Read time: Approximately 6 minutes

I had heard that Maize, the scene-y, newish globally inspired Mexican restaurant in Westfield, was right near the train station. When I pulled up today – thanks to Apple Maps telling me to turn into a parking lot and saying you have arrived, to where exactly, I wondered – I discovered that Maize is literally in the Westfield train station (or at least a building that used to be part of it).

Upon entering the curious building, you immediately appreciate the charm and creativity of Maize. After all, they took a literal train station and transformed it into a modern, inviting space, with the kind of calming color palette all of us sorely need atm, marked by oodles of natural light pouring through wide open windows looking out across the NJ Transit railroad tracks.

After seeing how challenging it would be to get a dinner reservation at Maize, I quickly pivoted to another option: brunch, which, luck would have it, Maize does perfectly. Celebrating my mom’s birthday, we snagged a table right at 11:30 am, when they open on Saturdays, and dug into the varied menu printed with embossed ink on heavy white paper stock.

I couldn’t help but notice Maize doesn’t have many tables, although I’m curious about what’s happening in the basement area of the restaurant. On the main floor, I counted five booths for four, and three standalone tables for four, plus a few high tops around the expansive bar. And you’ll want to get to know the bar, simply because Maize offers a becoming cocktail menu at all dining times, as observable by servers marching from bar to booth with colorful brunch drinks for the many diners who joined us for opening time.

Since I have low confidence in ever getting a reservation at Maize again – knowing Westfield folks have good taste – I set about ensuring we tried several plates for our brunch.

You’ll find Mexican offerings like chips and salsa or guacamole, tacos, burritos, and other standard fare on the brunch and dinner menu. In addition to these tried-and-true favorites – which are anything but traditional in style – Maize serves up many other innovative options, like an inventive salmon dish at dinner and a colorful, artfully crafted hash for brunch (a plate perfect for me). Whatever you order, I can assure you that you will not go wrong at Maize.

To start, we ordered the chicken, bacon, and corn empanada and churro basket with dipping sauce(s).

Three empanadas are served in this hearty appetizer (perhaps even good for a main dish). And they may represent the platonic ideal of an empanada. The sturdy dough is fried to a chewy crisp, a perfect vessel for the delicate flavor balance of shredded chicken, bacon, corn, and a bit of pepper to deliver a low-simmering heat. They’re beautifully plated with dots of pico de gallo and a snowy blanket of cotija cheese. For dipping, the dish comes with a jalapeno buttermilk ranch sauce, which may sound almost pedestrian (ranch? Here?), yet it is the expert complement to this crisp empanada, creating a welcome coolness to the overall experience of each bite.

Although Maize may consider the churro basket to be more of a dessert (found under “Sweet” on the menu), I didn’t see any reason to save it until after brunch. When you think of churros, you might envision heavy, grand-circumference, and thoroughly fried sweet treats. At Maize, you’ll find a seriously elevated experience of the churro, which you may have not even endeavored existing prior to ordering them (at least I hadn’t). The Maize churros are S-shaped, thin, and compact, with lightly sweet dough, and doused with cinnamon sugar on all sides. The dipping sauce options include a velvety, thoroughly strawberry number – whose texture falls in between a jam and a sauce, truly something to behold – joined by a slightly thin, milky chocolate sauce and a thick, syrupy caramel to round it out. Having tried all three sauces multiple times to establish a winner, I’d like to hand the strawberry one the crown for its perfect balance of fruity flavor that was shaped immaculately by just enough sugar.

For our entrees, my mom ordered the breakfast burrito, highly rated by our server who orders it every weekend shift, he said, and I tried the mixed pepper, plantain, pineapple, and kale hash.

It’s almost as if Maize knew I’d review their outstanding restaurant when planning ingredients for the superlative burrito, since it’s filled with dense, thick-cut Taylor Ham, as well as enchilada beans, papas, green chili scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese. You’ll also receive an astonishingly delectable sour orange chile de arbol salsa on the side for the burrito. The dish is plated with a lightly dressed, simple greens salad. The burrito itself uses the broad flour tortilla – lightly heat-pressed before serving, it seemed – as a canvas for this vibrantly delicious filling. Having tried a bite with and without salsa, I’d strongly urge you to use every last drop of this supreme salsa, which has a complex pepper flavor and burning-ember heat. The combination of flavors in the burrito is superior to many breakfast burritos I’ve had in the past, with the unique bite of the Taylor Ham serving a central role in delivering excellence to your taste buds.

The hash surprised me – simply by how outstanding it was. It’s important to note that the menu includes a sunny side up egg as standard, and I opted for scrambled eggs instead. In addition to the headliners in this hash, there’s also jalapeno, seed mix, some of that salsa the burrito has (heaven), and dollops of the smoothest whipped goat cheese I’ve had in a minute. I had some private reservations about the inclusion of pineapple in this dish upon reading the menu, which were summarily quashed when I saw the sheer craft Maize takes in preparing this hash. All vegetables and fruits are finely diced, and it appeared they were all diced to be the same exact size. The result of doing so provides a unique and consistent flavor blend, leveraging the significant surface area of all ingredients, that’s delightful to eat. I enjoyed the inclusion of seeds – something I add to my own dishes at home – and the cool, tangy goat cheese, which felt somewhat unexpected, creating the perfect foil for the light heat of the hash experience.

When we sat down, the server pointed us to the cocktail menu, and when we both seemed unmoved by his mention of it, he notified us that of course coffee and tea are available. My mom opted for a basic drip coffee, which was served in a beautiful red cup and saucer, alongside steamed milk – an elegant touch, which served as a welcome predictor of the many good things to come over the course of our dining experience at Maize. I requested an iced coffee, and the server said, “I can make this,” suggesting iced coffee is not on the drink menu. He surprised me with a delicate iced cappuccino, with good espresso and a little frothiness that delighted my palette.

If you haven’t heard of Maize, well, where have you been. But, if you cannot get a dinner reservation at Maize – available on Resy – look for a brunch timeslot. I cannot recall having a better breakfast/brunch experience in the area than this (and I thought Willow & Whisk was tremendous!).

Plus, while at Maize, you’ll have the pleasure of watching the trains come and go just outside the restaurant, although you’re unlikely to hear them. Sit back and relax at Maize with elevated cuisine, a peaceful yet hip ambiance, and outstanding hospitality.