So in celebration of Beyoncé and Cowboy Carter, we found this spot called Lotus in Passaic, NJ that…read morewas doing a themed brunch. It sounded super cute like, perfect pre-show vibes. First off, we couldn't even find the place. When we finally did, the front was completely blacked out and the security guard had on a bulletproof vest... sketchy. But we went in anyway. The first floor had a weird smell, so we went upstairs. The vibe was better up there, and the host was really nice. The decor was totally on theme, very Cowboy Carter. The brunch menu looked decent, but weirdly we couldn't order any appetizers just the brunch entrees. Kinda annoying, but whatever. We got the shrimp and grits, and the chicken and waffles (served on a skewer). Oh and we had to pay right when we ordered. Like... why? That was definitely a red flag. But surprisingly, the food was actually so good. As for drinks, I got something with rum and it was solid. My partner ordered the $30 mimosa pitcher, and it was mostly juice way too sweet. Definitely not worth it. The food is 11/10, but not my everyday go to spot!!! Try it out and let me know your thoughts

Ladies Night!! After dinner with my ladies. We wasn't ready to go home and wanted to just vibe out…read moreand listen to music and drink a little. We visit this rooftop because my friend said it was a nice spot. I honestly feel it was overpriced for a Saturday night. $20 entry fee wasn't bad. Hookah was overprice $30 and it was hardly pulling any smoke. We got a bottle of Don Julio which was $345.

I visited The Roosevelt for some post dinner drinks with my family. I loved the "Hideout" speakeasy…read morespace and the historic FDR elements. The cocktail drinks were delicious. I ordered the Bee's Knees to start and also tried a Vodka Paloma. I really enjoyed the Bee's Knees cocktail. The service was very attentive and stopped by our table frequently to see if we needed more drinks. Overall, I would definitely visit again for a night out. Bee's Knees Cocktail: 5/5 Vodka Paloma Cocktail: 4/5

Totally unexpected find that turned out to be a beautiful surprise with a Saturday happy hour where…read moreselected food and drinks are only $10 and very tasty! Stopped in before the Usher & Chris Brown Concert and left very happy! Will definitely come back to experience their Speakeasy. Highly recommend!!

7/26/25: (Update) Can't believe it's been 2 years since visiting the Silk City Distillery…read more You first order at the counter. We ordered an Expresso Martini (Vodka) and a Bees Knees Cocktail (Gin). Dario brought our drinks to our table. The cocktails were so yummy! SCD only sells chips and other related snacks. Best to eat before you arrive. Overall, Silk City Distillery has remained consistent since my last visit. Extras: - All alcohol is made at the distillery. - Distillery tours are available by appointment. - SCD has some hilarious Tee Shirts for sale. - 2 Restrooms on the premises. - Adjoining Ghost Hawk Brewery shares a small parking lot with SCD. Street parking is available too.

As mentioned in my review for Ghost Hawk Brewing, I made it to the shared lot of this alcohol duo…read morefor the Poured Fresh event with a variety of vendors, food tents, live music, and, of course, booze. Like the brewpub, Silk City Distillery had been on my wish list, and it was not until I arrived at Ghost Hawk that I noticed that they were adjacent to each other, allowing me to check both off at once. The tasting room was adorned with barrels that were holding their vast selection of spirits, such as bourbon, whisky, rum, gin, vodka, and more. They also offered a handful of regular and high-top tables, which we were easy to obtain on that afternoon (given the outdoor options as well), but typically reservations were recommended. Though the seating was comfortable, the temperature was not. In fact, it was freezing in there, and we, along with a lot of other parties, switched tables multiple times to find the best fit. We approached the counter to order from their lengthy cocktail list, which included standard and more custom cocktails. I decided on their rendition of a Lime Rickey, asking for it to be made with their gin. The tart, sour, and sweet drink was light and refreshing. I enjoyed each sip so much that I wound up getting a second round. While many distilleries offer a few types of alcohol and a handful of cocktails, the Silk City Distillery went above and beyond with their vast array of options. Any connoisseur should enjoy the place!

I visited Union Bar last year for a Yelp event and have been talking about Union Bar ever since…read more I'm glad that I came tonight to check it out and bring my favorite person along. Our server, Natalie, was bubbly, polite and attentive. I ordered the garlic and lemon shrimp dish which was out of this world. Everything about the dish was a hit: the shrimp were cooked perfectly, the sauce was bursting with flavor, and the portion was sizable. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My mate ordered the burger which was served with seasoned fries. He kept raving about the burger and everything was gone before I had a chance to try anything, so I know it must've been good! All in all, the meal was delicious and I look forward to returning. Also, there is a parking lot next to the restaurant which fills up quickly.

Terrible experience. We came to Union Bar & Provisions for dinner with our baby and walked out to…read morefind our car being towed. We even called the tow truck driver while he was in the process of towing it, but still had to pay a significant amount of money just to have the vehicle dropped. What should have been a nice family dinner turned into a stressful and expensive ordeal. Extremely disappointing experience, and we will not be returning.

This is a nice spot. The bar is mainly Colombian. But the atmosphere and vibe is good. They have…read morehookah and the drinks are pretty good in price. Everyone is always very nice and attentive. I have gone when it's really busy and even still, the bartenders make eye contact and try to attend you as quickly as they can. The hookah is cash only. $35 & $20 for a refill ( good price on that too!) If you wanna dance and have a nice time. This spot is good. I love how close it is to me also. They seem to have good food as well. I haven't tried it yet, but I definitely will as I will be coming more often to this place. They do have valet parking. Parking around this area is bad! So take advantage of the valet. There is no set price , you tip as you wish when you leave.

Loved the place. Service is great. The food is good and the cocktails are fun…read more It is busy and gets very crowded as night progresses. Most come for dancing and the music. The decor is funky. Overall nice spot for groups.

PROS: Staff is very nice, including the bouncers. Food looked good, people enjoyed the drinks, many…read moreplaces to sit, live music, and a small courtyard CONS: Scarce amount of street parking, takes a long time to close out a bar tab, one person bathrooms which causes a backup. It's also very cramped inside as it's not that big OVERALL: I may come back to this place if others are wanting to come here. I thought the vibe was good

Chill atmosphere... love the Caprese salad here! Will visit again soon! - Monica the barberread more

As soon as you walk in you'll dig the vibe here. Really rustic with wooden barrels everywhere gives…read moreit a really warm, cozy feel. There is outdoor and indoor dining but since it was blazing hot out I opted to stay inside in the cool AC. Came for brunch on a Sunday so had to try their sangria. It was really refreshing and perfect for a warm day. For entrees, we ordered the short rib hash, chicken and waffles, and the steak and eggs. I had a little of each, but my favorite was the short rib hash. Great flavor and the sauce was fantastic. The steak had a perfect cook on it, and the fried chicken was crispy and flavorful as well. The server was friendly and extremely attentive. He recommended a good dessert which we ended up splitting. When in doubt go with the chocolate brownie Esther vanilla ice cream !

Checked out Barrow House after a farmers market visit and it was packed for a Sunday right at noon…read more Every room has a different vibe which makes the space feel really cozy and interesting instead of just one big dining room. We didn't have a reservation, but they were still able to seat us in the dining room as long as we could wrap up before 1:30, which we appreciated. I wasn't super hungry so we shared the crispy cauliflower and lamb ribs from the appetizer menu. The crispy cauliflower was excellent -- hot, actually crispy, and not drowning in sauce which I really appreciated. The lamb ribs came over labneh (a yogurt base) and the first plate arrived with the lamb cold. I asked our waitress if that was intentional and she said only the labneh should be cold. They immediately replaced it with a fresh order and handled it really well, which I appreciated. Great service recovery and overall a really enjoyable brunch spot with a lively atmosphere.

I hate leaving bad reviews, but this experience was honestly disappointing. The food wasn't very…read moregood, and on top of that, our order came out completely wrong. My friend and I went at a normal time, and the place wasn't even busy. We originally ordered tacos and chaufa, but they brought us the wrong food. We told the server, and she said she'd go find the woman who took our order, but she never came back. After waiting about 20 minutes, we told another employee, and she also disappeared. Eventually someone finally came back and apologized, saying they were busy -- which would've been understandable, except the restaurant really wasn't crowded at all. At that point, we were tired of waiting and just ate the food they gave us. But paying $18 for 3 basic tacos is honestly ridiculous. Their solution was basically, "We can make the correct order, but it'll take even longer." Then they automatically added an 18% gratuity for just two people, even though the service was far from good. Overall, the food was very basic, the service was frustrating, and the whole experience just wasn't worth it. I wouldn't recommend this place.

Aesthetically 10/10! This place is such a vibe when you walk in. A Mexican Peruvian fusion…read more It was a little stuffy and when we asked the waitress she went to have management turn down the heat. The food was delicious and happy hour drinks even better! I love me a good tamarind margarita. I would go back to try actual entrees. There is a small parking lot which is very convenient. And street parking was a breeze.

We came to Ceviche 517 Restaurant & Lounge as a group of five, hoping to find good food, great…read moremusic, and some fun new cocktails--and this place absolutely delivered on most fronts! A quick heads-up: on Google Maps it's listed as Ceviche 517, but the sign on the building says Tavern 517, which initially threw us off. We were circling around until we decided to just trust the physical address--and we're so glad we did. As soon as we walked in, the name didn't even matter anymore. The decor is stunning--definitely has an upscale, Instagram-worthy vibe with a modern lounge feel. We might've come a little early because the place was quiet when we arrived, but that worked in our favor as we got to settle in comfortably and explore the menu. Drinks were a mixed experience. We tried the margarita flight, which included coconut, passion fruit, and strawberry. The coconut and passion fruit margaritas were absolutely delicious--fresh, balanced, and memorable. The strawberry, however, was a big miss--tasted like kid's medicine and no one at the table could finish it. We also ordered a drink called something like Chicola--it had ginger ale, lime juice, and some type of liquor, and unfortunately, it was another one we couldn't get through. The flavors just didn't mix well, and everyone at the table agreed it was a no for us. On the flip side, the Perfect Mule with a strawberry twist, the Henny Mojito, and a bold and fun drink called No Sheets were much better received. Menus are displayed on sleek tablets, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that the in-house menu offered way more options than what's listed online. And the food? Absolutely excellent. The Tallarín Saltado with vegetables was beyond delicious--we placed it in the center so everyone could dig in. The ceviche flight was fresh and flavorful, and the jalea (a fried seafood platter) didn't last long on the table either. One friend had the larger ceviche bowl paired with a mojito and already asked to come back just for that combo. Even the kid's arroz chaufa with chicken impressed us, with a big enough portion for leftovers. If there's one thing that fell flat, it was the atmosphere--at least early in the evening. When we arrived, the music playing sounded like retro video game tunes, but thankfully it transitioned into upbeat Spanish hits, including some great bachata that gave the space some energy. All in all, despite a few drink misses and a quiet start, this spot is a gem. The food alone is worth the trip, and we're definitely planning to return--next time a little later in the evening to hopefully catch a livelier vibe!

I loved this place and will be returning soon!…read more Made it in time for happy hour and tried their margarita and sangria. My fave was the passion fruit margarita. For food we shared calamari, tavern fries, and quesadillas. The calamari and quesadillas were winners! So good. Attentive service and nice decor inside for pics! Tip: ask the waiting staff to take your pic, they bring out a light and know what they are doing!

Not sure if this location is owned by the same people as the other Agave location in NJ, but if it…read moreis this one is by far my favorite. We've ordered takeout a few times because we love their seafood soup and steak, but this past Friday we decided to dine in, and we left even more impressed. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The music set the perfect vibe and paired beautifully with the stylish decor. Also loved that even though the music was loud I could still hear and have conversations without having to scream across the table. The food was an easy 5/5. The grilled octopus appetizer was absolutely delicious and honestly I'd go back just for that dish. It was flavorful, filling, and perfect as is. The seafood steak entree was also amazing, and the margarita flights are a must try. This spot has officially become our go to for date nights.

This place had just open when I went. Food was good. Drinks were good and elaborated which I…read moreappreciate. It's really cute in there. Photo worthy