Ice little local pub with good food and service. We went for brunch and the dishes we had were very good as was the Bloody Mary.

We visited Cowan's while in town for a wedding and were very happy with our experience. We ordered a few drinks, fried pickles and a burger with fries - all of which were great. The drinks although on the pricier side for us out of towners were really tasty. The fried pickles and burger/fries were surprisingly delicious - we didn't expect to get such great food while out for a drink or two. The pickles were crispy and not too greasy which is just the way we like them. The burger was juicy and flavorful and the fries were crispy yet soft inside - perfect! read more

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Hipsteresque bar with friendly service and excellent loaded fries!!! I came here with a friend for happy hour (4-7pm) and happy it was, indeed! Upon entering, staff met us at the door and took care of us throughout the whole evening. Cowan's offers a good collection of craft beers and unique, carefully crafted cocktails- both of these menus change often. Despite their descriptive beer menu, I was torn between two and they helped me choose by giving me free samples of each. They also offer 5 oz. beer flights- 4/$10 before 8pm. After some beer, I had their Comeback Kid tequila-based cocktail which had fresh ginger poking through Xocotatl mole bitters and a candied ginger garnish on the fanciest toothpick. It was yummy, strong, and I loved it! Then their Loaded Fries were so damn good! They came with a crispy coating, curly ricotta shavings on top, and addictive chipotle and basil dipping sauces. We demolished this- it's a must! With fries like this and drinks like that, I'll be back for sure! read more

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We went to Cowan's for our annual trip to Miracle on Centre. Overall, we actually really appreciate the Skopos Hospitality Group and all their restaurants. Our group even completed their passport challenge and went to several in a specified period of time just for the fun of it. Cowan's in particular is such a special place to our friends and we usually come and spend money on ample food and multiple drinks (Both or which are amazing). We also had two friends in town from California and one was coming for the first time. The restaurant accepted a 10pm reservation due to their closing at 1am but decided to relieve their staff and close at 11. This wouldn't have been an issue (we fully understand staff exhaustion) but the way they went about shutting down was painfully unprofessional. Our waitress did not come over to tell us we were getting to final call for the bar until we flagged her down to place orders for our second round of drinks. She then proceeded to say she was in the process of telling each table it was last call and would come back to take ours. She did not. Was the plan to tell us at 11pm they were closed and that the first round of drinks was also our last? They stopped letting people in but we had a friend pull up in an Uber, and it was entirely too cold to keep him outside until we got our check. We also had another friend show up that was not on the reservation before, but we've done that before. They made this a sticking point to avoid seeing our side of the situation and this was frustrating. We weren't going to order anything for them, we simply didn't want them outside while we paid the check and figured out our next move. I just think there was a better way to say "hey, we're choosing people over profits and shutting down." Maybe the waitress did do that for other tables but the lack of concern for our party is what's disappointing. I hope they enjoyed the rest of their night off. The one round of drinks we had were great, as always, and the bartender, as tired as they were, was still churning out good cocktails. read more

"Pretentious, small and crowded", perfectly describes this place. From the moment we said we were there only for drinks the hostess lost interest and treated us like we didn't matter. Placed us at a table exactly 5 inches from another couple, despite asking to be placed at one of the many empty tables we saw. Mumbled something about "l can't" but gave no reason. Ordered our drinks (from another disinterested server), waited, waited and waited...until the OTHER couple who arrived 15 minutes after us and was seated another 5 "away from us got their drinks while we still waited. That's when we got up and left this middle-of-nowhere little dive ikn search for better pastures. read more

The old Cowens that we knew and loved is back! The food was amazing, drinks were fantastic, and the staff was so friendly and attentive. Do yourself a favor and get the muscles and definitely ask for extra bread. The watermelon salad was so good and I was able to add steak to it. Definitely want to go back and try the bao buns which looked so good and the hot noodle soup when it gets cold. So glad to have you back Cowens! read more

Cowan's Public - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

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Place is nice, cozy, good lighting. Great atmosphere for get togethers. Payed back. Delicious speciality drinks. Bartenders are great mixologist. Fresh ingredients. Food is good. Not an extensive menus but interesting options. More like small plates but enough. Vegan options also available. read more

despite the fact that cowans might be a hipsters wet dream, i really liked the place. i loved the overall cozy-ness, private feel, and antiques from all over jersey placed throughout the place. service was good, although when i first walked in i was confused as if i should seat myself or wait for someone to come by. eventually someone came by and took me to the "back" which is actually of to the side our servers were great, drinks, apps, and entrees all came out in a nice flow. side note, there looks like theres 3 doors to enter this place, choose the one to the far right. here goes the negativity, i didnt think the beer selection was as good as everyone claims it is. are there some good craft beer choices? sure, but to be honest i see alot of what they had on there on rotation at other small craft beer bars. the other reviews made it seem like there were more unique options. that being said, i opted for the netflix and chill. wow, very refreshing and smooth. slightly a lemon taste, with a splash of vodka. i didnt taste any cinnamon, but the dried apple on top was nice to eat after. the plaintains were a unique choice of an app. my fave part about them was that, i didnt get too filled on an app. its a bigger portion than i thought, but ill be honest here, they were skimp on the sauce. i wish they poured more on or offered some off to the side to dip them in. i highly suggest the "hot noodles" whenever they are on the menu. i almost didnt ask what the dish was, but im glad i did. ITS RAMEN! big bowl of ramen! i feel it was skimp on noodles.however, the noodles that were in there were homemade and very tasty. i drank the broth down to the last drop. i would get this again and again. the gnoochi was the most unique gnoochi ive ever had. first off, there are a bunch of very small pillowy gnoochi. for a second there i thought they were peanuts. they were made well. not chewy or doughy at all. ricotta cheese was buttery and thick. for a texture kick, the pitaschios were a nice after thought. the sauce was super watery, but delicious. loved the super butter taste it had to it. we loved it so much we had to ask for bread so we can dip it on it. read more

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Great place for cocktails! Came in with a group of 3 and made a reservation, was seated right away. Ended up ordering cocktails which came out fine, then we ordered popcorn chicken, fried pickles, a burger, a club sandwich, and a salad with grilled shrimp. I wasn't crazy about my salad, I didn't love the way the shrimp was cooked and I couldn't finish eating them all. My friends enjoyed their sandwich and burger tho! Our entrees came before our appetizers but we found out it was because they just put in a new ticketing system and some orders were not being sent to the kitchen. The staff was really nice and explained the situation to us. Overall great experience and great cocktails, I would come back for the cocktails. read more

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This was a really cool find with a really awesome vibe for bar food and drinks. The food was reasonably priced and delicious. The drinks menu was not too extensive but they have a full bar and we're willing to make whatever we ordered. The place itself has pretty dim lighting so it wouldn't be the ideal place for a big group setting. Please note that the kitchen closes earlier than the bar itself. Parking is also a bit difficult depending on when you go (street parking in a residential area). I look forward to visiting again soon. read more

Well we had hoped for Tatian's for this place I'm a little disappointed. Not really what I thought it would be for what I paid tonight I'm not sure what is it worth it or not. Well our waitress Carla was absolutely amazing and she was very helpful in eligible about everything the food really can't be spoken for the buns were good but that's about it the sandwiches the grilled cheese and the mac & cheese were just not tasty tonight very disappointing. The drinks were not really the greatest as we had swapped one out and still paid for it obviously. Not really pleased by our experience tonight aside from the customer service. I will not be returning read more

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First time here yesterday (Saturday) around 5 pm. There was already a good crowd and atmosphere and decor definitely surprised me. From the outside it doesn't look like much, but it has a speakeasy vibe to it. My boyfriend and I got a table and decided to try out their food. For apps we tried the Mac and cheese - which was delightful. Cheesy enough but not over powering. The portion size was very much shareable. I had the shrimp tacos which I give 3/5 since it was pretty much just shrimp, slaw, and the taco shell itself. On the other hand, my boyfriend got the chorizo flatbread which was very good 5/5. It also had the option to come with fries or salad. For drinks, We had the Ella fizz? And whiskey sour. Both were delicious and very presentable. Will definitely be back and recommend to others! read more

Cowan's Public - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

A little NYC gastropub culture for a younger hipster crowd in Nutley. Having moved here from Brooklyn I do enjoy this place tho it can be pricey. Make sure to visit and take advantage of the great daily deals for food too. Cocktails are made by true mixologysts and mighty tasty. read more

Very nice spot. Delicious cocktails; nice ambiance and good music. No food was ordered on this visit but I have eaten there in the pass and was pleased with their quality. read more

Ok, we are backkkkk...had a blast for third spot on the Sippin' Santa tour. Much better service than the first time around and the decor was adorable! Food still needs a little fixing here and there but we had a better time this visit than any other. Mac and Cheese was good, buffalo wings were average, skip the chick peas...and order the nuggets. I'll be visiting them again for cocktails. read more

Cowan's was one of the first spots I tried when we moved to the area! It's a great date night spot or spot to take friends, or just a fun night out. I love the bar. The drinks are delicious and so aesthetic and the food as well! The wings, the cauliflower, the bao buns, etc. so good. The menu sometimes changes I believe and they often host fun themed events. This is a definite must try read more

I've been to Cowen's public on a regular normal time of the year and it was so homey and staff was super friendly. If you go this time of year, in December...I promise you will talk about it year after year. The festive vibe that Cowen's brings is unbelievable. The food and drinks is superb. You can even buy some of there festive glasses they serve the cocktails in. Please check it out. You won't be disappointed. read more

I only came in for a drink and quick bite with my friend. We came in on a Friday late afternoon so the place was kind of empty. The place is very hipster. It does have a spacious feel to it, but I imagine once it gets crowded, the seating options appear limited, especially by the bar. The fried pickles were outstandingly addicting. Bathrooms were clean. I'll be back to check out the hype on their busier nights. read more

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Initially when they opened they had some great bartenders. The food is just ok. Feel like they're not consistent. The service was slow. Took awhile for someone to acknowledge our table. Took even longer to get water & take our order. The food came out faster than how long it took for someone to even get to us. The drinks aren't as good as they used to be. Too sweet. read more

I was here for Drag Bingo Brunch a few weeks back. We had a great time, and I really enjoyed the event. But personally, as someone with a lot of food sensitives, the menu was a bit too eclectic for me and I struggled to find anything I could eat since none of their options were even remotely basic. Unless there is another event like this in the future, I probably wouldn't come back simply because I couldn't find anything I could eat, but I would definitely recommend this place to someone who enjoyed a wider variety of food since the service was on point and the vibe of the establishment hit the mark. read more

This is such a cute restaurant with a historic charm to it. I came here for the miracle pop up bar, which didn't disappoint! We got the chicken tenders and the fondue appetizer along with the cookie special for dessert. Food was good, but tasted like it might have been sitting out before it got to us. This was a great experience and we had a fun time! I would definitely come back! read more

Cowan's Public - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

This place is a dump where all the town losers hang out. At any given time, you can find many of the local high school drop-outs here. The bathroom door doesn't even have a lock. Needless to say, I will not be returning. read more

Have not been here in awhile -- main reason being they no longer have the FONDUE!!! Where else can you find Fondue in this area?? Used to really look forward to going there (especially since it is walking area of our house) but so disappointed that I can no longer get this. Also looks like the HH menu, in general has changed. Obviously the Fondue was taken off for some reason - saw a review where it was served cold (never had this problem) . I know at times the fruit was not the best, but the pretzels and meat were always good. I originally figured we would just go and have the Pretzel with the Fondue - but looks like that just comes with the Beer Cheese Sauce now - like all the other places in town. I do like this place, but I am taking off 1 star because it was so nice being able to go someplace where they served something different than all the other places in town. read more

Another outing outside of Jersey City, look at us giving other towns a try! I came across Cowan's public looking through Yelp while searching "good wings." We called in for reservations because we thought it being Saturday night that there would be a wait. We were able to get a table for 7:45pm with no issue. When we got there there were at least 2 open tables and a decently busy bar. It seemed like there might have been a private event happening in the other room. At first glance this place looks really cool; nice decor, lighting, and atmosphere. Our waitress brought over beer menu and food menu. I was a little disappointed in the lack on options, kinda minimal if I must say. We decided to share a few apps just to be able to try a few dishes. I ordered the Gracias Madre as my cocktail and my oh my it was great! We ordered the garlic fries, wings, and fried pickles. The winner were the wings. They were perfectly crispy and had a great rub on them accompanied with honey that really gave it a good taste. The garlic fries were good; I just wish they had more garlic and Parmesan on them it was all the way on the bottom. The fried pickles were just okay the batter was falling off easily but I think that's because it was cut long ways vs in the traditional circular. Our waitress was just okay... I don't even think she told us her name. She was a bit scattered and not fully attentive but didn't think much of it. Otherwise this place was pretty cool. read more

The exterior is deceiving and the chairs not too comfortable but the food ambiance service and oh the talented bartender are all on point. We will return to share the experience with other friends. read more

This place has a great happy hour Monday to Friday until 7 pm. The shareables are delicious, we loved the popcorn chicken. The Cesar salad was great and the portions are heavy. Service was solid, highly recommend for a lowkey date. Drinks are good too! read more

Cowan's Public - Amaretto sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

So many reviews calling this place so hipster and so Brooklyn. C'mon now. Let's be real. We're in Nutley. Just because there were 2-3 dudes with full beards wearing cropped skinny jeans sampling craft beers, does not mean it is just like being in Brooklyn. It did make me feel like I was in Montclair, though. That's just as urban bohemian, no? As much as I appreciate Art Deco and the modern American menu, I wasn't crazy about the NYC prices. $10-12 for a cocktail, $7 for beer. It must be the lavish Centre St location that's causing such a hike in prices. They do have happy hour 4-7 which I just missed. That's probably the better way to go. As far as their food, I had the shrimp po'boy. The fried shrimp was nicely seasoned, and sweet chili slaw complemented it well. The roll also seemed fresh and easy to chew. Being a local, I do like that there's a bar in town serving craft beers and interesting cocktails. Great for a mommies night out. We'll be at the bar sporting our vintage overalls and thick rimmed glasses exchanging vegan, non gmo recipes. read more

I loved everything about my experience here!! The christmas decorations were amazing. Staff were friendly. Drinks were great. My brunch burger was absolutely delicious and cooked a perfect medium rare. Definitely go here if given the chance. read more

Cowan's Public - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Stay away. Served us a completely undercooked piece of pork... didn't make good on it. read more

Cowan's Public - Salmonella - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Unbelievable how you destroy this restaurant. I've seen your mom used to be really good.. now it's complete garbage. I mean I thought your menu was bad when you changed it a few months ago.. but amazingly it's 10 times worse. Basically you have three dishes that are carnival food who the hell eats corndog? What am I a toddler so you're saying the Nutley community are toddlers., fried chicken sandwich ditch this horrible menu bring back the skirt steak sandwiches the skirt, steak entrée. Congratulations on destroying your business. read more

What an adorable hipster/speakeasy bar! It adds so much character to a very bland area, and quite inconpicuously with it's almost difficult to spot outside. Be aware that parking in the area is horrid! I came on a Monday for a drink with my homie, and didn't expect too many people there. I preferred getting to see the place without tons of people and seeing what the service was like. Sadly the service was snail slow, even sitting at the bar with only 6 people there. It seems like they make a lot of fancy cocktails and that's what most people were there for, our bartender had a hard time navigating to us without getting wrapped up in conversation on the way, We had a few beers that were $4 for happy hour, to our surprise there were no specials on food or cocktails...bummer....other reviews noted there were. We ordered a plate of their wings which again took forever to come - they had to go kill the chickens or something. Then they arrived and we asked for blue cheese, and I completely forgot how hipsters don't do dairy, bc the bartender was completely in shock that we wanted some (another 15 mins for blue cheese btw). I don't know if I would return, maybe with if I get a better paying job...since cocktails were $10+ and a grilled cheese was $8. Prices just felt a little steep for a bar in Nutley. Aside from that, I would venture in just to check out the decor alone, as it really is lovely. read more

Cowan's Public - Inside cowan's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

So, I've been to Cowan's Public quite a few times now and I swear every time i walk in, it feels like I've been teleported to Williamsburg... How a bunch of hipsters that know really good food and good drink found themselves in Nutley, NJ of all places and decided to setup shop confounds me, but nonetheless it has made me a happy man now that they are here. Stopped by tonight with the family. They don't have a kid's menu, but offered to simplify some of the options for the kids, so we ordered the grilled cheese minus the pesto for my son and the frank minus all the toppings for my daughter. Tried both and even though it was a slimmed down version and missing ingredients, both were still really tasty. My wife ordered the kale caesar salad with shrimp. I don't personally like kale much, but this salad was pretty good. I ordered my go to favorite, the burger with Stilton cheese and bacon. They make a great burger here, nice sized patty that is seasoned nicely. Easily one of my favorite burgers in the area. After finishing, we realized we were still pretty hungry so we ordered the artisanal cheese platter. Three different cheeses - Brie, goat, and a cheddar. All great cheese choices. Also came with olives, a jam, and two slices of bread (which was a bit burnt). My only complaints of the night are 1) the "kids" meal we ordered, there was no price reduction. Now I know I shouldn't expect one, but a $11 hotdog is a bit steep. With that said, I doubt I will be bringing the kids here the next time I visit. The other thing that was surprising was when I checked the bill, I noticed I was charged $1 for the extra bread we ordered to go with the cheese platter (it came with only 2 slices of bread originally). Eating charged an extra dollar for 2 slices of bread I did not expect. I toyed with giving only a 3 star review considering the above complaints, but the food is just that good that it kept them in the 4 star rating. read more

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Time travel is possible. You pass thru those doors and you immediately sense something about this place. Like you've walked into a bygone era. Like walking into a black and white silent film. I don't know if its the lighting, the wood floor, the distressed walls or the patina on the glass tiles. I don't understand it, but you instantly upped your cool factor for having found this place. The bar offers craft beer, rotating casks and ever changing selections. Beer so good you sip em. Not sure what beer you want?.. Well, get a sampler flight, or ask the bartender. They have a good selection of whisky as well. But this is mostly a beer kinda place. Maybe cocktails and old fashions. But their beer selection is so good, you should not miss trying a few. On the 2 occasions Ive been here, I had dinner as well. Food is made fresh and pretty good. I've had the Harrisa Pulled Pork sandwich and Fish and Chips. The latter was better than the former. The fried pickles may be the winner tho. But who eats at a place this cool anyway.. read more

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The beer was great but the bartender was terrible. She spent most of her time socializing and not tending to customers. It took me 45 minutes to order a beer at the bar. Everything else was great but she ruined my experience here read more

Great spot to grab a date night. Drinks and food was good, and good portions. Will def be back.

A friend came from out of town and I've wanted to try Cowan's Public for a while, so we visited on a Tuesday night for dinner together. I made our table reservation ahead of time over the phone and the process was super simple. Cowan's Public followed up by sending a reservation confirmation text message after the phone call, and a text the day-of as a reminder and a way to reconfirm the reservation date and time--how organized! Upon entering, the hostess was attentive and friendly, and promptly seated us. The interior has dimmed lighting during the evenings, so it's perfect for a chic dinner and drinks with friends or a cute date night. For drinks, we tried the Icelandic white ale and Caddy Shack (passion fruit, agave, lemon) margarita. Both drinks were chilled and refreshingly delicious, I also love the presentation of the margarita! For food, we ordered their wild caught cod tacos, BBQ pulled pork tacos, and crispy cauliflower tacos. The pulled pork tacos were so tender and savoy while the cod and cauliflower tacos were well seasoned and so crispy--whatever batter the chef uses is amazing! I look forward to going back and trying other menu options and drinks. Would recommend! read more

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One of my favorite places to be! Especially during the holidays. Very rustic aesthetic. Great tasting food and cocktails. They have Miracle of Centre St during the holidays and it looks like Christmas exploded in there! They also have chain restaurants within the neighboring neighborhoods that are equally as good. read more

Nice small place with outside seating Better To go with wife or girl friend not a Sigler place. Good food and drinks. A bit bit pricy but worth it read more

UPDATE: Management promptly reached out to me to remedy the situation. Awesome customer service! I first came here about a year and a half ago and I had an awesome experience, and finally had a long-anticipated second visit the other night. I really, really wanted to love this place given the awesome drink menu and seasonal food menu, coupled with my own previous experience and rave reviews on Yelp. Our server was very nice, but it took her 15 minutes to finally come over to greet us and take our drink order, and then we had to ask for a glass of Diet Coke 3 times before it came out. We ended up ordering the wings and quinoa stuffed zucchini to start. I enjoyed the wings, there was a decent amount of them and the sauce was good. The stuffed zucchini was not what we were expecting at all. It wasn't stuffed- the quinoa was just scooped on top of it, and it was only one half of a zucchini (cut length wise)- that's it. A half of a zucchini and some quinoa for $8? I was expecting at least a whole zucchini. Moving on, for our entrees, we ordered the gnocchi, hot chicken, Cowan's burger and the pear & gem salad with grilled chicken. I asked for the burger cooked medium and it was rare. I'm not one to send food back but I just couldn't eat it that rare (which is why I asked for it to be cooked medium in the first place). It came back out still pinker than I was expecting for medium, but at this point I was hungry and didn't feel like waiting any longer to eat. As for the salad- I know gem lettuce is small, but it looked like they slapped chicken on a plate with a couple of garnishes of lettuce, called it a salad and priced it at $16. Another unexpectedly stingy portion size, so we asked for another Cowan's burger instead, cooked medium-well. That burger also came out undercooked, so it had to be taken back to the kitchen for more time on the grill. The manager was very kind about our situation, and took the burgers and salad off our bill- a gracious and appreciated gesture. Even still, our group of 4 couldn't enjoy our meals altogether. I don't know if it was simply an off night or this place has regressed since my last visit, but our dinner was so disappointing. Management was great but the multiple blunders really dampened our experience, and the portion sizes aren't up to par with the prices for some of the current menu items. read more

Hipster place! Decent vibe, decent food, everything is good but nuthin to write home about. If you're local and need a decent meal you'll be ok. read more