SO Village Hall - redevelopment (beer hall)moving forward?

So, has anyone been yet? I’m planning on going closer to Christmas. 


My sister and I went to the biergarten on Saturday when it opened at 5pm. I was a little early and went in and grabbed a table. Good thing, because by 5:15 there were no tables left. It was wonderful to see so much excitement over a restaurant in South Orange. I think yesterday they were supposed to open the entire restaurant. Looking forward to dining there. 


Definitely have to make reservations. 


Well, I was planning on stopping in for a beer with friends but after seeing the menu, I'll pass. I wasn't expecting much in the way of vegan options but most restaurants have offerings for vegetarians. Too bad.


Morganna said:

Well, I was planning on stopping in for a beer with friends but after seeing the menu, I'll pass. I wasn't expecting much in the way of vegan options but most restaurants have offerings for vegetarians. Too bad.

A few vegetarion appetizers, but that's it. 

You should provide some feedback.


yahooyahoo said:

Morganna said:

Well, I was planning on stopping in for a beer with friends but after seeing the menu, I'll pass. I wasn't expecting much in the way of vegan options but most restaurants have offerings for vegetarians. Too bad.

A few vegetarion appetizers, but that's it. 

You should provide some feedback.

Landmark Hospitality headquarters, Jersey City,  201 - 761-0025. 

eta - My impression is that they welcome suggestions.


$22, of course I checked.


ridski said:

$22, of course I checked.

Worth it? How is the beer selection? A large fresh pretzel cannot be improved upon, IMO. 


ridski said:

$22, of course I checked.

the beer garden burger is $16 with fries ( per the separate menu)


oots said:

the beer garden burger is $16 with fries ( per the separate menu)

Is there a link to that one?

Also, haven't eaten there yet, that's just a marker for me. They don't have any drinks menu online yet. 


ridski said:

Is there a link to that one?

Also, haven't eaten there yet, that's just a marker for me. They don't have any drinks menu online yet. 

https://villagehallnj.com/wp-content/uploads/PUMPHOUSE_MENU.pdf


How is th sound level? Can you carry on a conversation in there?


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

How is th sound level? Can you carry on a conversation in there?

When I got to the biergarten at 5pm, it was fine. About 6pm, they cranked up the music and it was a little hard to talk and to hear.


What is the layout of the restaurant?  Is the restaurant downstairs with beer garden? What is upstairs?


There is a trend in restaurant design. hard walls and tables to reflect sound and increase noise. This is to drive away older people and generate a younger crowd. Cassidy was an example of this. It was so loud that you couldn't carry on a conversation with the person at the next bar stool.

So I went once.... walked out without ordering.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

There is a trend in restaurant design. hard walls and tables to reflect sound and increase noise. This is to drive away older people and generate a younger crowd. Cassidy was an example of this. It was so loud that you couldn't carry on a conversation with the person at the next bar stool.

So I went once.... walked out without ordering.

There is an app I just discovered called Soundprint that helps people find dining establishments by loudness ratings. They refer to themselves as “Yelp for noise”. 

The app allows you to submit ratings by actually measuring a decibel level with the app for 15 seconds. It uses location services to ensure you’re submitting for the right spot.


They seem to have some database bugs because The Cassidy and Avril Cocina are still listed. Hopefully they can refine the operations a bit. Maybe it will get bought and integrated into Yelp or Google or something. 


mrincredible said:

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

There is a trend in restaurant design. hard walls and tables to reflect sound and increase noise. This is to drive away older people and generate a younger crowd. Cassidy was an example of this. It was so loud that you couldn't carry on a conversation with the person at the next bar stool.

So I went once.... walked out without ordering.

There is an app I just discovered called Soundprint that helps people find dining establishments by loudness ratings. They refer to themselves as “Yelp for noise”. 

The app allows you to submit ratings by actually measuring a decibel level with the app for 15 seconds. It uses location services to ensure you’re submitting for the right spot.


They seem to have some database bugs because The Cassidy and Avril Cocina are still listed. Hopefully they can refine the operations a bit. Maybe it will get bought and integrated into Yelp or Google or something. 

The noise in Cassidy was unbearable.  I think it was part of the reason why it was not very successful, and then the pandemic finished it off.

The new Lorena's is much more pleasant.


We finally tried Village Hall, specifically the beer garden.  

It was pretty good, overall I'll give it a B. It didn't seem like there was anyone in charge of seating guests when we arrived. Once we sat down, the service was not good but the waiter stepped up their game and was doing fine by the end of our visit. A lot of beer choices on the menu including many German beers. The food was good and came out quickly.

The entrance area for the beer garden is awkward and should be reconfigured.  They have huge doors and every time someone entered or left, the guests near the doors got blasted by cold air.  There should at least be a temporary outer door during cold weather months, like they have at Trattoria in Maplewood.  Once the warm weather arrives, the beer garden will have a nice flow with the outdoor seating.

The restaurant was packed. There is a small bar in the beer garden and a large bar in the restaurant, which was full.  Next time, I want to try the restaurant bar.

Overall, it showed a lot of promise. I would expect the service to improve as they work out any kinks.


A group of us went for dinner in the main restaurant a few weeks before Christmas. The place was packed, the music was full-blast, and it was a level of loudness beyond anything I have ever experienced before in a restaurant. Is it still like that? We fled and went to the Gaslight instead. 


kthnry said:

A group of us went for dinner in the main restaurant a few weeks before Christmas. The place was packed, the music was full-blast, and it was a level of loudness beyond anything I have ever experienced before in a restaurant. Is it still like that? We fled and went to the Gaslight instead. 

It's pretty loud.


If I remember the menus, the inside restaurant is significantly more expensive than the outer German taverny thing.


Are the cans of beer really big?  They seem pricey.

ETA - I see they're 16 oz cans - at least they're not 12oz.


jamie said:

Are the cans of beer really big? They seem pricey.

Something’s off. Cricket Hill lists Brew Jitsu’s ABV as 4.5%, Flying Fish lists Jersey Juice at 6% ABV, and both sites say those beers are currently unavailable. Ithaca’s website shows Flower Power in a bottle.

A-ha, here’s a theory: Those 16-ounce cans are so pricey because they’re so rare.


jamie said:

ETA - I see they're 16 oz cans - at least they're not 12oz.

IIRC, four-packs of 16-ounce cans from Soma Brewing, Montclair Brewery and Four City run about $20 retail.


Anyone who drinks the unrefined murky swill known as IPA deserves to get fleeced  surprised



It’s not for everyone. Seems like they are catering for the younger crowd who don’t feel like going into the city for a night out. I kinda expected that. We’re growing old…


mrincredible said:

Anyone who drinks the unrefined murky swill known as IPA deserves to get fleeced 
surprised

West Coast style, my man. Clear as day.


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