Samantha Impaglia 
Since 2021, Smorgasbar has been a spring and summer staple in Jersey City for creative cocktails, local eats, and more. From the same organizers of Smorgasburg, the open-air beer garden has always been a summer highlight along the Jersey City waterfront at 3 2nd Street. With the warmer weather finally making its way to Hudson County, locals have been wondering about this year’s opening date for Smorgasbar — which usually opens in early May. After chatting with the organizers, The Hoboken Girl has confirmed that Smorgasbar will not be returning to Jersey City for 2025, or in the immediate future. Read on for what to know about Smorgasbar’s future in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: Smorgasbar
What is the Future of Smorgasbar in Jersey City?
A few Hoboken Girl readers have reached out to us this week, asking if Smorgasbar was returning to Jersey City this year after hearing rumors that it might not be.
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Our team reached out to the Smorgasbar team, who confirmed that the beer garden would not be opening at its usual spot at 3 2nd Street in Jersey City for 2025, and said that there are no immediate plans to open another location in the Hudson County area.
“We’re obviously disappointed not to be returning to Jersey City — we’ve had a great run there — but this was always a project with a finite timeline given the pop-up nature of the site. Seven-day-a-week operations only really make sense for us with a supportive landlord partner so in the absence of another one of those emerging, we have no immediate plans to open Smorgasbar elsewhere in the area. The liquor license laws in New Jersey also make getting something new off the ground much more complicated and expensive than in New York so, regrettably, it’s hard to see how anything could come together for this summer,” Jonathan Butler, co-founder of Smorgasburg, told The Hoboken Girl.
About Smorgasbar
Smorgasbar has roots in Jersey City that date back to 2021. The permanent beer garden was located in the former Lutze space, and included a full bar that served up beers on tap, frozen drinks, and local eats, among other things. Locals favored the open-air space, which emphasized unique brews and drinks in the spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Smorgasbar also frequently hosted live music acts and events in the Jersey City space.
In 2021 and 2022, Jersey City also hosted Smorgasburg in the parking lot in Harborside Financial Center of downtown Jersey City, but it did not return for 2023 or 2024.
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