The Metuchen Inn

I have been to the Metuchen Inn a few times and in the past have not loved it. That all changed a week ago. I had one of the best lunches I have had in a long time. I had the filet mignon burger, a lobster and potato bisque soup, and the fig and honey ice cream. It was fantastic! I felt so satisfied and disgustingly full from that meal. Can’t wait to try what is next!

This restaurant is 1^st class with food, service and ambiance. The dishes are creative and tasty. I recently had a soft shell crab appetizer that was delicious, not just a crab but served with a sauce on a bed of lentils. The staff is pleasant, knowledgeable and efficient. My favorite local restaurant.

This place has all the atmosphere to be something more than it is but overall overpriced and poor food quality. It’s too bad since they try hard.
Stay away from the duck and seafood.
Nothing has any seasoning and tastes bland.

The Metuchen Inn has become one of my favorite local restaurants over the last year. I stopped for lunch one day while working in the area and soon after booked a private room for a party. The owners Constantine and Victor are very friendly and accommodating. The wait and bar staff are all excellent and the food is amazing! I have been back several times since and have never been disappointed by either the food or the service. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an upscale dining experience, and don’t leave without ordering the cheesecake!

The salad to start was fresh and dressed just right. The duck special was cooked to perfection, and the poached lobster and pasta wear in the correct proportion. The wait staff were friendly and attentive
Will be stopping by again in the near future.

Over the years my husband and I have been to The Metuchen Inn a few times. It is a «Special
Occasion» place we consider a treat. Yesterday was deemed a special occasion as it was my husband’s birthday so after Sunday Mass we took a ride to Metuchen for a celebratory lunch.
We were the first arrival and were greeted warmly by several wait staff then seated by the sweet hostess.
We were taken to the side room that looks out onto Linden Avenue. It is a nice sunny room and we had never dined in it on past visits so it was a nice change. The place is bright and airy. It is very clean. Jazz music played in the background which was nice. I am hearing impaired so I was happy that the room was quiet and we could have a nice conversation without a problem.
After reading the menu and hearing the specials I went with the Mushroom soup special and he went with the Caesar Salad. Both were delicious. The bread was piping hot and they provided a small dish with a divided dish with oil and pesto butter. Again a win. For our entrees he had the Salmon and I had the Jumbo Shrimp with sundried tomatoes in a tomato cream sauce served with greens. Presentation was beautiful and taste was just delightful. We were very happy with our meals. I wish I knew the name of our waitress as she was very efficient and kind. The owner was very congenial and could not have made us to feel more welcomed.
Honestly, I was quite full after the soup and entrée but I purposely did not finish it all so there was a tiny bit of room for dessert. I had the coconut in Phylo Dough with gelato and he had the apple strudel with gelato. Both were superb.
By the time we left the place was starting to fill in. A family with a wonderfully behaved baby were seated behind us and a large group was coming in.
If you have a special occasion coming up and are in the area I highly recommend The Metuchen Inn. It is a very special place.

Went to the Metuchen Inn for Valentines day. Was sort of taken back by the side door entry. Also I did make a reservation the day before for 6 and my name wasnt in the computer nevertheless I was still able to be seated. We had the calamari which was hands down the best I have had in NJ. I ordered the baby arugula and goat cheese that was an unexpected treat of bitter and sweet. For our main courses we dived into rack of lamb that was served with sweet potatoes and vegetable medley cooked to perfection; the lobster chorizo catavali was an amazing taste of sea and land. We finished of the meal with a the bourbon pecan pie to be honest I’ve had better however the chocolate ganache cake was perfect. Overall it was a great culinary experience.

Delicious food. good wine list. Although we had a training server, he was very attentive to our needs. He’ll be a good attribute to the restaurant.

Went there this past Saturday with a group of friends. Food was good but lots of problems, given the high prices.
While ordering, the waiter alerted us to a couple of menu items that were not available. We were ok with that. HOWEVER, during each course, i.e. appetizer, main course and dessert, the waiter had to come to our table to announce that one or more of us had to change our order, because they had run out of the menu item. This was very annoying and not expected, especially on a Saturday night.
One would think that the management, who was aware of the problem, would show good will and offer us a free drink or dessert. We received nothing for free and barely an apology. The owner seemed to think that this was okay.
I would like to go back because the atmosphere and food were good, but I don’t like to reorder each course.

Surprised to know the happy hour extends from 4to7.
As usual, service makes you feel special. I recommend the calamari fusion with spinach orzo and the wild mushroom bisque is the perfect winter choice.
I look forward to trying the octopus salad next visit.
It’s a delightfully pleasant stop. Try it when you are in the area.

Not the same! IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES, KEEP AWAY. Waitress lied to me about nuts. Food is below average, service is average.

Great spot for lunch!
They do not have valet parking for lunch hours, but there is a parking
lot and some street parking as well.
Small bar area with a TV and a couple of tables. The dining room is bright and open with lots of windows, a fire place and enough space between tables so you don’t feel crowded. Their lunch menu had a good variety with some sandwiches, salads & pastas. The Chicken Parmesan was fantastic! I’ll definitely be back!

The husband and I made reservations for an anniversary dinner on a recent Saturday night. We wanted a great meal in a romantic setting and based on reviews and pictures thought we found it. We did. We pulled into the lot only to discover it was valet parking only. The husband grumbled as he feels perfectly adequate parking our car, but the valet was nice and reminded us that we were at a fancy restaurant. Once inside we were greeted by the host who took my coat and looked up our Open Table reservation. We were quickly brought to our table. Too bad we didn’t get here just a bit early as the bar area seemed nice and I would have liked to check it out a bit. Our table was in a small room with four other tables. There was a small fake fireplace that set a nice mood for a romantic dinner. The tables were spaced perfectly to make us feel cozy yet private. Our server was good, not great, not bad, but good. He didn’t really talk or smile. Our vodka clubs were well poured, as they should be for $ 12 each (a little pricey). In retrospect, buying a bottle of wine would have been a better idea. The food is amazing, from presentation to flavor. We started out with the scallop appetizer for $ 14 which was 2 scallops on a bed of butternut squash. They were amazing and the price for that quality seems about right. I had a special, Alaskan Halibut with lobster risotto for $ 34. Yes, it was as good as it sounds! The husband had the rack of lamb for $ 36, perfectly cooked and portioned. The portions were reasonable. We both had a dessert; he the Apple Strudel, me the Caribbean one with chocolate and coconut. Both were awesome and completely shareable, but hey it was our anniversary and we enjoyed them. Understand we listed our prices because other reviews reference the cost vs quality. The menu items are well priced for the great quality of the food. While we couldn’t afford to visit weekly we will visit again for another special occasion.

Beautiful place, the food is wonderful. Victor and Constantine, the owners are present, they welcome you with smiles. Great place for many occasions.

We dined here with friends. The décor was very sophisticated. The service was very good as well. The panzanella salad was excellent. I had the Osso Buco and it was well prepared with the meat falling off the bone. My wife had the lamb which was done to perfection. Our friends had the halibut and the short ribs both of which were perfect.
There is a very nice bar as well. I highly recommend the Resteraunt. We will be back!

I made reservations here for Thanksgiving for party of 6. Despite having reservations, when my party arrived we were looked at as if we were not expected. We waited ten minutes for a table that was completely thrown together in an awkward area with not enough room and mis-​matching chairs. We waited another ten minutes for our drink order to be taken. When our bottle of wine did arrive, we all had to pour our own glass. Not a big deal but at a higher end restaurant, I’d expect it to be poured for us. We also were short a glass and it took about another ten minutes to flag someone down to get us another glass. We had reservations for 6 yet didn’t get our dinner until 8:30, when the place was already empty. Food was great but having to wait two and a half hours to eat was disappointing. I know it was a holiday and maybe they were understaffed but it’s very sad when we had reservations and were expecting a great time and it ended up not being anything special. It did not live up to our expectations. I don’t know if I would recommend this place for holidays.

My boyfriend took me here for our two year anniversary. It was a great experience. The food was good and the staff were absolutely amazing. We even got complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary.
Appetizers
–Crab cake (special item) was light and flavorful. I enjoyed the crunch from the peppers in the crab cake. The tartar sauce was unique with different flavors than a traditional tartar. There was an Asian slaw which isn’t my thing but for people who enjoy it I’m sure it would have been quite yummy.
–Sicilian meat balls were DELICIOUS. Two meatballs served with a softly formed polenta on top of creamy goat cheese. The meatballs were tender and the sauce was sweet and savory. The polenta with goat cheese was so perfectly paired. Definitely try this!
Entrees
–I had the Berkshire pork chop. It’s a grilled chop with jus and savory bread pudding and purple cabbage. The pork was tender and juicy even after being grilled, which really is a science and art. The savory bread pudding was great. I do wish it had more seasoning like sage or other herbs to make it a bit more flavorful. The purple cabbage had an almost jelly-​like coating from the way in which it was prepared. This was actually very nice and gave it a sweet quality with the crunch of the cabbage.
–My boyfriend had the pork osso bucco. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pork so incredibly tender and fall off the bone. I almost stole his food. It was served with broccoli rabe and a really nice saffron risotto.
Dessert
–we shared the fig and honey gelato. It was different than I expected but still good. The honey flavor was mild and each bite of fig was really nice. The overall taste was like a sweet cream gelato flavor.
Overall, a really great meal and experience. I look forward to going back!

Myself and my party of 6 went to the Metuchen Inn last night for my husbands birthday. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a while, but was nervous about bringing a bunch of other people for our first time there, as it was on the more expensive side. I will start by saying it is worth every penny.
The Metuchen Inn had impeccable service. Every single person who attended us was courteous and paid attention to detail. We never wanted for anything and someone was always there if we did. Any requests were answered with a «it would be my pleasure», which is always better than a «no problem».
They had a nice wine selection and the menu had plenty of choices. For appetizers we shared the five cheese eggplant rollatini, and the meatballs. The meatballs had the exact texture and flavor of my Nonnie’s; they were fantastic. The rollatini was also a fine choice, it seemed to go over very well with my group.
For entrees, I didn’t hear a single negative thing from anyone. My husband had the tuna, and from what I saw it was cooked perfectly, nice and rare in the center. It came with a coconut risotto which I stole a nibble of, and I thought it was luxurious. I had the shrimp and chorizo pasta. It had wonderful flavor and was just the right size. My mom got the pork chop, a very thick cut, which she said was excellent. My sister and mother and law both got the chicken. The chicken looked juicy and perfectly cooked, and it came with gnocchi that tasted handmade; they were like soft little pillows when you bit into them. My father in law got the sea bass, my brother in law the rack of lamb; both were given excellent reviews. The presentation of every dish was beautiful. We all admired the plates themselves as well.
When it was time for dessert, our waiter had overheard that it was my husbands birthday. He wished him a happy birthday and shook his hand and asked his name. After we had ordered, the whole wait staff sang happy birthday and brought out my husbands dessert with a candle. He got the burbon walnut tart, and it was unbelievable! I had the warm apple strudel and it came with some cinnamon gelato. I would eat this dessert every day! My mom and sister got cremè brûlée, they said it was great. My brother in law go the fig bread pudding, another spectacular dish.
All in all, we left the Metuchen Inn more than satisfied. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a special dinner, wow some businessmen, or if you just want treat yo’ self. The restaurant itself is extremely clean and inviting. You feel like you’re at dinner at someone’s home. I will absolutely be returning!

Food was good especially the pumpkin risotto and veal. However the service was horrendous.
1. The entire meal, we barely saw him from taking our meal down until delivering the check. All the food, utensils, followup etc… we had to ask other waiters/​waitresses to help us on.
2. Did not get us our bottle of wine. When appetizers were delivered we asked our waiter about the wine who then informed us that the bottle was actually sold out. Why wouldn’t you tell us sooner?
2. Took our knives and forks away after appetizers and never replaced it. When our steak arrived we had to flag anothet waiter down to get us knives.
3. Never stopped by mid meal to ask how things were or if anything else was needed.
4. Kicker was when he delivered the check. We left our cc in the check holder upright with the credit card sticking out and he walked by our table at least 3 to 4 times oblivious to picking up the check. He then went to one table down and started clearing the table/​linens. We stared him down until finally he came over and asked if everything was ok and I asked him to run the cc.
Overall the food was good but for this price point and the awful service, it was not worth it. I will not be returning.

Prices are expensive, but you already know that going in.
Great place for desserts! I like their ice cream, honey fig in particular.
The lamb is good. It has a clean taste and it’s cooked well. The outside is crispy and has great texture.
The sea bass is good but the portion is very small.
I enjoyed the tuna tartar. It has an Asian taste to it. The octopus is good and fresh.