Morningstar Cafe

We had an amazing breakfast. I chose the French toast (not the stuffed one) and my husband had the chicken and waffles. Both meals were delicious with plenty of food. I took half of mine home with me. They also offer specialty coffees/teas which were also tasty. Small, but cute place. I truly hope they make it as the chef has some very unique options on the menu that you don't see anywhere around here. Give them a try, I doubt you will be disappointed!

Every dish we tried was amazing the food was not only fresh but also bursting with amazing flavors. The banana pancakes were particularly delightful, offering a comforting and homey taste. As for my drink, the Aphrodite coffee was the perfect blend of creamy texture and strong coffee but no overpowering flavor. I highly recommend a visit for a truly satisfying dining experience."

Really liked coming here. Cute inside, great waitress, & really good food and drinks.
Chai latte was so great. Brie grilled cheese & BLAT were both so great. Can’t wait to come back for dinner.
Update March 2024: came here for Friday night dinner from Prix Fixe menu. FANTASTIC! Great vibe, great wait staff, amazing food.
Porterhouse Pork chop was perfectly cooked & perfectly seasoned; loved the bruschetta & apricot salad, crab cake was fresh & delicious. So great to have this place on our neighborhood, we hope it is here for a very long time! Cannot wait to go back & bring people with us.

We were trying to find a new place we haven’t been to for breakfast. Well, when we walked in. I loved the place the second I walked in. Music playing in the background. Paintings on the walls. Cute little atmosphere to be in. Woman greeted us right away and sat us down. Shortly after we got menus and we chatted a bit about the food and coffees. Pictures shown are the Spedaliere coffee with oat milk(very good but I would definitely add a flavor next time)
Second picture is The Breakfast Quesadilla(delicious! Well blended throughout each piece of the quesadilla. Dipping sauce is perfect for it too
Third Picture is the Banana Bread Pancakes(reminded me of fall! Good flavor, pancakes were fluffy)

It was our first time there and it won’t be our last! The food was fantastic! The Brussel sprouts were out of this world. The baked clams were delicious. Autumn was our waitress and she was wonderful. Can’t recommend it enough!

Such a delicious breakfast! I ordered the French toast and it was super crispy, not overly sweet and the compote and lemon curd was so complimenting!! I would 10/10 recommend this! Can't wait to go back!

This has become our 'go-to' Friday night dinner out. We check out Chef Alex's 3-course menu options and then choose a perfect bottle of wine to bring along. The whipped ricotta and garlic appetizer is so different, so light and so delicious. We LOVE the heritage pork chop, the NY Strip with crumbled blue cheese, and if you haven't eaten the berry cobblers with vanilla ice cream for dessert, you are clearly missing out! If Brussel sprouts are on the menu, ORDER THEM! Music is perfect, wait staff is positively lovely, and this is Toms River's best kept secret...

Morningstar Cafe is exceptional! The food is so fresh and all made to order (so it won’t be as fast as a diner, if that’s what you’re looking for). The flavors of the meals were out of this world! We tried the Brussel sprouts, hummus, caprese, cash wrap, harissa chicken, bolognese, tre burger, chicken Milanese… and everything was so delicious! You cannot go wrong with anything on this menu. The chef even came out to check on everything. Great service, great food! Can’t wait to go back and try everything else!

Deserves far more recognition! The Friday night Price Fixe menu, a 3 course meal for $45, is criminally cheap for dishes I would've paid twice that for without batting an eye.
It's a little out of the way, which is only a tragedy because this was a meal that deserved to be eaten on the oceanfront (maybe with a sunset for ambiance), but they do a great job at creating atmosphere with lighting and music.
Chef Alex clearly has such talent and I look forward to frequenting Morningstar from here on out. Cannot recommend enough!

We met a couple Food Warriors this morning for breakfast, the staff is amazing, and the food was delicious. We had the waffle with chicken with egg. It was the best we ever had.

My Secret is out…. Thanks to the Asbury Park Press. I thought my hubby and I found our our secret breakfast (lunch & dinner) spot, and we were going to keep it all to ourselves for as long as possible, but then the AP Press did a feature on ALex and her Morning Star Cafe. My first experience was incredible. I got a direct view of Alex making her magic in the kitchen. If you are from Jersey, then we have all watched people making breakfast. But let me tell you, I was mesmerized by the way she was like a conductor making beautiful music. You can see how much love and passion flowed through her every movement for each dish she was making. But let me tell you about the most important part of the review, for you the reader; YES YES YES, the food is not only delicious, but exceptional! I have been there for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, and each meal has been consistently delicious! Another little secret that I am ready to share….. try things you never thought you would try. I had Alex’s Brussels sprouts (I never eat Brussels sprouts,) and I couldn’t get enough of them. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - introduce yourself to Alex, Sam, and the rest of the incredible staff. If you want something, and it isn’t the way you want it on the menu, just ask….. Everything, and I mean everything is made fresh and with love the way you want it. PS: Try some of the incredible items on the coffee menu.

I am the pickiest person when it comes to food, especially restaurants. I had seen the write up in the APP and put it on my list. I had the pleasure of finally completing the task of visiting recently. Now as I said I am picky, very picky. My father was a chef so I think it comes from him. Omg can I just say this is some of the best food I've had from a locally, no take that back, from ANY restaurant in a long time. The french toast was none like I've ever had. The presentation was on point, I was salvating taking the picture l, and my stomach was yelling at me to hurry up! That shopping center isn't exactly a destination shopping center. Well if for no other reason go there just for Morningstar Cafe. This place is a destination. One I cant wait to repeat. I'm in love!! Truly food heaven!

Such a sweet spot with a cozy vibe. The coffee was OUTRAGEOUS and decedent and the food was super yummy. The Brussels sprouts were addictive and my favorite bite. Definitely can’t wait to come back for breakfast 😋

Our service was excellent. Our food was FANTASTIC!! The Brie grilled cheese and French toast are definitely going to be ordered again.

There was a guest that came in claiming that the food was disgusting and that it should be taken off and the staff offered to comp their meals and the guest was very rude.

Have grace when you go out to eat & don’t believe every review you read :)

Morningstar is the best new addition to Tom’s river.

Thanks autumn for the great service ♥

Morningstar cafe is our go to spot! We love it there. The owner, Alex, is an awesome chef! Being from NYC, we have very high expectations when it comes to dining. Food is original, fresh and consistently delicious! Owner and staff are friendly, hard working, welcoming and strive to make your dining experience the best. Highly recommend Morningstar cafe! Hidden gem down the shore for sure!

I absolutely love coming here, the staff is amazing and personable. The chef cooks food that is out of this world!! She went out of her way to accommodate a birthday dinner party for my son Harley!!!! I couldn't been more impress. This place is wonderful hidden gem!!!

We had the best time! The food was great the staff was amazing! Truly an amazing visit! We went for breakfast but cannot wait to go back for all the other meals offered! Looked amazing and tasted just as great if not better!!! We will be back 100000%

I’ve eaten here multiple times and have always had a great experience. The French toast is probably my favorite for breakfast, it’s so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The lemon & strawberry flavors mesh so well together, you don’t even need the syrup. The Harissa Avocado toast was also delicious. My favorite things for lunch are the Mac and cheese & the ceasar salad! They have great veg/vegan options too!

I got the CASH wrap…it was amazing. I have never had such a dynamic wrap before this one. The flavors of each component are bold enough but leave room for the others to shine too. I will definitely be back to try more.

“ gourmet takes on familiar classic” stated my boyfriend Justin and I couldn’t agree more! I cannot remember the last time I had eaten such great food The last time I had went out. You can tell when cooking is somebody’s passion and the owner/head chef, Alex is truly a master at their craft! I ordered the truffle bacon Mac. It was decadent, delicious and the flavor panel was immaculate. I also had the chili chai over ice. It was definitely unique in itself and I love how the taste of Anise made its presence!

Justin ordered the Daisy burger and the hot as Hades hot chocolate and he was really impressed by his meal and beverage as well! we definitely see yourself coming in again!

We absolutely love the atmosphere and the staff are very kind and attentive!

We are definitely coming in for breakfast next being that the banana bread pancakes or calling my name!!