Plum On Park
“And the home fries, diced perfectly cooked and seared to give it that crunch on at least a single of each potato dice.”
“the food here is fresh and healthy and i literally could eat the plum jam right out of the jar if i didn't have delicious toast to put it on.”
“I don't have a review for the chorizo scramble since I didn't taste it but my boyfriend said he enjoyed it!”
Plum On Park
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I'm crushing on PoP. I feel like I might write them a letter and leave it on the table that says:
Do you like me as much as I like you?
__ Yes
__ No
__ Maybe someday
It's not like I spent the better half of my life wishing I could dine in a what amounts to a purple train, but once I did, it was on. Now when I go there, which seems like three times a week (because it is), a Babyface song starts playing in my head because I am getting in the mood. The food is a knockout every time and with a carefully curated menu, I don't have to hem and haw for ten minutes.
Lately, it's the Baby Kale Cobb Salad all day, every day. It comes like a piece of art, so much so that you feel bad messing it up to eat it. I mean I don't feel that bad when I am pounding it down and then grabbing that last drop of baby kale off the side of the bowl it sits so gently in. If one of my bacon shards would happen to fall from my Kale bowl and hit the ground, the four second rule would most definitely apply.
I love the ambience of this place. It's hip diner meets farmer's market with a side of "give me that breakfast right now." I am flummoxed to see 2-star reviews for this place. If I was guessing before I read the reviews, the only person I would expect to give this place a 2-star review would be Richard (David Spade) in Tommy Boy.
To the terribly angsty reviewers*: {terribly designed space?} Really? It's small and it makes the most out of its space with the counter and the tables set up like that. Any other way would reduce the amount of people who could fit in there by a lot. {the chorizo was fatty?} If you look up the breakdown of all of the varieties of chorizo, the first or second most important ingredient is fat of some kid. I don't recall anyone ever looking for some lean chorizo – it's sausage!
Plum on Park…can you answer my letter above please? Say yes, say yes, say yes.
————————-
* It has been brought to my attention that "Yelp doesn't exist so people can criticize the opinion of others" and that by me commenting on other reviews, I am being "troll-like, immature, judgmental and offensive."**
** I beg to differ. Yelp exists so people can compliment or criticize businesses in order to give the public some information that may help them decide whether or not they want to visit a business. If someone wants to post a review of a business, I don't see a problem with incorporating a short critique of their review, in my review, if I have had a completely different experience there or if I find their review not focused on the actual important parts of the business.
Came here on twice – once for brunch/lunch on the weekend and this past Friday night for dinner. How I would describe it is a more classy fancy diner, and that's not meant to be an insult in the slightest.
Then brunch menu was standard. Ordered the eggs Benedict and a latte and both were quite good.
For dinner they offer a couple different fish and meat options. I like the simple-ness of the menu. Makes me think that the chefs are able to create and perfect their dishes exactly as they wish.
Out of the two occasions, I did prefer the brunch. However, it was really nice to be able to go somewhere in Montclair on a Friday night with no reservation and no wait to be seated.
And don't forget, it's byo so bring the vino!
Since I've only been here for breakfast, I'll give Plum a reserved 4-stars.
Beautifully presented food at matching prices – Plum offers a fresh breakfast menu that is especially friendly to vegans and gluten-free eaters. Meat lovers on the other hand may want to go somewhere else. Not that they don't serve ham/bacon/what have you, but you'll be paying extra for that and the portion won't be as nearly satisfying at some yummy but greasy diner elsewhere. Having said that, the breakfast selection at Plum was generally pretty solid. My companion loved his quiche. My blueberry ricotta pancakes were light and fluffy – I wanted a bit more blueberries but generally it was on point.
I would come back here for breakfast if I had company, but looking forward to trying dinner here.
I was invited to Plum On Park and I had a lovely dinner experience.
The place is inviting…a few tables for groups of 4. Not sure if it's a place I would come with more than that because of the amount of space. The left side appears to keep that classic diner seating …with old stools.
I always enjoy when servers genuinely enjoy talking about the food. Eli presented the specials to us and throughout the entire night, took care of us. I was satisfied with my meal. We had the deviled eggs to start off with ..it's an order of 4 – topped with bits of bacon. I ended up having the half-roasted chicken with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. The chicken took up most of the plate and made it a little hard trying to grab the other food on the plate. It was nicely cooked but lacked a little in flavor.
The place is BYOB. It seems like most patrons come here for their brunch–which I do want to try out. So my 3.5 rating was boosted up to a 4 because of the overall service.
I'm a lot less impressed by this place now than I used to be.
While most of the staff seem sweet and kind, this place has a lot of "rules" that they allow to be broken, which makes me frustrated because I never know the deal. For instance, one afternoon I came in to have lunch alone and was told that I could eat at the counter but that they reserved their tables for parties of two or more. When I pointed out that there was a man eating by himself at that very moment, I was told by the women with whom I was speaking that she wasn't around when he was sat, but had she been….
Another example is that they say the counter is for full service only, and I myself have been refused the opportunity to have a coffee at the counter while I waited for a table. That's cool–I get it, and I respect the rule. Yet today, there were two parties who sat at the counter while they waited for a table.
I know the owner likes to get on people for griping on here when they only know part of the story and I can assure you that I was there for the whole thing–each of their entrances, their expressed desires for a table, each asking if they can wait at the counter–one party with coffee the other without–and each permitted to do so. I know because we, in fact, stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while waiting for our table to be ready, out of respect for the rules.
Another time–and I could be wrong about this one but I'm pretty sure–I was told they didn't seat incomplete parties and, as such, had to wait until my friend arrived before we could be seated, but I've seen them seat people solo who are waiting for their guests to arrive. In fact, it happened earlier today.
Look, I don't want to be a pain in the ass. I understand there need to be rules to control the masses, and I'm happy to comply with said rules. What I struggle with, however, is when it feels like rules are being made up as they go along, or that existing rules–some of which are framed and scattered all over the counter–are simply disregarded at the whim of the staff. This kind of inconsistency kills me.
It's a terribly designed space–only a handful of tables and uncomfortable counter seats circa 1955 diner. But make it work by being fair and consistent.
All this on top of the fact that, frankly, the menu is really quite limited.
Sadly, I don't think I'll be returning to Plum.
I'm finally convinced that anything gluten free has had the taste removed from it. The French toast was not dissimilar to the box that my new window unit AC came in. The home fries were well seasoned though. I had heard the coffee was strong. I ordered 4 lattes, and I still had to go grab coffee after I left. The service was strange, but I empathize: he's young and had some interesting reading material. The chorizo sandwich is tasty. I wanted to order a smoothie or some juice, but the waiter just wanted to take the menu away. Strange fruit. I'm happy to have finally come during their hours of operation, but I'll likely go on without it.
Stopped in for dinner after checking out the reviews (and not realizing that this is more of a brunch joint).
The menu is WEAK and limited.
Food was good, nothing amazing, absolutely not worth the price. $80 plus tip for two entrees and one appetizer. Ridiculous. So many other options in the area with better food, better prices, better ambiance, liquor, etc.
The space was cramped and awkward. Completely empty until a family decided to come in with their young kids (thanks for that).
Will not be back.
Plum on Park has become my new fav brunch place in Montclair! The cute little dining car with its retro chrome, funky mini chandeliers and plum colored booths has captured my heart and stomach. At a recent Sunday brunch I had a delicious Eggs Benedict made with both avocado and chorizo. It featured home fries and a nicely dressed salad on the side. I started off with one of their amazing fresh juices, a green juice blend of spinach, apple and carrot. My friend had homemade lemonade made with agave and a custom spinach and cheese omelet. She raved about their plum jam for the toast. Their coffee and espressos were very good, too.
The service was excellent as we stayed for over an hour and were not rushed out. There were some interesting brunch selections like special summer omelets and grits. On my way out, I had to get a black and white cookie to go, that was staring me down the whole meal, next to some homemade muffins. I will be back here again soon for their amazing brunch and maybe for dinner as well!