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Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
7 reviews for Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn
the food here is pretty great! i had a damn fine salad here.
but, have you ever been in the bar area?! it's the most awkward bar i've EVER been in! it's like, this ultra well lit square bar, with about 6 different flatscreens positioned around the perimeter, none with volume. and also, no music! just a bunch of 50-something hopewell residents chatting too loud, under the bright lights. weird city! so if you just want to have a drink, unless you want to feel awkward, i'd go when it's nice out and sit on the porch!
the inside looks like an old german grandmother's crib, and there were mad teapots. i was into that!
First off, to explain my rating: the food, service, and atmosphere are all perfectly fine. The rating is based more on food preference. If you like Hungarian and American food, it'd be 5 stars. If you are neutral about lots of meat and the above cuisines, it'd be 4 stars. I give it 3 stars, but understand that it's just because the fare is meatier and heavier than I prefer. Actually, 3.5--half a star for the dessert.
One waitress served our 14-people party. Kudos to her for managing our orders for lunch and dessert, plus the other smaller parties that came and went. The dining room is very homey and comfortable.
The menu offers Hungarian food (which is authentic according to my Hungarian boss, who brought us all there) and American food (in the form of Ruby Tuesday-style sandwiches, burgers, and salads).
I love trying new cuisines and food, so I opted for the Hungarian Platter at a considerable $13.95. An individual loaf with butter came first. Then the plate came, decked out with stuffed cabbage, sausage, a bit of green beans, and a scoop of mashed potatoes, all swimming in a tomato based sauce. It was /very/ filling. It tasted good; I would just never crave it because it's not my native cuisine. Also, the mozzarella sticks were a delicious appetizer.
For dessert. Oh, dessert. I ordered the Esterhazy torte/cake just because it was the coolest (and most different) sounding. What it is: about 8-10 thin alternating layers of walnut sponge cake and buttercream topped with a sweet layer of fondant and whipped cream. So good. So sweet. So incredibly rich. A mistake and yet not one to finish the whole considerably sized slice. The Esterhazy cake is delightful with coffee. Actually, coffee is necessary to balance the sugar.
I was full for the following 12 hours.
A good experience overall. I recommend this restaurant to those who like the cuisine.
This was a great random place to grab brunch. I didn't have any plans on stopping here but sure am glad I did! While looking through the menu, I realized they were an old-fashion Hungarian restaurant. You would never know it by the name of the place. I love me some eastern European food and this place would definitely fit the bill.
They have a pretty big brunch menu that made everything sound delicious. I ordered the creole poached eggs and my friend ordered the ham and cheese omelette (which was seriously PACKED full of meat and cheese). Good lord are the portions huge!! Everything was absolutely delicious but do you know what was the lasting impression? Those unbelievably fantastic home fries! They weren't the typical fried ones, but the perfectly baked wedges of seasoned potatoes. Mmmm. Just awesome.
Service was flawless. Our waitress never let our coffee run low and the food came out very quick. She was the only waitress serving 4 tables and we never had to wait for anything. She did lack personality but her efficiency overshadowed the witty banter that could have happened.
I would come back here for sure just to try their Hungarian menu. Chicken paprikash? Gulyas? Porkolt? If it's Hungarian, consider me there!
I'd give it more like 4.5 stars, but bumped it up a bit since someone below gave it 2 stars despite a pretty good review and I wanted to offset that rating.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the region. Would it be so in a large metropolitan area with dozens of other options? Maybe not five stars then, perhaps four. But for the area, it is a really great place.
The Hungarian food is quite authentic. It may not be perfect, but pretty much as good as this stuff gets in the U.S. (unless my Mom is making it in which case it's truly authentic:).
I don't like liver, but the chicken liver with onions appetizer dish is irresistible. Watch out though as it's also so much that you won't be hungry for much else after. (Yikes, just writing about it makes me crave it and I just had dinner...)
The entrees come with the all-you-can-eat salad bar, which is another hurdle in leaving room for the main dish. The salad bar has some authentic Hungarian components as well (e.g., the vinegar-based potato salad). I've had most of their Hungarian dishes and they're all very good.
The desserts are also very yummy, although good luck having any room. Try the chestnut pure, very authentic Hungarian, you won't get it at many other places.
My trick is to leave part of the entree to take home (plenty enough for another meal) and that way I sometimes have room for dessert.:)
The wait staff is permanent for the most part, very nice people. On occasion they also have a young visitor from Hungary.
Based on past experiences for lunch and dinner, I would have given this place a three star. Everything is good, but nothing out of this world. But after my last visit, they get an extra star.
I finally tried one of the Hungarian dishes - stuffed cabbage with a light sweet and sour tomato sauce, served with a side of spaetzle (little dumplings). WOW. So, so good. The portion was so enormous, it will be my dinner again tonight. I have no idea if it's "authentic" Hungarian, or if a Hungarian would even think it was good. Other Hungarian offerings include beef goulash, wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten. In addition to the Hungarian dishes, they do offer fish, chicken, veal and beef dishes, as well as dinner salads and sandwiches.
There is a large bar if you just want to grab a drink, in fact it's the only bar right in town, and outdoor seating on the porch in the warmer months.
Used to be dozens of Hungarian places in Central NJ; now few and far between. Food here is good; we liked the wiener schnitzel. Good burgers; good onion rings. Dessert disappointed; the cakes look better than they taste - based on a limited sample.
Service is good. Sit on the porch if weather permits. The dining room is OK but very dated.
The Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn is a great place to go for authentic Hungarian dishes made just like Mom would make them (if she was Hungarian, of course)!
Heaping portions and great prices add to the rustic charm of this downtown Hopewell restaurant. You can choose to eat in the bar, regular dining room, or the Starlight Room (which features live jazz on Saturday nights). Friendly service and a great selection of desserts make this a wonderful place to enjoy with friends and family.
The only drawback is that the main menu has a limited number of choices (although, the "specials" list is usually rather large).
Here's a link to their website: http://www.hopewellval.../
