The Rack – Café & Chill Spot

Maplewood, United States

3.3

30 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 973-327-2353
Website:
therackccs.com
Address:
1844 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ, 07040
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.8 miMaplewood
0.9 miStuyvesant Avenue at 40th Street
1.1 miStuyvesant Avenue at Morrison Avenue
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Good For
Brunch
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Divey
Noise Level
Quiet
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Good for Working
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Maplewood) 2:33 AM Monday, June 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The smell of fresh baked muffins and freshly brewed coffee fills the air as you sit and enjoy a homemade breakfast, lunch or slice of pie alone or with friends. Stop by today. Once you come inside, we promise you’ll want to stay.

Coffeehouse and lounge, breakfast and lunch café, we are the ideal place for you to hang out, enjoy a drink, some delicious food, and catch up — with a friend or a book! Try menu favorites like our biscuit breakfast sandwich, the chicken swiss panini served with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, and swiss cheese, and a homemade soup. Sweet tooth? We’ve got an assortment of fresh baked goods everyday like our famous chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cake.

Place your cake, pie, and cookie orders with us for events from tea parties to baby showers, birthday parties to graduation events. We also provide an elegant yet comfortable space for cocktail events and group meetings.

We are a BYOB environment so if you need a mimosa with your Sunday brunch, bring the champagne and we’ll provide the unforgettable eats and orange juice!

History

Established in 2014.

The Rack Café & Chill Spot has been serving up fresh baked goods, delicious coffee, and great meals to the people of Maplewood, NJ since 2014. Our mission is to be the go to spot for hanging out and enjoying company of friends and family over great food. With so much success so far, we look forward to adding you to our growing list of happy customers.

Meet the Business Owner

Mo A.

Business Owner

Mo and her sisters decided to open The Rack to bring the best in baked goods and delicious food to Maplewood. They developed a concept where people can come and hang out, chill a while, and spend time catching up with an old friend or a book! They encourage you to stop by soon; you’ll want to stay a while!

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Vicinity

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30 reviews of The Rack – Café & Chill Spot

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Maplewood, NJ
Absolutely amazing, food made from scratch, great atmosphere, music is relaxing nothing too crazy after a long days work. I recommend the chocolate oat bar, chicken jack with peppermint raspberry lemonade. The price isn’t bad AT ALL you almost think your robbing them.
Place rating: 1
Maplewood, NJ
I figured I’d try The Rack instead of DD for an iced coffee.
I walked into a large empty space. Nobody was at either of the two counters to take my order. A woman finally appeared from the back room and I ordered my drink. Despite the simplicity of my order and the fact that the eatery was empty, I waited a while for my drink. The woman returned after a while to give me my drink and I paid her. She was curt, if not outright unfriendly. My iced coffee was grey… I didn’t even try it.
The décor was mismatched and shabby.
Next time, I’ll stick to DD. It’s cheaper and better.
Place rating: 1
Springfield, NJ
This place could be so promising– however– something needs to change. The food was actually ok even though it was a bit pricey. What got me was, my husband and I wanted a cappuccino and café mocha, they told us their machine was out of order. I just asked for water and my husband got a regular coffee. When the bill came, they actually charged us $ 1.50 for my water!!! Really?!? Because my husband knows me all too well, he didn’t show me the receipt until we were already out the door half way down the block because I did flip out. Not only is YOUR machine broken but then have the audacity to charge me for water!!! Arghhhhh!!! No!!! Way! Ever!!! Coming!!! Back!!!
Place rating: 2
Irvington, NJ
Waiting for food at this place is painful. It literally takes forever to get your food. I’ve come here several times hoping it’d get better but I think this is it for me. There’s no reason anyone should wait 30 mins to get orange juice and another 30 mins for food. This is simply ridiculous. I walked in at 12 and food didn’t come out until 12:52. It’s just too bad.
Place rating: 3
Westfield, NJ
Came here today to try the biscuit breakfast. Here are some pros and cons of my experience
Pros: delicious biscuits and good turkey sausage, inexpensive, cozy atmosphere
Cons: very slow service, décor looks, incomplete, sink had no soap (conditional satisfactory rating ?)
Not sure if I will return.
Place rating: 2
Newark, NJ
Stopped by for takeout. Had to wait awhile for my food. When i finally received my order. I could smell a burnt aroma coming from the bag. When i got home and opened the container i realized it was my fish that was burnt. It’s waaaaaay past time for the grease to be changed. The menu stated the fish and grits to be whiting but i received another fish which i believe was cod. We didn’t receive the toast that came with the meal. Not sure if i would go back.
Place rating: 5
Jersey City, NJ
I’ve been going to The Rack for a few months now. Mo hosts a new moms group one morning a week. She welcomes 10+ moms and their babies. She takes such good care of us. The food is always fresh and delicious. I love the biscuit breakfast sandwich and the home fries. Yum. I’ve also had lunch many times. The food sometimes takes a little more time than other places but that’s because everything is cooked at the time you order it. Coffee is also always hot and delicious! Great local place!
Place rating: 5
South Orange, NJ
I love the Jerked Smoke’n Bird panini (Jerk Chicken & Mango Chutney with American Cheese). It’s is a perfect place for breakfast or lunch, service is amazing!
Place rating: 5
Newark, NJ
This was my boyfriend and I’s first time visiting here and we were so pleasantly surprised! We were looking for somewhere to go for brunch and decided to go to Unilocal for some assistance and found a gem! I ordered the homefries breakfast which was homefries two eggs, thick turkey bacon and sausage. He had the «Top Rack» which consisted of two ridiculously thick and fluffy waffles, two eggs, turkey bacon and sausage as well. Delicious is an understatement on how good this was. We’re both surprised we haven’t heard of this before but we’ll definitely be coming back to explore more of the menu!
Place rating: 2
Manhattan, NY
I have been wanting to check this place out for awhile. My macchiato was good and my friend enjoyed her latte. It was fairly quiet even though there were a few customers which was nice. The service was lacking — the woman behind the register was not very friendly and she disappeared into the back for a long time. Maybe she was the cook too? The décor is pretty nondescript and the furniture does not really go together. The counter and display is very small. And there was an odd smell. I really want to see this place thrive. It’s a great location and it seems like their food is good in addition to their coffee. I would recommend a redesign, including a new counter and display, more color, better lighting, and maybe some new furniture, as well as a warmer, friendlier environment. I’m sure there is a local designer that would love to help.
Place rating: 3
Bronx, NY
The food was great. No issues there. The service was delayed however and communication was minimal. It was super quiet and nice but it didn’t feel like a place I would be excited to go back to. Simply because the service was spaced out. Literally.
Place rating: 4
West Orange, NJ
I went there around noon and it was only 3 customers in the place. The setup was laid back and it seem like it would be a nice place to sit and eat dinner. However, my meal was to go, so I didn’t get the full feel, plus it was early in the day. With that said, the chicken salad, BBQ wings and fries were delicious. I was also please with the wait time of me getting my food since it wasn’t crowded. You have to park your car on the street since I didn’t see a parking lot for them. But other then that, I’ll go back.
Place rating: 4
Elmont, NY
A friendly atmosphere, nice ambiance and fresh good hot food. Good portions too. Wifi ready. Fresh baked pastries and clean.
Place rating: 5
City of Orange, NJ
One of my favorite things about the rack is the vegetarian options. Almost anything you can get on the menu, you can get a vegetarian version of the same meal. With vegetarian food not being the easiest to come by, it’s nice to have delicious paninis and soups to choose from. I also love the baked goods, muffins, cookies, pies, etc,. Every dessert I’ve had has been great (and I’ve had a few).
Place rating: 1
Ridgefield Park, NJ
The service was terrible. I would not recommend The Rack to anyone. My friend and I sat on a sofa, because they have more couches than actual dinning tables. There were 3 workers doing the waitressing and cooking. They were completely inadequate, we waited almost two hours making our brunch date into a lunch date. The food isn’t special either (cold coffee) we would be better off at a diner or even IHOP.
Place rating: 3
Maplewood, NJ
I’ve been to The Rack a few times since moving to Maplewood. I would have to agree with previous reviewers, in that there are positives like delicious waffles and paninis and negatives like slow service and being «nickeled and dimed».
While I really like the décor and ambiance, I will agree about the bathroom needing … more attention. While I enjoy the food on the menu, I will attest to being billed after the fact for a little more milk for my young daughter.
I realize that this is a family owned business, but there were times when we were rung up by a young lady who barely cracked a smile and seemed to be there just because they needed someone at the register. And by register, I mean an iPad on a stand.
Overall, I have enjoyed eating and «chilling» at The Rack. I would keep going for the delicious «racks» and sausage, but would love it if they put more effort into bathroom cleanliness and customer service.
Place rating: 1
Kenilworth, NJ
It usually takes a lot for me to complain, with that being said it’s pretty easy to complain about «the rack.» My girlfriend and I wanted to try a new breakfast spot, we are big foodies so we came with an appetite. Unfortunately it took about 15 minutes to get service, and then about 45 minutes to get 2 iced coffees, and finally about an hour for food. Not once did we get any kind of explanation or apology, as if this is normal. I must say the coffee was really good, but the food was just ok, definitely not worth the wait though. The quickest thing this place did was take my money. Unless you have 2 hours to kill for a mediocre meal, you should probably skip «The Rack»
Place rating: 1
Jersey City, NJ
We arrived and were not greeted at the door or seated. After waiting we decided to seat ourselves then the server came over. There were 3 tables seated. We ordered coffee and breakfast items. We waited 25 – 30 minutes and still didn’t get any of our drinks or food and no word from the server. Didn’t even get milk for our 5yo. We decided to leave and let the staff know. Even for that I walked to the back and had to stand there and wait because all staff were in the kitchen. Maybe the food and drink is ok, we never got a chance to try it but this place needs better management.
Place rating: 4
Coral Terrace, FL
I love it.
Not fatty foods. (oily)
Everything looks fresh made
Is not the regular restaurant where you have a waitress all the time.
is like self service. but food is good.
Place rating: 1
Morristown, NJ
Let’s start from the beginning shall we?
First I came here with my mother around 12pm; we were both seeking a new local brunch place and stumbled into The Rack. We were not greeted at the door by anyone, but were welcomed with dirty dishes on the tables. We sat ourselves down and waited for nearly 15 mins for someone to come out and greet us.
Usually when you’re at any SIT DOWN restaurant a server comes to table and takes your order. NOT HERE. once we sat ourselves down we had to get up and come to cashier to place our order. Which completely through me off, they have an ipad that for whatever reason couldn’t be used freely? So once we placed our order fillet fish and grits and fillet fish and chips, we waited another 20 minutes to get our drinks and almost an additional 45 mins for our food.
During my long wait for my food, I needed to use the bathroom; I must say this had to be the nastiest bathroom i have ever seen outside of a dive bar. The floors were so dirty and there was an extremely loud vent that came on when you turned on the light. The mini trash cans where overflowing with garbage, there was no toilet tissue holder (so it was placed on the back on the toilet), I couldn’t get out that bathroom fast enough.
Now 45 mins has past and we finally get our food, mind you fish doesn’t take 45 minutes EVER, the bather of the fish was good but it was filled with bones and you could tell that the fish was very cheap. My mother’s potatoes were not cooked all the way.
All in all I would NEVER come here again, by far the worst experience i have ever had.
Place rating: 1
New York, NY
I’m not entirely sure what all the rave reviews are about. The place is a little dingy. I ordered the jerk chicken sandwich and was told I could upgrade the fries to a salad for $ 1. The upgraded salad was a few pieces of lettuce with mushy, mealy tomatoes! Hardly edible and hardly an upgrade! When the sandwich was SO SPICY I couldn’t even eat it (and I’m Indian so I’m used to spicy!), I asked for an extra slice of cheese to cut the spice. They said no problem. On my way out, the server stopped me and said she needed to ring me up. I told her I had already paid when I ordered. «Oh, no, I need to ring you up for the extra cheese.» So she rang me up $ 0.80 for an extra slice of American cheese! This is the worst way to do business! They should have just been gracious about it since I couldn’t even eat the sandwich! Even if everything else was perfect, which it was far from, this lack of graciousness alone will make me never come back. To the owners: Serve high quality food, especially salads, and don’t chase a customer down for eighty cents when your food is so spicy it’s inedible!
Place rating: 5
Paris, France
Ignore that Daulton B. Review. I’ve been going to The Rack every single time I’m on the East coast (I’m in the Air Force and now stationed in North Dakota) since it’s opened, and it has always been great. The muffins are never stale (I’ve had the whole wheat muffin and the corn muffin). All of their baked goods are always fresh and perfectly moist (I’ve had the red velvet cake, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate oat bars, and peach and cherry pies). I have gotten fruit smoothies there and never seen a fruit fly. It is always clean. Lastly, how is it possible for there to be dirt inside of individually wrapped straws? The secret reviewer seems to have some kind of vendetta out for the owners. Everything in that review could not have been further from the truth. By the way, the coffee (both iced and hot) is great! I would recommend this place to any and everyone.
Place rating: 5
Roselle, NJ
Myself and my Girlfriend have been coming here every week for the past few weeks and the food is the BOMB! Great Atmosphere, Great Customer Service, & AWESOME Food!
Place rating: 5
Irvington, NJ
Great biscuit breakfast sandwich their home fries are delicious as well I can’t wait to go back to try the fish and grits!
Place rating: 3
North Miami Beach, FL
Nice and cozy. There are four couches towards the middle of the room. The walls were painted a soft sea blue. The décor was very seaside chic.
The girl at the counter was pretty young. It appeared to be a family owned business. She was a bit new at what she was doing and a little nervous too, but she did her best and that made it better.
Their playlist was great! Aaliyah to Drake to India Arie to Musiq Soul Child, great variety.
I ordered the eggs with bacon and sausage and a banana mango smoothie. What I appreciate was that all of my meat was turkey. I don’t eat pork so I liked that.
The only thing that I absolutely hated was that the place was filled with fruit flies. They serve smoothies so I can imagine how much fruit they go through but I can’t excuse them. That was pretty gross.
All in all, it was prefer nice. I’d return.
Place rating: 5
Philadelphia, PA
Great little café! Friendly sisters that own the café. Great spot to study and have delicious treats like smoothies, cakes, and pies!
Place rating: 5
Union, NJ
Great food, relaxing environment for reading, doing homework, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee with friends. The raspberry mint tea is my new go to drink. Plenty of parking which is a plus and a friendly staff. They also hold open mic nights for singers/​poets which I attended. It was cool, just make sure your early or you might end up standing. Overall great place, no complaints.
Place rating: 5
Maplewood, NJ
Iced coffee and mint tea are excellent. When we walked in a two year old ran up to us to give us a hug, so, nice first impression. The rest of our short visit was excellent. Can’t wait to come back and have more than just coffee drinks. This is the sort of business this strip of road can build upon.
Place rating: 5
Bronx, NY
Awesome service and people! I have been to The Rack several times over the last few months to plan an event. I went to their open mic night, which had so much talent and great food! I’ve gone during the day and had a delicious jerk chicken panini and on a different day I had an awesome homemade breakfast biscuit sandwich. I’ve had their German chocolate cake and apple pie which were both to die for on another occasion. They also make great iced lattes! Each time I went the food was delicious and the service very friendly and professional. My event (a surprise 40th birthday party for my boyfriend) turned out amazing and I know it was due in great part to these women and their great location! I highly recommend this place!
Place rating: 5
Dover, NJ
The Jerk chicken panini is to die for! Great ambiance and welcoming staff giving you service with a smile :) definitely one of Maplewoods hidden gems