Mc Govern’s Tavern
“The burgers are memorable, but the lava fries, the chili fries, the chicken fingers, and pretty much everything is good, too.”
“Solid Food & Good People
McGovern's Tavern is a Rutgers-Newark campus staple that is loved and frequented by many!”
“Times to stay away are Thursday nights during the semester due to the recently 21 year-olds comingn in to get blasted.”
Mc Govern’s Tavern
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This place is a must-go, especially when you live/are going to school in University Heights. It's a very homey and friendly spot. There's tons of cool memorabilia from police and Newark used as decoration, so there's always something to look at. Mo, the bartender — is the best. He remembers everyone and builds positive relationships with them but simultaneously upholds the value of the business. You'll often see a lot of students and professors here — mostly from the Rutgers Newark Law School on weekdays. But there's plenty of space for everyone, every day and night of the week! Fries are fantastic, and their veggie burger is on point as well. Great place to hang out, great place to grab a bite, and also a great place to get drunk if that's what you're into.
I love Newark. And this is my favorite bar (well, Irish pub) in Newark. It doesn't look like much from the outside; it actually looks like some dingy building but when you walk inside, you arrive to McGovern's with your Irish pub flair. Most importantly, you have some of the coolest bartenders in town (shoutout to Mo for being the best of them all!) and you're bound to see some familiar faces from Rutgers and NJIT.
The kitchen is pretty top notch and stays open till pretty late (midnight, I believe). They have great burgers, sandwiches, fries, and wings.
It's always a good time at McGovern's and it's the #1 choice of an evening hangout with my friends. 😀
Yummy on the burgers! The place is small and gets crowded for lunch so be there early to get a table.
Though the painted door maybe nearly impossible to find among the 4 others that don't open, the inside is far bigger than expected and has a huge bar. It is obviously popular with locals as it was surprisingly packed on a Wednesday afternoon when the temperature was below freezing. Service was friendly, though very slow and I had to pay at the bar after waiting 15 minutes for the waitress to come for the bill. Prices were also on the high side for pub food and nothing was spectacular and the fries were very bland. The French onion soup was lacking flavor though the chicken sandwich was good. At least the Guinness was poured well and tasty.
Stopped by for a few drinks right before hitting NJPAC. It's a typical Irish pub, decorated with pictures of locals and funny bar signs. I came during happy hour, but the deals aren't very good, just $1 off the domestic macro brews.
They do have a decent tap selection though, and prices weren't bad. The service was good, my bartender checked on me as soon as my drink was running low and got my food out quickly.
I ordered a Scully burger with a side of Irish fries. It was nice that I got my burger medium rare as requested, but the food was pretty average for a bar.
I liked it just fine, but wouldn't go out of my way to visit.
My friend Steve took me here, it was really cool. I love the NJ feel and attitude of the people here, everyone is so nice. Made a couple friends and had some pints.
The Story: Change of pace from our usual Thursday night trivia at Crow's nest. Heard a lot of good things about this place but that was probably what set it up for failure.
Food: I always order a water with lemon my very first time at the bar. It's to test if the bartender is a good one or not. They failed – lets say I ran out of water and had to wait for the ice to melt and drink that. Foodwise – I got the chicken tenders with sweet potato fries (again – highly recommended) but it fell short. The tenders were over done and very hard to eat and the fries are so cruncy to the point of hurting my gums.
Price: Price is average for bar food.
Decor: They have cute street signs all over the bar.
Service: I felt ignored and flagging down someone was too much of an effort.
Parking & Finding the Place: Near Rutgers and NJIT – I can see this place being a local bar for a lot of college students.
Additional Thoughts: I never liked the bar scene and this is the prime example why. I went to play trivia but instead the music was so loud that I couldn't hear the trivia question and you got a bunch of college kids screaming at the top of their lungs and girls going "OMG" this and "OMG" that. Tip in life: not everything is so extreme yo.
I will *NOT* be coming back here – even if you paid me a million bucks.
Like any long term relationship — sometimes you go through periods where you just aren't that into each other. This is what I experienced with my beloved McGoverns over the past few months. I am happy to report, that after couples counseling we've decided to take the plunge and make this ish official! But in all seriousness, sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs to remember your prince. Where else in Newark can you get a grilled chicken wrap as delicious? Yes, the drinks are needlessly expensive for Newark – but what this place lacks in reasonable prices it makes up for in staff, selection and food.