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    Destino Lab

    4.6 (32 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

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    Evita N.

    Stopped in at Destino Lab for a quick drink and appetizer with my Mom and so glad we did! Nicole was our bartender and she was awesome! From the drinks, the food and overall vibe, this place is a 10 out of 10! I can't wait to return on an evening where they have an event (they have nightly music schedule). The owners and staff at Destino have a beautiful establishment- exactly with the heart of Elizabeth needs! Well done!

    Racheal O.

    I had an exceptional experience at Destino Lab, and I can't recommend it enough! From the moment I walked in, I was struck by the stunning decor -- modern, yet warm and inviting, with an eclectic mix of art and design that really set the mood for the evening. Every detail was thoughtfully curated, creating a unique atmosphere that made dining there feel special. The service was just as impressive. Ivan, our waiter, went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable experience. He was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and always attentive without being overbearing. His recommendations were spot-on, and he made us feel incredibly well taken care of throughout the meal. Overall, Destino Lab offers a perfect blend of fantastic ambiance and top-notch service. The mix was also amazing, with a mix of every type of music there is. If you're looking for a place that delivers both in food and experience, this is definitely it! Food: Octopus- I'm uncertain if it was fresh but it was decent. (7/10) Beef tacos-3 decent sized tacos. (9/10) Coconut Shrimp-(9/10) Drinks Mezcal-Me-(10/10) Espresso Martini (9/10) 2 glasses of Cabernet I would recommend this place and will try other items on the menu.

    entrance
    Jeech N.

    This unassuming little spot is a slice of miami hospitality smacked in NJ. The drinks are well balanced, the food is awesome, the service is attentive and kind. Go for happy hour, try the drinks with tajin on the rim and grab some croquetas. The ropa vieja empanada is SPECTACULAR. Everything seems made with love. I do want them to bring back the cheeseboard though.

    Great vibe! Great music! Beautiful lounge & atmosphere! Good classic cocktails and food to pick on! Good service! Highly recommend to go with lived ones / group of friends :)

    Jillene W.

    What a lovely hidden gem! The outside is unassuming but once you enter I felt like I was transported to Miami! I love that this place is local and there was ample parking outside on the street when I went. We were able to catch happy hour! It did seem like the happy hour menu was like this secret menu because we had to specifically ask for it and it took a while for our server to bring it over. What's the point of having a happy hour if you don't want people to order from it? Anyway we ordered several drinks and they were yummy for $10 and we also ordered empanadas, tacos, potato balls, an oxtail dish and garlic shrimp, oh and tres leches cake. Every dish was a hit! I just wish the garlic shrimp came with rice or something otherwise the food was delicious. I would recommend this spot for dates or girls night!

    Desiree F.

    One of my girlfriends and I went to get drinks at this new lounge. When I arrived I parked on the street nearby. I walked into a gorgeous lounge. I was greeted and decided to sit at the bar. Dan was our bartender and he was great. Andrew also was super helpful and accommodating. I started with the cherry coke old fashioned smokey and it was very good. I finished with a merlot. My friend enjoyed her two martini drinks as well, including the vesper martini. We had a really good time and the service was excellent. A true gem in the city of Elizabeth.

    Powder room
    Jennifer S.

    Had a great time, live entertainment and a DJ. Food was excellent and so were the drinks. Only complaint when it came to the bill they didn't separate what we had. I ended up paying for things I didn't have. We did have a large group for a birthday and we were all ordering a lot of drinks and food. The drinks, the food, and the vibe is amazing. Parking could be an issue as it's on a busy street.

    The one other table.
    Pamela M.

    I was excited to try this place out so Made reservations to celebrate Hubby's birthday. The area is a bit sketchy at night, there are some colorful characters outside if you know what I mean. We arrived at 7pm, it was quiet as their was one other table seated in the entire place , we asked to be seated upstairs. Although I made a notation on the reservation that it was his birthday no one said anything. No " thank you for joining us for your birthday" no " Happy Birthday". I wasn't expecting a free drink but if the place is dead empty on a Thursday and on the reservation there is a notation of a birthday how hard is it to take 3 seconds to say something like " happy birthday". Speaking of saying something, the waiter never asked if it was our first time there or even bothered to make any recommendations for drinks of food. Our party ordered drinks, two skirt steaks, empanadas and a stuffed avocado. Yes it's a tapas restaurant and the portions are tapas size but charge accordingly. The skirt steak was $39 and pitiful..with a small side of chimichurri. The empanadas were tiny with an even tinier side of salsa rosada and wannabe pico de gallo. There is a supermercado across the street in the shopping plaza behind the Dunkin..what's the going rate for a large bottle of mayo ketchup...$2.99? The decor was lovely and the drinks were good but I wouldn't come here for food ever again. We actually stopped by Wendy's on our way home because we were starving. The Total bill was $220 and we left hungry. I would come here for drinks if in the Elizabeth area but there are many restaurants in nearby Cranford Westfield that are equally as trendy and at the same price point.

    Smoked Old Fashion
    Evon S.

    I really liked this bar. It had the vibes, the aesthetic, and good quality made drinks. It's definitely a nice classy/lounge bar. I can't wait to come back.

    Chuck, Charles & Diana Kohout
    Chuck K.

    Destino review I went to Destinos lounge and bar reluctantly on a Wednesday night for a networking event. I'm not really into loud thumping music and the club/lounge atmosphere. To compound the challenge I had my eight month old son with me. I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted by the manager on the red carpet just be on the velvet rope telling me that it was not that kind of place & that they provided an upscale laid-back atmosphere for the affluent crowd. And he was telling the truth! The Decour reminded me more of some of my wealthier friends living rooms & The food was off the hook. I was a big fan of the ropa vieja! Best I ever had & my wife & Business associate got pretty loose off one snow tiger a must have. As the evening wound down the atmosphere became more social the drinks and conversation flowed freely in The incredibly comforting. Well decorated surroundings... as I exited late that evening, I was shocked when I stepped back out into the cool night of Elizabeth New Jersey. For a second I forgot and thought I was in Miami. Will definitely be coming back for taco Tuesday & live music. Special thanks to the host & partner of one of my new favorite establishments Chris Goodson

    Michael M.

    Fantastic lounge. Great ambiance! Very welcoming and classy. Great place to relax and enjoy your friends with drinks and food. Food is great with emphasis on Spanish. Service was phenomenal. Highly recommend.

    Mezcal old fashioned
    Cesar V.

    Destinos!!! Came across this restaurant through TikTok and instagram so I had to give it a try, came Thursday night after work and I'm glad that I did! Parking wasn't hard to find. The food is amazing, must try the avocado and oxtail delicious. The drinks were perfect Danny really out did himself he got creative with every drink I asked for and he never disappointed. The ambiance was very NYC vibes definitely didn't feel like you were in Elizabeth I highly recommend stop in for a drink or an appetizer they won't disappoint!

    Grilled octopus over lemon potatoes

    Cute local spot with cool music. The dark walls and dim lighting decorated with feline portraits of cats, cheetahs and lions were a vibe! Staff was knowledgeable of the menu and attentive during our visit. The drinks were great and the food was even better! I ordered the grilled octopus with potatoes - an A++ dish which I topped off with the best flan I've ever had. Would recommend this lounge for a date or girls night out!

    Spicy margarita! Yummy!

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    This place is a hidden gem. Food and cocktails are great!! Bartenders super nice making sure w enjoyed our drink! A must go to!

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    3 years ago

    Great atmosphere and great bartenders who know how to make a perfect Old Fashion cocktail. I'm looking forward to returning.

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    4 years ago

    Ambiance and drinks. They serve appetizers. Great after dinner spot. I didn't care for the music but would go again.

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    Review Highlights - Destino Lab

    The stunning decor was both retro circa in the 1930s and ultra modern like a brand new nightclub....

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    House 157 Restaurant

    House 157 Restaurant

    3.7
    (208 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    First of all' Wow where do I start! Right from the Door it was impressive, You can view the Dining…read morearea where it looked like everyone was enjoying their meal. The Hostess seated us, right away and She has well was impressive with Her Casual Dressy Appearance, which is a nice requirement for this restaurant, which was another quality I liked when making this choice for a Birthday Celebration. Now let's get to the food, A definite'10! I had the Red Snapper and my Friend had the Oxtails, cooked to perfection, and the Sides, were, Jollof Rice and it was Delicious as well! Drinks were good, you could taste the alcohol! There also was a DJ, of course, Saturday night! Waitress was awesome, She had Patience and checked on us frequently and the place was buzzing, and know I know why!‍ I recommend you guys get a Chance To go, Run! Definitely worth the trip!

    ambiance Upon…read moreentering the restaurant, they have the check in podium right there along with a back drop of the restaurant name adorned with flowers along the rim for photo opportunities and also a small tucked away private dining area for parties i'm assuming. The main part of the restaurant is cozy and compact. There's a small bar with seating for roughly 10 people at quick glance . Various tables throughout the restaurant along with upstairs loft like tables for a more private experience. lighting was low and the restaurant played music as well ( a mix of hip hop n rnb) overall, it was a vibe . service no complaints at all with service. However, some of the dishes i tried order were already sold out and we were a 730 reservation so i was surprised about that . Food I ordered their " Rasta Pasta w/ Salmon " i was expecting it to be actually spicy and it was devoid of spice. pasta was cooked good though and the veggies were also cooked well. The salmon though was a bit dry for my liking but it wasn't too bad that it was inedible. Overall, i'm glad i tried this spot , however i think the ambience outshines the food here. I'm willing to try other things though to see what else is on their menu and i did see they do have brunch.

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    House 157 Restaurant
    Black rice
    Black rice
    Fried chicken

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    Fried chicken
    Perla Oyster Bar

    Perla Oyster Bar

    4.6
    (27 reviews)
    3.9 mi

    Another amazing meal at Perla last night! We couldn't stop talking about how lucky we are to have…read morethis amazing restaurant just 10 mins down the road from us. The food is so creative, fresh, and delicious, the service is attentive and knowledgeable and consistent (not the norm in the suburbs), and we love the ambiance. It was a gorgeous night to sit outside, but we opted for our favorite - bar seats to watch the action. It's hard to find this level of consistency and creativity even in NYC, but to have it right here in Maplewood is so wonderful. So many restaurants in the suburbs rely on frozen, pre-made items from large restaurant supply chains that finding innovative cooking completely from scratch is a real challenge. In a sea of mediocre restaurants, Perla lives up to its name: a true gem! We have been so impressed by the daily specials this summer. We started out with a scallop crudo with yuzu, jalapeno, and shallots that is my favorite crudo right now. We followed that with the new shrimp tostada and I'm only sorry we didn't order two. Later in our meal, I spied a couple at the other end of the bar who did it right: the wife took one bite and immediately ordered a second one so that she wouldn't have to share. This is the second time we've had the tomato salad with olives, shiso, and white balsamic and I can't get over the flavor combination - it's so unexpected and addictive. We can't pass up the broiled oysters with garlic butter, Calabrian chili, and crispy shallots - a dish I was obsessed with the moment I tried it at a pop-up event before the restaurant even existed. Then we had the broiled branzino with lemon, capers, and a watercress salad - again, the only mistake was not ordering two! We were actually down the shore yesterday, but came home because we were craving this dish. We finished off our meal with anchovy toast, which our favorite dessert paired with a crisp Txakolina. It's four pieces of toasted baguette with a generous spread of really good butter topped with one piece of salt-cured anchovy and one boqueron (a pickled anchovy). I can't recommend this dish highly enough, it is perfectly balanced! We love a BYOB, but it is such a luxury that we can order right from our phones at the restaurant from a local wine shop (Lum's Cellars). It's a curated list that has some really fantastic options that all go so well with the cuisine. We started with an Alberiño and then ordered the Txakolina. No notes! We can't wait for our next meal at Perla.

    Perla is a small corner venue on a Main Street in Maplewood. The parking situation is crappy, but…read moreit is free when you find it. They are BYOB with high top seating, "bar area" seating, & some regular tables in the back. Service was friendly & knowledgeable. A great experience all around. We had the Oysters Kilpatrick (a current special), Oysters on the 1/2 shell which we upgraded to one of the seasonal specials, the Broiled, & Shrimp Cocktail. Grades: Oysters Kilpatrick: A+ Oysters on the 1/2 shell (Brined & Shine): A Broiled: A+ Shrimp Cocktail: A

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    Entrance
    Entrance
    Oysters!!
    Oysters!!
    Charbroiled oysters

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    Charbroiled oysters
    The Garden

    The Garden

    3.2
    (292 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$$

    Cool spot. Convenient location and also open pretty late. Quick service, good drinks.read more

    The first time I came here, I had a great time but I will likely not return again after the last…read moretime. There were 9 of us. First of all, it was so hot in there and we had to get up from the table so the fans could be turned on - something management should've acknowledged and excused themselves for. We came in, ordered hookah and drinks, and waited a really long time to order food. Our waitress did not speak English. I understand Elizabeth is a heavily Spanish-speaking area, but it's unacceptable to have a waitress who can't communicate to patrons properly, or to not even have someone be able to translate for her. I felt bad for her because it's management's fault, not hers. After forty minutes of sitting there, she comes over and gives us one singular paper menu - for the nine of us. On this menu it says "brunch menu - $49.99". Why were we given the regular menus and sitting there for almost an hour just to be told we had to order from this menu with only three appetizer and 5-7 entree options?? Our waitress was not only unable to communicate to us that we had to order from this menu, but did not understand when I was repeatedly asking for a manager. Eventually I had to stand up and go up to the man at the front who said he was the manager. I asked him why we have been sitting for an hour and just being told this, to which he did not acknowledge - he just told me we had to order from that menu or spend 50 dollars if we order from the regular menu. How are you gonna tell paying customers how much to spend? Ten minutes later, our waitress tells us that they don't even have 2 out of the 3 appetizers. So we're being forced to order off this menu and they don't even have all the options they're forcing upon us. At that point we just paid for the drinks and left. Obviously our business wasn't valued so we took our money elsewhere. The whole thing was so unprofessional and tacky.

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    Bar in the back
    Bar in the back
    Brunch
    Brunch
    Passion Fruit Mojito

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    Passion Fruit Mojito
    Del Porto Ristorante

    Del Porto Ristorante

    4.7
    (189 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    This is an amazing dining experience and by far one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever had…read morein the States. Really extensive menu with very reasonable prices for the quality and quantity of food. The spicy calamari is a must try and every entree and pasta are worth trying, too. Met one of the owners (two brothers) and this is a family run business with a benefit to the community. I will definitely come back on the next visit to Newark and would highly recommend if you're in the area (especially if you are staying at Newark airport overnight!)

    I went here for lunch today with my husband and brother-in-law. The ambiance outside was very nice…read more It reminded me of the islands. The food, however, is another story. For appetizers, we got zucchini chips, fried calamari and mussels. The calamari was fried too hard and it had a very salty, spicy Chilean type sauce over it. The zucchini chips were thinly sliced, lightly battered with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over them. They were decent but nothing to write home about. In fact, after having about six or seven of the zucchini chips I began to experience heartburn from the grease. For entrees, my husband had the chicken parm. He said it was too thick and should have been flattened more before frying. It was also very breaded. My brother-in-law ordered the chicken and waffles and he said the chicken tasted day old so after having a bite of one piece of the chicken he pushed the chicken aside and called it a day. I called the waiter over and informed him about the chicken tasting day old. He didn't try to change it out or take it off the bill or get a manager. He just apologized by saying I'm sorry. My crab Mac and Cheese was decent. It wasn't seasoned the way I would have liked but the huge, plentiful chunks of crab made up for that. I ate a third of my dish and packed the rest for home where I will doctor it up to my taste. I've never been to this particular restaurant before. The only reason we came today is because my brother-in-law was here on business and staying at a hotel in the area.

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    Lychee martini
    Lychee martini
    Fried Calamari
    Fried Calamari
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    Destino Lab - lounges - Updated August 2026

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