Cool Cricket

Updating to five stars for what it is... a classic dive bar…read more We love hob, it's full of locals, it's always a great time. The food hits after a beer or two and they have a decent happy hour menu. Lots of beers on tap, good mixed drinks and if you dare, the shot wheel.

There is a bar in Bordentown, New Jersey, only a block from the main drag but hidden snug as a tick…read moreamong the residential streets, called the Heart of Bordentown, HOB Tavern, for short. Heart of Bordentown! How wonderful, how tragic, how appropriate. If you grew up in America, you already know this place, even if you have never set foot in New Jersey. Sticky floors. PBRs at three dollars a pop. A shot roulette wheel. The smell of old beer and older hope. And a menu that could be printed on the back of a cocktail napkin: wings, burgers, fried somethings that used to be animals. Tofu even makes a cursory appearance. I ordered a whiskey and ginger ale, and they did not ask me what kind of whiskey, either because there was not a choice, or because in a place like this, the existential choice is always "yes." It came in a pint glass. Nine dollars. Heavy pour. Good enough for the likes of me. My wife asked for a vodka soda. "Is Tito's okay?" the bartender asked, displaying more concern for the quality of her spirit than the average congressman shows for the quality of his constituents. The regulars were loud, but they were not mean about it. A group of young women celebrated a birthday. The entire bar sang "Happy Birthday" with the ragged sincerity of a people who have seen too many Tuesdays. It was beautiful in a slightly tragic, terribly American way. In the midst of our singing, one bartender, still seemingly a bbit green behind the ears, forgot how to make a Malibu Bay Breeze. Cannot blame him. Our rendition was raucous. Or maybe he just was not built for tropical cocktails. In any case, what is remembered about a drink like that is not the technique, but the intention. Listen: if you come here, order a beer. Or a simple mixed drink, no more than two ingredients, no more dreams than that. Stick to the wings or the burger. Nachos if you're feeling adventerous. Expect nothing fancy, and you might just find yourself accidentally, briefly, happy.

Buffalo, garlic, parm Wings the best I've ever had !!!!

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Bar area

B2 Bistro + Bar

2.9(18 reviews)

2.2 mi

First time trying B2 Bistro and I wasn't very impressed. I frequented the previous establishment…read moreJimmy's and All Stars which I really loved. So I thought I would give B2 a try. The hostess was very friendly. She immediately took us to our table. Then our waiter came. She was not friendly at all. It did not seem like she wanted to work there or serve us. We decided to move sections because we wanted to sit near a window since it was so dark in the main dining area. Unfortunately, we got the same server. Also, it was a very hot day and it did not seem like they had the AC on. Weird. The food and drinks were meh. I ordered the peach sangria. It was decent. Not too strong and not too sweet. My dad ordered a Coors Light. They didn't have it on draft so he had to get a cold glass. He enjoyed it. Their cocktail menu was very limited considering they have a full bar. We ordered one appetizer which was the onion soup. For our entree's we ordered the the B2 Bistro Burger, Mustard crusted salmon, and grilled chicken pasta. The French Onion Soup was delicious. Very hot but flavorful. However, it could have used less salt. The Bistro Burger was good. Cooked to perfection and very juicy. The fries were a bit salty but still edible. The Mustard Crusted salmon was meh. The salmon itself wasn't very flavorful. The rice was pretty bland but the green beans were delicious. The grilled chicken pasta was probably the best dish of the evening. It was very flavorful, hot, and cooked to perfection. We really enjoyed that entree. Overall, it was a good experience with minor flaws. I am not sure if I will return but if I do I don't think I will have any major issues. If you are in the area check them out. Cheers!

4.5 stars. I was…read morelooking for a place where I could enjoy a good meal in a relatively quiet, adult-friendly environment, and this bistro looked like it fit the bill. I passed it on the way to my hotel and immediately decided it was a place I wanted to check out. I'll admit I was a little alarmed when I walked in and realized it was giving neighborhood bar energy instead of the chic bistro vibes is expecting. I happened to arrive during trivia night, and most of the patrons seemed really into it so it was much louder and rowdier than I anticipated. So much for a quiet dinner. I asked the hostess if I could be seated in a booth away from the activity, but even in a less crowded section, the atmosphere remained pretty overstimulating. In addition to the enthusiastic trivia-playing patrons, there were loud, animated conversations among various staff members, music playing from staff member's phone while music was already playing throughout the restaurant, and just a lot of competing noise. After a three-hour drive, I was really hoping for a glass of wine, a nice meal, and a more relaxed environment. That said, the staff were all incredibly friendly and pleasant. You could tell that they genuinely enjoy working there and enjoy each other's company, which made it difficult to be too annoyed. Eventually, I popped in my AirPods and dissociated so that I could focus on enjoying my meal. For dinner, the Chicken Francaise with a glass of the Italian Pinot Grigio (The name escapes me at the moment). The wine paired beautifully with the meal. The chicken itself was a fairly thick cut and cooked perfectly, but it could have used a bit more seasoning. I also would have loved to see some of the risotto sauce drizzled over the chicken because, while the texture was spot on, the flavor was a little underwhelming on its own. The green beans were excellent. Perfectly cooked with just the right amount of crunch and lightly seasoned. But the real star of the show was the Parmesan lemon risotto. That risotto is easily among the top three best risottos I've ever had. The brightness of the lemon combined with the creamy parmesan made for an absolutely unforgettable dish. I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn't finish it because every bite was fantastic. Honestly, I could have ordered a plate of that risotto by itself and left completely satisfied. While the atmosphere wasn't quite what I was looking for, the friendly service and that unforgettable delectable risotto made the visit worthwhile.

Inside

Mac & Cheese Short Rib Sando - epic

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Menu

Bordentown Square Tap + Grill

3.7(45 reviews)

After passing by many times, we tried Bordentown Square. Nice looking place inside. Good selection…read moreof menu items. Food tasted good but not great overall. Son had the Argentinian sandwich, which for $22 could have had more steak than was was given. Seemed skimpy. I had the Jalapeno Fried Chicken Bomb sandwich. Aside from the chef forgetting to put the jalapeños on, it turned out to be a generic chicken sandwich. Good taste but nothing special for $19. Probably the most disappointing thing was the beer tap wall. Got the card. I tried four different taps and they were all kicked with a fifth running dry halfway through my pour. I handed the card back to the waiter telling him but he didn't seem concerned or surprised. I just ordered a beer from the bar. I'd seen a review where someone complained about kicked taps. If they're going to have it, they need to do a better job with upkeep, especially during prime dinner hours. Not sure if I'd visit again, considering Old Town Pub is up the street. Maybe for a drink at the bar or happy hour.

I have been here a few times and its always good. Firstly, their caesar salad comes with avocado…read morewhich I appreciate a LOT! I have enjoyed all of the things I have tried on the menu, the salmon dinner was amazing.

Bar

Specials this week

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Menu at the bar

Old Town Pub

4.1(282 reviews)

Great food and service Something for everyone and great beer…read moreselection I really Miss "Buck a Shuck "oysters my favorite thing Happy Hour deals are fantastic

The service was certainly exceptional. The atmosphere was very good comfortable lot of room, big…read moremenu and John the bartender server on the third floor was exceptional in explaining the various products, different beers, etc. fielding of food questions. The only reason I didn't make this a five out of five was that I felt that it was very limited on the happy hour menu and wind up spending a lot more than I anticipated because we ordered off the regular menu in addition to just the hot wings and I'm not even sure if I drink choices. The beers were on the happy hour unless it was like two or three on tap so that was a little bothersome for me. It was hard to sort of follow what is and what Isn't but I think we'll give it a fair. Try one another time when Fifa games are not going on. We did order wings off the happy hour menu, but then from the regular menu I had the sesame tuna tacos instead of fries which I hate I had brussels sprouts but again there's an up charge to do that. My wife had the half cheesesteak she added sautéed peppers she added a chipotle. Aïoli and she also swapped out tater tots for whatever the fried choice was but everything was at an up charge. Food was tasty was good but again like I said I was coming for happy hour and I felt like I wasn't happy with the hour.

Upstairs

Bests wings!

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Upstairs dinning room open for private events.

Under the Moon Cafe

4.1(406 reviews)

We come here as often as we can As always Never a bad meal…read moreTry the braised short ribs for at least the fifth time Just Great You need to try the empanadas as well Lastly Nina our server was wonderful In other words Great Food and Service a must visit

Took a stroll downtown Bordentown which had a couple interesting shops and a large number of…read morerestaurants. Decided on under the moon cafe and loved the atmosphere and ambiance when we first walked in. Different mix matched tables, glasses and plates. Loved the ceiling tiles and comfy looking benches. I love duck and when I read duck Mac and cheese with cherries I was lost in wonder of the combination of flavors so of course I had to order it. Surprisingly it was very enjoyable. The Mac and cheese was nicely made cheesy, noodles weren't over cooked and over all had good flavor with pieces of duck and a few cherries mixed in. I also ordered the burger which was cooked as requested medium rare and was topped with bacon and an onion ring. I upgrade to the Parmesan truffle fries.which I was slightly disappointed in. I didn't see or taste the Parmesan but there was a slight truffle flavor. The fish tacos I heard were good but not really blacked and the vodka sauce was just okay according to others at the table.

Decor

Pork roll Benedict

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Arugula salad

Wisdom Diner

4.0(206 reviews)

1.4 mi

I've only been here twice but both times the food was delicious. I enjoyed the eggs and also the…read moreFrench toast and berries is great. The bacon was decent as well. Service is excellent. It gets pretty busy here after 11am on weekends fyi and you have to park in the back lot if you can get a spot. I'll definitely be back!

My daughter and I had lunch here today for the first time. Starting with the cleanliness of the…read morediner. The staff were so pleasant and the diner is so clean and bright. I can't say enough about the food. It was delicious. The amount of food was enough for two people to split, even though we both ordered separately. Such a warm inviting atmosphere. Ps. The restrooms were really clean. Also quite a few small children and little tots. We were visiting in bordentown but would definitely make the 1/2 hr trip there just for lunch or dinner.

Hot chocolate

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Outside

Smachna Kawa

4.7(19 reviews)

I really enjoyed my visit here! I've newly moved to the Bordentown area, so this will likely become…read morea local favorite of mine. I visited on a Monday, and service was very quick and friendly. There's such a warm and cozy feeling inside with nice places to sit. I had an iced latte with baklava flavored syrup and it was delicious!! The spinach and feta pastry and hashbrown were also really nice food options. I can't wait to visit again and try more items from their menu!

Super cute spot in bordentown! The drink was yummy and refreshing. The combo is coconut and chai…read morereally worked

Ukrainian owners and staff

Croissant Sandwich w/Prociutto

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Cappuccino

Flying Pig Tavern & Tap

3.8(163 reviews)

2.1 mi

I'm not sure why they call this restaurant Flying Pig. It's not as if they have a lot of BBQ items…read moreon the menu. They do have pulled pork and BBQ ribs along with bacon on everything. I haven't been to this site since it was Dublin Square which was a long time ago. Some of the layout changed. They no longer have the old bar separated from the dining area. Callie was our server and did a great job. I was there with some friends from SC. We started by ordering the large pretzel which comes out on a pretzel hanger along with some beer cheese for dipping. They also use that hanger for bacon. The pretzel was enough for 4 of us. I ordered the wings and selected Nashville Hot and Hog Sauce as my flavors. They claim they sell by the pound ($15.50) but it ends up being 8 wings. If you want to split flavors, they make it dry and bring the sauce on the side for dipping. Luckily the Nashville Hot is a dry rub. It was very good and not too spicy. The Hog Sauce is a combo of Buffalo and Garlic which was excellent. The wings themselves were plump, juicy and crispy. Five stars. Plenty of parking. Some tables available outside for outdoor seating when it ever gets nice in NJ. Bathrooms were very clean. You may find some little pink pigs around. Not sure if they're complimentary, but my wife took the one that was next to our table. My only complaint is they have too many of their draft beers designated for only 10 oz pours even with low ABV. I had a Kane Head High which was in a 16 oz glass. They also use OpenTable for reservations which I used as well.

There is an outdoor patio outside the front door, where you get an incredible view of rt 130…read more Inside there is a central square bar, with stools all around and tables of various sizes all around it in a u-shape. The kitchen dominates the back of the restaurant with a huge pizza oven and white tiles all around, and a clean bright fresh look, as you pass by to use the restroom. Overall it was fine but not incredibly memorable. We were seated at the strange 6-top table right inside the front door. Like people almost have to shimmy past you to get inside. The service was okay but not great. On the plus side, when we ordered something it came on the quicker side and also later in the meal the manager came by and checked on us. On the meh side there were long periods without being checked on by our server and I feel like I knew a bit more about the menu from reading it than they did. The best thing we ordered was the pretzel. The rest of the food was just alright. Bang bang cauliflower was crispy but battered in what actually tasted like a more dense funnel cake batter and had a twang of fryer oil that was on the cusp of needing to be changed. The sauce was flat. Cheesesteak egg rolls were not good. Soggy (again the fryer oil) and the prevailing flavor was green peppers. (Where I come from a cheesesteak guarantees shaved ribeye, American or Cooper sharp cheese and possibly fried onions but green peppers I would say crosses a line) Mozzarella sticks were mid. Truthfully the extremely long and skinny plates the apps came out on were just annoying. I'm sure the dish and kitchen staff can't stand washing them and plating the food on them either. Just buy some oval or round plates bruh. The cocktails were fine but uninspired. I ordered a peach old fashioned... Bulleit was the brand of bourbon and there was supposed to be peach bitters, peach syrup and "fresh peach" but it came out again a little on the underwhelming side without much peach flavor and the "fresh peach" nowhere to be found. (I expected perhaps a slice of fresh peach?) I didn't take a picture of the cocktail menu but I feel like it many have been like $16 for a subpar drink. Don't mind paying even $20 for a cocktail if it's executed correctly. We tried a blueberry mule off of the mocktails menu but asked to have Tito's added. It was good and properly served in a copper mug with a sprig of fresh mint. There was some live music, a guy singing and playing a guitar which was a nice touch. I appreciated that we could still have dinner conversation and the music wasn't dominating the room- it was more complimentary to the dining experience. In fairness our time there was all apps and some cocktails. We did not try the entrees. I wonder if they would have been executed upon at a higher level. The bathroom was spacious and clean. Had some neat (copper?) sinks with waterfall faucets. In a day and age where things are expensive, you gotta be firing on all cylinders to stand out as a place for folks to drop their hard earned money for a night out. It was alright here... But I don't know if I would choose to come back over other options. It landed between two and half stars and three stars for me.

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Restaurant and Bar

Chickie's & Pete's

3.3(320 reviews)

1.9 mi

First time trying them I know I'm late lol. Was in the area for my nieces soccer tournament and…read morethey wanted to watch the FIFA games. The place is huge, lively and lots of screens to watch sports. I love oysters so I got an order of them, raw. I also love clam chowder and got a bowl of that and my niece and I shared the fires with crab and lobster. Everything was really tasty. I'll for sure come back: service was a bit staggered but overall ok. I also tried the spicy dill martini which was delish but not so spicy.

Just had our daughters graduation party with friends at the Bordentown location. John was so easy…read moreto work with. Highly recommend. Could not have asked for better They have a separate room that worked great and awesome buffet of food. Our waitress' Nora and Jen were amazing as well. Very attentive and kept buffet filled and drinks flowing. Everything was perfect from planning to execution. Highly recommend this location especially for a party.

The chicken sandwich and bar

Original crabfries, with cheese sauce. Usually has two sides of cheese, but we finished one before the picture was taken!

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Crab & Street Corn Nachos

Town & Country Diner

3.2(165 reviews)

2.0 mi

My family and I have been going to town and country for years. They never disappoint. The ambiance…read morewas great as always. The restaurant was really busy for a Friday. I am assuming it was because it was a holiday. Town and Country always gives a homey and welcoming feeling which I enjoy. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by the friendly hostess who sat us immediately at our table. Soon after we were greeted by our waitress who was very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. Since we patronize this restaurant frequently we already knew what we wanted to order. So she was able to take our drink orders as well as our food order. The food was was good. I ordered the buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese. My family also ordered a plain waffle with turkey sausage and two over easy eggs with bacon and home fries. The buffalo chicken wings were tasty. However, they went a little overboard on the buffalo sauce which made the meal very messy. The plain waffles, eggs, bacon, and home fries were delicious as always. Overall, it was a great experience. Of course I will be soon. I suggest checking this place out if you are in the Bordentown area. Cheers!

I went in for a weekday lunch on Monday and found about a dozen other parties already settled in,…read moreeating quietly and contentedly, which is about the highest praise you can give a diner at noon. As a nearly lifelong resident of New Jersey, this place is an exact specimen of the diners I grew up with and survived college on. Obligatory dessert case glowing with future regret. Old school dining room that has clearly seen things. Waitresses calling you "hon" with complete sincerity. It felt less like walking into a restaurant and more like walking back into the late nineteen nineties in the best possible way. I was seated in a booth quickly and my waiter appeared almost instantly, which suggests a system that has been working for decades and sees no reason to change now. I ordered the lunch special BBQ chicken chipotle wrap, coffee, and upgraded to the matzo ball soup. The soup was fine, nothing more. It existed. I have had better versions of this soup in my life and will likely have better ones again. It was certainly not worth the extra two dollars and thirty nine cents, though I respect its quiet confidence. The wrap, on the other hand, was quite good. More chipotle than BBQ, and the sauce was thinner than I expected, but it all worked. It was well made, hot, and genuinely tasty. The french fries alongside it were also very good, which is never a small thing. Service was exactly what you want. My coffee cup never dropped below half full without someone checking in to see if I wanted it warmed up, as if this were a moral obligation rather than a job requirement. All told, with the soup upgrade and tip, lunch came to twenty dollars. These days that feels almost quaint, especially since I left full and satisfied. If you want to know what a standard New Jersey diner experience looked like in the nineties and the early aughts, this is your place. That is not a criticism. That is the point.