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    Light Rail Cafe

    4.1 (143 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American, Wraps
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Light Rail Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Light Rail Cafe Photos

    LIGHT RAIL CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for dancing

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    Recommended Reviews - Light Rail Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Johnny P.

    I've supported Light Rail Café for over two years. I've brought friends here, eaten here, worked from here, and encouraged others to check it out. I believed it to be a community space. What I witnessed recently changed that permanently. I was speaking with a Black woman at the bar, someone who was there for the first time. The owner walked past her and grabbed her body without her consent. It was direct, intentional, and done casually, like it was normal behavior. The woman looked shocked and uncomfortable. I asked her quietly if they knew each other or if they came together. She said no! she had never met him before that moment. The look on her face was a mix of violation, confusion, and disbelief. No one should experience that in any space, let alone one calling itself a neighborhood spot. I pulled the owner aside privately to address what I saw, calmly, man to man. Instead of listening or acknowledging harm, he dismissed it completely. No accountability. No awareness. Just defensiveness. In that moment, it became crystal clear: * Women are not safe here, especially Black women. * The power dynamics in this space are being abused. * The behavior is not seen as a problem by the person in charge. I can no longer support or recommend Light Rail Café, and I say that as someone who truly tried to pour into this place. A good vibe and decent food mean nothing if the environment enables violation and shrugs at harm. Community spaces should be safe for the community. This one is not. Go elsewhere! Note: The owner replied publicly on Google denying everything and quoting MLK instead of addressing the issue. That response is viewable on Google for transparency.

    Fire ball shots!!
    Chmere M.

    Light rail cafe is a vibrant neighborhood bar and restaurant in the jersey city community!! Happy Hour specials are good! Prices are good compared to other local spots. It gets very crowded with the after work crowd. Theres additional seating upstairs and outside when the weather is nice. Try the wings and flatbread pizza ! Very tasty!

    Lounge
    Hemalatha K.

    I would suggest anyone reviewing this place, understand it's setting and vibe before doing so.. This is a small, casual place, that offers good food and drinks at a reasonable price.. They are not "Fancy", so don't expect that.. We were 8 people in total and showed up without reservation since it was unplanned, and we were all just hungry, after a long and tiring evening, and this was the only place nearby with a good rating.. It was 1st time for all us.. Place was packed with barely any room but they got us seated right away by opening up the upper level.. Service was a little slow, but that was expected with the crowd, and the fact that we were seated separately from the rest of tables.. There was no complaints on the Taste or Quantity of the Food, especially for the price.. There was mix up with the getting separate checks, but again, it was understandable and they were quite apologetic about it..

    Fried Catfish Dinner bomb
    A'Yanna E.

    Ordered the Rasta pasta & Fries Oreos both were such a bust. I also tried delivery for the fish & veggies instead of fries. They didn't separate the side dish so guess what my fried fish was soaking wet so no longer fried. I was so upset. That's restaurant 102 don't pack wet & dry items together! Wth I officially won't be returning & definitely don't recommend delivery.

    Great coffee and even better staff. Relaxed and large but comfortable space to work or meet in.

    Light rail cafe
    Karina E.

    My sister and I got takeout from light rail on a Thursday evening. The order and pick ip process was fairly smooth. We only had to wait about 5 min. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad with garlic parm fries. I basically licked the bowl clean haha. It was a very solid Caesar salad. The fries were still fairly crispy and warm given the transportation. My sister got a penne pasta with chicken. She was a bit disappointed because the chicken was breaded instead of grilled which is not what was offered in the past. She also ordered extra mozzarella on one of the pasta dishes but they did not provide the extra cheese. However we were both satisfied with our food and would order again...double checking that the order is correct.

    Cauliflower bites
    Adrienne M.

    My dad has talked about this spot for a while now so i'm glad we finally were able to go! Parking is a bit tight as they have street parking but if you get there early enough you'll find a spot. Light Rail Cafe definetly gets packed! We arrived around 6pm and was immediately seated outside. Since it was a hot day we wanted to sit inside but it was already packed. It is a small cafe with a couple of tables and seats at the bar but they're currently building a rooftop which is cool. The menu had so much to choose from and for affordable prices too! I ordered the salmon alfredo which came with a peice of garlic bread and it was so good! My sister and I ordered the cauliflower bites to share. They were nice and hot fresh out the fryer too. They serve the bites with a sweet chili sauce and ranch. They were good, more batter than cauliflower but still good. My sister and dad ordered th red sangria and boyyyyy was it perfect; the right amount of fruitiness and liquor. I recommend it 100%. Fried Oreos were good too! Waitresses were attentive and friendly. They also played a lot of hip hop and r&b which I loved. I also saw someone bring their own hookah and smoked it at a table outside. The vibes were there for sure can't wait to come back!

    Buffalo chicken Wings! These were so good I ordered a tray a day later!
    Michelle L.

    Friendly bar staff & environment! Very clean looks as if it just opened! It was crowded but everyone had a seat. Outside seating was available but it is winter in the north east so I opted to sit at a high top. Margaritas were on point!

    Dranks done.

    Alright guys. Never get the pasta, no sauce and it's mixed in after which makes the flavor ass. Get burger drinks and fries that's where the sauce is. Greiii greiii

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    1 month ago

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    5 months ago

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    4 days ago

    Great food spot! I love their margaritas and their chicken Cesar wrap. Definitely will be coming back.

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    4 days ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    I've been here multiple times. The ambiance is nice, urban and the music always good. The food is fresh and fast. The drinks are tasty!

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    5 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Giovanna was very pleasant and helpful : ). I jumped off the light rail for a quick bite

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good food and great atmosphere. Loved the fried calamari and large entrees. The mocktails were fabulous. Can't wait to go back.

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    1 year ago

    Local neighborhood spot if you're looking for some autAmbiance is full of vibes, drinks worth the price. Never a dull moment !

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

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    4.0(136 reviews)
    1.4 mi
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    Not too often where you can eat dinner while playing video games in public. This is definitely a…read moreshame-free environment for sure. I was re-living my 90s video game memories by playing classics on the Super Nintendo emulator. Lot of classics, but super shout out to Donkey Kong Country 2, that I easily remembered after years. Anyhow, in between playing video games I went for an Eggplant Parm hero. There were some other interesting veggie choices - pasta, veggie burger, etc. - but I thought this one fit the bill. I was quite busy playing the video games that the food was secondary. However, I didn't hate a single bite of it. That's a good sign. Love reminiscing over childhood nostalgia playing video games!

    This was a great experience for catering!…read more They have so many catering options on their website, and when I called they were also extremely helpful in answering questions and walking me through everything. I ordered a few 3 ft subs which were perfect for our large group. 3 Ft speciality subs are $80 and for an extra $10 they will cut the sub. They also charge a delivery fee of $25. They delivered right on time which was much appreciated. Everyone loved the sandwiches - we ordered a fully loaded Italian sub and a chicken cutlet sub. Overall this was a solid pick and I'm happy I placed a catering order here.

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    Dixon Deli - Taylor Ham Egg & Cheese

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    4.7(51 reviews)
    1.4 mi
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    4 & 1/2. Another great Taylor Ham provider... For a myriad of reasons the great city of Jersey City…read moreis often times my entry point into New Jersey, and as such I often like to start off my Jersey odyssey with a customary breakfast of the states official delicacy of Taylor ham on a roll with egg and cheese. This humble deli serves what at this point I have determined to be the best in the city, and at a wonderfully low price point (around $5 on my last visit a few months back. Thin, well done to the point of crispy layers of pork roll interspersed with hard scrambled eggs and layers of American cheese between a kaiser roll in a manner quite similar to your favorite local bodegas bec back across the Hudson befitting the cities deep ties with NYC. The sandwich is compact tight and just the perfect amount of filling, leaving you satisfied and satiated enough to start your day but not so stuffed that you're already ready for a nap. Grab one to go and eat it on the run or, should you have some time to kill and the weather is pleasant take the short walk though the lovely brownstone blessed neighborhood to the nearby leafy and serene Van Vorst park and soak up the atmosphere while enjoying the salty goodness.

    I was jonesing for a breakfast sandwich on a Sunday and was having a rough time finding places…read moreopen. Thankfully - this little corner deli was open. It's is clean and bright; the service was quick too. Would come here again.

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    Light Rail Cafe - bars - Updated May 2026

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