Update Mar.1.2020 -I'm really impressed with the bar service. Last time I reviewed I mentioned the Gin available. The have since changed it up and added much more gin. Love the live music when it's there. Again always a pleasure guys keep it up. read more

Papillon 25 is a great meeting place for locals as well as anyone who is interested in having their special event there. The vibe is hip & upscale with there being more of the young than of the old. read more

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This is what you call a Black Vibe! The ambiance is priceless. Food is tasty & delicious. Drinks ....much try for yourself! read more

Papillon 25 - Fried Chicken - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

I dropped in here for a pre-dinner drink with my aunt because our restaurant didn't actually serve alcohol. My aunt lives locally and she had heard great things about this place but not been yet so it was perfect timing to drop in. We came by on a Monday night at about 6pm and there were plenty of screens for football and only a handful of people at the bar. When we walked in it had a sort of chemical clean smell to it which I didn't love but I didn't take is a bad sign either - it was only momentary. The cocktail list is massive! We were only here for drinks but the food looked very tasty as well. It's a French Creole menu but the cocktail list comes from all over the world with any spirit you can imagine. One thing I love doing is having the seasonal cocktail so I went straight for that list. It's November so there were plenty of autumn inspired flavors but the pumpkin pie Martini really jumped out at me. There were so many fun ingredients I had to have it. And I was not disappointed! The bartender was friendly and attentive and she always poured to the perfect lip of the drink. That pumpkin pie Martini will stay with me for years. I love pumpkin pie spice and I love cinnamon and honestly I am usually not a fan of milky cocktails because they get sickly sweet but this was literally so delicious I wish I could drink it right now and it's 6 AM on a Wednesday morning. Anyway all that to say the menu is creative and the staff is friendly. By 7pm the restaurant was packed with locals and people who were having a great time catching up w/ fun conversations. A nice gentleman offered to buy us another round at the bar but we had reservations so we had to go. I believe if I lived locally I would be back - there's just so many cocktails to try! Seeing as the special cocktail list changes monthly, I would want to see what else they came up with! Go for drinks or for dinner or for both! You won't be sorry! read more

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Tried to like this place but they always seem to disappoint. Ive gone here for large parties, catching up with friends and date night at the bar. I always leave dissatisfied. Never enough trained bartenders but they have horrible attitudes. A limited wine selection. Apart, of my food order is always cold. Example, out with girlfriends at the bar we ordered drinks and fries. All the fries were cold. When I bring it to staff attention, the eye role is upsetting. The regulars are the only ones that get good service. read more

Ambiance: nice restaurant but the dining room is dark and not well-lit. Only part of the restaurant with appropriate lighting is the bar. The dining room is so dark, you can barely read your menu. Service: there were at least 6 employees working but only one person was greeting people at the door, taking orders at the tables, etc. and one other person was behind the bar. What were the others doing? Attire: entrance says business casual attire and men can't wear hats but it's not enforced since people were in workout clothes and men had hats on indoors Food: food was okay. I ordered the snapper. Couldn't substitute the sides which was unfortunate cause I didn't want rice. My mom ordered the shrimp and grits and they were separated which we found odd. Shrimp was well seasoned but she wasn't a fan of the grits Drinks: martinis are good but I think majority are sweet. I ordered the butterfly martini (sweet) at first then decided to switch to the lychee martini. The one server was busy serving everyone drinks so I didn't get my lychee martini until 25 mins later. Lychee martini was pretty strong but delicious. Highly recommend if you want something with a kick Tip: they automatically add 20% gratuity to all checks. In other comments, the owner says the automatic gratuity is only added to checks of 6 people or more but it was only 2 of us so that's inaccurate. Overall: 6 out of 10. I would definitely go back but would probably just sit at the bar and order drinks only read more

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I ordered the catfish and I personally wasn't a big fan. And the bread was a little stale. I'm originally from Mississippi and I'm use to the way we do catfish in the south. The ambience and music was really nice and great service. I would suggest towards the evening when the lights are dim, to brighten it a touch because a lot of guest were using their phones to see the menu. read more

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Do not come to this restaurant! The waiters were unprofessional, and the food came out late. They asked us to give up our glasses because they needed them for other customers and blamed us for the long wait for the food. They also scammed us by claiming we ordered extra food, resulting in a bill four times what we initially owed. The chef/owner left early and had her kids deal with the customers alone. This place is very unprofessional and they gaslight their customers. I work in customer service, so I don't usually take reviews seriously because people always lie. The fact that I took the time to write this, despite hating to speak poorly about black-owned businesses, shows how disappointed I am. They need new staff and a new owner. Please avoid coming here if you plan to throw a group party. read more

I recently went to this restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. This restaurant is less than 10 minutes from my house....but I probably won't be rushing back soon unless someone else has something there. The ambience was great. Nice and cozy environment, artsy decor, bar area, and they even have a private area they showed us. The staff was nice, very prompt with refilling water and very polite. The food was okay. I got a combo of a meal. I got the Coq du Vin but got Mac & Cheese and collard greens as sides. Neither of the three parts of the meal gave me a "Mmmm" reaction. They weren't bad enough to ask for something else but they weren't good enough to offer to refer anyone else to. So I left there with no intention to come back on my accord even with it's close proximity to my house. Great place overall but the food could definitely be better. read more

Papillon 25 - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Papillon 25, hmmmm well this review is making me feel mixed emotions and after reading some of these other online reviews of this place I see why. Food is not great and service....well read on! So, we came to this place by accident or mishap. We had reservations to go to Torro Loco for a birthday celebration and it was Cinco De Mayo. On my way to the area my group advised me of the change in location to Papillon 25. I was saddening already because my 1st experience at this spot wasn't that great and the food was not that good either. I never returned. So, I can't not go based on my feelings from before and then I thought well, maybe things have changed because time had passed... at least two to 3 years. Well, I go and I park my car and I enter this place. My group is seated in the dining area and the night begins. When I arrived, I engaged with my party and I recall a waitress coming to the table. She asked me if I had wanted a drink I asked her what she could recommend and she recommended the Sangria. I said Nope I need a Margarita! She vouched for the Mango Margarita and that was that. She returned about 15 mins later with the small drink and I tasted it. It was good and had the right amount of liquor for my liking. Next, I find out that my group had placed their orders for their food. I already knew that I would not be ordering an entrée as I would not even know what to get there; no one in my foodie circle talks about this place. I know that I am going to be drinking and I know that I need food so, I decided that I wanted fried shrimp. I don't see regular fried shrimp; at this point I can tell the waitress is a bit M.I.A. mind you my drink had landed already and she left. Long story short I had do a "Where's Waldo" on our waitress and it was like that ALL NIGHT with her. I finally get her and let her know I want shrimp... I asked if they had regular shrimp, she had to check.... She came back stated yes, I ordered them... FOUR shrimps come out on the plate. Immediately my stomach is hot mad as this will be a TEASE & it was! I just ate them and let the night roll on. Now here comes the bill.....now before I say what I am going to say next let me state that I am a FOODIE who loves to eat. I travel to eat. I have flown to St. Louis/ Holland/ Belgium/Madrid/Jamaica and various other countries and eating is the highlight of most of my travels and I don't mind paying for what I want, nor do I mind paying for GOOD SERVICE and tipping well when that service is provided!!!! When this bill came it was a shocker due to the overall cost of the ok food and my 4 shrimps ran me $13.00??? $13.00 for 4 rinky dink shrimp??? Aww man we must do better. The service was nonexistent until the very end of our meal when a nice young lad came out to assist..... His name was Miles and had only been working there 3 weeks. He was so nice and polite and attentive. He brought us out some bread to go and thanked us; our waitress needs more training and needs to check on her tables in her section more often if this place is going to be auto adding a tip to a bill. This young lady in my heart of hearts did not earn the 30.00 tip that was added to the bill and it's not fair. If I could give the tip to Miles and only Miles we would have. Again, food not that great and I can see that the bar is what keeps this place looking good. Kudos to the bartender that was the best part of the night!! Well Miles and my drink! She didn't work for the coin & we have to be more conscious of these businesses and where and who we spend our hard-earned coin with! read more

Papillon 25 - The bill... oh and they charge 1.00 for a splash of ginger ale.. they were nice enough to correct that.... - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

The food is very good, the martinis amazing. Lovely space and charming owners. This is definitely a place we'll return to.

I wrote a review yesterday about my experiences but I didn't express my experience with the workers. Everyone was pleasant and professional. Thank you staff. read more

So I ventured back for dinner since other places in the hood were closed on a Sunday night. We were a group of 4 and I told the other couple about my previous experience in order to manage expectations for the food. Even though I knew going in that the food is average and over priced, I was still disappointed. The service was very slow and the place was not crowded at all. The food just is not worth the money they are charging for it. However what really ruined it was the split plate charge we didn't know about until the bill came. I did order an appetizer as i was not very hungry and mentioned I would try some of my bf's food. When his meal came split we were both surprised. Well we were more surprised when the bill came. Keep in mind we order several rounds of drinks and everyone else ordered an entree so the bill was significant. We protested the split charge and they took it off. But overall we were all disappointed. I will not eat here again. read more

Ordered from door dash and the Mac and cheese was 8 bucks for this amount. Highly disappointed! read more

Papillon 25 - Mac and cheese - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Black owned and well patronized establishment in South Orange thats been here for quite a while. Frequented plenty by the more seasoned and rooted black folk in the area. Definitely the place to come catch a fresh divorced(or cheating) sugar daddy/cougar on their 2nd wind. The food is really good, though on the main dinner menu be prepared to wait a while for it as opposed to the bar menu. Also food on the main menu is quite pricey. The bartending staff are always within high turnover but the ones there are always attentive, friendly and with the heavy hand. Great place to also come watch a game, have a date or just to listen to music on certain nights. read more

Love supporting this establishment. We've had three birthday dinner parties in your private rooms. The space is well designed and functional. My kind of people, mostly. Late night dinner hours are great for busy schedules. However, please focus on fresh cooked, farm to table food for foodies who expect fresh. Wings, should be fresh cooked, we will wait, double fried or stored wings or any food has a disturbing taste and hard quality. Give more choices for flavor sauces. My "Garlic Shrimp" last night was lackluster and scant; particularly for the price $27.95...it should be five star. Focus on five star rating tastes and quality and your clientele will increase all around. Never underestimate your clientele. Go for the gold! Try specialty foods from island culture more often on a day menu so your menu doesn't get boring. The bar staff is friendly,mostly. Particularly the nice gentleman with the glasses. The bar is always the most important aspect of any great restaurant. It's like the great shoes of a great outfit. Cheap shoes bring everything down. Juice up those oxtails, smooth out that curry, bigger tastier shrimp will keep them coming. Compare your standards with your close competitors like Toro Loco....never rest on your laurels or assumed reputation. Keep it FRESH! read more

We were South Orange after visiting the college near there and was looking for dinner. It was getting late so our options were a bit limited. Yelp pointed us to this restaurant. Service was spotty. At times, they were very attentive but other times they weren't to be found. The food was excellent. Each of us really enjoyed our dishes. The part that I probably didn't care for has more to do with the setup of the restaurant. You walk in and the bar consumes the entire front of the restaurant. Bunch of tables in the back were we sat but the noise from the bar can be quite loud. Then of course you have to navigate back through the bar to leave. Prices were a little high but not horrible. Bar prices seemed to be a bit expensive but we weren't drinking this night. Overall, good food and decent location. read more

I was so excited to visit this restaurant from the raving reviews of an acquaintance and taking a look at the menu... I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing because your expectations may be a bit too much to meet. Anyways, came here on a recent weeknight and was impressed upon entrance, nice sized bar, cozy, clean.. the decor is a little all over the place, but I'm quirky so it was appreciated. Service was top notch and very friendly. I was so excited to order food, but most importantly drinks because this is also a martini "bar". I love the vast amount of martinis to choose from.. I want to try them all, but, budget... LOL. I ordered a couple of fruity martinis, my fave being the French martini with champagne. It was really good, they definitely weren't as strong as I'd expected, though. I loved the zucchini bread that it is put on the table for free.. suggestion, use salted butter.. it compliments and balances out the sweetness of the very sweet breads. Food was decent... I was a little underwhelmed. Just overall needed a bit more seasoning, especially oxtail meat. I did love the seafood soup, that was wonderful and light. Mac and cheese was ok.. needed salt, seasoning, something. But, my husband's catfish was some of the best I've ever tasted in my life!!! Perfectly seasoned and the crust was wonderful light and great crunch! This may be last time here, also because the trek is really far from where I live... but, I have to suggest this place for those who love live music. Awesome touch is the live jazz quartet... extraordinarily talented bunch of musicians there on a Thursday night. Nice touch. read more

We've been here couple of times, but this time, we cant write too much about. The food took too long that our fingers have less desire to thumb type a review; nonetheless, we have to be appreciative for a well cooked meal, so here you go. We went there with at least 8 people, and the food was ok. It was a Sunday, and the vibe was slightly off. Our table was noise as expected, and we got cranky by the second, the chef later came to apologize, that was a nice gesture, but, eating delayed meal can impair some curious taste buds. We made the best of it. Next time, we'll check out the bar. We loved the ambiance and art, and the music was dope, so here you go with a couple accolades and a realistic review. Cheers to A Good Life! read more

Stopped in for lunch today, first time. Had the tuna appetizer ... amazing and a blu cheese burger very juicy, medium rare andcooked to perfection . Ashley the bartender... friendly , efficient and very knowledgeable about the menu.. restaurant very clean and trendy .. I will definitely be coming back soon . I've returned and once again did not disapoint Ashley at the bar , lots of wonderful energy .. the shrim / scallops in garlic with grits amazing .. great wine selection also . I will keep coming back and I'd recommend to try it. , you'll be hooked read more

A friend and I are here and we asked the bartender what's on the the happy hour menu and were told the papers(menu) aren't here so she doesn't know for sure. I then asked is there a manager or someone that would know and she said I am the manager and the owner is here also and she doesn't know either. Soo my issue is not just that but the tone and delivery of the message. Needless to say there's a happy hour but the only thing on it for sure is Bellinis read more

Food was delicious. Service was excellent and I loved the vibe in the place. Nice music and great drinks! A definite go to spot for me from now on! Love this place! read more

Great experience love this place waiters and food is amazing very welcoming drinks are good

Our server was great. We came on Mother's Day so it was understandable why we waiting a long time for our meal.

What a treat for happy hour and when the entire hospital at which you work loses power. Well-seasoned waitstaff. Friendly bartenders. Delicious martinis. Warm ambiance. Lunch menu is okay. Recommended dishes: The Corn & Crab Croquettes - meaty and well balanced. Chicken & Vegetable Dumplings - hits the spot. Cajun Calamari - savory! Red Snapper Stuffed with Curried Crab Meat - my all-time favorite entree (however, I have received it rather overcooked one time out of four). After a friend and an acquaintance had poor experiences with food quality and service here, I have to say that they are inconsistent. read more

Ordered salmon and spinach and Oxtail and rice. THIS IS WHAT I GOT FOR $61! They put TWO PIECES OF OXTAILS ON MY PLATE. Look I'm not telling y'all where to spend your money but this is not it! read more

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Not bad at all, a live jazz band and ample seating. A coat check, and friendly barkeep by the name of Tim who made a pretty good Henessey Rail Car Martini. Good heart-of-palm appetizer with pesto, and the coconut shrimp wasn't bad. The cheese spread was a little disappointing, but the main courses were decent - mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, and chicken marsala, not a bad selection, and certainly not bad for the sheer number of people we had over. They also cater larger parties, too. read more

The ambiance is great the staff is nice love the drink options I didn't get a chance to try the food but I guess I'll update when that happens there was a couple next to me whose food looked great overall definitely a place to go if your on a date or meeting someone really quick for drinks. read more

The food was excellent! I came here late one night after a very long day of driving and was too lazy to cook when I got home. I found this place on yelp and hadn't realized I drive past here all the time. It's always got a descent crowd, mostly black professionals that go in there. Everyone was nice, and some people knew I was a new comer, I'm not a regular there, and they happily introduced themselves and made conversation. They had the live music, and I love hearing live music play. But my only problem is the music was SO LOUD. I first walked in and almost didn't stay because the music was so loud and I was on the phone. I was dining by myself so I wanted to have a conversation while I waited for my food but the person could barely hear me. I don't really think the space was meant to accommodate live instruments and acoustics like that. Maybe a DJ but definitely not live music. I was at the opposite end of the restaurant by the bar and it was so loud. I can only imagine what it would be like sitting at the tables right in front of the band. It's such an intimate spot and you would think the music would be softer like jazz or something but it was like being at an outdoor concert lol other than that I don't have any complaints I'm just not a fan of loud music in a small space like that. My recommendation is to tone that down a little tiny bit, or adjust the decor inside for sound absorption. I did like the service, the bar tenders were super nice. The food came out in just the right amount of time. I was STARVING lol I forgot to take a picture of my lobster bisque. But the catfish was cooked perfectly. It was crispy and fluffy and seasoned well. Some places I go to the catfish is way over cooked and bland. The mac and cheese was great also. The greens weren't cut they were whole leaves which I wasn't expecting but I liked it. And of course they gave me a side of hot sauce. It went well with everything on the plate lol. I will surely try and go back when there isn't live music and see the difference but I will definitely be back here. The food was very well prepared, and that's why I went after all! read more

Papillon 25 - Catfish dinner with mac and cheese and collard greens - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

I have to be honest. Yannie is so pleasant that she alone was worth my visit. Papillion 25 has amazing staff persons and decent bartenders. Unfortunately, our dinner party was ruined by a long wait the for food service from the kitchen and a horrible attitude by the chef/owner of the establishment. An individual in our party stated that she was not a fan of the food and was feeling sick due to the chicken. The owners defensive response was, "well I've been cooking for 16 years, have the best food in south orange, and i have hundreds of people return for my food. You're just one person" with a very nasty demeanor and tone. #inappropriate Now, she also insinuated something about not receiving anything off of the $740 bill. Unbeknownst to her...the drink bill was settled and the waitress had the money for the food bill. It was never about receiving a discount. A discount that no one asked for. What was very clear is that the owner does not have a tolerance for guest who are not there to compliment her. The people of south orange and surrounding neighborhoods deserve better treatment than that. Decent place for drinks, Cool relaxed atmosphere, and Amazing staff members but the owner's attitude is very unprofessional, lackluster, and rude to say the least. I do not recommend! Don't waste your time. Flavorless food and nasty attitude from the chef/owner. read more

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Mario is my server extraordinaire! John Coltrane being mastered tonight. Music hot and Chardonnay cold. read more

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Had a somewhat of a GREAT night at this establishment which is actually my first dine in experience here. My companion and I enters and we're welcomed by the soulful band that graced the restaurant tonight . My cousin actually was a guess performer tonight ( singer) Tunesia B. and I was so excited to hear her Sing , there was not a host to greet us at the door but soon we were offered two seats at the bar that we grabbed to get cozy ... eventually we were given menus and greeted by the bartender . Once we decided on our drinks I attempted to tell the bartender my order but he shook his head and replied "no" the he was not our intended server ( cool ) despite him not given the other bartender a heads up eventually someone else came over and we ordered .. I had a French martini and my mate had a cognac with a splash of ginger ale and we placed our orders and not too long after our meals came out ... all the meals were absolutely delicious the bacon wrapped tiger shrimp were my favorite . All the while enjoying music from the awesome band we finished up dessert and was ready for the check ... We received the check which happened to be hundred bucks and noticed that the gratuity was included(scratches head) of 18 percent CIRCLED ( which in my book everyone deserves a minimum of 20% percent for their service in and outside of America ) especially being apart of the restaurant Industry for more than nine years ... my mate noticed on the dessert menu that gratuity will be added to checks of a party of 5 and more . (which did not apply to us ) this female bartender was actually very attentive and straightforward and I understand her need to make her ends meet but We were extremely confused as to why we were auto tip included . long story short I have never been more humiliated while out to have dinner in my life , as my YELP depicts I have eaten at hundreds of restaurants and did not deserve this ... yes , I was prepared to leave a tip , yes we ordered over ninth dollars worth of food knowingly ,yes I should have complained while I was there (not wanted to be the stereotypical "black complainer" ) No, this is not ok , and No I won't be back :) read more

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Heavy pour on the drinks, and I'm not complaining! The crowd is mostly 30 and up. The food seems really good. Sometimes there's love music but nothing too clubby. I recommend for a good time at the bar, it can get very high saddity once you sit down. Overall though great establishment. Plus support black businesses! read more

The best Martini happy hour in New Jersey. Try the peach belini and the buffalo wings. The summer happy hour gets crazy busy so don't wait until the last hour to go.. The bartenders are the best and when you go, ask for Cathy. Its a bit of power scene and you never know who you might see. So dress clean, you know like business casual. Enjoy!! read more

Papillon 25 - Me and a friend enjoying the Papillon. - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Hmmm Came here on a Friday night. Tried calling upon arrival to find out the wait time but the phone kept ringing busy. Surprisingly there was no wait. We were seated in the MAIN DINING ROOM AREA. We did not know there was a separate dinning room area as this was not shared with us. I found out there was another dining area, the lounge area, from overhearing a drunken couple complain about how they made reservations for that area. The situation was handled swiftly. We were serviced, drinks promptly, I ordered the Apple Cider Ciroc Sangria. It was okay. A little stingy with the Ciroc though. For the entree I order the catfish which came with Mac & cheese and collard greens. For a $23 plate, I received cat fish fingers instead of an actually piece of catfish. That is a no! No! Mac and cheese seemed a bit microwave. It wasn't hot yet wasn't cold, weird. The collard greens were cooked to perfection but under seasoned. Overall the plate was a big negative! It's a hard pass on coming back here. read more

Papillon 25 - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

I came here with my gf to enjoy the ambiance and get out during covid-19. I no longer love on the east coast and this was my first time out in Jersey in years. I will say that the staff was pleasant but the food was not good. I would not recommend this establishment. I ordered the braised oxtails and they were hard and cold. So was my Mac n cheese. We also ordered drinks and they can way after we waited over 2 hours for food. I understand this is COVID-19 but over 1 hour wait for cold food? Unacceptable. Hope the food gets better and hotter sooner than later. As for me, I will NOT be retuning. read more

**This place was very cute and big seemed as if this restaurant goes on n on. ((definitely a place for party or event)) came here for the first time and there was a older women of her age celebrating her bday, so me and my lover were seated in a back area with closed door felt very private. -waitress was amazing -the food for caribbean restaurant lack in ways ((as we had tables to table convo : others would say they enjoy *golden crush better* thats when i knew the food was 1 1/2 - the best thing to order are there #jerkedwings ((they were fab‼‼)) my plate arrived i oreded the oxtail the worst no wasnt season for my liking and couldnt taste a bit of brown sugar (i was disappointed) my lover had the catfish tenders and mac it was ok if ever in jersey area i say stop in for jerked wings and cocktails. signed i love to eat & have a cocktail and i fo it consistently and we tip nnicely mr.von teese & lover experience ** read more

Papillon 25 - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

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For the first time I ate here last night. Loved the ambiance. It's a great place for a date night. Candle lit dinner, great music, great drinks and the food makes it a perfect night. Gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because we didn't really care for our waiter. He really wasn't that attentive. The table to our immediate right had a great waiter. And actually he checked on us a few times that night. Even though he wasn't our waiter. Overall nice spot! Will be returning here for another date night! read more

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Kool Spot ...live music..performers switched up during our time here which was pleasant almost like a private concert..nice intimate setting and our Waiter Aaron was A1 ...drinks where strong but still drinkable...it was a full house but food still came in a timely fashion ..no complaints here . Henny lovers ORDER THE GODFATHER and thank me later. That is all Enjoy "God blessin all the fat ninjas" read more

Papillon 25 - Peach mango martini (she gave it 3/5) Crab croquette GodFather (we give it ) - New American Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

A good friend took me to this bar, because she knows I love Martinis! Wow what a wonderful place sooo many Martinis! The food was awesome! I will definitely be back for sure! read more

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