Under the Oak Café

We have been dying to try Under the Oak and made the 30-​minute drive out there today only to find that they were closed. There was no notice on the website, nor a sign on the door. A sign saying that brunch was available from 8am-​3pm Saturday and Sunday was visible from the front door, but they were definitely closed. What a wasted trip.

Amazing little place! So glad it is in East Oak Lane, just a 5 min walk from Melrose Park train station. When you go, you have to get the Brioche French Toast. Certainly will become a regular brunch place for us.

Three and half stars I would of rated but gave it a four. Found this little gem on Unilocal while trying to search for brunch spots around my area instead of heading downtown. So we came here to try it out on for brunch. The place itself is in an historic building, there were only 5 – 6 tables inside that we saw so I don’t know what the wait would be like if it was crowded. The menu was fairly small but looked good. I was hoping they would have some vegan friendly items but most of their menu used a lot of dairy. I got the crab cake quiche which the waitress recommended and my bf got the banana pancakes. The food took a while to come out but everything came out real fresh. Service was good and attentive. The cons I thought about the place was I thought it was a little pricey. 16 bucks for a quiche, 12 for pancakes, plus 4 bucks for hot chocolate? But we were happy to help support our local small businesses. I think this place is good if you are real quiche lover and scone person. Not sure if I’d come back again. By the way, remember its cash only too.

My mother and father in law booked the «chefs table» for my husbands 30^th birthday dinner this past Friday.
I would have to start by addressing the hospitality, and the comfort of the restaurant. Upon arriving (a few min early) we were welcomed into the restaurant by the maitre de. He wad extremely courteous and had a good sense of humor too (essential). He showed us our beautiful 12 person table located in the shiny beautiful kitchen with the chef and sous chefs working furiously on the meal we would be eating. They started the night with mingling, complimentary champagne and delicious hor devours. The waitress was lovely and the owner was just full of smiles and so pleasant to be around. We were seated and the wine we brought was poured and the first course was divine.
A hot potato leek soup with chive crème fraîche and a slice of crisp pancetta. Oh yum. Next a hot smoked salmon in house made puff pastry with asparagus and some type of tarragon sauce, delish. Then a palate cleanser, lemon sorbet. Next was the most perfectly perfect duck breast I have ever had. It was on top a crispy potato pancake with wild mushrooms and a foi gras sauce!!! Omg so good. The dessert was delicious and coffee piping hot. I couldn’t have had a better experience at Under The Oak Café. THANK YOU :)
I would also like to add that the owner is a dedicated member of the oak lane community and really dedicated to the area. A great cause!

Awesome place, the crab quiche is awesome, raspberry scone delicious though mom ate most of it staff was great enthusiastic and very proud of their creations especially the butter cake

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. Love of people, places, tastes, feelings, your toy train collection.
In qualifying my love for under the oak, I have to say it hits every category listed above.
PEOPLE: The staff is wonderful — friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, kind. They make you feel totally welcome — to the point, in fact, that upon entering the café, I felt as though I was entering a friend’s home.
PLACES: The space is marvelous — cozy, warm and intimate with a true rustic feel owing to its sacred setting in an old Victorian home.
TASTES: Gloriously fresh baked goods. Think: piping hot oven-​to-​belly cranberry scones. They carry a variety of fresh baked quiches as well — I enjoyed a slice of spinach & mushroom quiche accompanied by a steaming glass of green chai tea served in a beautiful glass teapot brimming with fresh tea leaves.
FEELINGS: It’s amazing when a venue can make you feel like you never left the comfort of your own home. I felt totally at ease here — relaxed and never quite ready to leave.
TOY TRAIN COLLECTION: Totally irrelevant. Well, kind of. No surprise train set inside BUT the café’s located a convenient 7 minute walk from the Melrose Park SEPTA train stop.
Nice.

I’ve only ever been here for breakfast/​lunch, but it is fantastic.
The scones are probably my favorite things on the menu. They sell these at various farmers markets in the summer (which is how I learned of this little gem). Best scones around if you ask me. I think they consider their quiches to be another one of their specialties, but when I want something savory, I usually opt for one their sandwiches instead.
Nice atmosphere (with an outdoor courtyard in the summer), friendly community vibe, good prices, good coffee, and excellent pastries make this place one of my favorite breakfast joints in the city.
I need to try their pies, because they look amazing. Similarly I recently learned that they also do special dinners there every now and then, which I also intend to try soon.

I go to the High School Park farmer’s market each Sunday and look for the Under the Oak Café stand. I don’t always buy as their items tend to be pricey to be snacking on each week, but they are always tempting.
I’ve had their cinnamon rolls and several kinds of scones and everything has always been super delicious. The women who have worked the stand have always been helpful and friendly, even giving tips on how best to enjoy the treats (warming them and things like that).

d’awwwwwww. This place is just so darn cute, but in a homey way and not in a pink-​stuff-​and-​doilies way. I had an opportunity to try the spinach/​gouda quiche, croissant, and raspberry scone.
Usually I don’t consider scones to be a serious menu item. They tend to be dry and undisciplined. The raspberry scone here is moist and excellent. It is an exception to the rule.
The croissant is really soft and really buttery. The Gods of croissant have smiled upon this establishment.
The quiche was good. I was kinda disappointed that they were out of the crabmeat quiche but it did the job.
The orange juice is OK. As a native Floridian, I’m a total jackass when it comes to OJ so take my opinion on this beverage with a grain of salt.

Under the Oak is everything I love about the northeast (simple, unpretentious, inexpensive) along with the niceties of a high end brunch spot (thoughtful presentation, locally grown ingredients, attentive service) all rolled into one and conveniently located 5 minutes from my house.
This was my first of hopefully many visits to Under the Oak. My husband and I shared the Lancaster ham, cheddar and spinach quiche along with the raspberry scone. Both were delicious.
The only negative, was the size of the outdoor furniture… I’m 6′ 6″, so
i have a difficult time cramming myself into the tables at many small restaurants but this was on the extreme side, the tables would be more appropriate for kindergarten class. Thing is, the atmosphere and service made up for the discomfort, so they get to hang on to that 5^th star.

Really yummy. I went here for lunch and it was great! i got a chicken salad croissant sandwich, although it wasn’t amazing or anything it was delicious in that homemade kind of way. If you go there i would recommend the quiche or the pies. I’m not a quiche person, but this stuff is awesome. They usually have a couple different varieties some with meat some without. The crust is to die for. Under the Oak is very small, and when it’s crowded is a little uncomfortable. but that’s a small price to pay for the gourmet homemade treats.

I’ve known of Under the Oak for some time. They’ve given me a great breakfast before a long bike-​a-​thon, a nice drink on a cold day, and a sweet treat to induldge in. Their menu is relatively medium in length, however the Oak will satisfy your hunger for good, home made food. In addition to being delicious, Under the Oak tries to be as community and environmentally friendly as possible. They get eggs from a local seller and they try to serve fair trade items, even organic! The atmosphere is perfect: small, warm, and just cramped enough to feel like you’re in a family dining room. Everyone was friendly and the lentil cakes were very good. It doesn’t get any better!

This a small, pleasant place in a quiet neighborhood. My group went for Sunday brunch. The place doesn’t open on Sunday until 10 am Sunday, which is fine for me but might be late for some. The quiche is very good. My companions all also had cinnamon knots that they were very pleased with. The outdoor seating is nice but I found the tables and chair uncomfortable to sit at very long.

Under the Oak is a charming little café & restaurant in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, just a stones throw from the Melrose Park train station.
The café is decorated in warm shades of brown and red. A friend commented that upon stepping through the door, it «smelled of butter.» Indeed, we tried some lovely buttery croissants and buttery and cheesy spinach /​Swiss quiche. La Colombe coffee and assorted teas come in big glass mugs, and the food is served on old fashioned cut glass dishes and platters. Much care is put into the food presentation, including a cute domed ramekin of cream cheese for the bagel and smoked salmon platter! The breakfast menu also includes scones, fruit salad, and granola, with a focus on organic and local ingredients.
Under the Oak also has a lunch menu of gourmet sandwiches, soups, and salads. And they have pies and cakes too. Most of the baking is done on the premises. Take out in environmentally friendly containers is available. My experience has only been for eat-​in breakfast, though.
While many brunch places are so popular that there is a long wait for a table, Under the Oak is so new and off the beaten path that it is very accessible. It is a tiny place, and in the warm months there is a patio where you can actually sit under the oak and enjoy the shade in this quiet, residential neighborhood. Under the Oak has walking and biking guides to this lovely part of the city that were put together by one of the patrons.
Prices reflect an emphasis on quality ingredients. Staff have always been friendly and welcoming, even if the visitor just wants to peek in and admire the buttery delights in the dessert case!