The Station at Mountain Lakes

We have loved the station house in the past. Cool atmosphere, great food. We went last week and it seems to have gotten much more expensive. My husband's martini was literally poured tableside, and brimming, super nice. My fish tacos however, were underwhelming. Separate piles of fish, brown rice, guacamole, and 3 folded soft tacos on a plate. For $40, you would think the tacos would be served put together and done, nope. There was no salsa, no lime, no garnish, no crunch, no color, and consequently no flavor. There was a pile of shredded iceberg with it. It was so bland I didn't eat it, and this is my favorite dish. How do you screw up fish tacos? It was a special, too. My husbands lobster risotto was expensive at $50, and no real pieces of lobster to be seen. Not good enough to return, sadly. It's just not worth the cost. It's such a great spot, but not great enough to stand up to other places that put a bit more care and effort into their offerings.

We had lunch on a sunny Friday afternoon on the outside patio. It was absolutely wonderful.

The restaurant is located where the Mountain Lakes train station is, but you can't see the tracks from the patio. And during our two hour lunch we heard only one train come through, so not an issue.

Our server Allan was excellent. Very friendly and extremely professional. We started with a nice bottle of Sancerre and the mussels fra diavlo appetizer, which was very tasty. Allan brought us bread so we could enjoy the delicious sauce.

For entrees we had the shrimp ajillo, cranberry salad with grilled shrimp on top, and the Philly cheese steak. The food was fresh, delicious and nicely served. The vanilla ice cream for dessert was refreshing.

There is no street parking, and the restaurant shares a parking lot with the train station that is not very large, but we had no problem finding a spot.

This is an upscale fine dining restaurant that is terrific for lunch. We plan to return and also try dinner sometime.

My family came for dinner and we have always enjoyed the food. I LOVE the chicken corn Cajun soup. Just a little spice but lots of flavor. The sides of Mac and cheese were delicious and creamy! The mushrooms were so flavorful and yummy! The shoe string potatoes were like chips and so crunchy and yummy! The white chocolate cheesecake was so rich and creamy. The bread pudding was okay. It was a little dry but the flavor was good. I got the steak in wine sauce with mushrooms and it was phenomenal. My partner got the chicken stuffed with mozzarella tomatoes and other things but it was so juicy and delicious ! I love the station. It’s the perfect hide away spot in town. The staff is friendly.

My wife and I went to The Station at Mountain Lakes for an impromptu date night, which has been on our list for a while, ever since it was recommended highly to us.

We began with the Brie in a Puff Pastry with Raspberry and Poached Pears, which was a special appetizer, that was delicious! For our entrées, I ordered the Gorgonzola & Herb Crusted Filet Mignon with crispy shoestring potatoes and sautéed spinach, which was UNBELIEVABLE!

My wife ordered the Hanger Steak with scalloped potatoes and sautéed spinach, which was fabulous!

For dessert, we got one of their specials, Raspberry Sorbet, that was portioned generously and to die for!

The meal was spectacular and reasonable, given the exorbitant prices these days. The service, ambiance were good, for an overall experience that we're eager to duplicate, so we'll be back!

Seriously a good place to dine in on Valentine's Day, or any day that fancies you. My husband booked our reservation via the Open Table app a week before Valentine's Day - we took the 5PM slot to avoid traffic. Getting there was a breeze, with ample parking slots; and we were then seated promptly at a nice corner by the right wing of the restaurant.

Tip: Main entrance is a bar, so head out towards the stairs where you will find the receptionist who will lead you to your table.

Servers were nice and efficient--always making sure you have what we need.

The table set up was charming, and spacious enough for 4 people. The rose was a nice touch too so that was a plus!

We ordered Arugula Salad as a starter, and had three entrées: Shrimp and Spinach, then followed by Seafood Scallop Provoncale and Sirloin Steak. We finished it off with chocolate cake (which was a huge portion!) and I was eager to taste their Signature coffee concoction called "The Station Coffee" a warm coffee drink with hazelnut, caramel cream and a spike of whiskey. Everything was delicious and promptly served! My hubby and I were so full we just wanted to sleep after hahaha!

Also, you can change what goes with your entrees - like swap spinach with rice or broccoli, just make sure you ask :)

And if you're lucky - you may just see the train passing by because the restaurant was literally a train station before and still has the train stop next to it. How cool is that?

Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone wanting to spend a lovely, fine dining experience with a great ambience, satisfying food, and excellent service!

Thank you The Station!