31-07-2025
USA Today named a North Jersey bar one of America's best. We wish these spots made the cut.
USA TODAY's 2025 Bars of the Year list, released on July 30, highlights the best bars in America, ranging from cocktail bars to dives, clubs, speakeasies and everything in between.
USA TODAY Network food journalists from across the country pooled their expertise to select the bars, which include the places they know, love and recommend.
Nutley cocktail bar Cowans Public the list this year due to its exceptional drinks, expansive local draught beer list, convivial atmosphere and throwback vibe. But, of course, there are many other bars in North Jersey worth celebrating, so here are 10 other spots that we wish were on the Bars of the Year list.
Great Notch Inn, Woodland Park
Great Notch Inn looks a little out of place on the side of bustling Route 46; its wooden edifice exudes down-home roadhouse vibes. But there is more that is extraordinary about the Great Notch than just its look. This family-owned and operated bar has been slinging drinks, hosting bands and fostering memories since 1936. It's simply one of the best dives—and I use that word with reverence—in North Jersey.
Go: 400 Route 46, Woodland Park; 973-256-7742.
Cloverleaf Tavern, Caldwell
Founded in 1933, the Cloverleaf is an old-fashioned pub with some seriously good eats: I'm talking great burgers, beer-battered fish and chips and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. But what separates this beloved tavern from others is its extensive beer list. On draught, you'll find more than two dozen local and mid-major craft beers, which rotate throughout the year. And if you still don't find somehting you like, there tons more cans and bottles to choose from.
Go: 95 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell; 973-226-9812,
PJ Finnegans, Westwood
How about a Guinness? At Bergen County's PJ Finnegan's, one of the best Irish pubs in the state, the bartenders know exactly how to pour you a 20-ounce pint. If that's not your bag, though, opt for some other easy-drinking beers on tap and dine from its menu of elevated Irish pub grub. Above all, the cozy, well-decorated interior will have you feeling alright and planning your next trip back.
Go: 274 Fairview Ave., Westwood; 201-664-7576,
dullboy, Jersey City
Jersey City's serves a suite of expertly made original and classic cocktials and globally inspired light bites in a sleek interior. Choose thoughtfully composed signature cocktails like the Alexa (sotol, mezcal, caffo red bitter, passionfruit, honey and lime), classics like a Paper Plane or a reserve rye-based Vieux Carré (my favorite), or hop on a tequila or mezcal flight. As the name does not imply, a trip to dullboy is a delight.
Go: 364 Grove St, Jersey City; 201-795-1628,
Cellar 335, Jersey City
The gorgeous interior of Cellar 335 — muraled brick walls, upholstered red chairs, reclaimed church furnishings, washed stone floors — will be enough to sweep you off your feet, but the fare here is equally breathtaking. Chef Jamie Knott's spot offers Asian-inspired casual cuisine, which are paired with tiki drinks for a culinary experience you're unlikely to get elsewhere.
Go: 335 Newark Ave, Jersey City; 201-222-1422,
The Laundromat, Morristown
Talk about a hole in the wall... er, laundromat. This Morristown speakeasy does service to the style with a lively bar cloaked by, for all intents and purposes, a small laundromat. Once you find your way in, get ready for craft cocktails, live music and the coziness of leather couches and tables in the dim, brick-walled drinking parlor. This style of bar boomed a decade ago (and a decade plus a century ago), but The Laundromat has stood the test of time.
Go: 4 Dehart St., Morristown; 973-745-3508,
Bar Franco, Montclair
Bespoke cocktails with an Italian flair are the name of the game at Montclair's Bar Franco. Award-winning mixologist Luca Cinalli, originally from Abruzzo, Italy, helms the bar and serves unique, upscale cocktails in a swanky space that's not replicated in the area. If the elegant cocktails have you feeling like a million bucks, swing for the gold-flaked bomba dessert that comes with a 24-karat diamond-encrusted fork and a shot of Louis XIII cognac.
Go: 5 Church St., Montclair; 973) 337-5100,
Meximodo, Metuchen
Those of us in North Jersey will soon be graced by the presence of Meximodo, an agave spirit bar and eatery, in Jersey City, but to bide the time, a trip to Metuchen should be in order. Meximodo is a lively bar and restaurant that holds the Guinness World Record for the largest tequila selection in the world. Try them in classic cocktails or in a flight, or pick your bartender's brain about any and all agave spirits.
Go: 5 Pearl St., Metuchen, and (soon) 25 Christopher Columbus Dr., Jersey City; 732-395-7767,
The Boat House, Lambertville
Take a trip out to northwest Jersey for a visit to The Boat House; you won't regret it. In this cozy, nautically adorned bar, you can nestle up to a date on the bottom floor, near the tiny bar, or head upstairs for a more spacious gathering. The environs will charm you, but the drinks will knock your socks off. Contemplate the many artifacts and artwork on the walls as you sip on expertly crafted classic cocktails, or stop by in summer for music under the stars.
Go: 8 Coryell St, Lambertville; 609-397-2244,
Matt Cortina is a food reporter for Record. Reach him at mcortina@
This article originally appeared on NJ bars we wish made USA Today's Bars of the Year list
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