Love this place been coming to this place for years. Can't say enough about this place. Great craft beer selection and nice cans in the fridge. Al is amazing I can talk to him all night, I have on occasions. It's a great local spot ti get some great craft beer. Cheers. read more

The Snug Harbor - a pint of beer on a table - Bars Near Me - Kearny, New Jersey

I will preface this with admitting that I've never met a dive bar that I didn't like. I walked into this one and was welcomed by some great music they had playing that was loud enough to enjoy but low enough to effortlessly share a conversation even across the bar. Simply put, perfect volume for me. Call me old, but even in my youth, I just never saw the point nor cared for non-live music being blasted at levels that make it a strain to enjoy a casual conversation. I also never liked being packed into a crowd, and what some might call "dead", I call it "not overcrowded". If I can immediately find a seat, I'm a happy camper. So I walked in to some great classic rock played at a good volume, was able to sit right down at the bar, was greeted by a perfectly cordial bartender, and found myself enjoying a double of Woodford Reserve while making friendly chat with other customers. Not uncommon look/decor for a dive bar, this is one of those that isn't dimly lit. Also this one is obviously kept clean. What stuck out most to me about the place was its vibe. It immediately strikes you as a friendly and comfortable environment in which to sit and enjoy a drink and a nice conversation. I have to say, I've been to dive bars and even... "regular" bars? that run cheaper than this. That's the star drop, and what would keep me from being a regular. That being said, if this place was close or along my usual commute, it's still the kind of place that makes me want to be a regular. It's just that inviting and pleasant. This would be my dive bar Cheers. And let's face it, stocking your own liquor cabinet and fridge is a lot more cost-efficient than going out to ANY bar. When you go to a bar, you're really paying for the experience. This place, to me, is a very pleasant experience. My friend, who arrived a bit later to join me for some drinks and darts and catching up, had the same impression of the place. We both want to go back. If you're looking for a club, lots of people, loud music, flashing lights, pick up some girl and step outside to throw up on each other's shoes and then go someplace to do whatever, then I'd say it's all good but maybe wait and try this spot in 5 or 10 years. If you just want a pleasant spot to sit down, relax, and enjoy a good drink and some conversation with genuinely friendly and polite people, well in that case I highly recommend this place to you. Go and enjoy! read more

Snug Harbor (more times than not just shortened to just "Snug"). A true Kearny landmark. When I was a kid they were well-known for having a seriously delicious bar pie but I lived on the other side of town and never had one. When I turned "drinking age" Snug Harbor was one of a handful of bars in town that opened at the crack of dawn and would have a solid dozen or so of barflies and overnight-workers all looking for a drink. (And I'd be remiss if I didn't say, "Rest in peace, Lefty" - a true character that ran the bar shenanigans-free.) And then I moved out of town and Snug got itself a (well-needed and well-deserved) makeover and I started to hear it was all about craft beers and leaving behind its 'stewbum' past. On my most recent visit (first time here in probably 7-8 years now)... on tap they have well over a dozen offbeat and interesting beers (everything from Founder's to Jersey breweries like Kane) not to mention bottles of the 'classics' like Bud and Miller and everything is spruced up from "ye olden days". Cool staff behind the bar. Pool table in the back room looked to be in good shape. Men's bathroom was... okay. The place had a crew of old(er) patrons that were whooping it up and loud as hell and they loaded the jukebox with plenty of horrible songs but I can't hold that against Snug. Since North Arlington's almighty Copper Mine closed shop years ago Snug Harbor might be your best bet if you're local and looking for solid beers. read more

Be careful when a particular bartender is working. Might add onto your tab for a better tip.

5 stars all day. This is the quintessential neighborhood dive. No frills, no bs bar. A lot of regulars that know each other. Nothing pretentious about the Snug. Thats all great, but the five stars come from their outstanding beer selection. This is what sets them apart. They have great beers. Most of their taps are all Jersey beers. Great craft beer without the snobby hipster beer snob ego to match. Come on down, drink a few, meet some people, and ENJOY!!! read more

My friend just moved into the neighborhood and we decided to try and go to the bar and see if we can find a new spot to relax and have a couple drinks. We walked in on Friday night and they were no busy. Only men were in there, we are two females, and sat down at the bar. We were there and never acknowledged and ignored. Now the man at the bar was talking but the person he was talking to signaled that we were there but still nothing. So we left. read more

Great neighborhood bar with an amazing local craft selection. Everyone is always friendly and it's a no judgement zone. A fantastic place to have a drink and talk about craft beer and life. read more

See all

Awesome hole in the wall bar. First things first, drinks are cheap!! They have great craft beer. Its sort of a community bar, everyone knows eachother so the crowd is tight knit and always friendly. They have darts, pool, arcade games and a jukebox. Crowd is usually in their 20's to mid thirties. Not much of a hookup bar however. No parking. read more

The Snug Harbor - Bars Near Me - Kearny, New Jersey

Today is August 7th, 2015...First off, this is not a pizzeria. They actually don't have any food normally. Barkeep told me they put out a spread fitting big game days. That said, this place has a nice selection of craft brews and that made me very happy. My friend and I stopped in for lunch and a couple beers and left hungry but not thirsty. The place opens at 6am and stays open until 2am. I'll come back but only after having lunch first. Also, $20 minimum on credit cards. Parking could be tough depending on timing. Cheers to you when you come to raise a glass or two. read more

If you're like me and enjoy good craft beer, 80's/90s sitcom reruns, and hate music, then this is the place for you. Stopped in here Friday night on a tip from a guy I met at the church social club and fell in love with place immediately. The bartender, easily distracted, was a little slow refilling my glass but a nice guy, kept the music low enough so I could hear the TV and conversations across the bar. Some guys down the end asked for the music to be turned up and the bartender was adamant about leaving it low. When I asked him why he keeps the music so low? His response floored me, he said, he keeps it this low so he can hear what people are talking about to get the scoop on happenings in town, like who got arrested? or who's getting divorced? etc. Said it makes him feel better about his poor life decisions when others are down. That's fine with me, whatever right? As long as I can go out on a Friday night, drink craft beer and watch "Seinfeld" and "Married with children" reruns, who cares? Rest assured, I will back to this joint. read more

Ok, so it's a Tuesday afternoon and I just did my taxes which is why I'm out for a drink. The place is dead and has almost no selection of bourbon. The barmaid is too busy reading the paper to pay any attention to me. Just another dive bar but clean. Did I mention I'm the only customer lol. Good music selection. Oh and no food! I want bars that have at least appetizers . read more

Cheap Craft beers and really cool bartenders Al and Shannon! Personally have never even seen the pizza. It's a cool dive bar! No fights no aggressive drunks or bullshit! Except for St. Pattys day 2015 but that was just a anomaly. read more

A clean little dive bar in the middle of Kearny, NJ. The place was nearly empty on a recent Thursday evening, around 7:30; save for one poor guy sitting at the bar screaming into his cell phone at someone (probably his "ex") ... about his child support! I was looking for Al, the Bartender (and a fellow Referee) who reminded me about Snug Harbor, the last time we worked together. Shannon was "behind the stick." She was friendly and accommodating, offering me several taste samples before I finally settled on a hoppy IPA that she recommended. When I got hungry following my first beer, she pulled out a sheaf of Take Out menus they store behind the bar. Apparently, the Snug Harbor kitchen has been shuttered for many years. I wound up taking a 5 minute drive to pick up smoked wings and a pulled pork sandwich at Red, White & 'Cue, a local BBQ shack. I scarfed them down at the same seat at the bar, along with another cold one. read more

Great local bar with local craft beer from NJ. Always a fun conversation and end up playing pool.

Nice dive bar, with a great craft beer selection. Completely unexpected beer selection. Definitely a gem in the middle of Kearny.

Great beer selection for a great price. Al definitely knows his beers, but will never give you a buyback! The rest of the bartenders will usually give you the regular buyback or shot. Would recommend. read more

Awesome beers, usually about 11 on tap to choose from. The list changes every week so there is always something new. The bar tends to keep the trouble crowd out and relies on a steady base of beer loving regulars. They're also grandfathered into opening at 6am read more