After seeing a social media post featuring the restaurant's unique industrial décor and checking…read morethe menu online beforehand, my dining companion and I made the drive up from Morristown for a 7pm Saturday dinner. We expected a moderately upscale atmosphere - with $15 cocktails and entrees ranging from $32 for pasta up to $48 for a strip steak - and we dressed accordingly. Upon our arrival at Industry, it quickly became clear that the dining room leans much more casual than we anticipated.
Before even walking in to the restaurant, I passed a gentleman sitting on the curb in front of the entrance to the restaurant in a tank top, shorts, and Crocs sandals on an animated phone call. Inside, most guests were similarly dressed in t-shirts and shorts. To top it off, a diner at a neighboring table surreptitiously used a vape pen throughout her meal. I don't mean to sound overly critical of what might pass for moderately upscale dining in Sussex County, but there is definitely a noticeable disconnect between the high culinary ambitions and prices on the menu and the actual day-to-day environment in the dining room. That disconnect is a shame because we really liked the decor in the open, airy space as well as what the kitchen is trying to do here. It's obvious that they genuinely know what they're doing in the back of the house.. but the front of the house isn't as disciplined.
We started with the unique Watermelon and Feta salad ($18) -- an innovative appetizer where the watermelon is vacuum-sealed to force-feed it a mildly spicy chimichurri marinade, and it was flat-out excellent. For the main course, I really enjoyed the Cherry Pepper Pappardelle ($34), cooked to a perfect al dente and loaded with sweet Italian sausage and broccolini although for my preferences, the garlic and white wine vinegar sauce could have used a little more kick. My dining companion wanted something lighter and opted for the Tuna Tartare Tacos ($23) -- four crispy wonton shells stuffed with a surprisingly generous portion of sushi-grade tuna, seaweed salad, guacamole, and harissa mayo -- and she loved them.
As for the beverage program, it was... well, no pun intended, a bit mixed. My dining companion really enjoyed her Loose Screw ($15), a crisp and refreshing concoction of limoncello, mint, prosecco, and club soda. On the other hand, I was unimpressed with the American A.F. ($15), a blend of FEW American Whiskey, Widow Jane Paradigm Rye, cherry vanilla simple syrup, and Angostura bitters, which ended up tasting fairly uninspired when compared to a regular Old Fashioned.
Our server, Christina, was fantastic -- friendly, hyper-aware of my dietary restriction, and spot-on with her recommendations. The kitchen's speed, however, was another story. Despite the dining room being less than half full, our starter took nearly 30 minutes to make an appearance, and another 20-25 minutes elapsed after we finished before our entrees joined the party.
At the end of the day, I really respect the vision and execution coming out of the kitchen, and Christina's service was top-notch. That said, I'd give it a 3.5 star rating -- rounded down to 3 stars given the glacier-like pacing and the surreal gap between high-end menu prices and a lax (vape-friendly, even) vibe, as the execution on the floor just doesn't match what the kitchen is working so hard to achieve.
If I'm in the area.. I'd give it another shot with a more grounded expectation.
Pro Tip: If you're looking for a location to host an event, Industry has two private dining rooms on the main floor and a larger space downstairs available for larger groups.
