The Embankment

Was just here for a wedding reception and sounds like private events are the way to go! The Bride & Groom also hosted their rehearsal dinner here and we had some awesome appetizers: Duck Quesadilla, flatbread pizza, buffalo shrimp, beef empanadas and more — all of the food was really good. It was so good that it filled the bridal party.
They have a decent bar menu as well. About 6 – 7 beers on draft with bottles/​cans in the fridge and a full bar.
For the wedding dinner we had the option of Salmon, Beef, or Chicken. The food was great! One of the groomsmen even ate a second meal! Apps for the wedding were the eggrolls — good, crab cakes — delicious, shrimp — yummy, and bruschetta — Favorite!
As far as space lay out — the B&G used the loft to host their photo booth and photos, which was perfect. The dance floor was the area in front of the bar and worked for the amount of people that were dance enthusiasts. The main dining area was great for the reception. The one thing to keep in mind is that you may need to place some guests in the little alcove-​like room off the main dining. They had a hard time hearing what was going on, but were still able to see what was going on.
I can’t speak to the 1 and 2-​star reviews about «normal» days, but for a reception or private event, this space was great! Friendly and attentive staff as well.

A group of my friends went there on Friday night for drinks and dinner. The venue itself is really nice and well decorated. It’s a bit far off rom the path, which may explain why it was incredibly empty the entire time we were there (we left at 11:00). The drinks were fine, but the food was mediocre.
We ordered the tapas which were incredibly bland — the «marinated tomatoes» were just some soggy tomatoes, the «marinated olives» were just canned olives doused in olive oil, and the pickled beets were incredibly vinegary. The french fries with dipping sauce were just fries with ketchup, mustard and mayo — but the fries were good! Our main courses didn’t fare any better. I got the braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, and everything was pretty flavorless. Two of my friends ordered the penne primavera, which was soaked in olive oil to the point where we had to train it. A friend of mine did order the Best Burger in Jersey City, and he said it was pretty good, so I guess it wasn’t a total loss!
All in all, the venue is really nice, but the food needs some major work.

Very disappointed. Food was overpriced bar food and the atmosphere in the restaurant section was out dated. My steak was over cooked the table was not level. Will not go back.

Now, I like their sister bar (the merchant), and I’ve heard good things about their dinner, so I might give them another shot… but my one experience here for brunch was disappointing in every way.
Now we walked in… there was no host[ess], we waited a bit until anyone acknowledged us and brought us to a table. Most of the tables were empty, yet we still waited far too long for a server, and didn’t get much attention during our meal.
The bloody’s were alright, and cheap, but my food (when it finally came) was extremely disappointing… I had the crab cake benedict: the «poached» eggs had yolks that were pretty much solid, and the crab cakes were chilly on the inside, like they didn’t bother to heat them properly. The rest of my party was also somewhat disappointed, though at least their meals looked cooked.
Now I can see why the place was almost empty at prime brunch time. Come on guys, with all of the brunch options in downtown jc, even just around this neighborhood, you have to step up your game. I had good expectations for this place, but I just couldn’t find anything I liked about it… I guess it wasn’t a bad looking place, but I went there to eat.

WHAT A SHAME!
Went here for valentines day,
Very nice looking place, relaxing décor and somewhat close to home.
Sadly That is just about the only nice thing I could say about this place
The place was fairly empty and now I know why, On a day when a restaurant should be packed and have its staff ready to handle just about anything the embankment failed miserably!
After Being seated with a friend we waited a good 20 min before anyone asked us if we would like something, Then another 10 min to get a beer!
I had the Soy-​Lime salmon which was the only reason this place earned any stars from me. Nice crispy crust and a light sauce, very tasty.
My friend had the Braised Short Ribs, If they put anymore salt on this dish I might have had a heart attack on the spot, overly fatty (and I love short ribs)
Sadly all I could hear from the guests next to us was how bad the wait staff was… I gave up on asking for a second drink because I didnt feel like waiting another hour to get it.

Pros:
Beautiful restaurant.
Great food.
Good selection of beer and wine.
You can host a private event here. (We were here for a wedding)
Clean, very modern décor.
Great service.
After clearing the tables and chairs in the dining area, there’s plenty of room for a dance floor!
Cons:
This restaurant was hard to find for me.
There’s limited street parking and supposedly a garage, but I couldn’t find the garage.
We had to play musical chairs where we were sitting.
It was a bit cramped.
Overall, 3.5 stars. Not sure if I’d return by choice, but if I was in the neighborhood, I’d grab drinks and eats.

I went to The Embankment for Restaurant Week, $ 25 for 3 courses (which they apparently offer every Thursday night as well). The menu looks amazing with really great choices… if they actually HAD those choices available. I ordered a blood orange and fennel salad to start off my meal (and was reaallllly looking forward to it) only to be told by the waiter, «sorry, we’re out of that, we don’t have blood oranges.» …Ok… So, I ordered a caesar salad which was pretty tasty and followed it up with the filet mignon for my entrée. The mignon was supposed to be accompanied by crispy onions, micro greens and a burgundy demi. To my surprise, I received a filet smothered in sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions (i hate mushrooms). The cut of meat, however, was delectable. For dessert, I was highly anticipating the chocolate soufflé only to be told AGAIN that, yes, they were indeed out of chocolate soufflé (???). Second runner up: the deconstructed cannoli w/​dulce de leche. it was okay, but the soufflé would have probably been better. Overall, the food was good, but the lack of menu choices was frustrating. The waiter should have told us which dishes were unavailable before we ordered.
I’m giving the Embankment a lowly 2-​star review mostly due to the service. There wasn’t a host/​hostess to seat us when we arrived. Instead, the bartender scrambled over and convinced us to sit in the bar area because we would receive «much faster service.» Yeah, right! It took us over 2 hours to get our food and eat. Our empty plates sat on our table for 20 minutes before they were cleared. The service was some of the slowest I’ve ever experienced.
Overall, if the service improved and they actually offered the dishes on their menu, I’d return to the Embankment. Until then, I’ll stick to Skinner’s Loft or Hamilton Inn for a tasty dinner.

We recently had our wedding reception at The Embankment and can’t say enough about how wonderful our experience was! We were looking for something modern and different for our celebration. We’d been to traditional reception spaces and knew they weren’t for us.
The Embankment’s loft-​like feel got us interested in the space but the food and staff sealed the deal! All of our guests raved about the whole night, the food was not your typical wedding food, the space felt more relaxed and fun, which is exactly what we wanted.
Planning the reception was easy since Dave (the owner) took a hands on approach and worked with us directly, answering all of our questions and making great suggestions. He even made sure our guests could start using the garage a few hours before the reception as we were having our ceremony at nearby Hamilton park and held a spot in front of the restaurant for our Mister Softee truck!
It’s so ridiculously intimidating to start planning a wedding when you have a budget and people won’t even return your call! The Embankment really was the perfect find for us and we’re beyond thrilled that our guests and families had the time of their lives right along with us!

The food isnt horrible (although somewhat small portions for my big belly) but the service is beyond slow, to the point of retarded. A meal that should have lasted an hour ended up lasting 2 and a half. Our empty plates sat in front of us for over 20 minutes before the waiter came to take them away. He would disappear for 30 mins at a time, like I wouldn’t even see him helping other tables. Maybe he was also the cook, maybe he was running home to take care of his sick wife, maybe he was out saving kittens. I don’t know. But I do know he wasn’t doing a very good job of being my waiter.
And they were out of pretty much everything we ordered. «I’ll have the short rib sandwich.» «And I’ll have the salmon.»…30 minutes later. «Sorry, but we’re out of both of those.» Ugh! At least he told us ahead of time they were out of the dessert I had wanted to order, or that would have been another hour long ordeal.
So instead, I got the grossest, smallest piece of cheesecake I’d ever had.
The place seemed pretty cool, if not slightly yuppyish, for happy hour. But that’s not what I came for so they get no added stars for that.
I would give them more stars if the service had been just a little bit better. Leave the plate on the table for 5 minutes, fine. 10 minutes, okay. But 20? I was so annoyed by the time I finally left, I can’t give them more.

I can’t say enough about the food. Chef Wally is simply amazing at his craft. We enjoyed everything we ate, and they accommodated our large party with ease.
As an added bonus, the décor is very nice, and the service was efficient.

Just attended a private party at the Embankment and had a really good time. The place has a good clean and trendy look to it. We had about a hundred people attend and pretty much had the whole bar to ourselves. The two bartenders were a bit overwhelmed and could have used more help, but at least the drinks were strong. We also had our own dj so the place was jumping all night. Unfortunately the clock changed forward so we lost an hour.
As for the food, I only had some apps and they were pretty good. I’ll be coming back to check out that dinner special on Thrs.
In all The Embankment was a great place for a party, and definitely looks good for dinner. It has a a modern trendy upscale look and feel, and is a good place for a relaxing evening for drinks with some friends.

Every Thursday: $ 25 — 3 course meal… and I can pick from the full menu? really?
well then… Prince Edward Mussels, Steak and an Apple square… de-​fukin-​lish
Every Tuesday: Happy Hour all night… half price on all apps and drafts? wait… half price on my 30oz Radeberger? what? $ 3 for this giant german beer?
fizzuck…good night y’all.

Gave this place 3 stars. Loved the ambiance… nice small group or date type of place. The food was okay… not worth regular price so go for half off apps and try a few. Half off drinks made me give this place 3 stars too. But the bartender was forgetful and unattentive. Couldn’t multi-​task for the life of her. Asked for a drink and a water. Brought over the drink 5 minutes later and had to asked again for a water.

Great food, service and staff! We are there almost every weekend and have never had one complaint!
I would recommend the Embankment to anyone looking for a great meal.

It all could have worked, but failed. And it started off so well.
The first time I went there two years ago, it was fabulous. Excellent food — really good french style cooking. Great atmosphere, mixing that space well. The name itself relates to the area.
I heard shortly after that first visit the chef had left. I went back a few times and the food was lousy. Just recently I had brunch and I could have had a better brunch reheating a 7 – 11 sandwhich.
I’m done with you Embankment. Perhaps a beer? Maybe.

Went here last Saturday for a get together with my family and was totally digging the bar. There were groups of good looking people around us all having a nice time.
Someone pulled the fire alarm which ended up evacuating the restaurant for a bit so I think the kitchen wasa little bit off after that.
But I’ve gotta give them credit. They did their best to pick up where they left off and we finished our really hearty meal with no complaints. We had a set menu for the event and everyone was RAVING about the short ribs. The dessert (a chocolate mousse) was just right.

So I’m sitting in the embankment today. Sort of noon/​lunch time. Checked the Unilocal ratings: a lot of four stars and even one five star! Awesome. Let’s eat.
So, after experiencing this place today, I can only say WHAT WERE YOU GUYS THINKING??? OR SMOKING? OR DRINKING?
This was one of the lowlights, friends. Now, I’m not a stick in the mud or anything. In many way’s I’m pretty hip and forgiving, but there is a limit.
Here’s the story in brief: Park on the street, walk in, get a nice table by the south window. So far, so good. Waitress approaches and lets us know that this is her first day. Uh, oh… but, OK. Everybody has to start sometime and this is hers. My dining companion orders French Onion soup, very hot, no bread under the cheese, and a roasted goat cheese salad. I order a burger, MR, fries well-​done — hot and crispy. Simple, nyet? We also tell her to deliver all the food at one time.
We wait. And then we wait. And then we still wait. Now it’s 20 minutes and our blood sugars are really low and we’re starting to snap a bit. Finally the soup arrives and, guess what? IT’S NOT HOT! We find the waitress and she offers to take it off the bill. No, don’t take it off the bill, put it in the microwave and MAKE IT HOT! So I take advantage of her temporary and fleeting presence to review my order. BTW, how did I order the burger. She consults her pad. «Well-​done,» she says. There are many things I would never do, and ordering beef well done heads the list. NO NO NO. Medium Rare!!! Oh, that’s OK, she says, I haven’t put the order in yet! What!!! Sheesh.
The burger finally comes and, guess what, it’s RAW, no kidding and literally raw. I send it back, get the check, and leave.
Any restaurant that can’t figure out how to deliver a burger as ordered really isn’t worth the energy it takes to walk in the door.
If there was a no star category, this would deserve it. You’ve been warned.

Oh Embankment. As they say on Weekend Update, really?!
Spring sprung yesterday. It was a gorrrgeous weekend and where were your outdoor tables? You had one door open in the restaurant and one open in the bar? That’s it? That’s all you do on the first 70 degree day? Seriously? No wonder the place was half dead at 5pm on a Sunday evening.
But this is the best part. We got a fun game to play expressly in bars (a fast-​paced Scrabble type deal using cards). We were getting the deck out and looking at the directions when our waiter came by and was giving us a funny look. I thought he was about to make some comment about how fun the game is. But no. He told us it is illegal to play cards in NJ.
This didn’t quite add up. My favorite NJ bar is stocked with games. So, I asked him about that. He told me that must be a loophole! I said, this is actually Scrabble, not regular cards. He said it’s a gambling thing. And that we looked like we were probably not gambling (just the two of us at the table, mind you: my husband and me), but that’s the rules.
And what do you know.
tells me that game playing is perfectly legal as long as no gambling is going on.
I know I should not judge the place on this one crappy experience, but I will. I’ll probably go back because the food is pretty good (the tapas platter is delicious) and they have a decent beer selection and it’s not far from home.
But still. I got a bad taste in my mouth. And it’s not from all the beer we drank at Embankment today because you can bet we high-​tailed it out of there after one a piece.

Since I live literally across the street, I’m what you’d call a regular. I walk in, sit at the bar and I feel like I’m amongst friends. Everything is reasonably priced everyone knows their alcohol (quite well actually) and the food is really good… My personal favorite is the flat bread pie with artichokes and a Guinness… yum.
Oh, They also have awesome weekly specials Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I enjoyed this spot. Rolled up on Wed night with the man: ½ price bottles of wine… sweet!
The waiter was awesome and hooked us up with some free apps the meal was solid– my bf got a real nice piece of meat for a good price I got the chicken wrap which actually wasn’t that awesome but overall the meal was good.