Best bar lists are as common as a row of packed bars on a Saturday night at your local pub.
But the USA TODAY Network wanted to try something different to create its first USA TODAY Bars of the Year 2024 list, to complement our Restaurants of the Year list released earlier this year.
While other organizations parachute in and try out these bars, our writers live in the communities they cover — and they’ve spent more than a few late nights on the town. That’s why the USA TODAY Network asked its team of food writers to reveal the best of the best from the cities they cover.
27 bars have been named USA TODAY’s Bars of the Year for 2024, from casual dives to upscale lounges. What do they have in common? These places are so endearing that we often find ourselves planning our next visit while we’re drinking.
Two bars from New Jersey have made it – Tierney’s Tavern in Montclair and the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park.
But with more than 200 locations in 42 states, the USA TODAY Network couldn’t include all of our favorites. Here are the places in Central Jersey that we think deserve a spot on the list.
Verve, Somerville
When Verve opened nearly three decades ago, The New York Times wrote, “As Verve goes, so goes Somerville.” And they were right—the upscale French bar and speakeasy-style restaurant paved the way for the district from its seedy past to its current status as the gem of downtown Somerset County.
Surrounded by red walls and boudoir artwork, this local landmark is home to everyone from mayors to drag queens, and is known for its creative cocktails, mixed by perfectly styled bartenders who give new meaning to the term “mixologist.”
Current cocktails on the menu, served in the century-old building that was once a true speakeasy, include the “Wedding Bells” with blueberries, basil, lavender syrup, lemon and ginger beer, and the “Banana Hammock” with bourbon, banana liqueur, demerara syrup, chocolate bitters and black walnut bitters.
But providing Somerville residents with a place to share a drink is just one of the many good deeds Verve does. It hosts a fundraiser nearly every month, with Verve supporting organizations like St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, Project REAL, the Matheny School and the Zufall Health Clinic – to name a few.
Go: 18 E. Main St., Somerville; 908-707-8655, vervestyle.com.
Clydz, New Brunswick
Clydz is easy to pass by, hidden underground and marked only by an unassuming green awning next to a law firm.
But head down the steps and you’ll find a list of over 75 craft cocktails – and a dozen more seasonal cocktails – to enjoy in a dark bar surrounded by caged alcoholic beverages or in the brick-lined dining room decorated with vintage posters.
Since 1997, it’s been a cozy New Brunswick hangout with a roaring fire. And it offers comfort food to match, like a 12-inch chicken parmesan that can be sliced like a pizza and gnocchi with crispy duck confit.
But the real star here is the extensive drinks menu, featuring contemporary cocktails like the Word on French Street with Vago Elote Mezcal, 3BR Chilitroika, Ancho Reyes chili liqueur, lime, roasted corn and Mexican mole; and Rosemary’s Coconuts with coconut-washed mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, 3BR Chilitroika, rosemary syrup and lime.
Go: 55 Paterson St., New Brunswick; 732-846-6521, clydz.com.
Clean Eating in Hub City: One of New Jersey’s first vegan bars and pizzerias is now open in New Brunswick
Riverside Inn, Cranford
The century-old brick-clad building at 56 North Ave. E. in Cranford — one of the oldest buildings in the community — was once a Ford Model A dealership, a flower shop and a speakeasy.
Today it is a dive bar. Actually it is The Dive bar. Regulars simply call the Riverside Inn “The Dive.”
Food offers are announced on paper plates decorated with cartoon drawings. When the special offers run out, the paper plates come off. That’s the only way you’ll find out about it, because The Dive doesn’t have a website – just an abandoned Instagram page.
But there’s one thing he never runs out of: the PBR cans and the action-packed atmosphere, replete with items like a stuffed deer head given to him by a customer, a cigarette machine and an old church pew.
Go: 56 North Ave. E., Cranford; 908-709-9449.
Local meeting points: This neighborhood gem has been serving unabashedly old-fashioned New Jersey Italian cuisine for 50 years
Cryan’s Tavern, Annandale
Cryan’s Tavern feels more like the Emerald Isle than the Garden State. That’s because this 60-plus-year-old bar doesn’t do things by halves when it comes to Irish food and drink. There’s always a countdown to St. Patrick’s Day on their website and Irish flags hang from the exposed wood-beam ceiling.
But you don’t have to be of Irish descent to appreciate a visit to Cryan’s Tavern, which has a sports bar atmosphere, plenty of TVs and 24 beers on tap – 15 of which are craft beers.
Each week, Cryan’s Tavern offers an ever-changing selection of specialty beers and drinks. Recently, Sunken Silo Brew Works was featured in Lebanon’s Bearded Flannel Cat IPA, as was Conclave Brewing in Flemington’s Cosmic Drops IPA. Cocktails like the Cinnamon Peach Crunch, with Crown Apple Peach, Fireball, Grenadine and Sprite, were also on the menu.
All this is served in a lively, cheerful atmosphere, with live music, dark wood seating and hanging Christmas lights, just in time for the time of year.
Go: 2 Beaver Ave., Annandale; 908-735-9915, cryans.com.
Hailey’s Harp & Pub, Metuchen
In 2009, Chris Flynn gave up his career on Wall Street to open what he felt was missing in Metuchen: a family-friendly bar and restaurant. More than a decade later, it’s clear his dream has come true.
Hailey’s Harp, named after Flynn’s daughter and now owned by former Hailey’s Harp bartender Mo Atzbi, has been the local pub for more than a decade and saw Metuchen become the winner of the coveted Great American Main Street Award last year.
The inviting bar, lined with Irish memorabilia, hosts live music performances and events such as quizzes, darts and raffles almost daily, and the big-screen TVs show everything from football to tennis.
There is also an attached speakeasy-style bar called The Parlor at Hailey’s, which serves classic and experimental cocktails with retro music, lounge furniture and a fireplace.
Go: 400 Main St., Metuchen; 732-321-0777, haileysharpandpub.com.
Also in the district: This restaurant in Metuchen receives the Guinness World Record for most tequilas
Contact: [email protected]
Jenna Intersimone has been a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey contributor since 2014, though she’s been a lifelong Jersey resident and considers herself an expert on everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State’s vibrant downtowns. For unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at. @JIntersimone.
