When Turtle + The Wolf landed on Valley Road in 2015, it was an exciting opening for Montclair. Chef Lauren Hirschberg, who grew up here, had spent more than a decade rising through the ranks in Tom Colicchio’s kitchens before coming home to build something of his own. He teamed up with fellow Montclair native Matt Trevenen to open a neighborhood restaurant in the heart of Montclair’s Uptown. Turtle + The Wolf quickly turned into a local favorite.
Nearly a decade later, fans have a new reason to celebrate—lunch is finally on the menu!
After years of only offering dinner, the restaurant is now serving lunch Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Dinner starts at 5 p.m., and beginning April 27, they’ll open early on Sundays with a 4 p.m. seating.) And yes—the lunch menu includes Hirschberg’s famous and much-loved Lo’s Fried Chicken.
For Hirschberg, the decision to finally add lunch service has been a long time coming.
“Lunch has always been the can I kicked down the road,” he said. “It became a bit of a punchline with our staff. But every business needs to grow. This felt like the right time to challenge ourselves and do something new,” Hirschberg explained.
He felt the restaurant had reached a level of consistency that made the expansion feel right. “We’ve gotten to a point where dinner service runs smoothly. Our staff is amazing. And our private event business is doing well.”
Hirschberg said the lunch service is a new way to grow. It allows him to offer more hours, hire more people, and give his existing staff more flexibility. That staff includes a core group of servers who’ve been with the restaurant for years. “A lot of them have families. Lunch service gives them more opportunities to earn and create schedules that work best for them.”
Another reason the timing feels right? The neighborhood.
“When we started here 10 years ago, the foot traffic wasn’t as robust as it is now,” Hirschberg said. “With Mercado, Jackie’s Grillette and Marcel all nearby, there’s more energy around lunch in Upper Montclair. We’re different than those spots, but there’s definitely a market. If we can capture some of that, it works for everyone.”
The lunch menu includes many of the restaurant’s signature appetizers and entrees portioned for a midday meal. But you’ll also find new additions. “We added sandwiches and burgers—because they’re my favorites,” Hirschberg said. He added that he regularly stops in Tierney’s for a cheeseburger. He is also making his version of a veggie burger with roasted vegetables and a panini for vegetarian additions.
And, if you like to end your meals with something sweet, Turtle + The Wolf’s desserts are also on the lunch menu.
Hirschberg also opened Pineapple Express Barbecue in Lackawanna Plaza with chef Damon Wise in 2021, but Turtle + The Wolf remains his signature space. It’s where you can enjoy a fantastic dinner, attend a wine and champagne pairing dinner (in collaboration with Amanti Vino), have a private event, and now—enjoy a great lunch.
