Pub 199

Reviews 3

RA

Raymond Baum

Prior to the fire which destroyed Pub 199, it was, without a doubt, our favorite restaurant in Northern New Jersey. Tonight, Thursday, May 30 2013, my wife and I went to the newly re-opened Pub 199. From the minute we walked in the door, the entire experience went from bad to worse. The hostess was totally clueless and had absolutely no control over the people coming in and showed no ability to greet, organize, and assist the Customers. After milling through the crowd, we told the hostess that we needed a table for two. She took our name and simply said, "Youll have to wait." I told her that we would wait at the bar and we waited to be called for seating. After we had been served at the bar (by the way, the bar staff is excellent!), we noticed the hostess escorting two different couples to their tables. I approached the hostess and asked her how much longer we would be waiting. She said, "Oh, I have a table for you." and escorted us to a table in the marine themed room. So far, we have two strikes against the new and not at all improved Pub 199. The table we were taken to was not prepared for service. There were no napkins or serving wear at the table and it was still damp from busing. After a few minutes, our server, Dawn, arrived at our table and promptly began reviewing her order pad, flipping through several pages before asking us if we were ready to order. We gave her our order and away she went. Several minutes later she arrived with our drinks which she sat down on the table and disappeared again. Minutes later, she arrived again with two plates of clams, dropped them off and rushed away again. I didnt even have a chance to ask for napkins or anything else for that matter. My wife, who is handicapped and uses a crutch to assist her, got up herself and went to the bar to ask for a napkin. While my wife was at the bar, I caught Dawn as she zoomed past again and asked for the napkins and forks. Dawn ran off, returned and dropped a handful of napkins on the table, topped with two forks and a single knife. My wife came back and said, "Well, I guess were sharing the knife?" As we waited for our meal, we watched the chaos around us and overheard several other customers voicing their disappointment in the service. I had ordered the same meal Ive ordered for the last three years - 2 doz. clams, strip steak, baked potatoes, and vegetable. My meal arrived nearly in my lap. Dawn was so rushed to deliver our food that the garnish on the steak flew off and bouncing off of the table, landed on my lap. Dawn seemed totally unfazed by this. By this time, I have decided I will likely never again visit Pub 199 again. The quality of the food cinched it. The vegetable, green beans, looked and tasted like they came right out of a can - without the courtesy of heating before serving. The strip steak was an over-cooked and tasteless insult to the cow that gave its life to the endeavor and the clams, while not bad, were far below the standard of excellence we had come to know and appreciate from Pub 199. I am sorely disappointed in this dining experience and I doubt that going back on any other night would prove me wrong.

AM

Amanda Connelly

Ive been to this place several times because my Mom loves their cheap price on steamed clams. Ive gone to make her happy but not anymore. She knows how much I hate this place so she doesnt ask me anymore. 1. Atmosphere: I dont mind the animals. In fact, theyre kind of interesting. What I dont like is the rest of the atmosphere. Its very cafeteria like, the tables and lighting and noise...I feel like Im in grade school at lunch, except for all the grown ups and animal heads. 2. The only thing in the whole menu that tastes OK is the shell fish, which is priced well. The problem? It is NEVER HOT. Ive gone for the clams, lobster and crab legs. Ive never had any served to me hot. The clams are usually warm, but everything else is served room temperature cold. And the drawn "butter" is NOT REAL BUTTER!! Its nasty and basically salt flavored grease. 3. Service: AWFUL. Especially if its busy. Wait staff is always unhappy and rushed. They practically throw your food at you, sometimes spilling the "drawn butter" they charge extra for if you ask for more. Takes forever to get a problem corrected, if it ever even is, and forget about paying and leaving promptly. Getting your check takes forever. 4. Presentation. They use disposable plastic everything. Its so strange. All their drinks and sides, etc. are served in plastic cups and dishes...even wine!!! Wine is served in a regular plastic disposable beer cup. Strangest thing ever. 5. They dont take credit cards. Annoying, but also suspicious. 6. Drinks: WAY overpriced in comparison with the food menu. Prices of drinks are so not justified in this cafeteria like atmosphere, not to mention the presentation. I mean, seriously charging $9 for cabernet served in a plastic beer cup???? Ridiculous. ALSO, they have a rule that everyone MUST order a drink, and they charge for water!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Utterly insane. There are people that LOVE this place. I dont get why. If you like to enjoy the experience of dining out as well as trying interesting and tasty foods, this is not the place for you. Its awful. I will NEVER go here again.

A

A Private User

Can you say RACIST white TRASH? After the trailer-park-dirty waitress got an attitude when I asked for the big chunks of food to be wiped off of the table after the fat, rude hostess sat us, she placed our silverware ON THE SEAT while she snarked to the busboy to wipe the table "for HER" and pointed at me. Now, I am used to ugly, fat females being jealous of the fact that Im fit and fashionable. However, the sneers from the staff and equally gruesome patrons was because our group was a mixture of beatiful-brown skinned and white people. My group and I chose to leave because I said I dont want these creatures spitting in our food. The waitress rushed to the owner and as I got to him, she was whining as if butter wouldnt melt in her mouth, "I dont know why they got up to leave." As I explained to this transplanted-latino who thinks hes "arrived" into the styx of Joisey, he nodded, said nothing, and obviously didnt care. I told him that he will deal with his karma. What I want this pig to know is that he has been useful to me for the oxygen he wastes: I just shopped a television concept to a cable channel to do a reality TV show on establishments that represent "the ugly American" - the kinds of places and people who make terrorists want to blow up our country. And this owner is a foreigner - NOT American. Ill bet hes from the Dominican Republic and tells the locals hes from South America so that he can think hes "accepted." So, I wrote a letter to him and said, "And since I expect you to be typical in every way, Ive written this letter in REAL Spanish because Im sure that, after living in this country for decades, you still no-speaky-the-English." Touche. FYI, Im half Dominican. And the entire "decor" is dead animals that the owner killed and had stuffed. Too bad for them because this place was recommended to me to scout for a movie project I was working on and would have been perfect for the psychos domain in the film.