Home Food + DrinkBars The NEW Hoboken Bar Scene — Fall 2019 Openings + Closings

The NEW Hoboken Bar Scene — Fall 2019 Openings + Closings

by Steph
Attain Medspa
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If you’ve lived in Hoboken for more than a week, then you are no stranger to just how frequently the Mile Square evolves with the times. {Answer: Constantly.} As fall 2019 approaches, the number of changes — openings, closings, renovations, new late-night spots, and more — happening in the downtown Hoboken bar scene is almost enough to make you dizzy.

We know it can be hard to keep up with all the signage that keeps popping up around town. It’s like you need an Excel spreadsheet just to live here and keep a handle on what’s coming and going {we may or may not have one…JS}. All that goes around your personal MacLaren’s {yes, that’s a How I Met Your Mother reference} is simply background noise.

But with so much evolving downtown, we wanted to give you an all-inclusive update on what you can expect next time you go out for a drink with friends. You know, in case you want to switch it up.

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Whether you crave hole-in-the-wall dive bars, gastro-pub cocktails, or 24/7 beer on tap, there is something for you in the Mile Square’s bar scene most likely {and if not, it’s probably on the way}. Keep reading to check out everything that’s changing on the bar scene come this fall. 

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Reopenings + New Ownership

The Winston Rebranding as The Ugly Irishman {72 Hudson Street}

the winston ugly irishman

Hoboken is saying goodbye to The Winston — the Winston Churchill-themed speakeasy that opened on Hudson Street back in July 2018. Known as the cocktail bar with “a great vibe” and $15 White Claw Buckets {gonna miss those!}, the spot at 72 Hudson Street isn’t closing down. Just changing.

We spoke with a contact of the new bar, Peter DeSerres, who said, “We have been in the bar business for 20 years in Hoboken and we want to keep the fun atmosphere going for all of the locals and tourist alike who come to visit our city.”

yoga renew hoboken

Behind the rebrand of The Winston into The Ugly Irishman is Pig & Parrot owner Mike Citarella. Citarella is joining the Ugly Irishman forces as a new partner.

Village Pourhouse Reopening as The Inn {205 1st Street}

Hoboken Girl sources confirm The Village Pourhouse is undergoing some remodeling, then reopening as The Inn, an official Penn State bar. You may remember that The Village Pourhouse — located at 205 1st Street — has faced rumors of permanent closure for a while now. Originally a spinoff of a New York City mini-chain, VP has offered an extensive selection of craft beers, over 20 HD flat-screen TVs, and bar fare such as burgers wings, and pretzel-crusted chicken tenders over the years.

VP — or should we say The Inn — will remain under the same ownership, but with a few new faces coming on as partners. These new faces include people from the restaurant biz in New York City. The Inn will feature Irish-American fare and the same happy hour deals and vibes that Pourhouse patrons came to know and love.

The main differences you’ll see after The Inn’s rebranding is complete will be decor. Since it’s now an official Penn State bar, the interior will be branded with Penn State’s signature blue and white colors.

Cadillac Cantina Reopening as 80 River Bar and Grill {80 River Street}

80 river hoboken

{Photo credit: Lara Cohn}

In early August, Hoboken Girl reported that Cadillac Cantina closed. Known by locals as a festive haunt decorated with Day of the Dead decor {and ever-flowing margaritas and endless tacos}, Cadillac will be remodeling and reopening as 80 River Bar and Grill.

Reopening under the same ownership {but as a new bar}, one of River Bar and Grill’s partners is Sergio Tigelerio, who has previous restauranteur experiences at Teak, Village Pourhouse, Hub, and as a managing partner of Erock.

“At the new location, my partner and I have moved over some of our better selling menu items from our pizzeria/restaurant from Johnny Napkins and we are going for a more conventional Italian Porta-like venue,” Tigelerio tells Hoboken Girl.

See More: The Best Girls’ Night Out Spots and Specials in Hoboken + Jersey City 

Cooper’s Union Under New Ownership {104 Hudson Street}

Cooper’s Union, a small tavern with an outdoor patio area at 104 Hudson Street, is undergoing new ownership. Not much is yet known on what this new ownership will mean — a reopening, rebranding, or new name perhaps? All we know as of right now is that Cooper’s, located adjacent to the Hoboken Police Headquarters on Hudson, has been taken over by Hoboken Hospitality Group.

HHG also owns local spots such as Birch Hoboken, Coco Havana Cafe + Lounge, and Wild Moose Saloon.

The Shannon is Under New Ownership {106 1st Street}

Classic dance spot The Shannon as of last year, located at 106 1st Street, is also under new ownership. Currently branded as Hoboken’s Premiere Night Spot, The Shannon is an Irish pub-style bar with tons of TVs and a dance floor in the back. Open from 12:00PM-3:00AM on nights when there’s a DJ {Thurs/Friday/Saturday}, The Shannon {as it is now} boasts activities like giant JENGA, darts, billiards, beer pong, and more.

Closings + Vacancies

Teak/HUB Location is Still Vacant {16 Hudson Place}

hub hoboken

Almost exactly a year after the HUB was investigated amidst videos of lewd acts at the bar being posted online, 16 Hudson Place is still vacant. Formerly Teak, the incident occurred on September 8th, 2018 after some patrons filmed lewd sexual acts and posted them to social media during an appearance with Kirill, known as “the Slut Whisperer” on Instagram.

Following the incident, HUB was shut down the following Wednesday and police officers stood outside to bar the entrance. HUB was to remain closed until the outcome of its Alcoholic Beverage Control board hearing but has since been permanently closed following the investigation.

No word yet if a new spot will take over the former HUB and Teak, but rest assured, Hoboken Girl will provide updates as they become available.

Biggie’s Clam Bar is Still Vacant {318 Madison Street}

After 72 years of the classic Mile Square staple that was Biggie’s Clam Bar, the Newark Street location closed in 2018 and we’ve been waiting to hear what’s going on with the vacant location ever since.

The spot at 36-42 Newark has had some rumblings, but nothing concrete has happened yet. Back in January 2019, Jersey Digs reported that Goodfellas Bar & Grill had plans to take over the spot. Goodfellas’ liquor license transfer was to be heard at a February 14th meeting with the City’s Alcoholic Beverage Control council, but no word has come since then.

Locals may remember that Biggie’s Clam Bar had deep, deep roots in the Mile Square. What first began as a push-cart operation by an Italian immigrant who came to Hoboken in 1946 transformed into a thriving clam bar with two Hoboken outposts. The Biggie’s at 318 Madison Street was significantly damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which culminated in Biggie’s consolidating its outposts by 2016.

New Bars + What’s Thriving

Birch and Wild Moose Saloon {92 River Street and 3o Newark Street, Respectively}

birch wild moose saloon

{Photo credit: @birchhoboken}

Both of these establishments are owned by the Hoboken Hospital Group, which you may remember recently acquired Cooper’s Union. Both Birch and Wild Moose are going strong after some rebranding and renovations.

Each bar offers epic Football Sundays — Wild Moose has $20 domestic draft beer towers and drink specials and Birch offers live DJs during commercials, mimosa towers, beer towers, White Claw buckets, and an endless brunch buffet for what they call #DontForgetSunday.

Football Sunday events at both locations kick off on September 8th at 11:00AM.

If you’re not into Football Sunday, don’t worry; you’ll also find alcohol-infused gelato flavors, insane Instagram-worthy milkshakes, and a Bloody Mary like no other {think a slider, bacon, celery, and olives as your garnish}.

Pig & Parrot {77 Hudson Street}

pig parrot hoboken bar

{Photo credit: @thepigandparrot}

Speaking of the Pig & Parrot {see The Ugly Irishman above for more info}, Hoboken’s only Key West-style bar and grill is killing it. With a tropical food and drink menu, tropical atmosphere, and live music, it’s one of the only spaces throughout the Mile Square where patrons feel like they’re actually down the shore, sipping cocktails on the beach and it’s always a party on Friday and Saturday nights.

That authentic Jersey Shore feel? Well, it’s because it’s authentic! Mike Citarella, the owner of Pig & Parrot, also runs a sister location in Brielle, NJ, so it’s no wonder you feel like you’re at the beach, even if the only body of water nearby is the Hudson River.

On the menu, you will find shareable dishes like Island IPA Cheese Bites, Coconut Shrimp, Grouper Fingers, and Fried Green Tomatoes. The menu also features dishes like quesadillas, island greens, flatbreads, burgers, and more. As for drinks, The Pig & Parrot hosts Happy Hour from 11 AM to 8 PM Mondays through Friday. You’ll find $1 off all drafts, $3 Corona Light drafts, $5 Cuervo margaritas, $5 house wine, and $15 pitchers of sangria.

Read More: Wilton House: Hoboken’s Hidden Dive Bar on Newark Street

Loquito {217 Washington Street}

loquitos tacos

While not a bar {but perfect for late-night bar food let’s just say}, in July 2019, Loquito — another new popular food spot — opened at 217 Washington Street after months of running a Loquito pop-up shop out of O’Bagel. Also from the owners of O’Bagel, Loquito is a Lebanese-inspired taqueria where you’ll find tacos and bowls with a Lebanese flair.

With everything from dishes for meat-eaters to plant-based fare for vegetarians and vegans, too, Loquito is open late so that you can get your Lebanese taco fix.

Here you’ll find shawarma meat, pan árabe {pita-esque bread}, various bowls with the protein of your choice, waffle fries, braised short ribs, and more.

The menu includes bases like tacos and bowls with a choice of brown rice, white rice, romaine lettuce, proteins like pollo shawarma, kifta, avocado falafel, za’atar carnitas, and various dressings including a garlic lemon-dressed pico de Arabes, the Rojo with garlic and tahini mole, fresh pomegranate, fresh mint, etc.

You may not be able to get drinks here but you can certainly get your late-night grub on here.

Madd Hatter {221 Washington Street}

madd hatter hoboken

{Photo credit: @maddhatter}

New to the Hoboken bar scene as of last year is Madd Hatter, a bar that came to 221 Washington Street. Featuring brunch, a hoppin’ nightlife, and of course, NFL Sunday Fundays, the Madd Hatter has everything a brunch-loving football fan could want.

They do brunch seven days a week and offer $3 mimosas, but as far as what to expect at night or on Sundays, Madd Hatter has 40 flat-screen TVs and only books the best of the best of New York and New Jersey’s DJs. Each Sunday, Madd Hatter offers hosted draft parties, too.

Artichoke’s Pizza *still* Coming Soon {96 Hudson Street}

artichoke pizza hoboken

It seems like we’ve been waiting what feels like an eternity for the New York City pizzeria chain Artichoke Pizza to {finally} open in Hoboken. While no official opening date has been released, there was previously confirmation that Artichoke was shooting to open in the Mile Square in August.

And then August came and went.

Artichoke was founded by Francis Garcia and Sal Basille in 2008 and has since become a fan-favorite pizzeria all throughout Manhattan. The company, which also has other locations in Miami and California, is known for its specialty slices including {but not limited to} the Artichoke slice {artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella and pecorino cheese}, the Crab slice {crab sauce, fresh mozzarella with a surimi crab meat stuffing}, Vodka slices and so much more. The Hoboken storefront will be Artichoke’s first New Jersey venture.

We may all still be waiting for the famous Artichoke’s to open but once it does, it’s guaranteed to be a late-night hot spot.

Which bar are you most excited for come this fall? Let us know in the comments!

Did you know: We started a podcast about all things news and lifestyle in Hoboken + Jersey City! Listen to the latest episode of Tea on the Hudson here and subscribe.

We release new episodes every Tuesday!

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