The Office Tavern Grill

Stopped by to catch up with a friend from the area, he knows I like beer so I imagine that influenced his choice of location. Very nice beer menu with something for everyone including a small section dedicated to local NJ beers. While I didn’t see anything mind blowing I had 3 local beers I’ve never had before and all were good. We only ordered apps and a flat bread pizza to share but everything was on the scale from good to great.
Service was fast and friendly, atmosphere was inviting modern classy casual. Wouldn’t mind stopping by again to have a real meal.

I’ve lived in Summit for a few years and was very excited when they revamped The Office. After Beacon Hill Tavern closed we were in dire need off a Signature Burger place. The Old Office was very tired and seemed like it was only busy when the college kids come home.
Sufficed to say the new Office is a much nicer environment with a greater selection and what seems to be much better food. I’ve tried it 4 or 5 times since it opened, with friends, by myself, at a table, in the bar and they have scored a 100% consistency rating of having utterly terrible service.
They have plenty of people obviously working there, but they have no idea how to take care of their customers, they don’t check-​in regularly, they don’t notice empty drinks that may need refilling, food takes a while to get delivered, you have to flag them down to get their attention and forget about bringing kids there… they have no idea about getting the kids food out fast.
As I write this I’m not sure why I gave them so many chances. I guess I cut them a lot of slack as they have had to hire new people, but the experience has not gotten any better after months of time to iron things out. Earlier this week, I finally had enough after waiting an hour for a sandwich while sitting at the bar. I even checked on it 40 minutes after ordering it and was told it was on the way. I asked for the check and had to request they remove the sandwich from my bill. When they asked why, I said because I ordered it an hour ago and never saw it. In fairness to the manager who heard when I asked to have it taken off the bill, they did apologize and offer to send me home with something, but I politely declined and said no thank you.
After all of the money you obviously spent on your renovation, on the building and the equipment, you forgot the most important investment… your staff — they are 100% the face of your business and the ambassadors of your success, or in this case the one consistent ingredient to your failure. They are repelling your customers and every customer you lose is at an exponential cost as you have no way of determining how many checks over a year you could have counted on from them.
With me, you’ve lost a family of 5 with very young kids that was a local customer (and all of the business that goes with a repeat customer) and I decided that you folks just don’t know how to train your staff to perform their jobs at par, not even perform them well or be rated as excellent (which I would think you would want).
Train your people and you might get me back in there for another try, but until then I’ll spend my money elsewhere… Winberries if I have to, Huntley, Committed Pig, even the Hat Tavern does it better.
My advice, vote with your wallet. There are plenty of restaurants that know how to treat their customers. I’m an optimist, maybe these guys will turn it around, maybe not. I hear there is a new place going into where Monster Sushi was — maybe they will get it right.

One appetizer, one mixed drink, two adult meals and one children’s meal… $ 120. Way too much for an OK meal at the Office. Service was slow and the waitress got very confused when we tried to use a gift card. Will not be returning. The food wasn’t good enough for the price.

Very good service, had lunch al fresco today the weather was perfect. I had the roasted chicken tacos. They were delicious but a bit too spicy for me as the chicken is drenched in a spicy sauce. I asked for no sauce but the waitress said that wasn’t possible. I think we had a miscommunication b/​c I should have just asked for the tacos to be made with grilled chicken. The menu is ‘unique’ and missing some staples that you would expect in a bar & grill. I don’t mind being original but not at the expense of some normal items as well as some healthy options which there are few. No grilled chicken sandwich? Cmon! Yes they’ll make you one but you better be specific. The atmosphere is fantastic. I recommend you try this place.

I hadn’t been here since it was refurbished and I will say they did a good job. I’m surprised I never reviewed this place before because I’ve visited occasionally for years. Lunch was good. I had it at the bar. Service was friendly and they seemed to know what was going on. It’s been years but i remember going to the Office in Bridgewater and both at table and at the bar facing servers who didn’t have a clue as to much of anything. I had country ham sliders with cheese. They were good and served with what were called hash browns — really a browned potato mix with cheese. Also pretty good. The beer selection is solid. Time for the pet peeve: just because you have a sound system doesn’t mean you have to blast it. I really don’t want to listen to the great hits of the 90s or whatever at ear splitting volume. In fairness they are only slightly too loud here but you have to raise your voice and this is not relaxing. If I’m with someone, I want to talk to them .If I’m by myself I read. I’m not interested in adolescent love songs! I want good food and drink in a nice atmosphere not a «scene».

After not being thrilled with our last couple of meals here before the big renovation, my wife and I waited a few months after reopening to give The Office another try. Sadly we were disappointed again.
We went for a Saturday lunch and ate outside. I ordered the avocado & crabmeat flatbread (sort of a mini-​pizza) and my wife ordered the Belgian waffle. Her single smallish waffle came out on a giant plate, making it look even smaller than it was. It was squishy in texture, not the least bit crisp, with the same texture as a microwaved pancake. A crime for $ 10.
My flatbread was underdone as well, and featured a super-​bland tomato sauce (straight out of a can, I’m guessing) and very fishy pieces of shredded crabmeat. Of course I wasn’t expecting fresh caught crab chunks for $ 14, but this plate was a disappointment. The avocado was perfectly ripe and generous, so not a complete loss.
Our very polite and friendly server asked us how the meal was, and though we never complain, we felt compelled to let him know how poor the waffle was. My wife even showed him how completely spongy it was with her fork. The server gave us a «sorry about that» but shrugged it off and strolled away. Why ask how the meal is if it doesn’t really matter? It’s my guess that this young fellow had not been trained at all on how to react to a customer’s concern, and so it’s hard to blame him for the lack of reaction.
Needless to say, we probably won’t return anytime soon. We really wanted to love this place, so the disappointment is strong.

Best place for a burger and beer … Can’t complain about anything … Everything was on point

Never before have you wanted to say «I’m headed to the Office,» but this chain of taverns has never done me wrong.
There’s one in my hometown of Ridgewood, although it’s a bit on the dated side. I was so jealous when I saw the Summit location. Can you say facelift? Everything is brand spankin’ new. So 2016. Yas. (That term is probably outdated but I haven’t kept up on the lingo so it’ll have to do.)
We were a group of 5 ladies that sat at the bar, and we were very well attended to by at least 3 employees. They all joked around with us and made us feel very welcome. Service gets an A+
We ordered the «Couldn’t decide» appetizer sampler to share, and I was a huge fan of their fried mozzarella triangles. But I think my favorite part was the beer selection. 40 beers on tap? Hello! As a craft beer lover I was very impressed — I got a nice pour of the Elysian Spacedust IPA for $ 7.
Altogether, it was a great experience. After you’re done at the (boring) office, stop by the (fun) Office for some awesome food and drinks! You won’t regret it.

I am not going to lie this is really hard to rate for me haha. Ok first off the new look is nice although I do miss the all around seating around the bar. Design is a little much but it really doesn’t bother me. I honestly give a 5 star ***** when it comes to the beers and the food. Omg the food is sooo much better than before. No complaints with the food. AT ALL!
However, I had to lower my rating because I have been there multiple times and the service is terrible. Every time it’s terrible. Don’t get me wrong everyone is super nice but I feel like I have to wait forever for a drink. And there have been numerous times they forgot my drink. I really don’t know what the problem is… maybe more people need to be hired or something. Maybe they chit chat a little tooo much with customers… I am not sure. The reason why I am writing today is because my co worker went there for lunch and mentioned how horrible the service was… and last night another friend texted me that she was there and she just wanted to sample 1 beer and they brought her a whole thing of samples which of course she had to pay for. So hey I love you guys and I am still going but lets step up with the service! Thanks!

A very ingesting façade drew me to the Office from the first time I visited Summit. Although I was disappointed when I went inside and it wasn’t steam-​punk as it would have implied.
Anyways, the staff is extremely nice and attentive. I’ve gone three times so far and have enjoyed myself. The quinoa salad is a delicious and (I hope) healthy side that I particularly enjoy.
There is a great variety of entrees. I took a long time to decide. Not because I was picky, but because I wanted it all. Short Rib burger was delicious. One time I got the salmon burger. Very tasty but too much lemon or whatever acid; I couldn’t finish. But that is my only complaint.
Nice experience. I like it and never left hungry, even when I didn’t finish. I look forward to coming back again soon.

I’m still vaguely confused by the rebranding of this and their other locations, but I’ll take it, for whatever it is. I picked this place for a date due to its proximity to the Summit train station (across the street!) and lack of proximity to Morristown to avoid the mess of Morristown on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a solid pub type option that’s up a couple of notches from the average midtown manhattan irish pubs. It’s not a particularly memorable or special place, but when you just want to grab a beer or want to grab an easy dinner out, this is perfect. It’s like your favorite pair of worn in jeans. You wouldn’t pick them for a special occasion, but when you just want something that fits, they’re perfect.

The newly renovated ‘Office’ has really made some serious improvements in both the ambiance and food fronts. I popped in here around 2pm or so on a Sunday and found the restaurant very inviting with large dining and bar areas, perfect for any occasion. Our wait staff was very friendly throughout our whole experience, which made for a great experience overall.
Getting to the food, we had an assortment of truffle tater tots (not too rich but excellent), the tuna and avocado chips (refreshing and flavorful with a nice crunch), the tavern deviled eggs (creamy and enjoyable), and some east and west coast oysters (smooth and excellent), all of which I would recommend trying. For our mains, we tried the chicken (moist and flavorful) and filet (cooked perfectly and juicy), both of which I would also recommend. The assortment of 40 beers on tap is awesome and I look forward to getting back and sitting at the bar to try a couple others.
Overall, the ambiance is great, food is excellent and wait staff was attentive and friendly which checks off some big things for me. For the price you pay here and what you get, it is perfect to go out as a couple or with the family. The location is great to stop in after work by the train station but it is also located on a great strip to get out of the house and go ‘in’ town. I look forward to my next dining experience here.
Buon appetito.

The post-​renovation experience provided by The Office is a bittersweet in some regards but certainly a net positive. The Office used to be a tale of two establishments; a sprawling square bar housing the locals in one room opposite a dining area serving casual pub fare. Gone is that square bar and the local pub feel that went with it, but enter a much more fulfilling dining experience complimented by an impressive array of brews on tap. The college crowd may need to find a new bar to frequent the night before Thanksgiving but the improvements made to The Office are well received, otherwise.
I’ve visited The Office Tavern Grill four or five times since the relaunch and I continue to be impressed with the consistently high quality of the food. I typically resist being held down to once dish at establishments that I frequent but after having enjoyed the short ribs entrée I don’t dare explore beyond it. Prior to having stumbled upon the short ribs, I also enjoyed the tuna burger which consisted of rare sushi-​grade tuna rather than a condensed burger. I’ve also been in the company of folks that ordered the chicken & waffles and were very happy with their choice. I’ll add that the portion size is rather generous, which is always welcome. Spinach dip, flat breads, baked pretzlels, and especially the truffle tots made for satisfying appetizers.
Beyond the food, the drink list is impressive if not daunting. I will say that the drink prices do seem a bit high, especially considering what The Office had traditionally represented, but fits the more upscale vibe that the restaurant is now angled towards. Service has always seemed attentive and well versed.
Again, I don’t know if you’d want to sidle up to the bar on a Friday night and throw back a Coors Light or ten with your neighbor… as was once the case… but The Office certainly brings a very solid menu and warm ambiance to the Summit Downtown.

I used to go to the Office before the renovation and loved the nachos. The place needed updating, but the nachos made up for everything the Office ambiance lacked.
Now, everything is new and fancy but not necessarily better. The décor is great but the lights are just too bright. I swear I’ve gotten a migraine the last two times I’ve eaten here because of the spotlights on my table. The management says others have complained and they’ll be fixing the problem one of these days.
The best thing on the menu are the burgers. They always come out just right: well done for my husband and medium-​rare for me. We’ve tried other things on the menu, but the only reason we come back now are for the burgers and the beer and wine. (It’s one of the few places in Summit that’s not BYOB.)
The place has a fun atmosphere but I prefer Winberies food selection and lighting just down the road.

«The Office» as we call it has made a big come back.
They have redesigned their menu and restaurant layout.
Bar is wrap-​around and has 40 beers/​ciders/​prosecco on tap… wha…did I say prosecco? Yup I did… genius.
Their food has improved by both taste and presentation. It’s not just greasy pub style food. They have entrees that have flavor and burgers are indeed mouth watering.
Advice: Give the short rib sandwich, chicken sandwich and burgers a try.
Staff is very attentive.
Prices are moderate. Weekends get busy. A good place to watch a game as they have plenty of TV’s and the bar area is spacious w/​plenty of seating. Parking may be a hassle but there is a deck within walking distance if you cannot find street parking.
ENJOY!

As many others have said, the waitstaff here is phenomenal. They know the beer and cocktail list, and the menu, as well. They are friendly and they don’t try to upsell you. In comparison to the old Office, the current waitstaff flies high above.
As for the rest… This place is no longer a local joint, no longer a place for working and middle class beer-​seekers to chill. You are gonna feel weird walking in wearing jeans and a t or a hoodie. Everything is very bright and clean, and most tables in the bar area are now by reservation only. The beers are more expensive, as are the entrees. It is great for the Short Hills family crowd, but not so much for those who live on the outskirts.
The food is okay. After several visits:
Quesadilla (app) — awesome
Wings (app) — okay, depending on the sauce
Fish and chips — good, but ridiculously small, especially for the price
Short rib sandwich — great
Tacos — dry and terrible
Cookie skillet — why are there 3 of them now?
The kitchen has ranged from great to terrible, with most visits ranging between okay and terrible. I have genuinely felt bad twice (out of 5 recent visits) for the servers because of how slow and poor the kitchen has been. I don’t know if that is really a difference from before the renovation, but, back before, the Office was a dive, and a mediocre experience was expected. Now, everything is just so bright.
In the end, we will be back, maybe in a month or so, but this place is no longer a once-​a-​week spot due to the increase in prices and maintenance in kitchen crappiness. In conclusion: The waitstaff rally is amazing. Don’t hurt them because of this review.

Had lunch here with my Mom. Not being someone who eats at a lot of chain restaurants I would not have normally chosen this place. But my Mom was curious and wow, the menu has been updated! No more 1990’s menu! I was excited to try. I like the new design and updated menu. Lots of choices on the menu to come back and sample: short ribs, oysters, sliders, truffled tater-​tots, pretzels, and the usual awesome burgers and standard fare. Today was eating kind of light. I had the baby kale salad with almonds, cranberries, oranges and apple cider vinaigrette. I also added shrimp,
And glad I did! The 4 shrimp were huge, seasoned nicely with salt and grilled to perfection ! My mom had another salad and was just as good. She also said the coffee was fantastic. Service was excellent. The waitresses were friendly, helpful and very attentive. Prices were in line with the area and the food a value given the nice portion, fresh quality and presented picture perfect. I will definitely return for future exploration of the new menu.

Great place for a casual meal or drinks with friends. Love the draft beer selection and choices. Great, inexpensive menu with a number of options for all tastes. Got to meet Brain, the head bartender and we was wonderful and attentive. He made a great recommendation for the slider appetizer. YUMMY. Thanks Brian! The décor was updated and contemporary. A little noisy with the hard surfaces, but not a distraction to our conversation. Will return.

The Office was just renovated around the beginning of 2016, and it looks wonderful inside. It’s a very inviting atmosphere, that draws you in to have a seat at the bar, and sample their many craft beers on tap.
I can also affirm that the food quality has improved. I highly recommend the short rib burger (served on a pretzel bun), maybe some of their housemade truffled tots as an appetizer, and if you’re getting their delicious chocolate chip cookies in those mini-​skillets, to share, then you should totally pair it with their chocolate truffle stout beer. The bitterness of the stout works so well with the rich, sweetness of the cookies.
Now that the weather is improving, and the warmth of spring is finally approaching, you should definitely enjoy this town’s great downtown area. Go for a walk, and drop in for a drink or dinner after work.

This is a new, much more upscale version of the familiar Office chain, with much more diverse. ambitious food and many more craft beers, plus upscale décor.
The staff is very nice and its proximity to the train and Summit businesses ensure a lively happy hour.
I thought the simpler entrees were the better ones, with the burgers, arugula salad and sandwiches standing out and some of the entrees being well prepared but not bold in flavor.
The chocolate chip cookie skillet is a very simple, but very good way to end a meal here.

So they had new renovations done to the place and it looks very nice. But they have raised the prices of their dishes to match. 24 $ for a warm chimmichurri skirt steak. Then I had the garlic hamburger that was drowned in salt. I won’t be going back anytime ever…

We had a event here to try their menu. I like the fruity cocktail Summit 77, containing vodka, lemon juice. There were five courses:
1. Cony island pilsner beer. Appetizer plater: sweat potato nachos with pulled pork. It is covered with cheddar cheese and green chili sauce. Potato Tatars with truffle, in which I do not get enough truffle, and chicken wings.
2. Red wine Asian pear salad. The Asian pear salad has delicious goat cheese and sweet grape, walnut. I like the roster pine nuts in the Tavern arugula salad with aged cheddar cheese. It would be better to add more cheese in there.
3. Tavern bugger, short rib bugger, and chicken burger. Paired with Brooklyn IPA.
Chicken burger is crispy like a peamague chicken in a sandwich. The short rib burger is so smoky in a pretzel bum. The Tavern birder is impressive with balanced seasoning and salty taste from smoked bacon.
4. Main dish: Pan roasted salmon with roasted corn. Duck pie is not impressive. The duck is dry and over cooked, and tasted like from a can. Green flash west coat IPA. Buttermilk fried chicken on a waffle.
5. Vanilla icecream with waffle, and freshly baked cookie. Cookie super and is not overwhelmingly sweet. Oh, is is also topped with chocolate ice cream, melting…

I like to visit a place a couple of times before I give a review. So far I’ve been 3 times & have been pleased each time. The renovations are great. Cool vibe/​atmosphere. It’s a comfortable setting to just have some drinks/​apps or a full meal. My favorite so far is the braised rib sandwich on the pretzel roll. I went with a large group & We all tried a taste of each other’s dish. I enjoyed everything I tried — Burger on garlic toast, rotisserie chicken entrée, chicken & waffles, another favorite is the cookie/​ice cream dessert that comes hot in cast iron pans. Once the weather breaks, I look forward to outside dining.

We came at an off hour around 3pm for lunch. The waitress was very nice and attentive, but the food was awful. The sweet potato nachos were greasy and soggy. They are made with home made sweet potato chips but the chips were glistening from the grease. My husband ordered the fried chicken sandwich and it was not an actual piece of chicken. It was some kind of formed chicken patty with a thick breadcrumb crust. It looked unnatural and flavor was just off. I ordered the short rib sandwich on a pretzel bun and the bread was saturated in grease. It was served with an au jus but the au jus was thick almost like a ketchup consistency. My fries were salty, greasy, and soggy.
I would only come back to get a drink at the bar… SKIP the food!

I thought the major revamp would make this a go-​to place in Summit. I was wrong. Been twice, won’t go back.
Trip 1– Food is not very good. Ordered the tuna burger which looked tasty, but the bun actually overpowered the tuna/​avocado mix (wtf?), so I ate it with a fork sans bun. Tuna seemed fresh enough but had almost no flavor. I find it a joke that the menu lists the «chef’s» name. Try adding some seasoning, «chef».
Trip 2– Sat at the bar for ten minutes and the bartender never took my order. Didn’t even look my direction once. I walked out.
Adiós, Office.

A major step in the right direction. The renovations look incredible, the food is great, and the selection of beers is also pretty amazing. Good service and a good time the last time I went. Definitely would go again and definitely recommend

The old Office was far better. The food was still great but I think blasting AC/​DC at 10 in the morning is a bit much. The waitress was nice but a bit boring and lacking. Other than that it was pretty good.

I got to say the food is really pretty good but the staff a little bit dumb. The server was very nice however upon serving a $ 63 check and me handing her $ 100 bill she asked me if I wanted change. Well I’m not giving you a $ 37 tip honey. Sorry the brothels r up the street!!!

Was excited to try the renovated Office with a new great menu.
Unfortunately I think they concentrated to much on the presentation of the food rather than the quality.
Simple things were wrong.
Kids pizza was soggy and doughy and lacking any taste.
The fries that came with the meals were also soggy not crispy and cold.
Kids chicken fingers were thick-​cut also lacked flavor and were over cooked and rubbery.
(I think kids prefer thin crispy chicken fingers)
My wife got the skirt steak said it was ok but that the chimichurri was not that great.
I ordered the crusty garlic bread burger.
…not what I expected it was a little burger in between like that fat thick (almost like chahalla french toast bread)
It was soggy not crispy at all and burger/​bread ratio was really off. probably would be better on a round roll (toasted) with garlic butter on the buns
The tomato sauce that came with it was not great either.
Sorry to disappoint but alot of work needs to be done on the food before I go back again.

Solid happy hour location. Seems to be a regular for the commuters to stop by for a drink or two before heading home.
We enjoy wine and learned that although they have very good wine by the glass options, the $ 5 Mondavi happy hour wines were a great deal. Of course, if you wanted beer, your options seemed limitless! !!
Just for a bite to eat, we made the right choice. Three crispy chicken tacos for $ 12 was quite a deal. We were definitely satisfied with the portion size and taste as a solid appy.
Overall, good value for your money with a convenient location. As usual, parking in downtown summit is dismal at best…
Ps. Ask for real wine glasses if you don’t like the stemless version.

This is the first time we visited the totally renovated Office. Although the menu was interesting, the service is below par. Hope they get their act together.

We came here all the time before the renovation. The place looks nice now but the new menu is terrible. The lighter options (fish tacos, ahi tacos, etc) are gone and their replacements are really disappointing. The Brussels were underwhelming — way too sweet and syrupy — and while the ahi tuna seemed okay, it’s oil left the dish totally bland and flavorless. Had to ask for soy sauce just so there was some taste. Maybe try adding some citrus, or ginger or miso?
In general, all the dishes seems to lack flavor balance and don’t align well with what The Office is, or wants to be. Also the flow at the back of the restaurant might work better for servers now (does it?) but it certainly doesn’t make sense for guests. The back bar area is really strange and has a hidden TV that not even the bartenders are able to see. We really didn’t understand that decision…
Pretty disappointed overall and don’t have plans to come back.

The place looks great. Food is delicious. Service is lacking though. I miss the old crew who would actually acknowledge your presence and not forget about you. It’s not my favorite place to visit anymore. :(

Went to the one in Morristown before and went here to meet with a friend who lives in town. I think this one is more spacious. My friend had beer (they have a ton on tap just like the other location). We sat in the bar area and all the servers and bartenders were very sweet. We had the sweet potato nachos which are huge! Then for dinner I ordered the arugula salad with salmon and my friend got the chicken tacos. Everything was great. We didn’t have room for dessert which means we have to come back. Definitely check this place out, lots of great comfort food.