely decorated. Ordering is simple—you can use one of the two ordering stations inside or order ahead through their app, which often offers promotions.

One of the coolest things about Wonder is that it features around 15 different restaurants from renowned chefs, all in one place. We decided to try Maydan (Middle Eastern cuisine), Tejas Barbecue, and Wing Trip. The food was served quickly, packed neatly in to-go bags rather than on plates, which we didn’t mind at all.

I ordered the Vegetable Shawarma from Maydan, described on the menu as: “A flavorful vegetarian take on shawarma: turmeric cauliflower served on flatbread with a mix of crunchy slaw, sumac-pickled onions, tahina, spicy shatta sauce, mint, parsley, and three sauces on the side.” It was perfect. The cauliflower was well-seasoned without being overpowering, and the sauces were fantastic—my favorite was the red sauce, followed by the green, then the ranch. Mixing them together created an explosion of flavors. The pita was fresh and warm, tying everything together beautifully. I have no complaints!

My husband ordered the pork belly from Tejas Barbecue, along with a 12-piece classic wing combo (tandoori flavor) and Togarashi Fries from Wing Trip.

Let me just say—the pork belly was to die for! It was melt-in-your-mouth tender with the perfect crispiness. The mustard sauce that came with it paired perfectly. If you love pork, this is a must-order! The wings were crispy, nicely spicy, and full of flavor. He loved everything, and so did I!

Overall, we really enjoyed dining in. When we arrived, we had to wait a few minutes for a table to clear, but soon after, we were the only ones there. The staff was friendly and focused on preparing and packing food, but they were also helpful in answering questions for customers who seemed a little unsure of how the process worked.

We’ll definitely be coming back—or ordering again and again. With so many more restaurants to try, I can’t wait for...

I have always wondered what “Wonder” was all about since I have been passing by it almost daily so yesterday, I tried it. The app was very easy to use. Ordering was straightforward. I ordered from Marcus Samuelsson’s Streetbird since I am a fan of his TV show. The Spiced potato chips was crispy and very lightly salted, the seasoning was mediocre at best. M’s fried chicken deluxe was lacking in depth and taste. The brioche bun tasted fresh. It just wasn’t what I was expecting from a renowned chef and TV personality. Chick-fil-a and Popeyes does a better tasting chicken sandwich than him, sad to say. The place is pristine. Ordering was fast and efficient and is app trackable. Staff was helpful. The manager (I think) was super efficient and took over from a staff who was browsing thru my phone and looking for my order. He swooped in, took my name, turned and said “here you go”. It was right behind him on the table. The only other complaint I have aside from the food is that, the place smelled like the mixed food they were cooking. If you just showered and washed your hair before picking up. your food, YOU will definitely smell like whatever they are cooking. I was there for no longer than 5 minutes and I reeked of fastfood when I got back in the car and showered again. They may just need a better exhaust fan. I will try the other restaurant namesakes in the near future. Hope the others will be better tasting. I will definitely pick up...