Had drinks here after attending the Garden Series Outdoor Wine Dinner. Loved how cozy it was. I…read morechose an espresso martini and the super nice bartender made me a delicious one off menu. We opted to take our drinks outside to the massive porch and enjoy them while watching the sunset and rocking in the rocking chairs. Super reasonable drink prices for a venue such as this.

Library Lounge at Skytop Lodge feels like stepping back in time in the best possible way…read more From the moment you walk in, everything slows down. Dim lighting, big comfortable leather chairs, bookshelves lining the walls, a fully stocked bar, and historic photos throughout the space create a classic lodge vibe that feels timeless without being stuffy. It is cozy, polished, and incredibly relaxing. The staff is knowledgeable and clearly takes pride in what they serve. The craft cocktails are well made and thoughtful, and if you prefer beer, there are solid options there too. As a bourbon lover, I especially enjoyed their private barrel pick served neat, a real treat and easily a standout pour. This is a perfect pre-dinner or post-evening stop, we have done both, and it works beautifully either way. Dress is slightly casual but leans upscale, and while pricing is a bit higher than average, it feels completely worth it for the setting, quality, and experience. We sank into the chairs, talked story with friends, and lost track of time, which really says it all. If you are anywhere near Skytop Lodge, make sure this is on your list. Plan extra time, you will want to linger.

I have been here many times and keep coming back because they do a good job being creative with…read moretheir specials. Today I had the medium wings bone in which is a common go to for me. I love them. The wings are a bit on the smaller side but sauce and cooking is great. The chowder flavor was great it was a bit thinner that I prefer and more potatoes would have been perfect. Lastly the special drunk grandpa pizza was great. Quiet in here tonight but it's a Sunday in a local pub so as expected.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the colloquial use of the word dive to describe a…read more"drinking den" or "other disreputable place of resort" comes from the fact that these types of establishments were originally housed in cellars or basements, into which "frequenters may 'dive' without observation. I will leave it to you to decide whether Shakey Jakes Cafe is a dive bar, but they seem to take pride in it. As you will see upon arrival the door mentions that Shakey Jakes is recognized by Yelp & NJ.com as one of the top Dive Bars in Jersey. Bartenders are super friendly, helpful & professional. I sampled Bombay Sapphire, which is offered in a small glass or beer goblet...humm okay I'll bit let's go Big! I ordered the Steamed Clams, which come with croastini. On the menu it is offered with a Cajun Garlic Butter, I replaced that with just the regular drawn butter. Wow--wonderful nice size clams with the toasted bread, delicious. I loved it so much I had a second order. If you are are a steamed clam fan don't forget to sample the clam broth. This place is a keeper. I sent a picture of the front door of Shakey Jakes to my wife and son. I mentioned that "If I go missing this is the place to start." I showed the text to the Bartender, she got a huge kick out of it and said you are not from around here are you?

The Black Forest Inn was awesome! Standing out was not just the quality and authenticity of the…read morefood but the extraordinary care. Our hostess was omnipresent, ensuring everything went perfectly; loved her German attire! Food was delicious and served promptly - - not an American guess as to real Bavarian / German fare but "the real deal"! Gentle piano music in the background made the atmosphere more relaxing comfortable. Corkage was a bargain and we were able to accompany our dinner with a hearty red to pair with elk, sausages and various "--- bratens " Thank you Hans Aichem for recommending this jewel. We'll be back again for certain! Mike and Alex Nolan

I was fully prepared to come in here and unapologetically grade on a curve - I always feel a little…read morebad for this area of NJ when it comes to the gastro scene, and I want to support a legitimately unique enterprise like this. This was, sadly, not a good meal and based on expectations easily one of the most disappointing experiences I've had in recent memory. I came here yesterday with my top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex, along with my #1 Honorary Young Pup Chum, fresh off a 20-mile walk down the Sussex Branch Rail Trail - so a bit tired and very hungry. Black Forest got me (and my appetite) in the best situation for them, in theory. Unfortunately it stayed just a theory. The atmosphere in here by far is the biggest selling point. I love a good taxidermy situation, and this place had it in droves. We were seated near a bear, and had eyes on numerous other wildlife, preserved for eternity. The stained glass throughout the restaurant is also pretty wild - it feels like you decided to go to church in a European hunting lodge. It's also deceptively large in there, which I discovered later as I tried to locate the bathroom (there is no signage for that) and wandered into two or three different dining rooms. Just wild and really does set this place apart from virtually any other restaurant in the area (maybe the far superior Walpack Inn can lay a claim?). I was intrigued by the Potato Pancakes w/ Applesauce on the appetizer menu, which ended up being the best item I ate. As you can see in the attached photo, they're basically big hash browns. They were good, and the applesauce made for an interesting palate combo. In what ended up being a bizarre theme throughout the meal, the accompanying applesauce came in a small plastic container that you had to open. This to me is one of the more egregious self-inflicted wounds I've seen from a restaurant, but also pretty fixable. This wasn't a crab shack at the beach or a taqueria in Newton - this is a restaurant with white tablecloths. Why aren't you serving the accompanying sides in a nicer dish, like a ramekin? What makes it more mystifying is that they HAD ramekins or something similar - they served the wrapped butter for the stale dinner rolls in it. I genuinely don't have a clue what the thought process was, but it honestly cheapened the optics and is something they should stop doing immediately. For my entree, I went classic German with the veal wienerschnitzel and a side of spatzle. The wienerschnitzel itself was fine - I've honestly had better from a food truck in Jersey City called Mordi's (I just checked and sadly they've closed), but it had no sauce or anything so it was super dry and overall not that tasty as a result. It would have even been an upgrade to get one of their infamous plastic containers of basically any condiment. The spatzle was honestly terrible; I had an excellent version of this at an Austrian restaurant in FiDI called Schilling (which has now converted to a French restaurant, apparently; I can't with these closures. Lord.), and this was just utterly tasteless. My chum likened it to "brain noodles," meaning the noodles you'd use in a blindfold game around Halloween. Fair, but even some of those probably had some flavor to them. Huge miss. I'm not sure why I kept going at this point but I decided to end this situation with the Black Forest Cake. It was a little stale (maybe it's kept in the same area as the dinner rolls?), but it was okay. Could have been worse, so I'm taking that as a victory of sorts. The chocolate mousse within it got positive remarks from my other dining companions in the context of their items, so that's probably the play if you're hitting up the dessert menu. The service was mediocre. Our waitress was very nice when she came to our table, which was infrequent. It seemed like she was waiting for food to come out (which took a while) as the context for a visit, rather than taking initiative to check on us. The Young Pup Chum waited close to 15 minutes for a second soda, which shouldn't have happened, especially given that we were there at a VERY slow time (just before 4pm). And the price point was honestly close to insulting. Neither of us are opposed to plunking down some Jacksons for a nice meal, but getting a bill for $200 (plus tip!) for not great food was not a fun feeling to close out our afternoon. I hate to end this on a dark note, but given that my two recommendations for German food in the area have both closed, you might not have much of a choice but to come here if you're hankering for schnitzel.

Very clean and great place. Highly recommend it. Hard to beat the view too. The prices were…read morereasonable with excellent service. Excited to return.

Was a beautiful day out and we sat outside on the dock. Our waitress was nice and attentive. I…read morebelieve they updated the menu since last time we went (I did not see some of my previously reviewed items on the menu anymore). I decided to try the seafood risotto which was decent but a couple of the scallops were a little over cooked and the risotto itself was kind of sticky. My husband got the steak sandwich which he was surprised was a whole piece of steak (opposed to being sliced) but he said the steak was very tender and he had no issues eating it! I also stole a few of his sweet potatoes fries which were very good.

Great food and great service. Mexican street tacos are very…read moregood. This place is always consistent

Been here before and loved it! Came back with friends and enjoyed a leisurely meal. Check out my…read morepictures and previous review. Great food, fun atmosphere and attentive service. You can't go wrong if you want Mexican food plus a full service bar.

143 Social is located in the basement of Better Days restaurant (which also looks good too!)…read more Stopped in with a reservation right at opening on a Saturday evening. The decor is stunning! There are multiple stairs leading to the speakeasy downstairs. There are accessible bathrooms down there but even just having opened - the bathrooms were not that clean. They smelled and had garbage on the floor. All staff were attentive and helpful and provided drink recommendations. The drinks err on the side of Tiki drinks mostly but there's some interesting whiskey and bourbon drinks too. We had some small apps to eat and all were good! And the portions were plentiful. We had fries and the hushpuppies. Loved the sauces that came with each. The space was not crowded for a while but started to pick up around 7:30 or so. I feel like a reservation may not be needed here. The upstairs restaurant was also so empty when we left! Not sure why as it looked nice. The noise level at 143 was not bad either even when crowds started to show up. Overall a nice option for drinks and apps in JC!

Nice speakeasy under the eatery right in the square of Jersey city. The vibes were chic and…read moresophisticated and the music was something you could listen to for hours. The prices for the appetizers were a bit on the pricey side but the drinks made up for it. If you want to meet up somewhere for a quick drink for a girls night or date night I would come here.

Once again, Panther has great food, exceptional service, and perfect cocktails…read more I got the Steak Sandwich, which I loved, and a Paper Plane, which can often be overly boozy but this version was delightful. We also tried the daily appetizer special, Turkey Empanadas, and they were insanely good. It's always lively, friendly and cozy inside. They've mastered the modern pub scene.

Stopped in for lunch on Black Friday while visiting family in the area. The place was pretty busy…read moreand we sat in the bar area. Service was terribly slow the duration of the time. There was 1 bartender and 1 server covering the area. It took forever to have our order taken and to get to water and or food. I wasn't impressed with my meal either. I had the aged cheddar grilled cheese. There was barely any cheese on the sandwich - it was 95% apple slices and fig jam. They didn't even bother to take the sticker off the apple. I would not recommend this dish. My husband enjoyed his french onion soup; his Reuben was average. My family member enjoyed their steak sandwich. Maybe they had their holiday crew working given it was Thanksgiving weekend and that's why our experience wasn't that great. If I was here again, I'd want to sit in the main area in the back and order something different.

Went back somewhat recently and ordered the noodles special this time around. It was, like almost…read moreeverything I have had at White Owl across multiple visits - brilliant. It is on the spicier side, so this is something to consider if you do not like spice. That said, the noodles were terrific, and you are served a large portion of it. I got it with chicken and was thoroughly pleased from top to bottom. The presentation is also smart, being served in an oversized Chinese takeout rice container. Definitely getting better after each visit. Can't wait to come back again!

Hole in the wall packed with nyc dining at reasonable prices. From food to service everything was…read moreexceptional. Will return to try more items

I had researched speakeasies in Midtown West of Manhattan before we traveled there to celebrate our…read morefifth wedding anniversary. From our initial trip last year, I had marked a place called Bar 369 Miroku located in Hell's Kitchen. Being that we didn't make our way to the spot on our trip last year, and were staying in Hell's Kitchen this time around, I wanted us to check out. The only challenge was actually finding it. If you're seeking out this gorgeous speakeasy. You aren't going to find it through some darkened alleyway or non-marked door of a building outside. No. You need to check the website and read between the lines of it being located within a sushi bar on West 46th Street. I could tell you the name, but what fun would that be? Figure that part out. But once you figure out how to access, the staff at said-sushi bar will direct you to the back of the restaurant to wheee you will see a sign for the bar and a stairwell to take you up to the second floor. Once you reach and look around, it looks at first you have reached a dead end between the emergency exit you see and a door that looks locked. There is a black curtain in the darkened hallway you need to notice and peer through. And alas, you will discover the bar that is Bar 369 Miroku. Once you have been checked for ID, and your party number, you are escorted into the small, darkly-lit enclave with plush decor, a bit of a Rolling Stones theme with its large poster hung in the back and artwork perched next to the bar shelving. It's an intimate and relaxed energy that makes it perfect to enjoy one of the Japanese-inspired cocktails on an evening after dinner. The hideaway offers a creative mix of craft cocktail options such as the Ichitaki Spritz (a variation of the Aperol spritz with sake in it), which was quite delightful that I enjoyed immensely within the dark lounge surroundings. If we were here more often, I would have taken advantage of their Japanese whisky selection that looked on point. There is a delectable charm to their curation and craftsmanship of their cocktails, combined with the luscious ambience that makes for a great hangout spot to get away and relax for the night. Bar 369 Miroku hits the mark regarding the speakeasy experience you would think to have when describing one, outside of not needing a password. The bar combines dark, stylish elegance with modern Japanese mixology magic to create an environment nestled deep away from the busy Manhattan streets outside.

Awesome upstairs speakeasy behind an Asian restaurant…read more Went after dinner for a few cocktails. Was a last minute thing so did not have an RSVP, but luckily there was an open table. Ordered a few various drinks - all very good and balanced. A pretty intimate vibe also, which is appreciated. Would come back!

Ordered lunch the other day, a personal pizza and appetizer combo for two for takeout. The pizza…read moreitself was hot when I picked it up, but the crust was a bit dry. The appetizer for two included fried mozzarella sticks, mushrooms, zucchini, and chicken tenders. Overall the fried vegetables and chicken were pretty oily, especially the zucchini which were basically oil filled pockets. However, the dish was filling and the oily-ness not unexpected considering the appetizer is fried. The mozzarella sticks had a different type of coating on it which made it more bland and oily than the rest of the appetizer, unfortunately. The pickup experience was quick and easy. Overall, I would order again due to the restaurant's convenience, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way.

Always a pleasure to stop into Carlos Cucuna, today just a quick slice and meatball parm for lunch…read more The best employees, always so friendly and hard working. The dining area is always spotless and clean. Confidently located in the Shop Rite mall in Byram,NJ