Enjoyed a night out to celebrate a family member's birthday. Service was very friendly. They had the window open directly behind us and it was a nice evening and thankfully no bugs came in. It was a night with live music so even though they played on the bar side it did make it impossible to hear people at our table talk. I had the chicken fried chicken that our server recommended. The chicken and Mac and cheese was good - the green beans not so much (they tasted strongly of citrus and there was a lot of soggy bacon that had been boiled. The flavor profile and texture just wasn't my thing.) Our final bill for 2 meals, a cocktail + beer plus tip was a little over $100. A little steep for what it was imo. read more

Circa - One of their menus - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

I had been to Circa before and had a great experience, which is why I decided to go back. My partner and I had been on the road all day, had not eaten a thing, and were completely starving, almost to the point of collapsing. When we arrived, the restaurant was nearly empty. We were the only table being served, which gave us hope that things would go smoothly. Unfortunately, that hope quickly faded. We waited about 30 minutes for our food. My partner ordered a burger rare, and I ordered the mushroom risotto. When the plates finally arrived, I was shocked. The rice in the risotto was completely undercooked, the dish was incredibly salty, and strangely, there were no mushrooms in it. Desperate for a proper meal, I sent it back, only for the same plate to come back two minutes later with raw mushrooms just thrown on top. I honestly thought it was a bad joke. I was so hungry I ended up just eating around the mushrooms, but it was deeply disappointing. As for the burger, it came out well done, the exact opposite of what was ordered. But again, we were too hungry to ask for it to be redone. Sadly, we will not be coming back. This was not just a bad meal, it felt like no one in the kitchen cared. That plate coming back with raw mushrooms said everything. Circa lost two loyal customers that night. read more

Circa - raw mushrooms..... - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

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Food is unique and usually very good here. Also love the live music every week. Nice porch when the weather is right. Pet peeve...I really wish the beer was colder, always seems to be served barely cold. Schnitzel and oysters for a recent dinner were both good, although a recent lunch was so-so...lettuce wraps were $18 for three tiny wraps, wrong lettuce was hard to pick up to eat. read more

One of my favorite places! Amazing food, music, and drinks! The staff is very welcoming and make you feel at home. read more

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This is a terrific place to have dinner. However, I'm only giving it three stars because on Friday nights they have bands with an incredibly loud sound system. The bands are good, but I would like to hear my friends when I have dinner with them. read more

An interesting restaurant! This place is great if you're into drinking as they have pretty cool cocktails! The food menu is not as lengthy which is nice if you're one of those people that struggle with choosing. It is pretty pricey but I'm usually satisfied with one "small plate" because their small plate can be as filling as an entree! Not sure if I'd go back for their food but their oysters were fresh! I did like how empty it was and not super crowded! Felt safe especially during these weird covid times!! read more

Circa - Jalapeño Chorizo Mac N Cheese (not enough chorizo though) - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

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First time here, definitely enjoyed it. Came here to see a few musicians I know join up for the night as a band. The food was good & enjoyable. My Wife only got a salad, I wasn't taking a picture of that, LOL. I had the fried chicken, & we each had some drinks. All was very good. The chicken and Mac & Cheese were slightly less seasoned than I'd prefer, but a little salt & we were back in business. The chicken has a honey drizzle on it that gave it a very nice touch, and the Mac & Cheese had a soft creamy texture to it. Would definitely come back. The kitchen was running slow so we got a dessert comped as an apology, which we greatly appreciated, & it was so worth it. BESTCREMEBRÛLÉEI HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!! read more

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First time but not last. Relaxed atmosphere with wonderful choice of food. The steamed clams were amazing. I really loved that the main courses were available in two sizes. My honey got the small lamb ragout it was sooo good. I got steak frites cooked to perfection. The cocktails were yummy and a great beer selection. Definitely will return. Highly recommend read more

My godson Jeremy and I had high hopes for this restaurant and had consulted a few menus, including Yelp's, associated with this restaurant, read the reviews. We decided to share the mussels with beer, bacon, and onion... we both ordered the Steak Frites rare for me, medium rare for him, steak sauce separate. For the first time in our culinary travels together, Jeremy refused to eat the mussels after he tasted one with the broth and complained it had an off after-taste to it. I was ambivalent towards it, though I found the stringy pieces of bacon a little disconcerting. I wasn't crazy about it, but didn't hate it as much as Jeremy apparently did. Jeremy ordered the crab fritters which were very good, but the size of a small melon ball, I think there were 6 of them, for $16 If I would have known they were this tiny ahead of time, I never would have ordered them. The two Steak Frites arrived with the steak sauce oozing into the sliced steak, after I specifically ordered it served separately. The fries were warm, but the sliced steak was ice cold. We sent them back. When they arrived again, my meat was noticeably no longer rare, the steak itself was STILL cool to the touch, my fries were hot but hard to chew. I grudgingly accepted my fate, but Jeremy would have none of it. He sent his steak back a third time, hoping it was the charm. It turned out to be the charm, his steak arrived warm, now it was medium, and his fries were hot and delicious. I asked our very patient waitress if I could have some french fries that weren't cold and hard to chew, she graciously said yes. The hangar steak is tasty. The fries are very good. I gave this restaurant 2 stars instead of the one I planned to give it because I believe there is room for improvement here. When the steak finally came out something other than cold, it was tasty... when the fries were hot not hard but tender, they were good. Forget the mussels. The menus online ALL say the mussels are $12 The mussels cost $18 The menus online said the Steak Frites was $25. The steak cost $29 All menus should be updated to reflect the rather steep increase in prices. read more

I have been to Circa about 6+ years ago and thought I would try it again. I had no recollection of what we experienced in the past. My wife and I walked to the hostess podium and waited. We waited for quite some time when we noticed her behind a wall with her head in her phone. My wife walked back, interrupting her screen time and she sat us and another couple waiting as well. She took drink orders of wine and mixed drink. She returned with drinks and took our order to return 5 minutes later to say "they're out. We ordered steamed clams, the special crispy eggplant, paella and shrimp and grits. They were out of the special so we had an appetizer of steamed clams. Clams were overcooked and and 25% were still closed and brought that to the servers attention. No response. The shrimp and grits; shrimp was overcooked and chewy, grits crispy and browned ( I wish I could get hash browns that well cooked. Paella; was a bit dry and the proteins were overcooked. The chorizo was diced but knife skills escaped the cooks repertoire. Many not actually separated apart for prep. Thankfully for the people of High Bridge and the surrounding area they have a bar and Peking Wok across the street. read more

Circa - Circa, High Bridge, NJ - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

Interesting menu with some of the usuals and some dishes that you don't see many other places. Nice atmosphere and the service has been outstanding each time I've been there. The food is delicious. I had the hanger steak on one visit and the crab cakes on another and both were outstanding. My date had the crab quesadilla on my last visit and liked it. It's on the expensive side and portions are fairly small, especially considering the price. I leave feeling like I need a snack. read more

This is a wonderful little spot in a quaint town. It was my first time visiting and the ambiance makes you want to visit again. With porch seating, grab a date for some good drinks and company. The small plates and seafood are of wonderful quality. The hummus appetizer was delightfully garlicky. If you are looking for a great date night, look no further than Circa. read more

Circa - Yummy Sweet Treats - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

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Every meal fantastic love the bar area and love that they have live entertainment. Staff is delightful, and it is in the most quaint little section of Highbridge, a real gem. read more

Overall not a great experience. For starters it was cold (my wife kept her coat on the entire time) and dingy and we were there on a bright day for lunch. The bartender was helpful and gave me a couple of beer samples. Then we ordered steamed clams to start and we each also ordered a salad. Maybe 10 mins later the salads come out and the bartender said they got done faster since the clams had to cook. WAIT WHAT ??? So hold the salads. Made no sense. The salads were good but on the smaller side. The clams were horrible. Very rubbery - clearly they over cooked them and were probably ready before the salads. And the two pieces of toast they included were burnt. Just nothing made sense. Skip it. Swing a dead cat and find somewhere else to eat. read more

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If you want to hang out this is the place to hang out! I love the calamari appetizer. The drinks are so good, especially the sangria! My kids loved this place too. read more

Great ambiance with terrific food & drinks. It was a lovely evening spent for a girls night out!

My family and I are frequents to Circa simply because of their steak frites and scallops! SO good! I also love their lemon drop martinis, but they definitely got newer, and much smaller, martini glasses which make me feel a little cheated. Regardless, it's a consistently great meal in a cool atmosphere. They often have live music, and i love coming in the summer when they have all the doors open! read more

Got the fried chicken there... it was was Weaver frozen chicken... very distinct flavor... bad, very bad. Even the waiter said "I was going to warn you" .. awful. Overpriced drinks, average (at best) food that overpriced. read more

The best paella I've ever had - I should've ordered the large portion! We we're visiting from New York City and are so glad we stopped in here for drinks on the porch. would absolutely come again And recommend to friends. read more

Great food good atmosphere and I love this part of New Jersey. A nice little spot in the middle of nowhere.

We LOVE this place! It's a hidden jewel in a hidden away borough but worth the effort to find. Excellent food. Friendly neighborhood bar "Cheers" ambiance. read more

good food, good music, friendly staff. the food is worth the price and haven't had anything I didn't like. lunch or dinner services is great. read more

Haven't been to Circa in 15 years, but went with several friends for a Saturday night dinner and drinks. We all enjoyed our meals and felt we needed to come more often. Love the small plate options and we all decided in that direction and did a little sharing. Poblano chicken, fried calamari, egg plant meatballs, tempura green beans, gnocchi, steak tacos and stuffed clams were all great. One in group was not thrilled with the gumbo but that was the only issue. Nice ambiance and the bar area would have been perfect for a nightcap (a rarity in Hunterdon..lol). read more

It was my first time at Circa Restaurant . Upon entering I noticed several big picture windows that slid open for fresh air. The front had a narrow porch the length of the building with a few wrought iron tables and chairs where you can sit and have drinks and small plates of food.. Once inside I saw antiqued wood all around. Large ornate mirrors hung on the walls. This is perfect for the area. High Bridge is an old town with narrow streets and old style homes. I was meeting friends for a birthday party, and to see one of my favorite bands CC Coletti. Tonight they were acoustic and they did an outstanding job..Everyone had fun even the people sitting all around us.. This place has such a warm feeling.. The staff is very friendly and extremely accommodating. One side of the menu has appetizers,salads,mussels, clams, oysters etc.and a nice selection of interesting small plates of food. The other side has full size entrées or half orders ,and sides...There was a separate menu with specials for the evening... On the table was sliced fresh bread with a white bean garlic dip.. It had wonderful flavor, and I could've eaten a whole loaf of bread.. For my main dish I had STEAK FRITES- Hanger steak, fries, house made steak sauce..I ordered mine med-rare. My steak was sliced and cooked perfectly, it was topped with a garlic butter that melted on my steak and in my mouth. It gave such wonderful flavor.. The homemade steak sauce gave my steak an extra bonus I also dipped my fries in it.. The fries were cut thin and very crisp... I throughly enjoyed my dinner.. One of my friends had the GARLIC PRAWNS-pancetta risotto, pecorino, edamame, and tomato. The presentation was beautiful and the shrimp was succulent and tender.. My other friend sitting around me ordered the brisket over garlic mashed potatoes.. I tasted both and , the meat was absolutely delicious and the garlic mashed potatoes were creamy and sublime... Since it was a birthday party, we had a delicious dark chocolate birthday cake with strawberries and chocolate mousse icing. The music was perfect and after CC Coletti played there was open mike night.. Extra bonus! In the other room is a long bar that matched the dining room decor.. The drinks were well made, I tried the FLOWER 75-Gin, Sparkling Wine, Elderflower Liqueur, Citrus, Sugar. It is a very tasty drink. .Circa is opened 4-9p Mon- wed, thurs 4-10p, fri& sat 11:30-10p, sun 12-9p. Check the schedule Circa has music. Parking can be tricky, the streets are narrow. I suggest parking along the side streets. I plan on returning again real soon.. read more

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Have lived out in Hunterdon County for three decades. Been to Circa several times before but could not address a family of picky eaters. Maybe now that kids are older and can appreciate food beyond chicken tenders & fries ignighted a new interest. Their home-made Hummus which was a pleaser for the parents had become a table pleaser. The lettuce wraps, paella, cheese board, y tacos and beet salad were all a hit. My Grilled Shrimp & Quinoa fried Rice was amazing. Will be coming back and also feel good about supporting local, small businesses! read more

Fair restaurant. Everyone else seems to have good experiences, been twice and service was slow and food was okay. Expensive for what you get. They draw a crowd but I'm just not into this place. read more

I am upgrading my review from 2 to 3 stars. I will however leave my original review at the bottom. We decided to give Circa another try after a bad experience and we are very happy we did. It was like the old Circa when it used to be good. Food and service were both excellent. We sat at the bar and had a bunch of their small plates and they were all great, but I especially recommend the Crab Fritters (not really like fritters, more like the best crab cakes you've ever had), the Braised Short Ribs and Gouda Quesadilla and the Duck Tacos. I'm happy to say my boycott of Circa is over. Hopefully after a few more visits, I can give 4 stars. My original review: Stopped in at 3pm on a Saturday for a snack of mussels and fries. Bartender brought out the fries immediately (which means they were just sitting there, under a heating lamp, probably since lunch), mussels didn't come for about another 10 minutes. The broth on the mussels was almost inedible, it had a strong burnt taste to it. The bathroom was disgusting and I could see a rack of silverware on the floor in the kitchen (see pics). However, their food is usually good, they have great beers, fun events like live music and a great ambiance. It is only my fond memories of past visits that is keeping me from giving 1 star. read more

Circa - Filthy bathroom. - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

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They're trying with the new menu but the food is still not any good. Careless chef unable to keep up. Good beer but better beer across the street at the new brewery. read more

Lovely place in quiet High Bridge. Good food and fair prices. Our server, Nick, was a total gem! Can't wait to go back!

The two of us had a Saturday evening dinner here. It was the weekend Lone Eagle Brewery opened in Flemington. We drove up after trying a flight there. There were several street parking spaces open. This main st. style restaurant, has a local hip and chill vibe, sort of trendy and upscale but not overly so. We were going all out. We had a big gift card, and were going to lay out a lot on top. We ordered: The half plater (cold raw bar - six oysters, three clams, shrimp, mussels, various chef selections) Mussels - (Beer, Onion, Bacon) Some sort of crab cake Some sort of seafood egg roll Steak Frites Plus a beer and some cocktails. Service was great, lots of attention, and things came out in a reasonable time. So much food for two people. We'll be back, but maybe order just a bit less. read more

Circa - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey

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I've only been here a couple times, but so far it's always such a good experience. Everyone is super friendly, and the food is always delicious. The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty laid back despite its fancy set up and decor. There's always events going on, and the staff is always helpful no matter how hectic it gets. One of the best restaurants around. :) read more

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$2.50 Credit card fee is ridiculous. If you use more than one card it's PER CC. Food was OK. Out of several wines and food on the menu. LOTS of garnish if that's your thing. read more

It's great, fantastic service with awesome tasting food. I've been coming here for years. If I had to complain about anything it would be the size of the servings. I feel hungry after I eat a meal there. read more

I'm only giving this place 2 stars for our great server. We came on a Sunday for lunch and it was completely dead except for two or three women at the bar. We ordered four of their small plates, which were a decent size, to split. The meat and cheese board was pretty awful/not fresh, the zucchini fritters were burnt, and the fish tacos and gnocchi were just not good. Our bill for lunch was much larger than our bill for dinner a few days before. I'm not sure how this place has good reviews but probably won't be back. read more

Circa is a staple in the Hunterdon County community, mainly due to the passion and care of the owners Ruddy & Heather. The menu is familiar yet forward. The food is sophisticated but approachable. You can have a classic cocktail carefully prepared or venture for one of their creative concoctions. My husband loves their beer selection. The wine menu is always on point. My favorite nights in High Bridge always start at Circa, usually on a Thursday night, when the best local talent make their way over. Order a glass of wine, grab a small plate(I love the crab taters), and share a big portion of one of their homemade pasta dishes. With a full belly and some laughs(because Ruddy is hilarious) the locals listen to great music until the moon glows. read more

A gem in the sleepy little town of High Bridge. Tapas style plates. We enjoyed our meal, drinks and the friendly servers. Definitely worth a trip. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised with our first trip to Circa last night! We were greeted by a cheery hostess who sat us in the bar area. Small menu which featured a nice variety of small plates and main courses. I had the spinach salad and it was truly scrumptious. The stuffed jalapeños and schezuan shrimp were amazing! Steak tacos and steak dinner were tasty too. Topped off the meal with dessert. Loved the homemade chipwich sandwich with peanut butter ice cream and chocolate bread pudding if you are a bread pudding fan! Something for everyone I believe, not too fancy or stuffy and prices are very reasonable especially for cocktails. Great waitstaff and well!! We'll be back! read more

Great food but wish the had some sandwich options. Burger or chicken. But food is very good. Great service... Think about wraps or sandwiches, CIRCA! read more

Really, 3 1/2 not 4 stars. The food is good, not great. Kinda pat. Really wish it was exceptional cos the location, decor and staff are great. They pour their drinks heavy, not watered down. Always a plus. Go, you'll have a good meal, but don't expect to be blown away. read more

***Update- 1 week has passed and no response from restaurant. Not a good sign, folks.***I hate having to write this review. I really do. I want this restaurant to be good because I love what is happening in High Bridge. Let me start by saying that Stephen, our waiter tonight, was exceptional in spite of a very bad situation. Kudos to him. Any establishment would benefit from his professionalism. So here it goes, and this is a first for me. I had to send back not one, but two fish entrees for being spoiled and inedible -- first the scallops and then the Red Snapper. Scallops smelled BADLY of ammonia. Thank god I did not eat them. Next up the snapper. At this point I wasn't even upset. I know sh$& happens and I was looking forward to an edible and delicious 2nd choice. Nope. Spoiled again. No joke. The snapper was not only bad but it wasn't cooked. Yep. No joke. Stephen was once again apologetic and super professional. I asked for the owner/manager at this point. First off, it took him almost ten minutes to come to our table. I'm sorry, but if someone sent back two spoiled entrees at my restaurant I'd be sprinting to their table. Secondly, he hardly apologized and just said " yea that smells off" and offers me a burger. Now at this point , like many people, I've lost my appetite and we decide to just wrap it up. Stephen was awesome enough to comp one of my beers. The owner did not charge me for the entrees that were bad but did NOTHING else to compensate for the fact that I left without eating dinner. We are appalled and won't be back. Feels like this place has a MAJOR kitchen problem. We have never had such a bad experience with food to the point where we both left feeling nauseated. Like I said, this sucks. We want this place to be good but after tonight I wouldn't wish it on my worst wenemy. Receipt attached. read more

Circa - New American Near Me - High Bridge, New Jersey