Cityside Bistro

This was my first solo lunch spot when I started a new project in Jersey City. I breezed in about 1:30pm or so, so I expected it not to be as crowded as it may be during the lunch rush. I was correct; the place had about 4 active tables and 2 or 3 servers about the place. I was greeted warmly by he hostess and seated at a window table.
It took a few concerned glances at each server that walked by for them to get the hint I was actually there to eat and not for the view of Grand Street. My server apologized for my wait and immediately took my order. I selected the crab cake and quail egg appetizer and the shrimp crêpe with side salad. My crab cake was prepared well, not over-​breaded or fried. Not as warm as I would like it, but presentation with a delicate quail egg worked just fine for me.
The crêpe was a bit saucier than I’d like, which is in characteristic for me, as I’m in love with all thing saucy. The flavor of the shrimp and veggies were good, but I felt the sauce didn’t add anything; no kick, no tang, just… sauce.
Other than another waiting game from a hot tea, the place is pretty good. I enjoyed the food enough to return a second time.

This place has been «closed for renovation» for quite some time now. I’d be most surprised if it came back as it looks like they were really struggling.

I used to like this place. when it was an actual bistro and not just another restaurant. well it’s not just another restaurant actually, the last time i went (and i mean the last time i will ever go back), while all the décor looked the same, the menu had changed. I asked what happened and they said they are no longer a bistro (despite the name) and the restaurant is now a sports bar. really… a sports bar. well… they need to rethink décor, because if it looks like a bistro, the name includes the word «bistro,» but they call themselves a sports bar, then that restaurant has got some truly deep-​seated identity issues.
the food had gone downhill since they changed to a «sports bar,» but the prices, somehow stayed the same or got higher. some of the menu items still play the bistro part, but they got rid of the best items, and the presentation has definitely suffered from this identity crisis.
they used to have the most delicious salt & pepper calamari, mussels frites, roasted half chicken, and pan-​seared salmon… and my absolute favorite salad, a deconstructed seared tuna nicoise. but nope. gone. gone. gone. if this resto had been the same resto i had fallen in love with, easily ⁴⁄₅ stars.
but now… it’s basically a ridiculously over-​priced place that serves mediocre food with no focus, theme, or purpose.
as a bistro — it fails. food sucks.
as a sports bar — it fails. because this place would never even KIND OF come to mind when i’m looking for a good place to enjoy some sunday funday football. nope. not even kind of.
goodbye cityside bistro, ye hardly knew ye.

after a few visits to cityside bistro, i’m afraid i have to give the place two stars — as a restaurant (and not as a bar). it deserves a grade of about C, maybe C+. i understand that it’s in jersey city, so i’m not going to compare it to similarly priced nyc establishments, but to other JC spots. and it still just doesn’t measure up.
at brunch, I’ve had the burger — and it wasn’t juicy enough. lighthorse’s and Marco and Pepe’s burger is definitely better. and both lighthorse, satis, and 5 Guys have better fries.
I’ve had the mac and cheese — and it was bland and very disappointing. their chef or owner should try out marco and pepe’s mac&cheese, and make some changes accordingly.
the pork belly was really problematic. i love pork belly — and you’ve got to really screw up pork fat for me to take issue. but here, i would have to say that I do. the seasoning was just not good. it had the flavor of a bad chinese restaurant. and please don’t call it crispy pork belly if it’s not gonna be crispy. i’m ok with pork belly not being soft — but don’t call it something it’s not. this dish needs serious reworking.
the caesar salad, which is a relatively straightforward dish, receives a thumbs down as well, i’m sorry to say. it wasn’t terrible, but from the first bite to the last, i was sad to have ordered it. it’s just a matter of ingredients and execution — and both were lacking.
the octopus appetizer was all right. so far, it’s the only dish i’ve had that was seasoned properly.
oh, yeah, and i’ve been here for the monday all-​u-​can-​eat oyster happy hour. they gave me a dozen oysters, and when i asked for another dozen, the waiter said they ran out. which i doubted then and continue to doubt. i subsequently saw a plate of oysters go to two other groups that evening. bait-​and-​switch tactics perhaps?
the food has been consistently unimpressive. it might help if the chef tried out some of the competitor restaurants’ dishes…
i will be back to give em another chance, or two… i want to like this place.

After coming here several times when it first opened and never really becoming a fan, I decided to mix it up the other day and have lunch here with a colleague. It was about 11:45am when we walked in, and the place was completely empty. While this part of Jersey City is not exactly known for having a bustling lunch scene, there certainly are enough office towers nearby to warrant the presence of at least a few other customers at this time. Not a great sign.
The next bad sign was the iced tea, perhaps oversteeped, but utterly undrinkable. How you screw up iced tea is beyond me.
But things got better from there. Much better. I ordered the Jersey Wrap with a side salad. Sandwiches and wraps are so common at every nearby deli, and they are generally very good from places like Hudson Griile. Not sure why I would be ordering a wrap in a nice, sit-​down restaurant. I recall their former menu being far more entrée-​driven, a far departure from the simpler sandwiches and salads menu that is now in place. The Jersey Wrap was very simple: sliced pastrami, cole slaw, and melted swiss in a garlic herb wrap. And when it arrived it didn’t look like much, especially when you consider the size of some of the other deli wraps you can get in the area. It was, however, da bomb. All the ingredients were fresh, really nicely seasoned, and just overall delicious. This might be one of the first times I’ve eaten a garlic herb wrap where you can actually taste the garlic and herbs. And the side salad was so good, I almost had to order a second one. Fresh mixed greens tossed in very light homemade blue cheese dressing, with an obvious dash of salt and pepper tossed in by the chef. It’s little things like that can make a difference.
I was especially happy about how good the side salad was since I was sitting across from my colleague who was munching on a mountain of the most excellent-​looking waffle fries I have seen in a long time. He ordered a chicken club wrap and also seemed to be taken aback by how good it tasted, given how generic it looked on arrival.
Portions were not huge, and I’m OK with that since it is only lunch and I don’t like going into a food coma when I return to work. All I care about is fresh food that tastes great. And for what it’s worth, Cityside Bistro served up a nice little meal.
3 5 stars. They’ll earn 4 if I come back and the food is consistent.

I loved the football drink specials. If it were for that alone, I may have given this place five stars.
However the food was a little expensive and while the flavors were good, the whole experience left much to be desired.
Came with a friend to watch football. Started off with their $ 4 Jameson shot, then proceeded to order several buckets of beer.
Good place to watch football, lots of TV’s and cheap alcohol. However after the first bucket, we felt hunger pangs and ordered food.
Buffalo wings. The sauce was good. Period. It was really hot, it wasn’t so hot that the inside of your mouth would melt. The heat from the sauce would dance inside your mouth. It was a five star wing sauce. However it covered a one star wing. Wing was not fried well, not crispy at all, even when fresh.
Fries tasted good, had good seasoning and were fresh cut. However, fries were mushy.
This is pretty unacceptable, especially at the prices I was paying.
They need to fry their stuff better.
I will return for football, but I think I am going to eat somewhere else first.

Cityside bistro was a quick stop before we headed to another place for Hudson Restaurant Week dinner, so we were just there out of convenience. We were all the way inside the restaurant before I realized that Cityside Bistro was also participating in the restaurant week. The place looks sweet, the waterfall wall, the light wood details, refined but casual. It was empty because it was early but it seems like a good spot for the crowd working in the area.
We investigated the happy hour specials and the specialty drink menu. I went with the Island Mule, which was absolutely delicious, and refreshing. The drink contained rum and macerated strawberries and ginger shavings topped by a healthy dose of spicy ginger beer.
We were not only thirsty but hungry too, so we opted for the moules mariniere instead of an appetizer. We were probably just as excited for the «Truffled Parmegian [sic]» french fries, but when our food finally got to us the appetizing sounding fries were more like woodchips completely cold, stiff, dry and completely flavorless. There was nothing truffled or parmesan (I am assuming) about them. They were totally a downer because they would have been super great with the delicious mussels. We even tried to revive the fries by drowning them in the flavorful broth that the mussels were resting in. The mussels, however, were plump and chewy perfectly cooked, salty and seasoned. At least they compensated a little for the awful fries.
At first the bartender was cold but she warmed up as regulars came through the door and other co-​workers arrived. It was not the best first impression but it improved. Unfortunately, the food service was very slow for us and even at one point we watched our kind of hot food get less hot as it waited. Maybe this was because it was early in the shift but it still dampened my view of the place. The menu looked interesting so I might be back to try out a meal.

Decided to visit here after seeing them on the flyer for Restaurant Week.
We made a reservation thru Open Table and were seated right away. They have a nice outdoor seating area and the inside is nice with a waterfall as you walk in and the bar area is also welcoming.
The tables have a brown ‘paper bag’ type material over them, which is a little odd as it doesn’t fit with the restaurant ambiance which seems more high-​end.
We asked (our hostess) for the restaurant week menu, as she had not given us one upon being seated.
We were going to order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for the $ 38 and as soon as our waiter noticed we had a restaurant week menu decided to tell us that ‘you might not like the restaurant week items as the portions are REALLY small.’ He then assumed we were vegetarian (since we were indian!!!) which was odd and slightly racist/​stereotypical.
Why bother having a restaurant week menu if you are just going to dissuade customers from choosing from it? Just seems like a way to get people in the door and then do a bait and switch.
They did not have the chicken and a few of the other items which was also a big negative. How do you not carry more than 3 – 4 items on your menu?
They also give no complimentary bread and for a restaurant of this caliber and prices they definitely should.
We got the Taste of Nice for $ 12 which was pretty decent and had good flavor. The french onion soup ($ 6) was disappointing as the stock was WAY too salty and did not taste fresh at all.
Our entrees took over 45 minutes to come out, the restaurant had 4 – 5 other tables, so I’m not sure why it took so long to make a burger and steak.
For the entrée we got the Bistro Burger which was a REALLY small burger. The fries were served in a pail which was cute, but were extremely soggy and greasy. The bun was also partially burnt (see my photo).
We also ordered the Skirt Steak which we requested ‘medium,’ this came out well-​done (no pink area at all). The small piece of skirt steak sat atop mashed potatoes which tasted like they came from a box and did not taste fresh either.
Only plus was the white wine we ordered for $ 27, it was excellent.
All in all very high prices for a less than mediocre meal. They need to step up and improve the food and the portions and if they don’t want to do that then they need to lower the prices. This is NOT Manhattan, and even in Manhattan the food would taste 100 times better and be less expensive.
We will not be back. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Very country style ambience, simple and rustic.
Food was okie. Tried the clams in Thai spicy sauce, was good.
Lamb was good, but small portions and very pricey.
Not a big fan of this place.

Cityside Bistro is located a few blocks south of Exchange Place — access to PATH and lightrail trains. Its also near the harbor. I had been to Cityside Bistro for a meetup event last summer. A good place to have big gatherings like that in addition to couples for dinner or a drink after work.
Recently went in the late afternoon early evening on a Friday. They had a lot of raw food specials and homemade sangeria. Not having much of an appetite I stuck to sangeria and what happily satisfied! Both the white and red hit the spot.
Price of the items either at the bar or for a meal are relatively moderate for downtown Jersey City. Parking lots are plentiful in the area but its best to commute. Other restaurants/​bar/​nightlife in the area include The Iron Monkey and Zeppelin Hall Biergarden.

Friendly staff, outdoor seating, concise menu of bistro-​ish items covering meats and seafood. Frites were nice and crispy, unfortunately my steak was well past medium-​rare. Requested an old-​fashioned, but the bar didn’t have bitters (?). No matter — Jameson on the rocks worked for now. Later during the meal, our server informed us that the bar got some bitters so got an old fashioned. Unfortunately, it was mostly bitters… got a second one on the house, and it was made close enough.
I like the place, like the food, just a few too many missteps during our visit. I am sure second time around will be much better.
Quick note that our server was absolutely excellent.

I live in the area and have tried the place several times — the food always mediocre, but good enough to have me come back with the atmosphere/​outdoor seating, etc. With that, since they have brought in the newest chef the food has improved dramatically, along with creative and delicious cocktails (great happy hour menu), and an attentive staff.
I recommend anyone to give this place another try that hasn’t been in awhile.

The food is a mixed bag here – we’ve been twice with guests, and things have ranged from very good to disappointing. The burgers were fine, but the salads were not up to snuff. The interior is more bar than restaurant, and I wonder if this might be better spot to visit when the weather is warm and the outdoor seating is available.

If you live in the area, there is outdoor seating available for dinner or drinks when the weather gets warmer. It can get busy during happy hour, but the staff seem to try hard and keep the customers’ drinks filled.
I haven’t tried the food since they’ve switched chefs, so I can’t comment on the food personally, although I’ve heard mixed reviews from friends.
I’d recommend stopping by atleast once to check it out.

The food was extremely overpriced for what I got. The «pretzel crusted calamari» were not crusted in anything but standard panko, and was rubbery to boot. The flat bread pizza was below average, but the steak tacos were quite good. It kind of skeeved me out when I ordered my 2^nd glass of wine — the barkeep poured the last few remnants of a random bottle in my glass at my place setting, then went and got another bottle and added at bit more. The bar has an extremely awkward set up, with a solid ¹⁄₃ that makes it impossible for patrons to get to the men’s restroom without you constantly having to get up frm your seat.

I had visited CitySide Bistro when it first opened for brunch, and my sentiment was an overall «meh». There was nothing special about it. Restaurants in the area were far better in quality and atmosphere (Amelia’s, Bistro La Source, Skinner’s Loft).
But we recently visited Cityside Bistro after we heard they made some changes to their overall approach.
I was happy with the revisit. The portions were decadent and large, and cheaper than Light Horse. And, the desserts we had were HUGE for the area… and yes, delicious (pumpkin cheese cake and tiramisu; all big, fluffy and awesome).
We will come back. We hope others will too to keep this place going (they’re on the right track!).

What the F happened to the old menu… and the old menu items?
This new menu is soooo restrictive… its like 14 items that you can pick from.
My «crispy» pork skin was chewy and soggy and the layer of fat under the skin was so nasty.
My date’s steak was chewy and def NOT medium-​rare.
No Mas, Sayonara, Ciao, Hasta La Bye Bye

I keep forgetting to do this, but wanted to update it before we leave Jersey City…
The new Menu at Cityside is 1000X better than the one I reviewed below. Personally I still prefer Lighthorse and/​or Satis in terms of atmosphere, but the food is at least now competitive with what’s in the neighborhood. We had some tasty dishes when we went in last and overall had a good experience.
Nice job with the turnaround…
This was my original review:
I had initially reviewed this place with a 1 star back just a couple months after it opened after an barely mediocre, overpriced experience there for dinner. I redacted the review at the request of the owner who personally wrote me on Unilocal asking me to do so and offering me a free meal if I came in and tried it again.
Many months passed by and honestly I totally forgot about the free meal, and/​or lost it in my Unilocal inbox. One rainy day, when inspiration for trying something new was low, we decided to give Cityside another chance (and forgot the «free coupon» so we resigned to paying again).
This time we came in at Happy Hour time, but as we were enjoying a meal we decided to sit down at a table instead of the bar. We were quickly informed that Happy Hour only «works» at the bar. Bizarre policy without any logical benefit — why would you do this? Anyhow, we decided to go ahead, so we asked for a drink menu. I was told «There isn’t one.» Now again, let me be clear, we weren’t seated at the bar. How is there «not» a wine list /​drink menu. So we picked a HOUSE cab and a beer.
For appetizers — honestly everything sounded a bit odd, but we tried the tempura fried Tuna. Strangely what came out looked like a frozen Tuna sushi roll that had been fried in a fried chicken batter. It was bizarre to say the least and anything but «fresh.» I’m 90% sure they bought this pre-​made.
After that experience we didn’t want to mess around with anything where the chefs could get too creative, so we decided to get two different steaks. These were fine — nothing amazing, and I’m not really sure the NY Strip was actually a NY Strip — it was sliced weirdly and tasted like a lower quality cut of meat — perhaps a Sirloin?
When we got the bill it was a shock to see the HOUSE cab costing $ 10 each per glass — that is simply absurd considering a) no one even told us what the vintage was and b) there was no list to tell us that.
Terrible value — bad food — this place should just turn into a bar or shut down. I’ve given it my 2^nd visit and will not be coming back anymore.

I want to love this place because it has such potential, but unfortunately, the food left much to be desired.
I went for the restaurant week special, 3 courses for $ 29 dollars. I tried the crabcake, the scallops, and the raisin and walnut bread pudding risotto.
I really wasn’t impressed by any of the food. The crab cake was probably the highlight of the night, but it lacked the sweet flavor of crab and was a little bit on the salty side. In fact, the overall theme of the night was that everything was heavy on salt.
The scallop entrée came with baby bok choy and a butternut squash purée. Although there were more scallops than the usual scallop entrée, about 6 or 7, the scallops were also much smaller than usual, and they were extremely overcooked. The baby bok choy had no flavor. The only thing redeeming about this plate of food was the butternut squash purée, but it didn’t tie anything together. It tasted good on its own, but it did not do anything for the scallops or the bok choy.
Dessert was disappointing as well. The risotto hardly resembled any of the creamy risotto that I had tried in the past. It was dry and had the texture of oatmeal. I could taste some raisins, but it didn’t add to the texture or the overall dish. On top of the oatmeal like risotto sat some pistachios and a couple of slices of strawberry, which also felt like they didn’t belong.
I really wanted to like this place, but ambiance alone is not enough. They really need to up the ante on the food.
I’ll be back to hang out at the bar and see what their cocktails are like, but if I get hungry, I probably won’t stay for dinner.

Like Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield before his home run, I pointed to what I wanted as soon as I saw it on the menu: Crispy Duck and Citrus Thyme Risotto with Orange Cream Sauce.
I must admit, I was a bit nervous because they are a new restaurant and both are the toughest things to cook (I know from experience in cooking them and failed attempts at other restaurants). After 40 minutes, the moment of truth had arrived. Both were shockingly cooked perfectly — the duck had crispy skin, the meat was not overcooked, and the risotto had a perfect texture. The risotto had a sweet citrus taste with candied orange peel and the orange cream sauce.
Service was a little slow (which is understandable for a Friday night). The bread with hummus and compound butter was a nice touch. They will definitely become a dining option in the neighborhood.