Mezze Cantina

I’ve been here a few times and always leave thinking «never again», but hope it’ll improve so I return after a few months break. The place looks good, but the staff do not get it, they are rude and act like you are putting them out. I arrived with my wife and the place was busy, but there were a few tables open, but we were told we had to wait 15 – 20 minutes as the open table were only for 3 or more. All the time I was in the place at least one of these tables was open. We sat at the bar, the guy along the bar asked to sample a draught beer and the bar tender sighed poured a drop in a glass and almost threw it in front of the customer. The beer selection is good, but so overpriced. No Vegan options.
The staff have turned me off forever I will not be returning.

First the good. Beer selection was great. Lots of seasonal beers that are not often on tap as well as a good selection of local brews. Service was good, the server was knowledgeable about the beers and was able to steer my friend towards a good choice based on other beers he enjoys. Server was attentive, friendly, and personable.
Now for everything else. We arrived around 4:30 and were informed the dinner menu (which was what we were provided) wasn’t available until 5. The server then came back and asked if we wanted appetizers (which was confusing when we were just told the kitchen wasn’t open. We decided to order an appetizer (more about that later) but then I noticed some people at the bar with a burger (from the dinner menu). Not a huge deal but slightly confusing.
Food was boring and dry. Tried the wings and the burger. Wings were dry and needed to be doused in the sauces (hot and Korean bbq) to make them palatable. Sauces were unremarkable. Hot sauce seemed to be right out of a bottle. Burger was overdone when I cut into it (ordered medium), was dry, and lacked flavor. Bacon on the burger was not crisp and seemed reheated. Fries were pretty good and seasoned well but were brought down by how disappointing the rest of the food was. Food was definitely overpriced.
I would consider going back for some drinks but would not order food.

We love it here, it’s a go to choice whenever we have guests visiting from out of town! Food is always great, service is great and everything stays consistent! The lamb burger and Bibb salad are my favorites!!!

THEY DO NOT ALLOW KIDS!!! I also left this on their other Unilocal name, Gaslight, but we were refused service because we had car seats. A couple before us was given the option to leave their stroller outside unattended (which when folded this stroller was no larger then a beach chair and would easily fold under a table). They explained it was a gire code violation (which it wasn’t) and when we pushed back the manager esentially said it was because children impede on their weekend business. NEVER going back!

Tuesday night 11:00. 12 people at the bar. Can we order another drink? No the bar is closing. Really? They have have the same poor attitude towards the customer as Copper Canyon. Oh, wait — same owner. Don’t waste you time. Drinks are over priced, food it mediocre and the service comes with an attitude.

I was so excited when this place finally opened. I dined here during their soft opening. The food was alright. The price simply did not match the taste. The hummus plate and the corn covered in cheese is delicious but everything else was average. The tables are right on top of each other so unless you are comfortable with dining with strangers it is simply too tight. I could not move yet alone talk to my date who was right in front of me without interfering with the people by my side. Regular bar food with a big price. A lot of good beer on tap so I would recommend simply grabbing drink here and dine somewhere else in Atlantic highlands.

Third time there. Took my son and his wife. This time I had the oyster appetizer and lamb burger. Oysters great as usual, lamb burger GREAT! And very large! The staff and service was very good. It’s priced for the quality of food you get and its GOOD,

I was trying to goto Copper Canyon for lunch they were closed. So i figured i would try it. The bartender was inattentive. (There was only two of us at the bar) I ordered the fish and chips. The fish was placed on top of a pile of fries. The fish was greasy and so the fries were nasty covered in grease and fishy. Neither had been seasoned when they came out of the oil. So they had no flavor. The fries that were not coveted by the fishy oil were cold and dry. I am shocked that my favorite restaurant would lower their standards. And open something like this. Never fear it wont be around long

Nice space, the building has been there for some time unoccupied… At least someone finally moved in, but please do we have to pay such high prices to offset everything? Cheapest thing on bar menu was a ¹⁴⁄₁₅ dollar burger pretty much and everything higher from that. Service is a bit slow, and it is loud and crowded. Bathrooms were big though and clean.

This restaurant is fantastic. They serve upscale pub food in a casual atmosphere. The chef is fantastic. I’ve yet to try something I didn’t like. The sushi pizza, beet salad and scallops are delicious. The staff is friendly, attentive, know the menu and do a great job of recommending one of their 30 craft beers if you’re not sure what to get. Definitely one of my new favorite places!

Well I call this place Gas Light just like all the Locals do. This place is a home run if you enjoy craft beer, great select!!! They have founders Pale Ale on Nitro, soooo creamy! Ok the food, the food is good but yes it can be pricey for certain items. Like the salt and pepper chicken wings, I think you get like 6 wing pieces for $ 10!!! most places give you 12 wing pieces for that price. Staff is ok they are new, and service is getting better every time I go. Bartenders are on point and know a lot about beer and food and are very attentive to your needs. OOOO and last somebody needs to change the name on Unilocal

This place is WAY too pricey for what it is. I stopped in, hoping to find a pub with some decently priced grub before i hit the movies. There were some great beer selections, and I would recommend this place if you want to just drink. But the food– not so hot. I had a $ 14 burger and it was boring! I would have been just as satisfied with a burger from Burger King. That was the cheapest meal on the menu. If I am at this price point for dinner… it won’t be in a bar with mediocre food… Done with rant.

Stopped by with a few friends, had a wonderful time
great ambiance
great selection of beer
Its nice to have such a knowledgeable bar tender. great recommendations
Not cheap.

I created a Unilocal account just to leave a review for this place.
First of all, is it Gaslight Pub or Mezza Cantina? Get your identity straight! This seems to be their theme… not knowing exactly what kind of establishment they want to be. That menu was just bonkers. Would you like some sushi pizza or chicken and waffles? What?!
Second of all, what terrible service. Our waiter brought us the wrong drinks, servers brought us wrong food, then tried to bring yet ANOTHER plate of food to our table that we never ordered… and the server acted like we were just screwing with them! No apologies either. The food that we did get was boring and incredibly bland. I ordered the mussels and funnily enough, the waiter actually told us that the sauce was just SO delicious, that we would need soup spoons because we would want to be sure to finish it all. But in the sad reality, it was just a bland green water. Completely flavorless. The chicken wings my friend ordered were nothing to write home about. They were run of the mill with a two tiny sides of sauce. Nothing we ordered was worth the price we paid. At the end of our little adventure, we were charged for dishes we never ordered. After THAT was all straightened out, we had no problem leaving virtually no tip for the $ 100 bill. Never going back. What a total waste of a beautiful building.

Ive been referring to this place as the gaslight since it opened, after reading that thats what its name would be. Its more fitting than mezze cantina in my opinion, anyway.
Great food, great atmospher, great craft beer selection. Been to eat 3 times and all 3 times i
Practically licks the plate clean. Bibb salad, salmon (omg) and last night, thw roasted chicken entrée.
Very busy on Fri/​Sat nights but great during the week, nice little local crowd. Will be taking ma. y walks there this summer!

This is a great new place. There was a lot of people on a Friday night which is good to see for a new place. My wife and I got the octopus appetizer which was really good. I ended up getting the burger which was awesome. The beer selection was probably the best in the area.

Been there twice and it was AMAZING both times. Love the southern flair. Top picks are the grilled oysters, chicken and waffles, tuna pizza and fish and chips.

We have been waiting for this to open as my husband loves to try various craft beers/​micro brews. Had fun– place was packed by 6 pm. Went with friends & tried lots of brews (love that you can get a small or large draft size). Beer menu changes regularly & they give you a nice write-​up on each. Agree with previous reviewer who thought a hard cider would be a good addition as would another Belgium or two. Tried the burgers, mac & cheese, wings & the sushi pizza– all good to great. Watched the Rutgers bowl game & had a great night– Try it with friends (not for people looking for a quiet dinner).

Inviting exposed-​brick interior with oversized windows makes for a good atmosphere to enjoy a drink from the extensive list of craft beer and cocktails and to savor inventive dishes. I look forward to returning.

Mezze Cantina is the new Copper Canyon-​offshoot in Atlantic Highlands also known as The Gaslight.
The place is a true gastropub in a beautiful, restored brick building. It has a large selection of micro brews, bottled hard cider and high quality pub food.
The CBS burger (Chuck, Brisket, Short Rib) was excellent as well as the meatballs and creamed spinach. So were the Delaware oysters, which were roasted in a delicious, buttery sauce, and the addictive fried pickles.
If you were a fan of the much missed Twin Lights Taphouse, Mezze Cantina will likely become a regular spot.
My wife recognized our friendly server as a Taphouse alum. She told us that everything at the restaurant was brought in fresh and there was no microwave oven on the premises.
That speaks volumes… all good in my book. (We’re in the «Garden State,» a stone’s throw from the Atlantic, yet 99 per cent of local restaurants serve processed foods from Sysco or other similar factories.)
BTW, the Gaslight name confusion is understandable. The building has a gaslight in front – when burning, the place is open – and the menu cover is an illustration of a gas light.