The Union Bar & Provisions — Restaurant in East Rutherford

Had the pleasure of checking out this new restaurant the other day. It just opened up, so I went in acknowledging any rough edges could still be ironed out. That said, the entire experience was extremely smooth and pleasant.

My initial impression was great - the hostess greeted me as soon as I walked in, a super cute girl very bubbly and sweet, I think her name was Dorothy? Or Darby? Not sure... but she was very friendly and immediately brought me to my seat.

My waitress was very nice and attentive - I ordered the "brown butter washed old fashioned" and the nachos to start. The nachos were EXCELLENT. I was kind of surprised it was just a starter since the plate had a ton of food on it. Everything on it was super fresh and delicious, and I was told the tortilla chips were house-made (as I suspected). Honestly, this was filling enough for a meal. The Old Fashioned was great - fairly standard as far as I can tell, I wasn't sure what the brown butter part was tbh, but I like how it sounds.

For my entree I ordered the fish & chips. It came with a nice tartar sauce that balanced the crispy batter and fries. Again, lots of food on the plate and I was already pretty full from just the nachos so I took the rest home and ate it for lunch the next day. Everything came out right on time, too.

While I was there, the owner and manager seemed to be making rounds and I got to meet both of them. Pat and Michael, respectively. Nice guys - I always appreciate when the owner greets their guests to ensure they're enjoying themselves.

Other than the food, the atmosphere was perfect. The design of the place - well you can see in photos - is very "millennial-esque" - done very well. Nice and clean, super high ceilings, subway tile, orb sconces, ship-lap, the whole 9. It's also much bigger inside than you realize. There's the initial bar/dining area when you walk in, then there's a separate room off to the side, a patio outside, and an upstairs. Tons of room here, and judging by the quality of the food and how busy the place was on a Sunday night, they're going to be using it consistently.

Overall, I'm excited about this new restaurant - I think it's going to be very popular and I'm already excited to go back. Such a great atmosphere to bring a few friends for a drink and...

The Union Bar is a beautiful, modern, and very clean spot in East Rutherford. The atmosphere feels upscale, and I appreciated the little touches—like someone opening the door for you. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, which made the service welcoming from the start.

On the food side, the French Dip sandwich was absolutely outstanding—probably the highlight of the meal. The burger was a good size and juicy, while the nachos were flavorful (though very spicy, so be prepared if you’re not into heat). Unfortunately, the Cobb salad was a letdown—plain, boring, and unappealing in presentation. A missed opportunity for such a classic dish.

There were a few disappointments with the bar and service timing: no stuffed olives available for my martini (a small but frustrating detail, since so many martini lovers enjoy them), and the drinks took quite a while to arrive. The food also came out sporadically, rather than together, which disrupted the flow of the meal.

Atmosphere-wise, while the interior is lovely, it’s very cold inside—definitely bring a sweater. It’s also extremely noisy, and the sound of the train going by only adds to the loudness.

Overall, The Union Bar has a lot of potential: great presentation, friendly staff, and some standout dishes. But with slower service, inconsistent food timing, and a few misses on the menu, it’s not quite there yet. Hopefully, with some adjustments, it could become...

First mistake we made was to sit outside. The train passing by every 10 min blowing the horn was very disruptive. A warning sign/comment will be helpful. Now I get why the patio was empty. Our waitress proceeded to take our appetizers order and then proceeds to tell us that the whole food selection has to be ordered at once (apps, main entre, etc) strange. We stuck with just apps and drinks. After all the apps were done we wanted to order Nachos. All of the sudden the manager comes to our table (!?) And tells us that due to an event they were having our Nachos will take ONE HOUR! We were like whaaat?? Of course we did not order them. Who takes one hour for nachos? And coming from many years in hospitality, usually the kitchen staff catering the event is separate from the staff servicing the main dining room. Didn't make sense. So we ordered desserts next. From the selection the waitress gave us we chose 3 options. She had to go back and ask if one of those options was available. Nothing made sense. Never been to a restaurant where I'm told how to eat and at what pace. When asking the waitress the reasoning behind it, she blamed the Chef, making it sound he was very "strict". Again, senseless. Also, their IG advertises Happy Hour for apps and drinks, our bill didn't reflect any promotion and we were eating within the Happy Hour times. Glad we tried it but not coming back nor...