True Food Kitchen — Restaurant in Hackensack

Super expensive, limited menu, limited drink options, super busy, slow service. So much wrong yet so much potential.

Arrived here for lunch at 12. Got seated 15 mins later and took our order at almost the same time. Food arrived 30 mins later at 12:45pm.

Burger was just ok. Patty was thick and juicy, but the meat was just ok with an odd spicy sour aftertaste. Something doesn't taste right in the beef mixture. Bun seemed a bit old like it was sitting out for a while. It was topped with various seeds, but overall the flavor combo of the entire burger was nowhere near as tasty as Red Robin's. I rate this burger below Wendy's and above White Castle.

The atmosphere was nice with a large ceiling, hanging plants, big windows and modern theme. Napkins were super nice, but limited to just 1 per seat?

Now for the negatives... There are no French fries at all. Apparently they are trying to hype up themselves as a "healthy" restaurant. But there are so many ways to prepare healthy French fries. You could use healthier oils, less oil, baked fries, or even use an air fryer. But instead they chose to just not have fries. Ok then.

As for drinks, they offer a fancy expensive brand of soda, but no diet soda option. Yes many companies make healthier versions of diet soda, but they chose to not offer anything. I ended up ordering a black iced tea which was sour as they don't have any sugar. I am happy they have plastic agave straws, so there is one small positive about this place.

Parking was free but super limited because it's a busy mall. So plan ahead and be ready to drive around a lot for a while to find an empty spot.

Employees were super nice, but also very slow. The slowness I believe was due to how busy it was.

And here comes the biggest negative... The price is completely absurd... $20 for a plain burger. No fries. $5 for unsweetened iced tea...

Wow! I would have blamed Bidenflation, but I think this restaurant always had hyperinflated prices by choice. They are busy, so obviously they know their customer base well and those customers are willing to pay more than double the price for ok quality food and very limited drink choices. Should have been $12 tops for a plain burger and fries together.

Yes I know, this restaurant is located within the most expensive mall in NJ, so they are pricing their food accordingly with the wealthier customer base who frequent this mall. But still.. $30+ for a simple burger, drink and no fries (plus tip)? Why not just go full insane and charge $100 for a burger with no fries? The owner is nuts! I could get a delicious, healthy and juicy ribeye steak, fries and drink at Outback for less than $30 with a tip.

Side note, less than 10 mins later I have an upset stomach. I want to throw up. There is something wrong with the beef they used in that burger. My burger from True Food Kitchen is the only food I ate so far today. That's an unpleasant surprise. The beef definitely tasted odd to me. I doubt the beef was spoiled. I think they added some odd ingredients and spices, and my stomach did not agree with it. Definitely not worth paying extra money for beef mixture that doesn't taste right and causes...

My husband and I have been going to True Food since they have been opened. For the most part we have always had a pleasant experience. However, today we were disappointed. We started off with drinks first. My husband got the Kale Aid and I got the Iced Lavender Matcha Latte. The matcha had specks of Lavender in it and was not mixed very well. The waiter did not ask if my daughter wanted anything to drink. We ordered the charred cauliflower which was fine. We put in our order for entrees and ordered a Kids Pizza, Grass Fed burger and the SZA CZA Caesar Salad We finished our starter and waited for our ENTRÉES and after about 45 minutes we asked the waiter where our food was. He said he would check on it and then came back and said that apparently there was a mixup with our order and part of it was given to someone else. So he had to put it in again. He apologized and said that the manager asked if we were wanted another starter and we declined. I understand that mistakes happen but the manager could have at least came out to say this. When the waiter came back we said that we rather get one of the meals for free instead of a free starter and he said it would be fine. Then the food finally came out after about another 10 mins. My husband had ordered two vegan patties to be added to the salad and it only had one. Not once did the waiter check in to see if everything was ok. In the past when there have been mistakes with our order there would be a manager named Alyssa that would speak to us and was very nice about it. She would always remember us and greet us when she would see us. One time she even sent us a $50 giftcard by mail when there was a mistake with our order. As mentioned before we have been coming here for years and recognize the staff. We understand that mistakes happen, however, we were disappointed in the way that this was handled and how a manager didn’t even come out to speak to us about it like it has been done in the past. The waiter also didn’t even mention anything as time had passed about our order and we were the ones that had to ask about the status of our order. It was also not very busy so we were surprised at the poor service we received today. We don’t see ourselves going back there in the...

As longtime patrons of True Food, our recent dining experiences have left us increasingly disappointed. Having dined here many, many times for several years, we noticed that the restaurant reached its peak about a year ago. Unfortunately, small but significant changes have gradually undermined the unique appeal that once set this place apart.

Originally, True Food's commitment to healthy eating was exemplified by their avoidance of potatoes, which they deemed not so healthy. This was particularly beneficial for someone like me with a rare potato allergy. However, recent menu changes suggest a shift towards more mainstream, financially driven decisions. The introduction of potatoes is just one of many alterations that suggest a move away from their health-centric ethos.

Today's experience was particularly troubling. I ordered “Not my mother’s meat loaf” and specifically requested no potatoes due to my allergy, asking for sweet potatoes instead. Despite my explicit instructions, my meal arrived with a fingerling potato hidden beneath the meatloaf. This oversight not only displayed a lack of attention to customer requests but also posed a severe health risk to me.

When I pointed out the issue, my dish was taken back to the kitchen only to be returned with the same meatloaf nervously given to me. I know because I had cut it in half. This clear disregard for cross-contamination protocols and basic food safety was shocking.

After waiting over 30 minutes still no meal, with no satisfactory resolution, we decided to cut our losses and left. I ended up getting a California burger at Houston’s next door, which was, fortunately, excellent with NO potatoes.

It is disheartening to see True Food lose its unique niche and quality of service. The restaurant seems to be prioritizing cost-saving measures over the quality and care that once made it special. Sadly… for those seeking a genuinely healthy dining experience, True Food no longer stands out as it once did.

Just my thoughts. Hopefully they go back to...