The Tavern Great Meadows

We had a variety of meals from filet, ribs, Caesar salad, and burgers and all the meals were delicious. We had wings too as appetizers. We would come back again.

When I moved from Manhattan to Warren County, I left an endless cornucopia of cuisines from all over the planet. I could order breakfast, lunch, and dinner from three different continents and it would be delivered to my door in 25 minutes with one click of a mouse. Now, I live in a culinary wasteland of pizza, bad Chinese, and over-​cooked meat. I was dying to find a little variety.
So, we had a Groupon for this place and it was our first time there. After reading some other reviews, and walking into a completely empty joint on a Saturday night, we did not have high hopes.
Now, I should repeat some previous posters. While this is an authentic Portuguese restaurant, it is dressed up as a common roadside redneck bar, complete with $ 2 domestic draft specials and country music playing over the speakers. They do serve «American» food, too, so the less adventurous diner can find familiar staples as well (burgers, ribs, wings etc.). But we weren’t there for the décor or bar food.
We went straight for the Portuguese options, because duh. We split an app of chourico flambé, lit table side. It was juicy, crispy, meaty, and just the right amount of saltiness. Hubs ordered Picadinho, and I had Bife A Portuguese, which is a generous cut of steak, topped with ham, a fried egg, and braised in a light sauce. Holy shit, it was soooo good! The steak was a perfect tender medium rare and was seasoned well on its own. Then, with the ham and egg joining the party, I couldn’t stop eating even though I was beyond full. I could not figure out the sauce, but it was crack. I don’t know if I’ve ever chewed so slowly in my life. We so did not save room for desert, but there is definitely flan in our future.
Note, if you pay by credit card, the swipe takes place on an iPhone Square reader. Just follow the the on-​screen instructions. It will be ok.
Go now. Bring your friends. Keep these guys local! Support good food!

Lol horrible service n horrible food I should open a real Portuguese restaurant hopefully soon

The Tavern Restaurant located in Great Meadows NJ is a study in contradictions with a side of identity crisis.
TLDR: You can skip this place unless you have a hankering for Miller Lite and are dying to give your best Garth Brooks impersonation.
Reservations at 7 PM on a Friday night and we were seated promptly. Mostly because there was no one else to seat. Literally. Not a single dining patron. Uh oh, I thought.
We got menus that offered us a mostly Portuguese cuisine. Odd considering they bill themselves as a steakhouse and the place looks like a roadside saloon. We later learned from our friendly waitress, that The Tavern used to be a Portuguese restaurant and the new owners had kept most of the original menu. Uh oh, I thought again … this is going to be bad.
We ordered drinks (small draft beer selection … apparently the owners didn’t get the whole IPA movement memo) and food, which consisted of appetizers, entrees, dessert and coffee.
When the food arrived it was … actually not bad. I’m probably rating this a bit higher then it actually was due to surprising my low expectations at that point. The food which consisted of almost all Portuguese dishes (and a Mussels Fra Diavlo) was tasty and well done by and large. One of the plates had to be returned due to the Pork Medallions not actually being medallions (two dry bricks of pork loin). The portions were very generous and the rest of the food was tasty and prepared well. Steaks were cooked to order correctly and the appetizers were very yummy. The food overall was good but not great, but still a nice surprise considering the venue.
Then came the dessert and coffee. We had a hard time choosing dessert from the outrageous selection of … two desserts (carrot cake and flan). We tried each. Well if you’re going to offer an extremely limited selection you better do it right … and they knocked it out of the park. Both the carrot cake and the flan were simply amazing. Easily the best part of the meal. These were followed up by cups of coffee which were fairly amazing in their own right (really great coffee here).
Unfortunately our dining experience was trampled on by some of the worst hill billy karaōke I’ve ever heard. And this was coming from the DJ. Did I mention this was a bar? Well, being a bar (and apparently a red neck one at that) I ordered myself a Southern Comfort after dinner drink. I got half a high ball and apologies that they ran out of SoCo. What kind of red neck bar runs out of SoCo?!
On the upside, the bill was really cheap.
Finally we finished up, thanked our very attentive and friendly waitress, and left, being driven off by some really off key Darius Rucker wannabes. It’s not «Wag the Wheel», it’s «Wagon Wheel». Dipshits.
BTW the reviewer who mentioned that paying by credit card brings you face to face with an iPhone app and a waitress standing over your shoulder pointing out where to tip was 100% correct. I was happy to tip our waitress even a little more because she was really good but I could see where some people would get put off by that kind of attention.
Despite the jaded sounding review we had a good time but I think that was more due to the company (our friends) then the dining experience. My suggestion for the Tavern would be to concentrate on one or the other (bar or restaurant) rather than doing both poorly.
The Tavern looks like a roadside saloon and pretends to be a restaurant. It doesn’t do either particularly well, although it has a few perks on the restaurant side (some surprisingly good food here and there) and some loyal regulars on the bar side (perhaps a little too loyal). I mean $ 2.50 Miller Lite pint Happy Hours? Seriously?! Ewww.
NOTE: Apparently they’re redoing their menu soon. I’m expecting Thai-​Polish fusion.

Falling fast… different experience from prior, just 3 months ago. Friendly, but beginner wait staff. Food ok, but not a professionally run operation, on the restaurant side. Bar experience? Maybe…

We went here for dinner Saturday night 9÷13÷14. Bread was warm and very tasty with the rosemary olive oil dip. My chicken in garlic sauce was very good and the portion was very large. It came with two nice sized breasts and rice and potatoes. Plenty of leftovers, except for the potatoes that I couldn’t stop eating. My boyfriend had the special which was chicken with peppers, onions and chorizo sausage. Another good dish. He cleaned his plate though, no leftovers for him. He had the flan for dessert which he said was very good. Prices were reasonable. Would definitely go back. Waitress was very nice and talkative.

I have yet to have a bad experience here! I’ve gone at least 8 times (to the bar) and have nothing but fun times (and I go alone!). the bartenders could not be more friendly and anytime I have munched on something, it’s been delicious. maybe it’s because I usually go to sit and read in the afternoon, but the noise level has never bothered me, nor have patrons been obnoxious. the crowd seems to be middle-​aged and everyone is super friendly. I just went today, and the bartender/​owner put plates in front of the 8 or so of us sitting at the bar. she proceeded to give us a small order of wings, on the house, while we were having drinks. I spiked up a conversation with her and she told me all about the menu, the influences, and the different kinds of drinks they had that made them stand out from other bars. for a bar/​restaurant that is in the middle of northwest NJ, this is truly a gem. if you act respectful and gracious, I promise you will get rewarded. the vibe works for me and you never feel rushed or ignored; even when I was just reading my book, the employees are always attentive with a huge smile. I can actually say this is my favorite place to go solo. I only rated it 4 stars because I haven’t eaten in the restaurant part, so I cannot judge it on that. I’ve even nicknamed it «the Tav». I’ll keep going!

We would agree… what’s with those bad reviews? Totally contrary to our dinner experience.
We were started with warm, crusty bread accompanied by a rosemary-​garlic oil.
Next we shared Tavern Clams-​a step above the average clam dish as the chorizo and seasonings gave the broth (sop it up with more of that bread!) a pleasant twist.
Next he had the NY strip– cooked nicely and served with an ample portion of garlicky broccoli n carrots, and a side of rice pilaf and Portuguese fried potatoes. Coffee was good-​the waitress made us a fresh pot.
She had the sole stuffed w crabmeat (a huge, 2 piece portion) served w same vegetables and over a mountain of mashed potatoes– made from real, creamy potatoes. It would be remiss to review the Tavern without mentioning the portions are all huge! (As you can see from our pictures)
We finished with cheesecake– our least favorite part of this excellent meal.
The service was helpful and attentive.
The only negative was the echoing of the very loud bar crowd– would be so nice if there were a wall between the bar & dining room– it is only for that reason we can only give 4 stars. We will definitely be back!

Very pleased. Shrimp in Garlic sauce was awesome. Attentive service. Friendly owner & chef.
Good Luck!

Very clean and bright décor. Maybe a little too bright for a tavern. they could use some softer lighting.
Had dinner twice. First time I had a Portuguese dish of cubed pork and potatoes and clams. Decent dish, good comfort food. My wife had linguine with shrimp and scallops. Bay scallops weren’t much but the linguine was tender and the shrimp decent.
Second time I was there for happy hour and had fish tacos. Good fried fish and cabbage toppings. Tortillas were interesting. Just a little crispy but not fried. Could have used a white sauce or salsa fresca, but 3 normal sized tacos for $ 5 was a great deal. Grilled giant shrimp were probably 15 – 20 count (shrimp per pound) and served with veggies and starch of choice. I chose fries, which were pretty good. Veggies were very good, al dente and included kale. Shrimp were optional shells on or off. I chose on, but wouldn’t again. They were just a bit overdone for my taste, but satisfying.
Beer selection was satisfactory but not eclectic. I had Guiness on tap and was happy. Wine selection is too limited and needs improvement.
This place is a great addition to the area’s dining And a very good value.

Only been there for lunch, about 3 times now. Based on what I’m seeing, it looks like they are going for the lower end of the wallet on the entrees and lunch. Prices are low, most everything appears to be under 20. Lunch is all under 10.
With that said, I suppose it’s not a bad value. Beer selection isn’t too good, considering this is supposed to be a «Tavern» I would expect better. Bottle selection and tap are both uninspired. Bartenders are friendly. Food quality is okay for the price. When food is cheap you don’t have high expectations.

Visited here twice, the first time they had just opened. Both times on a Sunday so it was a little loud with the football crowd but not overbearing. Greeted by one of the owners who was very pleasant. Had enough menu options and food was decent. Will head back and see if some of the minor kinks get worked out. Hope they make it, because as some others have stated already there are not enough good places in the area.

This was a pleasant surprise after reading all these so called foodie reviews.
I use Unilocal as a barometer and since they are all over the place we decided to give it a go.
Very happy we did.
We opened with a DAO wine and a Jameson on the rocks. The Portuguese wine by the glass was very good indeed.
Then we had a Caesar salad that was the size of the Roman Coliseum; more than adequate with croutons surrounding the plate like surfboards stuck in the sand.
Apps were Calamari, was nice to see that they served the tentacles with the rest of the calamari. Not frozen pre dredged rings of rubber bands here.
Very nicely seasoned, tender calamari with a full flavored marinara.
Shrimp and Garlic were delivered with a large portion and tons of garlic in a wonderful sauce with enough viscosity to call it a sauce. Not just shrimp in oil and garlic. If you’ve had that somewhere you know what I mean. Actually we could have eaten the salad and apps and called it a night.
Alas we received our entrees. Steak au Poivre and Carne de Porco a Alentejana translated pork and clams in the style of Alentejana Portugal.
These guys are portuguese from the Ironbound section of Newark but just sprinkle in the Portuguese dishes on the menu since this restaurant is in the Wild West of New Jersey. People out in these parts get scared of anything ethnic.
Can’t blame them, yet I wish they would just come out of the closet and say who they are. Specials recited by the server were Paella Marinera (Seafood). Portobello mushroom stuffed with lump crabmeat and lobster topped with asiago cheese (Broiled) and that was a monster. Another in our party ordered that. She was the smart one. In that she got a salad and App. That’s it. Smart woman.
The only thing I would change was the numbers on the tables.
The linens, glassware and silverware were all classic Newark and food was great; but the number on the table cheapened up the look. Take those numbers off and it makes the table look totally different.
I guess runners that are new don’t know the tables yet and it saves embarrassing deliveries
All the food was fresh, made to order and not crazy expensive. If you think you’re getting crabmeat, clams, shrimp or rib eye steak on the cheap than this isn’t your place.
Entrees range from about 12.95 to 22.95.
I would return and try all the different types of beer they have as another adventure in the bar. It was Sunday night so the Monster flat screens all had football games galore.
Don’t be scared off by the strange reviews. It’s not anything like these other Unilocalers have said it is.
Must be some good ‘ol boys from the sticks that don’t pay more than 9.95 for a sizzling steak of grizzle with some wagon wheels and axle grease at the Columbia Truck Stop.
You want slop go eat slop. You want thought out food give it a go like us.

As a resident of Great Meadows I was excited to see a new restaurant open. We certainly need it. I have now been there about 6 times. Twice for dinner and the rest for drinks and snacks at the bar with my wife. Dinner both times was Ok at best, but definately not worth the high prices for the area. Drinks at the bar are good, but again way over priced for the area. This place needs to set themselves apart from the other bars/​reastaurants by offering good food and drinks at reasonable prices. They have been unwilling to do this so far. Word spreads to quickly in a small town, and from reading other reviews we’re not alone in our experience with this place.
Hopefully they wake up soon and make some changes.

I’m confused by the negative reviews. We came for drinks and dinner. We were greeted promptly and kindly. We ordered a beer and white sangria — hard to go wrong with beer and the sangria made by the glass was delicious.
Next we asked to be seated for dinner. It was about 7pm and getting crowded but they set a table and sat us right away.
We ordered the crab cakes for an appetizer — 2 huge crab cakes, this could be a meal. For dinner my husband had the garlic chicken, very tender and an interesting presentation chicken, veggies, rice and french fries and the portion was HUGE. Different but good. I had french onion soup and the Portuguese sausage and shrimp (another meal sized appetizer) for dinner. We also loved the warm bread they bring to the table. Our bill was $ 85 and included 2 beers and 2 big glasses if sangria.
Not sure why everyone is being so hard on this place its only been open 4 weeks. C’mon lets give them a break and positive feedback so they can improve anything that needs improving. We don’t have ANY decent restaurants or places to just enjoy a drink in the area. Lets do what we can to keep this place going!!!

Nice atmosphere, good service, but that is where it all ends.
Food was TERRIBLE, to the point where my boyfriend and I spent the evening in the bathroom. You could actually smell meat that had turned cooking in the kitchen. Clams — overcooked, scallops — overcooked. Fish tacos — soggy tortilla, brown guacamole, hardly any fish. Steak — tough and TURNED! The chef and owner should be ashamed of what is coming out of that kitchen. I have literally never been to a place this substandard. Even worse, way over-​priced!
They just opened and are already in need of Kitchen Nightmares!!! Don’t waste your time here — not even the drinks are worth it. Beer isn’t even chilled to the right temperature. They couldn’t even get that right. What a shame!

Here it is from the start
Greeted nice and seated quickly
Asked for drink order they have no drinkable wine by the glass. Brand is coastal. I ordered a grey goose and club. Came on a nice large pint glass. My wife was happy with her Pinot Grigio
Ordered chicken tacos and jumbo shrimp cocktail Chicken tacos large portion and good. Jumbo shrimp were tiny I mean tiny. And they were hot like they just defrosted them in the microwave. That is just inexcusable by the kitchen
Ordered French onion soup my wife like it. I ordered the porterhouse steak. It was a very nice cut. But how do you cook a steak on a griddle. Really. And it was overcooked
Finally they show up with the bill. If you use a credit card they use an iPhone and card swiper to process. All the while the waitress stands over your shoulder while you put in her tip.
Guys all this is fixable. Fix the kitchens quality control. Fix the wines by the glass issue. Oh and think about your prices on this area. $ 100 for two is tough.

The first impression was great. Awesome food, and perfect service. A+ bar