It is a gem of a place in the West Trenton Section of Ewing. Delicious quality food with big portions. The place was very clean and had good service. They have expanded their outdoor dining with a tent. Give this place a try and you will not be disappointed. Support our local restaurants over the fast food chaints. read more

Perfect spot for a nice brunch. Great for groups, just arrive before your stomach is really growling because this place is busy! That's always a good sign to me because it means that it's popular and good eats. Decor is great, service is great and food.... Well I made some really good choices. This is why I really suggest a group... Since I had a group of seven we all ordered our desired dishes and ended with some tasty treats to share. I ordered the caprese breakfast sandwich (on the specials menu). (Whenever I'm back east I MUST have cheese, breads and Italian meats!!). Wow. This was a great decision. Just the perfect amount of pesto as the spread, a nicely fried egg, a thick slice of mozzerel, generous portion of arugula / rocket, tomato and the bun. The bitterness of the rocket didn't overpower anything (although I adore rocket anyway) but this was so fresh and green it was a perfect companion to the cheese. I could only finish half as it was huge but believe me not a scrap of my choice was left on the plate as our guests took a taste of it! The latte I drank was great. Nice and strong but not bitter at all. I also had a grapefruit juice and it was delicious. I must admit I did add a bit of water and ice to it though. It was a bit more sweet than sour but still great. The other meals everyone indulged in were pleasant and enjoyed but I'm only giving my opinion on what I personally tasted. For a yummy treat, I was told I must try the cannoli French toast. Boy, I would have been mad if I missed it. Fresh cannoli cream in a folded French toast drizzled with a generous helping of Nutella. Makes my mouth water again. We also had to try the ricotta donuts with blueberry compote. From the outside they are crisp and darker (I'm one weird person that typically doesn't enjoy crispy things) but these would be useless if they weren't. Somehow the insides were incredibly moist with a light bite of lemon with the ricotta. Another group try was the blueberry pancakes. Fresh and yummy but I prefer the things I cannot find in plenty on the west coast. Seriously go out of your way if necessary to try this place. Hell, it's been on my list from when I was a Californian. Next time I come I'm going here and Cugino's for double the pleasure!!! read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Caprese brekky sammy. Must have. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

10/10 would come back here! This place is an awesome brunch spot. The menu is so extensive I had a hard time choosing what I wanted even after I narrowed it down to something sweet. I ended up ordering the cannoli French toast short stack which was ahhhmazing! It's BYOB so we brought our own champagne and just had to pay for the OJ. The waiter supplied the champagne glasses and opened the bottle for us. I came on a Sunday during peak brunch time so I had to wait 40 minutes but I didn't mind since the weather was nice. Free coffee and iced water available while you wait. read more

I love the food here. Although, often when I go it seems to be a shocker to many that Black people show up there. The staff never say anything like that of course. It's a strange ere feeling sometimes. But I go and I have friends who go. The staff is always professional, the food is always good and it comes out fast. And they have new menu selections often. read more

OMG!! This place is fantastic. Decor - A+! Staff - friendly, attentive A+! Food - I wish we lived closer, I'd come ALL the time, but we got soup & sandwich. The Creamy Tomato Carrot soup was perfection & the portion was a meal in itself (not that my hubs didn't finish every drop - ok I stole a bunch of spoonfuls too), and I had the French Onion - best I've had!! We both ordered the Rachel that was excellent. I got fries & the hubs got chips to share - also delish - crispy goodness! And a perfect pickle on the side. We will definitely be back!! read more

I've been here about 4 times, and the Yelp reviews (and my fiance's love of breakfast) keep me coming back, to pursue that "umpf" in one of their plates. Finally one unsuspecting, Sunday morning...maybe it was the hangover, maybe it was the adorably nice waitress, but this was it....I finally got a winner! I had an amazing Pesto Egg White Omelet that had fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and was so delicious and light, that I thought about ordering one to go. Thankfully all that protein was very filling and I was even able to give my beau a bite so he could sit there loathing in jealousy. I also had a side of home fries were lackluster and thankfully the coffee is nice and strong. There are a few cool sounding plates like Tiramisu pancakes and Crab Cakes Benedict that I would love to try in the future. Sadly, the service is really hit or miss here. Hopefully the new fancy-pants renovation of the place means better service because our last waitress was awesome. Cafe 72 I am now a believer! read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Fritatta with ham, spinach and tomato - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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I finally made it here for a lunch visit with my uncle. He's more of a fan of casual places than I am, and it was his birthday treat. With breakfast or lunch choices available until their closing time of 2:30 pm, I thought it would present many enticing options. And it did, but I may have chosen unwisely. I'm a sucker for French onion soup, and theirs was a legit and slow cooked one, with onions that were just melting in my mouth, a dark and rich broth that seemed to be from a real stock and not just bouillon. Melted mozz( with another cheese added most likely)but not quite as bubbly and browned as I would have liked, and the overall temp was a few degrees short of hot. I might have sent to back for further warming had I been alone, or not starving. By the time I was three spoonfuls deep into it, my entree came out. I dread when this happens, and at a more upscale place I would complain. I was expecting more here, but let it slide. It was chicken and waffles which is supposedly a house specialty. I didn't think it was all that special, the waffle would have benefitted from another minute or two in the griddle, and the two pieces of chicken tender were in fact tender, but not super crispy. The dish was lacking a spicy component, but with the addition of Sriracha that is a table side condiment here, the dish became better. Lastly, I was not a real fan of their syrup, it almost tasted like light, and had very little maple flavor. My uncle ordered the Cuban and it looked very nice, homemade thinly sliced roast pork, cheesy with some ham poking out. The bread appeared to be focaccia, but he was not forthcoming with an invitation to taste.( just a side note, am I the only one who finds that some elderly folks do not believe in food sharing? I've noticed this in some but not all persons from his generation, and it does puzzle me. Especially because I always offer tastes of mine to them) Overall we liked our lunch, and I would be open to returning. Items arriving at the table next to us looked really good, and some other more breakfasty choices sounded very good. Let's say 3.5 sharing is caring Yelps read more

Cafe Seventy Two - French onion - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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I've been meaning to come here for brunch for a long time now, and I'm so glad that I finally did. The food and coffee here was excellent! I tried two different items from the rotating specials menu - the Cinnamon Roll Iced Coffee and the Guacamole Benedict - and absolutely loved both. The iced coffee had donuts stacked on the straw, which was a neat touch and satisfied my morning sweet tooth, and the Benedict was perfectly poached and very flavorful. As others have mentioned, this place has limited parking, limited indoor seating and will almost definitely have a 30-60 minute wait during peak brunch hours on weekends. However, it's definitely worth waiting for, or just come after 12:30 when the brunch rush is over. I can't wait to come back - this is definitely my new go-to brunch spot! read more

Always good, and quick food. Delicious and interesting cafe drink specials! Today's drink didn't disappoint! The only con my friends and I have every time we go is we feel rushed. As servers ourselves, we know that's really not how you should treat costumers, however, always a cozy atmosphere with a little down side. read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

If I go out for breakfast, I want it to be something interesting. I can make an ordinary breakfast at home. If I'm going to go out, I want it to be something unusual that I wouldn't make or have the ingredients for in my kitchen. That's what makes Cafe 72 different from the majority of the diners in the area--they do things differently. They change up their specials menu weekly so that there's always the opportunity to try something new. The menu itself isn't huge, but there's pleny of variety. I've had eggs benedict with braised short rib and Texas toast instead of the usual ham and English muffin, shrimp benedict with using polenta, a short rib omelet, etc. You get the idea. The pancakes are generously sized, thick and fluffy. Get the pumpkin pancakes if they're still on the menu when you go. The corned beef hash is made in house, and is spiked with a smoky paprika flavor. It might not go over well with you if you're a standard CB-Hash lover, but I dig it. The home fries are always super crispy. I'm not a fan of most home fries, but these are pretty fine. Probably the only miss I've ever had there was the shrimp and grits, but to be fair, I'm a grits snob, and I've set the bar pretty high for that dish. The service has been very good, and you can tell there are a lot of regulars from how they recognize many of the customers by their first names. Be prepared for a short wait if you come on a weekend morning. They've got tables and chairs outside to sit at while you wait, along with coffee, water and bocci ball to keep you lubricated and entertained. I'm not a coffee guy, but my Mom tells me their coffee is very good. This is the closest thing I've found to a Pacific Northwest Coast style cafe where they serve up interesting and different takes on breakfast. Cafe Chorba is another, but I'm giving 72 the nod. The boring, regular diner breakfast has become pretty old, and Cafe 72 is now our go-to breakfast destination. read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Braised short rib benedict. You want this. You want it bad. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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Frankly underwhelming at best. Not sure why this place is rated so highly and the only reason this is not a 1 star review is bc they were mega packed. Service. Our waitress was lovely and clearly hustling/dealing with 100% capacity (didn't take it out on her tip hence this review.) The front told us it'd be a 25 min wait when we called circling the filled parking lot. I ran in and put my name down and they said it'd be about 30 min. Having worked in cafe mgmt, the rule is to overestimate this time usually. We waited outside in the cold bc we weren't sure if the buzzer would work on the other side of the parking lot and it took over 50 min. There might be some weirdness around online reservations coming in at the same time they take names down bc when I brought by up we've been waiting for over 45 min, they literally said we got these reservations with a very insincere tired apology...and I think we got a reserved table only bc I looked upset and asked if we were next. These are just logistical things they gotta figure out and set expectations for wait time but it makes a big difference when it's freezing outside. Food. Very pretty and instagrammable but the biggest disappointment. I got the poached eggs on potato skins special with fruit side and truffle fries as extra side. Nothing was crispy. The eggs were literally cold and the potato skins were under seasoned and just smashed with a weird texture of boiled potatoes with the skin under. I think the waitress was surprised I didn't wanna wrap it bc I ate just the cold eggs covered in average Benedict sauce and 70% of this small ~16-17$ plate was cleared. The $7 matcha latte was okay. Not sweet, which I don't mind actually but overpriced bc you can get a better $3 one at Wawa down the road. Some of the reviews said this place has huge portions and that's definitely not the case but that might be bc of the things we ordered. Wish I took a pic. I could do better pickled onions in 5 min--they're usually the perfect acid/sugar balance. This is an issue with prep I think--they tasted raw like not enough vinegar was used and they had the outside super thin rings in them that I chewed and had to carefully spit out...feels like 101 to not use those even when sautéing. The fruit was so unripe/bland and clearly the cheapest you could get (like 3 grapes and unripe melon pieces). On the bright side, the French toast my friend ordered was actually pretty good. Suggest the pancakes or anything in that sweet category. It's hard to mess up. Ambiance. Would be great--it really is a cute space but the tables are so close and people were packing in because of the cold. I'm glad they told people to clear the entrance, but I feel this problem could've been avoided if they gave people realistic wait times. Overall, definitely recommend on a non busy day for ambiance. I wish we had more cool places like this in Ewing bc I live 4 min away but for now, recommend any Princeton/nearby brunch places in the area over this for the previous reasons. We spent like 150$ ish on 4 people with specialty drinks and tip but I could make a lobster poach breakfast with that money and obv unlimited eggs. Hoping they can figure it out. read more

I love finding locally owned gems that I can recommend. I stumbled onto this place quite by accident, but what a lovely start to my day. The manager was very friendly and accommodating. I ordered a breakfast special (2 eggs, homefries, sausage, toast and coffee $8.50) Everything tasted perfect and after a late night of revelry, it was so very appreciated. Mmm...that was a delicious cup of coffee. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff and the food was very yummy. Would definitely go back and happy to recommend read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Quick easy takeaway - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

This place is the best breakfast brunch spot in the area, hands down. I eat here like 3-5 times a month! The revolving specials menu provide variety but the staples are always good too! Wish I could give 6 stars! read more

Cafe Seventy Two is really doing breakfast right with an Insta flair for all of their dishes. I have enjoyed the tiramisu pancakes, farmer's platter and the Cafe 72Cristo. The coffee quality is right on point. The pancakes were absolutely yum. The pancake itself was flavored with coffee cream on top. Completely a dessert not a breakfast but I don't even care. Decent price point. This place is about a half hour from me and 100% worth the drive. read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Cafe72 Cristo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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Hit or miss. Last 2 visits food came out cold and was sent back. Service can be quick but lately long wait to just order drinks. Not as busy as it used to be a few years back. Better than PJ's pancake house in Ewing but that's not saying much. Won't be back for awhile. read more

Our go-to breakfast spot! Enjoy a cup of free and some bocce coffee while you wait for a table. Our favorites are the lemon ricotta donuts, variety of Benedicts and a traditional western omelet. My only qualm: they took scrapple off the menu. Jody and Julie are our favorite servers and the owner is often on-hand and greets the regulars. read more

I've been here a number of times since my first post 7 years ago. It seems to get worse and worse each time. The food seems to be pre-made and heated up. The worst part is the customer service. They all seem uninterested in actually providing service. I've had better service from cafeterias. read more

Good breakfast, quick service and a reasonable price. I definitely will be back. Thank you.

Excellent service. Options to sit outdoors and indoors. Nicely decorated cafe. Good coffee. Great vegan selections with option to add protein. Food selections are great. My friend had the shrimp and grits. It looked delicious. He said it was the best he ever had. Pancakes made fresh to order, made the way pancakes should be. Presentation looked like it came from a magazine. Must try the eggs Benedict. Can't wait to try the chicken and waffles. Definitely recommend to anyone in town to try this restaurant. I will come back to try different items in the menu. If I could try several dishes in one day, I would. Friendly staff and owner!!! This place will not disappoint. Wish we had this restaurant in the west coast. read more

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Had brunch there for the first time since COVID & am so delighted they continue to thrive. Their reputation precedes them - great food, nice menu, friendly staff. Lots of competition and choices to go to in this general area, but this one is an easy choice to make. read more

This place adds an innovative and unique twist to the usual food fare that you would find in this area. It seems as though everyone else has figured this out, as the place was crowded!! However, my dad and I were able to get a seat at the bar. I had a VERY difficult time deciding what to order as breakfast items are offered during lunch. I ended up choosing the cinnamon roll pancakes- short stack (cinnamon and sugar swirl, mascarpone icing) and hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. The pancakes were amazing and I loved the mascarpone topping; it was sweet but not too much and paired perfectly with the pancakes. Think Cinnabon, but less sugary and without that sick feeling afterwards. Side note- if you are going for a "healthier" option, you can make any pancake "whole wheat" for a $1.00 extra. read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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I like this place. We've been coming here occasionally for years, usually for brunch, sometimes lunch. It gets crowded, but it's a good place to go with friends. The food is good. That said, customer service is odd and awful. For some unknown and weird reason, they refuse to split checks. Even in 2. WTH? Who carries cash anymore? Why won't they split a bill in 2? No one was waiting, there was no reason to refuse. I was told "we don't do that." And they wouldn't. This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. I'd meet friends here more often if I felt like I was wanted. I can't think of a single other place in this area that won't split a check if you hand them 2 credit cards. Really disappointed in how I am treated here. read more

First post COVID meal out! It was amazing. Great service Clean and neat relaxing environment read more

Such a good little place. Greek salad is awesome so cute inside. I also love their buff chicken wrap, so amazing. Their potatoes chips I'm pretty sure are homemade. Incredible. Sooooooooo good. You won't regret stopping in. read more

We were very pleased with Cafe 72! We went after a service at the Ewing cemetery so it was somber day. We were early for our reservation for a large group yet the management was able to accommodate us in very little time. It was a very pleasant experience. Wait staff was amazing and the food was fantastic. We sat outside on a beautiful day, but went indoors to use the restroom. The ambiance is so cute/pretty inside. It's small and a little loud so I am very glad we sat outdoors for our large group. Inside would be perfectly fine for a smaller group/different occasion. We will definitely be back. Thank you! read more

This is a hidden gem!! There will almost always be a wait, but it is totally worth the wait! We came a little before 11 for brunch and were seated within 5-7 minutes. The line gets longer the later you wait. It is very small and they do have counter sittings as well. I think it's only open for breakfast and lunch OH-BYOB! The outside waiting area offers coffee and waters as you wait. I would recommend the funnel cake fries. It's quite amazing! They are perfectly cooked crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you can imagine a funnel cake at the fair this is it but made into fries served with a sweet dipping sauce. The menu I was surprised is quite large. I think anyone can find something to their liking here. I had their chicken and waffles. The waffle was perfectly cooked and chicken was well seasoned. Nothing but good things to say about cafe 72. I will totally be coming back! read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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Good breakfast at a nice price with inflation and still needing to keep you business open, it's the comfiest around

Just decided to try this place on a whim with my wife to treat her after she finished a service rotation. The place looks small from the outside, easy to miss actually. Inside, however, matches the ambience of a quaint little cafe in the 20s complete with a paneled office ceiling, lit with incandescent lighting to match. This is probably why the dishes are pricy, but LED lighting would ruin the mood. I ordered the crab cake Benedict special, and my wife had the tostadas. The Old Bay hollandaise paired well with it, but I did miss the Canadian bacon a little. I had a black coffee with my meal, and my wife had a mint chocolate chip iced coffee. The food came out faster than it took to decide and order it. My wife's tostadas were good, although garnished with much too much cilantro for my taste. A few slices of lime would have redeemed the dish. She was equally disappointed and regretted her choice more after a bite of my eggs benny. I also had a short order of plain French toast. Theirs is good, but it's hard to get that dish wrong. The coffee is quite bitter, but not as bad as a cup from a fast food restaurant. My boss enjoys a strong cup like that. It's the kind that no amount of cream and sugar can mask, so I didn't bother. My wife made the right drink pick. The mint chocolate chip coffee was delicious and not overly sweet. There's plenty of parking, and a 7-Eleven nearby if you change your mind. My only big regret is that you have to bring up your receipt, and I completely forgot to calculate my tip before going to the cashier. I quickly calculated 10%. I'll make it up to them in my next visit. read more

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An amazing brunch spot. It was always recommended by my friends but never had a chance to come until recently. Everything is fresh and tastes familiar & home-cooked. They offer your Benedicts and French toasts. But with a twist. I had a corned beef Benedict with a side of loaded home fries. Wow. It was a delicious heart attack on a plate. The food here comes in hefty proportions. I don't think anyone finished their plates. They also had a chocolate infused coffee which was out of this world. And I usually don't like brewed coffee (you can't fool me... hazel flavored coffee still tastes 100% like regular but with an aroma). In addition, the service was spectacular even though it was extremely busy. Our waitress was a complete sweetheart and got our order/food in promptly. She even stayed for a minute or two to get to know us. Honestly this place is as warm as it looks in pictures. It's definitely going to be my go to brunch spot from now on... just make sure to get there early. read more

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Came here for breakfast with the bae and another couple. They had a coffee table setup outside so you can prepare yourself a cup of joe while you wait for a seat - great idea! Tons of awesome sounding choices, including daily specials. I opted for the house made ricotta donuts with berry compote, and the special crab meat Eggs benny. The food was delicious and came to our table quickly. Service was brisk but friendly. Coffee was great as well. Definitely a great choice for breakfast/brunch in this area! Insider tip : you can call ahead to put your name on a waiting list for a table - awesome! read more

Cafe Seventy Two - Insanely yummy house made fried ricotta donuts with powered sugar and berry compote - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ewing, New Jersey

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Very unprofessional service. Manager was rude and arrogant. Very disappointing experience--Don't waste your time or money.

fast service, good food, nice employees. Comparing the price to PJs too and its about 30% cheaper. Worth the wait before being seated

This is one of my favorite brunch places. They make delicious food, offer exciting options, and provide fast service! I live it

Found this gem back in April. First time I came here we came for a friends birthday, on a Friday around 11am. There was a short wait of 15 minutes in which we also found out the place is byob. There is a liquor store 2 minutes down the road so we decided to get a bottle of champagne. (I love byob brunch places). The first time I came here the decor was beautiful, with branches and lights. For an appetizer we got the funnel cake fries, which are to die for!!! A must try. I kept it simple and get an egg sandwich for breakfast which was yummy. The second time I came, I got an iced latte with almond milk. They make it look so fancy! It was delicious. My husband got the affogato, although I can't have ice cream and regular milk, it looked delicious! Esp the whip cream and toasted coconut topping. For breakfast I got the morning tacos, so so good! I would for sure recommend this place to anyone that's in the area. The wait is well worth it. And don't forget a bottle of champagne :) read more

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Consistently yummy breakfasts, coffee and drinks. Service is always pleasant. They have outdoor seating if that makes you more comfortable re: COVID, as the inside is tight and no one is really wearings mask anymore here. Servers are always great, and I am always surprised how quickly the food comes out. read more

I really don't care for this place. I've been there a couple of times and it's always crowded, so the management and servers think they can be rude and inattentive. No, you can't be. The unusual food combinations they have sound good on the menu but the implementation always seems to be way off. Be aware if you're early or have to wait you need to do so outside in the cold, or go back and sit in your car in the public parking lot. Waste your time and money elsewhere. Or just go to a regular diner. The place is too crowded and out of the way to be as pretentious as it is. WIll not be returning. read more

I love this place! I go here at least once month, if not more than that. Everyone I bring with me loves it and ends up going again. I have been here a lot of times and I have only ever disliked my meal once. Their normal menu has a lot to offer and they put a spin on the traditional breakfast foods. Their specials menu is almost always my go to. They always have so many things that sound so good it becomes hard to decide. I have even ordered multiple entrees before because of this. If you go on the weekend you can expect to wait, but they give you free coffee / tea outside and it usually goes pretty quick. They are worth the wait read more

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We went here for brunch (party of 4). We waited 45 minutes to be seated. They have self serve coffee outside for waiting customers but the coffee was cold. The food was tasty. My eggs were cold, as was my pumpkin white chocolate cocoa. The bread pudding French toast was delicious. The service was professional and attentive. They had a lot of fruit and regular flies, in November and it was cold outside. We brunch out frequently and have never had this issue which was off putting since they kept flying near our food and landing on the wall near ours and the next table. After we paid and were talking, we were asked to leave so another party could be seated. I won't be back. As a paying customer I've never been asked to leave to accommodate another party. This establishment is not for me. read more

Table of three, 45 min wait time and an almost empty restaurant. I've had better food at a denny's, and certainly for about half the price with better service. If my food isn't coming to me hot then i'm not coming back. If you're sane, stay away from this place, there's much better options. read more

I don't know how they make their donuts, but they are delicious! Great blueberry pancakes. Nice breakfast bowl. Cute interior, very friendly staff, they let us take our time choosing, explained items on the menu, and very kindly added whipped cream to my pancake order (because that was just the kind of mood I was in that day.) At busy times, go for the food but not to dawdle when you're done. We were happy to eat and promptly make our table available to other folks. We hate waiting when we are hungry, so it is only fair. The food is worth it and that's what we all go there for. We will make the drive back for sure! read more