Village Food Garden - Cedar Knolls

Overall, while the sushi didn't completely impress me, it was quite delicious. I don’t have much experience with supermarket sushi, but this one met my expectations, and I would happily order it again. The food court features a nice seating area that's reminiscent of a mall food court but with a more inviting atmosphere, allowing us to enjoy our meal away from the hustle and bustle of the supermarket. It was a lovely experience. They also offer fountain sodas that always taste great. After we finished our meal, we stumbled upon a section dedicated to cooking classes, complete with a functional kitchen. Although I probably won’t take any cooking classes since I don’t cook, I think that’s a really cool addition. I’ll definitely be returning!

This is a great place to visit when you're unsure of what to eat, as they have a wide range of options! I've sampled dishes from the sandwich counter, diner, sushi bar, and salad bar, and I'd say everything rates around a C+. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's decent for a quick lunch. The soups stand out as the best part of the menu for me. One improvement I would suggest is adding a salad station where customers can create their own chopped salads, rather than just having the prepackaged ones near the smoothie bar, which don't look very appealing. On the plus side, they have a lovely seating area if you decide to dine in.

I found the cashier, Steve, to be quite irritable when I inquired about purchasing lottery tickets. He greeted us with, “What do you want?” This kind of attitude is simply uncalled for in a customer service role and comes off as very unprofessional. I had intended to do all my shopping in one trip, but after this experience, I’ve decided to buy my lottery tickets elsewhere. It was really rude behavior!

The sauce was Kansas City style, with a great balance of sweet and spicy that paired well with the meat when used sparingly. I went a bit overboard with it, which was my mistake. The corn soufflé was delightful and quite indulgent, filled with whole corn kernels and rich in butter. The sweet potatoes, while not overly sweet—which I appreciated—had a flavor profile reminiscent of sweet potato pie. Personally, I'm not a big fan of sweet potato pie, but if you are, you'll likely enjoy these sweet potatoes. If I find myself in Cedar Knolls again (which is unlikely), I would certainly stop by for another meal. I'm curious to try the smoked wings and possibly the brisket next time. And the best part? It was a bargain at just $9! Here’s hoping that my local ShopRite brings in a genuine BBQ place like this in the future.

The juice bar is exceedingly overpriced. The staff appears to be quite disorganized, as they often seem unaware of each other’s tasks. During my visit, I ordered a juice, and one employee began preparing it but then walked away, leaving another to complete the order without knowing what had already been added to the blender. After spending $20, we received only about 80% of what we had ordered. Moreover, they waste a significant amount of food. I have visited about five times, and each time I've observed them make drinks, there's always more than double the amount left in the blender, which ultimately gets discarded. They really need to improve their training and establish clear recipes.