The Unusual Times — Restaurant in Newark

Terrible Service

I’ve been coming to this establishment for pre-flight drinks for nearly a decade, but after my most recent experience, I won’t be back. The service was shockingly bad, and the staff seemed completely indifferent to the needs of their customers.

While the drink selection is limited and overpriced, I’ve always been able to count on them serving one drink I enjoy. However, this time, even that was a struggle.

On the first round, I ordered two drinks—one for myself and one for a colleague—but only one arrived. After waiting and eventually asking about the second drink, I was told they were waiting on a glass. The bar was quiet, with plenty of glasses visible, so this explanation made no sense. It ended up taking nearly 35 minutes for both drinks to arrive.

Foolishly, I decided to order a second round. Again, the wait was interminable, and this time my flight was boarding. When I politely followed up, a staff member snapped at me, saying, “Your server will come to you when they are ready.” This attitude was unacceptable.

Adding to the poor experience, one member of my party had to sit at a separate table due to the limited seating. Despite intending to order a drink, they were rudely asked to leave.

When it came time to pay, I left a $0 tip. The staff responded with loud, passive-aggressive complaints directed at me and my group. A tip is earned through good service, not handed out after such a poor experience.

Newark Liberty Airport, it’s time to replace this place with an establishment that values...

If you happen to arrive at EWR for a 7:55am flight, it’s worth noting that Priority Pass lounge access starts at 8am sharp.

So, if you want to sit down and eat food off a table, that leaves you with one option: the Unusual Times.

My advice? Read the reviews first. That will help you establish the right mindset heading in. (One reviewer, named Juan Felipe Rincon, described the Times simply as “a nightmare”.)

Once your expectations have been sufficiently lowered, you’re ready to dive in.

There are no frills at the Times. No omelette station (also no omelettes). No lunch before 11am. No metal silverware. No knives at all (metal, plastic or otherwise). The continental breakfast costs $18 for low fat yogurt and a muffin.

But, especially when compared to the continental breakfast, the $15.50 bacon egg and cheese is a relatively good value. And the coffee - despite it’s burnt aroma - really hit the spot.

So, when deciding between going hungry before a 7 hour international flight or braving the (unusual) Times, you can be reasonably confident you’re making the right choice.

There are no certainties in this life. But, in these strange times, at least there’s one restaurant at Newark Airport Terminal B you can count on. Even if it is a little bit… unusual.

And… if we’re really being honest with ourselves... who isn’t a little bit unusual?

Respectfully submitted,...

TLDR: If you can spare the time, eat at one of the eateries BEFORE you go through security at this airport because otherwise, you'll end up like me and have to choose between two of the lowest rated restaurants to ever be considered

📝 The paper menu lists way more dishes than what they actually have to offer. Scan the QR code on the table to at least not be disappointed by the options they actually have

-[BRISKET SANDWICH] Can't remember the exact price for this but it states on the online menu that it comes with a choice of fries or salad. They're fooling you as it only comes with extremely crunchy (stale?) chips. The brisket amount is a sizeable portion but tastes like the kind you get at Walmart where you just toss the plastic bag it comes in into a pot of hot water before serving... The bun also tastes like it came from Walmart as well

-[WINGS] Can't recall the exact price but I mean....look at the size of those wings??? They look like they took the wings off of underdeveloped chickens :( Also, the wing sauce isn't actually even tossed onto the wings at all.

Service was good though as the man tending bar was also the one who served us - he was friendly despite the fact that I'm sure he wishes he could work anywhere else...