Carmines Cafe

Carmine’s Café sits on the first floor of the parking garage in the Station Plaza Office complex, a block away from the Trenton Transit Center. The entrance is in the courtyard between the two office buildings, and is completely invisible unless you know it is there.
It makes its living primarily from the workers in these two buildings, plus those nearby who either do not know the wealth of eating options in the city, or don’t have the time to go out for lunch. While I am in Building 4 several times a week for court, I am not a regular at Carmine’s beyond drinking their coffee and an occasional muffin or bagel for breakfast. Walking through you see a fairly elaborate deli spread with fresh soups, sandwiches, salads, and a few hot dishes for lunch. I am usually gone before that, but hearsay suggests that those options are at least decent.
Given its restricted audience, and the effort to offer a reasonable breakfast and lunch menu with a positive attitude, and understanding their place and purpose, they do a good job.
It certainly makes life for those surrounding it better.

If Carmines was anywhere else, it wouldn’t even get a second look BUT it happens to be in a culinary wasteland of Trenton where there are no other options. As a result it sees me (and my co-​workers) on a daily basis for soda, hoagies, bagels, and coffee. The owner is nice, though, and the store is better than nothing.