Uncle Momo

I really want to give this establishment 5 stars, but the waitress my friend and I had is preventing me from doing so. We came a little past 5:30 and were 1 of 2 people there. The restaurant is small, cozy, and cute.
Upon entering and being seated, I noticed our waitress looked MISERABLE. Being in a great mood I ignored it until the end of our dinner when she collected our plates, and continuously ‘rained’ food on my friend. He even made a joke about it which she ignored. Bad day, personal problem, whatever it may be — one cannot forget customer service skills, especially in the service industry!
Putting her aside, the food was a-​m-​a-​z-​i-​n-​g! Appetizers ordered were: Baba Ganoush and Fatoush salad. They were both light yet delicious. Entrees ordered were: Beef Shawarma and Lamb Moussaka. I didn’t try the Shawarma but my friend did seem to enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed the Moussaka (first time eating it). It was one of those things you would crave on a cold Winter day, as it was warming for the soul. We were too full for dessert but next time, definitely.
When the crowd started to come, it was a nice mix of clientele. Seated directly to us was an older couple who gave me inspiration. They brought their alcoholic beverage of choice as this place is BYOB, talked, and enjoyed their food immensely.
I’d recommend this place despite that waitress. Perhaps she will be in a better mood next time, or there will be another waitress/​waiter.

The food is excellent. Great for lunch or brunch. The wait staff are awful. Very unfriendly, not very attentive, and slow. If you are okay with subpar customer service it is worth going for the food. I took off one star for the poor customer service. If we go back and the service improves I will revise my review.

Fresh, great tasting food. I can here for breakfast and it was delicious! They make fresh pita bread and serve it to you seconds after making it. I had the eggs Benedict which tasted great. The French toast at this place is the best French toast Ive ever had. The outside of the French toast is so soft and the inside is creamy and delicious. I’ll definitely recommend the French toast.

Very nice atmosphere full of characters, it is a mix of Mediterranean and European. I lover the fresh baked bread. Love the Moroccan tea. French toast must try, out of this world.

I went in hungry and left a little hungry. I felt it was overpriced and the service was slow and unfriendly. The food itself was okay and the atmosphere was… Interesting.

Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 1 star
I was here on a weekend morning for brunch. There was one other table. Our water was not refilled. The waiter asked us if we wanted our schwarma on a plate or sandwich and did not inform us how the entrée would change, or how the price would change. We finished our plates and it took ten minutes for them to be cleared. And then it took another ten minutes for us to ask the manager for our check.
It was, straight up, one of the worst service experiences I have ever had.

The food was pretty good though over prived. You have to pay for pita with the appetizers ??? Every single pita…
The waitress did not buss the table AT ALL. Service was slow and lack luster. I probably won’t return.

Uncle momo is the place to be!!! All the foods are fresh and just excellent customer service!!!

Me and the girls had brunch here on Sunday and we enjoyed ourselves. It’s nothing special about this place but if you like for a restaurant to feel like you at a relatives house for casual dinner then this is perfect! I had the arugula salad and the lamb and my bill was a little over 20 bucks which is good but still a tiny bit expensive for me… The salad was really fresh, my lamb on the other hand was so so, it had good flavor but was not hot when it came out and it could of used more of the tomato sauce that it comes with… The service was decent like I said «casual dinner» at a relatives… I do want to go back to try something from the breakfast menu

Get the fatouch salad with chicken! So delicious with its fresh ingredients and spices. It takes the average chicken salad to another level.

I love this place! The hummus eggs and especially the French toast was great! It is quiet and, unlike Toast next door, you can get seated immediately. Quick service with amazing food!

It’s a small place located right next door to a pretty popular Montclair joint called Toast, however I’d choose Uncle Momo over Toast any day. The food is better and so is the service. It might take a little while longer to get your meal because on a Saturday morning/​afternoon, there are only 2 people serving the entire place, BUT, the owner more than makes up for that with his hospitality and charm.
It was our first time visiting Uncle Momo, and though we were familiar with some of the cuisine, we weren’t quite sure of what to order. However, with some guidance from the owner who recommended the Tunisian Eggs, we ended up having lamb tagine and the Tunisian Eggs. They didn’t disappoint. The lamb was incredibly moist and flavorful while the Eggs and its sauce were unlike anything we’ve ever tried before. The pistachio ice cream didn’t taste like the fake pistachio ice cream you could pick up from a grocery store, and you can’t really complain about dessert when the owner takes it upon himself to give you baklawa on the house… maybe me peering into the glass case of baklawa gave away my deep desire for it? Who knows? But a wonderful place to go with lots of character and European-​esque charm.
(The reason for 4 stars instead of 5? The wait for service… but there were 2 servers in the entire place who didn’t stop running around once, so you’ve got to give them credit for not missing a beat.)

This place has potential, but I was left disappointed. As other reviewers mentioned, it’s in a cute little spot that reminds me of an old ice cream parlor. It does have great prices and BYOB is always a plus. The food itself is nothing special, you get what you pay for here.
My boyfriend and I came in around 5pm on a Saturday and we were pretty much the only people there. We were greeted by a man who I believe is the owner/​manager who was very short with us, and not friendly at all. I like inviting employees, but it’s not the worst thing in the world if they’re not. We ended up splitting the fatouch salad and chicken pitza. The lettuce in the salad seemed to be slightly wilted and didn’t have that rich green color to it. The pitza was pretty good, but a little on the bland side. If you’re looking for a hearty meal, this isn’t it. We also split the pistachio ice cream, which was very good and worth getting again.
My biggest issue here is when we had to go add money to the meter. We were almost done with our meals and wanted to go add 50 cents so we could stay there for 30 more minutes. My boyfriend went up to the owner and asked for change for just one dollar. The owner was rude and didn’t want to give us change. He first said we should just use our card, but who wants to put only 50 cents on their card? Then he said the quarters are for «customers only.» Umm we are customers! We have been sitting here ordering for the past hour. It was really bizarre and made us not want to return to the restaurant. If there are metered spots in front of your restaurant, you should be prepared to give your patrons change when needed.

We love this place for breakfast or dinner! We had the Ouzi (chicken and vegetarian) and it was delicious. As was the pitza! Dinner time was pleasant.
We have had breakfast multiple times here and I love their non-​American options, especially if you’re vegetarian and don’t want pancakes for breakfast (although they offer them and they’re delicious). So are the crepes! We have never had. Everyone we have brought here has lived the food — from fried eggs and steak to French toast and savory crepes. The service and kitchen are reliable and the mellow vibe (when compared to Toast next door) is much appreciated! We recommend going for any meal. Also, try the Nas Nas (cappuccino) with your breakfast.

Very good food, you can tell it’s made with a lot of love. Lose one star for slow service

I highly recommend the middle eastern eggs platter. The food was good. The hostess polite. The price is fair. Happy eating at Uncle Momo in Montclair.

Awesome service and very accommodating for our large group. The food is outstanding. We had brunch and everything was delicious and freshly prepared. We really enjoyed the meal and look forward to making this our family’s meet up spot. I had the lox omelette And we all shared the humus and pita appetizer. Very good

This place is awesome. First off, the décor and atmosphere is top notch. Really nice detail in the place.
The food is just as good. Love the menu, especially breakfast.
It is also well priced.

The food here is absolutely delicious. The food order was the lamb kebab plate with basmati rice and baba ganoush with made to order pita bread. Everything was seasoned to perfection and the staff was very attentive to everyone with the restaurant. I also had mint tea and nas nas which is a morrocan cappucino, then we ended it with fantastic baklava.
No complaints, ill most definitely be back

I had been wanting to come here for a good while, since I LOVE middle eastern cuisine. This will be a place that I definitely return too.
A group of 4 of us came here on Saturday afternoon. The place was not too busy and we were seated immediately. I loved the décor and the ambiance. They have some really interesting things on the walls and just had a cool, relaxed vibe.
I ordered the tunisian eggs: very good (I could have had them a little spicier, but still very tasty). The pita was to die for! So light and airy! I, also, tasted the beef sharma which was super flavorful!
The service was pretty good. The man, I believe to be the owner, was really nice; I liked his energy. I didn’t feel like they were trying to push you out, which was nice. However, a girl server left a little more to be desired. By the time, we did want the check and to pay, she was very slow to respond (even with us being only 1 of 2 tables there).
But, all in all, very happy with Uncle Momo and will be returning!

I don’t know who this Uncle is, but he left me wanting Mo’ and Mo’.
If Momo is the owner, chances are he’s also your server. French guy. Attentive, unlike French servers in France, who couldn’t care less about your dining experience since you’re an American tourist and they’re salaried employees.
As much as I can’t stand the tables and squeaky wooden, thin-​legged chairs here that leave me worried I’m going to fall to my ass with every bite I take, I really like the ambience. Very authentic Euro café feel to it, which extends into the bathroom as well. Be sure to check it out, even if you don’t have to actually use it. I’m thinking the chairs would work just fine for the skinny Euro metro type, but someone needs to remind Momo he’s in the United States, along with its overweight population.
Got the ouzi, a house speciality. Something different and very unique. Delicious, and the pastry puff was nice and light. The mixed grill is also a good way to go if you’re torn between choices. This option gives you chicken, sausage and Lebanese sausage.
Very reasonable prices, plus it’s BYOB!

I LOVE UNCLE MOMO’s! My sister brought me here and it has become a favorite. I am here at least once a week. My favorite is the beef Sharma, although everything I have had here tastes delicious.
Ali always takes exceptional care of me and my friends when we visit. I just found out they deliver, yay!

Excellent spot.
1) Came here for the Tunisian egg. It was great.
2) Ambiance is the best.
3) However, the service needs improvement. But the food is too good.

This is one of my favorite go-​to places for breakfast or lunch. Their menu has a wide variety that caters to many tastes.
If you’re not sure of what to get, try the Middle Eastern Eggs and the Salmon & Spinach Crepes. Always a good combo. The Beef Shawarma is excellent as well!
They serve their dishes with homemade pita, so fresh that you’ll ask for more. Make sure you try the Turkish Coffee!
I’ll pick this place over the long lines next door any day.

Came here for dinner after hearing a lot of buzz about this place. It’s located right across from Whole Foods, so parking isn’t really difficult in this part of Montclair. We actually scored a parking spot right in front of the restaurant.
Its very cozy inside and service is excellent. I am not sure who our waiter was as everyone was constantly coming to our table to make sure everything is in order.
After hearing the specials, I was very tempted to order the Bronzini, however I opted for the beef shwarma. We also ordered a cheese pizza, which is on pita bread and was excellent as well as the steak for my daughter.
For dessert they brought out Baklava, which was good, however not the Baklava I was used to or expecting. Nevertheless it was on the house and I enjoyed it!
Everything is been excellent and I am looking forward to returning here.
Its also B.Y.O.B. here.

Came here yesterday because I liked the name — Uncle Momo. Not sure what to expect, but was so pleasantly surprised.
Great coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, thin hot pitas, and tunisian eggs served in a shallow clay pot. Eggs were served on top of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic with a side salad and delicious roasted potatoes. Phenomenal! Kinda reminded me of the Lebanese version of huevos rancheros. The eggs were perfectly cooked and as they sat atop the hot pepper mixture they cooked more and the texture of the egg white became like a baked egg (if you like a runny yolk, break the yolk as soon as you’re served the dish).
Really, really, really impressed. Staff was cool, calm, and collected for a busy brunch crowd. The service was a little slower than I like, but our server gave us updates on the status of the order without us asking so the slow service made it more of a relaxed experience.

(3.5 stars)
Excellent food, under par service. We would have loved every bite of our meal here, but the service was so inconsistent, it made the dining experience a little frustrating. To begin with we were seated for around 10 – 15 minutes before anyone came around to ask us for drinks or offer any water. Simple things were lacking — water glasses never refilled, they forgot our drinks — Loomi (red colored citrus drink) and coffee. When they finally got it out — they didn’t give a straw or a spoon for either. There were just 2 people working the floor and the place was packed — they need to get in more efficient people to make things easier for their customers.
Also the tables are pretty cramped on the left side of the restaurant, so try and get a booth if you can — it will allow more breathing space.
The food:
There were four of us, so we ordered the mezze sampler & pita bread to begin with. We chose hummus, babaganouj, labne, foul and spinach + chickpea for our platter & everything was flavorful and fresh. We swapped every last bit of it with our fresh-​from-​the-​oven pitas, which were flaky and airy. Nice start.
For the mains we split the Moussaka, Momo Pitza and the mixed Kabab platter. The pizza was outstanding — this is a Mediterranean version of pizza which is made on a flaky naan-​type of bread. The crust was not super crispy, but the pizza itself was light and every bite was a burst of flavors. Everyone loved the moussaka and kababs as well. The chicken & lamb kababs on the platter were particularly well received & everyone loved it.
The coffee was excellent too — rich, decadent and creamy.
My friend also ordered a Nutella fruit crêpe for her 2-​year old, and requested they bring it out first as it was for the baby. Well, this was the one item that came last!
We were waiting for awhile for someone to come and clear our table and ask us if we wanted something else… eventually we made our way out & paid at the till. The servers at Uncle Momo didn’t pay any attention to detail — if they did, this could be a stellar dining experience.

Some of the best middle eastern food I’ve ever had and I’m middle eastern so this carries weight. The staff is super friendly. Had momo meze and the Tunisian eggs with mint tea for brunch. Everything was great. They also bake the pita bread fresh which is awesome.
We also had a chat with the owner/​chef who is a genuinely nice guy. The restaurant overall is warm, friendly and hospitable, the way real middle eastern restaurants should be.
Will definitely be going back.

I’d rate Uncle Momo more towards the 3.5 star rating. I’ve been meaning to try out this restaurant for quite some time and finally got around to it last night. The feel of the restaurant is intimate and almost set up like a small café. The restaurant was hopping on a Thursday evening around 7:00, but the service was quick and attentive.
My friend and I began with the hummus appetizer and it was delicious. It was creamy and light and had some chopped tomato to garnish it, which definitely added to the freshness. Like other reviewers have stated, I was disappointed that the pita was not included with the hummus. Though, to give the restaurant a break, the homemade pita is a nice sized portion, and if you order two pita for two people you’ll be all set. My friend ordered the falafel sandwich and I ordered the chicken pitza. The chicken pitza was delicious and had many flavors that complimented each other. It consists of lemon marinated chicken with garlic, red bell pepper, scallion and parsley. It was delicious, and even better as leftovers for lunch! My friend said her falafel sandwich was good as well, and I would have had a taste if I wasn’t so full from the pitza.
Uncle Momo’s is a cute little BYOB restaurant and I will definitely stop by again!

Food is OK at best.
Service is not so OK.
It’s pretty bad. The waiter was inattentive.
It was a White guy in late twenties with a short beard and mustache.
Had a terrible attitude.
The albino owner who was hosting did not even acknowledge us for about five minutes.
The place was filthy. Lost my appetite.
I will not be coming back.
See pictures below. Those are not my nasty feet either.

This place has awesome middle eastern food — try the ouzi and babaganush
Friend having lamb shank soup special
No more Bronzino tonite

*Mixed grill plate (combination of chicken, lamb chops, Lebanese sausage, and lamb kebab; I liked all the meat on this plate but the best thing was by far the lamp chops. They were cooked perfectly and not too gamey. I liked that they didn’t trim off all the fat so it held all the juices together in the meat while sitting at the table. The chicken kebab was tender, nicely seasoned and thankfully not dry considering it was chicken breast; the lamb kebab wasn’t my favorite thing, I’ve definitely had better ones but still a decent showing haha; the Lebanese sausage was the most unique meat on the plate, they were small sausage links, the taste was quite floral and sweet which I was not expecting, it took some getting used to for me but it was still pretty good, I wouldn’t mind eating it again but I think I just prefer a more savory and less floral-​fragrant meat; they served this with basmati rice in the middle; I thought the rice was kind of hard but it softened up a little bit when it soaked up some of the tomato sauce on the plate with the meat; thank god for that tomato sauce because otherwise the plate would be so dry and I am 100% a saucy girl!); *Momo pitza (roasted bell pepper, tomato, onion, parsley, and chili; I liked the combination of toppings on this pizza however the dough/​crust was strange, it was kind of hard and overly crisp. It was similar to those gluten free crusts that lack flavor and chew; I wasn’t thrilled with the crust but at least it held all the toppings together; in addition, there was a huge pile of oil on the paddle when we finished eating the pizza so not sure why this was so oily)
This place is super cute. I love the set up of the restaurant, it looks more like a café with the small tables and chairs. The ovens for the pizza are set up outside, so you’ll walk out of there smelling like food. Service is good. Food is good. I would go back to try more.

Recently returned to Uncle Momo this past week, but this time for Brunch. My bf and I were looking for non-​traditional brunch dishes aka French Toast, Eggs Benedict, etc. Although Uncle Momo’s menu has similar dishes, two that caught our eye were the TUNISIAN EGGS and the MIDDLE EASTERN EGGS.
The dishes were nothing short of what I remember the first time i was here. Tasty, fresh, great portion, great value. I had thoroughly enjoyed the potatoes that came with my meal. They were soft and potato-​y on the inside with one super crunchy side on the exterior. The freshly baked pitas always put a smile on my face, and my over easy eggs were cooked just to my liking.
If there’s anything I would change about my recent visit, I kind of wish their Mint Tea actually came with mint leaves. And it wasn’t very hot either.
All in all I would say that I would no overlook Uncle Momo for Brunch. I’ll tell you one thing, this place is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than their overhyped neighbor.

There was a time when Beirut was the Paris of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The cafes along the sea were romantic and the meeting place for businesspeople from around the world. There wasn’t anything you couldn’t find if you asked the right people. The French influence made the city unique, and its reputation as an open, ready for anything city, made it a coveted destination. It rivaled the Riviera in the number of hotels and beautiful people seen on the beach. The food was different than the rest of the Middle East because so many foreigners settled there over the centuries and became part of society.
As I approached Uncle Momo on a cold February afternoon I allowed myself to drift into this reverie, imagining I was taking in the sun while sipping strong Lebanese coffee, and watching lovers strolling hand in hand on the promenade along the beach. Walking in, the look was right — slightly faded furnishings, odd nooks and corners, a well worn bar, and a corner oven for baking. The space was crowded with businesspeople and young families. There was a single open deuce against the far wall, and the blond gentleman with the glasses, pointed me there with a nod of his head.
Once certain that brunch was still available until 3, I ordered the French Toast on the advice of a few Unilocalers. It was only upon paying the bill that the same man told me it was the best dish in the house. Considering how good everything else coming from the kitchen looked and smelled, I was not sure I believed him.
The FT was made with thick sliced Demi loaf; very porous and able to absorb a lot of the egg/​vanilla mix. The secret ingredient appeared to be a sweet cream, perhaps crème fraîche, that was somehow placed within the bread and allowed to cook along with the rest of the ensemble. The result was a sweet delight that really was half breakfast/​half dessert. The cut Mango, Strawberry, Blueberry on top, and pure Maple Syrup were somewhat superfluous, but did add under and over tones of variant sweetness.
Going along with a hot cup of Lebanese fresh brew, the brunch was all I needed for the rest of the day.
My daydream lasted well into the night.