Excellent food, great atmosphere and excellent service. Common Lot is BYOB, which is really nice since you can choose your beverages ahead of time. (There's a liquor store very close by in case you forget to bring something.) Highly recommended!

This was our first time at Common Lot. We heard that the food was excellent. It was a pretheater dinner with my family. The service was wonderful. Our waiter explained why the name Common Lot, he went through the dinner menu thoroughly and was very attentive. The food was excellent. We ordered 2 appetizers to share among the 4 of us. We had the twice cooked pork belly and the sashimi of the day which was salmon with scallions and tiny cut cucumbers in a ponzu seasoning. Both were outstanding. I could have had more. They have a shared entree which my husband and son ordered - thedry-aged rib eye which they dry there (you can even see where they dry it). I had a taste and it was seared and cooked to perfection. I had the halibut which was pan seared and in a wonderful asian flair sauce with seasonal vegetables. My other son had the Arctic Char which ws light, flaky surrounded by a green herb sauce. It was amazing. Oh and it's a BYO so we brought our favorite wine from or favorite winery St. Francis Winery in Sonoma. We would love to go back soon.

Everything was fantastic. Best meal I’ve had in a very long time.

This is a small, no frills place but the food is fantastic and the service is very good. Came for dinner the first time and loved it. Tried lunch this time and loved everything we tried. Will definitely be back!

Ridiculously overpriced. Small portions. Grandiose. Will not go back

We are 6 friends getting together for a twice per year dinner out. On the positive side, all of us enjoyed our food. It was delicious. Also, the noise level was low so that we had no trouble hearing each other. However, service was spotty and the waiter was officious. And, finally, we were rushed out way before we had finished our wine. One of us had tea left in her cup and they took the cup away. I assume they just wanted to go home since there was no one waiting for our table. In any event, it was not a pleasant end to the evening.

You need to order the Cauliflower florets. Delicious! Also ask for Bob as your server

There for a birthday celebration. The food was amazing, the service attentive and made for an overall wonderful evening. Would definitely go back!

Excellent from start to finish! Consistently great food. Can't wait for the next seasonal change of menu.

Outstanding value, great food, nice setting with colorful abstract art and cookbooks lining the halls and walls. Where can you get a perfectly cooked ribeye for two with broccolini, crispy roasted potatoes with a head of roasted garlic and a bowl of delightful tiny Thumbelina carrots all for $82?

Great food!! Just go and enjoy!

What an amazing space. My fiance and I really enjoyed the open kitchen concept and if we had the time, would have done the tasting bar experience vs a table. The food was great, very fresh, well seasoned, delicious. We shared the crudo appetizer which happened to be tuna with a ponzu sauce that was amazing. We then had the beef tartare app and the sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes were the hit for sure in the unique way that they were prepared. They are a must if you go! The fact that this is a BYOB is a bonus for us and we will return soon for sure.

Delicious and upscale menu

Amazing food and service. Best short ribs i have ever had. The food is fresh and fit for foodies. I will definitely make this a regular haunt.

One of the best restaurants in Essex County. We had a truly outstanding meal.

Main. Arctic char. Served rare. No one asked. Over salted. Sides were good.

Small dishes. Beef tartar: That was a hit. Artichoke. Meh. Lobster. Good, not awesome.

Dessert. Sticky rice. Tasty.

Sound level on main level. Way too loud.

Staff. All nice and competent.

Atmosphere. Warm. Not pretentious. Also not a cool place.

Pricing. A little higher than similar places.

Alcohol. Wish it had a bar.

Midweek dinner at Common Lot. We ate in the first floor dining area near the open kitchen. Moderately noisy, but tables spaced such that we could have good conversation without strain. We shared roasted sweet potato and grilled octopus appetizers -- both excellent. I had pan-seared arctic char, which had crispy skin and delicious accompaniments; moist and flavorful fish, although it was cooked just a hair firmer than my preference (medium). Wife had the vegetarian option, Ember Roasted Romanesco, which was distinctive and flavorful; really outstanding. Dessert was Lemon "Pie" (cross between a pie and a custard, fabulous) and dark choclolate semi freddo (very good but not at the same level as the pie). Excellent meal, and fair prices given high quality. BYO. Will definitely go again.

We had an early 6pm reservation on Friday evening. There was just one other table seated at the restaurant when we arrived. The hostess led us past the nearly empty ground floor and then upstairs to be seated. When we asked if we could be seated downstairs to have a view of the kitchen, she said they were completely full.
As we arrived upstairs, the hostess called out a man’s name. Entering the empty dining room, we saw there was a waiter sitting at what was to be our table and, the hostess said she was sorry to disturb him, that we wanted to be seated downstairs but it was full. The waiter proceeded to uncork our wine and told us about the menu we tried to make easy conversation with him. It was not easy. In fact, we felt as if he did not want to be there or to be serving us. It didn’t matter that I was a repeat customer, that we were nicely dressed and well-spoken, this waiter’s tone throughout the evening was decidedly condescending and off-putting. We had one other server who appeared later and was absolutely delightful. She made up for the experience. Additionally, the food was quite good, so we tipped as if we had not had a bad experience. On a previous occasion we were seated downstairs and were waited on by Morgan, who was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Next time I’ll request to be seated downstairs.
Otherwise, the food is deliciously prepared with seasonally fresh and interesting ingredients. Starters were a good size and creative, our steak was perfectly dry aged and medium rare, and the desserts were absolutely amazing, particularly the strawberry rhubarb frangipane tart. We also loved their French press dark roast coffee. It was bold and bracing without acidity.
I’d very much like to return, but am afraid we would be served by the same waiter. I don’t mean to harp on the experience and hate writing reviews such as this, but when you are the only guests in an empty dining room and there is only one server, it can be very uncomfortable.

Execelant meal, great service, nice ambiance. A very enjoyable dinning experience.

our first time-very nice facility. food was very good to excellent. the lamb for 2-while pricy was outstanding. I will go back for that for sure. same with the short ribs. vegetarian entrees are limited to one choice. we did have two vegetarians. there are a few veggie apps but no salads. also there was no bread served-not that i missed it. so add some more salads and another veggie entree please.

There is nothing that stood out about Common Lot. The food was good, but nothing to really rave about. We tried 7 out of the 9 small plates for our dinner which was plenty for us. The dessert was terrible and very disappointing. Service was good, again we weren’t blown away.

Excellent. A foodie destination but approachable. Not a cheap night but so well done. Excellent service.

Wonderful service, lovely atmosphere and fabulous food. Highly recommend the slow roasted lamb shoulder. The only disappointment were the desserts. They didn’t quite meet the excellent standards of the rest of the meal.

Best Restaurant in NJ ! Great food, great service, tough parking!

this was my second visit and the food was excellent. I can not wait to return. A diverse and delicious menu, great service as well.

The best meal I have had in New Jersey, not to mention impeccable service. The staff was very helpful as there are so many wonderful dishes to choose from! I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates good food! We also liked bringing our wine and when our final bill came we couldn't believe how inexpensive it was! Definately Michelin-star quality food! Thank you all for a great night!

Great restaurant with amazing food and good service!

the food was outstanding
Perfect vegetables as well as the main dish

The physical environment and common table (hence the name) are not for everyone.
We went early and on a week night

I would not have enjoyed it as much on a weekend

What a pleasure ! Everything just as it should be - food , service - wonderful evening.

went with another couple & ordered many apps- everything was great with exception of the artichoke dip that was small and nothing special. The waiter was accommodating and not pushy. Liked the modern vibe, and byob is always great. definitely would go back.

We made a reservation a month in advance for our anniversary. So glad we did! The food was delicious! The staff lovely. The decor is chic and modern and very attractive. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner! Looking forward to our next meal here!

First time visit, service and attention to detail gets the highest rating.
Food was ok at best, very limited menu and both my monk fish and my wife’s entree lacked seasoning. Probably best to go if you’re looking for a light meal.
Dessert was by far the best choice we had, the berries pastry.

This was a superlative dining experience in all respects. The food is beautiful, the service was beautiful, staff is warm, welcoming, friendly, and profession. We lingered for hours and didn't even realize how much time had passed. I am very picky and often find fault with supposed fine dining even the good farm to table places. Common Lot is an exception. Oh, a couple of small plates I found a bit over salted. We shared a
main course lamb - slow braised (two days); exceptional.

Food nwas delicious and the knowledge and experience of the wait staff only enhanced our entire experience. A true gem

The food and service was excellent! Our group visited for lunch and decided to shared a few appetizers. Everything we ordered was wonderful. We all enjoyed the goat cheese dip served with hot flatbread triangles, char grilled octopus, yellow fin tuna sashimi, pork belly with sweet chilly and soy glaze, fish tacos, and steak tacos. We completed our lunch with a delicious bread pudding, a pot of French pressed coffee and a few pots of fresh brewed tea which you choose from a tray of around 16 choices of different loose tea blends. Everything was delicious and we will definitely return soon.

One of the very top restaurants in NJ; casually elegant, a culinary experience on every visit as seasonal menus summon you back. The "smalls" (entrees) are pure delicacies, we choose enough to share, and the"Bigs" are perfectly prepared, exquisitely presented with carefully chosen sides, spices and herbs that never disappoint, even to the most discrete palate.

Morgan, our server, is top notch, attentive, helpful ad incredible well versed on every dish on the menu. End the evening with fantastic desserts and a French Press of selected coffee, and you'll leave feeling closer to heaven than when you first arrived. A must place to dine.

Excellent food, interesting taste combinations, superb service

everything we ordered is way too salty!
The service is good, but after all, food is what we are looking for in a restaurant.

Early valentine celebration

Everything tasty. Liked that there wasn’t the blandness we see except in ethnic places. Also happy to find a vegetarian option. More veggies please