Assume The Best About This Unassuming Spot

On a tree-lined corner off-the-beaten path in Hoboken, you will find a pleasant place to eat and drink at Zack’s Oak Bar & Restaurant.

A handful of tiny, umbrella-d outdoor tables greet you as you approach Zack’s little, flower box-lined fence.

Inside is equally cheery and inviting. As you enter, you’ll see a few rows of dark wooden booths in the dining area to your right. (Author’s note: The entrance to the restaurant is on 3rd. There is a door on the Willow Ave side of the building, but it’s exit-only and has no handle on it. You will look like a jackass if you try to open it. Don’t ask me how I know that.)

Straight ahead and stretching to the left is the bar area, with two-person tables lining the windowed perimeter. Despite a small footprint, the restaurant boasts an airy and open feel and an inviting, family-friendly atmosphere. If there’s one place in all of Hoboken that you might observe small children eating with their parents, this might be it. No wild happy hour here, just a tranquil dinner experience.

The menu is similarly relaxed. It doesn’t involve any crazy themes or even a specific ethnicity, just basic American cuisine. For dinner, there are some hearty sandwiches, pasta items, a bunch of fresh seafood dishes, and a few specialties of the house. I chose from the latter group, a beef dish with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots. It was total comfort food and really tasty. The beef was tender and juicy, the veggies were appropriately firm, and the potatoes had a light, creamy texture. Next time I’d like to try the steak, the most expensive item on the menu, at only $16. There were also some really tempting flavored martinis on the drink menu for $8 each, including such flavors as pineapple upside-down cake and key lime pie.

Since I opted against a drink, I decided to have the key lime pie in non-drink, actual-pie form, and it was delicious – perfectly creamy with a just-right gingerbread crust. Even the service was just the way I like it — pleasant and attentive without being pushy. The only drawback was that since I was eating dinner during the evening rush hour, the 126 bus kept rolling by and interrupting my peace and quiet.

I would definitely recommend Zack’s to anyone who is looking for an alternative to the atmosphere on well-known Washington Street, which, even on a weeknight, ranges from bustling to semi-chaotic. This is a perfect establishment to visit for dinner when you want to just relax and chat with friends, when you miss Mom’s home cooking, or maybe when Mom’s home cooking leaves something to be desired.

Zack’s Oak Bar & Restaurant
232 Willow Ave
Hoboken
(201) 653-7770

FancyPants:

— by Nicole Little
Nicole, GoOutJersey's associate editor, is a Nutley native and recent Weehawken transplant. She loves dining out and imposing her opinions on others, which makes her a well-qualified reviewer.

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