This review is for brunch, which brought me to Brightside Tavern for the very first time! I guess the location is just not on my radar, but I very much enjoyed brunch. I am old enough to remember a time when brunch was not a common thing, and if a restaurant offered brunch, you usually received a complimentary basket of muffins or something. When we sat down we received a plate of mini corn and blueberry muffins, and it warmed my black heart. The service was so friendly and it wasn't very crowded as we arrived before 10 am. I sat outside with my dog and it was very comfortable, I highly recommend this restaurant for outdoor canine dining. I had coffee (it was good coffee) and the Italian omelette without the sausage and with fries. I'm already looking forward to my next visit. read more

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This is our Go To karaoke spot. Sometimes, there's nobody running karaoke and they just set it up for you and let you do your thing. This is the first place where my daughter, who's a small child, ever sang in public, so, we'll always have a soft spot for this place. Recently, we there and there was live Jazz in the karaoke room, so, we were gonna leave. The owner stopped us on the way to our car and said he'd set up karaoke for us upstairs. We've interacted with him on multiple occasions and he's always gone above and beyond to accommodate us. He sent the Server up to us, we had great food and great drinks. Will 100% be back again! read more

Absolutely love this spot! The owner is such a character. The food is delicious, decently priced, the drinks are pricey but it's downtown. There's karaoke, music, different rooms for events . Bartenders are fast and friendly . The place is a vibe for sure read more

The Brightside Tavern - House salad - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Ive done reviews on brightside before but i have to show love to them again and their amazing happy hour!! I love that this neighborhood bar and restaurant is not overpriced! Its the kinda place that keeps u coming back and everyone knows everyone! Thats all credit to the owner Tommy two scoops! He is a ball of bright positive energy! He makes everyone feel special who walks through the doors. On top of that the food is PHENOMENAL!!! Like for real i have never had a bad meal here!!! I had their infamous mussels and im obsessed! The white wine sauce is amazing! Half price on the happy hr which is 3-7pm. The rice and beans are so flavorful!! I also had their infamous mussels fried shrimp they are huge and tender!!! Ugh! Just delicious!!! U have to get to Brightside tavern!! They also cater and do events throughout the week. Perfect neighborhood spot read more

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It's always fun coming to The Brightside Tavern. The food is very good and affordable. The owner, Tommy, is such a swell guy. He's very hospitable and a great guy to chat with. They host live music and karaoke. My friends' Smooth Jazz Cover band, Jazzilog, plays there's frequently. If you are watching the live acts, you will have to be patient for the waiting staff to get to you, though. If you can't find street parking next to the bar, you can always park in the area where 99 Ranch is located. It's just a block away. read more

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The owner of this local bar provides a welcoming vibe. However, the atmosphere is not as nice. Customers yelling across the bar to one another, making the overall environment a bit too noisy and overwhelming. The good thing is that drinks are reasonably priced. read more

Very cute place! Love the vibe. The bartenders were great and Tommy, the owner was so friendly and personable. We had so much to eat! The food was delicious. I am planning a party there so I will be sure to review the catering. I can't wait to go back for karaoke! This is the kind of local place I would go to often! read more

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Servers are almost always super friendly. The owner two scoops Tommy is in often and loves to make friends either everyone. Food is awesome bar food. Extensive brunch, lunch, and dinner menu. If you come in the morning you get free muffins. Combo of old school and dive--y vibes inside. Party room upstairs with games. read more

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Everything here was delicious and the atmosphere inside was fun and welcoming. The service was great and we would definitely return.

Brightside is the best local bar for casual food in the area. Their crab cake sliders are a winner every time. Also such friendly service. Great staff and Tommy always knows how to make you feel welcomed. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Crab cake sliders - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Where do I begin? The food is fabulous. The crowd is friendly and the owner is one of the best guys in the world. If promise you you will have a great time. read more

I've visited this Tavern three times and all three times I've been disappointed! My brunch meals: My first visit: Chicken (dry & hard crust) & Waffles (hard), Second Visit: Breakfast Burger (over cooked). On my most recent 3rd visit (which prompted me to finally post a review) I ordered an Eggs Benedict which basically was a hard boiled egg on bread. My party was also interrupted by a pushy person with random questions who insisted on taking a photograph of our party and placed business cards on the table. The only positive thing I can say about Brightside is, its convenient location, indoor restaurant set up, outdoor seating and its great salad (which I substituted on all my meals). I most likely will be back only because it's a meeting location for my group but otherwise I'd pass on this establishment. read more

The food, staff and ambiance were great! Huge fan of all the breakfast items we tried! Also loved the drinks as well! But the best part was meeting the owner, Tom "Tommy 2 Scoops"! An amazing person whose connection to the community is one to strive for! read more

The Brightside Tavern - A delicious Bloody Mary! - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Nice neighborhood spot with decent food. Too bad the owner thinks everyone is there for him and not a night out with friends. We found him to be intrusive. His humor was inappropriate and unwelcome. Have to feel sorry for his staff, especially the female staff. read more

I stopped by The Brightside Tavern, 141 Bright Street, Jersey City, NJ, around 10:30 a.m. today to have breakfast. A busy morning today, so I decided to stop in early. Wow, I had the most amazing Poached Eggs Florentine over English Muffin breakfast. It was healthful and tasty. The spinach was so fresh and flavorful. I had an iced coffee with it. Server Mina was personable and efficient. I can tell she is a big addition to the Brightside Tavern team by her personality alone. I give this tavern / eatery the highest possible rating. read more

The Brightside Tavern - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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I highly recommend this location for a casual brunch or bar to watch the game. If you're looking for a place to host a party, this place is for you. It's convenient and affordable and two party room options. Flexible owner, hostesses, & tech ppl on site. Food and drinks are really good as well. Street parking which can be tricky some days but didn't cause any issues for us. read more

Todays visit was spontaneous. Brightside is great got your usual bar food. The staff is extremely pleasant and you can almost always expect chill vibes. I love salmon and gave the wrap a try. I was underwhelmed. The taste of the mixed greens took over the wrap. The salmon wasn't well seasoned. The avocado added a nice touch but could've been fitted from a nice or more seasoned piece of salmon. I wouldn't order this particular item again. The sweet potato fries were great! Until next time. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Grilled Salmon Wrap and Sweet Potato Fries - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

They have a nice room off to the side with a nice ambiance. A few tvs with fireplaces on screen and brick walls give the place a warm & cozy charm. The servers were polite and responsive. The owner, Tommy was there and is so friendly and outgoing, getting to know we newbies as we came in. He made us feel at home right away. The food is your typical bar fare, but a bit higher end. The menu is expansive and not expensive. We came on a Monday evening when they had live jazz music. The professionals were fantastic and we enjoyed every single time they played. There were three players to start, but as the night progressed, more musicians joined in. So entertaining! Parking on the street was easy and well lit, an important thing to consider in Jersey City. Our server was great, very attentive and making sure we were kept satisfied throughout the night. Overall a great night out for not a lot of money. read more

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Delivery order review: Pizza is good, not great. Better options out there for the price. Also ordered fried pickles, I understand that they are not going to be super crunchy when you order them for delivery but they were completely soggy and little to no flour on them at all to be fried. Customer service also wasn't great. I asked for a refund about the pickles and they told me "that's how they make them" so that's not so great either. Recommend another place based on the delivery aspect. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Fried Pickles - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Came here for brunch at ~9:30 on a Tuesday and the staff had just got in but were super nice and sat us down and started breakfast :) The portions are HUGE. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Italian Omelette - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Went in for some shots and drinks while waiting for our table to be ready for the Hot Pot nearby! The owner/manager was really friendly and gave us free fries! Also took our pic, and sent it to some app that displayed on the large screens in the bar. May have also given the free fries because we spent a lot on shots! read more

The Brightside Tavern - French Fries - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

I had a great time here with my bf. I went here for the Thursday night jazz performance plus the comedy show, which was excellent. The jazz show is very professional and amazing. The comedy show was hilarious, and is pulling its weight for the price, if not better than some of the shows j have heard in Ny. The owner is also very friendly, and very passionate about the locals having a good time. The appetizers were also quite nice, can't go wrong with some chicken wings and onion rings. In all, it was a very convivial experience. Glad to support local business. If we have free time, we are likely to go again. read more

The Brightside Tavern - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

This is my friends neighborhood bar. I really enjoyed how personal and friendly they were fir the exception of one blonde bar tender. Unfortunately she never greeted us and served the other guest before making her to us to see if we were being helped. I really fell in love with Buffalo wings and the blue cheese sauce. This was my second time eating there and things keep getting better. I definitely recommend this bar for game day or just to pre game. They have big tvs and clean restrooms. The service was great except for the blond bar tender but even her her lack of customer service wouldn't stop me from coming back read more

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I've been here many of times as it's part of the Downtown Jersey City bar scene. The Brightside Tavern is run by Tommy so if you see him around the bar say hi! If you like comedy shows, they host them often just check out their Instagram for more information. They also host karaoke. You can sing upstairs or downstairs in their main room. It is the karaoke where you search up the song on YouTube and follow along. Upstairs is more intimate where you can have your own space. I love their food options, never had any problems. This place is always a good time! read more

Food & service was awesome. We choice the outside seating to better fit our mood. Everyone was very friendly.

The food was as usual AMAZING to say the least!!!!!!! The vibe for brunch was low key and super peaceful. We got to interact with the Notoriously gracious owner "Tommy 2 Scoops" and even watch the recording of him perform at the Apollo Theater when Steve Harvey was the host. We have a cozy corner and the staff was super friendly and attentive. This is definitely a Diamond on the rough. The portions are huge too! It's a great value for the money. We're excitedly anticipating our return. read more

The Brightside Tavern - I had Huevos Rancheros with home fries. My hubby had Chicken and Waffles yum yum yummy - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

I love this place, Went a few times this week while visiting the area. They have something going on nearly everyday here, the staff is amazing and kind and the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend this place on a weekday after noon or night. read more

Came here for the first time - and I promise you ....it'll definitely be my last I do not, I repeat, I do not return food but man .... I ordered a classic steak and eggs (ordered steak medium rare -because you should- and eggs scrambled) everything came out overdone and tasteless I also ordered fried cauliflower and broccoli as an app. The first cauliflower and broccoli app came out cold snd then when I asked for a replacement , that came out burnt. I rarely have to add salt and pepper to meals, and this one I had to douse to even get it on the mediocre side Returned Apart of my meal deal, I was entitled to three mimosas. The bartender, although cute, kept giving me bellinis until she remembered I initially ordered mimosas. She only bought the drinks when I asked, even when my glass was sitting empty for a long period of time Will not return Yuck Walked to life pancake company a few blocks down They saved the day! read more

I have the best time everytime I go! The food and drinks are on point. I love the diversity, within open mic nights and karaoke nights read more

Needed some dinner while visiting the hospital nearby - found this place on Yelp. Nice, friendly bar / restaurant. Had the chicken Marsala and it was just like my wife makes it! Have to mention the mashed potatoes. It's my favorite food, and these were the best restaurant mashed potatoes I've had. The chef knows what he's doing! They had about 6 of 8 draft beers. It's a good place to get a home cooked meal in the city. read more

All good. Tommy's place has the vibe the service, the music. All bases covered.Monday nights is a jazz open mic with some good players showing up. It's nice that they have a baby grand there. read more

A very special place for jaz music lovers Every Monday night , it has also nice and rich menu. With a good service! . Tommy the host, is a very special person. read more

PROS 1. Friendly staff. Especially, Bartender Mamina. She is consistently Professional and Friendly. 2. Owner Tommy is a Great Hands on Leader. 3. Garlic Shrimp Pizza is Flavorful. 4. Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich is Good. 5. Shrimp Crostini is Flavorful. 6. Blackened Salmon and Garlic Linguini is Flavorful and Hearty. 7. Blackened Shrimp and Garlic Linguini is Flavorful and Hearty. 8. Shrimp Crostini and Linguini is SUPER Flavorful and Hearty. 8. Cajun Trio Penne Pasta is SUPER Flavorful and Hearty. 9. Chicken Marsala is Flavorful. 10. Brownie is Good. 11. Bread Pudding is Good. 12. Double Cheeseburger is Slamming and Flavorful. I smothered some Chipotle Sauce and it kicked it up a notch! 13. Sautéed Spinach is Deliciously Healthy! CONS 1. The Fried Jumbo Shrimp in the Shrimp Cocktail needs more Flavor. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Flavorful Double Cheeseburger with Chipotle Sauce and Sauteed Spinach. - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Had my surprise birthday party here and also rented a room for my sister bridal shower. They have the most amazing food!!! The pasta I had was amazing, the food breakfast service was amazing. The owner is the sweetest man ever and just everyone there are so helpful and so sweet. Can't wait to go there for date night read more

Pretty bartender...attentive staff...friendly atmosphere...it's a neighborhood bar with good fries! I had the Texas burger on Texas toast and it was tasty. If you're in JC go there! read more

The Brightside Tavern - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Though I've lived in JC for several years, I only recently tried the food at Brightside. I live closer to several similar spots, but after eating at Brightside I would definitely plan to return. For 'bar food' everything we had was exceptional. We stopped in for brunch and most tables were filled or being held for reservations. Luckily, there is a huge bar in the center of the dining room with tons of seating around it. The bar top is large and has plenty of space for dining, so this wasn't an issue at all. Menu options are plentiful. At bruch you can order off the standard menu, or a special brunch entree menu that includes a choice of bloodies or mimosas. I went with a chicken quesadilla. The portion was large and there was lots of fresh pico de gallo. My in-laws both really enjoyed their wrap and burger. The staff was extremely attentive and friendly. The owner even came over to introduce himself and check in. There are lots of reasons to return. Solid food and bevvies is definitely one of them, but a charming divey atmosphere and nightly happenings like karaoke and jazz will also have me coming back. read more

Wonderful breakfast this morning. The complimentary homemade muffins were a great way to start your meal while waiting for the made to order food be prepared. The portions were large and the prices small. Friendly staff, who went above and beyond to make sure our needs were met. We had a nice table in the window. I highly recommend to anyone looking for brunch in the downtown Jersey City area. read more

The Brightside Tavern - Chicken and waffles, pancakes with a side of eggs and chicken - New American Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

this is one of the best and most fun places in not only jersey city butt in the nyc metro area! first of all the staff is very friendly and they are very accommodating in tweaking a drink to your pleasure! next, the food is absolutely delicious and with good portions including some nice vegan choices! next, the entertainment offered nightly is second to none in the area! last but not least, the owner tom parisi is one of the friendliest and nicest guy on the planet! you must try this place and i guarantee you will not be disappointed but will recommend it to all your friends! read more

I've been here 6 or 7 times. Service - just abysmal. There's an older regular who goes around harassing women. He recited a dirty poem to me once when I was on a date ordering drinks at the bar, and my date was concerned enough to come over and check on me. The owner (I think his name is Tommy?) is usually there and introduces himself to everybody, and I told him previously about that guy harassing me, and the owner LAUGHED. It wasn't funny. It also takes a few minutes to get servers' attention even when it doesn't seem very busy in there. Food - pretty regular/below average greasy bar food and drinks, and takes longer than it should just to get some tater tots. The prices are reasonable, relatively. Ambiance - generally a friendly local crowd but them letting that guy harass me on two separate occasions ruined it. He interrupted me to comment on my VAGINA, I'm dead serious. I was wearing pants and a sweater so I'm not sure why he was making assumptions about my covered-up genitals. It's truly disgusting and shameful that this bar still lets him in, any decent bar with a halfway decent owner would have permanently banned him by now. I thought this could be my friendly neighborhood spot but it's not okay that they condone that kind of behavior and think it's funny and harmless. This place is friendly to pervs and harassers. read more

Hung out at Liberty state park and my friend who lives nearby suggested this spot. The drinks were good but the bar food exceeded my expectations! We ordered lamb sliders that were amazing. We also enjoyed truffle fries and wings. S.O to the bartender Mamina! Thanks read more