Stopped by for their happy hour specials which were delicious! Drink specials were fantastic but the food was even better. Mussels, wings and an espresso martini? Where can you go wrong. My husband and I went early and the bartender was great. Super attentive and quick with everything. The mussels were honestly delicious, the sauce was super flavorful. I'd get them everytime! read more

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This place stands out thanks to the bartender Christy ! She is Super personable, attentive, and skilled at making great drinks. It made the whole experience feel special. We always come here for the happy hour Oysters deals. This time we ordered mussels and potato skin. They were all delicious! We love this place! read more

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Bring cash, credit card fee is 3.99%. We went for a Saturday lunch at Meal. There were street parkings in front of the restaurant but all taken, so we parked on the next street and walked across a pavement to the restaurant. Upon entering saw their huge bar, gorgeous dining space and beautiful interior. Felt like a nice upscale spot. There were no other customers other than us at that time, which was surprising. We started with mussels and drunken garlic bread. Mussels were decent. The drunken garlic bread had loads of cheese but the dish disappointed me. I got the Mac burger, which I realized was named after Big Mac from McDonalds after the dish was served. I'd prefer knowing it beforehand as I was not looking to eat McD like burger at upscale restaurant. Nevertheless it was two big burgers alongside fries. The burger did taste almost like Big Mac, but way too many lettuce all over it. The short rib tacos were good. But the kid's plain pizza was underwhelming, crust was too thick. Over server was a pro. He was polite and friendly, but despite only two tables occupied by guests, it took him forever to bring us our check, about 20 minutes. Then he needed another 5 minutes to bring us the take out box. Not sure if he had other duties but I wasn't expecting such slow service. Until I got the check, I didn't know they charge 3.99% for credit card fee. It was not mentioned at the entrance or the menu, neither the server said anything. I expected more transparency from the restaurant where items were already priced on the higher end. read more

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MEAL is a contemporary design theme restaurant. Very elegant and upscale feeling inside. They have a section for party at the back. A DJ booth is at the corner, I wonder if it turns into dance floor at night. However, I don't feel the food giving me the upscale vibes. Garlic bread has no taste. Mac burger literally looks like McDonald's burger. Short rib taco is not bad, too much sauce overpowering the short rib flavor. I like muscles a lot, it does have good flavor. The waiter is doing his best to serve all the tables. We were the first table and 3 other group came in at different times. I feel the waiter is struggling to keep up the pace. Not sure it's the kitchen delay or it's just overwhelming for him. read more

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Steak lovers know there are few pleasures in life greater than cutting into a perfectly seared, juicy piece of meat prepared exactly to one's preferences. Nestled in the heart of Nutley, this modern American establishment offers patrons good food, generous portions, and, for the most part, attentive service. A reservation was easily made by calling the restaurant for a party of 5 Saturday night. Located on Franklin Avenue with a perfect acronym (MEAL: Meet, Eat, and Lounge), my partner, our friends, and I were greeted by the staff upon entering as first-timers. Our table was ready by the window inside a relaxing yet chic vibe dining room and a separate bar. The varied menu features aged steaks, lamb chops, and pork chops, as well as a number of seafood, fish, and other options. We started out with appetizers: the Mac and Cheese, Fried Calamari, and Tuna Tartare "Nachos." Our main meal consisted of Gnocchi, Forever Braised Beef Short Rib (signature dish), Steak Frites, Tuna, and Steakhouse Burger. The food tasted delicious. The meat was prepared well, packed with so much flavor, and was very tender and juicy. Unfortunately, the tuna was a bit bland. The presentation was amazing and used only fresh ingredients, and it showed. The portions were a good size. The price was comparable to the area. Our server, Zack, was great as he was attentive, clear speaking, and constantly checking on us. On Fridays, they offer DJ night. What a fantastic addition to the local dining scene in Nutley, which we could recommend. read more

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I hate leaving negative reviews but when you spend a lot of money for dinner& leave disappointed, it's hard not to. A lot of my review might be influenced by how much we loved the original Meal - if you knew that location, their menu & think this is the same, it is not! Our family of 3 went out for our son's 15th birthday. Our waiter, Zack was outstanding, so this is not a reflection on him. We ordered drinks & were surprised to receive warm canned soda that we had to pour ourselves. This doesn't match the upscale vibe they try to give off. APPETIZERS: Truffle chips - bacon was hard to chew & truffle sauce seemed different than the original. Taste was off. Positive: Chips were crispy. Shrimp & Crab Cocktail - We expected traditional cocktail. The fine print said chili lime flavored - that was our bad. We didn't care for the flavor combo. Positive: Seafood was fresh Drunken Garlic Bread - Did not taste like vodka sauce or garlic. More of a spicy marinara. We planned to get shared steaks but after the appetizers not going so well, we pivoted to burgers. We all got their version of "Smash Burgers". The patties were too thick to be considered true smash burgers and the bun was overpowering. The meat didn't have a lot of flavor and there were no delicious crispies on the meat. We also ordered the Steakhouse Burger but took it to go - no one has tried it yet to review. The positive about the burgers was the fries and onion rings were outstanding. We did get annoyed when we mentioned it was our son's birthday and requested his burger to be just cheese. It came out wrong, so we had to wait for the kitchen to remake it. My husband and I didn't touch our burgers until his came. At the end, we asked for the appetizers we requested be wrapped in the beginning. After 10 minutes of waiting, we learned they threw them out. They made a whole new order of the truffle chips & sent home two shrimp. They could have just given us a credit on our bill instead of attempting to cover up they tossed the food. Unfortunately, our experience was not good, and we will not return. House music blaring over the speakers wasn't our cup of tea. Either be an upscale restaurant or go the lounge route. read more

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Came here for a date night with my husband. I enjoyed the vibe of the place. The bar has a cool atmosphere. The drinks were amazing. I got pancho sancho and enjoyed it. My husband really enjoyed his old fashioned. I really enjoyed my French onion soup and the short ribs were amazing. My husband wasn't a big fan of the Caesar salad. It had a strong lemon taste. His filet mignon was average. I think this place would be a great happy hour place. Metered parking in area. read more

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I am writing to share details about a disappointing dining experience my sister and I had at MEAL last night (January 10, 2026). We had high expectations for your restaurant, given its reputation, and the many times we frequent your establishment. However, unfortunately, several issues arose that significantly impacted our evening. We arrived for our reservation and began at the bar with a drink before moving to our table. (2-glasses of bar wine) We sat at the table and then ordered a second glass of wine, which took approximately 15 minutes to arrive--despite the restaurant appearing relatively quiet after 7 PM with only a four-tables occupied. When we inquired at the bar, we were told there were no glasses available, which should have been addressed proactively. Additionally, when reviewing the menu, we did not see a ribeye listed on the menu. We asked the server if there was one available. Our server explained that a ribeye was available for $85. We proceeded to order it (along with a salad, as no other green vegetable options like spinach was available). However, the server later clarified that the $85 price referred to a different steak, and the ribeye we received was priced at $199. This was at the time we received the final bill. This misunderstanding was not clearly communicated upfront, leading to confusion and total disappointment! To make matters worse, when the steak arrived, it appeared totally undercooked (essentially raw in the center), and by the time we addressed it and attempted to proceed, our accompanying mashed potatoes had gone cold. The meat never tastes correct when recooked after bring sliced!!!!!Overall, we felt the service and communication was unacceptable, leaving us confused and terribly dissatisfied. As the owner and chef, is well respected I wrote to him only to find no reply at all. No manager was available on-site to assist us at the time. It is clear the restaurant is failing as there were three tables on Saturday night at 7:00 pm. read more

The vibe is relaxed but still gives business casual -- perfect for a business meeting or just catching up with friends. The appetizer selection was great (honestly could've just made a meal out of those), and the dessert was so good -- sweet, satisfying, and beautifully presented. The only downside was the lighting. It was really dark -- we actually had to use our phone lights to read the menu, which was kinda awkward. I'm all for ambiance, but a little more light would go a long way! Would definitely come back (maybe with a mini flashlight next time )! read more

MEAL - Chocolate mousse - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

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I frequent MEAL. They have a great happy hour and the restaurant has a great vibe. You can go there for a birthday, dinner with friends or just after work drinks. The staff are always so nice. Chrissy makes the best lemon drops and always takes great care of her customers! read more

3.99 % credit card charge, not coming back. Greedy bastard, the bar tender was gone for the majority of the time. Asked for the check and she disappeared. WTF done with that place. read more

Haven't eaten at Meal since they closed their other location on the other side of town. We started with the truffle "meal" chips, which were absolutely fantastic . What a great mix of flavors with the saltiness of the bacon, crispiness of the chips and the savory flavor of the blue cheese. Sesame tuna was fantastic. The Forever braised beef, short ribs were perfect, extremely tender, flavorful, and nice sized portion. Service was excellent. I recommend making reservations. read more

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Stopped by on a Thursday at around 6:15 for a quick dinner before watching a movie nearby. It was the happy hour menu that caught my eye because I could always used some clams/oysters. Happy hour 4 to 6:30, so we made it just in time to order a round of drinks and to put in our happy hour food specials. The discounted menu applies only at the bar area, I believe. The bar was almost full at that time but we were lucky to nab the last two seats together. We ordered 18 clams/18 oysters. The clams were nice and plump and these were definitely the better of the two. Some of the oysters were not properly shucked and there were some shell bits. We also ordered: Mini Drunken Garlic Bread (spicy vodka sauce, mozzarella, bruschetta). This was my least favorite. It was very heavy and filling Truffled Meal Chips (blue cheese fondue, bacon, scallion) - these were pretty good but also kind of heavy, which I expected. I'm not sure why they're called "truffled" because I didn't taste any truffle in there Cheeseburger and Chips - this was the best. It was just a simple, plain cheeseburger but sometimes, that's just what you need. No fix-ins, no sauces, no just meat and cheese. I think I would come back for the happy hour food specials, but only if I was in the area. I would probably also just stick to the clams and the cheeseburger. Tip - if you pay with cash, you can get a 4% discount read more

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They sent this slop instead of key lime pie. The steak was overcooked, fries limp and frozen... read more

MEAL - Vomited key lime pie. - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Overall fun loud place with great service. The food was good but could improve on the balance of flavors. I think the bar is probably a lot of fun. read more

I had some issues with dinner, but the service was excellent. I started with the French onion soup, which was excellent. I ordered the cowboy steak done medium. It was a perfect medium, but was not seared or seasoned enough. There wasn't much of a "crust." The meat itself was grisly and difficult to cut with the dull steak knife and harder to pierce with a fork. The sauce, a pepper sauce, was very lacking in seasoning as well. The steak was swimming in butter, which was fine, except I got the Brussels sprouts side which was extremely oily. The waiter said they're baked then flash fried. I asked if there was a sauce prior to ordering and was told there was a balsamic vinaigrette. However, I couldn't detect any sauce and asked, but the waiter said the sprouts are sauced before frying. I don't know, they were a large portion, but it was too oily for me to get over. I sent them back because I couldn't eat more than a few and got the whipped potatoes instead. The waiter was really helpful, and the whipped potatoes were good. read more

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Can't say enough good things about this place. It's our official Friday night dinner spot. Service is great, tuna nachos are outatanding, special are always wonderful. Tiramisu dessert tonight was delicious! read more

MEAL - Tiramisu with white chocolate shavings - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Food, service and ambiance were all AMAZING!! We have been there a few times and it never disappoints!!

Forever one of my favorite spots in Jersey. The drinks are always on point and the food is even better. We had a table of of 14 and I pretty much had my fork in any and everything. Not pictured - Wings, Calamari, Shortrib tacos, whipped potatoes, Brussels sprouts AND IT WAS ALL SPECTACULAR!!!!! Food- 5/5 Drinks-4/5 Service-5/5 Ambience-3/5 Honestly I can't wait to go back!!! Btw beware they have a new location on Franklin, so don't go to the old one. read more

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Food and service is excellent! Bottomless mimosas were delicious and server was so kind! read more

MEAL - Biscuits and gravy - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Always a great experience! Their short rib tacos are to die for. Steaks are always cooked perfectly, and drinks done well. Service is spot on - good mix of attentive but not on top of you. Also love that the dining room isn't crammed. You don't feel like you're there with the people at the table next to you. Only negative is that I really miss the brunch menu from their former location. read more

Had a great experience at MEAL. The staff were so friendly. There were 4 adults and 2 children. There is something for everyone. The food was great but the desserts were even better, if they have the Smores dessert, try it, it was fantastic (not too sweet). read more

MEAL is great. I've been twice, once for brunch once for happy hour. Both times staff were friendly, attentive and helpful. The music can be loud so if that's not your thing, I'd avoid brunch or busier hours. I recommend everything on their happy hour menu. The portions are stellar. Their smores dessert is easily the best thing I've ever tasted. Worth a trip! read more

MEAL - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

This was the worst meal I've had in years, the wings are dinosaur wings (huge) and have bad seasoning they were chewy and fatty, the wine was disgusting!!! The French fries were the best part of the meal, medium well steak was WELL, I would never return here, even if I was given a free meal, it's just not worth it. Feel like my fiancé got dressed up for nothing. read more

Service was spot on. Very attentive and knowledgeable about options on the menu for first time customers. The place has beautiful chandeliers and a separate dining and bar areas. The food was good. The short rib tacos were amazing. The crab cake sandwich was actually pretty messy which mean it had a lot of filler and not as much pure crab meat. However it was tasty. The fries were surprisingly unseasoned and lukewarm. The pork chop meal was pretty good. The appetizers were the best part of the menu, but I would try this place again with a smaller group to see if the food comes out hotter and a bit more flavorful. read more

MEAL - Pork Chop - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

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Overall a nice experience. Came here for the oyster happy hour special ($1.5 per). My boyfriend and I balled out a bit and had oysters, Caesar salad, the chips, clams casino & the short rib. The short rib was fantastic - I'd go back for that - and my Cesar salad was cheesy and lemony and crisp - pretty stand out and I consider myself a Caesar salad connoisseur. The oysters were okay which was disappointing as that's why I went, and overall I give the food a (4.5). The drinks were pretty good (4 overall) and the staff was great (4.5 overall). Considering we got all that food and 5 drinks for $200, I'd say their pricing is pretty fair, especially in happy hour. I definitely recommend this place, and I'm sure I'll be back in time! read more

Great bartender, delicious apps. Would go again. Great happy hour menu. Beware of parking

honestly the drinks were good as well as my plate, but we had asked staff if they could close the door that was left wide open in the middle of February in the cold and the owner just looked at us and ignored the request... I had to leave because the place was freezing. read more

So a bit history behind this restaurant, I've been here before (before the pandemic) at their old location and enjoyed myself. Noticed they had moved but did not have opportunity to check out new location until recently. Met up with a friend for Sunday brunch. This locale is much bigger! It wasn't crowded (which I appreciate). Music was great. Nice big bar (also appreciate). Mark (manager) and I chatted a bit about the move. He was friendly and nice. Andrew, bartender was attentive & the drink he made was quite good. The hot honey chicken sandwich was really good and a great size. If you're in the neighborhood, def stop in. read more

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The food and service was excellent. My table shared the tomahawk steak, brussel sprouts, gnocchi, calamari and Meal chips. Everything was very tasty. I enjoyed the cocktail impearment also. I will definitely return. read more

Wow, what a stunner! My husband and I have lived in Nutley for 20 years, but we never made it here before. We were looking for a steakhouse for our anniversary, so we decided to check it out. I'm thrilled that we did, because it was excellent! We got a nice warm welcome from the hostess who led us into the very pleasant dining room. Our server quickly greeted us, and he was attentive and helpful for the entire evening. The menu has some fun sounding cocktails, but we decided to share a very nice bottle of California Cabernet. We ordered Oysters on the half shell to start. Fresh, briny, delicious. Perfect light starter. For entrees, I ordered the Filet Mignon with horseradish cream, and husband got the signature Cowboy Steak with rosemary jus. Both steaks were perfectly cooked and seasoned. They were fantastic, and we finished every bite. They come with a head of roasted garlic, which we thought was a great touch. We shared Creamed Spinach and Truffle Fries for sides. The spinach was maybe the best I've ever eaten. The fries were crispy and garlicky Save some room for dessert, because the choices are very fun. We shared the signature S'mores dessert. Brownie, ice cream, marshmallow, whipped cream...omg, it was divine. This is definitely not an inexpensive meal, but if you are looking for something special, this is it. They do have more moderately priced non steak entrees if interested. We will definitely return. read more

Food is excellent, service very attentive and the ambience is good. I always go back for their pork chops and grits. Tried the short ribs and the Cowboy, both excellent, but besides the pork chops my favor is the bread with cheese, never seeing before! WAOOOO read more

MEAL - Outside flowers - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Returned to Meal after a brief hiatus to find the menu updated. Everything was excellent from the appetizers to the main course; however, I was most excited to see they brought back the adult ice cream sundae which is my absolute favorite dessert. Not only is it fun to eat it gives another dessert option to people that are gluten sensitive besides crème brûlée. Lexi, our server was super nice and attentive. All in all a great experience and I highly recommend. read more

MEAL - Adult Ice Cream Sundae - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

Came to Meal after a "too long" away time. The food is as good as I remember it. From the original spot to the current location, the food is still delectable. Went for dinner with my wife because we haven't been there in ages. Started with the chopped salad and it was fantastic. Followed by the Meal Chips IYKYK (it's a cardinal sin not to order them) again OUTSTANDING! My wife had the filet and subbed out the fingerlings for mashed. The filet was cooked perfectly it was accompanied by three HEFTY asparagus spears and a healthy serving of the whipped mashed potatoes. I had the forever braised beef short rib. There was no need for my knife as the fork was sufficient. The mashed potatoes were fantastic! The dish was also packed with fizzled onions or onion straws. Nice and crispy and golden brown. The roasted carrots were excellent. All in all the meal was fantastic at MEAL! You gotta get here! read more

It's a nice family friendly restaurant. Good food, good drinks and friendly service. Host is very attentive and the rest of the staff make you feel right at home. Their French onion soup is delicious and also their short ribs. If you are in the area I really recommend this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. A bit pricey but it's worth it. read more

Celebrated my cousins b day there, just the girls. Love the ambiance. The staff was super kind and friendly. The young lady who assisted us was kind, patient, very helpful with my questions. Cocktails we're delicious, short ribs to die for Service is A+++ Reasonably priced. Would boggle recommend!! read more

Came here for their oyster happy hour, small bites, and a couple of dirty martinis. Great place to come after work for a calm atmosphere. I think they also have trivia here; I'll definitely have to come back for that. read more

My friend and I got together to catch up. When I arrived I found parking on the street nearby. I walked in and was greeted and found seating at the bar. The bartenders Natalie, Jeanine, and Armondo were great to us all evening. They have a great happy hour menu and I started with the pinot nior and it was ok. I then went to the lemon drop martini and it was good. I also had a espresso martini which was good as well. I did have to send back a couple of them because I didn't like the taste and the bartenders were great sports about it. My friend ordered the cheeseburger and he said it was ok, a little salty but ok. I tried a chip and it was good. The bill was very reasonable. I enjoyed my time. read more

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This was a nice gem of a spot for us. The hostess was very friendly and seated us for our reservation immediately. Our server was Zack, he was awesome and attentive as was Frank and the rest of the staff. The drinks were great. We totally enjoyed everything we ate. The Korean Beef Bulgogi and the Tuna Tartare were way better than my expectations. The Cowboy steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and was amazing.The Short Ribs were awesome as well. Nothing was rushed here and again we enjoyed the entire meal a lot. Dessert was also A+. Additionally there's street parking but if not the Municipal lot is available across the street. Great night out, will return read more

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We fell upon MEAL by accident on a Saturday night around 7pm with no reservations and the ladies in the front were SUPER attentive and got us a table within 10mins. The space is very date night/dim lighting vibes - honestly so cute and I was surprised they didn't fill the room with more tables ..but I appreciate the atmosphere they have! Our table tried the short rib tacos, chicken Milanese, a Burger, tuna dish, and we each tried a couple different cocktails - when I tell you that EVERY THING was delicious! We literally could not understand why there wasn't a wait out the door for this place! The service was also amazing, very attentive the whole time and even convinced us to try the Smores after we basically were about to roll ourselves out - No regrets! Definitely going to be a go to place for me! read more

MEAL - Chicken Milanese - New American Near Me - Nutley, New Jersey

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