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    The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford

    3.7 (154 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American, Seafood
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford Photos

    THE THIRSTY TURTLE - CRANFORD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Reviews With Photos - The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford

    Paloma D.

    Typical bar. The people here are very nice and it is super family friendly. They have a huge outdoor patio that is covered by tents making it very comfortable. The drinks and food were pretty good. I have no complaints and would happily go back here again when Im in the mood for a burger or other bar food.

    Kat J.

    My go-to for an easy dinner, fun place to hang out with kids, chilled girls' night or Sunday funday. It's just so versatile with tv screens showing games, a bar and a quiet back room with roomy booths. They have crayons and games to distract the kids. Most importantly, they have really good (& strong) drinks, as well as delicious food, including some really great seasonal stuff. We just went for St Patrick day and the corned beef sliders were spectacular. Service is always friendly and super prompt.

    Chicken Potstickers
    Veronica M.

    Love the thirsty turtle! It's a great spot for drinks and apps. Would definitely recommend for a happy hour as it's pretty casual and chill. The bar Usually has sports on so it's cool to chill and hang out. I would recommend getting the potstickers. Their espresso martini is great as well.

    Mushroom Fondue Burger
    Tony P.

    We had late lunch here today. We ordered Mushroom Fondue Burger on a brioche bun with fries on the side and Greek Salad. The burger is soft, moist and well cooked. It has a special tasty sauce that I can't figure out. It taste great. The salad taste fresh and delicious. Serving staff are kind, friendly and helpful. Very clean restaurant and well lighted place. Parking is my concern. They're sharing parking space in the back with an auto shop business, it's packed. I parked by the curbside and pay the meter. Will be back to try some of their entrees from the menu.

    Special - bacon biscuits  Chicken Pot Stickers
    Angela A.

    Truffle burger was delicious with truffle fries ( cooked in truffle oil but no truffle seasoning? ) meat good quality but bacon had a plastic taste. Still a great spot to hang with good drinks.

    Blackened Salmon Tacos
    Jim S.

    The wings were great. Cheesesteak egg rolls had some chewy pieces of meat in them not sure I would get them again. French onion soup was ok. I enjoyed the blackened salmon tacos they were great.

    eden a.

    1. Elite beer list 2. High level staff 3. Excellent management 4. Good food 5. What More could one ask in a bar? For real.

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    2 months ago

    it was spacious! Good selection for the kids, friendly service, and fast service. kids are free on certain days, which is always a plus.

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    1 year ago

    The thirsty turtle features a menu with a lot of choices and decent pricing as well. I was impressed with their short rib tacos ($15 for 3)

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    Good bar food. Bar tenders never left your glass empty. Great bar vibe. Made me feel like I was back in college with more money.

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    Page 1 of 4

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    Ocean Prime Tavern

    Ocean Prime Tavern

    4.4
    (25 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Friendly and attentive staff. Great ambiance. Food was amazing. The seared tuna starter was…read morebeyond perfection ! Curated cocktails simply delicious and the steaks are melt in your mouth. Went for a beautiful birthday dinner and this did not disappoint

    My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I were in the mood for a…read morebougie sit-down dinner this past Saturday night and decided to try out Ocean Prime; we've had a few underwhelming dining experiences in Cranford, so we were hoping to break the streak. I'd say we were successful in that regard, and this is probably one of the top two places I've been now in town, along with Garlic Rose. Even if you didn't have access to the menu, this just LOOKS like an upper-class steakhouse - lots of darker interior colors with deliberate use of lighting almost like the aisles in a movie theater. We did the responsible thing and made 6:30pm reservations, though the restaurant was relatively empty when we first got there (it filled up for sure during our dinner). We were immediately seated and attended to, which was a pleasant recurring theme for our experience. On the booze front, we each got an Old Fashioned, which was specifically cited on the cocktail menu, and a bottle of Daou Cab Sauvignon to share (I let my chum take the lead on that selection, which I think was influenced by the strong reviews on the Vivino app - a recommend if you're into that sort of thing). The Old-Fashioned was decent; I'm always pleased when the de facto bourbon is Angel's Envy. I'm not crazy about vermouth, which I always think gives off shoe leather vibes, but I did like the smoky profile on this one. Not bad at all, but I liked the bottle of wine better. We decided to split the Grilled Octopus app, which came with seasoned potatoes, olives and tomatoes. This was arguably the weakest part of the meal. The octopus was a little tough/rubbery and the accompanying potatoes to me were very much needed and better, frankly, than the designated star of the show here. I'm not an olive person but my chum's comment there was they were too overwhelming, taste-wise. Noted. We also got a side of parmesan truffle garlic steak fries, which I didn't have too many of because I was distracted by all of the other options on the table, but would totally get again. For entrees, it felt morally proper to hit up the cattle (when in Rome). I went with the Braised Short Ribs, which is one of my go-tos if it's on the menu. Pretty good - VERY tender and literally falling off the bone. I'd say about 20% of it was too fatty for me, and I pawned that section off on my chum, but the other 80% was primo. She got the Filet Mignon Oscar style (which my computer wanted to autocorrect to Oscars, thinking it was the umpteenth time I was typing something about the Academy Awards), and was very pleased by it. Not mindblowingly amazing but solidly above average across the board. I'm not sure why we ordered dessert at this point other than to ensure I had something else to munch on the following day, but we did that too. I got the Cheesecake w/ Marionberry Compote. This was just okay for me. Taste-wise, the cheesecake seemed a little off for my palate; maybe a little too tart? It didn't seem as milky as other cheesecakes, which doesn't necessarily mean it was bad, but wasn't my kind of cheesecake. The compote was also just okay, both in the moment and as a leftover the following day. Maybe I'm just used to getting this dessert with strawberries and compotes that are similar to that type of fruit, but I just didn't think the compote and cake meshed as well. Debatable though. There's room for improvement but this is a strong entry in the Cranford gastro scene, such as it is.

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    Grilled Octopus.
    Grilled Octopus.
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    Sole special
    Black Sheep Bar And Provisions

    Black Sheep Bar And Provisions

    4.4
    (86 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    My mom and sister and I had an awesome meal there. The service was impeccable. The service was…read morefantastic. The hostess is so fun and energetic and engaging. The food was tremendous all the food apps entrées desserts drinks are over. The top will be going back many times.!

    Twice in 10 days, yes I sure did go back! Black sheep is…read morewhere all the cool kids come to grab a drink. Whether it's at the bar or a table outside try to make a reservation to secure your seat. One of the times I went was on a Wednesday and the place was packed our wait was about 20 mins and it was well worth it. The menu changes daily so don't go back expecting to get the same thing you ordered the last time. To be quite honest of all the items I ordered two did not stand out although sounding promising The lobster roll, the bread was mediocre and the filling was scarce. The pizzette was also ehhh. Nothing impressionable. However the oysters, fully dressed and ready for consumption were pops of freshness and flavorful jellies exploding in your mouth. The corn was a nice touch. The mussels were in this sauce that was to die for. Full of garlic and creaminess paired with about 3 slices of sourdough bread perfect for soaking. The crostini appetizer, drooling thinking about it. Prosciutto with honey and mozzarella is the best combination.now for the chicken Milanese. Perfectly crisp with tomatoes I'm not sure what they put in the salad but delicious! Overall it's worth a happy hour with great deals. And even the dinner entrees are worth the visit. Third time back will be soon.

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    Beef cheek
    Beef cheek
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    Spanish Tavern of Mountainside

    Spanish Tavern of Mountainside

    3.8
    (541 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    Yummy! Authentic Spanish food and hospitality. Went for lunch one day just by happenstance. Wanted…read moreto try some authentic dishes-- not paella, since so many places offer that. Got the soupy rice dish (forget the name) with shrimp. SO satisfying! They offer complimentary soup ahead of your entree, along with bread. It was hard not to overeat! Huge portions too, btw. Very generous. Sat at the bar. Bartender was hard working, serving all the customers who were sitting at the bar as well as keeping up with bar needs. Very friendly. Looks like the place can get busy for dinner so probably best to make reservations.

    After so many years of coming to this restaurant and loving it every single time, I can't believe…read moreI'm leaving this review. I'm not sure if it was because it was midweek or if the chef was simply off his game on this night, but the experience was disappointing overall. The first thing I noticed when I sat down was that my knife was dirty. I ended up taking another knife from a different table. The ambiance, as always, was wonderful, and there were only two other tables occupied, so the restaurant was not busy at all. They started us off with soup, and it was chicken noodle soup. I was honestly very disappointed. When I go to a Spanish restaurant, especially one like this, I expect something traditional like caldo gallego or a similar house soup -- not chicken noodle soup that I could easily make at home. For appetizers, we ordered shrimp in garlic sauce and calamari. Both were absolutely delicious and honestly the highlight of the meal. We also had to ask the waiter for bread, and when it finally arrived, we were each given one very small roll. Our main entrées were sautéed tilapia and shrimp in lemon sauce with mashed potatoes and string beans, and breaded veal cutlet Milanese with mushrooms in a wine and brandy sauce over mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, neither entrée stood out the way meals here usually do. The tilapia was sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes and absolutely swimming in lemon sauce. There was so much sauce that it completely soaked the mashed potatoes and vegetables. I could only eat the top portion of the fish. My husband also mentioned that his breaded veal was very oily. The waiter never returned to ask if we wanted anything else to drink. The water had no ice and felt warm. We also had to ask for additional bread. I'm used to bread being left at the table, not rationed piece by piece. When the waiter asked if we enjoyed our meal, I politely explained that I did not care for mine and why, especially since most of it was left untouched. He looked at me like I had ten heads. I truly hate writing this because this restaurant has been one of my favorites for years, but this visit just did not live up to the standard I've come to expect.

    Photos
    Dining room
    Dining room
    Twin Lobsters
    Twin Lobsters
    Octopus

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    EVOO & Lemon

    EVOO & Lemon

    4.4
    (263 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    Love the food and service at this establishment. Invited a…read morefriend to join me for lunch today. We shared saganaki with fig jam and a fish dorado which was cooked perfectly. Thank you Konstantine for your professionalism and Hektor for your excellent food.

    Walking into EVOO & Lemon at 645pm on a Saturday night and seeing exactly one other table occupied…read moregave us momentary pause. Despite the moderately upscale ambiance and clean, contemporary aesthetic, the emptiness made us wonder: did we miss a memo? Was there a sudden local embargo on Mediterranean food? Luckily, the dining room eventually filled up, saving us from eating our dinner in a complete echo chamber. My dining companion and I started off with the Hummus appetizer ($11) served with a modest side of toasted pita. It was tasty and definitely hit the spot. We both decided to keep things light and ordered salads with a side of grilled salmon. I went with the Marouli salad ($16) -- crisp romaine lettuce, dill, and scallions with a lemon-olive oil dressing -- and my companion chose the Greek Village salad ($19), a shepherd-style salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, Holland peppers, feta cheese, olives, and Greek dressing. Both were fresh, well-prepared, and hit the mark. The salmon was also delicious, which is a good thing, because it came with an $18 upcharge that was not listed on the printed menu. For dessert, we ordered the baklava ($13), three pieces of an already intensely sweet treat that had apparently been subjected to an excessive dusting of powdered sugar. As for the service, our server and the food runners were competent but not overly friendly towards us or other diners. I also noticed that the staff tended to take care of tables out of order in which they were seated.. resulting in diners who arrived after us being served before us. Overall, it's a perfectly fine 3-star experience. I'd gladly go back if someone else was picking the spot, but if I'm the one in charge of dinner plans, I'll probably cast my net elsewhere in the area. PRO TIP #1: Bring a bottle of wine or beer from home or stop at the Wine Shop liquor store located on the opposite corner of the intersection of Main Street and Millburn Avenue for some adult beverages to enjoy with your meal. EVOO & Lemon is a BYOB establishment and does not serve alcohol. PRO TIP #2: EVOO & Lemon does not have a private parking lot, but there is plenty of on-street parking and municipal lots nearby. Use the mPay2Park app for the pay-by-plate meters ($0.50 per hour). Meters operate Monday through Saturday from 8am to 7pm; all street meters are free after 7 pm and all day Sunday. If the street is full, the Essex Street parking deck (24 Lackawanna Place) is a reliable backup.

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    EVOO & Lemon
    Tiger prawns
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    Publick House

    Publick House

    4.0
    (318 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Outstanding dining experience with delicious food, beautiful presentation, and exceptional service…read more Every detail reflected genuine care, creating a memorable evening that exceeded expectations from beginning to end.

    Came here for a birthday lunch with my husband, the ambiance is beautiful especially this time of…read moreyear. My old phone was taking blurry pics from far away so I wasn't able to capture it, but think very cozy, fireplace with candles glowing from within, and little alcoves in the wall for candle clusters. It was perfectly elevated while still being casual and approachable. When we came there was a Mac and cheese special with pulled bbq pork on top. I knew we had to get that because it is right up my husbands alley. It did not disappoint, my husband was tempted to order some to take home! The pasta was super creamy and cheesy, mixed with the roasted pulled smoky bbq pork on top, it was the ultimate comfort food for the cold rainy day we were having. For my meal I got the Grilled Cheese which is more of an elevated "grown up" grilled cheese. It had cheese, thin apple slices, fig jam and bacon. The flavors were great, I only wish there was a little more cheese or a little less jam to balance the sweet and savory a little more, because for me it was a touch too sweet. The sourdough it was made with was delicious and fresh, I also appreciate that they don't seem to soak their grilled cheese in oil like a lot of places do (butter or nothing, please!!) My husband ordered the burger which he really enjoyed but nothing was going to top the pulled pork Mac and cheese for him. They should consider adding it to the regular menu! He originally wanted the duck sandwich but it was unavailable on this day. All in all it was a cozy afternoon together. Our waitress was very friendly and made sure to check on us without ever being too overbearing.

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    New Years Eve
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    Hot Honey Chicken & Waffles
    Hot Honey Chicken & Waffles
    Weller 12 year bourbon

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    Weller 12 year bourbon

    The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford - bars - Updated August 2026

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