We had a fabulous retirement dinner last night for our co-worker. The food and staff could not have been better. Everyone had so much fun and enjoyed their delicious meal. We had the whole room to ourselves and we felt so welcomed. Lauren and the staff were so accommodating to all of our requests. They were a pleasure to work with. Eldridge Park School thanks Acacia for wonderful night! read more

Acacia was the venue chosen for my DIL's baby Shower this past weekend. We visited the establishment to taste test and were so amazed by the presentation, quality and service. They were courteous the day of the event, accommodating and the food was raved about. Everything came out in perfect timing and did not disappoint!!! We had four entrée options and family style appetizers. The room was bright and the staff was amazing. Planning another trip here for anniversary dinner and will definitely be coming back often. Thanks to Acacia for making my DIL's day so special. read more

I went here for lunch by myself. I just arrived in Lawrenceville for a two day meeting. I was seated immediately and the waitress asked if I wanted anything other than water to drink. I thought about a glass of wine but it's a BYOB restaurant. So water it was. The menu was very interesting especially the "bowls." The waitress recommended the Mediterranean bowl after I told her I was torn between it the Taco bowl and a third one. It came with a nice size piece of salmon on a bed of nutty brown quinoa with sliced veggies & olives for dipping in the tzatziki. All in all this was a wonderful mix of tastes and textures. read more

Ordered curbside pickup of soft shell crabs they advertised on social media yesterday as just having arrived. I ordered sautéed in garlic, butter and olive oil over linguine (easy right) and my wife ordered deep fried with mashed and asparagus. Crabs no where near fresh and not correctly cleaned, no garlic and they have the linguini in an alfredo sauce . not what I ordered. the deep fried were also not fresh nor cleaned properly. they got the mashed and asparagus right but that's not enough to have me ever go back......to add insult to injury they called and offered an apology (which were hollow words) and offered to refund our costs but never followed thru.....so not only was the food bad, their intentions were tainted and they lied to us......please stay away read more

Seasonal menu with some interesting twists. The tables inside are spaced pretty far apart for COVID-era safety, and there is a nice covered patio with heaters for outdoor seating. Service is good, friendly and efficient at covering the room. We had tuna nachos (delicious, would prefer the tuna cubes were cut just a little smaller so they didn't fall off), swordfish over white beans, and salmon with onion soubise. I wanted to lick the plate, the soubise was so tasty, and the salmon was well-seared so it had a nice crust, great texture. Blueberry cobbler and peach upside down cake for dessert, both were delicious. The peach cake was somewhat gingerbread like, with spices, which was unexpected but I enjoyed it. BYO if you want to enjoy wine with dinner. read more

I took friends out to dinner last night to celebrate a birthday. What was supposed to be a special occasion turned out to be a big disappointment. We were eager to visit Acacia again because we had all gone together in April of 2020 and had a fabulous time. I made a reservation and was made to wait which had me a bit annoyed because tables seemed available and others walked in after us and were seated right away. They said they were turning over a table for us but they assembled a new table for four in the corner of the restaurant by bringing over another two top and two chairs. Red Flag #1 when you are a person of color in a restaurant. I try not to assume bias but where you're literally the only person of color and are seated in the corner, it's hard not to go there. We the proceeded to order our apps. Three soups and a salad. My husband had the seafood bisque which was delicious. My friend and I ordered the roasted tomato and eggplant soup and his wife, seated next to me, ordered the pear salad. The runner served her my soup. No big deal, right? Well, the bowl was piping hot so she tried to slide it over to me. The tables, pushed together and covered by white tablecloth, were uneven and the lip on my side caused the bowl to tip over. My friend's hand was burned, tomato soup was all over the table and the bowl was half covered in it as well. The staff literally just stood there. We're not scene makers. My friend was apologetic taking the blame for having slid the bowl (but clearly no one else was trying to pick it up and move it) while submerging her fingers in the ice water she was drinking. The entire table in front of me was covered in tomato soup. We were asked, "Do you want another tablecloth?" Seriously? This should not have even been a question. Our friends asked for another napkin to at least cover the soggy mess. Fine. No biggie. We're not bougie. Did I get another bowl of soup? No. Was I offered another bowl of soup? No. Was my $10 soup topped off? No. I ate what was left after the spillage with the bowl half covered in tomato soup. I was even a little grateful that it didn't come with the croutons that were advertised because it probably would have been even more of a mess. I felt like I must have looked like a toddler who was just learning how to eat with a spoon already so no additional chunky bits covered by a napkin was fine by me. My friends said the pear salad was delicious as always and it did look so. On to entrees. My friend, the birthday boy, picked this restaurant because he loves their Griggstown Brick chicken. His wife had the salmon, my husband ordered the braised beef pappardelle pasta and I ordered the Cacio e Pepe because I love anything with truffle sauce. No issue with the salmon. My husband wasn't a fan of his dish but I don't fault the restaurant for that. He felt like it was beef stew on top of noodles. I actually thought it was delicious and exactly how I imagined it would be based on the menu description. My friend was disappointed with his Griggstown chicken. It was a bit undercooked by the bone and a little tough as he got closer to it. Otherwise he thought it was good but wished he could have eaten the whole thing. My Cacio e Pepe pasta dish was a disaster. The house made spaghetti was closer to and angle hair pasta and was over cooked. The consistency reminded me of Top Ramen noodles. I paid $22 for mushy Top Ramen with less flavor than the $0.35 packet. The pepper cream sauce was all cream so it tasted like noodles in milk with just a hint of truffle oil. It did have a good amount of pepper in it though. Perhaps it could have been redeemed with some parmesan cheese. Were we offered any? No. Honestly, pepper cream sauce is pretty basic, right? For $22, should I really have to try to redeem a plate of spaghetti? I ate my subpar Cacio e Pepe and picked up the tab without complaint (I even still tipped 20% on my $150 bill) because ultimately we were their for my friend and that trumped the sad experience. Sad because I once really liked this restaurant and was looking forward to a great experience. Will I be returning again? No. read more

Definitely at least 4.25 Yelps. I've been coming here for years, easily over 10 times. And now I can say without hesitation that it may be the best Byob in the Princeton/Lawrenceville area. This already good spot changed chefs/ owners last April, and the change has been for the better. The chef's name is Chris and he brings with him the experience of working in some top NY restaurants, as well as a highly respected Hopewell byob. This experience shows in everything from the bread basket to dessert. Today I took advantage of their power lunch, which is 3 courses with limited but adequate options. All for $19! To further sweeten the deal I had a 20% off coupon. You can get these by signing up to receive their emails, usually coupons are available every weekend, this was a special bday one. I was very happy with my choices, and only mildly regretful that I didn't choose the mahi taco special. Terry was my server, and most times that I've visited has been as well. She is not only very friendly and professional, she also knows everything about the restaurant. She informed me that they will soon be doing a farm Friday menu. And that a type of tasting menu is available on Saturdays or if you call in advance. You can be sure I will be back soon to try those out. read more

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Just had birthday dinner here. Overall a very enjoyable experience. The place wasn't very busy when we went so the service, overall, was very prompt. BYOB only. Had the "beet" tartare (not really a tartare so maybe that should have been in quotes, even though it is a pun on beef tartare), mushroom quesadilla, and the carrot ginger soup to start. The former was a pretty straightforward beet salad with goat cheese and a slice of toasted french bread. The beets are well prepared, albeit average in flavor. The goat cheese was very rich and delicious. The quesadilla was hearty and topped with a creamy, delicious aioli that had just a hint of spice (personally would have liked a bit more kick). The carrot ginger soup was a pretty simple recipe but was well seasoned and I really enjoyed the spice of the dish. For the main course I had the duck, which comes in a peking and confit preparation. The confit was delicious with a great skin and really tasty, fatty meat. I wasn't crazy about the peking preparation because the sauce was a bit over salted and that hurt the overall flavor of the dish. The accompanying mushroom risotto topped with vegetables was excellent. I could have eaten another entire helping of that stuff! Dessert was really a let-down for me. The espresso was pretty poor; it had no crema! And the flavor was a bit too watery. My dad had the raspberry sorbet which was actually quite good. Unfortunately I made the massive mistake of ordering the gimmicky dish: ice cream tempura. The batter surrounding the ice cream was soggy, thick, and unappetizing. Very little like actual tempura. I ended up just digging the ice cream out of the fried batter and eating that. The whipped cream was really tasty, though. Note to self: if it's gimmicky, it's probably not great. Overall this was a very good meal. I'm a big fan of simple, straightforward, delicious foods and Acacia really delivers on that front. The appetizers and entrees were all delicious and well thought out conceptually. I just wish I'd had the forethought to order something different for dessert. read more

2.5 stars... Went in for lunch; got the chicken avocado egg rolls for appetizer and the norwegian salmon burger for an entree, while the lady tried the crab cakes... there weren't too many options on the menu. The baskets of assorted bread were good, with some very decent olive oil to dip into. However, the egg roll was not as good as expected. Our entrees also fell slightly below our expectations... In all, it was only marginally better than a quick / casually prepared dinner at home... perhaps not worth the price of admission.. read more

Stopped at Acacia for lunch after reading their Yelp reviews. I have eaten here before and remembered it vaguely. Small seasonal menu. Let me just say for an appetizer, order the house-made burrata, it's good. I made a sandwich out of the burrata, prosciutto, infused olive oil and shaved parmigiano. MMMMM. Also, for an appetizer I finished my friend, JE's, pork belly in hoisin sauce. That was sweet and delicious, although, part of the pork belly was a little tough and dry. For lunch, the shrimp and penne fra diavolo was DDDelicious. The pasta was cooked to the tooth - perfectly al dente. The sauce was spicy and tasty. I contemplated licking the bowl clean, but there were too many people in the restaurant. Where they lose points with me, is the ambiance. The food is better than the decor. The service was great, the waitress Terry was awesome and attentive. That is until there were too many tables for her to handle effectively. Definitely not her fault. Oh, and the bathroom could have doubled as a meat locker it was so cold. Definitely 3.5 stars; 4 stars for their food and 3 for everything else. Almost. read more

This is fine dining at its best. Always heard good things, never had a chance to go until this weekend. The fact that I was able to bring my Jordan cab made it all the better, every app we had we delicious. For apps, the short rib flatbread with quail egg was a huge hit, as well at spring rolls and calamari. Had a fish special with fresh jersey ripe tomatoes. Our server Lauren was attentive and had a great personality. After dinner the guys we went outside to smoke cigars and drink our espressos. Amazing time! read more

Acacia - King Mackerel with fresh Jersey tomato and avocado salsa! - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

Really great experience :) My husband and I ate there right before restaurants had to close and we really loved everything. Looking forward to going back when life returns to normal. Everything was delicious and I loved our waitress. The dining room was really intimate and quiet, which we also liked very much. read more

Love this place. Planned a holiday meal for 13 on a recent Saturday night. Lauren D. was terrific with suggestions and organizing. The food was delicious, service and staff did a tremendous job making this a great night. Hard to imagine a better experience. We'll be back! read more

We had dinner for two on Sunday evening. Right off the bat I noticed the beautiful, contemporary decor. The staff was extremely attentive and pleasant. We were seated by the window and our wine was immediately opened. The specials sounded amazing. We started with grilled shrimp and octopus appetizers. Both were incredible. Our main courses continued to wow us. We had the pork tenderloin and the steak. The portions filled us. For dessert we shared the blueberry bread pudding. One word: Decadent!! We highly recommend Acacia read more

Went here for a business lunch on a Thursday. The restaurant was about two-thirds full and the first thing we noticed was how loud it was. Mind you, there was no music playing in the background. The acoustics of the place was such that we could hear everyone's conversation, even across the room. Besides the noise level, the food was great. Service was a bit on the slow side, but ok. read more

Went to Acacia for the first time last week and it was delicious! Great food and great service! For an appetizer, my friend and I had Sweet Potato Eggrolls! They were to die for! For entrees, I had the Salmon entree and that came with a crab and apple risotto. My friend ordered the red snapper. Great presentation and hers looked so good I even tried some! Both were delicious!! We were stuffed but the server told us the Vanilla Creme Brûlée was one of their best sellers for dessert so we gave it a try! We completely agreed! It wasn't too sweet but it was perfect! Definitely coming back!! read more

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

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Flying insects, mosquitos and drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) in the summer because they leave the door open. Server smelled like smoke but was friendly. Olive oil was a little stagnant and the Bread tasted like "dishwasher" but it was warm and appeared homemade. Burger was good with goat cheese Fish tacos were underwhelming with canned pineapples, not fresh which is surprising because they have a seasonal menu. read more

I will definitely be back. Am going to side with the positive reviews here. Recommendations: The Pistachio Crusted Steel-Head Trout was delish. This dish is on the heavier side though (They sautee the trout but the pistachio coating really soaks up the oil so you might be able to finish 1/2 of the fillet because it is really rich). Crab cake-best I've had. I'm an anti-fan of crab cakes that taste like heaps of salt soaked in oil. This crab cake had no bread crumbs and greasy fillers in it. It was light on sodium and with giant pieces of crab in it--with a bit of shrimp according to our waitress, but I couldn't tell. So good. If only all crab cakes were like this. Other comments: The apple caramelized walnut and beet salad was unimpressive. Although I do give them bonus points for using baby arugula. Wait staff was friendly, bread was warm, although I wasn't too impressed with the olive oil. I'm thinking if I were to spend $50/person, they'd use a higher grade. I'm here in mid April and the weather was pretty warm so I can't attest to the freezing bathrooms noted by other reviewers here (no temperature difference with the dining room). As for the hate about the decor--I don't think the review was fair. I'm no interior designer but the dining room was cozy and elegant. Just what you expect for a nice restaurant in a small town no? read more

This place was not a good restaurant...there was a weird smell at my table... The steak was okay and the chicken was terrible.. BYOB is the only plus to this place... read more

This place was surprisingly good. Wish i could give 3 1/2 stars, but unfortunately that's not an option. Our server was great. Very pleasant and spot on with service even though it seemed like she had a lot of tables. Seafood ceviche was great, as was the butter lettuce and eggplant salad. My entree of salmon was tasty. The only offputting part about it was a ratatouille-like side. It didn't go with the salmon; would've gone better with an osso buco. Husband's tuna was fairly good, according to him. Not the best, but still pretty good. Dessert was the only thing that was off. The chocolate mocha pudding cake was dry. And my husband ordered banana ice cream instead of vanilla, but they messed that up. Not a huge deal. Still pretty inexpensive since it's a BYOB. Will be back. read more

I made reservations for my boyfriend and I for Valentines Day this year. We were looking for a romantic, reasonably priced restaurant and Acacia did not disappoint! The calamari was fresh and tasted great with the sweet and sour sauce and hot peppers. I ordered the strip steak and substituted baked sweet potato for mashed and it wasn't an issue. It was delicious. Boyfriend got the pork chop. And the fact that it's BYOB is super budget friendly. I look forward to returning for another special occasion. read more

Acacia - Pork chop and strip steak, delicious! - New American Near Me - Lawrence Township, New Jersey

All of our meals were delicious, as was the bread basket, but the clear star was the lamb shank. Fall-off-the-bone meat and a huge portion. BYO is great. This place isn't overpriced for the quality and portion of the food. "And they don't even serve wine?" Bring your own and avoid a glass marked up to a price of 2/3 that bottle. 8 Thumbs Up from our table of 4. Our service was great (a chiller/ice bucket for our wine, even though it was red, because hey some people might want that and be embarrassed to ask?), the breadbasket was super yummy, the ambiance was delightful (quiet but not silent, dim lighting but not pitch black), all around love. read more

There is an eclectic ambiance, and its definitely a nice lunch or evening out. It did take about 25 minutes to get the food but it's not a chain restaurant that requires a turnover of 10 minutes so I get it-- maybe I should have asked more for the tasty herb bread! I had a 5 mushroom veggie burger which was very tasty but definitely not a "burger" in that it was not solidly together but its 5 mushrooms and some cheese mixed in so maybe some panko crumbs and then frying would make it stay together-- I would have preferred it to not look how it did- but it tasted great! Anyways, I'm no chef, but some way to make it more of a burger would make the 4-star taste a 5-star lunch dish. My friend ordered the salmon and it was delicious, as was the veggie risotto it accompanied. * side-note: the flask that holds the olive oil makes it impossible to put into the plate without it spilling over and reaching the table- they might want to save some costs on that! read more

We arrived at 8 this past Saturday and decided to get 2 appetizers and share one entree which we do to save room for desert. Despite 2 large parties our appetizers came out very fast which surprised and impressed us. The cheese plate was scrumptious with all the selections sourced from the farm right down the road. The goat cheese and beet terrine wasn't bad however it was missing a textural component and maybe a bit of acid to cut through the cheese The Muscovy duck with braised cabbage and mashed parsnips arrived medium rare as ordered and the huckleberry glaze was a perfect foil. Cranberry bread pudding with caramel ice cream was a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Can't wait to go back read more

Its surprising to me that this place doesn't have a better overall rating. Every time I come here, I leave feeling more impressed then the last time. It can certainly be busy at times and the service from the waitstaff will occasionally reflect that. But the food. Oh my God, the food. Our last visit was special because it was the first time in a VERY long time we had the opportunity to dine out - we chose Acacia. We ordered mostly off the specials menu: Chilled seafood app (and a few other favorite menu appetizers), my husband ordered the steak special, and I ordered the 24 hour roasted boar. It was the best dish I have ever eaten. Anywhere. To date. Im talking, last meal before you die status. You can drive further north for "innovative american" cuisine, but what is the point. I would pick this restaurant over any in Princeton, New Brunswick, or further. read more

Restaurant week menu was great. Salmon was the best. Overall good food, slightly pricey, and great staffs (worth 5 stars).

Had the pleasure of going here for a recent corporate holiday party. Been working in the area for years and knew this place was here but never stopped by. I must admit - for a luncheon that completely closed the place down they did a most excellent job of both service and quality. Usually at these larger corporate events one person is eating and then its 5-10 mins before the next table is served, but Acacia did an all around excellent job at our holiday party. Enjoyed the meal and service, and plan on going back to have dinner with my wife there one day soon. Definitely would recommend for larger parties!!! read more

Attended a surprise birthday party for my daughter on Saturday night that my son in law put together at Acacia. We arrived early to set up some items for the surprise. Lauren introduced herself and explained what the plan was for the evening. Her staff were all very helpful, friendly and on top of everything throughout the night. Service was excellent! Since Acacia is a BYOB they already had all the provided beverages set up and on ice when needed. The tables were set with tablecloths and all the the needed place settings. The appetizers were brought around which were delicious and always hot! The food choices were excellent and served piping hot also. Received comments from guests that food was excellent. I had the short ribs which were tender and also delicious. The deserts were wonderful! The "icing on the cake" (no pun intended) was the birthday cake that was made in house with real buttercream frosting and fruit. I have to say that Lauren and her staff made sure everyone had a good time, always had what we needed and provided a wonderful experience for all the partygoers. I would highly recommend considering Acacia for your next special event! My wife and I would like to return in the future for a nice dinner maybe even with our daughter and her husband! read more

Been here over the years many times and was never wowed but now I returned after coming across the menu online and WOW, it is great! Everything was spot on and I will be returning for sure. Kale salad is yummy, Pork is tender and juicy, and the filet was cooked perfect. Staff is wonderful and attentive and the atmosphere is warm and cozy for a date night. My new favorite replacing Brothers Moon! Keep up the great work chef! read more

This is our favorite neighborhood restaurant. We love the food and we have never had a bad meal. In fact we love it so much that we had our wedding there November 30,2018. Our friends and family loved it and people are still talking about how delicious the food was. They also accommodated for the various dietary restrictions and were very careful not to have cross contamination because one of our relatives has a severe celiac condition. The venue is small so only accommodates about 70-80 people. We had about 60 people so that allowed us to have room for dancing. This is a wonderful place for wedding showers, work parties, or a small wedding like ours. Lauren, one of the owners (owned by a husband and wife), is so thoughtful of the people she serves and she pays attention to detail. She even helped with planning and managed the logistics involved in the ceremony part too. Her staff is small but worked like an amazing well oiled machine. They did things in such a smooth and quiet way that it was like they were in stealth mode taking care of all the behind the scenes details. The staff was clearly committed to making our wedding the beautiful celebration that it was! If you are looking for an intimate place for a small wedding this is the place! The price was more than reasonable and you get so much for your money. And because it is a restaurant that prides itself in having fresh local ingredients it is high quality and better than than most wedding banquet food. Our friends are still talking about it! read more

I just recently hosted a bridal shower for my sister at Acacia, and I can't recommend it highly enough for a private event! We had actually originally planned to host the shower at another local area restaurant, but found out at the last minute that it had been double booked - so we were very fortunate to have been moved to Acacia, especially at the last minute. Lauren, the owner, was fantastic to work with, and was so accommodating and helpful to me and my family. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves on a Saturday afternoon, and the space was lovely. The shower was for 16 people and we set up 3 round tables (though could have easily fit a fourth, or even a fifth), as well as a gift table, an area for games, a table for wine and a table for favors. Guests had plenty of space to move around and mingle, but it still felt very intimate. As for the food and service, it could not have been better. Lauren printed us personalized custom menus (photo attached - with a note of congratulations and best wishes to the bride-to-be), and our server was fantastic. We started with bruschetta for the table which was delicious, followed by individual spring mix salads with a honey balsamic vinaigrette - fresh and yummy. They also brought out warm bread with olive oil for the table. Guests had a choice of four options (chicken, salmon, pork or vegetarian), which was a really nice selection. I had the salmon which was served with a cippolini glaze and buerre blanc sauce, with garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable mix. It was delicious, and everyone raved about it. We brought our own cake for the occasion, but Acacia was kind enough to serve the cake slices with a scoop of their homemade sorbet, which was so refreshing on a hot day, along with coffee and tea. The restaurant is BYOB, which was nice as well, and made sure our white wine stayed cold and we had plenty of wine glasses available. All in all, it was a fantastic event, and many guests said it was one of the nicest showers they've been to - and the bride-to-be loved it as well. I would highly recommend booking Acacia for a special event - they made sure every detail was covered, and could not have been more helpful to us. I'll be recommending it highly to all of my friends and family in the Lawrenceville area, and will definitely be back! read more

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Coming soon. FOOD: %%%%% SERVICE: %%%%% DECOR: %%%% VALUE: %%%%% ------------------------------ OVERALL: %%%%% (out of %%%%%) %%%%% = Must Try! %%%% = Pretty Good %%% = Average %% = Not So Great % = Hall of Shame read more

This is a great spot for a date or a business lunch or dinner. The service is impeccable, the decor is warm and cozy. Most importantly the specials they have are always creative. It is very obvious the chef and the owner takes pride in their cuisine. Food quality is over the top. The ingredients they buy are locally grown farms and seasonal. I will defiantly recommend. Not to mention that their pastry chef is Awesome too. read more