Old Man Rafferty's — Restaurant in New Brunswick

My family and I went to Old Man Rafferty's after a long day of searching for food in the area. My husband, who is originally from here, recommended we dine there since he hadn't been in years. Unfortunately, he was very disappointed, as were we. I ordered meatballs and mashed potatoes for our 1-year-old to be served first to prevent a baby meltdown. His food took a long time, and to my dismay, the meatballs were raw in the middle but served on a cast iron skillet. The mashed potatoes looked like they came from a box and were only lukewarm. My husband sent the meatballs back to be cooked further, leaving my son with only mashed potatoes. When the meatballs came back, they were covered in tomato sauce and still raw. Clearly, they weren't cooked further; instead, they tried to cover their mistake with sauce. I was furious because I had explained these were for my 1-year-old. As for the adult food, which was another major disappointment, I had a burger with American cheese, onions, and mushrooms with shoelace fries that had no flavor. The burger was stale, dry, and unseasoned. The patty was also smaller than advertised for a "100% Angus beef gourmet burger.' My husband’s steak sandwich was also stale, unseasoned, and dry. We were comped for the meatballs since they were uneatable, and with two meals plus the mashed potatoes, the bill exceeded $70. If the food had been good, that might have been justifiable. I left feeling so unsatisfied and upset about how much we spent on such poor food. I wouldn’t recommend this place at all—they really need to overhaul their kitchen staff. My review does not reflect the service, which was very kind and accommodating; our server tried her best to fix the kitchen's mistakes. We commend her for working somewhere where she must...

Encompassing 9,000 square feet and moving to the current establishment in 1990, Old Man Rafferty's, located on Albany Street, not far from the stately Old Queens campus of Rutgers, provides a comfortable and convenient stop for students and visiting families in New Brunswick. Upon entering as a first-timer to this location, it’s a casual bar and restaurant where the warm and relaxed atmosphere was perfect for lunch, which my friend and I had today. The interior reminds us of a country inn with a variety of different settings: a bar area, a large comfortable dining room with some semi-private areas for small parties, and outdoor seating in a garden setting when the weather allows, with contemporary music playing at just the right volume. The menu is very broad and has a lot of comfort food dishes, including some very good vegetarian options. If you're vegan or gluten-free, you should advise your server or contact the restaurant ahead of time. We ordered the all-day hand-held sandwiches: Prime Rib French Dip with House-made au jus, crispy fries, coleslaw, and Grilled Chicken on gluten-free bread, accompanied by lettuce, tomato, pickle, cheese, and steamed broccoli. They were certainly freshly prepared and tasty, huge portions, but not particularly over-the-top. Our server was Daniel, and the service was just what you'd want. It was a regular check-in, but not intrusive or pushy. As an added feature to this restaurant, there is a small gourmet deli/bakery featuring takeout sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, cookies, and desserts. It also has a small retail area with dry pastas and jarred sauces. Now I know why Old Man Rafferty’s seems to be one of the locals favorite places, which I...

I used to work at Rafferty's, and I remember it as a place that genuinely cared about quality, service, and the overall dining experience. Unfortunately, my recent visit fell far short of those standards.

Greeting and Seating: It took over 5 minutes to be greeted by the hostess and another 5 minutes for the server to come by. When you're hungry and looking forward to a meal, these delays can really set the wrong tone.

Service: While the drinks came out quickly, they had noticeably little ice. I couldn't help but think this was a tactic to reduce the likelihood of needing to offer refills. An offer that never came despite my drink being empty for most of my visit. Also, there were no beverage napkins, a small but noticeable omission.

Food Quality: I opted for the Ruben sandwich, priced at $17. When I worked here, management always stressed that "you can get a sandwich anywhere, people come to Rafferty's for the experience." This sandwich did not live up to that sentiment. It was served on the thinnest slice of rye bread I've ever seen, a far cry from the "thick-cut rye" that Rafferty's used to take pride in.

Staff Behavior: Although the staff seemed polite, their attention appeared to be more on their phones than on the patrons. During a lunchtime rush, you would expect them to be more attentive and quick to turn tables for new guests. That was not the case; the atmosphere was sluggish despite the restaurant being relatively empty.

I don't know if Mark, the owner, has lost his passion for this place, but it's sad to see Rafferty's decline so much. I left the restaurant feeling unsatisfied and thinking I would have had a better experience at a...