(Drank 09/12/2026 SA @ 10:00pm): There was no waiting to get into this room! After an evening at the nearby 100th Annual Hoboken Italian Festival (September 10-13, 2026) that celebrated the tradition of the Madonna Dei Martiri for those raised in the Roman Catholic religion, we decided to grab a last "communion" at The Waiting Room. Former Major League Baseball player and Founder/CEO of The Light Group, Patrick Light opened The Waiting Room in late-2023 in the previous Bobbleheads location. Trying to be established as the "ultimate starting point", it's a place where they hoped Hoboken would come to linger. Part cocktail lounge, part kitchen, and all atmosphere - it's the kind of place where one drink turned into a whole evening. In this case, it was a nightcap for us. Was this an establishment where we wouldn't mind waiting for some room to open up to enjoy a bite or a drink!? PURCHASE(S) Velvet Elvis Cocktail ($16.00): Made with Chica Chida Peanut Butter Tequila, Bols Banana Liqueur, Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur, espresso, and Baileys Irish Cream, initially it was the name that caught my attention. Then, I loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches and all of the other ingredients in this concoction that I had to order it... and, it was an excellent choice! This was a creamy velvety elixir where you were able to distinctly taste each of the ingredients. I also did bartending, so now I had to try and mix this when I got home to my personal bar - yummy! SERVICE After our party of four had our respective IDs checked outside by the friendly male security guard, we walked down a short flight of stairs into the main bar and made our way to the semi-private back area bar where there were only two other people. We settled at the bar where two young friendly women greeted us, offered us menus, and gave us time to look it over. After some time, we finally placed our drink orders, and systematically within about a fifteen minute time window (they also made drinks for the front bar, and some ingredients for our drinks needed to be replenished), they were presented to us. At this time, our area got packed! Once we finished up, we easily paid, and off we went with a casual "thank you for coming". It was all straightforward - thank you! PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance): This was a moot point since we walked barely five minutes from the event along the waterfront. However, there seemed to be decent options along the main drag of Hudson St. and all surrounding streets as well as public lots - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A somewhat intimate old-school feel with the dark wood and exposed brick walls, there was the front main bar area with a limited amount of stools at the bar and a few chairs and ledges to sit on along the walls. Then, there was a seimi-private back area bar (a velvet curtain separated the two) that shared the same attributes as the front but had the bathrooms. I honestly couldn't see where the kitchen was since they also served food. A minimal amount of natural lighting came into the front bar through the small front door and windows while an assortment of dim electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs while various dance-infused music played in the background. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL The Waiting Room felt like a place where one slipped into for a quick drink, to escape/hide away, or on a date. To that end, I would consider another visit to try some food albeit rather pricey and probably small portions, and I didn't happen to see whether or not they sold beer or if this was simply a cocktail bar. Apparently, they got festive with the decorations depending on the seasonal holiday, so that would be another thing to check out. My cocktail was tasty, the prices were a bit elevated, the service was fine, and the experience was chill but be sure to speak a tad louder than usual. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $16.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more

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I wish I had taken more photos. My friend and I had spontaneously stopped by about an hour before closing. Ordered some fries and a drink. Was given amazing hospitality from the staff and the manager Mike. I'm not from Jersey but I would definitely go again! read more

I can't be the only one surprised by how small this place is! My friends really wanted to check it out and I already saw the small food menu and bad reviews so we ate beforehand and came for drinks. The decor was nice but not nice enough to get me to go back when it's so tiny. There were probably 4 tables max and these aren't regular tables they're coffee shop tables. It gave cafe. There's also a whole other bar at the back but I guess they don't use it. Even though we made reservations we were told there's no seating left (clearly) and could only sit at the bar. Not sure why there's even reservations. Should just be walk-in only. The bar was empty so we just sat down and grabbed a drink each. The bartenders were very friendly and cracked a lot of jokes. I ordered the Seasonal Spritz while my friend got the Sugar Cookie Martini. We were surprised by how good the drinks were. I actually preferred her drink. It was definitely sweet though! I don't think I'll be back but it was nice to experience. read more

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Visited The Waiting Room this past weekend to kick off the holiday season. The bar was fully decked out with holiday decor. The ceiling had ornaments and tinsel everywhere. The festive menu included a range of holiday drinks. My friend and I tried the gingerbread and peppermint espresso martinis. They were delicious and garnished to match their names. Also there is a cute holiday themed Photo Booth opportunity for you and your guests. Highly recommend making a reservation as they do strictly honor them since there is limited bar seating. My guest and I went early and booked a reservation for 4pm. This was perfect because an hour later, more people began to arrive. Definitely visit to get into the holiday spirit! read more

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Came here for drinks with a couple of friends on a Friday night. The bar isn't huge, but there was a live musician who played some great songs to match the vibes. The cocktails were delicious; we got the curious George and Pornstar martini. The bartenders were friendly and talked to us for a bit. Would definitely comeback. read more

The Waiting Room - Curious George - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Came for some cocktails with a few girlfriends. The drinks weren't that great but the ambiance and music and decorations definitely make up for it. Bartenders are super friendly as well! read more

The Waiting Room - Gingerbread espresso martinis - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Was here for Halloween and came back for Christmas celebrations. The service and people are great but it was very packed last time I was here and tends to get a little hard to move around. Very limited seating. The decoration for the holidays is amazing, they did a great job with the ceiling! read more

The Waiting Room - Decorations - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

This place looked so cute for the holidays! I loved the coziness of the bar and hearing Christmas music. The drinks were pretty good, my friend got one of the holiday specials (gingerbread martini) and really liked it. I got an old fashioned and it was pretty good, although there was only one kind of bourbon served. We didn't have a reservation (which I'm not sure why you'd need one for a bar), and we were allowed to go into the establishment until 6pm so we were made to wait outside until it was "walk-in hour". We were then told we couldn't sit at the bar anymore because a reservation was taking the seats at the bar. However, no one showed up for the reservation so we were able to sit again. Overall it was a cute and cozy place to grab a drink. read more

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We were not let in because they were not letting anymore people in. Right when we walked away they let groups and groups of people in. I am very disappointed in this place and I would steer away. They said they were only letting single women in and no one else. What a disgrace this place had great drinks. read more

love this place! the staff is so incredible, the drinks were good but i would go back again and again just because of how cool the staff was. read more

Love love loveeeed it here. The drinks were PHENOMENAL and the staff were so nice. The food was so so good I just wish they had dinner options here but the "small plates" are so yummy. We got the meatball and it came with bread, the two combined was delicious. It was our anniversary and I said that in my reservation just for fun and they gave us champagne it was so sweet :) the ambience was so nice too, definitely coming back with my girlfriends! The ceiling covered in roses is too cute read more

The Waiting Room - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

I was there last Saturday and Jessie took care of our party in the best way. She went above and beyond. thanks so much!

Great Place to have a sit down relaxing, and have a great Meal. Great Service , Drinks just the way you ordered.

Really cool spot. Loved the martini's and the vibe. The espresso martini's are one of the best I have had. Thr bartenders were very nice as well. They also have great decorations for the different times of year. This was the Christmas decorations that were lovely. I would highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

The bar space at 72 Hudson Street changed frequently, and I had yet to really love one of its renditions. However, it recently became The Waiting Room and has had a consistently updating string of themed décor and beveragesto keep the place fresh and interesting. During the December holidays, it was a Winter Wonderland theme, and I happened to check it out on the night when it transitioned from that to an Après Ski motif. There were rich, dark leather couches, fake trees, and digital images of ski slopes projected on the walls. It really felt like you were in a ski lodge, rather than a subterranean-level lounge. The bar stools had fancy leather backs, and after a few moments, we were able to snag two of them. The drink list had a breadth of seasonal cocktails and mocktails that included ingredients such as apple cider and cranberries. The bartender, Ricky, introduced himself and chatted with us on and off throughout the evening, despite the place being the busiest I had seen it in months. He was a delight, as was the woman bartender who made my strong and tasty espresso martini. I was pleasantly surprised by The Waiting Room and would definitely go back for the winter or other seasonal themes; it really is such a great concept that I hope they continue. read more

We made a reservation for a table but were seated at the back bar and were warned that the bar wasn't ready yet, which was fine, but the front bar looked like a much better experience. The espresso martinis had no espresso, the spritz had no bubbles, and the margarita had no lime. The bartender kept saying she had no ingredients but this wasn't a great excuse since the front bar drinks looked great. We were very disappointed and left pretty much immediately after paying $20 per horrible drink. read more

Happy to finally see a bar doing well in this location. A cozy cocktail bar with a great atmosphere. Had the opportunity to meet one of the owners, I saw from TikTok (which is how I found out about it) he was friendly & appreciative that we came in. The bartenders were really nice and came with great recommendations. Highly recommend Peanut Butter Espresso Martini. While the cocktails are a little more expensive than some other places, it's a great place to come downtown that isn't too crazy or overwhelming. read more

The Waiting Room - a row of bar stools - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Terrible cocktails and horribly overpriced. No need to make a reservation online -- it will be packed and there will be nowhere to sit regardless. read more

The decor and music was a lot of fun for Christmas, but besides that there is nothing about this place to justify stopping in. The cocktails were almost $20 each for some of the worst cocktails I have ever had. Two of my friends ordered the exact same one and received wildly different drinks. The drinks were sloppily made and the garnishes were all over the glasses. The bartenders in the back were incredibly slow-moving and repeatedly looked at cocktail recipes while making our drinks. Overall, you can walk a block or two in Hoboken and get a real cocktail for less money than this. You could literally get a fancy cocktail in Manhattan for less than this, and your bartenders will be fast, accurate, and knowledgeable. We didn't get food but it looked grim. read more

The Waiting Room - Two of the gingerbread espresso martinis .... lol - Pubs Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

So sad. Online says open till 2 and today was met at the door by an employee saying we couldn't enter because it was closed. But the door was unlocked. Super early, super odd. 10:27 pm? Maybe update hours if they have changed but yea super sad to have driven, parked and walked all the way over to just be turned away with the lights still on. read more

Had a lovely time at this bar during the holidays. I very much appreciated their decorations. This is definitely the Rolf's of Hoboken. The bartender (Matt) was extremely kind. I loved their vibes overall. Music was loud - yes and that's because it's a bar! We tried their Christmas martinis - peppermint and eggnog. Both were so delicious. It definitely gets packed but there's a reason why. Didn't try the food but it was a nice post-dinner drink spot for festive cocktails and vibes. read more

The vibe is amazing and Jody the bartender is amazing I felt right around home. Food and drinks were on point will be coming back

When we arrived they did not have a record of our reservation but only seated us after seeing the email and two text messages from them to confirm it. We were still told we might have to move our seat if other people came. The multiple scented candles were overwhelming. We were told that the bartender would take care of us so I went over to the bar to place an order and he told us to sit back down and he would be right over. It took about 10 minutes for him to come over. He gave us one food menu and one cocktail menu. This was advertised as a brunch but it was there typical menu with only six bar food items. One of the food items that we ordered was not available that day. Very disappointing as we were planning a holiday brunch. They offered six specialty cocktails and they were out of the main ingredient of the one that we ordered. We waited an hour for our food to be served even watching another party get served their food who came in after us. No one bothered to come by and check on us or offer us another cocktail. We gave up waiting for our food and I walked over to the bar and told them we were leaving and asked for my check. They quickly printed the check for the two drinks that we had and barely offered a grumbled "sorry" as we left. By all means stop in to look at the great decorations but then go someplace else to have good food and good service. read more

We had the absolute best time at this bar! The vibes were immaculate--the Christmas decor was so beautiful, they should honestly leave it up year-round. They were playing amazing music and there was space for dancing. We danced for over an hour and Ryan the bartender customized the playlist for us, which was so much fun. Ryan and Danny both helped us out and made us fantastic drinks--shoutout to them for managing a packed bar and making sure everyone was having a good time! By far our favorite bar experience ever! read more

Jodi was so amazing and hospitable. We walked in after being so cold in lines from Santacon and she made sure we were good and taken care of. Best drinks in hoboken i've had so far! Try out the espresso martini!! I will be back soon read more

Amazing cocktails, a constantly changing atmosphere leaves a special ambiance every time you enter. Bartenders are friendly and keep the drinks coming! read more

One star for each Michelob I drank that were 10$. Yes that's right ONE. One too many. The waiting room will be waiting for customers. This is why. read more

The vibe was cool but the bar area smelled like a sewer. The drinks were decent but the bartender wasn't paying attention to people coming in especially the 30+ crowd they would've paid money for more but wasn't attended too. read more