At Maria’s Brunch: ‘My family is your family’

Whether it is endless stacks of pancakes or that one feel-good omelet you can’t get enough of, everyone loves a good brunch.

What makes brunch even more special is being able to enjoy delicious food and a cozy environment with family, friends and the people who matter most.

This is the main goal behind Maria’s Brunch, a warm and inviting brunch spot located on the corner of Durham Avenue near Downtown Metuchen. Owned by Maria Nicolas and her family, this spot has been on its way to becoming a busy breakfast staple to many residents of the borough and beyond.

Opening its doors in September 2022, Maria’s Brunch has been bustling with customers from the start! Open seven days a week from 7am to 3pm, Nicolas has been working tirelessly to serve her customers but after working extremely hard to get where she is today, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My family and I came to this country from Mexico and we came very determined for what we wanted,” she said. “Food and hospitality have always been a part of my family with me being in the serving industry for almost ten years and my father as a cook for more than 40 [years].

“Since I had the opportunity [of] coming to America, [and] being a server even though I didn’t know much English, I knew I had to work hard to have an opportunity to do something more so I started studying for years and took years of classes until I felt comfortable enough to start finding a place to establish my dream restaurant.”

However, Nicolas’ restaurant location wasn’t something that was easy to find.

“When finding a location for Maria’s Brunch, everything was so expensive so we had to save money,” she said. “The owner of the property where the restaurant currently stands had a lot of companies interested in it with many already established and looking to expand their franchise. I was just starting out.”

With the location competition stakes set high, Nicolas knew she had to do something to stand out so she essentially poured her heart into a letter to the property owner to tell her story and how a place like Maria’s Brunch can be of value to the community.

“I wrote a letter explaining where my family and I were coming from and what I’ve done in my life to get to the point where I was at,” Nicolas explained. “I wanted the owner to know the type of people my family and I were so they can make a decision if they wanted to give me the place or not.”

Sure enough, the letter worked and Maria’s Brunch became a reality.

“I am glad the owner chose me for the location so I can serve the neighborhood and become a part of such a welcoming community,” Nicolas said.

With a rich background in cuisine from Mexico as well as years in the kitchen with family recipes, the food menu at Maria’s Brunch is nothing short of unique. From their sweet Teo’s French toast topped with caramelized bananas and a drizzle of special Kahula sauce – yummmmm – to their savory Brunch Burger stacked high with fried egg, bacon and American cheese (with a side of fries, of course) there is something for everyone on the menu. What stands out the most in Nicolas’ mind is the chorizo.

“We have a lot of recipes on our menu that my mom and I used to cook together but the best one is my mom’s chorizo,” Nicolas said. “Chorizo is very popular amongst our customers as well as many salsas my father has created.”

Customers can taste the chorizo for themselves if they order such items like the Chorizo Bowl with fresh sliced avocado and home fries or dip into some homemade salsas with an order of fajitas made any way with chicken, steak or salmon.

Customers can also look forward to exciting seasonal menus surrounding the year like winter and fall items and food choices focused on particular holidays.

“We just wrapped up our Valentine’s Day seasonal menu and it was a great success so we look forward to introducing more creative choices in the future,” Nicolas said.

For those customers that also have certain dietary needs or requirements, Maria’s Brunch is up to the task.

“We offer several dietary options on our menu ranging from gluten free to sugar free as well as vegan choices like our popular vegan cheese,” Nicolas said.

With all this food talk and many options to choose from, there comes one question: Why brunch?

“We decided on just serving brunch at the restaurant along with some popular just breakfast and just lunch options because as a family we used to go to places where we felt they served either breakfast for too long or started lunch later and we couldn’t order the foods we truly wanted,” Nicolas explained. “I’m not the biggest fan of eggs but my family likes them. … Sometimes when we went out I just wanted to enjoy a burger, but the spots we went to didn’t have that option.”

Maria’s Brunch has all those breakfast and lunch options. There’s choices available all day for those who want to be satisfied with a bigger meal or stick to a morning favorite.

“We are our busiest around 11 [in the morning] to noon every day but I am glad we had several options for our customers so they can keep coming back,” Nicolas said.

On weekends including Fridays and holidays, Maria’s Brunch has been seeing business grow very quickly, so there is a one and a half hour time limit per table.

“We believe this is enough time for family and friends to gather and enjoy a meal but also gives the opportunity for others to come through and enjoy the restaurant,” Nicolas said.

“We want to give everyone equal amounts of time.”

Reservations can also be made for parties of four or more by contacting the restaurant directly.

For those looking to open and run a successful small business like Maria’s Brunch, Nicolas says it isn’t easy but it’s not impossible.

“Being a woman business owner, I have had many people tell me it wouldn’t happen for me and [some did] not truly believe in what I can do,” Nicolas said. “They told me ‘You won’t run a business because you are a woman.’ While I like to think we are all equal despite gender … at the end of the day we are all human.

“You have to really give it your best and not listen to people around you saying otherwise because if someone wants to support you, they will.”

And Maria’s Brunch does have all that support in Nicolas’ family.

“My father, husband and daughter on the weekends work in the restaurant as well as my cousin,” Nicolas said. “Just like how my family is in the restaurant working alongside me, I want my customers to feel that sense of family too.”

When customers walk through the doors of Maria’s Brunch, Nicolas wants them all to feel welcomed, regardless of their story.

“No matter where you’re coming from, you’re welcome here,” she said. “I love to see people coming back with their families and enjoying those special moments.”

Since opening, Nicolas has nothing but optimism and gratitude to express to the community and patrons for welcoming Maria’s Brunch with open arms. She and her family hope with continued success they can make their establishment bigger one day.

For now, they are enjoying the relaxed ambiance their brunch spot expresses to the community and the outstanding reviews they have been receiving.

“I hope to see the different generations of family come through our doors and continue to put a smile on people’s faces and just make them happy because I think the world needs more of that nowadays,” Nicolas said.

With much popularity and success so far for Maria’s Brunch, Maria and her family enjoy that they can bring a sense of home and familiarity to the neighborhood.”

“As they say back home, ‘Mi casa es su casa’ …. ‘My house is your house’ but at the end of the day, ‘My family is your family,’” Nicolas emphasized.

For more information on Maria’s Brunch, visit www.mariasbrunch.com , call directly at (732) 243-9050 or follow @Mariasbrunch on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.