Earlier this month, I enjoyed Sunday Brunch at McLoone's Boathouse. We were a party of five and…read morecelebrating a birthday. Taurus Season! :) While I'm from the area and also frequently visit the Waterfront that's part of the South Mountain Recreation Complex, this was my first time actually inside the restaurant. Brunch is buffet style with a variety of stations. Most of the stations are located in one area between dining rooms, but there are also stand alone stations. On our way out, I caught the "Waffle" station out of the corner of my eye and instantly regretted not doing a better scan of the entire layout lol. The food was very good and was presented elegantly on the tables and stations. Shiny chrome roll top chafers were replenished frequently with hot foods - breakfast eggs, sausages, bacon, potatoes, pasta, chicken, fish. There were also cheese and fruit platters, lox with capers, and oysters, clams, shrimp. You could also enjoy mimosas and bellinis if you like. McLoone's has a charm about it when you're in there. While waiting for the rest of my group, I looked around and saw the variety of seating areas and party rooms. It's nice.

Today my girlfriend & I went to McLoone's Boathouse and we were very disappointed in our food…read moreexperience. First off, we started with the calamari ($18) and it was so bad that we had to send it back and have them take it off of our bill. My girlfriend took the first bite and immediately looked at me and just paused, waiting for me to try it...because she already knew I wasn't going to think it was good. Sure enough, the bite was extremely chewy and rubbery. Absolutely NO crisp at all, just heavy and greasy like it had been sitting in a bowl of oil. It was honestly WAY below the quality you'd expect from a place like this. Secondly, we tried the Asian Ahi Tuna salad ($24), and that didn't really redeem anything. The tuna didn't taste fresh at all, nor was it seared properly, and it definitely wasn't blackened like the menu described. The salad had decently good ingredients, but the execution just wasn't there. It looked like everything was thrown into a bowl and the dressing was poured right in the middle without being mixed, so every bite was inconsistent. The craziest part is the contrast with the ambience. The space itself is beautiful. The fireplace, layout, bar, everything was easily a 5 out of 5. It's right on the water, so you can walk around before or after your meal, which is a great touch. We even played mini golf next door, which was a really fun little activity and honestly one of the highlights of the whole experience. But the food just doesn't match the setting at ALL. McLoones feels much more like a spot you go to for drinks and the vibe, not for the food itself. Unfortunately, we didn't even get to try the drinks, but based on everything else, that's probably the only reason I'd consider coming back.

In a nutshell, my favorite BBQ spot in my home area and possibly NJ…read more Food was really fantastic. Big portions, really well flavored BBQ, tender, just delicious. We also had their friend shrimp app and it was clearly not some frozen shrimp out of a box. Very large shrimp, home made, and the sauce was awesome too. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive even though it seemed they were pretty busy. Our server, Jessica was a joy. Can't say enough good things about our experience.

I visited NJ to see a friend, and we stumbled upon South Valley. You can definitely tell it's a…read morelocals' bar, but the vibes are on point! The people are friendly, the bartenders keep the energy up, and the food--bussin'. I had the catfish, and it was absolutely delicious. The mac and cheese was a solid 7/10, but everything else hit the spot. Big thanks to South Valley for a great time--I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town!

My go to Hook & Reel! I enjoy this chain and appreciate it when a restaurant understands its…read moreposition to its customer. Great bartenders here! They have skill and they listen to what you want. I come here a lot and have experienced different ones who all deliver. The food is always cooked to perfection and delivered with all conditions and condiments (which I'm a heckler about) The location is large so there's space for quieter corners and turn up near the dj!

It was ok. A little hard to find based on address. It's around the back of the shopping center near…read moreTotal Wine. Service was ok. They didn't check on us really at all. One of my son's potatoes was rotten. She offered to get another but that was all. I had the pasta and it was ok. The music was loud. I asked them to turn it down and they acted like it was impossible. Like how hard is it to just turn the volume down? Seriously. I'd actually like to have a conversation with the person I was with. Idk if I'd bring my whole family back. We stay in the area a lot and it would be nice to have good restaurant options. It wasn't too expensive, so that was good.

What a cute little spot in Downtown West Orange! The vibe is really nice -- good music, stylish…read moredecor, and the bartender was fun! My friend ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and I went with the Oko Punch, which was absolutely delicious. The only downside was that it took quite a while to get our drinks at first -- the bartender seemed a bit overwhelmed even though the bar wasn't crowded. But once she got to us, she was great. Super attentive, funny, friendly, and really pleasant to talk to for the rest of the night. So service definitely improved after the initial wait. We didn't order food, and honestly, I'm glad we didn't this time around. The bathrooms were out of order for about the first 90 minutes we were there, and the plumbers working created a noticeable odor that made the space feel a bit off for eating. Once that was handled, the atmosphere got a little better but I still had the ick!! They have a DJ setup right at the bar and TVs if you want to catch a game. Drinks run about $17 each, and gratuity is automatically included, so heads up on that. They accept cash and all major cards. There's street parking plus a municipal lot about a block away, so parking was easy. I can't quite figure out why a spot with such a nice ambiance is so empty during weekend evenings, but I'd be open to coming back to try the food myself. I've seen mixed reviews on that, so I'll update once I do.

The ambiance and aesthetic here are vibrant, especially with the afrobeats and hip-hop music…read moreblasting. The wait times for drinks and food are long, and our waitress was either new, under the influence, or both. It took a while for her to input our drink orders in her pad, and then she needed help with it. Then at the end of the night, she brought us the wrong bill. When my friends let her know, rather than saying thank you, she laughs and says "it was cheaper too." She seemed off mentally the whole night. We all enjoyed the Oko Punch and Suya Steak, but my food was the last to be brought to the table after most people were almost finished with theirs. I liked the oxtail quesadillas, but I won't be coming back here.

Electric Dread is like finding a diamond in a Cracker Jack box! The location is in the Arts…read moreDistrict in Orange NJ and Easy to get to. Our group came from NYC and Western NJ. The owner Patrick converted this industrial space with his bare hands and vision. This Sound man has created a safe place to get down! I brought 3 of my friends all artists and we danced for hours to Reggae that was so phenomenal all you wanted to do was Shake Your Booty! Not only is it for music but for any event you can think of. My girl friend is a clay artist and will be renting out this space for future exhibitions. I give Patrick and his Electric Dread Sound stage applause. Can't wait to go again! Without reservation go and party and have a blast!

Do you want to experience an incredible night out? Go to Electric Dread Sound Studios when they are…read morehaving a performance. Last night was full out REGGAELUTION!! We Danced till my feet couldn't take another step out on the floor. Patrick the owner with his bare hands transformed this industrial space. Located in the Arts District of Orange New Jersey. It is so easy to get to from Manhattan by NJT or driving. Patrick Simpson's vision is designed with Mid Century Moderne esthetics, great seating for intimate talking upstairs and downstairs is where you let it all hang out. This space can be rented for events and blow your clientele off the charts. I am going to rent it out. I am in the arts and doing exhibitions here will be so great. I can't say enough about how good a time we had, how good the music and sound was. We will be going back for his shows soon and for putting my own shows in gear, here.

If you in Orange NJ you should give this place a try. Great Ambiance, the service for a cigar…read morelounge is incredible. This is one of the nicest cigar lounge. It's inviting atmosphere and friendly people.

Amazing experience! Comfy seats, wonderful cigars, two floor space (no smoking below - which is an…read moreevent space), wonderful vibes and customer service! 10/10 experience! This will be my new spot!

We visited Libretti's and overall had a really good experience. There's plenty of parking, and when…read moreyou first walk in, don't be startled the front area is the bar. Just walk toward the back and that's where the restaurant seating is. To start, we ordered the hot antipasto for two. I was really excited to try it, but honestly at least half of the dish needed salt. Our favorite parts were definitely the clams oreganata and the stuffed mushroom. For entrées, we ordered the Chicken Scarpariello and the linguine with clams. Again, the chicken lacked salt, but once we added some, it was good. Now the real star of the night was the linguine with clams wow. The flavor and sauce were amazing. We dipped the fresh bread they gave us into the sauce and it took the whole dish to another level. For dessert, we had the cheesecake and it was delicious. Our waiter, Santiago, was a delight. He gave amazing service, and even the person he was training was great as well. The ambience is very dim and romantic, which I loved. It's a nice place for a dinner date or even a relaxing dinner with family. Overall, I had a good experience and would definitely come back for the linguine with clams alone.

Delicious and great service. Neat place, looks kind of like old Italy…read more We had the short rib ravioli, it was good, I didnt know what to expect, and it was plenty and left over. We had the fried calamari, almost best I ever had, fresh and crispy and tasty. I could have had that alone. Also had the stuffed mushrooms, very tasty. The table bread was fresh and we should not have eaten so much. A friend had the Veal francaise and it was tender and well seasoned. First time here and I will be back, big menu.

Amazing bar with great staff, drinks, and deals. The blueberry brandy shot was very nice and a beer…read morefor $10. Also I saw they had $1 chicken wings on a certain day. I will be coming back to try those!

Foolproof was an amazing spot for after work drinks with friends! I had one of their mocktails,…read morewhich was delicious, and my friends tried their whiskey cocktails and some of their whiskey selections. I believe they mentioned they have around 300 different types of whiskey. In addition to their delicious drinks, we split a charcuterie board (I forgot to take a picture before we dug in, but you can see how much we were enjoying it from my halfway through shot). All of their meats are cured in house, and they were AMAZING! I would definitely come back and drag all my friends. Highly recommend!