Baumgart's Cafe- Edgewater, NJ

4 1/2 out of 5 Sprouts

I just love all the wonderful eateries all around the New York City metro area. One can find any type of cuisine that can possibly exist and I mean anything. Where can you order a milkshake with your sushi? Or a cheeseburger with your pancakes? Welcome to Baumgart’s Cafe– a quirky little diner-esque joint with four locations in North Jersey.

My Mother and I went to Baumgart’s Cafe at City Place in Edgewater, NJ for one thing- we wanted sushi. Walking into the restaurant, I was immediately comfortable. The atmosphere is so light and airy, normally uncommon for a sushi joint. Then again, this wasn’t your average sushi spot as stated earlier.

We decided to first split the Tuna Tower appetizer. Pepper tuna, seared white and baby tuna were piled on top of asparagus and red onion, then topped with a yuzu wasabi sauce. I think we were fighting over the last piece. It was phenomenal. Again, this came out of the same restaurant where you can order a Corned Beef Rueben sandwich. (However, there is a separate kitchen in the middle of the restaurant where the sushi is made, away from the burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.)

We both ordered the Two Roll Lunch Specials. Served in a bento box with miso soup and a garden salad with ginger dressing.

My Mother stuck with a tuna theme and enjoyed the Tuna Roll and the Tuna with Avocado Roll. You just can’t go wrong with tuna rolls.

I ordered the Shrimp with Avocado Roll and the Salmon Skin Roll. Both were excellent. It was quite a lot of food for a lunch priced at $9.50. An excellent bargain for New York City.

Now while the sushi was very good, there isn’t an exhaustive list of a variety of rolls. There is no Eel or Soft Shell Crab Rolls. The sushi menu is limited. But then again, how often do you get to enjoy Thai Curry while your dining companions enjoy a Roast Turkey Sandwich or a Shortstack of Pancakes, all at the same table?