The Archer — Restaurant in Jersey City

Come for to drink, eat somewhere else.

For those looking to make their liver work, the Monsieur Edouard is spicy and smokey, while the Craig St. Michael blends scotch with rum for a drink that's guaranteed to knock you on your behind. Or keep the last vestiges of summer alive with the tropical-themed Iguana Assembly, full of rum, tea punch and coconut lime.

If you're sober or the night's DD, you'll enjoy the tart and fruity Blackberry Jab with lemon, pineapple, pomegranate, and of course, blackberry.

However, save your stomach space for elsewhere. We were intrigued by the unique-sounding dishes (no mozzie sticks here, y'all) and excited to try them. But words on paper didn't translate to tastes on tongue--most things felt off or fell flat.

Duck Poutine: As someone born and raised in the Great White North, my arteries basically pump poutine (or are clogged by them, I'm not sure which anymore). So I was looking forward to this duck confit twist on my national dish. Unfortunately, what I got was an over-peppered cauldron of soggy fries with a few nubs of cheese curds in an oddly seasoned gravy. It might be the only time in my life I've pushed away a plate of poutine. No bueno.

Brussels Sprouts Caesar: This was fine, though I failed to taste any miso in the dressing. Generous portions size.

Spicy Elk Meatballs: Spicy tomato sauce, yes. But the elk again tasted over-peppered. And I'm all for trying new meats, but I'm not sure elk translates well as a meatball--too tough and chewy for my liking, even when drowning in aforementioned sauce. The accompanying swiss chard and goat cheese polenta weren't bad--wish there'd been more of those.

Service was decent the first time we visited, but not so great the second time. It's also worth noting that the inside is DARK dark and the menu is via QR code, so prepare to blind everyone with your phone throughout the night unless you were bitten by a radioactive spider with...

It’s unfortunate that I have to write this review for a place which has a huge sentimental attachment to my life. On Jan 30th night I visited Archer with my girlfriend. Our favorite bartender (Wilson) was not working that night. Another gentleman was behind the bar. After our first drink, the bartender informed us that last call would be soon and we were served one whisky each at 1:30 am. I made the final payment immediately. At around 1:45am he came back and tapped the table and asked us to leave in a few minutes. There were a bunch of people( at least 10-12) who were still drinking near the bar counter and at a table. They were not treated in a similar manner. We said that we understood that bar time was 2am and were doing our best to finish our drinks by then. He, however told us repeatedly to leave. When we pointed out that there were other patrons who were not being asked to leave, he told us that all of them were employees. When we said that that many people couldn’t all be employees at that time, he said that they were consultants. Highly unlikely. Since our moods were ruined by this insulting and unpleasant behavior, we finished our drinks and proceeded to leave. As we were quietly leaving, he wished us a ‘pleasant night’ in a very taunting manner. Completely uncalled for. This upset me, but my girlfriend stopped me from engaging. I don’t understand why we would be treated in such an unprofessional manner which we have never encountered at this establishment ever before. We don’t feel comfortable to return to the Archer as no one likes to be...

Now that I've tried most of the relatively new bars in the area at least once, I think I can safely say that The Archer is one of my favorites. It's got a dark, woody feel to it - almost like a classy cabin. Staff are always more than friendly, super accomodating and helpful. I've come here a few times now and managed to get a table for my friends and I, even on live music nights (the Gypsy Jazz is great) and weekend nights. Added bonus, you don't need to be ordering food to sit at a table like at many bars.

Their drink list is well curated and boasts some very tasty cocktails as well as some uncommon beers that I was very happy to see. As for the food, all I've had so far was the rabbit and pork cheek terrine - definitely an adventure outside my comfort zone. That being said, it was absolutely fantastic and I'm very happy that I went for it. My favorite cocktail thus far has been The Chancellor - scotch, port wine, dry vermouth, lemon, and orange bitters. The prices are a bit high, but they are what you'd expect them to be for the area.

I'd like to think that this will become one of my regular spots, especially when I'm having a night out with...