As I've said elsewhere.. I'm usually skeptical of hotel restaurants, as they tend to appeal to a captive audience of guests staying at the hotel and don't seem to strive for the same level of excellence in terms of food, service, or ambiance as a standalone restaurant. My recent weekend dinner at AKB gave me no reason to reconsider my opinion.
AKB's overall ambiance is very casual with a modern urban aesthetic. The space is bright and open and features a small bar serving cocktails, wine, and beer and plenty of standalone tables comfortable for two or four diners. It's definitely not a sports bar, but the bar and dining room feature a couple of TVs that are in your line of sight no matter where you're seated and a complimentary billiard table. The somewhat limited menu puts an emphasis on simple and casual dishes with a VERY modest representation of sharable appetizers, salads, flatbreads, and entrees. There aren't a lot of options here, so it's worth checking the menu in advance to ensure everyone in your party will find something they'll enjoy.
I ordered the AKB Burger ($21), featuring two brisket and short-rib blend patties and topped with shallot bacon hash, arugula, tomato, pickles, and barbeque sauce on a brioche bun served with seasoned fries. The burger and fries were tasty even though the burger was very overcooked (noting that the server never bothered to ask how I wanted it) and the fries were hardly seasoned. I was very disappointed that the burger was topped with cheddar even though I specifically asked the server for one without the cheese. The runner who brought out the food acknowledged the error and quickly offered to replace it with a fresh burger, but our server never bothered to apologize for her mistake or the 15 minute wait for the replacement burger without cheese. My dining companions opted for the Stacked Eggplant Parmesan ($19), comprised of flash-fried eggplant, burrata, tomato, arugula, tomato sauce, shaved parmesan cheese, and basil pesto, which they thought was tasty and filling.
All things considered, given the mediocre service and limited menu, there are many better options for food, service, and ambiance a short drive away in Madison and Florham Park.
Pro Tip: AKB is located adjacent to the Summit Health facility at 140/150 Park Avenue, providing urgent medical care only a short walk across the parking lot. read more