A Night Out: The Best Bars in Central NJ

Alchemist & Barrister
28 Witherspoon St
Princeton, NJ
Website
Locals refer to this spot as the "Cheers of Princeton" with ambiance resembling an old English pub. With its warm and cozy atmosphere, it is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a drink with friends or colleagues.

The bar boasts an extensive selection of craft beers, fine wines, and handcrafted cocktails, ensuring that there is something to suit every taste. Whether you prefer a classic Old Fashioned or a refreshing Mojito, the skilled bartenders at Alchemist & Barrister will craft the perfect drink for you.

In addition to its impressive drink menu, the bar also offers a delectable selection of appetizers and small plates.

Asbury Ale House
531 Cookman Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
Website
Asbury Ale House is known as one of the Jersey Shore's premier sports bars. They show ervery game on over 40 HD TVs with 2 masive TV walls hung with eight 75 Inch TV's.

One of the highlights is its extensive selection of craft beers. From local favorites to rare and hard-to-find brews, there's something for every beer enthusiast. Whether you prefer a hoppy IPA or a smooth and creamy stout, you're sure to find a beer that suits your taste. They have over 60 different draft beers on tap with continually rotating local micro brews.

In addition to its impressive beer selection, they also offer a variety of handcrafted cocktails.

To complement the drinks, they aso offer a delicious menu of bar bites and pub fare.

Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten
527 Lake Avenue
Asbury Park
Website
The Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten is modeled after the biergartens that are popular throughout the Austria and Hungarian regions of Europe.
They feature communal tables where friends and soon-to-be-new-friends mingle in a lively, friendly atmosphere energized by a regular schedule of live & local music. The venue features a 9,000 square foot outdoor rooftop Biergarten and 6,000 square foot indoor halle. To enhance the festive atmosphere they serve over 100 varieties of popular and hard to find imported and domestic beers, 39 premium draft beers.

Bar Anticipation
703 16th Ave.
Lake Como, NJ
Website
Bar A (Bar Anticipation) is a popular nightlife destination that offers a unique and vibrant experience. With its lively atmosphere and top-notch entertainment, Bar A is the go-to spot for locals and tourists alike.
They host a variety of events and performances, from live music acts to DJ sets.

The venue itself is spacious and well-designed, with multiple areas for dancing, socializing, and relaxing. They feature an outdoor Grotto Beach tropical oasis complete with beautiful flora, live palm trees, towering rocks, fire and water falls, two "living rooms", three private VIP cabanas, outdoor bars & dance floor,

The Boat House
8 1/2 Coryell St
Lambertville, NJ
Facebook page
This cozy, maritime "boat house" themed bar is joyfully eccentric. One of the highlights is their extensive drink menu. Whether you're in the mood for a classic cocktail, a craft beer, or a glass of wine, you'll find something to satisfy your taste buds.

Note: This is just a place to grab a drinks, they do not offer a food menu.
In the warmer months they offer outdoor seating with a cozy tucked-away feeling.

Clydz
55 Paterson St.
New Brunswick, NJ
Website
Clydz is a very popular hang out for the 21+ Rutgers crowd and professional business people who enjoy a vibrant happy hour with large drink portions, especially the martini's.
The ambiance is energetic, with a speakeasy vibe, complete with fish tanks and fireplaces. They specialize in serving a variety of artisanal cocktails and a casual contemporary American menu. The main attraction is their talented bartenders who create inspirational specialty cocktails.

Dublin House Restaurant & Pub
30 Monmouth St
Red Bank, NJ
Website
A popular downtown Red Bank Irish Pub with plenty of Guinness and Irish Beers on tap. It's especially popular on St. Patrick's Day and for watching Irish soccer, rugby, and the World Cup. In the warmer months you can eat out and have drinks on the attractive back patio.
The Dublin House has a true pub feel with a cozy, if not plain, dining room with a fireplace. The bar is nice and long, with a narrow counter bar with additional stools and the coolest accents of half-cut beer barrels.
They serve a good selection of domestic & imported beers.The offer good food with selections of traditional Irish fare, and live Music every Thursday night with top local musicians and Sunday nights at Temple Bar during the Summer.

River Rock Restaurant & Marina Bar
1600 Route 70
Brick, NJ
Website
Located on the Manasquan River, this full-service restaurant and bar has four bar areas with 20 taps and a variety of great cocktails and premium spirits. Entertainment features nightly events, including cover bands, DJs, bar bingo, trivia night, and comedy shows.
Additionally, they have 44 large TV's with sports packages, and an outdoor Tiki bar, and live music stage.

The Stone Pony
913 Ocean Ave
Asbury Park, NJ
Website
The Stone Pony is known as the anchor of the Asbury Park music scene. It's a place where top performers
have played including Jersey Shore's own Bruce Springsteen.and South Side Johnny.

A great place for year round band performances. Take a tour inside and see memorabilia and well known singers' guitars on display on the walls.This iconic bar also has a special stage set up outdoors in the summer for concerts that attract top performers.

St. Stephen's Green Publick House
2031 Rt 71
Spring Lake Heights, NJ
Website
Located in the Spring Lake shore area known as the "Irish Riviera". With many of the patrons having been to Ireland, they know they have to be authentic to succeed.

It's one of the best places on the shore to hear traditional Irish music every Tuesday & Sunday Nights. They feature drafts from local breweries like Kane and Flying Fish right alongside Irish favorites like Guinness and Harp and lesser-known Irish brews like Murphy's, Magners, and Kilkenny. It's set in a large quaint old house with ambiance that is consummate Irish pub with dark woods, cushioned bar stools, and a fireplace.

Tommy's Tavern + Tap
3492 U.S Highway 9
Freehold, NJ
Website
Popular with millennials who enjoy a high energy, spacious industrial-chic, sports bar tavern with well made comfort food, and hand crafted specialty cocktails, a huge variety of craft beers, and wines by the glass and bottle. The elevated bar program includes everything from seasonal craft cocktail specials to exclusive Bourbon blends and over 24 rotating beers on tap.

They have HD TV's on every wall giving patrons a view from every table in the house. The centerpiece is a huge rectangular bar with seating for 55 and large HD Tv's suspended from the ceiling.

The Wonder Bar
5th and Ocean
Asbury Park, NJ
Website
A Blues, Rock, and Roots Music venue with a great history. Many of the performers who have appeared at the Stony Pony also have received their start here.

"Tillie's Landing" outside deck and bar is a huge draw during the summer months and combined with the indoor venue they have a capacity to hold 2,000 patrons.
In addition for being known known for great live music, they also feature a Yappy Hour where dogs run the show.