Sanai’s Restaurant and Lounge

Location was not stocked with alcohol. Beer was warm because the refrigerator was not working right. In addition there was no food selection. They did not have food stocked so 80 percent of the menu was not available.

Well sometimes you should just heed the warnings. Went to a Murder Mystery Dinner here on Saturday. We had a group of 18 go. Yayy Lets go 80’s, but that was the most exciting thing about this whole experience. I don’t know who to blame more, the production company or the restaurant.
#1 table seating was sooo tight, once you sat, you could not get out to mingle. the space was so small, you also could not get around to mingle with other guests or to really participate. the only good thing was the suspects (most of) made their way around to the tables. On several occasions, I had to crawl under the table to get out, and practically climb on top of another guest just to get away from my table. There was also little or no heat! The room was FREEZING! 2 of our guests left early because there was no heat and the little space heater set up behind our table might as well have been off because it did nothing.
#2 the ticket included salad, dinner, dessert. — when we arrived at the table we were given additional menus if we wanted appetizers or drinks. ok no issue, but then I noticed there wasn’t even Water on the tables. A bottle of water on the menu was $ 3.00, and there was no refills if you ordered juice or soda, so it was pretty much like being at a bar. I know they said no drinks were included, but seriously, you cant even provide water on the tables???
#3 the manager, who was the server for our table informed us there was also a mandatory $ 5 service charge per person, and since 2 people didn’t show, we would have to compensate for them. Yes, the tickets said gratuity was not included in ticket price, gratuity is at the discretion of the person receiving the service. I work in the service industry and I tip very well, but to be told when I am there (announced to the whole room) that there is a mandatory service charge was bonkers, and to be told we would have to pay for the 2 that did show up was absurd!!! We were also unaware that there was no parking and to park in the lot next door cost $ 10
#4 Beverage service was very very, very, slow, was often mixed up. Wine was under poured and empty glasses or bottles were not removed. The only time you could get an additional beverage was when you hunted down a server and practically demanded one
#5 Dinner service was shameful. The brought out 2 meals at a time. Mind you there were 100 or so people in the room. By the time we received our meals, the WHOLE room was finished and within moments, dessert was being served
* The dinner was good. Not bad, but not mind blowing. — I ordered the chicken with mashed potatoes and spinach. I eat small portions, but OMG, the portion sizes were very very small, I truly had one forkful of spinach on my plate.
#6 A dinner was placed at our table even though we told the server that the person had left. 15 mins later, the server returned and asked if he could have that dinner because they messed up and it was suppose to go across the room to another table. I gasped in horror (yes I really did) How do you come over and ask for something that has been sitting out and since it was by the window and stone wall, no COLD??? ANNNNNNNDDDD How do you expect to give it to someone else to eat!!! That was horrible!!! well anyways I said no that’s disgusting and made him go away.
#7 Dessert was a mere mini cupcake on a plate. well that’s what it looked like. It was a flowerless chocolate what looked like a lava cake, but was the size of a brownie bite or mini cupcake you get from the store. It was ok. My friend loved it, but meh not for me.
#8 The manager kept telling us our food was coming and the other table across from us got theirs first because they ordered the gold package. ARE YOU SERIOUS, nearly 45 mins before us and there were only 2 gold tables with what I believe was 8 people. they also only had 4 people serving the whole room!
This venue is too small, too unorganized, too under staffed, to unprofessional to host events like this.
The restaurant downstairs might be good, IDK because I didn’t dine there, but as an events venue, RUN AWAY!!!
And shame on The Murder Mystery Co.
for choosing such a small venue to host your show!

Came here for the murder mystery dinner. Food was decent and our server was ok. Drinks were strong.

If I could give 0 stars… I think I would. I attended an AMAZING event at this location and even with how great the event and performance was I have NOTHING nice to say about the restaurant where it was hosted. To start, the food was pretty gross which was included in our ticket for the event which costed a pretty penny. I was not expecting an amazing 5-​star meal, but definitely better then this. I would have been happier with fast food. The salad was not fresh, my soda was flat, my appetizer was cold, and the pasta was meh. We ordered an appetizer of nachos as soon as we sat and it took about 45 minutes and asking about it twice to come out. Then to our dismay, it was stale chips with cheese melted on it, why did this take 45 minutes? In addition of asking the waitresses twice, they made me feel like an idiot for even asking. They were very rude. At least if you are going to serve horrible food, make up for it with amazing service.
I feel so bad giving such a poor rating when I truly had an amazing night attending a murder mystery dinner. My family and I would love to attend another dinner but will only go if it is at a new restaurant.

This is a real find. I found Sanai’s on Unilocal and most of the reviews were very good to outstanding and I was looking for a place near Journal Square. I am so glad that I went there. Grace was behind the bar and she is a real mixologist — she makes excellent drinks like Sangria and uses only fresh ingredients.
Terry, the owner, makes everyone feel welcome and there was a good crowd. I ordered the calamari which was excellent and Terry said to try the penne pesto with chicken — this was outstanding.
There is finally an excellent bar/​restaurant near JSQ. I will become a regular.

Love the food there, their penne w vodka sauce is my fav… Though pretty much everything is really good. Environment is okay, They sometimes have a DJ if not it’s the radio. I give this place 5 stars for their food it’s so delish

The food here is amazing. You can choose anything and enjoy it! Terry is friendly and attentive! Definitely recommend this place!

Had an atrocious experience here last night. The place was almost empty except for some people at the bar and one table. Our waitress provided some of the worst service I’ve ever experienced. We were never greeted and were only seated after standing around for five minutes. We had to wait ten minutes to place an order and over an hour to receive any food. If the place was busy, I would understand, but there were literally 5 other people and we ordered 2 sandwiches and a salad. In fact, our waitress left in the middle of our order to check if the kitchen still had rolls, and then proceeded to stop off at and hang out with the only other table for about ten minutes before coming back to take the rest of the order! She brought the other table wine samples and then a new bottle of wine. When she finally returned and finished taking our order, she then came back five minutes later saying they were out of multiple things we had ordered. When we had been waiting 45 mins for our food and I asked her to check on it she said ‘oh ya it’s coming right out’. Yeah. Right. Not true at all.
She was completely unconcerned and unapologetic for the LONG wait and missing items. She clearly just wanted to hang out and talk at the bar. I am very understanding of how difficult kitchen work is, but for a moderately priced placed, this was inexcusable. I would recommend everyone avoid it.

I had high hopes for this place — I ended up being disappointed. We got there early tonight, literally when they opened and they were not ready. Now I get that we were early (@ exactly 5)… But we waited for 15 minutes because the servers arrived after us. I even grabbed my own menus as well as my own sets of silverware on our way to the table. Water was not given to us, I had to ask. While waiting, I noticed the bar was dirty, it was not wiped down the night before. Our table, as well as the wooden floors were dirty, they shined in the bright spotlights; cup rings and leftover liquor spills.
The atmosphere is nice… I was excited because I had read that it was one of the oldest buildings in Jersey City ! It definitely showed; you can smell it coming in and the walls were bare with old stone and there was tons of exposed old wooden beams. It is beautiful.
The Food. I ordered the mussels with spicy tomato sauce but got garlic wine instead. I won’t complain because the broth was delicious… My boyfriend laughed as I slurped it up. I got the blackened tilapia for dinner. It was the driest fish I ever had. Sooooo disappointing! was hard to cut with a knife!!! Fish should be soft and flakey and cut with a fork. Such a shame… The sauce was good though. My bf ‘s steak was plain and fatty, and he asked for mashed potatoes but got fries.
Sanai’s — you have a lot of potential but you need a few things. Better management, consistency, and cleanliness. The sangria was delicious but everything else needed work. I would only be back for drinks and maybe apps.
P. S. No one else came by the time we left around 6:30. Except for murder mystery people which I’m sure were a bunch of first time groupon users. That says A LOT. I hope they can improve on some of these issues because like I said, this place has potential.

Went there for the murder mystery dinner. Had to pay 8 bucks to park unless walk 2 blocks. Oh and the place is in the hood. We were a party of five, we walked in they some loud hip hop playing at the bar. We were told to get there at 6pm the show would start at we got there at 6 no one was ready and they told us it now starts at 645. The place smelled of mildew needed the rest room thats down stairs where we smelled raw sewage. Than we were told the dinner theater is up stairs we had some one with us who has a hard time with stairs. That was it we went to a nice place closer to home. Sometimes you just have to cut and run.

I think I may have come to Sanai’s on a bad night for a nice meal with my husband, because their whole upstairs was booked with a Steeler’s football game party, and they had the world’s loudest DJ set up downstairs where the tables were, so my husband and I could barely hear ourselves talk.
So, first off, the ambiance SUCKED. Not romantic at all. But, we had a living social deal here so we decided to stick it out.
My husband ordered the half chicken platter, and I ordered the house special salad and a margarita pizza. After ONE HOUR (seriously, I timed it because I was going to leave if 5 more minutes went by without us getting our food), we got the salad. It was, thankfully, delicious. Crisp apples, fresh lettuce, and the perfect amount of goat cheese to balance out the fruit in it. A+ salad. About 10 minutes later my husband’s dish and my pizza came out. My husband said his half chicken with veggies and rice was well-​cooked and flavorful.
My «margarita» pizza was a different story. It was a store-​bought tortilla with a tiny amount of what tasted like canned marinara on it smothered with a handful of greasy yellow cheese and a few bits of garlic. It was so very sad. Not even as good as a normal slice you can get anywhere in JC.
It might be better given a second chance, but given the quality of the dining scene in JC, it won’t be getting one.

Last night was my first time eating at Sanai’s (to be honest, I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 4 years and it was my first time being aware of its existence). The only reason I knew of this place was because it was on LivingSocial and I got a deal from there, so off I went with my husband. I don’t know how they would better advertise in my neighborhood, but they should — because no one I know has even heard of it.
We arrived and got seated quickly. The place is attractive — stone walls, wood beam ceilings — very nice. The bar and downstairs lounge area are lovely, too. My only issue with the dining room was the music, which was both loud and the pop/​hiphop did not match the surroundings. At least 2 or 3 songs played that involved obscene language regarding women. I don’t have children, but I certainly would NOT bring them if this music continues. It would be fine if those speakers were just at the bar, but there were loud speakers right above my head in the dining room. Also: I’m not a fan when fine-​dining places feel the need to have flat-​panel TVs on the wall. This dining room could be genuinely classy, but all of the above really detract from it.
The menus are HUGE. No, not the selection. The physical menus. They’re massive. There was a nice selection of food to choose from, but it felt like a resaurant with an identity crisis. Most of the entrees were what I would consider fine-​dining (and looked great … I had trouble choosing just one), but the appetizers were little more than bar foods (buffalo wings, quesadillas, etc.). I think maybe they should consider a separate bar menu and just keep the better appetizers on the fine-​dining menu. Strangely, the hostess was also our waitress, which is fine I guess considering it was a slow Tuesday night.
We ordered a Sanai’s house salad to start, the chicken dijon, and the salmon medallions.
The salad was pretty decent; romaine, apple slices, craisins, goat cheese, diced mango. The mango was really unripe but the salad was otherwise pretty good, though not really enough to serve as a stand alone meal.
The chicken dijon was absolutely delicious. Kudos to the chef! However, the menu says «wild mushrooms» come with the chicken dijon — the mushrooms on my plate were definitely portobellos which I’m sure are not wild at all. The salmon medallions were not medallions whatsoever (just filets of salmon), but were otherwise delicious and the serving was very generous on both. The menu said the medallions come with pine nuts, which were nowhere to be found. These are little details to be sure, and the food was great either way, but don’t lie on your menu.
All in all a good experience. My husband said he would come again and pay full price. The food is definitely worth the prices, but I would bring ear plugs for next time unless I want to be submitted to more music that glorifies ‘bustin pussies’.

I came here on an early Friday night after a recommendation. We waited for a host who never came. We had to stroll inside the restaurant searching for someone to help us. A random person told us to sit anywhere.
I could’ve dealt with that but the music was INCREDIBLY loud. Even all the way in the back, we had to scream to hear each other and we couldn’t hear anything from the waitress. Music is fine, but it shouldn’t be blaring like it’s a club — there was a massive DJ in the middle. Before we ordered anything, we just walked out. I doubt the waitress noticed.

Don’t order the pork chops, they serve them RAW! (4 of the 5 at the table sent them back)
Service is horrible, can’t get a drink.,

This place is absolutely amazing! All the years I have lived in Jersey City and I am so upset I never took the time to visit this restaurant before now. My sister held a surprise birthday party for me at this venue and it was everything I could ask for and more! The relaxed lounge/​restaurant venue was perfect for my event. My friends and I had a private room downstairs away from the actual restaurant, which made it very intimate. The up-​to-​date posh décor made everything feel elegant and inviting. Everything from the sofas, pillows, table settings and wall decorations were so captivating and sensual.
The employees of the restaurant were great! They were attentive and very pleasant adding an additional thumbs up for Sanai’s!
The patrons of the restaurant were very grown and sexy. Which is even more inviting. Music was great and food was even better. I plan to make this my new spot for Girl’s Night Out and Date Night.
You have to try the pizza, calamari and wings!
This is truly one of Jersey City’s Hidden Secrets!

This place was quite a surprise. I was there with a large group and it took forever for them to bring out our entrees. (I later learned that there was another large group upstairs and the kitchen was just overwhelmed.) However, once the food came out, I was won over. My chicken in dijon sauce ($ 16) was awesome. The salads looked great. One person ordered the fish and chips and loved it.
My two complaints: they need a decent wine list. The only red wine we could get was a Rosemount Shiraz. It was awful. Such good food deserves good wine. Please, add some good California, Italian or French wines. They should also get some good beer on tap.
But, all in all, this place is a good value with good, friendly service and very good food.

I have been to Sanai’s twice now, and I really like this place. The first time I came to dinner with friends and the second time I attended the Murder Mystery Dinner. This place is awesome! From the time you walk in, you get such a good feeling. It is such a great neighborhood spot.
During my recent visit to attend the Murder Mystery Dinner, I started off with the Sangria — let me tell you it is good and strong! It was so delicious! For our dinner, there is a pre-​fixe menu where you select your options, but you can also order appetizers from the menu. We decided on the fries and buffalo wings and they were delicious. The Murder Mystery dinner starts with a salad, then a choice of Pork Chops or Penne with Vodka Sauce, ending with a dessert (I’m sure the menu changes — these were the choices when we attended). I chose the Pork Chops and they were very good.
The Murder Mystery Dinner is awesome! It is so much fun and is a good way to celebrate a birthday, engagement, anything!
This is a fantastic spot right behind the Journal Square Path station — very convenient. Sanai’s will probably become our hangout spot! You should definitely give it a try!

Loved it and can’t wait to come back! The food is good and the drinks are even better! The bartender made GREAT Sangrias! Tried the white, the red and the pomegranate and loved ‘em all!
Parking available for $ 8 in a private lot next door too, plus i’ts just a short walk to Journal Square!
**Please refer to my review for Sanais Murder Mystery Dinner for a more thorough review of my complete experience!**

I absolutely adore this place. My coworkers and I have come here twice now after works to shoot the shit. The service is great and the ambience is awesome.
They have excellent happy hour specials — $ 4 Calamari and $ 4 pizza. Also, very great sangrias!
I was last there on a Wednesday evening and the kitchen closed at 9. We requested food and although the kitchen was closed, they opened it up for us and we got excellent sliders and french fries. Delish.
Will definitely come back.

Who would have ever known that such a wonderful place was tucked away in the heart of Jersey City!!! This place may be Jersey City’s best kept secret. It is also right around the corner from the Journal Square Path Station (location, location, location…)
Once you step through the doors you forget that you are in Jersey City because you are taken in by the cool, lounge-​like vibe. The staff was friendly, the bar fully stocked, the décor soothing…
But lets talk about the important stuff… THE FOOD!!! CAN YOU SAY FANTASTIC!!! I don’t know who the person was with the magic in their hands behind those doors. but I need them to keep doing what they do!!! I tried the Blackened Tilapia… recommended to me by a nice young lady who seems to frequent the establishment. SHE WAS MORE THAN RIGHT! It was a great dish, served over a bed of rice, with a very tasty sauce. I cleaned my plate… may have licked the sauce off if that wasn’t frowned upon in public!!! They have a full menu of many tasty dishes. I can’t wait to get there again to try something else.
The night I visited (Friday Night) there also happened to be a live band playing in the downstairs area. This area is setup like a NYC lounge with couches, ottoman’s, candlelight, etc. When I got downstairs the band was jamming, the folks were rocking, and some folks were getting a good dance in. As I was sitting, doing my best chair dancing, a young lady pulled me on the floor and I joined in the party. This was the vibe that flowed from everyone in the place… friendly and a whole lot of fun!!!
If you live in Northern Jersey… or even if you don’t and you are just looking for a fun place to hang with great food, great drinks, and great people. you need to come out and try Sanai’s!!! You don’t know what you are missing!!!