The Dish Cafe: Like a Second Home

I've been wanting to eat at (and review) the Dish Cafe for a long time, and I finally got there today. The Dish Cafe, formerly called the Bagel Dish Cafe, has been in Highland Park as far back as I can remember. Everyone in town goes there. 

I actually had not eaten there in quite a few months, but when I opened the door today, I knew it had no become any less popular: the place was packed with familiar faces. Designed like a diner, the Dish Cafe is brightly painted (orange). They always feature works by local artists on the walls. This time it was a series of floral paintings. The atmosphere is very homey: a really comfortable place to sit and eat. The bright lights and full tables are all very inviting.

Because of the large number of people, it took my friend and me a few minutes to get a table. Once we sat down, we received menus almost immediately. The menu consisted of a wide array of breakfast and lunch choices. In the breakfast section was everything from bagels and pancakes to eggs and oatmeal. Although on weekdays a lot of the breakfast foods are only served until 11 A.M., everything is available all day on the weekend. 

On the lunch menu there were quite a number of different wraps (mostly $6.95 and up) and sandwiches, all v

ery tasty-sounding. Although a majority of them were chicken or other meat wraps, there were also veggie souvlaki and other vegetarian options. The good thing about this place is that anything with meat can be ordered with a replacement. Aside from the wraps were pot pies, soups, salads, and all sorts of other dishes. 

The prices varied for most of the menu. Obviously some of the breakfast choices were cheaper, such as a simple bagel or scrambled eggs, while the pancakes or french toast were more expensive. On the lunch menu, most of the entrees are between $5.00 and $10.00. 

Once my friend and I ordered our food (I ordered the Honey mustard chicken wrap with veggie burger instead of meat, and Eve ordered the Chicken BLT wrap), we sat back to enjoy the lively room. However, almost 30 minute later we were still sitting and waiting for our food. At first I thought it was understandable, because the place was so busy. But the

n I saw that a few people who had arrived after us had already gotten their dishes. A few minutes later, they did bring our food, and we forgot how late it was and started eating.

The food taste pretty good.. It was nothing really spectacular, though. My wrap had veggie burger, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard sauce in it. It fell apart pretty easily, but the flavors mixed well together. "It's really yummy," said Eve, though I didn't try her wrap. They were both served with fries, which were just a little too hot. Once they cooled down, though, they tasted pretty good too. 

After finishing our food, we finished our conversation and waited for someone to come with the check. While most of the waitstaff were pretty friendly, there were a few t

hat seemed to just be hanging out behind the counter when there certainly looked like there were people waiting to get attention. Aside from that, the environment was ideal for eating.

  While the food tasted good, I could tell that was not the only reason so many people were there. The Dish Cafe has been that comfortable, easy kind of place to just plop down in a booth and enjoy  a casual meal with friends for a long time. It's almost like sitting in a really familiar place that you're used to and being able to just relax and enjoy yourself.

Rating: out of ★★★★★ (✫=1/2)

Food: ★★✫

Service: ★★

Atmosphere: ★★★★✫

Vegetarian Variety: ★★★★

The Dish Cafe

327 Raritan Avenue

Highland Park, NJ 08904

(732)828-8804