Juanita Villa is a new contributor to 510families from Montclair. She is the mom to one-year old Lucio and enjoys cooking, sewing, running, yoga, and exploring her neighborhood with her little family. We appreciate Juanita sharing her favorite places today.
Our favorite places to eat
Montclair Village has many restaurants to choose from but when you have kiddos in tow, it can become a bit tricky. The House of Bagels is a great place to take babies and tots for bagels in the morning or for brunch. It gets crowded on the weekends but it is definitely kid-friendly. They even have highchairs (a plus for me) and mini bagels for the babes, not to mention the bagels are excellent..
The Egg Shop is another cute little gem in the Village. They serve up the standard breakfast/brunch/lunch menu and you will be sure to find other families dining there with their kids.
El Agavero Restaurant is great for lunchtime because it’s not too crowded. They have a reasonably priced kid’s menu and the food is good.
My husband and I like to go to Crogan’s for dinner with our son most Friday nights. It is very kid-friendly and we are often surrounded by many families with little ones as well. They serve a variety of foods: hamburgers, fish, pasta, and wings along with a standard kids menu. The waiters are super friendly.
Taqueria Las Comadres II is a good place for good Mexican food on the go. They serve burritos as well as plates. I order a side of rice and beans for my son, and he likes it.
Shopping for kids
The Toyhouse in Montclair is a great little shop that has very cute toys and books for kids of all ages. You can let your little tot crawl around and play with some of the cool toys they sell, including many eco-friendly toys.
A Great Good Place for Books is a nice local book store that has many children’s books.
Other Insider Tips
The Montclair Library is a fantastic place for kids. They have a nice play area in the back with toys that you can take your tots to go play, and even have a baby bounce class on Thursdays. The library also has great $2 books sales with good finds!!
For sweet treats, Yogofina and Colonial Donuts are our favorite hot spots.
Mountain Yoga offers wonderful mom and baby yoga classes but you have to check the schedule because classes are not offered on a predictable schedule.
Peet’s Coffee is a favorite spot for many parents and their little ones, inside and out. There isn’t a changing table, but the restroom is reliably clean.
Thank you so much to Juanita and Lucio for sharing their favorite spots. We’re so happy to have them on our 510 Families team and look forward to more happenings from Montclair.
This is great! It reminds me to get back to a Great Good Place for books again — we loved it the previous two times we visited but it has been a long time since we have been!
And I have had so many friends rave about The Egg Shop — can’t believe we haven’t been there. Adding it to my list of breakfast places to try:)
You should definitely check out the Egg Shop!
I haven’t been to most of these restaurants. These are terrific recommendations.
I second The House of Bagels! That is part of our Sunday ritual of getting bagels and then shopping the Farmer’s Market with our 9-mo son. Thanks for sharing your list!
Don’t forget our wonderful indie bookstore, Great Good Place for Books! Kathleen and her staff have one of the most vibrant retail sites in the village and there’s even a cozy little reading area in back for kids…complete with cookies. Get to know them, let them get to know your kid’s reading preferences, and they will have book recommendations for you for years to come. They run a great summer reading program too…
@Nancy, thanks for adding more info about the bookstore. It sounds like its worth the visit.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Egg Shop and the Toyhouse was one of our favorite places to hang out. A little side tip about that place, they do free gift wrapping, so if you are running late to a birthday party and need to grab something, that’s the place to go!
@Jessica, Thanks for the tip!
Great advice Juanita! The House of Bagels is awesome. As a lover of New York bagels, this is as close to the real deal as you are going to get in the East Bay. The workers are also really friendly, and the mini bagels are the perfect size for young bagel eaters. I also enjoy a cup of Joe at Peet’s, especially on a weekend.
Thanks for the tips! We are new to Montclair with 3 kids at very different ages–13, 9, and 15 months! We just tried Tacqueria Las Comadres II earlier in the week for dinner and loved that it was packed with so many kids!
I am always looking for a place to buy books for my grandchildren. The Great Good Place for Books sounds like the store I have been looking for. Before I visit the grandkids, I love to bring them a small surprise. And a book is just the thing. You can never have too many. Thanks for the tip.
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