10th and Willow

Address: 935 Willow Avenue Hoboken NJ 07030
Phone: 201-653-2358
Website: www.10thandwillow.com

This weekend marked the return of Hoboken weekends for me.  No longer am I escaping North Jersey for the sun and sand of the Jersey Shore.  Although I am sad to say goodbye to my favorite season, I’m looking forward to the crisp autumn air, nights out at the great Hoboken bars and, most of all, my weekly weekend brunch. To celebrate my first weekend back, I of course was in need of a delicious Hoboken brunch.

This weekend my brunch buddy and I went to one of my favorite places, 10th & Willow.  As you probably guessed, it is located at the corner of Willow and 10^th Streets.

After both getting in a morning workout, we decided to do a later brunch around 1:30.  As we walked to brunch, the blue sky was slowly filling with dark puffy clouds.  Instead of risking a potential rainstorm by sitting outside, we sat inside at one of the high tables in the front window.

Muffin basket and what kind of butter?  My favorite thing about 10^th and Willow is the muffin/bread basket that comes with homemade butter.  Each day 10^th & Willow creates a unique butter flavor.  In the past I have had buffalo chicken with blue cheese, pear and apple and peanut butter cup butters.  Although they sound very outlandish, they never disappoint.

Saturday’s homemade butter was Kit Kat.  Kit Kat’s are my absolutely favorite type of candy and nine times out of ten if I am looking for a snack in a convenience store, they are my top pick.  Needless to say, I was very excited to try some butter on my fresh and toasty blueberry muffin.  The melted chocolate swirled through the butter and wafer pieces added a crunch.  My one complaint was that we only received two muffins.  But in the end, since our meals were so great, it was better not to fill up on the muffins!

Morning Cocktail.  Once we sat down we were offered our menus and most importantly, the cocktail list.  As a fan of champagne, I opted for an afternoon Mimosa.  My sleep deprived brunch buddy passed on the bevy and went for a cup of coffee.  The coffee was strong but tasty; the perfect afternoon pick me up.

Unlike many places, 10^th & Willow uses fresh squeezed orange juice.  Mixed with the champagne, it was a refreshing, bubbly brunch compliment.  

Diverse Menu.   10^th & Willow’s brunch menu is filled with a great combination of breakfast favorites: waffles, French toast and eggs, and lunch staples: sandwiches and salads.  Basic breakfast items are given an extra twist at 10^th & Willow.  Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Chocolate Chip & Banana pancakes and Huevos Rancheros are some of the morning treats on their menu.

Their lunch menu includes appetizers such as wings and dips as well as Philly Cheesesteaks, Buffalo Chicken Wraps and Cobb Salads.  They also have a traditional BLT sandwich.  My friend Libby, a self-proclaimed bacon connoisseur, says their bacon is “life changing.”

My breakfast buddy went for one of my favorites, the Skillet Breakfast.  Cooked in an iron skillet, eggs are mixed with ham, cheese, peppers, onions and potatoes. He thought the skillet was both tasty and filling, stopping just short of licking his plate clean.

Breakfast Sliders.  My normal go-to at 10^th and Willow is the cream cheese and strawberry stuffed French toast.  I absolutely LOVE IT!  But this time I decided to stray from the norm and try the breakfast sliders.  My friend Jana and I are probably the biggest McDonald’s breakfast fans around; my favorite is bacon and cheese on a biscuit.  Although I was afraid 10^th & Willow’s would upstage my McDonald’s, I decided to give it a try anyway.

The breakfast sliders consist of scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon, piled onto three biscuits.  They are served with home fries and fresh fruit.  My favorite thing was that bacon was scrambled into the eggs.   The sliced cheese is then placed over the warm scrambled eggs so that it melts right away.

The only disappointment to these delicious sliders was the biscuits.  Believe it or not, I was hoping for a slightly crunchier, McDonald’s-esque biscuit.  Unfortunately, the biscuits were soft and lacked the buttery flavor I was hoping for.

Casual Feel.   With the football season coming up, 10^th and Willow is the perfect place for a late Sunday brunch partnered with Sunday football.  The front room of 10^th & Willow has high tables and a large bar.  With many televisions, you can casually enjoy a great meal while keeping track of the score on all of the games.  And the best part is that it never gets too loud with screaming fans that you still can enjoy your meal.

There is also a backroom without televisions that allow for a comfortable and relaxing Sunday brunch.

Since my brunch buddy and I sat in the front room, the large opened windows enabled us to do some amazing people watching while enjoying our meal.  Since we were never felt rushed we relaxed, chatted and watched some of the college football games and enjoyed a delicious brunch on a carefree fall Saturday.

Out of five spoons, I give 10^th and Willow four.  The great environment coupled with the delicious food and morning cocktails makes this one of Hoboken’s best places for brunch.  Since it is uptown and four blocks from Washington, the crowds are not usually as bad as the places downtown.

In addition to their great brunch, 10^th and Willow is a great place to go for their weekly specials.  My favorite night of the week is Wednesday, when they offer a menu of half priced entrees.  The tables outside are the perfect place to enjoy a meal before it gets too cold and winter rolls in!

Next week I will be trying La Bouche, a new café that just opened up on Garden & 1^st Streets.