Vault is very okay. We came here as a first stop on my birthday a few weeks ago. We had a reservation. They sat us upstairs and immediately informed us that there was either a 90 minute limit or two-hour limit. Apparently, after that, it's only four bottle service and there is a three bottle minimum for the table we were at. Sooo, it took forever for anyone to even come take our order. And once our server, who was very much a bottle girl, did come by, she was a bit inattentive and still reiterated the time limit, despite the fact that it took her forever to even come see what we needed, bring refills, etc. We ordered food, hookah, and drinks. I always think that hookah situations at lounges are so interesting because who is this one person walking around taking random payments that isn't really affiliated with a business but is? Anyway, I think hookah was like $40-50. Not crazy. The hookah girl checked on it properly so I appreciated that. The drinks were basic. No presentation - just regular degular, ratchet lounge drinks in plastic cups. The food was fine. We ordered truffle fries and the first two orders they brought out to us were cold as hell. They told us they would replace them, but only ended up bringing one. We ordered the salmon bites, too, and those were actually very good. Nothing else was really memorable. Again, the service was extremely slow for a place that had a time limit. We happen to be here on the night that they were celebrating Ghana's Independence Day, which is one of my personal favorite holidays, and the vibes were OK. When we got there, the DJ was doing what he was supposed to do. Then, they did that weird thing that DJs do where they try to use dancehall as a bridge between trap/rap as they make their way to Afrobeats. The Afrobeat selection wasn't even leaning Ghanaian, so that was interesting. Also, it was very much the type of environment/vibe where everybody is just on their phone. There was very minimal dancing aside from this one couple in the middle of the floor that was clearly using it as the play before (if you get me) but they were cute. I would've loved to see more dancing and less standing/posing. Would I return? Maybe. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Sigh. I wanted to enjoy this place but I could not. They advertised karaoke, $10 lemon drops and 1/2 off hookah. There was no karaoke, the lemon drops tasted like soap and it was HOT. I asked the bartender about the air, they said it was broken. Came to celebrate a birthday and was very disappointed. Would not return. Would not recommend. read more

Not every Instagram famous restaurants live up to the hype, but this one does. The decor is trendy and staff friendly and efficient. Everything we ordered; Apps, Entrées, Cocktails, tasted great. Would definitely recommend. Only issue I had was the music, which was too loud but that wouldn't stop me from dining here. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Two visits in one month--both terrible. Getting in feels like TSA: bag checks, ID scans, even photos. Strict and unnecessary dress code (no sandals for women in summer, really?). Rooftop was overcrowded, DJ was mediocre, service slow, food bad, and prices outrageous. The main floor dinner was just as bad--terrible service, horrible food, overpriced. Not worth the hassle. Plenty of better spots out there. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Salmon tacos- skip it! - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

First they made us wait 15 minutes when the place was not full. Then we were seated in high chairs and after placing our orders we were told that we needed to move to a booth. Ok, someone then offered us a shot because of the inconvenience. Ok, now we ordered fries, samosas, and wings. No utensils or napkins offered, needed to ask well after the food was delivered. Fries- salty, samosas were good but only 3, wings were pretty basic. Ordered a double shot drink and they gave us two shot cups SMH. Ohh let me not forget about the steak that was way over cooked and their lack of veggies. It was literally 3 grape tomatoes cut in half and some onions. NEVER AGAIN! read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Came here on a Sunday night. I was excited about a new spot in the area. I love the decor; it's two floors. The waitress was good. Heavy on the hookah and young crowd. Cool vibes. Food is eegh. I ordered the suya; very disappointing it was burned strips of beef. The truffel fries were good but not fried well enough. For some reason the second floor doesn't make cocktails only mixed drinks. If you want a cocktail you have to go downstairs and order then close your tab, okay Weird and ridiculous. Far from grown n sexy or fancy with the plastic cups and cutlery. It's giving low budget. I really stayed for the Djs they were the highlighs of the night. This generation don't care about quality just buying bottles and hookah. But w.e. works to make the coins. I would go back for the Djs. read more

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Really cozy swanky little spot. Nice staff, lovely ambiance, and good drinks. Also has a ton more space for parties if you want. Will be opening the roof top soon, which is an adorable little spot. The space itself has tons of character. Definitely looks like it belongs here. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Menu, lunch - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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I've given The Vault more chances than I should've -- at least five visits, and each one has been a letdown. I tried to be patient early on since it's a newer spot, but the problems are clearly deeper than growing pains. Service is painfully slow -- it takes 45 minutes just to be greeted or have your order taken, and over 2.5 hours for a hookah to arrive. That's not a rare occurrence, that's the norm. The food? The fastest part of the experience -- and easily the worst. Mediocre, flavorless, and overpriced. I made the mistake of ordering the Caesar salad, and the dressing literally tasted like straight mayonnaise. Nothing redeeming about it. What's most frustrating is that the staff seems more focused on filming guests for marketing content than actually serving them. It's all about the aesthetic and Instagram reels, not the customer experience. The place looks good on camera, but don't be fooled -- this is one of the most consistently disappointing restaurants I've ever been to. There are too many other places that value their customers and deliver real quality. read more

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This bi level restaurant lounge is giving night vibe dark ambiance. They have hookah. And two different DJs downstairs was more of an R&B and upstairs was more Caribbean and a little bit of hip-hop. We tried the tempura shrimp was ok but wings were good. We also had salmon tacos and Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were so good. The salmon tacos wasn't bad I just wished it wasn't diced into many pieces. It was hard to get the flavor since the mango and cabbage overpowered the salmon. The service was a bit slow. The crowd was on the younger side in their 20s. Upstairs had an older crow read more

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If you want an automatic 20 percent added without knowledge, then bon appetite! Great ambiance. Good for dates. Food is ok, drinks are great! Change the twenty and I might think about recommending. Parking could be costly if you don't go early for the free parking or take other means. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Drinks - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

This place is decent if you want to chill and have a drink. That is, if you can get in. The dress code is ridiculous considering the location. Group in front of us was being harassed because one guy had on a white shirt. To be clear, it was not a "white T" -- It was a nice, high-end white shirt that just happened to be short-sleeved. They "made an exception" and let him in. Vibe is cute, music is good and the rooftop with the DJ makes for a decent ambiance, but that's about it. Drinks are subpar and extremely overpriced. Service is slow. And don't eat the food unless you have time to spend the whole night and next day in the bathroom. I would especially stay away from the tacos. There are places you go to chill and places to sit down and dine. This is not a sit down and eat place. We knew this going in, but were running late and didn't have time to grab food prior. Should've just waited and eaten after, but had to get back for the babysitter. Huge mistake. Plan your night accordingly. read more

Absolutely Disappointed, Not Worth the Hype or the Drive I visited Vault Restaurant and Lounge for the first time yesterday, excited to try their Taco Tuesday deal: 3 tacos and a lemon drop for $20. I drove an hour and 45 minutes in the rain just to check it out. I arrived at 5:30 PM, and to my complete disappointment, the waiter told us the kitchen had nothing to accommodate me. No salad, no salmon, no veggies. How does a restaurant run out of basic items that early? I asked if they could at least make some veggie tacos since that's why I came, and the chef refused. Just flat out no. Everyone at my table was shocked. It felt like they didn't care at all. With limited options, I had to settle for overcooked, burnt jollof rice and fries. The food was bland and not worth the price. There was nothing on the menu I actually wanted, and no effort was made to fix the situation. Now I understand why this place has a 2-star rating. Honestly, that feels generous. This place deserves 1 star at best. I won't be back and definitely won't recommend it to anyone. read more

I'm new to reviews but I becoming to accept ir is necessary because reviews inspire me to experience establishing and purchase products. I was invited by a new friend. I didn't eat but she did and she didn't enjoy the food. An individual next to her also did not enjoy their food but I observed numerous people eating so I can not attest to the food. Music was good, sound system was ok. One female security officer was unnecessarily standoffish easily ready to refuse service. The only thing I did not like and I believe will affect individuals experience there and like so many other bars and lounges that opened up on Newark only to lose ​popularity...is the cost of thsir Hookah. The charge $45 for a hookah! No refills, no charcoal refills and the service people were unpleasant when asked I think it is a bad and greedy practice and Hookah being such an integral part of the experiences now...I believe the feeling of overcharge along with other complaints I have read, will be a factor in this place popularity in the future. ​ read more

Came here ahead of a concert to have a drink and some apps. While the food service was good and super fast -- the drinks took over an hour to come. In fact, we ended up cancelling them and just going to the concert to get drinks. Some of my friends went up to the bar to order directly from the bar tender and he mentioned that someone cancelled your drinks. Well yea! Because it's been over an hour! And no one offered to comp them or even really apologize. Pretty terrible. The actual server was very nice and apologetic - it wasn't her fault. read more

Food lacked seasoning my sweet chili wing was filled with oil and was cooked all the way and my entree was a joke looked nothing like the advertised picture!Look at was advertised as in what I got. One thing I can say is the drinks were strong and good. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Food was cold. Asked for hookah and the hookah guy said no and didn't bring it. A table came in after us and instantly got hookah. Ambiance was nice, I'll give them that. Otherwise won't be back. read more

This place needs to hire more attentive waiters & bottle girls . The service is horrible upstairs you paying all that money just to wait 30 min doesn't make sense . The hookah is horrible 45$ is not worth it at all . read more

Decided to go here for the first time with a friend for brunch--BIG mistake! HUGE! We were seated rather quickly and the rooftop ambiance was decent but those were the only decent things. I ordered a burger and fries and my friend ordered the chicken and waffles. The burger was soooo salty I only took one bite and the fries were a soggy greasy mess. I immediately sent it back after taking the bite. They asked me what I wanted instead so I ordered the bbq wings because who can mess up wings, right??!? Well the vault can. I specifically asked for the wings to be well done TWICE. Not only were they not fully cooked let alone well done they lacked flavor--so another dish I couldn't finish. My friend couldn't even finish her chicken from her dish either because it was dry and lacked flavor. The drinks $20 cocktails are served in cheap plastic 10 oz cups and they're selling off brand water for $5. Thankfully after I complained to the manager and she saw that I couldn't finish either meal--she took it off the bill. She also offered a shot of cheap tequila as apart of her apology. Oh and they automatically add 20% gratuity. It's as if they know their food sucks so they make sure you tip. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - Undercooked chicken wings - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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My husband and I decided to go here to celebrate his birthday. The. Customer service is lacking .... ughhhh! We ordered appetizers first .. wings were great ....we tried to order the roasted Brussel sprouts but they were out. For dinner we ordered the red snapper and rib eye dinner... he wanted lamb chops as well but the were out ... after ordering the waitress comes back to say they were out of red snapper so I ordered the fire Cracker shrimp and beef samosas. When the food came instead of telling us they were out of ribeye the substituted the meal with a steak bowl that had shrimp... my husband is allergic to seafood... when we told them they made a mistake they then told us that all entrées come with shrimp.... lies ...smh what restaurant does that .. we get the bill and they tried to charge us for red snapper and also didn't charge us for a steak bowl but the full ribeye entree $20 difference.... very bad experience I wouldn't recommend going there for dinners maybe just drinks and appetizers. read more

They honestly never have to worry about me ever stepping foot in this establishment ever again. After sitting for a while and not being tended to I had to ask the SECURITY GUARD who seemed to have been doing more than one job if she knew who the waitress was. She was very nice and said that she would go look for her and ask her to come over. A few minutes later the security guard set us up with different menus for the table (thankful for her). Waitress finally comes and we order drinks and food. Drinks took a little bit of time to come but eventually came...no napkins...not even the little square kind to put in the drinks that were spilling all over their hands while they were bringing them to us. The table and our glasses were wet so we asked the waitress 4 times for napkins. Want to know when she gave us the napkins? After we asked for the bill!! LOL (have to laugh everything off). 18 years later the beef samosas and beef suya came. The suya seasoning was not on the beef but instead on the side in a dipping cup. Needless to say the beef had absolutely no flavor nor and I'm not sure if they just used a different cut of beef but the texture was not like the amazing suya I've had for plenty of other actual West African restaurants. I only had 1 piece of beef because.....I had no utensils. 10 years later the "jollof" rice came. I immediately knew it wasn't jollof rice because.....look at it. So I looked at the menu because I'm thinking maybe they mistakenly gave me the wrong rice. I google "miso rice" and get images that look exactly like the rice I was given. I didn't know if I felt like making a big deal about the rice because I was already just annoyed and wanted to go home so I asked the waitress for a to go box. She gives me the box and I used the skewers to out everything in the box because I had no utensils. The more I looked at the rice the more I it infuriated me so I ask her if this rice might be miso rice? She said "I'm not sure because I definitely put jollof." So I said "Ok, none of this was touched btw because I was never given utensils but I think they may have brought out the wrong rice. It looks like miso rice, it has eggs in it and there's no color to it." So she said she'll take it to the back and ask. When she returns she says "no they said it's jollof." I said "There's no way this is jollof. It had no color, there's eggs, it smells like nothing but eggs and I tried whatever was left over in the bowl after dumping it with my hands and it has absolutely no flavor." Her response, "Idkkkkkkk, I'm not a chef girl." I just looked at her. She finally offered to ask her manager to take it off and asked me if I wanted her to throw the rice out." I said I honestly don't want any of it because none of it was good and I never got utensils, which is why practically nothing was eaten. She came back and said she was able to get the rice taken off and said "and sorry about the utensils. We lowkey ran out but we have some now if you want one." I said "well I don't really need one now because..." We asked for the bill. A women in the front, who I'm assuming was the manager, mean mugged us instead of coming over and asking if everything was fine. No one at any point asked us if we were fine. Drinks 0/10. If I wanted juice, I would've ordered juice. The interaction would seem as though the service was decent but there were huge gaps of time between each. The person who ordered the beef samosas said that just the dough was good. Overall, I did not enjoy my experience at The Vault and will never be returning. I personally don't recommend but go at your own risk if you really want to try it. Maybe your experience will be better than mine ‍. There was 5 of us and none of us enjoyed anything about the place besides the decor. read more

The Vault Restaurant & Lounge - "Jollof" Rice & Beef "Suya" - Bars Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Horrible! The service is bad, the business will closed soon. They ruined my sister's birthday.

I just had the worst experience at the vault!!! I had a Saturday night 9 pm reservation, the service was absolutely horrible!! The lamb chops I ordered was medium rae, i asked for well done, I had to send them back!! My husband's steak bowl came out when i was almost finished my meal. We ordered our drinks 2xs and did not receive them because our waitress decided to sit with a large party and chit chat !! i asked Tonya the general manager to cancel my drink order and give me the check!! When I complained to Tonya the GM , her excuse was there was a lot of calls outs. That's no excuse for bad service!! We arrived at 9p and left at 10p !! What a waste of a Saturday night!!!! read more

Service: 2/10 Food: 4/10 Ambiance: 7/10 My husband wanted to surprise me with an amazing afternoon on Mother's Day and OMG! Horrible service. Waited for approximately 15-20 minutes to even be acknowledged to order. They failed to honor their social media advertisement, Mimosas were bland and lukewarm, and the server was not too pleasant. Very dismissive and tired. The owner tried to assist and rectify matters, but it was a NO DEAL for us. Left and patronized a lounge down the street. We attempted to see if they would redeem themselves on Visit #2, but it was just as bad. Service took FOREVER. Hookah is definitely not worth the price. They tried tricking us with a flavor that we DID NOT request and when informed we were told "it's a long wait and we tried to give you something to smoke for now", LOL! No thanks. However, the DJ was lit. Noise level was just a bit much. Won't see our coins ever again. read more

The inside looked nice and put together. But they were NOT. It took them 20 minutes after seating my friends and I to order drinks. Our server abandoned our table and we got a new server that also wasn't tending to us. We didn't get our drinks until another 20 minutes. No water. Waited over an hour for our food. My 2 friends ordered steak and eggs on the brunch menu and it said on the menu that it came with potatoes... no potatoes were on the plate. I ordered chicken and waffles and it wasn't even worth taking a picture of the food. Chicken and waffle came out cold . Gave me 3 little pieces of meat for "chicken" looked like those little wings from KFC. Waffle was hard We were all so hungry & so disappointed. We ordered unlimited mimosas. And the server barely checked on us to refill our pitcher. They kept giving shots for compensation. We didn't want shots we wanted good service and quality meals. We unfortunately didn't receive that. & they weren't even that packed. I watched tables walk out and tbh we should've joined them. Would never go there ever again. read more