The Archer

I love places that look and feel like this. Taking you back to a more simpler time. The space is very dimly lit. There are animal heads on the wall, antler chandeliers, big leather booth seats, Edison bulbs, arrow (like bow and arrow. because it’s called the archer; as in archery) décor, a working fireplace, and an old-​school radio. The sushi fridge (from the BOX restaurant that used to reside here) was still there though too which is kind of odd. Up behind the bar there is a light fixture that also looks like an ice cube being picked up with tongs. Pretty cool — very speakeasy-​esque. The menu has small bites and entrees as well as house cocktails and a small spirit list.
The beer came in glassware in the shape of a can (cool!). The rest of us ordered cocktails and I was happy to see that the cocktails were priced at $ 12 — much better than some places I frequent. They were not the most fascinating cocktail concoctions, but they were okay [[I prefer cocktails from dullboy]]. Second round, someone ordered an old-​fashioned. Womp. The old fashioned was made too sweet and aside from the normal orange peel adorning the glass, there was also a LEMON peel — never seen that before, and hopefully never will again!
Our waiter was pretty good, but I don’t believe he introduced himself. There was water service in trendy milk jugs, but we had to wait a little bit to get water refills.
I hope they work out the kinks in the near future and get rid of the sushi fridge. I’d be happy to come back here and try the food that everyone is raving about. Rounding to a 4 from a solid 3.5.

I had a lovely experience at Archer Bar on a Saturday night. We were greeted by the bouncer aka ID checker who let us know how busy it was at the bar but checked if a table was available and there were a couple open. The menu cocktails are all $ 12 which is a little expensive BUT they were pretty strong and tasty. We also ordered the pomme frites, portion was a little small for $ 6 but the yummy aioli made up for it.

So glad we decided to try this place on A random week night. The décor is beautiful, cozy, and hipster without trying too hard. They have a really nice booth seating one side and table seating on the other side restaurant with plenty of seating to go around at the bar area as well.
We ordered a bunch of things off their menu and everything was delicious. I should have wrote a review earlier because now I don’t remember the name of the dishes. The sizes are small so it’s more like a tapas order.
Their drinks are out of this world. Hubby got a couple whiskey-​based drinks and really enjoyed every single one of them. (usually doesn’t happen, the usually are one or two standouts but very unusual for all of them to be delicious and approved by him)
Me being pregnant asked the bartender (I can only drink so many sparkling waters in one sitting) to make me something non alcoholic and she made me a lime rickety (is that how you spell it?) that was really delicious and refreshing as well.
Will definitely be back again and again and again… Especially when I’m not pregnant :)the

I am NOT an adventurous eater by any means, but, my husband pushed me to try everything that we ordered, and, WOW!
We started with the meat and cheese plates — SO good
Next, we had the Spicy Elk Meatball Sliders — They were really really good, spicy, great flavor
Bison and Boar Chili — another WOW — i almost ate the whole bowl myself!
My favorite were the Roasted Brussels Sprouts and the Pommes Frites
The drinks and atmosphere were excellent, I can’t wait to go back!

Recently stopped in for dinner to get a better idea of the food offerings at The Archer. Once again, I loved the ambiance in the room, and the service was also great as it has been on previous visits. For dinner, my fella and I had the Forest Mushroom Spatzle ($ 13), Bison Sliders ($ 15) and split an order of Pomme Frities ($ 6). My spatzle was very tasty and had good quality and exotic mushrooms in the dish and the flavors were spot on. This dish is also vegetarian, which is a nice twist on a very traditional meat based dish. My fella absolutely loved his silders, which he said tasted amazing and were served with a few home made potato chips on the side. The pomme frites with smoked tomato aioli were the perfect size to share and the aioli was really good, but despite being assured otherwise by our server, I couldn’t shake the feeling they were cooked in some kind of animal fat. I’m probably wrong about this, but I can’t ignore my gut feeling so I wanted to mention it as a heads up to any strict vegans or vegetarians. We both enjoyed our food, but I did think the portions were a bit small and the prices a tad high. That said, both our meals were made with quality ingredients, so perhaps I’m out wrong on this point, but I feel like $ 15 for two small, albeit tasty sliders, is a bit excessive.
For drinks I tried the New Brunswick ($ 12 — Scotch, Lemon, Maple, Orange Bitters) and really liked it. The nose is a bit strange but the finish is absolutely delicious. Aside from cocktails, I noticed a rather extensive Bourbon/​Whiskey/​Rye list, and was really excited to see Whistle Pig Rye on the menu. I have been wanting to try this rye for a while, but cringe when I see the $ 80 per bottle price tag at the store. One glass later for a paltry $ 15 and I now know it’s smooth as water and fantastic. I would recommend this if you like to drink the dark stuff but bourbon can be a bit too sweet and whiskey hits a little too hard. Overall I’m very impressed with the cocktails and spirits list at The Archer and I will be back again soon!

Try these drinks and leave happy: the Mexicali Rose, (mezcal, tequila, cacao, and orange) a nice, strong after work drink, and the elegantly presented Van Vorst Park Swizzle (apple brandy, sherry, orange, and cinnamon).
For food, the bison short rib was meaty, juicy, and tasty, served with mashed potatoes. The bison chili was hearty and thick, and served with sour cream and rice. For a starter, the prosciutto was thinly sliced and a healthy portion, served with cherry compote and a spicy honey to go with the meat and bread.
Service was friendly, professional, and flannel (attired). Faux woodsy décor — fireplace, taxidermy, you know the drill — but less contrived than the norm. A great find near Grove Street Station!

Jersey City’s got a brand new bar and it’s pretty cool.
I’ve only been once so far, but I like what they’ve done with the place. They replaced the old seating with booths, and built a bar in the back. It’s dark and cozy in here, like I’m in a cabin somewhere instead of Jersey City. Per usual, I am not a fan of mounted dead animals, but I get what they are trying to do here with the plaid, the beards, and the cool girl haircuts.
Jersey City is changing. And this place takes reservations. Win-​Win.

FAN-FRICKIN’-TASTIC! The best bar in Jersey City. Heck, one of the best bars I have ever been to!
Yes that sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s true. The Archer is one hell of a bar.
AMBIANCE: You walk in and immediately it feels like you’ve been whisked 100’s of miles away to a ski lodge. The running fireplace, low lighting and candlelight all make for a very relaxing atmosphere. I’ve been 4 times and each time it’s been packed, which is another great perk to this place: it’s got great energy.
The «archer» theme is throughout: the walls have cylinders with arrows in them, and there are paper-​mache deer heads throughout.
DRINKS: The drinks are on point! I love that their wine list is eclectic but affordable. Nothing over $ 50, most in the $ 32-​$ 38 range.
FOOD: Absolutely. Awesome. The menu is inspired by hunting and game meat (hence, archer), so lots of Elk, Deer, Bison, etc. At the same time, there’s plenty of approachable food, like poutine fries or burger sliders.
It’s just a great spot. Only thing that somewhat bothers me is the host doesn’t write down your name, which can be a bit stress-​inducing when there’s like 40 people in there and you’re not sure if he remembers what order people came in. I know he’s a professional, but it would give me piece of mind if they wrote down people’s name when they came in (when on a wait on a busy night). Still, very minor complaint. Overall awesome place.

Came for a drink last week and must say I love the décor here so cozy and intimate. Just ordered a cheese platter with meats. Great spread with some delicious cocktails. I ordered The Huntsman I probably could have ordered 5 more.
Ordered some apps as we were going to go to dinner somewhere else that night. Ordered the Bread & Butter which is really two biscuits cut in half for $ 6 which I thought was a little pricy. Had there been more that two biscuits it would have been worth it. It was still good with the honey just a tad pricey.
We ordered some cheese and meats and this great spread came out. So delicious great with the cocktail and honestly filling. I believe we ordered the prosciutto perfect amount of saltiness nice flavor and character in the meat. The cheese I want to say was the manchego options which paired perfectly with the jelly. A few slices of bread though I wish had been toasted would have been great.
Looking forward to coming back for more dishes on the menu and trying other cocktails as well. This place is strict on their age limit, you must be 21 and older. They check IDs at the door.

This place is a real gem! Trained Staff (who are ALL so friendly and make it look easy!) Duck Poutine still has me daydreaming about it 4 days later — Vension Corn Dogs were a one bite delight that were super memorable with that jalopeno jam — the Going out West is so tasty and really well balanced; will def have to go back for another round of… EVERYTHING! great ambiance, happy servers = TWO THUMBS WAY UP FOR THE ARCHER!

I came here with a group of friends late at night at like 1:30am and they served us with open arms! It was a very chill atmosphere with a great selection of beer. I love their wood, modern décor. They have cute glasses for their beers too! Definitely come here to chill out with friends.

It was so busy on the Friday night I went that they were at capacity and I would have had to wait if my date hadn’t already been inside. But despite the crowd, they had very attentive customer service both at the bar and in the dining area. I felt like it was a real grown up place, not a bunch of kids acting the part but folks who were professionals and cared about giving a quality service.
I always hate trying to get the bartender’s attention at a full bar but not only did the very busy bartender ask for my order right away, she also brought it out to where I was standing talking to my date. Then she even told me just to pay when I had a chance to come back up to the bar!
We ended up staying to eat b/​c the service was so efficient and I had their special, a version of a BLT with house cured bacon and arugula. The bacon was delicious, not at all gamey, and cooked perfectly.

Duck poutine fries were amazing. Mini corndogs were delish too. Great spot and super cozy.
Really excited to have this addition to the nabe!

Great cocktails.
Food left something to be desired. Deviled duck eggs were kind of disappointing. Cold peanut noodles were OK but nothing special. Duck poutine was pretty good — good fries and awesome duck confit — I just wish there was more of the duck!
Cozy, swanky, trendy décor. Dim lightning. Fantastic for a date.
You’ll probably have to wait for a table or even a seat at the small bar.
Definitely check this spot out.

We came here on a Friday at 645pm — even with the chilly weather, the crowds were strong here!
We managed to get the last booth for our group of four. We perused the menus (bring a flashlight — its pretty dark in there and we were passing the votice candle on the table around as reading light!). It took us a minute to narrow down the drink choices. The two guys went for cocktails and the other lady and myself split a bottle of Bordeaux. The wine was a bit flat at first, but because I knew we were eating there, I selected something that would go with all the gamey meats (and I was right. that wine opened up perfectly in time and went well with food). If you’re going just for drinks and want wine, opt for the syrah blend perhaps.
There was only one bartender, so drinks took for-​evvv-​errrr. We didnt mind (I mean, other than it was Friday and we needed a drink!) — our server was kind to keep checking in, and apologized for the delay and explained why (which I really appreciate).
We jumped into our food order with an order of the pimento cheese, the fries, the brussel sprouts, and an order of bread with butter and honey. The fries were my favorite (very crisp and hot with a delicious chipotle aoili dipping sauce). The brussels were okay, the pimento cheese was a bit forgettable, but the bread was delicious with some butter and a quick dip into the spicy honey.
Our entrée course was all split among us — because we all wanted to try it all! We went with both sets of sliders (elk and bison) — they came two to an order, so we each got half a slider. We ordered a sloppy joe and one other one that I cant really remember (oops). The sliders were great and the sloppy joe was fantastic — all in all, great things!
If they get a second bartender in on weekends, this place will flow seamlessly!

My first visit to The Archer was a Thursday evening. It was full, but not packed. I was immediately impressed with the space; inviting, warm, dimly lit, fireplace across from the bar. There’s a great selection of cocktails, try the Old West, it won’t disappoint.
Sampled the cheese and meat plates — standard fare but all tasty. The next visit and there will be another soon, I’ll taste more of their menu.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a relaxed, laid back environment with a stiff drink, you’ve found your spot!

This is the highest caliber a bar can be. The drink menu (which has a combination of staple cocktails and changing seasonals) is made by one of the top mixologists in the area and it shows. Every drink has a ton of tlc put into it, and no corners are cut! This is a great bar to try spirits you don’t normally drink as the bartenders are of the highest caliber and know their craft!
The ambiance here is great. You feel like you are in an old hunting/​ski lodge in the middle of the woods, with a real fireplace! You can sit at the cozy bar, or there are regular tables as well as booths to tuck away into.
If beer is your thing, I can assure you they are only buying good stuff. Some hard to find kegs mixed with top notch crafts make a diverse yet very appealing tap list. As phenomenal as the cocktails are, the beer list is just as impressive.
Food…yes! They have a ton of game meats which in my opinion are tastier, aside from the fact that they generally are healthier than the factory farmed meat you buy in most places. The spicy elk meatball sliders are to die for. Seriously– ORDER THESE! I also love the mac and cheese. The icing on the cake– they have a charcuterie board with some amazing meats and cheeses. No TVs and minimalist music make this a great place for a date, night out with friends, romantic night, etc etc… really any occasion or moment to be in an amazing place.

Supremely overpriced for the area. And the portions were like the «Eat Me» cakes in Alice in Wonderland.
We ordered a bunch of apps like the meat and cheese plates, bison sliders, duck poutine — all delicious and tiny. The food really was tasty though.
My drink had 99% ice and I am, for once, voting for the 1%.
Would go back for 1 drink and a bite after a satisfying dinner elsewhere.

Praise God: a bar in Jersey City where on a Friday or Saturday night you can actually hear the other person speaking to you. Please keep it this way! We have enough clubs and Hoboken-​y bars cropping up in the Newark Ave area.
Great ambiance, great and friendly service, and the cocktails are also very fine. There are a range of options, whether you like boozier stuff (like me… try the Monte Carlo if you like whiskey) or lighter options, as well as sweeter or tarter. They have a full bar, too, so if you’d prefer something more classic, they are quite competent at making other drinks (I’ve had the Manhattans). The food, while very small portions (I think they are planning to expand the menu soon), is very high quality. If you’re squeamish about game meats, I assure you, the meats are handled well and not «gamey» at all.
Well done, Archer. Keep it up!

Archer Bar is the definition of swanky and cool. It’s another epic addition to Newark ave, a strip of bars and restaurants in downtown JC that seems to be growing by the day. I’ve been feeling really spoiled since I moved into the area a few months ago because of spots like this!
They are still in their soft opening phase and don’t have their full drink menu or food options up yet. Food and drinks aside, checking out the fully decked out space was enough to draw me in. The interior resembles an old study with brick walls and a cozy fire place. The Archer name is a play on the hunting theme that has a strong presence in the bar. There are deer antlers on the wall and the menu is set to feature assorted types of gamey meats. I was never inside the space during it’s previous run as a sushi spot and was surprised to see how large it is! More then just a bar, there are plenty of booths for sitting and grabbing food.
I went with a bramble which had gin, simple syrup and fresh muddled blackberry. It was sweet and refreshing and I finished it in under five minutes which is definitely a problem. Cocktails are 12 dollars — not cheap but definitely on par with all other similar bars in the ‘hood.
I can’t wait to come back when they’ve got their fully loaded food and drink menu up. I’m happy that Archer Bar has got a new home on Newark Ave and between the super hip vibe and spectacular cocktails I think that the neighborhood will welcome them with open arms.