Montclair has more brunch spots than anyone could eat through in a year, but only a handful are worth the wait or the reservation. This guide breaks down where locals actually go for breakfast and brunch in Montclair, N.J., organized by what you’re looking for that particular morning: a guaranteed good plate, a stool at the counter, a special occasion spread or a standout sandwich.
Where to Get Brunch in Montclair When You Want a Sure Thing
These six spots rarely disappoint, and each has earned its regulars the hard way, through years of consistency rather than a single viral moment.
Toast, 700 Bloomfield Ave., has been Montclair’s brunch reflex since 2007, when owner Amy Russo Harrigan opened it on the mantra “Peace, love, pancakes.” It’s BYOB, and weekend waits regularly stretch past an hour, so arriving early or on a weekday is the move if you want to skip the line. Voted Best Breakfast and Lunch in New Jersey in New Jersey Monthly’s Readers’ Choice Restaurant Poll for two years in a row. Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekends 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Beloved dishes: crab hash, red velvet pancakes, smoked salmon benny.
Bluestone Coffee Co, 123 Watchung Ave., runs a menu that swings from a salmon Benedict to a straightforward short stack. It’s BYOB, with indoor seating split across two rooms plus sidewalk tables out front, so there’s more room to spread out here than the size of the storefront suggests, although there might still be a wait on weekends. One of the best things about Bluestone is the coffee, roasted in house, with bags of beans sold to take home for anyone who wants to keep drinking it after they leave.
Beloved dishes: salmon Benny, buttermilk pancakes, French toast, breakfast burrito.
Meet Me at Madison’s, 121 Watchung Ave., brings Latin flavor into the brunch conversation under chef Saverio Stassi. It’s named for owner Madeline Sanchez’s daughter, Madison. Weekend brunch runs Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and reservations are worth making since it fills up fast.
Beloved dishes: shrimp and grits, French toast, Madison’s Caesar salad, fried chicken waffle.
Raymond’s, 28 Church St., has served Montclair since 1989, when Raymond Badach opened it as a small luncheonette. Breakfast runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while their brunch menu only runs on weekends 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s BYOB, with a wine shop next door for a last-minute bottle, and both indoor and outdoor seating inside its retro diner interior.
Beloved dishes: French toast, huevos rancheros, Belgian hot chocolate with a homemade marshmallow, breakfast burrito.
Jackie’s, 612 Valley Road, just made its biggest change in two decades. Longtime locals know it as Jackie’s Grillette, but siblings Labeeb Arsheed, Wassem Arsheed and Jackie Podhurst expanded next door and dropped “Grillette” from the name when they reopened June 15. The new space leans harder into breakfast, adding a salmon fattoush, knafeh pancakes and a filet mignon dish built around hummus and scrambled eggs. Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Sunday.
Beloved dishes: jackie’s, fresh juices, the new knafeh pancakes.
Minia’s, 22 Lackawanna Plaza, folds Latin American and Tex-Mex flavors into brunch, especially the mangu, a Dominican plate of mashed plantains, eggs over easy, salami and fried cheese. Brunch runs Friday through Sunday. Ask for their daily specials to taste their wide collection of fresh food.
Beloved dishes: mangu, avocado toast, the Sweet Guy sandwich.
The Best Diners for Breakfast in Montclair, N.J.
If a full sit-down brunch isn’t the goal and a stool at the counter sounds better, these three diners deliver it, along with a real Montclair story behind the menu.
Ray’s Luncheonette, 99 Walnut St., has fed the neighborhood since 1962. The Pod visited for its Eat Food series, and Mike called it “a mellow spot,” quiet enough to actually talk over breakfast. He and Farnoosh ordered the bacon, egg and cheese on a poppy seed roll and a mozzarella arepa, and left impressed that a full breakfast and coffee can still run under $20. Ask about the secret menu taped to the fridge behind the counter, since the iced coffee isn’t listed anywhere else.
Beloved dishes: bacon and egg sandwich, mozzarella arepa, huevos rancheros, the Freddy Fred burger.
Jefferson’s Cafe, 88 Maple Ave., has served Southern cooking since the mid-1980s, brought north from Mississippi by founders Joan and Jim Jefferson and still family run. The Mississippi roots show in its dishes and it’s grown to a second location in Orange. Don’t expect much room, it’s a handful of booths and counter seats rather than a dining room, but it’s a regular name in the Pod’s coverage of fried chicken around town, and the biscuits get mentioned with real reverence.
Beloved dishes: chicken and waffles, fried catfish, homemade biscuits.
Montclair House Grill, 12 Church St., keeps things simple with a breakfast menu with Mediterranean touches folded into classic American diner fare. It’s BYOB, has outdoor seating when the weather allows, and was known for years as Manny’s Diner before a remodel gave it its current name. It’s a reliable option downtown when other Church Street’s spots have a wait.
Beloved dishes: bacon cheddar grilled chicken wrap, cod fish tacos, breakfast omelets.
Where to Go for an Upscale Brunch in Montclair
When the occasion calls for a reservation instead of a walk-in, these three restaurants turn brunch into an event.
The Saint Clair, 32 Church St., opened in the former Scala del Nonna space under chef Leia Gaccione, a “Top Chef” alum known for South+Pine in Morristown. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the cast iron cornbread is the dish regulars mention first.
Beloved dishes: brioche french toast, avocado toast, roasted beets, the dry aged beef burger.
Faubourg, 544 Bloomfield Ave., brings French brasserie polish courtesy of two veterans, chef owner Olivier Muller and chef de cuisine Maira Lleras. Its weekend brunch isn’t limited to a set menu. There’s a two-course prix fixe for $43, which includes a juice or cocktail, alongside a full à la carte menu for anyone who wants to order freely. Unlike the BYOB spots on this list, Faubourg pours its own wine and runs a full cocktail program, so it’s the rare brunch here where you don’t have to bring your own bottle. The retractable roof over the patio means it stays open through a light rain.
Beloved dishes: duck and fig terrine, French toast, ribeye, oysters.
Allegory, inside the MC Hotel at 690 Bloomfield Ave., it runs a weekend brunch and a coastal Mediterranean menu. Breakfast is served daily, Monday through Friday from 7 to 11:30 a.m. and weekends from 7 to 11 a.m. Weekend brunch is a separate, later seating on weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., structured as a $55 per person prix fixe with two courses and two hours of bottomless mimosas, screwdrivers or Bloody Marys, sides priced separately.
Beloved dishes: avocado toast, MC breakfast sandwich (breakfast), brunch smash burger, MC Rueben (brunch).
Best Breakfast Sandwiches in Montclair
Sandwiches get their own category here too, since Montclair takes them just as seriously as its sit-down brunch scene. If what you are looking for is recommendations for bacon, egg and cheese specifically, the Pod has already done a tasting. For everything else, here is a list worth considering.
For the classic roll sandwich, Hot Bagels Abroad, 150 Valley Road, is known for its French toast bagel version, an egg bagel coated in cinnamon and sugar that turns the whole sandwich sweet and smoky at once. Dutch’s in Church Street, has built a following on hero-style versions loaded with extras, like a turkey, egg and cheese with avocado and their own “Dutch sauce.” Go during the weekends to taste their secret menu.
For an even earlier start, Sunrise Bagels, 29 Watchung Plaza, opens at 5 a.m. daily and turns out a classic bacon, egg and cheese as reliably as it does a turkey bacon, egg white and wraps for anyone trying to eat a little lighter before work.
For an Italian deli take, Nicolo’s Italian Bakery and Deli, 6 Baldwin St., builds its breakfast sandwiches on fresh-baked semolina bread with house-made mozzarella, and supplies that same bread wholesale to half the restaurants in town.
And for something that skips bread entirely, Montclair Bread Company, 16 Label St., serves a doughnut breakfast sandwich for anyone who wants breakfast and dessert handled in one order.
Before you settle into a rotation, one more name is worth knowing. Pig and Butter, the Lower East Side brunch spot known for its cocktail program, just opened its new home at 401 Orange Road under chef and owner Sherri Grimes, formerly of Anderson’s 1949. It’s too new to rank here, but it’s the one addition to this list worth watching this year.
Got a favorite that didn’t make the cut? Tag us or send it to hello@montclairpod.com.
Image credit: Toast
