Pig & Prince

I don’t know how I’ve never written a review about Pig and Prince. Have been coming here consistently for a few years now, it almost feels like home!
Anyway, you have to know what to expect when coming here. Yes, it’s pricey. Yes, the portions are small. But, they use the highest possible quality ingredients, they’re creative, and they give you big flavors. You have to be in the mood for this kind of thing. Once in a while you get something you’re not crazy about, but the staff is generally very cool about such things and would be happy to trade it out for something else.
The atmosphere is one of the best things about Pig; it’s in a grand old train station and you just feel glamorous being there. I really love coming with friends for drinks and appetizers. They have a really interesting selection of beer, and a very creative set of mixed drinks that changes seasonally. I know the guys at the bar like to experiment with different infusions and improvised cocktails, so don’t be afraid to ask for their recommendations. They are well-​versed when it comes to wine as well.
We generally start out with a meat + cheese plate and share some dishes after that. The menu is always changing. Most recently, we split the bone marrow (can’t recommend enough), artichoke fondue (perennial favorite), and a calamari dish. The risottos are fantastic when they’re on the menu, and so are simple dishes like the hamburger (add an egg!). They have a separate bar menu if you’re just noshing there, where my absolute favorite is the duck fat grilled cheese. Can’t go wrong. I also love that they serve dinner late (I don’t really like to eat until 9−10pm honestly), and they’re one of the only places in Montclair doing that. You can stay and have drinks afterward, which is perfect. And having a parking lot is a huge bonus. Will be back, of course.

A nice upscale gastropub inside a historic train station building with nice atmosphere. It’s a little over the top feeling between the pricey menu and the beer served in wine glasses, but it does make the place feel a bit more special. The beer menu isn’t huge, but the half dozen or so beers on tap are excellent and the staff is great about offering suggestions and giving tastes. The outside patio is quite nice on warm sunny days. The food itself is pretty great; the calamari which is grilled, not fried, was nice and fresh and very excellently seasoned. The clientele can get a bit brash and noisy because this is after all Montclair.

Went there late night. They were not interested in serving people during the hour before they do last call. Unfortunately that is one of my litmus tests for restaurants with a large amount of bar real estate. Not impressed.

Not bad…
Cool location (it’s a former railway station) and charming ambiance. The staff are nice enough and there’s a decent selection of beers, which I appreciated. The bartender was great at recommending drinks and even better at making them.
Food is standard pub fare but slightly elevated, which is nice. The bar area is cozy and comfortable.

Giving them 3.5 stars.
Pig and Prince definitely has eye appealing décor. Set in what used to be the Lakawanna Railroad Station this restaurant oozes architectural character. Stepping into what was the railroad station waiting room, I was blown away by how nice this place is. Did not expect this gem in the middle of New Jersey.
Walked in on a Saturday night without reservation and was quickly seated right in the middle of the dining room. Perfect location to just sit back and enjoy the vaulted ceiling that soar nearly 50 feet and the original exposed brick walls and archways, giant bronze chandeliers. Long mahogany bar running along one side of the room to my left and two large high-​backed leather banquettes lining the opposite wall to my right.
We decided to split an order of the Moules and added the Frites for another $ 4. This month’s broth was pesto and peppers. I have to say the mussels were definitely the highlight of the show, the broth was goose bump inducing with the perfect amount of pesto and not over powered by pepper. The bread basket was a nice treat as we were able to dip the cubes of focaccia into the broth. You haven’t lived if you’ve never let bread and fries soak into broth and gobble it up once it’s nice and soggy.
My girlfriend went for the Scottish Salmon and I opted for the Lobster Tagliatelle. Both entrees failed to satisfy our hungry palates. I felt my lobster tagliatelle lacked immense flavor and had the smallest pieces of lobster I have ever seen in a lobster-​pasta dish. Totally not worth the hefty price tag of $ 31. My girlfriend did not like her Salmon either. She also felt that the dish lacked flavor. The weird thing was we liked each other’s dishes so we swapped plates. I was disappointed with dinner, especially since the Chef/​Owner was a former winner of Chopped and has the rep of being one of the best chefs in North Jersey. I also forgot to mention the absurd $ 10 fee for sharing plates. What antiquated policy, we are living in a dining culture where sharing plates is encouraged, that way diners are able to try a little bit of everything. That $ 10 fee deterred us from that.
Maybe my dining companion and I were too well traveled for this place, but it failed to meet our exceptions. Don’t get me wrong, structurally, this space is stellar, and the menu has some enticing dishes that I would try if I were to return to this place. Maybe we will give it another shot in the summer for brunch. On a positive note, I did enjoy the banana infused whiskey drink they had on special and unlike other reviewers I thought our waiter was attentive and professional.

One of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve been in, but yet not stuffy feeling. Came here with Mom for one of our dinner dates during the week and was able to be seated immediately.
Full service bar, which is rare for Montclair and much appreciated. Although we didn’t order anything, their specialty drinks look intriguing and really want to come back to give them a try!
Started off with the Artichoke Fondue which came in a large portion! Could have easily shared that between 4 people. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to, because it was absolutely delicious. For our mains, Mom ordered the salmon and I ordered the Cod. Both of us were very happy with our choices. The dishes were beautifully presented and had great flavor. Good sized portion, enough to satisfy us both with enough room for dessert. In comparison, dessert was my least favorite part of the meal. Ordered the doughnut bread pudding with cinnamon toast ice cream. It was by no means bad, but just not my favorite dessert.
Definitely want to return here to try the other menu items out and the drinks! A very unique restaurant with a great ambiance and tasty food.

Came back — enjoyed fantastic bar service, and we moved to a table. Ordered some appetizer plates before eventually placing orders for lunch. Again, the service we received made a huge impact on my impression. I’m updating my review to add another star.

Great atmosphere, I loved the interior of the building. It’s a little loud because there are so many echoes from the room being loud and brick, but it wasn’t unbearable. Food was great, the NY Strip special was unbelievably good. It came with two dipping sauces that I didn’t even need. The steak was so flavorful on its own.

I have been here for just drinks on a night out and for brunch, and between the two I’d recommend sticking to just drinks. The cocktails are different and well made, so if you spend money here do it on cocktails.
Brunch was simply not great when I went with a group at about 11AM on a Sunday. The staff seemed strained when out of no where the restaurant filled up around noon. We waited a while for little things like butter, milk, and coffee refills. We also had to pay extra for toast with our eggs… you’re better off going to a cheap breakfast joint that gives free toast. I’d forgive the toast cost if the breakfast was actually good, but my frittata skillet was semi-​burnt and dry.
The best item at the brunch was definitely the bloody mary.
I’d only go back for the atmosphere and cocktails.

Lovely space with inventive and delicious food.
Craft cocktails were excellent. Had the cheese plate and the charcuterie which was very good.
The chorizo risotto was my favorite app. It was cheesy and creamy. The cod was cooked perfectly, too bad we were too full to finish it. The carrot cake was inventive and tasty.

Second time here… Won’t be back. Location, location, liquor license… All you need to draw in Montclair.
I was mostly looking for cocktails and plates to share before seeing an event at Wellmont.
We sat down, but had to switch seats because of the odor coming from the bathroom.
We read strong reviews about snack menu items, but were not allowed to order them table-​side (bar only) so we ordered several apps and entrees to share, but 3 of the 5 dishes were unavailable that night (you couldn’t mention this upfront?). So we ordered cocktails (one of the bartenders competed in a NJ competition for best bartender so you’d expect them to be good), apparently we caught them in the switch from one seasons drink list to the next so only 1 – 2 out of 6 were available (again found out after ordering).
As for the food, nothing was great, albeit these were items I would not have chosen first due to availability.

YAY:
Some of the food is really yummy. The Sriracha Brussels sprouts were awesome. The shishito peppers with salt and lime were also pretty good. The turtle gumbo was tasty. The tuna tartare however was just eh. Thought their menu options were interesting and I believe they are always changing.
The space is classy, stylish and beautiful. It’s an old train station — spacious with huge ceilings.
Decent beer selection.
Friendly service.
Saw a couple waiters that were easy on the eyes too!
They do theme parties for NYE. I went a couple years ago for the 1950s (I think that’s the decade) themed party and it was fun. They could have had more food considering the price tag but it was still a cool event.
NAY:
Not cheap. I ordered the tuna tartare from the specials menu offered by the waiter thinking it’d be regular app price (under 10). It was 16 and obviously very small.

I feel like a gastronomer discovering a new planet… Pig and Prince is the 9^th planet… a delicious refreshing change to normal dining.
The Pork appetizer is crispy mouth watering delightful… the special shrimp garlic scallion app so delectable.
My lobster pasta with chunks of lobster and every bite of pasta is awesome…
I shall return to Pig and Prince!!! …one small step for man… one giant leap for man kind…

Excellent food, I’m a sucker for a cheese board and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here as I passed through town. Their charcuterie is wonderful here. The chef cures his own meats.
Be sure to try the sticky pork, it is one of the tastiest items on the menu. I really enjoyed this as well as the sausage risotto. Our party did a bit of meal sharing and everything I tasted was wonderful.
Their drinks are delicious as well and very inventive flavors. Really enjoyed their version of the Moscow Mule.
Great food, beautiful atmosphere and vibe… I’d be back all the time if I lived in the area.

I went here on a Friday with no reservations needed just a walk in which was nice. For appetizers we ordered the artichoke warm dip and mussels. Both were pretty average. Dinner we ordered the chef special which was a steak with spinach and potatoes. I really wanted to love this place yet unfortunately I was not impressive and will probably not be returning. The restaurant is very beautiful though and good hangout for drinks with friends.

Came with a group and was delightfully surprised that this place was an old train station! Ambience is perfect for a celebration, since it can get loud and the menu is certainly pricey. Though it’s in Montclair, it has a private shared lot which is obviously amazing.
We shared some pizzas and a friend got the lobster pasta. Drinks were strong. Overall, I thought that the food was certainly delicious, but nothing out of the ordinary that made it worth the price.

Pig and Prince is a dream for those who want to experience an adventurous and eclectic menu. Located in downtown Montclair in an old converted train station, Pig and Prince is a unique experience. I would save this for a special night out since it’s a little on the pricey side. Due to the high ceilings and tile interior walls it can get noisy.
The small plates menu is recommended so you can try a little bit of everything. To start my girlfriend and I ordered the crab cake. The crab cake was the highlight of the night for me. It was paired with a butternut squash purée. I never thought to combine these two things. The saltiness of the seafood went well with the playful sweetness of the squash. We also got the cauliflower salad. This was served on a slate and a bit smaller than expected. The mussel pot was fantastic too. The broth included some mint leaves which paired well with the white wine.
The pizziette was the main entrée for us both which had red onions, cheese, and apples. We went in April 2015 so the menu may have changed since.
For dessert, we got the special which was 3 Tagalong Girl Scout cookies in the center of a cheesecake. It was a whimsical and fun take on cheese cake and also helped with the Girl Scout cookie craving in the early spring months! This was paired with a spicy Mexican hot chocolate style icecream.

What they say is true…
Food isn’t anything to brag about but the atmosphere is cool.
I was appalled when they brought out this little cauliflower lentil plate that costed like $ 15 and it sucked. The sticky pork was way too sweet. However I did enjoy the grilled cheese with duck fat and fries! And it was inexpensive.

Dear Pig & Prince,
Be sure to have your wait staff greet customers that arrive. It makes no sense to be ignored upon entering your establishment. We’re here to spend money, should we take our business elsewhere?
Two young men were talking amongst themselves and passed right by us without half a smile or gesture to be seated. I felt the warmth and welcoming atmosphere almost immediately, I joke.
I believe strongly in providing my fellow Unilocalies with the good, the bad, and everything in between. P&P is absolutely gorge. An upscale pub that middle class folks can afford. Their drink menu was borderline fancy with ingredients that are easy to google or make at home.
Nothing tickled my fancy so I asked Gram, our bartender to fix me something special, yet strong enough to give me the buzzed feeling I was yearning for. Drinks should have the perfect balance of liquor to juice/​soda ration.
I’m not big on fruity drinks unless it’s Sangria or the occasional mixed drink. I settled for the «Gram» which was a yummy concoction of Pineapple juice, Chambord, Rum, and Cherries. Gotta have my cherries it makes everything better and it’s so girly.

Debated awhile between 3 & 4 stars.
This space is date night worthy. Dark, swanky, with high ceilings. It was packed on a fri night. An app, 3 entrees, small dessert & 6 drinks came out to about 240 incl tip. Hello, NYC prices!
The cocktails here are intricate. The mule was refreshing & just perfect. Strawberry fields was not too sweet & very strong. Cocktails are around $ 14. Bougey.
The comp bread is not worth noting. Capicola had a nice kick but the duck prosciutto was just weird. 2 cheeses I cant recall were yum.
The lobster tagliatelle was like a bite of the ocean. The sauce had a veryyy strong lobster taste. Borderline fishy. Pasta was cooked perfectly.
Duck breast was delish. The scallion pancakes could’ve been crispier. Smallest portion out of the entrees. Had the leftovers for lunch and still tasty! Dunno if it was the red onion gastrique, but this dish made my breath STANK. Stay away from this if you’re on a date.
The pork shoulder was just blah. The plating was great & portions were big, but it was dry & underseasoned. The brussel sprouts & root celery were the highlights. Wouldn’t order this again.
Dessert was too sweet for me. It had caramel, chocolate & pretzels.
Not sure if this place is worth the price tag for dinner. Wouldn’t come here on the reg unless I could make it rain $$$