Every year, thousands flock to Hoboken for its annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is held a week earlier then the actual holiday—this year it's on March 7. The chance to drink green beer twice is the reason many New Yorkers make their annual pilgrimage across the Hudson, but there are a variety of reasons to drink in Hoboken that have nothing to do with loving the Irish, going to shows at Maxwells or hating sales tax (there's none in NJ). After all, depending where you're starting from, it's easier to get to Hoboken than it is to get to Brooklyn or Queens. Did that just blow your mind? Here's a round-up of some of our favorite Hoboken bars, worth the $1.75 each way.
For frattastic college re-enactment:
Black Bear Bar & Grill
If you think back on your college fraternity days with fondness, this rowdy and hearty Washington Street favorite might be the right place for you on weekend nights. With blasting Top 40 music, overprotective boyfriends in white t-shirts, and a crowd so large you can barely move, it's like a time warp back to sophomore year. Acres of TVs cater to sports fans on both of the bar's two floors, and, compared to NYC, the drinks are reasonably priced—changing nightly specials include $3 margaritas, $3 Blue Moons and $8 Yuengling pitchers. Not a great bar for holding a conversation, but if you're looking to relive your early 20s while doing some inebriated dancing, you could do worse. (The make-your-own Bloody Mary bar at brunch is an added incentive.)
For classy Italian bites and worldly wines:
Bin 14 Trattoria & Wine Bar
Anthony David, chef/owner of The Dining Room at Anthony David's on 10th Street (also in Hoboken), saw that the town lacked a wine bar and wisely filled the gap with Bin 14. With its candlelit interior and recycled-brick walls, Bin 14's atmosphere is warm, relaxed and date-friendly—without being cloyingly so. A globe-spanning wine menu offers more than 100 bottles ranging from $28 to $200, with most falling between $30 and $60, and many available in two- and six-ounce pours. If you get hungry, and we recommend that you do, Bin serves more than a dozen varieties of bruschetta (like the beef tartare and the truffled eggs, $3-$6), diminutive wood-fired pizzas ($8) and a handful of other savory small plates, like the crispy sweetbreads with pancetta ($9).
For live music in a laid-back spot:
The Goldhawk Bar & Lounge
Maxwells had long been the only place to catch live music (aside from cover bands) in Hoboken, but the Goldhawk, off the main Washington Street drag, is quickly changing that. Several tables and couches surround a small stage, giving it an intimate coffee-house feel, and performers' music is usually more singer/songwriter-y then hard rocking, with special nights showcasing new material and works-in-progress—and, of course, the always (well, often) fun hit-or-miss open mic nights. If you're looking for a less musical evening you can hang out by the main bar, where there's an impressive rotating drink special.
For bottle service and shmancy cocktails:
Nine (pictured)
It's often said that Hoboken's nightspots are variations on the same formula (bar, pool table, dartboard, DJ, rinse, repeat), but Nine lounge is definitely cut from a different and far glitzier cloth. Designed by the people who brought you Meatpacking District behemoths Aer and Pink Elephant, the labyrinthine Nine offers three floors and four separate rooms, all furnished with plush, gray-velvet couches and sleek banquettes, and is one of the few places in town that feature bottle service. Specialty cocktails, like the Raspberry Rose Mojito and the Grapetini, will run you upwards of $11, while a Caribbean-Asian fusion tapas menu offers small and not-so-small bites, like ahi tuna sliders and crispy coconut shrimp, for $6 to $29. It's a dress-up joint (but there's no door cover), so remember to leave the baseball cap and sneakers at home.
For free wings, dancing and The Big Game:
10th & Willow
First thing you have to know about this logically named bar is that their tasty wings are free on Mondays, which is 1) great, but 2) means the place can get crazy packed—and huge crowds are something 10th & Willow already has no trouble drawing. Depending on the time you visit, however, you can get two very different vibes: If you're catching the game on one of their many flat screens or grabbing a meal (they've got a typical American menu, featuring specialty burgers, sandwiches, steaks and snazzy bar food), the atmosphere is chilled-out and fun, but, on the other hand, if you're there to party late-night, you can count on big crowds, loud music and lots of dancing. It's also quite a hike from the PATH, so you'll probably want to catch a cab if you're coming from NYC.
For beer drinkers, 21-year-olds and classic Irish bar-enthusiasts:
The Shannon
Quickly becoming a Hoboken favorite (as evidenced by the long lines that form by 10:30 p.m. on weekends), Irish standby The Shannon has a lot going on besides its awesome happy hours (like half-price wine and $3 Yuenglings). The front area is your typical sports bar, with walls of flat screens and forests of stools, but the huge back room is where most of the nighttime action happens: With more then ample room for patrons to dance, the DJ has no trouble getting people up and moving, plus The Shannon has two pool tables and a spiffy dart setup to boot.
For the swankiest club scene Hoboken has to offer:
Lana Lounge
If you're looking for a night of Hoboken booty-shakin', Lana's your spot. It's the only true dance club in the neighborhood, and boasts a cavernous two-floor dancing area featuring three individual bars on the bottom floor and another on the second, which only opens after midnight (if you get there early, you'll be ushered back to the front area). The music is what you expect from a club—rap, hip-hop, techno and dance, sometimes a few throwbacks—and there's a cover Thursday through Saturday. Interestingly, they've started serving sushi and Cuban food till around 10-ish—an odd but not unwelcome development. Bonus: It's just one block from the PATH stop.
Photo courtesy Nine
