Are you looking for a place that has homestyle cooking, a friendly atmosphere, sports, and a fantastic view? Look no further than The Dubliner, 96 River St. in Hoboken.
The Dubliner, which sits on the corner of River and First streets, has three floors with three different atmospheres. It recently geared up to hold its opening party tonight (Thursday, Sept. 15).
The atmosphere
The ground floor features a hand-carved mahogany bar, exposed brick on the walls, and stained glass on the ceiling. The dark wood is softly lit by white globes that hang over the bar. The matching wood tables and the flat screen televisions in the bar area complete the cozy pub atmosphere.
Just off the bar area are two private rooms, The Antique Room and The Phoenix, which face the street. Diners can eat there or have cocktails.
The second floor is the game area. In addition to the bar and the high-top cocktail tables, there is a pool table, a dart board, and a P.G.A. golf game. The spacious room has windows all around.
The third floor boasts a spectacular rooftop bar with views of Manhattan. The rooftop has ample seating and tables. On all three floors, the full menu is available.
Soups and salads
For starters, I tried Audrey’s salad, which was an entrée-sized spinach salad. The large leaves of spinach hold slices of mushrooms, thinly sliced onion, and curls of real bacon. The suggested dressing was the Italian, which was served warm and on the side. The spicy bacon gave a kick to the mild dressing and complimented the smooth texture of the mushrooms and spinach.
There are three other entrée salads to choose from including: Caesar salad, Cobb Salad, and the chicken, apple, and goat cheese over mixed greens. They are reasonably priced from $6 to $9. There are two soups, a creamy country vegetable and an onion soup with melted Swiss cheese. Both are homemade and are $4.
The shrimp cocktail ($9) comes with a homemade specialty cocktail sauce. The portion includes six large lightly grilled shrimp. The shrimp were delicious with the slightly tangy sauce that is a combination of red sauce, vinegar, mayonnaise, and secret spices.
Steaks
For dinner I had the NY Strip steak. The aged angus beef was 14 ounces of seasoned perfection. The steak is tender and juicy and comes with a heaping portion of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. It also comes with the daily vegetable, which will vary. On the night I was there, I had a mixed portion of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.
The portion is large even for those with a hearty appetite. Other grilled meats include: Filet Mignon, a 20 oz. Porterhouse, and the rack of lamb.
More food
In addition to the grilled meats, they offer regular bar food including: Buffalo wings, chicken fingers, and potato skins. The appetizers are $6 to $7. There are sandwiches including: a grilled chicken, a sliced steak sandwich with melted cheese, onions and bacon, and an 8 oz. hamburger. All of the sandwiches come with French fries and are priced from $8 to $9.
Traditional treats from Dublin include: chicken pot pie, Sheppard’s pie, fish and chips, and a mixed grill which is similar to an Irish breakfast. All of the Irish food is $10.
The portions for all the food are large, so arrive hungry and prepare to be satisfied. The homemade desserts include a seven-layer chocolate cake and a cheesecake. In addition to those two, there will be a daily special dessert.
Watching sports
There are 10 high-definition plasma screen televisions that are spread throughout the three floors. The bar has the NFL football package for Mondays and Sundays.
During the week, the bar offers drink and appetizer specials. On Sundays, they have buckets of beer, draft specials, and sampler platters. Mondays, they have beer specials and half priced wings. Tuesday is half-priced martini night. Wednesday, Fiesta Night, has buckets of Corona, half priced margaritas and nachos. Thursday night happy hour is from 4 to 9 p.m. with $4 hurricanes.
On Sundays they will also serve brunch from 11 to 2 p.m. The rooftop bar and terrace is available for private parties. Call for more information. All major credit cards are accepted.
For more information please call The Dubliner, (201) 656-7731.