Ila Mae’s Restaurant

I just left the establishment after the cook or waitress rolled her eyes to my boyfriend because he asked for a menu. This person standing at the doorway from the pickup food area asks him (I was in the bathroom) if he was done or dining in, mind you there were other people sitting down at the table, so Earl didn’t know if she was taking to him or the other customer. Once Earl said, no we are dining in can we have menus, the girl rolled her eyes and didn’t come back with menus. We have had eating here before with a group of friends and service was mediocre, I wanted to give them another chance since food was good. WE WILL NEVER EAT AT THIS RESTAURANT AGAIN NOR I WILL SUGGEST TO ANYONE.

I found this place on Unilocal,fellow Unilocalers recommended and well I’ve learned to trust the people. There was mention about parking and the wait… Luckily for me neither have been an issue. The first time I called ahead and put on my walking shoes. I found ample parking on a side block and my food was ready when I got there, score! I thought I had lucked out. I had scoured the menu before I came and decided since it was lunch I would stick with a sandwich. Enter the truth… I was hesitant because I Normally don’t do cheese on a fish sandwich, but I ordered it anyway. They don’t call this the truth for nothing… I thought I scored with parking… Oh no that was just the beginning, this sandwich was amazing, the amount of fish they put on is amazing! I didn’t need a thing, I didn’t dress it and it wasn’t lacking one bit, I literally texted about 3 friends and told my co-​worker this is the spot we need to come to for fish, we had recently tried another location that was pretty disappointing, but they don’t call This soul food for nothing, it literally made my soul smile. I got a banana pudding also, oh my, they perfect ration of pudding to cookie, I was in heaven… It was Wednesday of a long weekend on my first visit and I couldn’t wait for work to comeback for a lunch visit… My second visit I got the same, no dessert this time because the sandwiches are so filling it isn’t necessary. As I sit here waiting for my third installment of the truth my mouth is watering. I don’t really need to call ahead because the vibe of the place is inviting, the staff is nice, the tv keeps me occupied as I wait. I’m excited for when she calls my name ad asks if I would like to see the masterpiece before she wraps it up for me. I don’t hand out 5stars very often, but Ila Mae’s has more than earned it. Trenton is lucky to have them!

Great food. I can see why they claim the best soul food in Mercer County. I had the double burger (be warned, this means TWO burgers, not two patties on one burger) and it was good. The Trenton Eat Local club showed up with 19 people and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
It’s a city, so you might have to walk a block from where you park.

Went in to get the truth and a comeback with two beverages. Atmosphere is nice… not to crazy about location but I have know her family all my life. Her brother maa and I are two mins apart. Great to see her dad and Marlene as always. Food taste just like Amerikas as I remember except for the tarter… but its 9.75 in my book.
Will definitely be back. good job

We went for dinner because it was close to our hotel. Food was incredible!!! Served steaming hot and thr freshest tasting collards and string bean I’ve had in a restaurant. DELISH. Place is small and the food took a long time but it was cooked to order. Go when you have time to spare, its not Fridays or some other chain… its GREAT FOOD.

Since I’ve been back from New Orleans, I’ve been yearning for fish and grits, and its been so hard to find. Today, I kid you not, I just devoured the most amazing fish and grits meal to rival NOLA. It cost less than $ 10 and I really wanted to cry after eating. Ila Maes is the best soul/​creole food in New Jersey. On my first visit, I had the comeback, it’s flavor profile rivals a PoBoy. I had it with a side of collard greens and mac and cheese. Both of which were flavorful and freshly made. Today, I had the Stanback with a side of grits. I didn’t eat the bread, just the fish and grits. It was the best things I’ve tasted since news Orleans. The fish was well cooked and the sauce was delicious. I am very proud to have Ila Maes food baby :). Something that could make this place better is a byob liquor license. There is a liquor store down the street that sells an American red blend, it would go perfectly with with the Stanback (no bread) and grits.
A lot of people complain about the wait time, but the wait is less than 20 minutes. For me, if freshly cooked food is made under 20 min, something is truly wrong.

Food is great but expect to wait a while for food a long while so call ahead for take out and still e ready to wait. Freshness takes awhile bit well worth it!!!

This place used to be on Stuyvesant Avenue in Trenton. They always had fresh fish, not fresh frozen. I used to ride to the middle of the hood for it just because it was so good and fresh. By the way, I never had an issue at the Stuyvesant Avenue location. Bring on the NEW location. The parking situation is non existent. Do not double park in front you risk being hit, theft, ticket or tow. There is a lot right across but it’s private parking, park there and get towed. You can park on Broad Street and walk over just secure you vehicle and walk briskly.
Ok so you make it inside after HUNTING down a parking space. The décor is decent and the place is SUPER CLEAN. You should call your order in beforehand, especially if your in a rush, because they take forever.
That is fine with me for FRESH FISH. So you see, after searching for a parking space, walking past a few unsavory characters and waiting 25mins for my order, SERVING me FROZEN FISH is insulting. I will pay for FRESH FISH!
The fried vegetables were good but they need to do better with the carrots. Once again taking the short cheap route, they get the short and stubby bagged carrots, which don’t fry well or taste good fried.
The seafood salad was bad, no literally spoiled. The crab, even though it was imitation, was spoiled and when I opened the container it turned my stomach.
It was just a bad food experience here.
Would I go back? Yes I would for breakfast only. This is the only meal they haven’t taken the cheap route on, yet!
Gave 2 stars 1 for it being EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN and 1 for EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Let me start by saying that the Two Stars given does not represent the food quality but more so the lack of comprehension as it relates to placing an order and customer service.
This evening I phoned in to place a order for 4 whitings and fries. (As I thought). So I get there to pick up my order in which wasn’t ready yet, and the person I spoke with said they only placed the order for one whiting. I assumed she meant as in «1» whiting fish only. Again never assume… I said no, I called and asked for 4 whitings, so the person that I placed the order with via phone, immediately started to correct the order as I thought by frying three more whiting fish to append to 4 fish as oppose to the 1 she prepared. Again, all of this is an inference, as I assumed her and I communication wise were on the same page.
Nope! We were not on the same page. The person prepared 4 orders of 4 whitings, with their respective fries!!! Yes, you heard it correctly. Instead of my initial order in which I thought I was ordering 4 fish pieces and fries, nope this person prepared 4 orders of whitings comprising of 4 fish each so we’re talking 16 fish in total, with fries accompanied with each platter!
When my order arrived, I was like wait, is this all mine, because again I assumed she understood what I ordered. Big Mistake on my part, never assume. And instead of informing her she again got my order wrong, (stupid mistake on my part) my dumb self paid the extra $ 20 bucks for the additional 3 orders. All I could do is shake my head in mere disgust.
So to future people that order on the phone, and this is no joke, spell out your order in full, because not everyone speak the same language as you, nor comprehend the same dialect as you. Because of the lack of communication and understanding it has irked me to the point of not ever returning. Granted, I’ve been there a few times, and have enjoyed their Chicken & Waffles, but this variance has definitely created a bad taste in my mouth that will keep me from ever returning. And to top it off, one of workers said, wow that’s a lot of fish? I just looked at her and said internally if you knew how to take orders effectively well maybe I wouldn’t have the entire Whiting Inventory in my bag.
Update — - The fish was very soggy and undercooked. Fish is meant to be crispy not soggy. Just adds insult to injury.

Ila Mae’s Restaurant sits right off the intersection of Broad and Market in the heart of Trenton. Parking is next to impossible in this neighborhood, so be prepared to walk a few blocks if you want to chow down in a relatively undiscovered gem.
I stopped in on a cold, icy morning in February. There were only a few people there and I settled in in the front dining room in front of the large HDTV sitting high on the opposite wall. The furnishings were Spartan, but the space was clean and inviting. My server, David, handed me the large menu and I decided to have breakfast as it was still being offered.
I asked about their French Toast and their Breakfast Sandwiches. David smiled. He alerted me to the presence of their French Toast Sandwich — Short Stack with 2 Eggs and Beef or Turkey Sausage inside the well grilled bread. No pork products here. The meal arrived in about 15 minutes, and I realized that each meal was prepared separately by the chef/​owner. The two people ahead of me were served individually, and then mine was put together. No problem. I was not in a rush to return to the inclement weather.
The French Toast was good on its own, but when combined with the spicy Beef Sausage and Scrambled Eggs it took on another identity which was tasty and fun to eat. The extra small pitcher of syrup came in handy to pour over the sausage when I opened the top of the creation. Its strong flavor was nicely offset by the sweetness. A sprinkle of black pepper on the eggs completed the effort.
This was a very good breakfast from atmosphere, through bottomless coffee mug, and everything in between. Their lunch and dinner menu looks very interesting, and I hope to return to explore it in the near future.

The food does take awhile to come to you but that’s not really a complaint. It’s made fresh to order and is fresh and steaming hot when it comes. Enormous portions, inexpensive prices.
The fried shrimp were the best I ever ate. Great Mac and cheese. Had chefs complimentary creamed veggie soup, delicious.
They didn’t have ribs the day I went and were already out of bean pie. I will just have to return
Owner/​chef came out to greet us. Very lovely and charming gentleman
Highly recommend. Can’t wait to return. But I did take two dinners to go. Fried chicken and fried Porgies. With sides of collard greens, Mac and cheese and black eyed peas. Yummy.
Don’t miss this one!!! It a real winner!!!

Good food but what bothers me consistently is having to remind the staff to include my rice and gravy then have them proceed to get upset that I reminded them of what’s on their own menu.
Fix this and the people constantly standing in front of the restaurant id gladly bring more people to enjoy this restaurant.

Excellent food! Awesome customer service!!! Will def come back again! The fried whiting was the best I ever had

One of Trenton’s smallest and most flavorful spots, with hands down the best chicken wings you will ever have! I kept putting off coming to Ila Mae’s mostly because they are closed on Sundays and the parking in the area is like finding a good man at a club — in theory possible, but in reality too much effort.
So you park a few blocks away, hopefully by the brownstones so no one breaks into your car, and you glance over the menu. The menu has an extensive list of seafood, chicken and very popular breakfast items. The best thing is, whatever you decide to order, you will surely not be disappointed. Here are my 3 favorites:
1. Wings — pepper lemon in specific, because you will dream about these, you salivary glands will gush with the simple mention of them after your first bite.
2. Chicken and waffles — you get perfectly crispy chicken wings on top of a soft buttermilk pancake. The best 3, 000 calories you will consume.
3. The whiting sandwich — this is super popular, if you sit by the window, tonsss of people are getting this. It has two nice pieces of fish inside, on a soft roll, loaded with nice veggies and special sauce.
This is a local family owned business, the owner is the chef and always very accommodating to her customers. She also comes from a family of good cooks, being related to the cook/​owner of the Big Easy downtown too.
So come, take a seat, watch some tv, or bring the whole family (there is plenty of seating space), but make sure you get here before the rush of lunch hour!

The best things here are the whiting sandwich, shrimp basket and chicken wings. It’s a family owned business that works really hard. The down side is that the food takes extremely long to get but it’s always fresh so it’s worth the wait.

This is a really nice restaurant! Clean store and pleasant ambiance. The staff are really nice too. Food is good. We came in for breakfast… Portions are big and prices are surprisingly low. I am really happy with this restaurant-​I feel bad that I only just found it now after living in Trenton 2 years

Prices are superb for the amount of food you get. If you know the owner, that means you know the family, that means you know you’re gonna get good tasting food. My fall back sandwich is the Truth.

nice spot for lunch for state workers. The truth fish sandwich is great. The fish is climbing out the sandwich. Nice staff as well

After becoming a returning customer, The food here is always constant and pretty good. The staff is cordial and the place is always neat and The chef was very accommodating when I requested something not on the menu. An all around comfortable place to enjoy great soul food.

Tried to use spin saver deal (called in advance to order and ensure I could use coupon via cell phone… was told yes)… However, upon arrival I was told I needed printout of coupon… once I disputed things, there was some type of inside phone call that took forever, so I just paid without the deal… after confirming my order before I left, I came home just to find out that my $ 12.00 meal was missing a side order…:/ i called to let them know, and they said there would be credit for future orders… nevertheless, the food was great but I hope it’s not such a hassle next time (ESP w/​spin saver deal, & credit for missing side order)…