Much has been written about Sullivan’s, but whatever’s been said bears repeating because some folks might be new in town and others may have taken leave of their senses—specifically the sense of taste and the sense of bellying up to the corner bar.
George Palermo opened Sullivan’s in 1958, and his son, George, took it over in the ’70s at the age of 18. The younger George says that things are tougher these days with corporate bar owners spending a lot of money.
“We’ll stay a family bar,” he says. “That’s all we’ll ever be. Cheap beer and burgers and talk. We don’t aspire to more than that.”
Well, that turns out to be quite a bit. Jonathan Escobar, a Sullivan’s regular, was enjoying a Yuengling on tap in the late afternoon on a sunny Wednesday. Like many Jersey City Heights residents, he spends a lot of time in Hoboken, and has been coming to Sullivan’s for two years. He’s impressed that George sat next to him one time and bought him a drink; Escobar had no idea that the freebie came from the owner.
Escobar confirms that the draft is fresh and cold, but it’s not the brew that he wants to talk about; it’s the food. Acknowledging that he is a foodie, he pronounces it “awesome,” singling out the Shrimp Palermo (sautéed shrimp with shallots, garlic, tomatoes, scallions, lemon-butter, and white wine sauce served with garlic sauce) and the Allison Pasta (a heaping portion of penne pasta in alfredo sauce with sliced grilled chicken, ham, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh basil and garlic, topped with melted provolone and parmesan cheese). He waxes worshipful about the hamburger buns, which aren’t your classic supermarket fare but really classy rolls.
Sullivan’s has a substantial menu, featuring appetizers, eggs, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, and entrees.
But wait a second, aren’t we talking about a bar here?
“We still have the reputation of being a big college bar like in the old days,” George says. “A lot of people are under the impression that we are just a bar. They should give the food a shot. We get great reviews. People say brunch is one of the best in town. … It’s all word of mouth.”
The food is homemade by cooks who are also members of the same family—father, son, and stepbrother. And George has a cousin, a niece, and the niece’s boyfriend working for him.
The younger George started out in the bar business and is still in it, but he has another high-profile career. He’s an actor who has appeared in films and on television in Loving, The City, Law and Order, NYPD Blue, The Beer League(appropriately) and in many other roles.
There was a time when he wanted to be in L.A., and though he’s still in Hoboken, he’s itching to get back into acting, and when we talked in the summer, he had contacted his agent to see what might be available.
He’d been working with his dad in the bar since the age of 18. “I just had to do something to get out of the bar once in a while,” he recalls. “You can’t stay all the time.” He thought he might be good at acting and landed a part in a small play. An agent saw him and sent him on an audition even though he didn’t even have a resume or head shots. Soon he had a three-year contract for a soap opera.
The bar business and the acting business do have synergy. “The bar helped me in my acting,” George says. He’s run into lots of characters in the bar. “I play off those characters and use them. I remember something someone did and incorporate it into a scene I’m doing.”
I’m sure Sullivan’s is full of characters, but it’s also full of regular neighborhood folks, looking for a cold brew, surprisingly fine food, and the Palermo family’s good cheer.
That guy who bought you a drink? There’s a good chance it was George, the actor.—Kate Rounds
Sullivan’s Bar & Grill
600 Washington St.
(201) 420-9849
PHOTOS BY Alyssa Bredin