Emma

Granted it’s a brand new restaurant in the area and totally respect the BYOB policy considering the liquor store literally sits next door. My friend had stated she wanted a dimly lit place to dine at for dinner and that’s when I remembered walking by Emma’s a few times and made the suggestion to try it out since neither of us have eaten there.
The dips for the bread was delicious and light. We ordered empanadas for appetizers. It was delicious, however oversalted. I don’t eat salt to begin with so when I dine out, my body quickly reacts to any sodium put in the food even if I request «no salt» my body can still detect it. It’s amazing how neglected simple requests can get.
My friend wanted a hamburger or a shrimp burger and when she asked the waitress for her opinion, she gave the option to go with the salmon burger. I ordered kale cesar with steak.
My friends shrimp burger was fell short of what she expected and therefore for her it was just a terrible dining experience. Considering how small the restaurant was and being asked if everything was okay with her meal she felt she was put in an awkward position to lie and say that she was full and ask for it to go when in reality she couldn’t wait to get it away from her.
My kale Cesar was pretty good but for the amount of money charged for protein I felt like they could’ve put a few more pieces of skirt steak. It looked like a 2.5oz portion.
Needless to say, not sure if either of us will be back soon. It was just one of those places we wanted to try since it was new to neighborhood but hadn’t wowed us.

There is nothing not to love about this hidden gem. The staff is friendly — the Crostinis are to die for! Each one better than the next, the corn empanadas are delish, I had burger and my boyfriend had the steak — both were presented nicely and tasted just as good as good as they looked, actually even better. Now for the desserts ! The flan, the crepes, and the alfajor ice cream are sure to leave you coming back for more. I sure am. #foodgasm

Emma is great. Adorable BYOB with a creative and delicious menu. Definitely reasonably priced. Perfect for a date or girls night. All male staff which I generally like – however I felt like a little more attentiveness would have been appreciated. Call me old fashioned but I like when a server introduces themselves and tells me their name, yet we did not get this here. Our server never really checked on us either, and didn’t address the fact that we were very obviously celebrating a birthday. All minor details that wouldn’t necessarily deter me from coming back, but certainly something that would have enhanced the service.

Great service. Staff is friendly and informative.
Tostinis were good, empanadas were delicious (esp corn), chicken&egg was really really good, butternut squash was delicious, and the skirt steak was good.
Ice cream sandwich for desert is a must!
We would visit this place again, esp since they’re changing their menu next week!
BYOB

Normally this would four stars but I’ll give it a 5 if you know what you’re getting.
I was prepared to be underwhelmed after walking around the corner and seeing another brunch place being overfilled on a Sunday morning (well, noon, actually), and seeing only two or so tables seated at Emma. But when I opened the door, the almost opulent décor floored me. Would’ve been perfect for a date.
There was a helper or cook who came out sometimes to serve some plates. But mainly it was a hostess/​server by herself. Her name is Lisette and she was very sweet and attentive.
We were offered the complimentary bread with four samples of dippings, including yogurt, hummus, and a house sauce. They were delicious but we couldn’t use them up. I didn’t ask for extra breads because I expected to be full by the end of the meal.
Next came the empanadas, which came with either beef or caramelized corn/​onions. They were crisp my sweet teeth loved the corn version, and the sauce was great, but I wish there was more stuffing. I don’t normally have red meats but the tenderloins were tasty too.
Since it was brunch I had the omelette. They had two on the menu, but you can also build your own with one of the crostini toppings on the menu. I chose chorizo, while my mom picked the shrimp; both were delicious, but not big. They came with either fries or salads. We were very impressed with the salads.
To finish we shared the crepes. They looked small at first but came in a nice stack, topped by a generous helping of dulce de leche. The presentation was beautiful, like everything else there, from the arts on the wall to the server to the foods. I also spotted a plate from another group that our server explained was french toast, but made with flan instead. It looked very tempting, but I figured it could wait till next time. When that may be, I don’t know, because I have to come here from NYC, and there was nothing else in town on a Sunday because of blue laws. But the drive was easy with light traffic.
Oh, and you can skip the on-​street meter parking. The NYSC around the corner on S Dean St has a parking garage that is free on the weekends. Thanks to whoever pointed that out. Also true is the acoustic effect. You can clearly listen to the other tables. I didn’t care, but make sure you don’t plan any conspiracies here!
Finally, they didn’t skimp or make haste with the bathrooms, and both were very clean without obvious smell of harsh chemicals or any odor-​fighting products.

Such a wonderful, little spot so close to home.
Even though, I did not make reservations, I was accommodated a table in no time. Very sweet. The service is definitely something Emma should take pride in, because everyone I’ve encountered truly cares about your experience. Our waitress was super sweet, attentive and always smiling.
The complimentary bread + dips is so good. Every single one of them. For appetizer we ordered the three crostinis and asked our waitress to surprise us with the combination of flavors (you get to pick what you want on each crostini, from a list of like 7) She brought us shrimp, chorizo and another flavor that slipped my mind — but all SO good.
For the dinner, we both had skirt steak — which was divine. Perfectly cooked and a generous portion. The asparagus side was overcooked though. They offer mocktails and you are welcome to byob. With no alcohol with us, the waitress recommended a raspberry tea mix of some sorts that includes pouring it in front of you, by the table. Really good.
But the dessert! Oh my, easily the best part. We got the crepes and the ice cream sandwich. The ice cream sandwich came with a coffe/​caramel/​chocolate sauce which is so.freaking.good. Basically, if you were at home, you would lick the plate clean. Can’t wait to come back!

The food is very nicely presented, and though it’s not to my taste (limited menu, unavailable items, style of food, etc.), my companions liked it. I can deal with that. The environment is great. I heard conversations from the restroom, such is the amazingly unique acoustics. The service was courteous. I’d visit again with a date.

Came here one night with friends — the food was spectacular.
Very nice ambiance, BYOB, and a great selection of food. Everything we tried was amazing, and the presentation is also great. We had a very nice bubbly waitress who’s looks were a little deceiving as she new the menu inside out and even made wine paring recommendations ha. If you want a nice night out — I can only highly recommend this place. Great place that I can not wait to go back to!

I’ve finally tried this place out and it definitely lives up to all the great reviews. It’s a cute little spot, the ambiance is beautiful and simple, and the food was both delicious and pleasantly presented. The only thing is that it’s pretty small and the acoustics are horrible, it can get pretty loud in there (and I went on a pretty empty night). Overall enjoyable place.

Absolutely loved this restaurant. Had the portobello panini — amazing. The guacamole was so fresh and chunky– made fresh. Others had the Eggs Emma and the Emma Burger– both fantastic. Service was perfect, friendly and had a great cute casual atmosphere. In fact all The ingredients were amazing– fresh is the key word to describe all the food. Highly recommend!

A welcomed addition to the neighborhood. Came here for dinner with my friend and everything was perfect.
Ambiance:
Classic, modern with artistic flare. Dimly lit with candles on the walls
Nice music playing which adds to the vibe & ambience
Staff:
Attentive and friendly, explained the menu and gave really good recommendations on the menu
They even provided additional appetizers so we could try them all.
Food:
Empanadas: really flavorful with flaky crust (really good, we liked these the best)
Crostini: did the tasting menu and all were different and good. Preferred the smoked shrimp (delicious)
Brined chicken with butternut squash purée-​seriously everything on this dish was a perfect addition, chicken was really moist and flavorful
Absolutely would come here again and it’s BYOB!!!

Literally everything on this menu looks amazing. You’ll spend at least 20 minutes trying to decide what to get cause everything is so good. My friend and I came here for dinner one night and tried the crostini — we could have just gotten a ton of those and been happy. Our entrees were to die for.
It’s so cute inside, definitely a great date night location! Will definitely go back.
Also BYOB! Don’t forget!

4.5 stars with potential to be 5
Emma is a new american restaurant located in downtown Englewood. It was a brunch on a warm sunny day, and we decided to see outside. We ordered flatbread with toppings, omelet and steak salad. A complimentary hummus with pita bread was served prior to the dishes we ordered. I don’t remember what the spreads were exactly, but I remember fig jams and beet spread which were quite tasty. The flatbread with topping (we ordered three kinds) were very good. Steak from salad was very well cooked, and my omelet was amazing.
Service was very attentive but it might have been also because it was a slow morning that day. Overall we were very satisfied with the food and service, and will definitely come back for dinner sometime.

So I work in Englewood and always check out on Unilocal for hot new restaurants in the area. Needless to say I’ve had Emma bookmarked for quite some time now and I regret not coming here sooner. Very small restaurant with very dim lighting and an artsy intimate feel over all. Oh and it’s BYOB so take advantage of that!
Came here last night with two of my friends and 3 bottles of wine in hand for reservations at 9. We arrived promptly and were seated rite away and were served complimentary pita bread and three different dips to enjoy. I believe they were a beet pure, hummus, and some type of green dip that was very herby. The staff opened up our bottles of wine and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. We decided on the empanadas which come with 3 so we got 2 creamy corn and caramelized onion and 1 hand cut petit tenderloin which were served with a chimichurri sauce on the side that just enhanced the flavors of both. We also ordered the crostini tasting with six different variations of flavors. We ordered everyone but the salmon. And we all decided on ordering the skirt steak for dinner and a side of roasted brussel sprouts.
The empanadas were easily one of my favorite items we sampled that night at dinner. Creamy corn with caramelized onions the flavor combination was unbelievable and the tenderloin was so tender, I really liked that it wasn’t ground beef inside but small cuts of steak. The chimichurri sauce took these empanadas to a whole other level. Unfortunately our crostini tasting got forgotten about and didn’t arrive until after we got our steaks. That bothered me because I really wanted to enjoy my appetizer before I ate my meal. Each of the crostini were delicious in they’re own way and bursting with flavor, my favorites being the pork belly, skirt steak, and the chipotle shrimp. Our steaks were easily the highlight of our dining experience. Though my brussel sprouts never made it out to the table the steaks were absolutely delicious and mine was cooked to the perfect medium just like I asked for. The mashed potatoes were creamy, asparagus cooked perfectly, and the sauces that were dotted on the plate were out of this world, I believe it was a chimichurri emulsion.
For dessert the owner sent out crepes with dulce de leche and candied pecans as an apology for forgetting about the crostini and the brussel sprouts which I greatly appreciated. I was really craving something super chocolaty and ordered the chocolate molten cake. It was so good and rich just what I was craving. The molten cake was served with dulce de leche iced cream, chocolate sauce, and a strawberry. It totally fixed my chocolate craving!
Emma would of gotten 5 stars in my book if it wasn’t for the few little hickups when it came to forgetting two of the items I ordered. But I will be back to give them a second chance because they tried to do the rite thing by providing us a free dessert and acknowledging the fact that they messed up. Not to mention their food is absolutely delicious! I really look forward to having another dining experience here and some more of those creamy corn empanadas!

Had this place bookmarked since it opened and finally got to try it last night. Boy, was I a fool for waiting so long.
Walking in, I was absolutely amazed. The ambiance is outta control! It looks like something out of anthropologie — totally cozy, artsy, and fresh looking. Pat on the back to whoever that interior designer was!
Complimentary anything is always appreciated, and their pita, hummus and fancy duo of dipping sauces gets a thumbs up.
The menu is a bit limited, especially for vegetarians such as myself. The prices are decent when the area, quality and lovely presentation are taken into account.
Beware the bacon! Or other stuff. AKA make sure to tell your server if you have dietary restrictions. My friend ordered butternut squash soup, no mention of bacon on the menu, but arrived with a couple crispy pieces on top. Some of the menu items/​descriptions are also in Spanish, so just make sure you know what you’re ordering. Thankfully I know jamon = ham or I might’ve made a similar mistake.
Due to Lisa A’s recommendation on her ROTD, I ordered the kale-​filled crêpe over butternut squash purée. Once again beautifully presented, and tasty too. Very flavorful to the point where it was a bit heavy. I could actually only eat ½ due to the richness. But definitely the most unique crêpe I’ve ever had, so I’m not complaining.
Would I go again? Heck yeah. Add this one to your bookmarks, guys, but don’t make the same mistake I did — try Emma ASAP!

Now this is how American food should be. Fresh, inventive but not over the top, amazing taste/​texture and generally attentive service. No doubt I will be back.
The herb brined chicken was sublime — moist and flavorful chicken paired brilliantly with butternut, quinoa, almonds and apricots. But I have to say the crispy brussel sprouts were the stars of this plate — yes, brussel sprouts! I must find out how they make it so delicious and good.
We also tried their butternut soup — good, on the light side and not as many herbs as one may expect. Empanadas were nice and flaky but could have used a little more stuffing.
The service was very friendly, but slow due to being understaffed during busier dining hours.
We were not a fan of the crêpe dessert — it was overwhelming sweet and smothered with an overly generous portion of dulce de leche — but we look forward to trying their other selections in the future.
Overall, the entrees were outstanding! Nice to find a good restaurant in this area that is often characterized by both hits and misses.

I went to this restaurant for brunch with my girlfriend. We were one of the first groups of people at the restaurant which was great because we were able to sit outside. The waitress greeted us and quickly escorted us to our seats. The entire feel of the restaurant is simple yet refine. I ordered the Chicken Panini, which was great and i highly recommend it. They provided you with several dips, with bread, which are very colorful and extremely tasty. The food quality is great and for the price you can not go wrong.
I rated this establishment as follows: The food was great!(4 ½ Stars) The Service was amazing (5-​stars) and the overall atmosphere was great (4 ½-​Stars) The prices were very reasonable (5-​Stars). The only negative thing I can think of is that the restaurant will charge you for every refill of coffee you get. That was very unexpected because their coffee cups are very small. Overall i love this place and would definiately go back and recommend it to anyone. The views expressed are of my own and are my true personal experience at this establishment. My personal experience may not reflect this actual establishment, their quality or someone else’s experience at the establishment.

Trendy spot on the main promenade in Englewood. I came in after reading an article in 201, about the best burgers in NJ and Emma delivered!
BYOB, but there are 1 or 2 liquor stores in the vicinity if you really must have a drink with your meal. They start you off with a pita bowl with 3 purees. The 1^st was some type of beet purée, the 2^nd was what tasted like red pepper and garlic hummus, and the 3^rd was watercress in liquid form. I didn’t care for the watercress but the other 2 were excellent.
As far as the «Emma» burger goes, its big & juicy, topped with fresh greens, some sort of dressing/​sauce I couldn’t ID and a slice of pork belly. Their fries come sprinkled with basil and Parmesan which was surprisingly good. Fries are normally an afterthought at most places, but not here.
A+

Oh Emma, you’re my new best friend. I had to try this place after hearing how great it was from so many fellow Unilocalers and they did not disappoint!
For starters, this place is BYO which automatically wins huge brownie points in my book. I came here on a Sunday day with a friend to enjoy some delicious food and day drinking. Just an FYI– this is on a main street in Englewood so street/​metered parking is your only option. They do have an outdoor patio here, but there are only about 3 tables so spots fill up quickly. The inside is really spacious with cute modern décor.
Service here was phenomenal! Our server and another employee were VERY attentive and friendly. Everything we ate was divine and included:
Complementary bread/​pita– This was a great spin on your traditional bread basket. The bread came with beet sauce (my favorite!), hummus, and some other sauce that was equally delicious.
Crostini tasting– one grilled skirt steak and two avocado ones. Very small (about two bites per crostini) but very flavorful and unique. The steak was delicious.
Canelones– This was my favorite! I loved the combination of textures and flavors. Even though this is vegetarian, I did not feel like the dish was missing anything.
Alfajor ice cream sandwich– Again, great combination of textures with the smooth ice cream and the crunch of pistachios. The cookie was a little on the hard side, but still a tasty dessert.
Our server even brought us out some shrimp crostini’s on the house! They really went above and beyond here with the service. I’m sure they’re trying to make a name for themselves since they’re rather new, but if they keep it up they will definitely be around for a while!

As a resident of Englewood for 5 years I’ve definitely seen restaurants come and go on palisades avenue, and a continued definite need for more quality restaurants like patisserie florentine and the kitchen. I was intrigued in trying out Emma’s since seeing rave reviews on Unilocal during a short amount of time (they’ve only been open for 1 month!) and being unable to make a reservation one night because they were booked until past 8pm.
I’m thrilled that they’re now on open table and that they’re open for lunch, though working on a menu. Came on a Friday for lunch and it was pretty empty. The server/​owner Miguel was incredibly welcoming and made really clear recommendations on what he thought were particularly outstanding. He explained that he using a clothes pin to attach the check to a great postcard as a throwback to his mother who used clothes pins to hang the laundry; so beautiful considering the restaurant is named after her!
We started with complimentary pita and dipping sauces & hummus, which was yummmm!
Unfortunately they were out of the jamon serrano crostini so we opted for the corn empanadas. He returned back with a crostini of every flavor on the house! The chipotle shrimp was by far my favorite and most flavorful! I didn’t wish the crostini itself was on a harder baguette though. The corn empanadas were awesome!
The chicken&egg was perfection; love love over the combination of all the ingredients. We opted for the canelones even though Miguel tried to sway us towards the herb brined chicken. It was definitely delicious though the kale needed to be seasoned a little more and the almonds tasted more raw than smoked or roasted. I’m eager to try the chicken next time.
The iced tea was a beautiful treat by starting with hot tea and then pouring it in a small pot with ice. It is definitely enough to be shared.
Miguel then offered us complementary dessert! The mousse trio sampler was both the perfect size and amount of sweetness; I particularly enjoyed the mango, and I actually hate fruit. He then also brought out the dulce de leche ice cream on a pistachio cookie (awesome)!
Quality food, quality service, & yum! Welcome to the neighborhood!