Surf City
“Tables, chairs in sands, fire pit, cabanas, indoor benches, tons of different seating and group options.”
“I do think that $10 for the frozen drinks is a little pricey, but I prefer beer anyways.”
“Parking is free, close to both light rail and path and you can even take the ferry from NYC or pull your boat up!”
Surf City
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I don't really have much to say about this place. Food is good, beer options are alright, and the staff is friendly enough. I'd say when it comes to bar standards, this place would be pretty average. The real thing that it has going for it (which is why it's four stars instead of three) is the ambiance. The outdoors area is awesome as it's right by the river. They even added a sandbox in the middle of their outside area to give it more of a "beachy" feel. I'd recommend this place for a chill night out with friends.
Surf City is the place to be if you're enjoying summers in Jersey City. If you are looking for an outdoor venue with a chilled vibe, I highly recommend coming here. The view of the boats, water, and building is truly amazing. Socialize by the fire pit, dig your toes in the sand, or have a seafood meal for dinner, this place is enjoyable on all levels. Surf City has a array of beers and frozen cocktails as well as spirits. The food menu ranges from burgers to lobster rolls to full dinner platter such as filet mahi mahi and paellas. They also have a raw bar with amazing oysters. The food is fresh and really good. It's a little on the pricier to me.
Children are welcome before 8pm if I'm not mistaken. They do have some rules and regulations however if you're a civilized adult who dresses decent you should not have a problem. The parking lot is huge so you won't have an issue looking for one but be prepared for a walk if it gets packed. Overall, the employees are nice and I enjoy everything about this place.
Surf City has SO much potential, but it was a disappointment when I came out for the first time with my friends on 4th of July.
I'm not gonna hate on the food because I didn't try much except for the "Spicy" Fries – which was just regular fries with buffalo sauce poured on top – and the regular french fries. They tasted really good though dipped in ranch and buffalo. But, you can never go wrong with fries! I had one frozen drink which was the Surf City Sunrise, and although I'm not a frozen drink fan, this tasted really good. It tasted like juice, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing though.
I had pretty high hopes that this place was going to be fun and lively on such an important holiday, but it was so boring. You can only sit or stand for so long. There was NO music playing in the background. What is the point of an outdoor beach bar on the river on 4th of July of all days, and no music to dance to? The views are breathtaking, I'll give it that, and it was really cool (and jealous at the same time) watching people take off on their yachts and boats.
I'll give this place another try on a random day, but as for big holidays, I'll be going elsewhere.
How does a place this big not have music? Meh.
What it does have is overbearing bouncers, overpriced frozen drinks that sound interesting and tasty but really taste like a slushy mess, and mediocre seafood.
This place is a prime example of hyped up Jersey City, but it does offer a unique ambiance difficult to find in the urban concrete jungle we live in.
I can see why Surf City is such a summer hit. It's on the waterfront, has great views, some music, basic pub fare, beer / cocktails and in general a chilled out vibe. Went in late one Sunday night and found the place thinly populated to my surprise – but turned out perfect for us: could sit wherever we wanted, get food and beverages really quickly and there no noise to boot. Great to hang out with friends if you live in JC!
Perfect "beach" getaway in the metropolitan area! Food is decent. Kids and dogs are welcome before certain hours.
Like the concept of this place …
But I don't know if I would ever come back….
It was a group of 8 and this was one of the only places open around 11ish on a Saturday night open until late….
The concept reminded me of city island in the Bronx….
Disappointed because most drinks were frozen drinks – I have never liked frozen drink anything !!!!
I ordered fried calamari because they were literally out of everything so mad !!!!
And the fried calamari sounded half decent – what made me order it was the description hot peppers and calamari ….
Instead I got calamari with diced pickles drenched in pickle juice…. NO HOT PEPPERS and they didn't even ask me if I liked pickles- I do ! But not in calamari
Ughh utterly disgusting !
About to take the 2 star rating and turn it into 1 … the taste was just awful….
I'll leave it at 2 stars just because it was a good time!!!
But food and drinks AWFUL!
As a Jersey City native, I love that this place exists here. Surf City is so unlike anything else in Jersey City, it feels much more like a South Jersey beach bar. They have a huge outdoor area right on the marina with tons of seating, sand, and a fire pit. For drinks, they've got a fully stocked bar with a great beer selection and frozen margaritas. They do serve food, but I'd go elsewhere if you're really hungry, their menu is generic and overpriced . Also, despite its size, this place is always crowded at night, so be prepared to wait for a seat outdoors.