The Corner — Restaurant in Montclair

When I post a review I like to be really honest about the whole experience, so here’s my feelings about my visit… we arrived at the cafe and parked relatively close. Perhaps we were fortunate for the rainy day that parking was so easy I say this because the crowd to get in when we were leaving was relatively large. (Good sign)😉

I was a bit off put when we entered because the owner or manager was standing pretty much right in the entrance which made ambulating into the establishment a bit difficult since I have a disability and there was another couple trying to leave, he was too busy texting to realize he was blocking the path. The wait was not too bad, maybe 10 minutes.

Our server came and offered the specials, we ordered the pulled pork Benedict and the fresh berry pancakes with poached apricots. Our drinks were fresh squeezed OJ and Bees Knees, both juices were so fresh and delicious. I’m not a big fan of pancakes but I had to try a bite because the person I learned about this cafe from told me they are a MUST HAVE! My pulled pork Benny was delicious! The coffee was great too!

Everyone seated near us had amazing looking dishes as well! It seems everyone cleans their whole plate here, we did! We left full, but a good type of full, not yukky ate too much type of full but rather a comfortable “Oh my goodness that was fantastic type of full.”

Another critique; the server comes with your bill, it’s not printed, the server announces your total (not a fan of this) but worse they stand over the next table waiting rather than setting the bill down and allowing you to get payment together, etc. this frustrated me because as the next table was getting their money together their server was basically standing over me while I was trying to eat my food.

The food was really good so we will be back but hopefully the business will work out these small items I critiqued because although I understand the tight quarters I’m sure I’m not the only person who doesn’t care for someone hovering over me when they are...

BLUF: This place has defined brunch — Real brunch not bottomless mimosa brunch that has mediocre food.

I have now visited this establishment 3x. Each visit has been on a different day of the week and at a different time of the day, yet it is always bustling and with good reason because IT IS PHENOMENAL!!!! The food, the staff, the atmosphere, AND the prices.. I can’t get enough!

Pros: Absolutely delicious savory and sweet dishes A-game servers constantly ready to take care of your needs Lovely ambiance and great music Affordable prices

Cons: Sometimes there is a wait because everyone wants a piece of “The Corner”.

Ordered: (On different occasions) •The burrata & Prosciutto Toast (My mouth felt genuine happiness. I could not stop smiling and dancing in my seat. This was the first item I ordered there and was the reason I came back for more. The only way to describe this dish is with an emoji — 🤤) •Breakfast Sandwich (do yourself a favor and do not make this an open face sandwich. Wrap both hands around that buttery biscuit, close your eyes, unhinge your jaw, and bite into that gooey egg, thick and crispy bacon, and savory aioli. Let the awesomeness spill all over you and save your napkin for when you’re done because it is sooo worth the mess) •Skirt Steak Salad (This is a special so I’m not sure how often it’s offered. The steak was cooked to perfection) •Berry Pancakes (If God decided clouds should become a food item, he would’ve made them into The Corner’s berry pancakes. They are fluffy pieces of heaven — perfect texture, perfect level of sweetness, topped with fresh berries and real syrup. I truly believe an angel whispered into the head chef’s ear and told them the secret recipe to perfect pancakes)

This place is everything and more. I would work here for free if it meant I was going to be fed. I will 100% be a regular here now that I have moved to Bergen County. If I wasn’t already married, I would...

Ordered the bounce back juice (delicious and refreshing), pancakes (interesting looking with unique flavors but not all that special), and a BLT… the BLT had a literal inchworm on it. Probably a result of using farm fresh ingredients, maybe a result of improper food storage, i don’t know, but this thing was wiggling and waving at me. I called over a server and simply pointed at the live, moving bug and she said “yup, got you.” She left with the plate and returned about 5 minutes later with a new BLT. It was good, but you can’t really mess up a BLT unless you serve it with a live worm. We seemed to get slightly better attention from staff after that, and they seemed apologetic. However, they did NOT take the BLT off the bill. Instead, they quickly dropped a chocolate chip cookie on the table and said “here this is on the house.” Yeah, we ended up eating the second BLT, but you’d think a business that makes as much money hand over fist could take a $9 loss on $2 worth of ingredients considering they put a plate in front of us with a live worm. I wish i had spoken up and asked for the sandwich to be taken off the bill but there was a clear imperative to get us out of there quickly. No manager came over and apologized, nothing was comped, and all we got was a dry chocolate chip cookie as penance for what was one of the most vile things to ever get served to me at a restaurant. I understand accidents happen, but overall they had an opportunity to extend themselves apologetically that they squandered in favor of turning tables and charging full-price. It might look like a friendly neighborhood joint but i assure you there was nothing “mom and pop” about this experience. Not likely ever to go back as a...