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Cranford, NJ

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The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford

3.7 (158 reviews)
ModerateBars, American, Seafood
Closed • 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford Photos

THE THIRSTY TURTLE - CRANFORD ATMOSPHERE

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

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Blackened Chicken Salad
Cat C.

Stopped in for dinner on a Thursday night and were seated right away. Our server was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was very chill, and it seemed like a lot of people came by to watch the olympics. To start, we had the chicken potsticker appetizer. The sauce that these came in was incredible!! I was doing my best to soak up as much as I could with every bite. For my dinner, I had the blackened chicken salad. It was solid, but I've had better elsewhere. My boyfriend's shrimp tacos were delicious from the bites I took. Next time, I'd skip the salad and go for something else, and I'd definitely get those potstickers again!!

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

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Reviews are mixed. Many highlight the flavorful bar food, good drink selection, and a lively family-friendly atmosphere.

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4 months ago

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5 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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5 months ago

5/5 rating good food good burger and had the best drinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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1 year ago

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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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2 years ago

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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Limani Seafood Grill - U-10 Scallop dish delicious

Limani Seafood Grill

4.1(486 reviews)
1.7 mi
•$$$

it is one of the best if not the best restaurants in Westfield! Staff is very hospitable! , i was…read moreone of the first to visit this restaurant when they held a pre opening night! My husband, my 99 year old mom, a vouoke of good friends all had dinner there on their firs night to open! We have been coming whenever we could to have dinner here ! my sister and her husband want to have dinner in this restaurant when they come up from SC !Both my mother and my husband have passed away since the opening but my gaily, friends and visiting family all want to go to have dinner in this magnificent restaurant whenever we can!Love George, the owner who i've known for years! Right now i am a bit disabled due to extensive back surgery but plan to go there for dinner again as soon as i can! Anne Marie Incalicchio

We hadn't been here in a long time and I don't know why. We had dinner with friends and everything…read morewas perfect. The service was so friendly and personal. Never had to ask for water refills they magically appeared. Dishes were timed perfectly. We started with salads (Caesar and Greek). A d I got an Oyster sampler which was great. My Wife got the Branzino which she loved. My friends got Swordfish and salmon which they enjoyed. I got the lamb chops which were awesome. We also got a side of fries for the table. Desserts we got baklava and tiramisu. It's BYOB and there is parking in various lots nearby. Love it going back soon.

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Limani Seafood Grill
Limani Seafood Grill - Seafood Fra Diablo

Seafood Fra Diablo

Limani Seafood Grill

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Ocean Prime Tavern - Filet mignon

Ocean Prime Tavern

4.3(28 reviews)
0.5 mi

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.

Decided to give Ocean Prime another try since I have not been since they first opened and I was…read morepleasantly surprised. Made a reservation for Friday night. clams casino were tasty a tad dry clams whole beneath breadcrumb. The strip steak stood out cooked to perfection and seasoned just right. I got chimichurri with the steak it was great fresh addition. My wife enjoyed the chicken milanese. The sides - broccoli raab and truffle fries. Fries were thick and tasteless. But overall enjoyed my meal and will visit again. Cool ambiance and extensive wine menu. Server was attentive.

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Ocean Prime Tavern - Grilled Octopus.

Grilled Octopus.

Ocean Prime Tavern - Cesar salad

Cesar salad

Ocean Prime Tavern - Sole special

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Sole special

Black Sheep Bar And Provisions - Grilled oysters

Black Sheep Bar And Provisions

4.4(89 reviews)
0.8 mi

I want to preface this by saying that I'm a native New Yorker who grew up almost around the corner…read morefrom Lucali, so I'm very familiar with waits, lines, reservations, and the realities of trying to get into a popular restaurant. That's why I was actually excited and hopeful to find a restaurant in Garwood that might offer a similar experience. Unfortunately, our first impression left a lot to be desired. We arrived without a reservation and were told by the maître d' that there would be at least a two-hour wait. While I understand that restaurants get busy, the way the information was delivered felt unnecessarily dismissive. We were then directed toward the bar, where we attempted to find a place to sit. Just as we were about to sit down, the owner told us that those seats had been reserved for someone else. We went back to speak with the maître d', but the interaction and attitude at that point were unpleasant enough that we decided to leave. To his credit, the owner ultimately offered us a table outside, which we appreciated. Unfortunately, by then, the overall experience had already left us feeling unwelcome, and we decided it wasn't worth staying. I'm sure the food may very well be excellent, and perhaps we simply caught the restaurant on an off night. But a great dining experience starts well before the food reaches the table. There are plenty of restaurants where I'm happy to spend my money, and I don't expect special treatment--just basic courtesy and hospitality. Hopefully others have a better experience, but based on ours, we won't be returning.

This is one of my go to places for A+++ food in this area. On the contrary, I've been dined here…read moreseveral times and have mixed experiences with the service. Nonetheless I come for the food as I always look forward to the different menu options they have. The restaurant itself isn't the largest so I typically opt to make a reservation or hope for a seat at the bar. The lighting inside is dimmed nicely and there are often candles lit on the tables. The happy hour selection also contains great options as well as the drinks they offer. During our visit this time, we started off with the wings and for our entrees we had the steak and chicken milanese which were absolutely amazing. The salad was one of our favorite parts of the meal as it was rich with mixed flavors which complemented the chicken.

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Black Sheep Bar And Provisions
Black Sheep Bar And Provisions - Beef cheek

Beef cheek

Black Sheep Bar And Provisions

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Spanish Tavern of Mountainside - Twin Lobsters

Spanish Tavern of Mountainside

3.8(543 reviews)
2.4 mi
•$$

Service, food and prices were all very good. My. Friends really enjoyed their meals and want to…read morereturn.

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.

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Spanish Tavern of Mountainside - Dining room

Dining room

Spanish Tavern of Mountainside - Twin Lobsters

Twin Lobsters

Spanish Tavern of Mountainside - Octopus

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Octopus

Jessica's Restaurant - Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Crepe

Jessica's Restaurant

4.7(418 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$$

An excellent way to ring in my Womb Exit Anniversary. My top-tier chum who literally went to the…read moreschool of hospitality brought me here last Sunday for a birthday dinner. I picked it knowing the solid rep of Jessica's Cafe in Plainfield, so I can't say I was stunned to find out this was awesome - but given the expectations coming in, this probably even slightly exceeded them. Pretty cool. This was literally my first time in Fanwood, unless you count taking the Raritan Valley Line through here to Hunterdon County back in the day (I don't think it counts). The weather was a little iffy throughout the day, which I'm assuming played a factor in the town feeling a little desolate when we showed up. It reminds me a lot of the Newport neighborhood in JC - super, super gentrified. Maybe it's just the section where Jessica's is though, right across the street from the train station. We parked over there, not entirely sure if that was naughty or not, but given our outdoor seating, we easily could have peeped a cop or tow truck driver before anything terrible happened (I think it was fine, given it was a Sunday night). All that to say though, I'm not entirely sure where the ideal parking is if it's not at the train station. We were only in the restaurant for a minute (enough time to ogle a fridge or freezer of tasty looking meat to the right of the entrance), so I can't speak to the spiffiness of the interior. Even though rain was a possibility, it seemed worth the risk to stay outside due to the temps and large umbrellas. No regrets in that regard. We were seated promptly and ordered shortly thereafter, while also receiving some decent bread and butter with a bit of olive oil drizzle. Quite tasty. Somehow it's become an informal tradition, but if it's on the menu we usually get the Grilled Octopus. One of the better ones we've had. Nice and crispy (texture to me is the key to this one) and seasoned well. The accompanying potatoes were a nice touch to the proceedings - would totally get this again. A lot of the other apps looked good too, but someone accidentally made me birthday weenies on the grill earlier, so I couldn't get QUITE as frisky as I normally would. Both of us gave the lamb a long, hard look (and my chum wondered aloud about the ribeye special for the rest of the evening - possibly the one that got away) but I ultimately went with my classic Short Ribs entree. Delicious. Tender, flavorful and the perfect serving size. I was a little nervous that a puree versus mashed would mean the potatoes were too wet or liquidy, but not the case at all - they maintained their relatively solid integrity as far as I was concerned. I forgot to take a picture of dessert, but I got the Creme Brule. Also excellent, and at the perfect temp. I think there may have been a birthday musical accompaniment with that, but it's all a blur. Arguably just as good if not better was the service. Our waiter was super personable and professional, stopping by regularly and just added a hospitable touch to the meal that brought this to the upper echelon for me. Service is king, and it matters - you can't take for granted the ability of your server to essentially riff for two minutes on their menu knowledge, as well as just good-natured banter. Had that in spades. Coming back for sure - Womb Exit Anniversary or not.

Had lunch at Jessica's Was ok not as good as prior times…read moreHad the buger was average . Also order another dish was ok as well Been so many times maybe just need to try other options which I have not tried Attaching pictures Service is always 5 star I don't know how to do a half star but it was a 3.5

Photos
Jessica's Restaurant
Jessica's Restaurant - Filet mignon

Filet mignon

Jessica's Restaurant - Apple Tart

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Apple Tart

EVOO & Lemon - Delicious octopus!

EVOO & Lemon

4.4(264 reviews)
4.9 mi
•$$

Before I wrote this update, I reread my earlier review. Everything in my initial review remains…read morethe same, except one. The hummus is no longer a standard served to every table without cost. They still serve the pita and olives, but hummus is now an extra. You can thank Trump for that extra cost as per the response to our inquiry. We've now dined here several more times. It's a favorite, as it's consistently excellent. Our most recent meal was an order of hummus, which is ample for 2-4 people, the beet salad and the special crab cake appetizer, which was better than any I've had all year. Seriously exquisite. While we've sampled many of the menus main courses, all of which we have enjoyed, we went with two orders of our favorite, the tiger prawns, as they were said to be extra, extra large this evening. Served with tasty sautéed spinach and fries, which we were graciously permitted to substitute for the lemon potatoes. The tiger prawns are beyond great. Simply delicious and must be experienced. Better than lobster and rival any type of superior crab or any shellfish. Call ahead to be sure they have them when you plan to dine. This place is not to be missed.

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.

Photos
EVOO & Lemon
EVOO & Lemon - Tiger prawns

Tiger prawns

EVOO & Lemon - The chops

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The chops

The Thirsty Turtle - Cranford - bars - Updated October 2026

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