****Meh****** Not impressed. Definitely go at least once so you can see I'm not lying. I won't go back. Some people say it's like a star being born, it's like watching a plane about to crash and burn. + LONGEST WAIT TIMES I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED + Portions were extremely small + Pricey + Too many flavors in one meal + They clearly lack identity read more

It was a fun experience. Appetizers were tasty and unique. The main course tasted similarly to a Blue Apron meal which was disappointing to me. That's not exactly an insult but maybe I am spoiled. I get high quality steak and broiled vegetables regularly with Blue Apron. The dessert wasn't anything special or amazing. Owner was very nice and accommodating. Lighting was too bright. Too many people were waiting on us. Great care was put into everything. We had flowers at the table and liked the privacy of having them there. One of the waitresses decided for us that we didn't want them there and took them away. I am rating a little higher because of the obvious care and effort from the owners and staff. It was cool to be able to watch the chefs cook too. Was slightly disappointed in the main course. read more

What a great dinner! Nadine was a fabulous & engaging host. The atmosphere was welcoming. I did forget that it was a BYO restaurant but there was a liquor store conveniently located across the street. The meal: Small: Char Grilled Octopus and Twice cooked Pork Belly & Artichoke and Goats Cheese Dip. If I had to pick just one - it would be the pork belly- perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of sweetness. Big- Braised Lamb Shoulder, Braised Short Rib, Venison Loin, & Branzino. The lamb shoulder was one o the best dishes I have ever had. It was so tender and flavorful and the bao buns were great. Dessert- Peanut Butter Bavarois, Warm Coconut Sticky Rice, Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse & Malted Milk Ice Cream. All of the dessert were incredible. My favorite was the peanut butter bavarois - perfect balance of pb & chocolate without being overly sweet. We will definitely be back! read more

Have you ever witnessed a star being born? Well, after visiting Common Lot, I can say that I have. My dining experience here was the finest I've had in NJ. From the decor and vibe, to the service we received, and naturally, the creative and expertly executed cuisine served, my visit to Common Lot was superlative and would compete respectably anywhere in NYC or elsewhere, in my opinion. The ambiance is casual but sophisticated, but by no means stuffy. They are serious about what they're doing, but in a whimsical way. The room has an open plan, with the open kitchen at the back of the space serving as anchor. The decor feels West Elm-ish, with a lot of wood and iron trimming, industrial lighting, and shabby chic accents. The area is spacious, but not cramped. I would say there is seating for somewhere between 25 and 40 guests. I spoke briefly with one of the proprietors and she informed me that things are going so swimmingly at the moment that they are booking up well in advance, so you'd be wise to make plans ahead of time if you intend to visit. Now about the food. The menu is divided by small plates for sharing, entrees, large portions for two, as well as dessert. Of the starters, we tried the duck egg served with spätzle, mushrooms and gruyère, and the pork belly over grain risotto with mustard seeds. These were both incredibly delicious and beautifully prepared. The former was hearty, savory and creamy. The latter was decadent, rich and so tender. Of the mains, we tried the halibut and the braised duck leg ragu over gnocchi. These were both also ridiculously tasty and creative dishes. The former was served with morel and chanterelle mushrooms, peas, green beans and fava beans. The fish was perfectly cooked and had a wonderful umami essence to it. The latter was probably my favorite dish of the night. I could have eaten another whole portion of it. The savory and tender duck ragu was served over light and fluffy gnocchi, complemented by shiitake mushrooms and finished with parmesan. It was insanely good. After that onslaught, we were pretty full, but the meal was too good to end there, so we opted for some dessert. We chose their version of carrot cake, which is somewhat of a deconstructed and abstract version. It consisted of a carrot cake "puck" with cream cheese icing, smothered in praline glaze, and served with shreds of candied carrot, cocoa nibs and salted ice cream. Wow. We definitely did not need dessert, but I'm very glad we tried that. It was sweet and savory, very playful and completely original. For now, the place is BYOB, but they are prepared for whatever you're ready to throw at them. I brought a nice bottle and they did not hesitate to produce a decanter and handle it as a sommelier would. Their stemware is top notch, so I'm wondering if they're angling for a liquor license of some sort in the future. A lesser known fact about this establishment is that they also have an option called Kitchen Pass, which is basically their take on the Chef's Table concept. There are 4 seats available at the kitchen counter and a prix-fixe "surprise" menu is served. I hope to try that during my next visit. Regardless, you really can't lose here, no matter what you decide. Common Lot is a great addition to the area, and is going to blow up. I'd suggest getting in on the action while it's still accessible - you can thank me later! read more

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I went to the Common Lot tonight for perhaps the eighth or ninth time. I'll preface this by saying other meals were very good. The appetizers, which the steak tartar and pork belly, were very good. I should add that my wine buddy and I brought Grand Cru white Burgundy, 98+ point cult California Bordeaux blend and Washington State Syrah. Ridiculously good wines. We ordered the lamb shoulder. It came out a bit cold with coagulated fat. It was simply not good. The maitre de came to defend the lamb. The "forensics" say.... Seriously?! Just say, I'm sorry. What a joke. That attitude was worse than the food. Make sure you look at what's served before you try it. This one was a bust. read more

I know there's good food to be had here. But we had a wildly inconsistent meal. As many reviewers have said, for these prices ($30-40 per entree) you really should have a gourmet experience. But our food ranged from just okay, to inedible. Desserts were the only shining star for us. But I really do think it could have just been an off night. For appetizers, we had the grilled octopus and the roasted squash. The best I could say about them is that they were fine. Absolutely nothing wrong with them, but nothing that stood out. For entrees, we had the Char and the Pork Porterhouse. The Char, again was fine, maybe even good, but not great. The Pork on the other hand, was so incredibly salty that I couldn't eat it. I thought, maybe it's just the sauce that was salty, but the sauce by itself wasn't salty at all. I don't know how it got like that, it tasted as if it had been soaked in brine for a few hours. Also, the meat ranged from near raw (translucent, pink) near the bone and well done near the edges. I know they say medium rare pork is fine to eat, so I wasn't even going to bring it up. To their credit, they made no fuss about taking it back and swapping it with another item. I got the charred broccolini. Again, it was fine. The desserts, however, were fantastic (creamsicle semifreddo, and a chocolate mousse), and this almost brought it up to a 3 star review, but for a restaurant to which we would probably never return, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The entire menu changes seasonally, so this could be an entirely different experience in a month or two. I suppose if dropping $150 on dinner for two doesn't bother you, I might still recommend Common Lot, just temper your expectations, and there's a good chance you may have a better experience than I did. read more

Fantastic , always looking for some great upper scale dining spots in NJ. And this place has it all. Great food (smaller menu, but not an issue for me) , nice ambiance. And excellent staff. This actually stood out the most as I can't recall a staff that courteous in NJ. read more

A very enjoyable first experience. We enjoyed the new sensations and presentation. My favorite was the Sous Vide duck egg small plate. Great service and ambiance. I will return and try again read more

Common Lot - New American Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

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Let me begin by saying that we are Papermill Playhouse season ticket holders and look forward to dining in Milburn whenever we are in town to see a show. We've probably already tried every restaurant in Milburn so we were excited when we learned that Common Lot had joined the list. The restaurant as a whole is very clean, nicely decorated, well situated, with knowledgeable / helpful servers - however we were a bit disappointed with our meal. First and foremost we found the prices to be a bit high for what you got - granted they do use fresh ingredients (farm to table). Second, their appetizers, which they call 'Small to Share' are too small to share - maybe they should rename them 'Small to Sample'. We ordered the $14 avocado salad, and although very tasty, was hardly enough for one person. So much so that we had to order the $16 beef tartare just to hold us over until our dinner arrived. Between starters and entrees no bread or salad was served. I'd suggest that at these prices they should at least provide some breadsticks. For our main entrees we ordered the plancha seared fluke ($28) and the braised duck leg ragu ($29). Both were fresh, delicious, and of any average size portion. However, I was clearly taken aback when I requested a couple of pieces of bread to dip in the remaining ragu sauce (it was that good) but was told that although they would give me some it's not customary to do so. Huh? We did not have dessert - so cannot comment. It is BYOB which at least saved us a few $$s. read more

Overrated and overpriced. The menu lacks experimentation and a healthful variety. Disappointing

So there we are, staring at a $75 piece of overcooked, dry lamb on our table, served with...romaine lettuce leaves and brown rice. I'll just let that sink in for a moment. To be fair, we loved the ambiance, loved the desserts and loved the location. I could have done without the lamb, obviously and the abrasive waiter who took our plates away without asking if we were done. I wasn't. I wanted just one more taste of that leathery, crumbly meat. read more

We loved everything we ordered. Wagu beef tartar was great, goat cheese cheesecake was amazing, octopus was tender. Decor was nice. Reservation read more

The reason for the four stars was the Lamb Shoulder!!!! Off the charts! It was one of the best dishes I have had. So tender so deliciously seasoned and the accompanying pickles went perfectly with the dish. We shared some small plates for appetizers. The grilled octopus was very good and tender although I did not like the ginger with it. ( just my tastes) We also had the spatzle with the duck egg. I wish it was just the egg yoke because seeing the creepy egg whites mixed with the spatzle just grossed me out and was more of a consistency issue for me. The fingerling potatoes were just ok for me. Wish they came out hot and crispy and I was was not a fan of the burrata cheese with it. I think I would come back if they changed some of the small plates to include some more "staple type" dishes. I am all for the creativity and diversification of flavors, but would at least like to have a couple of familiar type dishes on the menu as well for those folks who don't always feel like being adventurous. read more

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Great dinner but I'm not sure this place is worth all the hype and the month advance booking! The space is nice but not up to ny standards with ny prices. Also, fancy paper napkins are given, they could have splurged on real napkins! Service was good although we were advised to get way too much food for two people and although the waitress did not know the answer to our dietary restriction question and did not offer to go inquire. Started with the duck confit leg with spaetzle I enjoyed it but my husband wasn't a big fan. We also had the charred octopus which was yummy and the roasted butternut squash which was very flavorful and surprisingly the highlight of our appetizers. For our main course I had the ocean char which was very well prepared and my husband enjoyed his sirloin! read more

One of the best meals I've had in Jersey in a long long time. Just absolutely fabulous. You can tell the chef is incredibly talented and why it's tough to get a reservation on a weekend. Hostess was pleasant and welcoming. Our waiter was kind and attentive. And more importantly.... our food was all on point. We had the pea guacamole, octopus, butternut squash, beef tar tar, and the lobster. Everything was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. For dessert we did the pistachio rice pudding and it was to die for. Can't wait to come back and maybe do the chef's counter. Highly recommended! read more

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One of the best meals I've had in a long time! Everything was beautifully presented and the flavor was spot on! Definitely going back soon.

Might be one of the best restaurants I've tried in a long time. Common Lot in Millburn is truly unique...in every GOOD possible way! From the moment you are greeted at the door to the entire dining experience, CL nailed it on so many levels. Tips...if you are social, sit at the communal table. my wife and I had a blast with a group of new friends. Also, for the adventurous, use the Kitchen Pass. I've heard from our new friends, well worth it. read more

Went to Common Lot on Saturday... The review as follows... Greeted nicely and seated quickly Appetizers (small plates were absolutely fantastic...shared the broccolini(sp)..the shrimp and octopus)..repeat..absolutely anazing. The main course..shared the pork chop and the halibut (which was a substitute for fluck).. The pork chop was fatty..small and overpriced (I had a better pork chop at Texas RoadHouse)..the halibut had a bit of a fishy taste so thumbs down.. Desert..shared the creamsicle and the chocolate mousse...terrific( and the coffee was very good) and had a honey lemonade also.. It's byob so bring liquor Service was very good...not in your face Next time would just double up on the small plates and then skip to desert.. Enjoy to all those who go...ill give it a strong 4 out of 5 read more

My boyfriend and I went there for the first time, AMAZING NIGHT AND SERVICE. James was so respectful and friendly over the phone when I called for reservation. He acknowledged as we were leaving and referred me by last name. I will definitely go back, great team work I used to work as a server the management team is on point. Thank you for a wonderful evening and service. I highly recommend this place read more

A credit card is a must for all reservations and a $25 PER PERSON cancellation charge is in place if you cancel within 24 hours. Pretentious and unnecessary ! Things happen. People have kids. You are alienating your customers w those types of policies. The only one in town who does so. read more

Enjoyed last night the "Kitchen Pass" delight. We sat at a high top bar-like counter over looking the kitchen. Being in the Chef business for 30 years, this was right in my wheel house! We started our culinary trip with a Roasted Cantaloupe soup with micro flowers and chrysanthemum petals. An absolute winner. One thing, as this is a 9 course meal, the portions are really small,as they should be, but two soup spoons full and it was a memory. Next up was a succulent Blue Fin tuna crudo, Funky lime caviar, like a new age pop rocks!, tart green strawberry slices and a touch of wasabi mousse. Exquisite!Then we enjoyed an Alaskan crab with a ground pine nut base and micro flowers, a taste sensation! Next up was a Plancha seared Diver Scallop with creme fraiche base, dehydrated truffles and more sliced truffles above. This was presented beautifully in a scallop shell over a bed of colorful rocks which went hand in hand to follow the earthy flavors of the truffle mushrooms. Just a party in your mouth! Next course was a creamy grits with tender baby clams and a eye-popping floral arrangement painstakingly composed by Larissa, one of the assistant chefs on duty. Now our appetites are in full swing, we were served a Plancha seared Atlantic Fluke over English peas and an avocado mousse, moist and velvety, cooked to perfection. Our next main course was a PK Pork chop over dandelion greens and sauteed Crimini mushrooms. The chop was a little overcooked to my liking but my wife's was a little less cooked, so I ate mine and hers! Winding down on our gastronomic travels, we were served a "palate cleanser" of an IPA beer ice cream with mango bits. A little strange when a palate cleanser is usually acidic, such as a lemon sorbet, but it was smooth and creamy. The pièce de résistance was our "Happy Anniversary" dessert. House-made chewy, buttery,chocolate chip cookies,a wedge od bittersweet mousse, shave dark chocolate and a quinelle of luscious ice cream. We thoroughly enjoyed our 38th anniversary at Common Lot. This was an experience we will never, ever forget. People, go make a reservation and give them a try. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! read more

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We were able to get a reservation to try Common Lot on a Thursday night. We sat at the long communal table in the middle of the room. You never know how that's going to go, but they did a good job separating "areas" with flowers. We still ended up chatting with the people that sat next to us. Everyone was very upbeat. Server was great - very happy and mellow. Uncorked the wine (it's BYO) and got us water to get rolling. We started with 3 small plates. Egg & Chips: A bag of homemade potato chips with a poached egg added table side - then shaken. Eat these first while the chips are crispy. Completely delicious mix of fat, salt and crunch. If you let them sit they will get soggy. Pea Guacamole: Tasted like a very clean and fresh hummus more than guacamole. But still very good. Mixed t with the sauce that came next to it and was just as good. Fingerling Potatoes: Potatoes are cooked in lamb fat and mixed with burrata. Again, lights out. Cheese mixed in perfectly with the onions and potatoes. Felt as though all dishes were shareable. Three of these were the perfect number for the two of us. We opted for the special fish for two - it was red snapper. We devoured the entire thing - even the cheeks (top side was better than bottom #BecauseCrispySkin). Sides were kind of "meh". Rice was on the dry side and salad was fairly basic, but we weren't that interested in them anyway. For desert we had the 3 types of mousse and the pistachio rice pudding. Wife said rice pudding was great, and I was a fan of the chocolate and dulce de leche but was lukewarm on the peanut butter. Nadine (one of the owners) stopped by and was very nice. Showed us the upstairs room as well. I give the visit five stars because you can tell they are ready to be creative and really care about what they are brining to the customer - both in experience and in food. My only recommendation would be to paint a 1 foot high black strip around the bottom of the windows in the kitchen. Seeing all of the prep equipment and packaging in the kitchen from the street detracts from overall ambience and professionalism of Common Lot. Common Lot is a fantastic addition to Millburn. If you like Redux in Madison, or One Hundred Steps/ A Toute Heure in Cranford, do yourself a favor and try Common Lot. read more

Came here with roommates and had a great time. Awesome environment and great food!

The only reason I'm giving this establishment one star is because they rushed us out when they had plenty of tables for seating. It's rude to hover over people to quickly turn the table when you are a byo. Over priced as well!! read more

Really glad we decided to come here, as it's the best place we have been to in the area. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is cozy, and the service is great. It's also a BYO, which makes it a no brainer for us when we are looking for a great meal at a reasonable price. The only downside is that you need to book so far in advance. read more

Fresh food, expertly prepared ...What more could you ask for? Service was OK. I personally hate driving in Milburn and parking even more so. But the BYOB offsets that challenge!!! read more

Wonderful dinner caring and attentive staff. Phenomenal food. I ordered the seared tofu, short ribs and strawberry ice cream. Out of this worl delicious. I am definitely going back. read more

Common Lot was excellent. Good food and nice service. Arctic char and ribeye entrees were stars. I do agree with other reviewers on here that I don't know why it's so difficult to get a reservation, but it's not worth deducting any points. We just had to eat at 9:30 (although we arrived probably 20 minutes early and our table was ready). But the napkins ARE weird. read more

Meal was mediocre at best! Staff was super friendly. Seated immediately. No wait for server. Wait service was very attentive. Appetizers were good but came out like rapid fire. We ordered 3 to share. I felt a bit hurried during this portion of dinner. Halibut was good, had nice flavor. The steak, I don't care what they told me this was not prime meat but we paid prime price. I will not rush back here anytime soon. I was so hoping that this would be an amazing place buts it's just another average restaurant in downtown millburn. P.S. Desserts were amazing! Whoever the pastry chef is clearly knows what they are doing. read more

Dinner was lovely. Friendly and attentive service with just the right amount of engagement. Beautiful atmosphere. Personal favorites was the Duck liver parfait (doesn't look like a traditional parfait but who cares - will come back just for that) and the hazelnut pie. The ocean trout was cooked perfectly but thought the carrot sauce was too sweet. Other dishes coming from the open kitchen looked delicious and hope to be able to try them in the future. read more

I had been dying to check out this place for a while and could never get a reservation. Finally, I got in and I couldn't wait. The atmosphere and décor were great and the service was certainly nice. I thought it was such a great idea for the restaurant to pair up with the neighboring liquor store for wine delivery for those of us who forgot to pay a trip to the liquor store prior to dining. The food was....lackluster. It's not that the food was bad. It's just that I was not blown away, as I had expected to be when I cruised the menu on the restaurant's website on numerous prior occasions. read more

We had a meal here with a couple of friends back in the winter, it was fantastic. We inquired about the chef's table, where there are 4 stools right on the open kitchen and you can talk with the chefs. We finally got our opportunity last night. Big WOW, what an experience, and what amazing food! You have the opportunity to interact with the chefs (6 or 7 of them who work so well with each other) and they are so friendly and open to questions even when they are busy. The first course was a ramp, garnished with tasty stuff, and it went on and on from there. My favorite was the octopus dish. I am not a big desert fan, but the pastry chef is top notch and I ate it all and was glad I did. I am going back for sure! read more

Common Lot is a must-try, amazing, culinary experience! Since dinner reservations were hard to come by, I decided to give it a try for a celebratory birthday lunch with my husband. I was beyond impressed and would rank this as one of the best restaurants I've been to (and I really enjoy eating and trying top restaurants). The lunch menu is filled with tapas style small plates perfect for sharing and for trying a variety of dishes. My husband and I shared the following: Twice cooked Pork Belly, Char grilled Octopus, Wagyu Beef Tartar, Sous Vide Duck Egg, Fish and Steak Taco. I could go into details about each and every dish since each one was unbelievably flavorful and delicious but it would take you forever to read the review so I won't go into it - just go check it out for yourself. On top of the high-quality food, the space has a cool, industrial yet rustic vibe with an open kitchen, and the service was excellent. Overall, it was a really top notch experience! I'm looking forward to trying their dinner menu. read more

We ordered four dishes - everything was excellent and the service was the perfect balance of friendly and informative, with the right level of attentiveness. We had a table overlooking the kitchen, which was terrible because I kept looking at the food in the pass and wanting to try other things on the menu! Guess I'll have to come back. read more

We waited a long time to get a reservation at Common Lot after reading pretty great reviews. Went there last night for my birthday. The meal started well. Four of us shared several smalls. Goat cheese and artichoke flatbread, pork belly and sashimi were delicious. Octopus was tender, but not memorable. We should have stopped there. The Bigs were a real issue. My partner and I shared the much praised rib eye for two for $85. It was chewy, sinewy and lacked flavor and was barely hot when served. One person ordered the pork, which he had to trim and left behind a pile of fat. He didn't enjoy it at all. The only acceptable Big was the arctic char, which again, was cooked well, but lacked seasoning. We had such high hopes for this place, but unfortunately left pretty disappointed. read more

I'm not big on yelp reviews but I have to say this place is worth it. I have no been here several times and every time gets better than the next. If you're a first timer, I highly recommend Kitchen Pass. When you arrive to this (BYOB, but they can order from a liquor store if you'd would like) you are greeted by the happiest staff in Millburn. You walk right up to the kitchen and take a seat overlooking the whole preparation process. You're taken through about 6 plates (some on menu, some off) and an exciting experience. Not only do the chefs tell you about the plate, but they answer each and every question you have. AGAIN -- nicest/happiest staff. I've been there when both Nadine and Ehren are there. They both are so meticulous in their work which not only includes cooking, but presentation & customer service. We have also dined as a regular dinner guest. OH MY GOD -- Get the dry aged prime rib. They actually dry it in house, and if you're really nice and there's no event going on they show you the space upstairs of the dry age process. Also, if I ever have a private party, it will be there. The room is quaint & it is filled with Nadine & Ehren's collection of cookbooks that they enjoy! Overall, this place is better than most of the restaurants in New York (as a former New Yorker I can say that) I will continue to go here & bring different groups of people because I feel like everyone should know about it! read more

What a refreshing change to the food landscape of Millburn. In a town with so many restaurants that offer the same thing, Common Lot offers a welcome variety in menu, culinary technique, and overall dining experience. From the knowledgeable service staff, wonderful ambiance, and well thought out menu, you can't go wrong. We had the bag of chips, charred broccoli rabe, salmon sashimi, and a few other items, and all were a wonderful representation of the ingredients and perfect for sharing. The entrees were another set of wonderfully put together dishes, from the aged duck, the wonderful steak or even the vegetarian option, everyone hit the mark. Finally we ordered a few dessert options to share and go along with our coffee selections, and I'm glad we did. It was the best way to finish off a spectacular meal. Definitely a must try, and then a must return numerous times. read more

Amazing in every way Service and atmosphere top notch Nyc style We enjoyed the monk fish on the bone ( very unique presentation) and the lobster appetizer Ingredients and presentation exceptional By far the best meal, service and atmosphere combined read more

Been there twice now...wife loves the place also...had two great meals and service was on point both times...BRING YOUR OWN is an added plus. We will back and soon. read more

Amazing restaurant, we went there as a group of 6. The atmosphere and the quality and taste of the food was tremendous. Highly recommend the bag of crisps to start out with and the hassle back potato. The chef was very warm welcoming and accommodating. Looking forward to going back!!! read more

Common Lot - Beautiful photo of the open kitchen, with seats available to watch the chef do his finest work! - New American Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey