Toast

a great addition to Montclair. It has a fresh look and both the breakfast and Lunch was delicious. Well done!

Have eaten there 2x and have to say its entirely ok. Nothing special at all. Tries to get way too fancy for its own good. Omelettes are just ok. Barely ok. As are the pancakes. The horrible home fries look they've come out of a bag from Price Club and wouldn't cut it at Denny's. Rather than trying to dream up exotic french toasts and other dishes, these guys would be better served trying to do the basics well.
P.S. Go to Ray's Charcoal Grill and take a few notes on how breakfast potatos should be cooked.

Was glad to see a new breakfast spot open but I was a bit disappointed with
my meal here.

The omelettes are tiny and the potatoes
are served room temperature. My partner
had french toast that was good, but had
to ask twice for additional syrup because they seem to ration.

Certainly nothing special or creative but hope they get their act together
and make a go of it.

And I agree: Just do the basics correctly and serve classic food that's
hot, tasty and from scratch.

I have had breakfast here two times. The first time, the coffee was weak and the fruit salad mushy. Also the doors to the street were open and Bloomfield Avenue was way to noisy. The second time I went the food was just ok.

This is a nice space but the owners need to work on making really good simple food that is tasty and fresh. Also - good strong coffee is essential for a breakfast spot.

I ate there once, and I said the place wouldn't make it if the coffee wasn't great. it wasn't.

Funny, I left off my review how crappy the coffeee is and now I specifically remember my wife making that point. She said it was dreadful. And my coffee, in addition to be not good coffee, was not even warmt, and I had to ask for another cup. Agreed: a breakfast spot that cannot serve a decent cup of hot coffee is in deep doo doo.

Ate at Toast this past Sunday...The space itself seemed excellent, and quite promising. Eggs Benedict was ok, though the Canadian bacon had a bit of an artificial smoke flavor to it. Hash browns were definitely lacking and could use a revamp. A friend had granola with yogurt and said they were quite skimpy on the yogurt. Were never asked if we wanted more coffee, something that always bothers me at a breakfast/brunch place. Coffee itself seemed ok to me. I'd give them another chance, and hope they are able to improve.

This opened around the corner from our house so we were happy to try it out.

The space is nice and it seems the people want to do well but the food is
fair, at best.

We also had potatoes that were not warm
and coffee that was nothing special.
It's not a bad restaurant but it's
certainly nothing that you rave about.

My son described it as, 'ehhhhh'.

The whole neighborhood is rooting for them and we hope they retool the approach and do a few things great instead of many things so-so.

I've been there two times and really want to see Toast do well but they need to make some improvements for return business. The homefries were a big disappointment and the eggs benedict was just ok. The French Toast was good.

Been there 4 times and I can't get enough. The home fries are delicious and don't need changing. The omelets are jsut right. Do you want a 10 egg omelett?
They are very new and need to get into a grove but the food is delicious.

I live around the corner and have been here twice and find the food bland and
nothing special. I don't believe there's much made from scratch, which is
a shame because there's such a need
in the area.

I spoke with the owners who seemed nice
but I didn't get the feeling they were
open to feedback.

So, we'll see. We all want them to
succeed but they have much work to do
with the food.

Like others, I feel they should place
more emphasis on the quality of the food...it's the most important thing for
most of us!

P.S. the potatoes are really awful. You can't even fork them and they have
no flavor. I think it's the frozen,
generic stuff.

I'm going to have to stand up over my keyboard and defend the potatoes at this place. They are OUTSTANDING! I've had me many a potato at a breakfast joint, but Toast's tops them all. They have plenty of dishes that are worth the price, and a few that exceed the standard. The service has improved tremendously in the few times that I have been there, so I must commend them for that. They are always a friendly bunch.
I must agree, though, that the coffee is a bit weak. Maybe they should consider a french press or something. Anyway: Give the place a try. It won't cost too much.

I ate lunch here this week and agree the
food needs a lot of work, and the coffee
is similar to the stuff they serve at
gas stations...it's awful!

I agree with a post above: it's simply
nothing special, or different or good
enough to rave about.

It's not terrible, it's just nothing that any of us have not eaten before.

All my friends and I want all the neighborhood places to thrive and do well because that's what makes a thriving neighborhood.

But on the same hand a new restaurant such as this needs to get their act together and provide a reason to rave
about them and/or rush back for a
second, third, fourth visit.

Doing what everyone else is doing, and
doing it no better, is hardly the reason
to rush back.

As excited as we were for Toast to open
and be a hit, we're that disappointed
and bummed they can't do it better.

We've been here twice. I had the Eggs Benedict the first time and the Whole Grain Belgian Waffle the next. Was very happy with both dishes. My husband had Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict both times. My daughter had the French Toast off the kids menu. The portion was huge. We are really happy with this place and look forward to many return visits.

Went here Sunday at about 12:30. Waited about 15 minutes. My friend and I both ordered the stuffed french toast and it was GREAT. Creamy, crispy, and covered with a ton of fresh strawberries. We almost went to the old standby, Raymond's, b/c of all the negative posts above. SO glad we tried this place. We'll definitely be going back -- the rest of the menu looked interesting.

My wife and I ate here over the weekend
and had decent meals but nothing that
was excellent.

I tend to agree with the above posts and
will support all new businesses in my
neighborhood to keep the area vibrant.

I think Toast means well and has good
intentions but over time the quality of
the food (and coffee) needs to improve
or they'll begin the slow death march
that so many mom-n-pops face that
stop evolving.

It's decent but can be a whole lot better.

I totally disagree with the negative posts. My sister was visiting from London and we had breakfast at Toast twice in the past week. We loved it. The smoked salmon omelette was amazing and the potatoes were completely homemade, hot and really yummy. The California scramble and the salads on the lunch menu are delicious. Everything is really fresh and homemade. Maybe you ate at a different Toast.

ate here a few weeks ago. food was ok at best. breakfast is not hard to do well. the service all seemed like this was their first time working in a restaurant. you should never have to ask for more coffee at a place that specializes in breakfast. I am a guy who will drink coffee from anywhere. and i found this coffee not so good. it would be nice if this place was good as an alternative to raymond's but so far they need help.

I too had to ask for more coffee and I am only a two cup person so it's not as though I was being demanding.
My advice to the people @ Toast, with this level of inexperience DON'T RE-INVENT THE WHEEL. Why not copy Raymond's and serve a small carafe on the table? And while at it, learn to make an avarage "cup of joe" your's is below par, as is much everything else.

Classic restaurant mistake: open a breakfast place, worry a lot about the chairs, flowers, and fonts on the menu, but serve coffee that sucks to high heaven.

OTHER classic restaurant mistake: trying to imitate a long-standing success in the same town.
Here's my two cents:
BUY BETTER COFFEE (even something like TM Ward, based in Newark, or Seattle's Best, or...or...about a zillion other possiblities.
Learn to do the basics--in both the back AND front of house. Decent food and service are important in order to get people to return!

Had my second brunch at Toast last weekend... Won't be rushing to go back. When we arrived, it didn't seem that busy, but it took some time to get our orders taken. While tables around us got water, we got none. There seemed to be a bunch of staff around, but they didn't seem to be doing much.

The poached eggs in the eggs benedict I ordered were overcooked; the potatoes, while they looked good and had an excellent texture, had absolutely no flavor. And, I was never offered a refill on my coffee. The place *looks* great -- it's just too bad the food and service don't match the decor.

Toast would indeed be a great alternative to Raymond's if only they could be a better match to the competition.

I really hate to say negative things about a restaurant but Toast is such a disappointment. The above posts are dead-on about the food quality and coffee being nothing special. Everything we had was just o.k. and nothing that makes you want to come back for another visit.

It's sad because you want them to do well and there are so many people who would support them but when you serve food that is only fair, at best, it's hard to recommend to others.

I get the feeling Toast is a first time
effort for the owners, which is fine, but they should have done more homework with the food quality or at least hire a
better chef and/or cooks.

I was a solo diner at Toast last sunday and I enjoyed myself. I was greeted with friendly smiles and good attitudes all around. I was shuffled around a bit before there was an open spot but I didn't mind since I was alone and had brought a book.

I had an orange juice and an omelette with cheddar cheese, peppers and onions. The omelette was nice and hot while the peppers and onions were fresh and crunchy. I've noticed that previous posts complained about the limp and tepid potatos, but I did not experience this. I thought the potatos were flavorful and quite warm.

to be quite honest, if you're expecting to be WOWed, go elsewhere. This is a lovely restaurant with what appears to be solid, predictable (yet enjoyable) food.

Tsk, tsk Andrea. You don't expect every
restaurant to 'wow' you with every meal?

You must have really low expectations because that's the minimum I expect,
particularly when a restaurant such as Toast is charging 'wow' prices.

Toast is a full service, sit down restaurant who has issues with serving
quality food and coffee. That much has been stated here frequently.

The nice dining room, ambiance, etc. leads you to believe you'll be receiving
food equally as good, but that doesn't happen. Thanks for all the ambience, by the way, but the owners underestimated how important food quality is to the customer.

The entire neighborhood around the restuarant would LOVE to support it and
would do so enthusiastically if there
was a consistent 'wow' involved.

Went there recently - my advice to people who read these columns is to look for the majority opinion which is spot on. Service was just OK, at times bordering on neglectful (even though we were the only ones there).

Breakfast was french toast. We are big Raymond's fans, so had to order a side of fruit to match the offering. My vanilla latte was tepid and half the size of Ray's.

Prices weren't that great. Breakfast for two was $24. Not a great bargain by any means.

Bottom line - pretty space, but below-average food and service. Raymond's still rules!

Nice space,nice owner, pretty good food.
The glass coffee mugs have to go and the coffee MUST get better. I think I tasted flavoring in my last cup - yuck!

Had breakfast here this morning and think the food is alright, certainly not great.

I think the intentions are good but it's
obvious this a first venture that has made all the traditional mistakes and needs lots of time to learn the business.

And PLEASE can you serve a better coffee?

Geez, I understand it's your first restaurant but it is a breakfast place
and, ummm, it's kind of all about the coffee.

they've changed the coffee and the cup too. Much better now.

I ate here yesterday for the first time and it was just alright. The food was fair, it was the service that was not very friendy. Believe we were in our seats for 15 seconds when our waiter asked if we were ready to order. Didn't
ask to take our coats (it was pouring rain) or umbrellas. I got the feeling they were taking us for granted and didn't care if we got up to leave.

The place is fair, at best, and needs lots of work.

I live in Rockland County, NY but work in Bloomfield so I know Montclair well enough to love coming down to Raymond's for breakfast on a weeek-end. Why would I want someone else's french toast or pancakes? After what I've read here, i won't waste my time and only suggest that Toast's owners go to Raymond's for breakfast a couple of times and learn something. Heck, even try Jackson Hole out Route 4 in Englewood for value and great diner food!

I live in Rockland County, NY but work in Bloomfield so I know Montclair well enough to love coming down to Raymond's for breakfast on a weeek-end. Why would I want someone else's french toast or pancakes? After what I've read here, i won't waste my time and only suggest that Toast's owners go to Raymond's for breakfast a couple of times and learn something. Heck, even try Jackson Hole out Route 4 in Englewood for value and great diner food!

For the second time today, I went to Toast for lunch. As I expected, the line was out the door. And with good reason. The food was excellent. There were five of us and we got to sit upstairs, which was divine, as it was freezing up there and it was 100 degrees outside (the ground level is cold too, which is a treat in small restaurants). Our server was on the ball with everything. Two of the ladies who were in our party work for Conde Nast magazine company (I won't say which specific magazine, but suffice it to say, it has to do with food). Both were really impressed with this small little gem of a place. And as anyone knows, to impress a food critic (especially one who works for a major food magazine), takes alot. I had the shrimp and bacon sandwich - it was excellent. And anyone who whines that the portions are too small needs to re-assess their food intake amount. The portions are great for the price. Especially for Montclair. Lunch for five, plus coffee and a cupcake came to $60.00. Where else are you going to find that in Montclair? Everyone in our party enjoyed our lunch and for those who thing Raymond's is the best thing since sliced cheese - stay with what you enjoy. Doesn't look like there's enough room in Toast for you anyway. When we left at 1:30, every table (top and bottom floors) were filled and the line to get in was still waiting. If that doesn't say something about this adorable little place, then nothing will. And here's the best part - there didn't seem to be a frown in the house. Everyone really seemed to be enjoying their lunch. This place is going to do great. And by the way, the coffee was awesome!

Italian Girl,

You must be out of breath. I haven't seen such an over the top, overheated pump job in my life. You must be exhausted.

Toast: the greatest restaurant in the world! And there were hundreds lined up down Bloomfield Avenue! A riot in the streets to get in! It was just unreal. I saw a family in line from Argentina who flew in and walked from Newark airport just to get the french toast! And the said there was nothing in the Southern Hemisphere anything like it!

Ate at Toast this morning - I got the California scramble and my husband got the Tuscan scramble. Coffee was just ok - orange juice was not fresh squeezed like Raymonds. The side of bacon only came with 3 strips - on the skimpy side... and for a place called Toast, they really should have a selection of breads to choose from for the toast instead of just 7-grain, I was expecting to have a choice of breads. We thought it was just ok. Ehhh - we will most likely stick with Raymonds.

Thanks for the laugh - For starters, thank YOU for the laugh. Where did anyone here say that Toast was the best restaurant in the world? Actually, no, I'm not too exhausted from saying it was an excellent place. Obviously, you've had a bad day and need a place to vent. As a medical physician I can give you a bit of advice - stick to what you like. Your obviously intent on coming onto this site under different names and constantly bashing Toast. Find other outlets for your anger - yoga, therapy, dog-walking. There are alot of better things for you to be doing beside bashing others. Shouldn't you be having breakfast atRaymond's or something. Stop worrying about what others think about Toast. Stop worrying about where customers are eating. Stop worrying about who's saying what on this site. Find happiness within yourself and you will most definitely find it within others.

A medical physician?

Physician heal thyself.

I don't know anything about all the above notes, but I did eat at Toast yesterday and think it's an average restaurant. The service was not very friendly and kept rushing us to order and then to leave. The portions are very much on the small side, and I'm a woman who works out regularly and eats
sensibly. The value just is not there
for the prices.

My husband was surprised the orange juice was not freshly squeezed but my
coffee was good and hot.

We were expecting an average restaurant
and that's what we got. Nothing bad
and nothing great.

My only real complaint are the tiny portions.

Have eaten at Toast at least a dozen times. The service has really slipped and I won't be going back anytime soon. You have to ask several times to get a coffee refill and today our food actually came out faster than our 1st cup of coffee. When they are on it's great, but I haven't seen them on for a while now.

Toast is Toast
Tried to eat at Toast this morning. Waited 15 minutes for a table - waited 40 minutes for food only to be told that a party of 30 had taken over the kitchen so we would have to wait another 10 minutes for our food. Said we would leave but they made me pay for my coffee. Help is young and inexperienced, no management on the floor. Difficult to get coffee refills. - asked to speak to the owner and was told she was in the kitchen and could not come out. Toast is Toast - Raymonds has nothing to fear!! Gordon Ramsey could do a job on this place.

We finally went to Toast yesterday for brunch (granted, not the best time for quick seating). Spent a total of 2 hours there, only 15 minutes of which was spent eating. Dreadful service, pretty good food (I had the California Scramble), but I won't be back. During our very long wait for a table, looking at the very lovely interior kept me from get too pissed.

It's too bad how fast and far this place has fallen.

I went a couple months ago shortly after it opened and thought it was pretty good.
Nothing great, but a good enough breakfast that made me
want to support it and see it do well in the neighborhood.

I went last week and thought I was in a different restaurant.

The service is AWFUL! We got the feeling we were doing them a favor by the snotty attitude with the waiter.

And I just don't have the time
to wait 30 minutes for some pancakes, then have to wait again to receive some additional syrup.

No attention to details and it
seems like nobody is in charge.

I tried it....but you won't see us coming back.

just went on this site for the first time to toast "toast" and can't beleive what i am reading. Maybe its the competition blogging but we just had an amazing lunch at toast and everything including a visit from the owner as well as the food was fantastic. Filet Mignon eggs benedict and the shrimp and bacon sandwich were great. We had a side of pancakes too that were the best in the area. I'm not a critic but our food was fast and our service was very friendly. I think people should really try it for themselves. Raymonds is great too, but they are not the only place around to go for good comfort food. I welcome toast to montclair and hope that they do as well as raymonds has for 10 plus years. Positively an overall good experience.

ate at toast over the weekend- waited a while 15 minutes, not too bad-- for the table, the host does not seem to know what he's doing(and i beleive he says he's the owner, i thought it was a woman)anyway once sat our server was efficient and our meal which is why i'm writing again was great. The potatoes just seem to be getting better and better and the coffee is really great. I tried the special pancakes , white chocolate chip with fresh strawberries. Amazaing. If you haven't been you should try it. ps. once i was sitting i asked where the owner was and was told "she was cooking".

I'm a little surprised to see so many intensely negative comments about this place.

I've been there twice, once for a weekday morning breakfast and once for Saturday brunch. Both times we were seated promptly, the service was just fine, and the food--while not spectacular--was very good (every bit as good as what I've had at Raymond's in the past). I had oatmeal with grilled bananas one day, and the egg white spring roll on another. Portion sizes were appropriate and I thought the coffee was quite good as well.

Guess I must have visited Toast on their 'on' days, or else maybe somebody has an axe to grind with Raymond's competition.

Personally, no ax--I just prefer Raymond's on that end of town, and Bluestone Cafe in the Watchung Ave area. If nothing else, those two places serve MUCH better coffee!

I've been to Toast once and Raymond's twice now. I'd have to side with Raymond's as well. The portions were bigger, the prices cheaper, and the service better. The food tasted good at Toast and all, it was just less bang (and service) for your buck.

Toast, I'm really hurt. When you first opened I was there all the time, the first breakfast was great! Best potatoes, better than Raymond's, good eggs benedict, etc. Second time, not as good, but not so bad. I asked for my eggs benedict with NO meat but our waiter was a little too lazy to write our order down. He blamed the kitchen for this mess up but really, he just forgot to put it in. Then when he brought the eggs benedict back you guys merely took the bacon off, I could not eat this meal. Each time the restaurant seemed to get worse and worse. Was the idea to use fabulous ingredients in the first month and then switch to cheaper ingredients once you had a fan base? Because it's very noticeable. Well, a few more times at Toast and I regretted ever experiencing the place. The good breakfasts I had the first few times were now distant memories, and I felt bad for ever leaving Raymond's for you. The only thing you've got going on is that you serve breakfast past 11 on a week day. I won't be back again, your poor service (a wait staff with attitude), long wait for food, not so tasty meals and the uncomfortable atmosphere are a HUGE turn off. Also, $2 for a thimble of hollandaise sauce, RIP OFF! Raymond's gives me a tub for free if I ask for a side!

Funny--a friend just told me today that she "had another terrible lunch at Toast today. I think it's time to go back to walking the extra couple of blocks to Raymond's."

Couldn't agree more with the posts above. Went to Toast once...won't be going back anytime soon.

Was really looking forward to my first visit. But the food was less than good. Had a lobster roll that was small and all mayo (and I'm being nice). Very disappointing.

Secondly, the service and attitude was lousy. Cannot figure out what the NY Times and Star Ledger were talking about in "touting" Ms. Russo's service and attitude.

I went for lunch and asked our server if we could sit upstairs where it was a little more quiet. (It was 1pm on a Sunday).

When "friendly" Ms. Russo saw our servcer taking us upstairs, she curtly asked; "where are you going? Upstairs is closed." We insisted we be moved upstairs or we were going to go else where for lunch. She huffed loudly and said to her employee; "after them, upstairs is closed". Closed?!?!? At 1pm on Sunday???

The only thing closed is the subject of me ever going back to Toast. In my book...this place is toast!

Another overpriced, totally no worth it place in Montclair. Bad coffee. How do you have bad coffee at a breakfast place? And for the love of god, will the restaurants in Montclair realize they NEED half n' half for coffee?

The food is nothing special here at all and the menu is way too small for a breakfast place. It won't last.

I said it wouldn't last the first week it opened. But over a year later it has. One totally inexplicable puff piece review in the NY Times. And a seemingly endless stream of people from outside Montclair who come to give it a try assuming it must be good if it's in Montclair. That's my only explanation why they aren't long gone. Everyone in MOntclair knows thew deal. I can't believe they still have crap coffee.

this is funny, have half and half in my great large cuppa everytime i go. get the facts straight kids before you bash, did you even eat there. its good breakfast, cheap actually and lunch is delicious.