1776 Morristown — Restaurant in Morristown

There are several absolutely amazing restaurants in Morristown. This is not one of them. The only reason that I’m giving this place two stars instead of one is thanks to Tom, the beverage manager, who tried to salvage our experience.

We had a reservation for 8:45PM on a busy Saturday evening for three people, but thankfully the restaurant appeared to be fully staffed, with many busboy employees even milling around, seeming like they didn’t have anything to do.

We arrived about five minutes early and were seated right away. 10 minutes went by before our waitress came over to ask what type of water we wanted. We ordered tap, but this is one place that I would recommend springing for bottled. The tap water had a nasty odor and flavor. The waitress herself, who was clearly overwhelmed from the moment we sat down, was oddly the one who kept coming to refill our water throughout the meal (when she actually noticed that we needed it). Why they didn’t have the bussing staff doing this, when there were so many of them milling about, is perplexing.

It took us 30 minutes from the time we sat down to finally get our drinks, and then the appetizers (which we weren’t asked if we would like until our drinks finally came) came out 20 minutes later - 50 minutes after we arrived. One of the two appetizers, the lobster spinach artichoke dip, was awful, and we barely picked at it. The cornbread in the bread service basket was also very odd, and it tasted very greasy. It turns out that it was good that we didn’t like the dip, because the waitress came and cleared it before asking us if we were finished or wanted it to go.

At this point, we asked to speak with the manager. A younger female employee came over, and we shared our concerns with her. She apologized and said that she would be sure to check in with us to make sure everything came out ok (we never saw her again, except in the building lobby as we were leaving 2 hours after we arrived, where she was hanging out and laughing with other employees around a break table).

Our entrees finally came out 70 minutes after we arrived. The steak that my husband ordered was cooked perfectly and very flavorful, and The Imposter sandwiches that me and my friend ordered were good, as well. The truffle tater tots didn’t have any truffle flavor to them at all (they were very bland), the mac and cheese side was good but nothing to write home about, and the onion soup mashed potatoes were tasty. So, much of the food was actually very good, but some of it left a lot to be desired.

At this point, all of our drink glasses were empty again, so my friend went and found another manager, Tom, and he came over to talk with us. He was empathetic and apologized. He ended up comping my wine and our two desserts (neither of which was particularly good), which we appreciated. We pointed out that several other tables were seated 30-40 minutes after us, and they had already gotten their checks and left.

By the time we got our check, which our waitress brought to us with an apology for the “mishaps”, we had been at our table for two hours. That’s when we left, noticing the “manager” in the lobby, laughing and fraternizing with the other restaurant employees.

We will definitely not be...

My family enjoyed a very lovely evening at this awesome restaurant. Here are some of my thoughts. Service was top notch, food was good - with one reservation, and ambiance was beautiful. 1776 certainly suits the restaurant as they clearly have made a declaration on the Morristown/New Jersey food scene!

Service: 5/5 - Lisa was fantastic and extremely attentive. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and catered to all of our needs. If you are looking for a wonderful partner in hosting a great evening, I highly suggest her!

Food: 4/5 - My family ordered the bread service, the clothesline bacon, dressed oysters, two roast chickens and the "chateaubriand" for two with sides of sweet and sour brussels with pepadews, onion soup mashed potatoes and general tso's broccoli and cauliflower.

Ambiance: 5/5 - the restaurant is beautiful, great bar, music is a ton of fun.

Why 4/5? The meal progressively got better as we made it to the main course.

So let's start with the not so great: The bread service was ok. I should note, I'm not the biggest fan of popovers. The popovers served were pretty standard and the sesame seeds were a really nice touch. The radishes were fresh and served plain. It would have been nice if it came with some sort of dipping sauce to accompany it. The grapes were sweet, but some were over ripened. Given the the spend, it would have been good to check those over before they were served.

The great:

The dressed oysters - delicious. It was a nice juxtaposition to the bacon we enjoyed next.

The clothesline bacon is a fun interactive and delicious experience. The saltiness and fattiness of the bacon served with the fresh pickle was a nice touch. A slice of lemon is served alongside the bacon and apparently no one does anything with it. So my brother and I experimented by spritzing some lemon juice on the bacon piece - different yet delicious and highly recommend a try.

The main courses were fantastic. The roasted chicken was cooked to perfection with a nice crisp exterior and perfect interior. Love the faratto that it was served on and the plating is beautiful.

The chateaubriand - is meant for two. It was also cooked to perfection. We ordered medium rare. I enjoyed the Himalayan salt aging process applied to the steak.

The sides were all amazing. I definitely would suggest the onion soup mashed potatoes and the general tso's cauliflower and broccoli, The onion soup mashed potatoes was a fun take on french onion soup. It was a great accompaniment to the steak we enjoyed. The general tso's cauliflower and broccoli was also fun and absolutely delicious too and beautifully served. The sweet and sour brussels were also deliciously cooked.

I look forward to future meals and...

I decided on 1776 for my milestone Birthday and it did not disappoint.

Location - The location is right in the heart of Morristown. We found the parking garage with the big Golf swing sign and took the elevator to walk across a courtyard to get into the restaurant building. Parking was $9 for 2.15 hours

Restaurant - Is beautiful inside, attention to details are impressive from the Himalayan salt walls to the live moss decor. The inside is modern, artsy , plenty of seating and a bar that commands the room. Colorful. The golf experience area, looks fun and lively. Street parking can be a challenge.

Staff - Our welcome at the entrance was professional but not warm. However, the lovely gentleman Henry M who waited on us made all the difference. He was courteous, professional, knew the menu well and above all, made me feel like a queen for the day. His service went above and beyond as after the meal he gave us a tour of the golfing area and the restaurant and explained a little about the decor which was interesting. He was patient and was happy to make it a special day by taking our pictures and also providing me with a complimentary glass of Champagne. He seemed to take great pride in where he worked and it showed in his service.

The Food and Drinks - The cocktails were tasty and unique, strong and aesthetically beautiful but a bit pricey for a lunch. We fell for the hype and ordered the bacon appetizer, two rashes of the most delicious maple fired bacon came out - it would have been lovely if it was 3 - 4 pieces for the table, at $17 it felt like a bit of a rip off but nevertheless it was fun for my family of 4 to cut away at bits of bacon with scissors! I didn't understand why Sushi was on the menu, but being a sushi lover ordered a roll anyway and while it was not the best sushi i ever ate it was beautifully prepared with top quality ingredients. We rounded out the meal with a the spicy pizza and the Bison cavatelli, all well executed and delicious.We had the macaroon and fresh donut dessert with 3 dipping sauces, which came out with a sparkler. It was a great ending to the meal. Portions were satisfying (except the bacon lol) All in all it was a good experience and a memorable meal. I will return to try some more...