Toast Manalapan — Restaurant in Manalapan Township

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EVEN CONSIDER GOING!

I had an absolutely awful experience at the Manalapan location that left me disgusted. I called ahead to ask what time they stop seating, and Nadia told me 1:55 PM, even though the restaurant closes at 2. We arrived at 1:55, and from the moment we walked in, the staff was rude and dismissive. The host barely acknowledged us, throwing menus and silverware on the table as she sat us down. The waitress came over with a bad attitude, informing us, "Just to let you know, we close in 2 minutes, so do you have your order ready?" We hadn't even had time to order drinks yet! As she placed our order, she muttered, “They’re going to kill me,” referring to the cooks for having to prepare our order so late. We tried to address the situation by speaking to the manager, but he acted like it was a huge inconvenience to even come over. We asked if there was an issue with us being seated at that time, especially since we had called ahead, but instead of addressing our concerns, he smirked and chuckled, completely dismissing our concerns. To make matters worse, the waitress stood just a few feet away, eavesdropping, and then rudely interjected, claiming she wasn’t talking about us. At that point, we decided to leave and told them to cancel our order. Their response? A dismissive "Oh, no worries," followed by a chuckle. The restaurant was almost empty on a Monday, and you would think they would appreciate the business, but clearly, they couldn't care less. I’ve never had a bad experience at the Red Bank location, but the Manalapan location was beyond disappointing. I will never be returning to either location. The lack of professionalism, courtesy, and respect was...

Ah, TOAST — the newest shining star in town, where expectations go to die slowly over cold avocado toast…

Let’s start with the vibe: the soundtrack was an exciting on-again, off-again battle between silence and the first 20 seconds of every song before the music gave up on life. Add in the subtle symphony of kitchen clattering and staff chatter wafting through the dining room like it was part of the experience. I mean, who doesn’t want their brunch paired with the soothing sounds of behind-the-scenes chaos?

The food? Picture this: avocado toast that wasn’t toasted. At The Avocado Toast Palace (okay, not the real name, but you get me), that’s like going to a steakhouse and getting a raw carrot on a plate. They also forgot sides with the main meal — but hey, maybe that’s the new minimalist approach. Less is more, right? I’d like to add that my southwest breakfast bowl was great (5stars).

Now, to be fair: the manager did swing by after realizing parts of the order were MIA and discounted the bill, so they get points for damage control. But honestly, if the staff had checked in just once or twice, they could have caught the missing pieces before we entered the twilight zone of incomplete orders.

Look, I’m not here to torch anyone (hence the generous three stars) — we all have off days. I’ll come back again, because every new place deserves a second shot at redemption. But if the next visit is anything like today, I’ll be bringing my own playlist, my own toast, and maybe a backup meal just in case.

Stay tuned, folks — this saga...

I recently visited this location for breakfast and, unfortunately, the experience did not meet expectations. Upon arrival, we were not greeted with a smile or even a simple hello. The person who seated us—possibly a manager—did not confirm the size of our party and seemed disinterested.

It took about 10 minutes for our server to approach us, though she was pleasant and polite once she arrived. The food itself was underwhelming; the flavors were average at best. The coffee was disappointing—especially the iced coffee, which was very watered down. I ordered the French Toast Latte with an extra shot of espresso; while the espresso was decent, there was no noticeable French toast flavor.

The decor is appealing, but the overall atmosphere was affected by the behavior of the staff. They appeared disengaged and even discussed customers in front of other patrons, which felt unprofessional and uncomfortable.

Honestly, I miss Project Brunch and the quality it delivered. Given the high prices, I would think twice before returning. This visit didn’t feel...