My sister and I needed a place for a midafternoon lunch/early dinner and chose Acacia. Boy were we glad we did. The place settings on a white table cloth made us feel special. The wine glasses were sparking. The water was super clear. We had oysters, white gazpacho, pesto gnocchi, steak frites, and ice cream for dessert. Then we went home and took naps. A totally satisfying experience. We can't wait to return. read more

We went with friends. We had the salmon and the veal. The salmon was $36 and was ok, nothing more-not worth $36. The veal was reported to be "good" but not very good. Service was very good. But you can't charge $30+ dollars for meals unless they're very good to excellent. I've had better at Seasons 52 for $10 less per plate. We will not return. read more

What a perfect place for a shower! Lauren made our baby shower so easy! She is very organized, incredibly accommodating, and truly wonderful to work with. She not only made great suggestions for the lunch (the fresh pita chips were amazing with the hummus!!), but she reviewed every detail with great patience. The room is bright, cheery, and spacious, and every table had fresh flowers. We did not have to worry about a thing. The food was plentiful, beautifully plated and REALLY delicious! It was so nice to have the whole restaurant to ourselves. The waiter never missed a beat; he was absolutely terrific. There is convenient parking in the back. I can't say enough great things about Acacia. We highly recommend this restaurant. read more

portions were so small here for what you pay. i never want to order pasta and feel like i need another entree. the salad lacked dressing (not enough) on top of that they charge 4% for using a credit card not worth the money read more

First time here for all of us - we came to celebrate Mother's Day (3/31). Our server, Becca (BEX on the receipt) was excellent and service was top shelf. Not a big crowd, but we dined early. Appetizers to be shared consisted of the Deviled Egg Trio (good, but a little overpriced for what we received), Mixed Greens and Caesar Salad. Entrees: Crabcakes, Spicy Vodka Rigatoni, Braised Beef over Pappardelle and Pan Seared Salmon. Overall, our meals were very good. Desserts consisted of Tres Leches and Raspberry Mousse. Coffees as well. Acacia is BYOB. A good first experience and we will be back. read more

Recently, my husband and I hosted an Engagement Party for 45 at Acacia. Thanks to Lauren's professional planning, support and excellent suggestions, the dinner party was a great success. The dining room and patio were the perfect setting for everyone to socialize before dinner and between courses. The food delicious and creative and service was outstanding. Our guests complimented us throughout the evening. We are so pleased that we selected Acacia for this special occasion. Things could not have gone better. Thank you Lauren, Chef Chris and staff. Roberta K. read more

I had my daughter's shower here and it was the best! Great space, delicious food, and fantastic service made this event a showstopper! My guests were raving and had the best time. Thank you Lauren and your staff for an amazing day!! read more

3.5 overall. Enjoyed the dishes it didn't have anything that was crave-able. Willing to go back for a second round. BYOB. Our serve was Hermes. He was friendly and attentive. Totally diner service ran about 2 hours. We were seated outside, per our request, on their covered front patio. A basket of bread was provided. We started off with the beef cheek dumplings and splitting the warm beet salad. I loved the dumplings and the accompanying sauce. The cheek was a similar texture to short rib and flavorful, nestled snuggly in a tender pasta dumpling. My DH thought the sauce was too salty, but it was perfect to me. Next course was blue point oysters and seafood bisque. Oysters were nice and cold. Bisque was not as creamy as we would have liked. The portion was enormous; too much for even the two of us to finish. Entrees came next. We each had one of the weekly specials: monkfish and leg of lamb. DH loved his monkfish. The fish and rice were cooked perfectly. The curry-style sauce had a nice kick. My lamb prepared well; falling off the bone. The accompaniments were hit or miss. I liked the butternut squash. The yogurt sauce was overpowering on the delicious lamb. The cauliflower was sour; I didn't eat it after the first few bites. A few of the crispy chick peas were overdone (sawdust-like consistency) but most of them were fine and they all got eaten. Dessert hit it out of the park. Along with another round of oysters, I had the salted caramel crème brûlée. The caramel flavor was subtle and enhanced the dish. It has a nice, thick sugar crust. DH had the dessert special, whisky bread pudding. The sauce has a gentle whisky flavor along with the delicate pudding. Invisalign score: 1. I didn't end up cleaning my Invisalign trays in the bathroom. I had high hopes because it was a private, single stall bathroom, but there was no ledge for me to use to clean my trays and brush my teeth. Didn't want to risk dropping a tray, so waited until I got home. I'd like to try Acacia again. I want to see how the duck dish is! The lamb and bisque were misses for us, but the service was good. We didn't feel rushed, and there are a few more dishes we'd like to try. read more

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I've driven by this place for years and wanted to try it because it looked cute and usually packed. Finally, our family went last night without reservations and were seated right away. The menu looked great and we needed some time to decide. We started with the tomato/eggplant soup that was smooth and creamy texture with a rich flavor. There was a slight bitterness to it but not enough that I wouldn't order again. Also to start, we got the warm beet salad with chicken and it was delicious. The chicken was really great quality and cooked perfectly. I never thought I would be writing about chicken on top of a salad but it was that good. Even the picky teen loved it. The starters ended up being shared since it took took a while to get them so we were hungry. For entrees we got the burger, rigatoni, cacio Pepe spaghetti, beef parpadelle. All the pasta is homemade and we all enjoyed our entrees. The rigatoni was not the usual shape I'm used to and had a tangy and sweet balsamic sauce. (Forgot to take a pic at the restaurant but got one of the leftovers at home) My daughter liked it but the the flavors are on the strong side and little unusual. I think this might be better for sharing. The burger was perfect! Perfect size, great taste and served with hot fresh fries. I enjoyed the cacio/pepe spaghetti with great truffle flavor. It could've used some salt though. The parpadelle was so good with fresh pasta and tender beef! It could've used more sauce since not all the pasta had a good coating. It had gotten late and the restaurant was almost empty after our entrees so we debated if we even wanted dessert but ended up getting the salted caramel creme brûlée. Let's just say my teen wants to come back and just get 4 salads and 4 crème brûlée. It was just that good. Service was slow but think restaurants are struggling with the pandemic. Everyone was friendly and accommodating so no complaints there. There is outdoor seating with heat lamps but we sat indoors. It was cold indoors since the door to the patio kept opening for service. We would absolutely go back. We enjoyed the food, even though some slight adjustments are needed, and friendly service! read more

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BYOB! Husband and I wanted to venture out of Princeton downtown for a good Italian restaurant that wasn't too far of a drive. Acacia was recommended to us and we decided to make a reservation. I was looking for a good pasta carbonara around the area that wasn't too greasy or eggy. Also, I was looking for gluten-free friendly options which Acacia mentioned in their reviews. Ordered the Strawberry Arugula Salad, Bucatini Carbonara, and Salmon. Everything was delicious. I was also told the pastas are homemade and you can tell by the freshness of it. The carbonara was a little underwhelming at first impression but The pancetta and green peas were hidden underneath the homemade bucatini. Was not expecting much at the first bite but I was wrong. The bucatini was so fresh and the carbonara was well-prepared and seasoned-exactly what I was craving that night. I had a taste of the Salmon and it was prepared and flavored well. Staff checked up on us frequently. We are definitely going back! read more

Acacia - Bucatini Carbonara - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

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Acacia tries very hard to be a fine dining establishment but misses the mark. We went there in December 2022. The menu is small and if you're not a meat eater or lover, the only non-meat options were a scallops special, a squash soup special, and a few salads. All of the other entrees had meat in them, including the only fish on the menu, salmon, which had bacon in the side that came with it, and the only pasta entree on the menu, rigatoni, which had meat in the sauce. The bread was terrible! It's very dense, dry, and lacked flavor. It's not difficult to have delicious bread. If you don't want to make it, then order it fresh every day. That was a bad start. The calamari appetizer was delicious and a large portion. It came with a sweet and spicy sauce. We ate all of it. It was the star of both of our meals. We moved onto Caesar salad that we shared. The dressing tasted homemade and had a classic Caesar anchovy flavor. The lettuce was a bit too drenched in dressing and was not cold enough so it was not crisp but wilted. The homemade croutons were much better than the bread but they were tiny--about the size of baby peas, which was odd. For dinner we opted for the scallops special and the salmon entree from the menu. The scallops were tasty and cooked just right in a lemon butter sauce with onions. The special was $36 and only came with five medium sized scallops. It should have at least included six scallops for that price, which would have made them $6 each. Nothing else was served with the scallops. I decide to try the salmon which was served on top of white beans with brussel sprouts and bacon. The salmon was cooked perfectly with a nice crispy crust on top but had a little bit too much sea salt. The white bean mixture had a smoky flavor. It was an interesting mixture of flavors with the brussel sprouts and bacon. I did not love it. The portion of salmon was generous, as was the side of beans. I took half of it home and will make a second meal out of it. On to dessert. The dessert menu was small and had the obligatory cheesecake but nothing exclusively chocolate. There was a tarte but it also had hazelnut in it. I don't love hazelnut but nothing else on the dessert menu appealed to me so I opted for that. The tarte was very thick, rich like fudge, and extremely hard. It was difficult to cut. It had a flaky hazelnut crust. The tarte was topped with a berry compote. It should have been thinner because it was way too thick for how rich it was, and a bit softer would have been nice, so you could at least cut it without pieces flying across the plate. I tolerated it. The small piece of cheesecake was topped with tiny slivers of strawberry that didn't even add up to one whole strawberry. It was no better than the cheesecake you get in the dessert section of Shop Rite. It was disappointing, especially for $9. The service seemed to be conducted with only two servers, a man and woman who seemed to be the owners, along with one woman bussing tables. They did a great job overall and kept things moving, refilled water glasses, checked back to ask how things were, and were nice and polite. The ambiance of the restaurant was lacking for a few reasons. It was somewhat blandly decorated with white walls and a few paintings. I appreciated the bits of holiday decor, which made it a little more festive. We sat on the outer wall that was near an added outdoor enclosure, probably added during Covid. It was chilly there. The lighting was a bit too bright from overhead lights to feel intimate. A bit dimmer would have been nice. The noise level was fine when we arrived but then got really loud after the dining room filled up. The bathroom floor was dirty. The garbage can, grab bars next to the toilet, and toilet paper holder were all rusted. It was the type of bathroom I felt like I needed to line the toilet seat with extra paper. It could have benefited from a deep cleaning. Parking is conveniently located behind the restaurant. Then you walk between the buildings and enter through a side door. That makes it easy to access. Acacia tries hard to be a fine dining establishment but what mostly holds it back is the food. It's just not solid four to five star food--at best three to three and a half stars. The ambiance needs work also. The service was very good so they have that down. It's a local, overpriced for-what-you-get restaurant, that seems to be frequented by mostly senior citizens who are into the BYOB aspect. They seem to think it's great and are regulars. Several of the tables seemed to know other. For out-of-towners like us, it's not worth making the 30 minute drive. We only went there because we had a gift certificate, which was from a woman in her late sixties, which seems to be the age demographic for this place. I wouldn't go back. For $125 (water--no dinner beverages, one appetizer, two entrees, two desserts, one hot tea) there are much better restaurants that have delicious food. read more

Came here for New Years Eve dinner. They had a pre fixed menu of four courses, I had the lobster bisque, Caesar salad, truffle cacio e pepe, and the crème brûlée. The lobster bisque was very tasty and had chucks of lobster in it! Caesar salad was just a regular salad, it did what it was supposed to do. The truffle cacio e pepe was very flavorful and decadent. The pasta wasn't cooked el dente but the sauce made up for it. I didn't get to try the crème brûlée because we had to go but they wrapped it up. The only down fall was how long it was between courses, we had a late reservation so I'm sure that they were slammed the whole night and were over it by the time we got there. Which is why we had to wrap up or dessert. Our server was super nice and I thought the place had a cute vibe to it! I would def go back to try out other food that wasn't on the pre fix menu! read more

Excellent experience. The staff is very accommodating. They ensured dietary issues were addressed. Meals were delicious; we appreciated the seasonal menu. We will definitely be back. read more

Came out for dinner for the first time since COVID had shut everything down and Acacia was amazing! The food is so fresh and SO good. The calamari is to die for, we also got the oysters. Home made pasta was excellent. All the food is so so fresh. It was great. Also BYOB. Not to mention the wait staff is very attentive and helpful. There was social distancing too. Definitely make a reservation for the time being as they fill up quickly and seating is limited. Can't wait to come back! read more

Acacia - Oysters & calamari - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

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We just had our daughters baby shower at Acacia and it couldn't have been better! Lauren took care of all the details down to the personalized menu and the delicious cake. The two servers were so awesome! They went above and beyond to make sure our event was perfect, and it was! Host your next shower, birthday party or holiday event at Acacia and you and your guests will be thrilled! read more

Went for brunch on Sunday for restaurant week.Service is very pleasant. The kitchen seemed a little slow. I had an excellent cauliflower soup . That doesn't sound very promising but it was very good. I also had huevos rancheros and chocolate mouse. Everything was good. The room is little noisy. But the three of us found it a good experience and would definitely return. read more

Acacia - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

Last weekend we celebrated engagement of my daughter at Acacia and I can tell you only one thing it was fabulous. Lauren was absolutely pleasure to work with. All stuff nice, helpful just great. Food was delicious and presented very nicely. Place is very elegant not overwhelming. I would give 6 stars if I could! Highly recommended!!! read more

This is a super easy review to write because everything was simply wonderful! Great hostess & waiter, the sweet decor and .... the food!!! Vince & I split a really delicious Brussel sprout salad to start and then all had the cracker board. I only truly liked one of the four cheeses and the good flatbread. I loved the truffle honey. The pickled vegetables weren't my thing but everyone else enjoyed them. The seafood lasagna special I had was really really good! It boasted crab, shrimp & scallops atop spinach & with a perfect light white sauce. Vince had the Griggstown chicken dish and the others had scallops & raviolis. We were all extremely happy with our meals! To cap everything off was dessert! The chocolate dome was rich and tremendously good plus was accompanied by homemade chocolate ice-cream! My best dessert of the year to date! read more

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What a wonderful BYOB!! I have been here numerous times between Lunched & Dinners. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I love how they seasonally change the menu. Get a reservation and Enjoy!!!!! read more

Our server Becca (Becs?) was the sweetest and loveliest server who made our first time at Acacia last night a wonderful experience. We are new to the area and wanted to find a nice restaurant to visit, and thankfully we found it right down the street. The duck egg rolls were phenomenal-- that sauce is what dreams are made of. I then had the duck for my entree and my husband had the spicy vodka rigatoni-- my LORD the flavors amongst these dishes! Such a great dinner overall! read more

Drove down from north jersey to meet my brother and his wife and another couple. None of us had ever been before. Walked in and were greeted right away from a very friendly hostess. Given a very nice table. Were told the specials the only negative I can say is that they were out of most of the specials kind of strange since it was only 6 but menu had a lot of choices anyway We split some apps all were great I got the Bronzino whole fish which was great Everyone else loved thier food. The desserts were to die for and we left totally full and all clean plates. If you are looking for a very nice BYOB then a must go read more

The food was excellent. It was tasty/flavorful without being salty. It's spotless inside, and everyone is attentive. Byob is a huge plus!

My favorite. In fact, I should visit again soon. I have never had a disappointing meal at this lovely place. It is where I have had wild boar the only time, and it was delicious. I have been to larger events here and have had both lunch and dinner here. I have moved a distance from Lawrenceville now, and wish I was in town more because I do love this place. read more

Rating: @@@@@ = best @=really bad Ambiance: @@@@@ (5) It's a place where you would go for a romantic night out or meeting good friends to catch up or go solo to spoil yourself. Food: @@@ (3) I was just expecting better for the cost we are paying. The appetizer I ordered was PEI mussels. Some of the mussels were succulent while many were beyond scrawny. The entree was Half Griggstown "Brick" chicken. It was suppose to have brown rice. I had a very creamy almost risotto rice. If it was brown rice, then they put too much liquid while cooking it. Their half chicken was half a chicken breast and a filleted thigh. If you wanted a salad, it will set you back $8 for a very banal salad. $12 for a fancier salad such as a pear salad. Sides would be an additional $5. No wonder people ordered desserts afterwards. The waiters would hand you a new menu that only lists desserts which do not include the prices. That bothers me. I don't like that type of surprises. Service: @@ (2) After I had my mussels, I went to the ladies room to wash my hands. When I came back, luckily I looked before I sat down and noticed there was spilled Pernod fennel broth spilled on my seat. I was most annoyed and chose to sit at the other seat. When the waiter finally came over (he disappeared a lot), I explained why I'm in the other seat. He wiped up the chair and didn't move my silverware. I felt like he was expecting me to go back and sit in my original seat. For god sake, I'm still at my table. I switched seats not tables. Service just went downhill from there. Timely manner for check: @ After dinner he inquired about dessert. I said no because I felt just tired He asked if I want coffee to which I stated I'd like just the check please. He disappeared again. He came out and checked on the other tables but still didn't get the check. He disappeared yet again. After a long while, he finally brings it over. I immediately put the charge card inside and wait. And wait. And wait. Finally I am about to get up and just go to the register myself when he pops up and retrieves it. I'm so done. Not going back. Failed to meet my expectations sadly. I was really looking forward to it too. Oh well. Next restaurant. read more

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This spot has amazing food and ambiance, a good hole in the wall! Love their daily specials, especially the delicious oysters on weekends! read more

Acacia - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

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Great food; Great service - one of our "go-to" places in the Princeton area. Most recently I hosted a small birthday dinner for my wife. Lauren could not be nicer or easier to work with; customizing a menu and making sure that every detail was perfectly executed. read more

We have been coming to Acacia to celebrate special occasions with family, friends and co-workers for years. From workplace luncheons to date night dinners, the chef always delivers and the service is always on time but not rushed and friendly. We'll keep coming back! Highly recommend. read more

Lovely setting, friendly service and delicious food. What more can you ask for? I look forward to returning and sitting in the outdoor area once the weather cools off. read more

OUTSTANDING food! One of the best restaurants in all of Jersey! Service was terrific. I am vegan too and they made me a customized entree! Definitely go here! read more

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Excellent special occasion place! Love to go whenever we can. Make your reservation soon.

My wife and I have dined at Acacia for nearly two decades. With a group of six, we decided to try New Year's Eve dinner for the first time. While we were all in good spirits and still had a great time, I felt the quality of the dinner and service weren't on par with our past dining experiences. This was disappointing since this was the first visit for several of my friends. I fully understand how hectic any holiday dinner can be, especially New Year's Eve, but for a restaurant, these events are no surprise. Along with having to wait a bit for other diners to leave and the staff to prepare our table, the overall service wasn't very good. Once we were seated, we waited for someone to open our wine. Luckily my friend brought an opener and we poured our glasses. After about 10 minutes, the bus staffer came over, apologized, and said he didn't realize we hadn't been given any water. Fifteen minutes or so passed and our waitress came by for the first time asking if we needed our wine opened. We were ready to order, but she gave us another five minutes to decide on dinner choices. In the meantime, another bus staffer finally brought bread to our table and apologized for the delay. Our appetizers (mussels, foie gras crème brulee, beet and pear salads) were great, but the dinners weren't as we had hoped. Most of us agreed each meal tasted good, they seemed thrown together and not the typical presentation. My wife remarked that it almost seemed like they were trying to cover with larger portions thrown onto the plates with sauce and potatoes. The desserts were very good. As we wrapped up the night, it took what felt like an eternity to get our check and even after giving our credit cards, even longer to cash out. It wasn't the greatest dining experience at Acacia. To be clear, I'm not a dining snob. I worked in the restaurant business from the time I was 14 through college, including many a New Year's Eve as a server, busboy, or prep cook. I know what these nights can be like, but I also remember how many of the better restaurants like Acacia prepped us for big events. There were expectations placed on each of us. I think Acacia can step up its game and do better on holiday dining, especially given the prices. read more

Calamari is to die for. Leg of lamb melted in my mouth. Our server was very attentive with a nice personality. We had a party of six and sat pleasantly outside. Everyone raved about their meal. Overall a wonderful evening. read more

It looks like a lovely local place but I do not recommend Acacia at all. When you pay $30-$40 per main dish, you expect to at least start your meal with some nice fresh bread. As we placed our order, they brought us a small basket with three kinds of cut breads. They looked good but they were mushy and soggy and tasted strange! It seemed that they were old pieces of bread stored in freezer and warmed up in microwave before being served. We had orders of calamari, steak and lamb porchetta. Calamari was mediocre, steak was average but the lamb porchetta was just terrible. Other than us there were only one other party of 4 at the restaurant, yet they made us wait long before serving the main (a good 30 min bw the appetizer and the main course). Everything tasted and looked stale and had left-overy feel to them. Our bill came to about $100. We did not enjoy our dinner at all. Two stars are certainly not for the food but for the niceness of the place and pilotless of the servers. We don't think the chef of Acacia is necessarily a bad cook, it seems that their issue is the freshness and quality of their ingredients. read more

Best fried calamari!! Light and crispy with a chili sauce. Amazing. Generous portions, creative recipes, lovely staff. It's our new go to local place!! read more

EXCELLENT!!! Hosted my daughter's bridal shower here and cannot say enough about just how amazing the coordinator Lauren and her staff, especial Hermes, were to us. So grateful we chose Acacia for this very important event. They really helped make it special. Super kind, accommodating and flexible, professional and friendly. We received so many compliments from our guests - about the atmosphere, service and excellent food. We 1000% recommend Acacia with total confidence. read more

Love this place. Never tried it before and we have ordered out 3 times in one month. We have not had a bad meal yet and delivery and pickup has been great. Has not disappointed yet. read more

We had a lovely dinner on the heated patio last night. The restaurant was very clean, covid compliant, and comfortable outdoor seating. Ventilation with open air from the windows but ample heaters (we were so warm!) made dining out during Covid times more comfortable. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable-- I appreciated his guidance on GF options, and he was very efficient too! The calamari appetizer was delish! Overall a great meal and value, with the bonus of byob! Lydia from The Inn at Glencairn recommended the restaurant and we loved our experience. Thank you! read more

Always good dinner. Never disappoints and is a staple in Lawrence. Their holiday brunch menus are fantastic and it's clean, pretty inside and out. A good to place for sure. read more

I had my future daughter-in-law's shower at the restaurant yesterday and I can't say enough good things!!!!! From the first contact I had with the restaurant to the event itself, the attention to detail and service was top notch. The owner was super helpful, including flexibility with the menu, setting up mixers for a mimosa bar (byob), arranging the tables, etc. My guests loved the food - it was plentiful and excellent! I had a few guests with severe food allergies and they took great care of them! I am looking forward to having my daughter's shower there next year, with visits for diner in between!! read more

Appetizers were very good and that's where it ended. Service was painfully slow, homemade pasta was way overcooked and had no elasticity. Burger was overcooked. My sons pasta was waaaaay overcooked and mushy. Too may places in to world to eat here again. read more