I look forward to lunch. There are so many options. Daily soups. Lunch "'plates" of fabulous cooked food. Salads. Bakery items. Pizza. Side of Meatballs. I loved my cheeseburger- not greasy, hearty on a potato roll. I heard their cheesesteaks are great. Friendly staff. Super clean. Healthy options. read more

Caffe Margherita - Cheeseburger - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Friendly cashier and helpful! The empanadas unfortunately were really greasy but heard the soup and pizza are good. It's a quick walk from Penn Station where you don't even need to walk from the outside. I'll give this place another shot since it's close to my work and they have a nice place to sit outdoors for the summer months. read more

See all

This is my second visit. The first was very disappointing, but since takeout lunch choices around here are limited and time is short, I thought I'd give them another try. The place was recommended to me last week by coworkers, and they said they had good burgers, and I was in the mood for one, so I tried. Not a good idea. I asked for a cheeseburger with no bun. The menu said all burgers come with lettuce and tomato. I watched as a guy squirted ketchup onto a bun, asking me while he did if I wanted ketchup, and I said "yes, but no bun, just the lettuce and tomato". He kept putting the ketchup on and I realized he wasn't listening to me and apparently neither were the other two guys standing there watching him, so I figured I could just take the bun off myself later. I made the mistake of not opening the package when I paid to see if they'd gotten the order right, so it wasn't until I got back to the office that I realized that it was just a plain burger patty with ONION, which I didn't ask for but I like, but there was no cheese, no lettuce, no tomato. Just a burger and some slices of onion and ketchup on the bun I didn't want and threw away. So I ended up with a dry hamburger patty with some onion on it. They charged me the cheeseburger price, though. Anyway, again, time is short, so today I went and got one of their premade salads, the S-2 - an arugula salad with chicken, artichokes, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The printed menu said it would have fresh mozzarella, but it didn't. The chicken was warm and the balsamic glaze dressing was good, and overall the salad was pretty tasty, but again, what's up with withholding the cheese? Anyway, the sandwiches and other salads on display look good, I'll give them an "OK" because...you do get food and it seems to be of good quality but just beware to check your order because you might not get what you asked for and/or paid for! read more

I first spotted this place while walking through the concourse from Penn Station to Prudential. It's a coffee and sandwich shop, but I think of it as the Sophia Loren of coffee and sandwich shops. Yes, it's THAT sexy. The first thing that caught my eye was the sign for illy Coffee. They serve illy Coffee! And they know how to make it properly, despite being geared toward the walk through pedestrian market. The second thing that caught my eye was the big pile of sautéed broccoli rabe next to the grab-and-go pre-made sandwiches. When I asked about it, I was told that it's never bitter and could be put on any sandwich. Now, I'm not a grab-and-go kind of eater, but I've since had two different sandwiches. They can be eaten fresh and cold or pressed and hot. I can tell you that the eggplant parm and the soppressata mozzarella sandwiches, both with broccoli rabe, and pressed and hot, are delizioso. Don't just walk by Caffè Margherita. Stop, have a coffee and enjoy a panini. You won't regret it. read more

Caffe Margherita - The soppressata, fresh mozzarella and cherry tomato sandwich with broccoli rabe, and pressed and hot. - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Tasty, friendly, clean, and quick. Ordered an chicken n mozzarella salad with balsamic. In and out in 5 mins with a fresh tasty salad. Could have had some more of the star ingredients, but otherwise totally fine. Plenty of options from salads to sandwiches to hot food. read more

Caffe Margherita - Chicken n mozzarella salad with balsamic - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

The daily specials are so fresh. Pasta is perfectly cooked, meatballs and sauce are super delicious. Complete plate with three meatballs and bread. Big meatballs. Good ones. I'm still eating. Can't stop. 5 stars. If you're walking through here stop here for lunch or even breakfast they have avocado toasts and delicious coffees. I'm going to be a regular here. read more

$17.00 charge on my card for a cheeseburger and fries. Will never get mine nor any of my coworkers working in Gateway ever again !!! Should have come with a reach around at least when you stuck it up my ass read more

Great little place in Gateway. Coffee is nicely made and tastes great. The main reason to come here for me is the gelato which was outstanding. They have sandwiches which I have not yet tried. I hope they succeed as the Gateway is a tough place for business. Office people are gone by 7 which is why everything closes early. read more

Caffe Margherita - the interior of a coffee shop - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Buyer Beware! This business runs an extremely shady and possibly illegal operation. Frank( the business owner) charges the 4% credit card surcharge to the customer without any notification( posted or itemized on the receipt). For example, if I buy something for 10$ the register rings up as 10.70 based on tax, later looking at credit card statement shows 11.13$. This needs to be communicated to the customer at point of sale! read more

My office is upstairs @ the Gateway Center and when I'm working in Newark, I always get coffee and lunch here. Frankie is great and The coffee is authentic Italian and food is very good. Don't miss This place! read more

Incredible service and a great way to kick off your morning. Addicted to their lattes. read more

We found this jewel while staying at the Hilton Penn Station, walking through the Gateway Center to a confrence at the Prudential Center. We stopped for a quick breakfast and returned each morning for conversations with the owner and the fantastic breakfast. He opened each morning with a smile and friendly handshake. He went above and beyond to open on Saturday and Sunday (they are normally closed over the weekend). He said he had "met so many good people" and wanted to serve them by being open! His attitude translates to a little extra love in the food. If you find yourself at the Gateway Center, stop in and say good morning to Franco and his staff. Talk a little sports, receive a smile, handshake and some great food. A rare jewel of a cafe! read more

Got the Chicken cutlet with mozzarella and roasted peppers panini . it was horrible , the chicken quality was bad and dry , the bread was burnt. will not be returning again . read more

It looks cute and promising, but the quality is just so-so. I decided to support independent businesses and forgo Starbucks, but the soy latte I ordered here was nothing special. It was the perfect temperature and a great price, but the flavor was just a little off. The food might be better; I've yet to give it a try! read more

We are staying at the Hilton Penn State hotel and we were looking for breakfast and this place looks very nice and clean and is about 1 min walking distance which is so close! The food and staff is outstanding. We had this every morning for our whole stay. Not only is their breakfast delicious but their coffee is super good too! Definitely recommend this place. If I could rate this higher I would. I wish I lived here so I could come here everyday. read more

Caffe Margherita - Delicious breakfast! - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Excellent service and product! Vegetable omelette was enormous filled with tons of fresh veggies. Capuccino was delicious. It's a busy place but the owner takes time to engage with each customer to ensure you their order is exactly how they like it. Lucky commuters who pass by this place daily. Bright spot in underground mall read more

Great value for the price. We both had the turkey bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Everything was fresh and hot off the griddle. Nothing tasted like it had been pre-made and then warmed. Plus the owner was super friendly. For the price, considering everything is made to order -- this is a great bargain and yummy! read more

I've been working in and around Gateway for thirty years looking for a decent lunch place inside the complex. and been walking past this place thinking it was only a coffee shop the last three. What a mistake. Frank and his boys serve up some great Italian. For those Newarkers who remember Emiglia's in the iron bound, the sausage and pepper is pretty damn close. It ain't fancy (though it is nice and clean) and it's a takeout with the tables out in the common areas, but you get to see all of NJ's finest coming and going. (The Governor's Newark office is nearby.) Definitely pop in and Frank will treat you well. Great guys! read more

I was really craving a chicken salad sandwich so I went there to see if they make it. It was a little early, about 10:30 a.m., but I wanted to pick it up on my way to the office rather than come back later. They didn't have any made yet but the owner, Frank, was there and he had his guy make it up right then and there for me. It was really great customer service. Frank is friendly and we had a nice conversation while I waited for my sandwich. The sandwich was pretty good - I'll definitely be back here! read more

This is one of my top places to come for lunch during work. They have the most friendly and helpful staff; I always enjoy coming in here. All of their salads are awesome and made to order. Their panini are always very good as well. It is always a solid choice for lunch and never disappoints!! read more

The original Caffee Margherita (next to Dunkin Donuts) serves excellent pasta. Caffe Margherita II opened up in Gateway Center 2 lobby a few months back. I occasionally venture to Caffe Margherita II to buy coffee in the afternoons. However, today, I decided to buy a brownie as well. It's $1 for a small brownie (not a terrible price point for Gateway Center); however, the brownie tasted so hard and stale. I threw it out after a bite. Given that today is Monday, were the brownies left-over from last week? It surely taste like the brownie was left-over and re-used/recycle for sale this week. I guess there isn't much of a thing as residual pasta (again, their pasta tastes great). However, very disappointed that the brownie tasted like it was still for sale well past its expiration date. No more sweets from Caffee Margherita II for me. I'll stick to pasta from the original store. read more

Over priced. The chicken in the chicken pesto panini is cold and dry. The bread was hard as a rock. I enjoy their chicken cutlet salad but after spending $11.00 for a small salad with a piece of chicken I was still hungry afterwards. Not impressed. read more

Caffe Margherita - Cold piece of chicken - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

No kidding, Frank to the third power. These guys are something. Good food, friendly staff. Try the Chicken Marsala. Almost went back for another entree. read more

So they've expanded their business and taken over the space of where Smitty & Mo's Chicken used to be. So far I'm not impressed at all to say the least. Last week, ordered an egg sandwich with cheese and bacon well done. Sandwich had almost no cheese and bacon was definitely well done. Ok, everyone can have an off day, I'll give them another chance. First, this week, ordered an omelette with sausage and cheese. It's like $8.00 and you don't even get anything with it. Nor is it even that big. Complete rip-off. Tried again, the other day with another sandwich. Again, almost no cheese and the amount of egg on the sandwich was lacking. Today, I order a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese. The bagel doesn't taste fresh and they give you the cream cheese on the side in a little cup with not enough cream cheese for both sides. Check please. I'm done. If it wasn't for the fact that it's freezing outside, I would have chucked it into the garbage can. read more

Caffe Margherita - Not even close enough for both sides of a bagel - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Great food, Great location (for me) and exceptional staff. Have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered. Great authentic Italian. Not a large menu but just the right selection. read more

If you love paninis, you will love this place! Aside from the "that hit the spot" type of food, the customer service is great! They are very friendly and happy every time I have gone. I even recommended this place to my coworkers and all say the same thing...diamond in the rough read more

Caffe Margherita - I especially love the spicy Italian.. made just right - Cafes Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

So, everything looks awesome and on my first outing I tried the tuna sandwich. I know...not adventurous. But OMG... fresh tuna salad, spinach, tomatoes and onions.. and.. wait for it---BACON! But really good bacon, not the cheap, thin stuff. Best tuna sandwich in my life. Can't wait to go back. Friendly service as well! read more

Professional and friendly staff!!! Great coffee service, incredible and affordable breakfast, and a great selection of lunch items. Hidden gem in the heart of Gateway Plaza - highly recommended!!! read more

owner is fantastic and friendly. Food is great. Love the sandwiches for lunch. my go to is the chicken cutlet with rabe.

Love this place. The food and coffee are delish! Fresh and good quality and everyone that works there are very friendly. Franco is awesome. read more

I am a regular customer and love the food. However, I was disappointed to learn that at least the credit card tips are pocketed by the owner and not given to the staff, as they deserve. read more

I've been going here every morning before work for about three weeks. Amazing customer service. You can really tell that everyone here wants to do a good job, wants your service, and wants you to enjoy the food. This is my favorite coffee shop to go to that's close to my job, because of the combination of great hot chocolates/cappuccinos and customer service. read more

Worst hot chocolate ever and trust, I've had bad, coco made with grass water bad! I was expecting a cup of divine and decadent cocoa being the theme/background of this spot. Nope not at all. The cannoli her is good, always fresh $4 BUT what upsets me is that the Minis (chocolate covered and regular) are $2 each but aren't even filled all the way through. MAJOR let down! Good service, the food they prepare always smell good, I'll try something maybe soon. They offer a variety of cold beverages and sparkling water and they cater read more

Someone call the better business bureau because something shady and unlawful is going on over here. I use to love to spend my lunches here eating delicious Italian cuisine but I noticed on my credit card statement that I am being charged an amount that is way higher than the price of food plus tax. I believe the owner is over charging an extra percentage for himself and that is not OK. As the proprietor, he should be ashamed of himself. read more

Awesome coffee, great sandwiches, and the friendliest staff in the city - wish they'd move to my neighborhood!

Really good homemade Spanish food. Great food for a great price. It's a small stand in the gateway center.

A random review, as we were only visiting the area briefly. This is literally a hole in the wall, but a gem for lunch. Food was delicious, owners super friendly, and welcoming of our infant daughter to boot! If you find yourself at Newark Penn Station with some time to spare, check it out! read more

I enjoy eating the food from Caffe Margherita. I love love the Chicken cutlet sandwich with mozzarella cheese and roasted peppers on the Pita bread. The costs are a bit high but they make up for it in excellent taste quality and portion size.. so it's definitely worth it! Caffe Margherita is my new favorite go to place for lunch. And the staff is exceptional. read more

Great food and awesome people. Check out the daily special or find a "usual" that you love. I normally go for lunch but their coffee and dessert are also worth the trip. read more

However the food may be, the prices are an issue at this place. Price I see on the card processor is not the price I'm actually being charged. Taxes apart, it seems that we're also being charged the credit card surcharge the owner gets. More transparency is expected. read more