The Brightside Tavern — Restaurant in Jersey City

Just had our 5th and last visit at this place. We tried giving a small business a chance, the atmosphere and food is literally all we come for but every time we’ve come we’ve been met with the rudest services. When we walk in we always seat ourselves or speak to someone at the bar (to still be ignored unless you “bother” them to ask for assistance) otherwise no one would notice us which again we didn’t care about since we were just here for food. We gave our whole order and I was given a margarita without being asked what rim I wanted. There was so much salt that it sat at the bottom of the cup and made it essentially undrinkable,, I but it to the side and waited at least 20 mins for our waitress to get back to us after receiving the food (to which all of it didn’t arrive at the same time. Always happens. Even got attitude for asking for the rest of the food from the runner when it’s what I ordered in the first place?) only for her to say my drink was half consumed to point where I couldn’t take it back even though I left a significant amount to show I was unsatisfied. She then offered to not even remake it but to put the same salty drink in a glass with sugar instead so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable, at that point I was already uncomfortable. If the last alternative was to do that in the first place then there was no need to go back and forth with me to make me feel like I was in the wrong as a customer, when every server I’ve had here has asked me whether I’d want salt or sugar or not. Then after all of that to be smacked with a 20% gratuity after being audibly dissatisfied was the icing on the cake. Every time we’ve visited we’ve tipped $10-$15 depending on our check even with services we’ve dealt with here without a gratuity being added. We get the same thing, a burger, pork chops, margarita and a coke. To put gratuity on such a little check after the drink debacle was actually so insulting. I’m a server myself, I would never treat myself this way. Tried looking past things as pettiness because we honestly liked the food but this was too much. I have picked up food before and even got attitude for asking for butter and ketchup? I’m a paying customer who’s asking politely? As a person who makes money on tips and comes here to just spend money and help a small business in the neighborhood this was completely...

I stopped by this tavern with my brother, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. We're big supporters of mom-and-pop spots and have been exploring restaurants and speakeasies together since the early '90s. The vibe was promising: friendly staff, live music in the next room, and a lively crowd. We sat at the bar, a spot we usually trust for attentive service.

Our waitress was kind, but also eating at the bar while working. That raised some concerns—not just because she was multitasking, but because we saw her transition between eating and handling plates without washing her hands. It’s a small but important detail that affects guest comfort and food safety.

We started with wings and pork sliders while browsing the menu. My brother had a beer on tap that was unfortunately lukewarm. The wings had an odd, stale flavor with barely any sauce, and both dishes were dry. The sliders were passable but lacked punch. There was no check-in after the food arrived, which was disappointing—it’s standard at most places to check in after a few bites.

Despite the underwhelming appetizers, I ordered more—hoping for improvement. I got food to go for my family and ordered a lamb burger (medium rare) to stay. It arrived well done and dry, without the extra aioli I had requested. Instead of the rich, flavorful lamb burger I remembered from Mercer Kitchen in Soho, it felt more like a flavorless gyro. My family, usually open to trying anything, didn’t touch the wings or the sampler due to the lack of flavor.

Nobody followed up, and it felt like we weren’t being heard. My brother lost his appetite entirely. I politely asked for the check, left a 20% tip out of respect for the staff, said thank you, and left.

I’ve driven hours outside of the city for good food, and I genuinely wanted this place to be a hidden gem. Sadly, even if this tavern were next door during a zombie apocalypse, I wouldn’t return. I hope management sees this review and takes steps to improve food quality, enforce handwashing between tasks, check on meals after they're served, and ensure beer taps are cold before the shift. I wish...

Horrible experience and service by the rude owner. The place was crowded for brunch, as there was a football game and someone rented the space for a private party. Knowing this, the establishment should have been better equipped to provide service to customers. Sadly, this was not the case, as we waited over 30 minutes for the waiter to take our orders. Although he was very nice, he was overwhelmed. As such, he got our order wrong. He didn’t include my daughter’s food in the order. I ordered a medium steak with eggs, along with 3 mimosas. The mimosas were warm and the steak was burnt to a crisp. My friend gave her food to my daughter and placed a new order for her food. We spoke to our waiter who apologized profusely for the mishap. However, this is the icing on the cake for this one star review: my friend called the owner to speak to him about the subpar experience. He verbatim said, "I don't have time for this." I sent my steak back and we all tried to enjoy as much as possible, but it just wasn't going to happen with all the bugs flying around us. The waiter said he would comp our order, but there was a communication issue. When we walked out, he ran to us asking if we were not paying the bill at all. We told him that no one ate their food and he went back in. Not one minute later, the short, bald owner came out threatening to call the cops on us. I told him, "now you have time to speak to us?" He rudely dismissed me and looked like he was about to have a heart attack. If he put this much passion into customer service and etiquette, this review would have...