Jersey City is sometimes referred to as “the sixth borough of New York City,” and after visiting last fall, I finally understood why. With its stellar restaurants — Razza! Short Grain! — and no-nonsense watering holes, the second-most-populous city in New Jersey can hold its own when it comes to food and drinks.
My friend Erin of 10 Miles Behind Me took me on a thorough tour of Jersey City’s bars last fall, and hot diggity dog does this city have some incredible drinking options. To people who live there, that’s about as surprising as New Jersey-born Meryl Streep starring in yet another film, but to me, it completely blew my mind. Here are five fantastic bars you need to visit on your next trip to Jersey City, NJ.
Where to Drink in Jersey City, NJ
Before we get started, here’s a handy map of the places you’ll be drinking in Jersey City. I’ll be writing about them in the exact order in which we visited them.
↓ Hint: Click on the square with an arrow to see the key and layers. You can also zoom in or zoom out to see the places more clearly.
But First… A Crash Course in How to Get to Jersey City From Manhattan
Wait — we’re going to Jersey City? How do I get to these awesome Jersey City bars from Manhattan?!
Jersey City knows what’s up when it comes to good food and drinks.
Never fear, wonderful but lazy Manhattan friends: it’s actually pretty darn easy to get to these Jersey City bars without a car. Let me (re)introduce to the wonder that is the PATH train! *Cue heavenly angelic chorus.*
In case you haven’t ridden on it yet (or are from out of town), the PATH train is going to open up a whole new world for you, especially if you consistently spend your Friday nights in NYC. Here’s how it works:
- If you are in Lower Manhattan, take the Newark-World Trade Center (red) line from the World Trade Center station to the Grove Street station (2 stops).
- You can also take the Journal Square-33rd Street (orange) line. You can hop on at the PATH stations at 33rd Street, 23rd Street, 14th Street, 9th Street, or Christopher Street in Manhattan. Go in the direction of Journal Square and get off at the Grove Street station.
- The price is currently $2.75 per ride (the same cost as a subway ride in NYC), though it’s cheaper if you buy in bulk.
For reference, it’s roughly 20 minutes on the PATH train from 33rd Street in Manhattan to Grove Street in Jersey City. Got it? Good. Now let’s get started!
Zeppelin Hall
We started our Jersey City bar crawl at Zeppelin Hall, a ginormous biergarten with pretzels and beer galore. There was plenty of room to move around and relax — and I mean plenty: I nearly got lost trying to find the restroom because there’s multiple rooms here (though that probably speaks to my directional abilities after a beer more so than the WC’s location).
This is just the outdoor area — there’s a bunch of different rooms inside, too, at Zeppelin Hall.
That being said, I could easily imagine whiling away the hours at Zeppelin Hall with a pint of Spaten Oktoberfest or Ommegang Sour Ale. The Saturday afternoon crowd found families, soccer fans, and coed thirtysomethings mingling and ordering giant pretzels and Chicken Schnitzel. Be prepared to wait for your food during peak hours, but once you get it, the hearty German fare will undoubtedly fill you up!
Everything you need at a biergarten in Jersey City: pretzels and beer!
Address: 88 Liberty View Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Website: https://zeppelinhall.com/
Departed Soles Brewing Company
As of October 2018, Departed Soles Brewing Company is the only brewery and tasting room in Jersey City, which makes it pretty cool in my book. Even cooler: they have gluten-free beer options, which they’ve been serving since they opened in summer 2015.
Since we couldn’t decide what we wanted to try, we went with their Flight & Pint deal. For $11, you can sample four of their beers and then get a full pour. As a fan of stronger beers, you won’t be surprised that I tried:
- Philoso-Rapper – 8% ABV, Belgian Tripel
- Modcup of Sole – 4.8%, Breakfast Stout; contains lactose and coffee products
- Deuces – 7.4% ABV, East Coast Style Double IPA
- Lutze – 5.8% ABV, Amber Ale
Love that our beer flights came on skateboards!
Erin let me sample some of her craft beers, including two that were made with 100% gluten free ingredients: Four My Homie (6% ABV), a gluten-free citrusy and floral IPA, as well as A Dark Night (5% ABV), a gluten-free Black IPA.
Departed Soles is a great spot to drink beer in Jersey City.
I’m happy to report that their gluten-free beers didn’t taste funky or terribly different to me than regular beers. (At least, I wouldn’t be able to identify the gluten-free beer if I were blindfolded, so that’s a start.) We received tokens for a full pour that we didn’t use — we had places to go, after all — but we’ll definitely be back to trade them in!
Address: 150 Bay Street, Suite 2A, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Website: http://departedsoles.com
Dullboy
Finish this classic line from Stanley Kubrick’s immortal horror film The Shining: “All work and no play makes Jack a ….”
If you answered “dull boy,” you win a cocktail!
Dullboy’s signature cocktails are named for books and female literary figures.
Dullboy, a speakeasy-style bar featuring a literary theme, created our favorite craft cocktails of the night — and, dare I say it, the best cocktails in Jersey City. They’ve got the cred to back up this claim, too: Dullboy was recently named one of the best cocktail bars by Esquire in May 2018.
On our visit, we sampled three different, yet delicious, visually stunning cocktails: The Caitlyn cocktail ($14) and The Lizzie cocktail ($13) from their “Signature Cocktails” section, as well as the Paper Plane ($12) from their “Classic Cocktails” section.
The Caitlyn cocktail features Sotol Por Siempre, Agave de Cortes mezcal, lavender syrup, Bitter Truth violet liqueur, “immature” brandy, and lemon juice.
The Lizzie cocktail features sloe gin, Creme Yvette, cava, coconut syrup, blueberries, smoked rosemary, and lime juice.
A cursory glance at Dullboy’s website revealed that The Caitlyn and The Lizzie are not on their current menu (to be expected, as we had them in September 2017), but that’s good: Dullboy changes its lineup, so you won’t be bored.
The Paper Plane cocktail ($12), one of their classics, is definitely still available, though. It comes with an actual paper plane — how cute is that?!
Dullboy’s Paper Plane cocktail includes bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice.
Erin and I were clearly hard at work at Dullboy.
Address: 364 Grove Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Website: https://www.dullboybar.com
Orale Mexican Kitchen
Good times are practically guaranteed at Orale Mexican Kitchen.
Orale Mexican Kitchen was certainly hoppin’ when we visited. Friendly locals were out for the night in full force when we arrived, noshing on duck nachos and telling us that we just had to get some chips and guac. (I mean, there are like 10 ridiculously delicious-sounding options for guacamole here, so I get it.)
My banana drink was lit (on fire, quite literally).
The bartenders were just as friendly as the patrons, steering us toward their extensive margarita list. Staff were super accommodating with our drink orders — they made one of their specialty cocktails, “Going Bananas,” for me without pineapple since I’m allergic to the fruit — but overall, the margaritas were the star of the night. They burst with flavor the way the whole restaurant bursts with color everywhere, from the neon-lit bottles of Jarritos to the walls covered in graffiti.
Fun times all around at Orale Mexican Kitchen in Jersey City.
Address: 341 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Website: https://www.oralemk.com/
Gringo’s
Gringo’s is another fun bar where you’ll want to drink in Jersey City. Not only does this Mexican restaurant feature cocktails on tap and tasty tacos — even the “Look Mom, I’m Vegan” tacos with crispy Brussels sprouts were delicious — but it’s got an actual piñata room stocked with piñatas. With drinks served in everything from ceramic skulls to plastic bags, you’re bound to have a great night — or, at the very least, a good chuckle.
Address: 12 Coles St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Website: https://www.gringostaco.com/
Honorable Mention
As usual, we couldn’t get to every single watering hole in the city. We asked bartenders, locals, and folks who happened to be seated next to us at the bar where they would go to drink in Jersey City. They suggested The Archer, Pet Shop, White Star Bar, Golden Cicada, Cellar 335, and Corgi Spirits at the Jersey City Distillery — a great list for next time!
Erin (right) and me (left) having tons of fun and taking a blurry cell phone selfie with our beers in Jersey City. #Sorrynotsorry.
Essential Info:
Where should you stay in Jersey City? Check out options here.
Want a guidebook for New Jersey? I use Lonely Planet.
What camera did I use for this post? I used our Fuji X-T2 (and my cell phone).
Have questions for me? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest!
If you like this post, check out:
- Where To Eat and Drink in Québec City Right Now
- Missions and Martinis: A Night Out at Spyscape, NYC’s New Spy Museum
- 5 Best Things to Do in Beacon, NY: Your Perfect Day Trip from NYC
- 7 Places You’ll Want to Drink in Washington, D.C.
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Did we miss any of your favorite spots to drink in Jersey City? What other fun bars in Jersey City did we not visit? Tell us in the comments below!