What Is The Most Popular Bar in NJ?

I surveyed a random group of 21-25 year old New Jersey residents and asked what their favorite bar was, and below are the results.

33% answered Bar Anticipation in Belmar

33% answered Johnny Macs in Asbury Park

8.3% answered Barcade in Jersey City

8.3% answered Jenks in Point Pleasant

8.3% answered Djais in Belmar

8.3% answered Asbury Ale House in Asbury Park

It is no surprise that Bar A and Johnny Macs were tied for first place. Both are especially popular in the summer because the offer large outdoor spaces. And besides Barcade, all of the bars mentioned are down the shore.

Be sure to check out all of these spots and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

– Kate

 

La Loteria – Asbury Park

Remember when I wrote about my family loving Mexican food? (If you answered no, see my previous post about The Red Cadillac.) Well, we couldn’t pass up the chance to try a brand new spot in Asbury Park recently. La Loteria is part of a group of restaurants recently opened together in adjoining buildings known as “The Complex.” The owners of Bond Street Bar extended their liquor license and created 3 new dining and drinking areas each with their own unique personalities. La Loteria serves Mexican street food such as tacos, burritos, and delicious roasted corn. The drinks are tequila-based and all of the fare is quite affordable. Capitoline, an Italian restaurant serves pizzas and sandwiches with $9 cocktail specials such as the Orange Crush and Limoncello martini. The Basement is a more traditional bar setting with games and lots of beer on tap.

 La Loteria

We explored the other bar and dining areas after our meal, but our dinner and drinks all came from La Loteria. The drink menu is very brief but the bar does offer other cocktails and beers besides the few featured on the menu. I started off with El Catrin ($9) which came in a regular drinking glass and was probably about 12 ounces. The concoction consists of Milagro Reposado, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, and pineapple. I was surprised by the flavor of my drink. It had a little bit of a peppery undertone and was not nearly as sweet as I expected it to be. We also ordered a regular martini ($7) which came on the rocks with a traditional salted rim. Both drinks were fairly large servings for the price and had decent alcohol to mixer ratios. El Catrin was satisfying but I would like to try something else next time I visit La Loteria.

We ordered a Mexican street food style corn appetizer, a suggestion from our server. This comes in a mason jar layered with corn, crumbled cheese, and a chipotle mayo sauce. It was definitely my favorite part of the meal. Our main course consisted of burritos, rice, and beans. They were all flavorful and just the right sized portions. I will definitely eat at La Loteria again.

We were short on time the day of our visit to La Loteria but our server explained that in the future, we should come back and sample more of what The Complex has to offer. Patrons can buy a drink at any of the bars and walk around to enjoy it throughout the building. This seems like a fun and unique concept. I really enjoyed the totally different décor and ambiance in each of the dining areas. I can definitely see myself coming back to try the cocktails at Capitoline and play some darts with friends in The Basement. The Complex was a great find!

Cheers!

– Kate

The Red Cadillac – Union, NJ

On a recent trip home to visit my family, we decided to venture out for some Mexican food. We have a few favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants in the area but had heard wonderful things about The Red Cadillac in Union. I am so glad that we decided to give it a try! The food and drinks definitely did not disappoint!
The menu is not lengthy but it doesn’t need any additions since there are plenty of delicious choices. I started with the drink menu of course. There are a handful of wines offered as well as 15 beers to choose from. However, the sign on the front of the building reads: The Red Cadillac Tacos & Tequila. My choice was clear, I went for the Mango flavored Fresh Fruit Frozen Rita. The fresh margaritas also come in strawberry or sangrita flavors. They are $12 and come to the table in a frozen pint glass. My margarita was ice cold and tasted more like a dessert than a drink! There is also an option to order a pitcher of any frozen margarita for $38. Another table nearby ordered a pitcher and it seemed to serve about 3-4 guests, making it a money saving option.

There are three other signature drinks on the menu at The Red Cadillac. The first is a classic margarita called Chrome Margarita for $10 (pitchers are $36). The next seemed to be a crowd favorite, the Tow Truck Margarita, a 16 ounce frozen margarita with a 7 ounce Sol beer stuck into the top. Finally, as I scanned the room many customers were enjoying Sangria. This is $9 a glass ($28 per pitcher) and comes in red, white, or blue. On top of these offerings, there are always 10-15 house-infused tequilas on the menu! The flavors range from coconut to hibiscus to PB&J!
We anxiously awaited our food hoping that it would be as tasty as the drink options. The food at The Red Cadillac is all locally sourced and tasted very fresh. We started off with an appetizer called Cheese and Chorizo Dip Sticks. This is a deconstructed dish consisting of chorizo on skewers, small flour tortillas, and gooey queso fundido. I had never had anything like this before and was full before my meal even arrived. I ordered a chicken burrito ($17) and my sister got the beef enchiladas ($15). The portions were plentiful and rice and beans were served family style on the side. We will definitely be back to sample more of the menu offerings. The ambiance is great and I can’t wait to go back to try one of the infused tequilas.

Cheers!

– Kate

Tips From Me & My Bartender Best Friend

NJ Bar Hop: The order for a tequila shot is salt tequila lime

Bartender: If the bartender touches the top of your straw don’t drink the drink. They should always hand the drink to you while grabbing the middle of the straw.

NJ Bar Hop: Don’t wear heels if you can’t walk in them (this is for your own safety and to help you avoid looking like a newborn giraffe)

Bartender: Yes heels can make you feel great on a night out but realistically they’re a nightmare in bars. Wedges offer more support and provide the same height as heels with a little more stability. Or bring flats with you in your purse so when you call your uber you don’t break your ankle stepping off the curb after a solid party night. Also, big bonus, the more comfortable you are the more inclined you are to be social and spend more time out with your friends or possibly make new ones.

NJ Bar Hop: Always look up a bar on social media before going to see if there are any drink specials or other secret discounts. It is also beneficial to find the DJ or promoter on social media because sometimes you can get on their guest list for free.

Bartender: Always make sure your bartender gives you fresh fruit. When not questioned bartenders will keep fruit and other garnishes in the freezer or fridge regardless of their expiration date.

NJ Bar Hop: Get free Uber rides by referring your friends using your personalized referral code

Bartender: Never eat the snacks at the bar unless you see them being freshly replenished. Bar keeps are sometimes instructed to put snacks such as pretzels and popcorn that are out for customers back in the bag even after being touched by other customers.

NJ Bar Hop: Cross body purses are your best friend when going out to a bar or club

Bartender: Don’t get offended if a bartender pulls out their phone behind the bar to double check a recipe. Sometimes bars don’t hire people with licenses and only teach them the signature drinks on the menu. So instead of refusing service they double check to serve the client without causing a scene. However, if the bartender is constantly on their phone and being neglectful don’t feel bad speaking to a manager about it.

NJ Bar Hop: Always have a designated spot to meet up with your friends if you get separated

Sharing At Stingers

This Thursday 4/14 a group of Monmouth University students (including myself) will be holding a fundraiser for the NJ Sharing Network at Stingers Nightclub at 656 Ocean Ave. in Long Branch. 

The NJ Sharing Network is an organization that promotes organ donation awareness and it is the federally designated organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for New Jersey residents.

Guests will be able to donate a minimum of $2 and in return receive a voucher for a free drink. One per guest, must be 21+ to enter. 

    

Cherry Amaretto Jell-O Shots

Instead of going out on the town, we decided to stay in on this cold and rainy weekend and make some Jell-O shots! Below is the step by step process

1. First you will need to find some kind of container to put the Jell-O shots in. I recommend these mini cups from Stop & Shop because they come with lids and they are the perfect size. You will also need a regular sized box of Cherry Jell-O and a bottle of Smirnoff Amaretto Flavored Vodka.
   

   

   

    

2. Pour the Jell-O powder into a large bowl 
3.  Microwave one cup of water for three minutes, pour it into the bowl with the Jell-O powder, and mix until the powder is dissolved
   

   

   

    

4. Pour one cup of cold water into the bowl and mix well 
5. Add one cup of Smirnoff Amaretto Vodka and stir
   

   

    

6. Pour the mixture into the cups using a smaller measuring cup and seal them using the lids provided
7. Place cups in the fridge for 4 hours or in the freezer for about an hour and a half if you’re in a hurry, and you’re done! With these cups you can make about 14 Jell-O shots. If you need more, either use smaller cups or double the ingredients. 

Cheers!

– Kate

Dallas BBQ – NYC

I know what you’re thinking, why is NJ Bar hop doing a bio of a bar in New York? But this place was so good I couldn’t resist. For my best friend’s birthday we decided to hop over to Dallas BBQ in Times Square on West 42nd, which is only about a 10 minute walk from Penn Station.

When we arrived there was a long line outside, but we decided to wait it out and see what happened. To our surprise the line moved very quickly because of how organized the employees were. There was a gentleman standing at the front of the line with an earpiece who asked how many were in our party and then sent us inside to a hostess who was waiting to take us up the escalator to the second floor. There we were greeted by another hostess who directed us to a desk where I gave my name and number of guests. Next we were directed to a waiting area that was roped off to avoid customers getting in the way of the very busy servers. I was very impressed at how well the employees worked together to ensure that everyone was seated as quickly as possible.

Our first order of business was getting drinks, and Dallas BBQ is best known for their huge frozen drinks. You can order a regular sized drink for $5.99 or go big and upgrade to Texas sized for $7.99, which is an incredible deal especially for NYC. Our waiter also told us that the bartenders do not measure the alcohol they put into the frozen drinks so you definitely get what you pay for in terms of alcohol content.

I chose the frozen Pina Colada and my best friend got a frozen Margarita and added a Corona, which added just a few dollars to the price of the drink. Our boyfriends split a pitcher of Bud Light, which was $18.99.

Important Note: If you are not sure if you will like one of the frozen drinks, ask for a sample and they will let you try a small cup of your drink of choice.

As for the food, I got the Sticky Chicken Tenders and they were definitely in the top 5 chicken tenders I’ve ever had in my life. And that means a lot coming from me. They are honey basted and absolutely DELICIOUS. Everyone at the table tried them and instantly had food envy.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The chicken tenders (sticky or plain) are an appetizer on the menu, but  our waiter told us that if you order the kids meal (which is almost exactly the same price) you get cornbread, coleslaw, and your choice of a side. Not sure why, but we were very grateful for the information.

My boyfriend ordered the Hennessy burger, a half-pound 100% Angus cheddar cheeseburger topped with Hennessy Sauce and bacon (see below).

Also, if you’re looking to continue your night out Dave and Buster’s is directly across the street! The location, quality, and low prices at Dallas BBQ ensure that I will be going back very soon!

Cheers!

                        – Kate

Grasshopper Off The Green – Morristown

On St. Patrick’s Day I was eager to go out and celebrate, but I had no idea where to go. Of course there are great spots in NYC and Hoboken, but not on a college girl budget. So after scouring the internet, I came across Grasshopper Off The Green in Morristown. My boyfriend and I decided to take the 40 minute drive from my house, and it was well worth the trip.

Grasshopper Off The Green is a huge three story Irish pub and restaurant located on Morris St. with 12 beers on tap and an extensive menu of Irish and American fare. On St. Patrick’s Day there was no cover charge which was amazing because I was expecting to pay at least $10 to get in. Each floor has its own atmosphere and something different to offer.

When you first walk in you are on the 2nd floor, pictured below. It was loud and rowdy and on this night, a sea of green. It was so crowded that there was no way I could take my own picture, so this one is courtesy of the Grasshopper Off The Green website.

If you head up the stairs you see in the picture, the third floor will either be a seating area (if you go for lunch or dinner) or if you’re there for the late night party all of the tables will be removed and the whole floor is a dance party. When I went, there was a video DJ which means that while she was DJing the TVs in the room were showing the music videos that went with each song. This was a really cool feature that I have never seen in a bar before.

Here’s the third floor during normal dining hours.

Finally, the first floor (or the basement) is a small cozy area with a bar and several tables. It was nice to go down there to cool off and grab and beer to take a break from dancing on the third floor. There was traditional Irish music playing which was a nice contrast to the top 40 music playing upstairs. We got two Angry Orchards for $13, which was not expensive at all considering it was the most popular drinking holiday of the year.

Now that St. Patrick’s Day has passed, here are the current drink specials

I LOVED Grasshopper Off The Green because of the variety and space offered by the three floors and I am planning to go back soon to try their food and some of those drink specials!

Cheers!

– Kate