12 West is Upper Montclair's newest 'upscale' restaurant and [more importantly] bar. It is located in the Upper Montclair train station on NJ Transit's Montclair/Boonton line. Trains stop at main station stops Monday through Friday during extended business hours however only stop at the Bay Street Station on weekends. This takes a toll on NYC folks coming to Montclair and businesses will tell you how they suffer because of this.
Despite the random train schedule, 12 West is open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner. As many other reviews have stated, the acoustical scheme is not exactly optimum for dining. There is carpet and lush padded seats but sadly they don't help. The ceiling is vaulted, which causes the noise issue and what makes it worse is the piped-in music. The décor is modern and quasi-Potterybarnesque. The owner/manager is present and attentive to the satisfaction of the guests and the rest of the wait staff seems a touch disinterested in general. The service is not bad, it's just not great.
Before composing this review, I wanted to give 12 West a fair shot. I think after three visits, (2 lunches and a dinner) that's quite enough. Sadly each time my guest and I came to the restaurant, the food got progressively worse. The wine list, while concise does offer something for everyone and I have yet to be disappointed. Upon my first visit (a week after the grand opening), I got the grilled salmon. The 'almond' couscous had a substantial amount of cinnamon that completely obliterated and competed with the fish. It was a terrible combination. Cinnamon can certainly be used in savory dishes but one needs to know how. This couscous was bordering on a rice pudding flavor. When we paid our second visit about a month ago, I decided to try the Chilean sea bass and my guest got their arugula pizza. The bass, while well cooked, had an extremely briny flavor due to the soy sauce-based 'consommé'. The lobster tortellini were bordering on being bland and lacked imagination. The arugula pizza was just okay; nothing to call home about. Finally we came for dinner last night (June 8th) and were extremely unimpressed and almost insulted by the food. The restaurant was packed with dinner guests and the bar area was swarming with locals; some that could clearly not hold their liquor (cue two wine glasses crashing to the floor). I ordered the scallops and prawns and my dinner guest ordered the red snapper special. Before receiving our entrées, we were greeted with a bread basket of nominal proportions and a cup of olive oil (sadly not extra virgin). Despite the decibel raising volume of the room, we were enjoying ourselves so far. Once the entrées came however, our smile turned to a frown. The scallop and prawn entrée (priced at $24) was plated terribly and everything was overcooked. When the waiter came by and asked how everything was, I explained (and showed him) that the scallops were black: completely black. Also as my guest pointed out, the prawns (which weren't prawns at all but extra large shrimp) were overdone and rubbery. The sad pile of overseasoned carrots and heirloom potatoes did little to cheer up the lacking main components of the dish. The red snapper entrée, a special of the evening was perhaps the best thing I have had at 12 West: a complete 360 degree-difference from the usual menu items. It was roasted with the skin on and was atop a lobster, corn and tomato risotto with a seafood broth. The fish was cooked perfectly and while the risotto was thinner than it should be, it wasn't runny. The broth, infused with aromatics and seasoned properly, added another level of flavors that both rounded out and enhanced the dish. That snapper special I would rate 8 out of 10.
Overall our three visits (with the last one being an apparent hit and miss) have been severely unimpressed and to be honest, disappointed. I put a special care into this establishment; I really wanted it to work. Upper Montclair needs a fine dining restaurant with a coveted liquor license. Sadly, I would much rather travel further into southern Montclair or West Orange for relief of the great dinner-bug. If you want a nice glass of wine or a cocktail in a high octane environment, 12 West is the place to go. If you want a nice dinner, look elsewhere. Because of the poor food, I rate 12 West two out of five stars.
I've tried this place 3 times, and it gets worse with each visit. Â They need to stop trying to be upscale and reserved, and do what the locals want because that is their base. Â Management: Â make the menu more hip and less traditional. Â items need to be more accessible and less expensive. Â Have some live music and have a Sunday Brunch! Â It amazes me they can't see the success they would be if they did these things. Â Currently - an extremely mediocre place that's would not return to again.
Review Source:I wanted to love it, but they just fell short. Â Place is right on the train tracks which makes for a cool experience when the trains go by. Â As other yelpers have stated it is quite loud because of the building design so I don't blame them for that. Â I do blame them for the explosion, that was my bowels upon returning home, but I won't bore you with those details. Â
The place was packed when we walked in and after waiting maybe 10 minutes we were offered a seat with some intoxicated cougars at what they call the "community" table. Â No thanks. Â waited another 10 minutes and got a table. Â Server was nice but an upseller. Â The food is pricey enough, and we aren't cheap when it comes to ordering anything, no need to try to convince me to get the filet. Â Tranquilo
Food tasted good on the way down, bit salty for me but not in edible. Â It was what the food did to me after which was the issue. Â
Also i orderd their chocolate lava cake. Â It was entirely overcooked so I just got dry chocolate cake. Â
Sorry 12 west, we could've been friends.
I'm glad theres a new bar in town!
 The Scene;  This spot had a good crowd for a Sunday.  I agree with some other yelpers that it was quite loud for the crowd size but I think its the buildings fault so its best to just accept some things and let the good times roll... if you have a hearing problem ask for a booth in the back corner where theres less noise bouncing round the room.  I liked the decor, comfortable, modern, unpretentious.  I liked that the bar only had about 10 seats so service was very fast.  Surprisingly there were 2 bartenders so it was extra super fast, yay to good service!!
The Drinks; The bar had a nice selection of whiskey, a few well selected beer taps, and the wine list was small but  well appointed with a good price range for each style of wine. We had some whiskey to start, a bottle of wine with our meal, and the bartender Jess made us delicious Old Fashioned's to finish.  I'm kind of picky about my Old Fashioned's and I would go back for another one, or to try some of the specialty cocktails we saw them mixing up. Â
The Food; The Hangar steak was great! It was a nice sized piece maybe 8-12oz sliced into 6 pieces. Â It was tender, juicy, perfectly cooked medium, melted in my mouth, I could eat it again today and tomorrow and I don't eat that much red meat... and the chimichurri sauce on top added a nice fresh zip to it. Â The mashed potatoes that came with it were just ok but the carrots were very nice. Â I thought the entree was reasonably priced at $20; a steak with two sides for only $20 yes please!!! I also had the beet salad, I'm not sure if anyone can mess up this salad I like it wherever I go so I can't offer an unbiased review about it. Â
Theres a nice porch it looks like a good spot to chill with a mint julep in warmer weather, when it gets real humid and I am so delirious from heat I think I'm a southern belle. Â
The staff was nice, the service was super attentive, and the food was good, my friend liked her meal as well. Â
See ya next time!
Shared the Wild Mushroom Rillette - delicious
I had the Filet and it was great.
Wife had the scallops, also great.
The issue was with a family 3 booths away. Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and 2 year old. Every time a train pulled up, Grandpa (we had our doubts about his Blood-alcohol-level) would scream "CHOOO_CHOOO!!".....this was NOT the child screaming this.
He would then grab the kid and push him up to the window and encourage him to scream at the train.
When there wasn't a train, it was a bus. Then they started to clap and sing The Wheels on the Bus.
They acted like they were the only people in the entire place.
Needless to say, just about anyone on the train-tracks side of the restaurant was upset. One older gentleman actually yelled from 2 booths away at him.
It was like we were in Applebee's
I understand that you cannot control who comes into your restaurant, but you can gently suggest that they keep it down. When I spoke to the manager said that she didn't hear it, which only tells me that she wasn't dialed in to the restaurant. Nothing was said and they disrupted all of us for our entire meal.
I received a lot of apologies.
The food and server are only a couple parts of the experience. The atmosphere is maintained by the front of house manager...that was a failure.
Going back? Tough call. Great food, a little pricey, great server. Just frustrated...
The noise level in here is absolutely unbearable & torturous. Â I had to request a glass of water. Â The bread served is plain, as is the olive oil accompanying it. Â I had the hanger steak. Â It was tasty and well seasoned, but the four cubes were the size of mini-Reeses cups. Â My friend had the Pad Thai Chicken, and the plate appeared to be a bit more full. Â It was ordered san spice. Â It was still quite hot. Â As is so often the case when Americans attempt a Thai or Indian entree on their menu, they go way overboard with the intensity of spice. Â
The crowd is noticeably more mature (older) than the crowds one might generally find on a Saturday night in the downtown scene around Bloomfield Ave.. Â There were some very rude, eyesore cougars at the bar and the place was packed with divorced men in their 50's. Â
To return to the noise level, I overheard the couple nearest to us complain about the noise level and asked if there were anywhere else they might be able to sit. Â There is nowhere else. Â The place is one big train station waiting room. Â Thus the acoustics. Â I became winded just yelling at my friend across the two foot wide little table. Â I could not hear anything, and I felt like I was under some sort of military style sensory disorientation assault. Â The staff wasn't too empathetic about the noise level being uncomfortable, but I still tipped at 25%. Â The ambiance was so superficial - full of these uninteresting, unattractive old people who are clearly full of themselves for some reason. Â Definitely never returning to this place. Â I pray my hearing recovers eventually.
I rarely write reviews for places that I feel are 1 stars -- but I was so disappointed that i felt compelled to forewarn my fellow yelpers. Â I went here recently with a group of colleagues to have a snack and drink. Â It was a struggle to get service and when then overpriced drink arrived it was watered down. Â Now i'm not much of a drinker -- so for me to say watered down it had to be bad. Â We tried several of the appetizers -- all of which lacked flavor. Finally, to add insult to injury, the manager came over and plopped a sign on our table that said reserved at 7:30 (and did not even acknowledge us). Â Let's see -- group of local professionals -- spending money (cause we were) in the bar area. Â Don't worry -- we will not come back.
Review Source:I really want this restaurant to succeed in its lovely location at the Bellevue Avenue train station, but I will not be going back there. Â The place is loud, the service is unprofessional, and the food--well, I could cook better than that on a bad night. Â They might make it as a bar scene, but a restaurant...you'd have to be drunk to like that food. Â Tuna tartare dish with some little rolls was horrible (which seemed to shock the waiter when I told him), the hanger steak was tough and salty, the spinach, while fresh, also terribly oversalted and let's not mention the incinerated carrots on the dish. Â They need some major improvement to make it as an eatery. Â Just my opinion.
Review Source:This was our second visit to this beautifully redecorated restaurant. Â The new owners did a great job on improving the look and feel of the space. Â Food was inconsistent, some dishes were quite good (corned beef sliders, hanger steak) while others were just fair (filet medallions, salad).
Our service was knowledgeable, pleasant and attentive. Â However, one of the owners literally stared at our table during half the meal. Â We were not idling at all. Â He started as soon as our entrees arrived. Â It was so obvious that it took away from any of the upside. Â
I understand that a restaurant wishes to turn tables, however, I dine out with great frequency and know many owners, none whom would stare at a table for an hour. Â
Oh well, was hoping for better.
I really would like to give this place a good review but I just can't. Â We had dinner here Saturday night and it was so incredibly loud that, seated at a small table for two, we literally had to scream at each other to communicate. Â I couldn't even hear the waitress's recitation of the specials. Â The salads were good but for $8+ in Montclair, they should have been better. Â I had to scream twice for a pepper grinder. Â My appetizer of foie gras was a tiny portion stuffed in a glass jar, overwhelmed by a fig jam that reminded me of the inside of a Fig Newton for $14 -- way overpriced. Â My husband's pasta was ok -- just ok. Â Wine by the glass is reasonably priced but a very small glass.
I'll stick with other places in Montclair with more value for my dining dollar and an atmosphere that isn't  like a shouting match.
Although, a definite improvement from the prior restaurant in interior design, the noise level was ridiculous!! If I wanted to goto a concert and lose my voice trying to talk to friends, I would have gone to the Welmont. Create a glass partition between bar and tables to lower the din from the hoardes at the bar. As for the "hot and Sour" soup, it lacked any heat. The Chilean sea bass was well cooked but poorly served in a soup of soy sauce and the let's call a wonton a wonton not a lobster tortellini. Nomenclature people. Â The food was ok but the noise level ruined the whole dining experience. Other reviewers have complained about the price point, but I think it is typical for Montclair. I had been here for lunch but nothing could have prepared me for the inability to have a nice conversation with my fellow diners on a Friday night due to both the bar crowd and the music from the 10-20 speakers. PS Why does you waiter station have a window yet the last booth is in a claustrophobic corner; no window but a very loud speaker. BTW it would be nice if the wait staff had another way to carry glass ware and dishes to the waiter station other than the one person wide aisle by the booths.
Review Source:Wanted to stop by for a drink but unfortunately, the way the lay out is, it's nearly impossible
There are not many liquor licenses in Montclair - this is one of just a handful. Â The previous bar sat about 30 patrons - the new one sits about 4 and these 4 seats are usually taken up by those waiting for tables.
Went there Saturday Night March 2nd.
First, we had a drink at the bar. I guess because the place was packed everyone seemed overwhelmed. Ordered as Martini, it was horrible. We were quickly seated. Ordered a bottle of wine from the wine list. First choice, not available. Second choice, not available. At this point we simply asked "What do you have?" The food was good. We were finishing our wine, when they were ready to seat the next customers. Two guys in suits hovered about us waiting for us to leave! That really bothered us considering we were finishing! There are too many choices in Montclair to be pushed along like this. Maybe the next place that takes over will remember that!
The bar was great and bustling. Though they didn't have a particular cocktail menu- my gimlet was delicious. We decided to eat at the bar because we didn't have reservations and all was fantastic until the food came out. I ordered the vegetarian cassolet. It sounded pretty fancy, but all it was -was the grilled vegetable platter mashed into a greasy ball. Then slapped into a casserole dish. My husband ordered the short ribs with equal dissatisfaction. We were gracious but sent it all back and ordered the risotto. It was an improved choice, but very rich. I really like this place though--so we'll be back for another chance. They are great with drinks and service, the food just needs a little help.
Review Source:Great location, however the food is mediocre at best.  I have dined at "12 West" about 5 times in the past 3 weeks and  with great anticipation (geographically a gem) I have been anticipating better food and service, however, they are not up to the challenge.  Lethargic bartenders, and staff.  Don't get me wrong for they mean well, but they are simply unable  to pull it off.  I will leave this review on a high note.  The atmosphere is pleasant and the crowd can be somewhat intellectually stimulating (at times). So, I would recommend stopping in for a drink with friends.  Perhaps in months down the road, they will get it together..  Only time will tell.
Review Source:Great improvement from the previous restaurant. 12 West is pricey, but the food and service was great. The bar area fills up pretty quickly. My sister and I came for dinner on a Friday evening. The manager greeted us immediately and was very kind. Our waitress was excellent as well. I had the salmon dinner which was delicious and my sister had a salad and tuna tartar, everything was great. The only reason I'm not giving the full 5 star rating is because of the price. I will save this place for more special occasions.
There are four different areas to sit: booths, tables, bar, and tables at the bar. We sat at the booths with a view of the train....
The restaurant does get loud, but we didn't mind.
I would recommend 12 West for a fun, yet expensive dinner out!
The 3 stars were solely earned by the location (Upper Montclair train station - fun, convenient), the design (beautifully done), and the attitude of the wait staff (excellent, friendly, attentive).  I just couldn't find a reason to give it more than 3.  First of all, it's so extremely loud, I cannot imagine going  back, almost for this reason alone.  I honestly found myself yelling back and forth to my dinner companions.  And I'm someone who doesn't like a stuffy, quiet restaurant.  But this was very uncomfortable. Secondly, it's just one more Upper Montclair eatery that's way too expensive. I had just 2 appetizers and a glass of water, and my tab was $29 - without tip! Come on now....that's pretty steep.  Even for Montclair!  Lastly, the food that I experienced was just slightly above average: the crabcake and quesadilla were okay, but not worth almost $15 a pop.  And the bread that came out before dinner....very hard, not warm, and the butter was like little ice balls. Just a personal note to pricey joints like this:  you MUST be able to find better bread to serve up than that, no? Sorry 12 West.  I really wanted to be more impressed.
Review Source:I know people weren't 100% happy with service as I read the other comments here, but we were more than satisfied. The two guys, one I believe was the owner, was very welcoming and personal when we arrived. The waitress was pleasant, fun, checked on us just enough and they came with the food smoothly and timely.
I had the tuna tartare roll and a mushroom dish, both appetizers. My friends also had only appetizers.
Every single thing was perfect that we did not want to share. LOL!
My only reason for giving this 4 stars is because it's expensive with most entrees about $18 at least and the appetizers about $11.
So a date night with drinks could quickly be about $150 at least.
We went here on Valentine's Day to try out the newest restaurant in Montclair. Â The food was divine. Â We had the foie gras and crabcake as appetizers, hangar steak and chilean sea bass as entrees. Â Unfortunately, we didn't save room for dessert. Â We will have to go back to try them!
Yes, they are experiencing a few growing pains. Â (Multiple servers passed our table with bread aimlessly wandering around trying to find a table on which to put it down and just never saw that we didn't get bread. Â I finally had to ask for it.)
The space is very loud, as it was packed when we arrived. Â If that's not what you are looking for, try a table in the back.
Made a last minute reservation for Valentine's Day at 12 West and boy am I glad that I did. (I heard someone say that they had 90 reservations for the night). The reason why they got four stars and not five is because they are still new and are going through growing pains. Service still needs a little work but if you are patient and willing to wait, the food is worth it.
The prices are reasonable and the menu has various items to choose from. We started off with bread and olive oil and then ordered 3 appetizers. There was a special mixed green salad with goat cheese, toasted walnuts and goat cheese which was tasty. We also ordered the cast iron seared diver scallops ($13) that were cooked to perfection with a yummy squash gnocchi and chestnut crema. Lastly, we ordered the crispy pan-asian vegan sampler ($8) which came with 2 root vegetable spring rolls and 2 dahl curry puffs. The sweet and sour dipping sauce was good but the soy sauce was a little salty.
For dinner, my mother had the margarita pizza. Nothing special and probably wouldn't order pizza for the main meal. But you can order it as an appetizer. My father ordered the pad thai noodles with pulled chicken and it had a good spice with lots of flavor. I ordered the paccheri Bolognese and the noodles were nice and al dente. We were too stuffed for dessert but we heard the people behind us raving about how good it was.
I will definitely go back and I hope that people give them enough of a chance to work out some of the kinks. Just a heads up, the place is loud!
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