The Brightside Tavern
“We've been back to Brightside several weekends for brunch and only like this place more on each subsequent visit.”
“(the place is bigger than you think) Most of all Tommy is by far the best restaurant owner around.”
“Saturday's piano bar is classy and spirit-filled; the regular karaoke evenings draw in many larger-than-life personalities.”
The Brightside Tavern
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Has Pool Table: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This was my first bar experience in Jersey City and I loved the atmosphere and the food and the drinks that eventually came… The waitresses were a little beyond slow and confused considering my Brightside Punch went to two people at different tables (might I add that we were seated at opposite ends of the place) before the waitress (supper cool) came back and admitted she was practically losing it lol but very delicious food (I ordered the sampler).
There is also a room for karaoke and that I am a huge fan of! Everyone was also very friendly and they have a wide range of beer selection.
One of my favorite spots in Jersey City. Great atmosphere and great people.
Love the menu especially the too hot burger. Always a go to for me.
Karaoke nights are crazy fun and the owner is always there to keep the place lively. Great events happen as well and the private room is perfect for hosting.
This place was weird – we showed up a few minutes after opening, and apparently the staff "wasn't there yet". This could happen anywhere, but they were unapologetic, and didn't seem at all concerned that the place was open and they couldn't seat or serve customers….
We went for a surprise party and instead of being the ones to surprise someone, Britghtside surprised us. The staff and owner were extremely accommodating as well fun and friendly. The event had mostly apps to pick at while drinks were the choice, but everything that came out was on the spot. Crab cakes felt and tasted fresh and not frozen. Fish tacos and all their burgers made you leave full and with a smile. I would imagine this spot being packed for events or just a cold rainy night for forgetting about life for a while. I will be back soon and looking forward to a bright experience once again!
It was Saturday and brunch time. We knew some places would be mobbed, and Brightside Tavern was not one of those places. The bar eatery looks so different in the daytime with the sun streaming in and the brunch menu was plump with options, so we thought it was worth a try.
It turned out to be a grease fest and the service was slow, but not unfriendly, considering how few people were in the restaurant when we first got there.
Despite the great variety in brunch items, the execution was not where it could be. The fancy hollandaise aioli on my breakfast burger was already cooked by the time the dish got to the table. The egg and the patty were both overcooked. The patty definitely was lacking in flavor and the toppings, like the cheese and tater tots, were meant to make up for it. Unfortunately, grease conquered all. The fries were limp and kind of oozed brown grease. They would have been scrumptious if prepared properly.
The steak hash was expansive and also greasy, weighed down with cheese. The sunny side eggs were perfect, and the yolk made for a great sauce to kind of unify the overcooked steak pieces with the potatoes. I always wonder why servers ask how you want your meat cooked if it is going to come out completely different than what you ordered.
Mimosas were tasty. And the prices were definitely good; there was a lot of food, albeit not super great food, but a lot of good intentioned food for the prices. I am pretty sure I will be back despite it all because there are other things I want to try (ahem, stuffed French toast!).
This place left me less than impressed. Surprisingly the rest of the reviews were all on the higher side which led me to come here. I'm a huge breakfast person so if you can't make eggs or French toast properly, it's not good in my book. I ordered the Challah French Toast your way with banana and chocolate chips. Let me just say if I wasn't really hungry or in a worse mood I would've sent it back to the kitchen because it wasn't cooked all the way. I only ended up eating the sides because the middle was soggy and literally slipped through my fork. (How does that even happen??) My boyfriends Biscuits and gravy and eggs on the side, looked and tasted like it came out of a box and were cold. I'm usually not picky with my food but if you can't serve scrambled eggs hot there is a problem. The service was alright, nothing to brag about. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and give this place another try only because the Bloody Mary was one of the best I've had and the prices are reasonable.
I love this local tavern/ social hub in JC. The food is delicious and the owner an sagacity are awesome. I love all the energy of the place and it many offerings from jazz, gospel , poetry readings, lounge acts, sports screens and community events.
The tater tots are out of this world and the fish tacos are filled with big chunks of tilapia. The burgers are huge! The sweet potato fries are perfect.
The bar has a wide selection of beers and wines and other spirits and is a beautiful piece of furniture.
Parking can be tricky but I usually luck out. And they even offer us a valet service if patrons become to impaired to drive. Awesome customer service.
The bathrooms are well maintained which is very important to us all.
There is plenty of good music being piped through the restaurant and the owner is always happy to play the music you like.
This is one of the best taverns I've ever been to.
I went for the first time a couple of Sundays ago because they were kick-starting a new Blues/Jazz jam session from 7 – 11 pm. It was fun for me because there were so many people there to sit in that I actually got to sit with my friends who usually play in the band. It was awesome. As an extra bonus, the guy who was serving me all night got up on stage and sang Marvin Gaye so unbelievably well, it was just mind blowing. All of these guys are going to be famous world touring musicians one day. I'm calling it now.
I had red wine and a salmon wrap. It was really refreshing and delicious. I took half of it home and brought it to work the next day. It wasn't even soggy, how wraps usually get! I was so pumped.
I decided to come again this past Sunday. Crowd was smaller, but I hope the word gets out soon so people come by. I had the quesadilla burger with sweet potato fries and a Dark & Stormy. It was awesome! Had the 2nd half today for lunch and it is one of those leftovers where you're like, omg this totally made my entire Monday, thank the lord. Sweet potato fries were crispy on the outside and delish on the inside. I dipped them in Ketchup instead of my usual honey mustard…very abnormal for me. I think my taste buds are changing.
I'm excited to come back and try the Shrimp Po Boy and some other things. So far everything has been really good. It's such a nice way to end the weekend!