Another trip to NJ, another trip to SAC. An unpolished gem. Conveniently located in Stockton, NJ, just a few minutes north of Lambertville and New Hope. Todd Ellis is a seasoned chef extraordinaire. Known locally for his outstanding BBQ at a former business he worked at, Todd brings creativity, quality, and music together for an exceptional experience. Limited parking on site, but enough within 50-100 feet. Plan on a relaxing and friendly time. My friend and I split a Philly cheese steak and a meatball parm sub, and each of us had a homemade lemonade. The Philly was legit. Shaved beef, Whiz, crispy onion and cooked onion, it rocked! The meatballs were perfectly cooked, covered in a homemade marinara and just the right amount of cheese. You'll thank me later. Go. Enjoy! read more

Starving Artist Cafe - Philly cheesesteak (plenty of cheese melted in) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Stockton, New Jersey

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Cute cafe, away from the bustle of Flemington, if you want to dine by the river but not be stuck in town all day. That was us, and Starving Artist sounded like a draw. Inside: Pick a spot to sit. We got there right as it opened, so it was pretty much "sit and we'll serve you." Two rooms - one is loud and built for music sets (maybe karaoke or other type nights also), the other was by the kitchen but also by the door, the counter, and... straight sightline to the bathroom. Which has two doors, by the way, one to the restaurant and one to the back. I was tempted to go out the back when I was done just for fun. Anyway, that's not why we came. We came for the food. Since this was a date, my mind was not fully on what I was eating, but I remember I thoroughly enjoyed it. Daily specials, beginning of Lent meant some non-meats, so an interesting selection that will change every time you visit. My date, not impressed as much. I do want to take both of our impressions into account, along with the atmosphere that needs some improvement. 4 stars feels like the right answer. read more

I ordered a Prosciutto Loaf to take as appetizer to a party. It was still warm when I picked it up. Had a piece as I sliced it to plate it. Amazing! It tasted like a meat lovers pizza w a tender bread dough. It was so good the hostess kept it back to enjoy later. I'll be back for another for my next party. read more

I live in the neighborhood and have stopped in a few times. Todd started smoking meats and WOW! ribs fell off the bone. broker was tender when I stopped a guy was just leaving. told me he was driving by and turned around when he saw the smoker - told me he was so glad he did!!! he recommended the ribs and potato salad! Amazing. read more

Overall this place was BS. Sorry to be harsh but not sorry. Reviews looked good. Ambiance was gonna be cool. Walked in it was chill, live music ... great... friendly cool waitress ... great. Ordered food ..waitress suggested a certain chicken sandwich , okay sure why not. Place was quiet at 650 on a sat nite. Again, cool ambiance, really chill, music and all. An hour goes by barely any food coming out of kitchen, told the waitress we're being patient but it's running thin. Waited an hour an 15 minutes no food.l except the small salad (that came with sandwich which never came). Ridiculous. We Walked out. Left money for the salad , way more than enough for the salad. The place is bullshit. Either say the food is gonna take an hour plus, your call, but no, they don't give a hoot. Could hear no movement in the kitchen. Only to be told only one "chef" on Staff. Still I could cook faster. Again this place ruined a great day on the river followed by a great winery nearby. This place blows ! As cute as it is , it blows. Maybe they could care less on ethnic or lgbtq too. Other places at the corner could've spent money at. They call it starving artist for a reason, we left starving. BS. read more

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Eclectic, funky, cool on the outside and inside. There were lives tunes. A giant chalkboard menu of specials. Art all over the walls. And an Elvis Christmas tree. What's not to like? Got wings and a sandwich. Absolutely nothing fancy or gourmet but it works for a cold, rainy day in Stockton. *AND* for dirt cheap. Bathroom is tight so no fun for my big bum but it works too for a cold, rainy day in Stockton. Lol. Cook came out to talk to us. That was a nice touch. Just a chill kinda guy who looked like he much prefer hanging with the band than being stuck cooking. I would probably be the same. read more

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My favorite place! Great food and service! The music is very diverse, a wonderful and mix. read more

The Starving Artist Cafe never disappoints! Todd, the owner, outdid himself once again last night. We ordered two Godfathers--the best chicken parm around--along with two sides of pasta and warm, fresh bread. As always, the food was incredibly fresh and absolutely delicious. It's BYOB, the music is always great, and the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed. Be sure to stop by and visit Todd and his amazing team. You won't be disappointed! read more

Another great meal at Starving Artist Cafe restaurant in thecBoro of Stockton, New Jersey. A BYO place with lots of live music, we like to sit outside near the Stage Door so we can see and hear the musicians. read more

Went for breakfast last Friday morning and was surprised to find that there was wonderful live music; folksy and chill. When the food was served, the order was mixed up - no problem, the waitress took it back and brought out our correct order. This is the second time I've eaten breakfast here, and both times the food was over cooked and had bits of burnt food stuck to it. I'm not a grill cook, but it seems like they need to keep their grill or pans cleaner? I want to like the Starving Artist Cafe, but I wish they would "clean up their act" read more

I really like this place, which has a very cool, casual vibe. Indoor seating and a nice dining outdoor area as well. Mostly sandwiches and casual platters, but the food is caringly prepared. I had a blackened tilapia sandwich with aioli and excellent fresh vegetables that was excellent. A great bonus was meeting the owner Todd, a very nice guy who makes everyone feel comfortable. Absolutely a must try if you are in the area. read more

This is a gem. Our new favorite place to eat. Friendly server. Friendly owner. Good food. Live music. Cool vibe.

The food is amazing and the price is right! Breakfast, lunch, and live music in a rockin' café setting! Take a break from the crowds in Lambertville & New Hope, and make your way about 10 minutes up the river to the best low-key meal this side of the Delaware where proprietor Tod the Mod will to bring you a most unforgettable experience "somewhere north of Nashville". read more

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Great find! Right across from the Stockton Inn, we strolled into this casual gem. No idea what to expect, but it had a great vibe. Two hours later, we were best friends with the owner, musician, and chef, Tod the Mod--and looking to book him for a big event. The sauces were off the charts. We were dunking like Michael Jordan. The mussels marinara, blackened tuna, and chicken Caesar were next-level. We're coming back for the rest of the menu. The mark of a great chef is their ability to nail the basics--they nailed it. P.S. Buy a few quarts of sauce on your way out. read more

Great food and great music, too? This place is the best. It has an awesome, artsy, funky vibe and regularly scheduled music. We were there last night and enjoyed awesome music, which we anticipated, but the food was a wonderful surprise! I ordered the soup, which was like the soup my Mom used to make and the meatball sub. My partner ordered the Godfather chicken parm and it was excellent and substantial. I wish I had enough room for dessert, as they have bananas foster which is my number one favorite, but I was totally full. I will be back soon to get my bananas foster. Great place and friendly folks, a total win-win! read more

Friendly, great service. Tasty food & good music. Dogs welcome when eating outside. Meatball sub was really good. French fries were done perfectly! read more

Amazing food! Service was excellent, crafted food and desserts , highly recommended, best place in lambertville and new hope area

It's a great restaurant with terrific food and wonderful live music. Just the other morning I had the best French Toast ever and a week before I had an amazing bagel with lox. read more

Starving Artist Cafe - Jim Gater and the Chicklets getting ready to perform. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Stockton, New Jersey

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Love this place! Great vibes, great food, great people! We actually started our night at the beautiful yet waaayyyy overpriced (and somewhat snooty) Stockton Inn across the street and we just had a great time with Tod and his staff. And the music was great too. Highly recommend! read more

Such a wonderful place! Food is good and the atmosphere is really very special. Music all the time with artists that will blow your mind!

We had gone for a bike ride along the canal and it was a beautiful day. We planned to eat lunch at the Starving Artist Cafe, since it was halfway on our journey and we were very hungry by then. The cafe had a charming interior and friendly staff. Unfortunately, the food was not great. We ordered hamburgers medium well, asking that they not be burnt. We were the only patrons in the restaurant at that point. Both hamburgers came out burnt. How hard is it to cook for the only two people in your restaurant and honor their request not to burn the food? read more

Great food in a cozy, funky space. Caught a Friday musician and will be again for that. Sunday breakfasts are to die for.

Best food and staff in the area. The amount of love for their craft and for their diners is evident. Tod is the best and has created something truly unique, worth visiting not just once, but over and over and over again! read more

Nestled on the corner of Bridge and Main Streets in Stockton, NJ, this gem of a restaurant is just a few miles up the road from the lovely but congested New Hope/Lambertville area. Owner and chef Tod "the Mod" Ellis has created a restaurant that combines terrific food and live music in one of the best and funkiest little restaurants I've ever experienced. The menu is small but mighty, and there are daily specials on the chalkboard. We both had Tod's version of a steak sandwich, which was beautifully seasoned flank steak on a super fresh roll. It had bits of perfectly roasted garlic - the best steak sandwich I think I've ever had. Plenty of other great offerings on the menu, and I look forward to going back there next time I'm in town. The Starving Artist cafe is unique, you won't find many places like this. Go for both the food and the music! You'll love it. read more

Ate lunch at Starving Artist after a bike ride on the canal. We parked our bikes and ate outside on their patio. Very comfortable. Food was very good. Steak sandwich was delicious, and juicy. Salad was very good too. Bread was nicely grilled. Wait staff did a good job. Will definitely return the next time we are in the area. read more

Great lunch - sandwiches rock! What, 85 characters? What can I say about this elixir? Really, across 29 from the Stockton Inn, quality and value. read more

We have been waiting to try this restaurant as we have been long fans of the owner from his previous stops. We arrived at 1:35pm on a Sunday afternoon and were promptly seated at a table out on the patio. From this point on the experience became painful. The waitress took our order after about a 20 minute wait to do so, from that point on we never were spoken to again. We sat and waited for our food to come out, watching as everyone else at the restaurant was served their food. When a family that was seated next to us after we had already been waiting for 30 minutes was served their meal before ours came out we finally said something. At this point we were giving them a chance to realize they probably forgot to put our order in, but the waitresses response when asked where our food is replied that "she's sorry and doesn't know what's going on". We then sat and waited another 10 minutes and heard nothing more from the waitress and went inside to check ourselves. When asked again we were again told they're sorry and didn't know what happened with our order. Instead of correcting the situation and promptly getting our order out they decided to continue to serve and make orders for anyone else. I would love to say the food was great but we never got a chance to try it. After 90 minutes of being ignored we left without ever getting served. Unfortunately as a local we were looking forward to this being a new spot for us as we eat out often, but that was a one and done for us and we will be swaying anyone who asks away from this place. Customer service and experience matters! read more

Great little spot in a cool town. Great music and atmosphere and awesome food. Todd and his crew rock!