Burke's Tavern in
Newark (NJ)

Outstanding experience from start to finish. The service felt genuine and welcoming, the European inspired ambiance created a cozy vibe, and the Moroccan lamb meatballs were bursting with rich, unforgettable flavor. Easily one of the best spots in Newark’s Ironbound area.

What a pleasant surprise — it’s honestly surreal to visit places you once frequented as a curious youth. I’m talking about what once was HELL’S KITCHEN, a hipster neighborhood bar that is now a posh, beautifully curated lounge / restaurant — which is now BURKE’S TAVERN. This was an impromptu visit during a snowy Saturday — from beginning to end the experience was very overwhelming in the most positive way. From entrance to seating to the bar — from the subway tile and very carefully curated wood accents / furniture, to vintage tchotchkes and so much more — once you enter the locale, it really engulfs you with the ambiance and experience. Here is where it goes from great to magic… Luisa our bartender made us some of the BEST COCKTAILS I’ve had in a really long time! I had the Paper Plane which was a whisky based cocktail with amaretto and aperol - it was HEAVEN in a glass. Followed by a French liqueur cocktail of which the name escapes me… honestly — paradise on a cold snowy day! Thank you Luisa! Made our day!!! Here is where the establishment misses the mark keeping them from 5 Stars from my perspective. Wait time for food… We ordered something pretty simple, but it took almost 45min to get our food — luckily we were so distracted by the delicious cocktails, time escaped us - but yeah, it took quite some time, and we had to remind them in efforts to finally get the dishes. Okay… The dishes… I got a Steak & Eggs for $23 dolllars — shell steak I believe with house fries, eggs, and a slice of toast - pretty reasonable for what I was expecting and fair. BUT - the flavor was lacking that umphhh - presentation was more like an $18 dish, due to receiving a sliced steak that was well done vs medium; home fries were just 2-3 full potatoes sliced in half — not really home fries, but not complaining for the giant pieces of potatoes lol - I don’t mind potatoes but if you are a lover, that style of home fries is for you lol. Eggs were not over easy as requested, but the sliced toast tasted like a buttered artisan sourdough which was amazing! Steak was tender but tasted slightly gamey… like maybe it wasn’t fresh from the butcher that day? Overall it was nice but NOT AMAZING! Second dish was a CHIKIN sandwich (that’s how it’s spelled) that has what feels like an Asian or some kind of exotic name attached to the sandwich. $18 bucks… just the sandwich , this was recommended by the bartender. The sandwich in burger style form, was small, for $18 we were expected a diner sized sandwich in burger form. Flavors were decent, but the chicken was not crispy, and some parts were chewy and others crispy and soft…. It had to be returned, after 2 bites it was just no-go. Ok so we said let’s just get some fries while we drink…. Fries were tasty but tasted and resembled the fries you get at a chicken shack (aka crown fried chicken) — those fries that emulate the McDonald’s fries that you buy at Costco or restaurant depot. Now… based on this we did not want to explore anything else on the menu, but we remained happy with our cocktails and craft beers and wine. We felt ultimately that this location was built with cocktails and libations in mind - that was the primary it feels like, and that food was secondary — could be 1000% wrong, but that’s what it felt like for us, and after speaking with friends who also agreed, the consensus is, go for the amazing cocktails but avoid the food… In the end, it was still a happy impromptu visit, will definitely be back for the cocktails, and for food there is always the Ironbound for authentic Brazilian and European cuisine — and so much more. CHEERS!!! 🍻

We had a wonderful New Year’s Eve meal this evening ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Coming from Vermont staying in Newark a couple nights it was within walking distance of our stay. I love the name as I live near Burke Vt.

Our last supper in the city before flying home the next morning. What a pleasant surprise. My steak with blue cheese sauce and my wife's sliders were excellent. Steak fries and shoestring fries were great as well. Only small issue was the service. Our waitress forgot to initially bring out our requested ketchup and she just lacked attention to detail and attention to the customer.

Food was great. Had never been but a great find. Gabby easy awesome. Accompanist quick. Funny! We highly recommend. And a nice spot after an awesome Devils game. Nice touch with no tvs. Unusual but relaxing and adds to the atmosphere! Thanks Gabby!!!

Busy before a devils game. Floor could have used a another member of wait staff. Solid pub cuisine. Cocktails are good but a little pricey for the locale. Waited about an hour for food after ordering, but was very good when it arrived. Everyone is on the same agenda, eat and get to the game.

Someone mentioned the pork sandwich making them cry. Wouldn't go that far but it was good. Pizza was mid. Very cute place. Will be back.

I love this place! The staff is great. This is a real gem in Newark. Im a New Yorker that lives in New Jersey now and Burkes Tavern is worthy!

We had a strange experience here the other night. A coworker and I came in for dinner around 7 and were seated promptly. We didn’t order drinks, but the cocktails looked great. The first half of the meal went well. The server was friendly and attentive at first, but after our food arrived, he disappeared. Someone else cleared our plates, and we waited a long time without being offered dessert or the check. I eventually had to flag down another server, who found him. When I asked to split the check based on what we each ordered, he did the opposite by mistake, then had to reprint it twice. Each time took about five minutes, even though the restaurant was maybe 20% full. From the time we finished eating to the time we left was nearly an hour, mostly just waiting. The food was hit or miss. The salad I ordered arrived in the middle of us yet without any plates for us to split it, if that was the case. My lamb burger was over charred and messy, and the sides were confusing: a long whole roasted pepper, 2 halves of a radish, and tempura-fried caper berries. I had to ask what they were. A simple arugula salad with radishes would’ve made more sense. I also ordered fries, which I misread as $4 but were actually $8. Unfortunately, they were plain and unseasoned, not worth the price. I asked for mayo when I ordered them then had to ask again for mayo when the food was dropped and it didn’t have it. I also had to ask for a salt shaker. On the positive side, my coworker enjoyed her pizza, and the ambiance was nice, with tasteful fall decorations out front.

Burke's is a gem to say thr least. Obviously those who were in the know didn't let me in on what amazing food and ambiance. The shrimp with sauce...tasty. My chicken sandwich with slaw was flavorful and last but not least that blueberry cheesecake... My words will not due it justice! Definitely will be back great staff and treated us like we home.

Excellent food and very attentive service! The place has a European feel to it and the staff goes above and beyond to make you feel welcomed. The Moroccan lamb meatballs are absolutely out of this world. I'm glad I picked this place out of all the other choices in the Ironbound section of Newark. Great atmosphere ! Thank you!

The tavern offers quality food and a lively, albeit loud, atmosphere. However, service becomes inconsistent when the establishment is busy, as servers appear to struggle with the demand. The dining experience would likely improve with additional staffing or enhanced training for the serving staff.

How can this place not be a 5 star?! The service is friendly and helpful. The pizza crust and toppings are great ( hence half eaten in pic). Look at that chicken sandwich!!! I am not from the area and admittedly was not sure of the area. I was pleasantly surprised the restaurant was safe, clean, all the clientele was wonderful. A surprise home run!! Give it a try!

This place is a definitely a great place to try. I was in town on business and looking for a nice dinner. The atmosphere was awesome, warm and inviting. The service was top notch. The food was amazing! I had the Gochu Crispy Chicken Sandwich, it was clearly made fresh to order. I also had the blueberry cheesecake, absolutely amazing! I gave 4 stars because they were out of most of the beers on tap and the $8 side of fries was equivalent to McDonalds fries so I won’t order those again. Over all, a great place.

Came for an early dinner at the bar and had an espresso margarita, sliders, and fries. The espresso wasn’t bad (7/10 bc I’m not used to a block of ice in my espresso martinis). The sliders were delicious, cooked to a perfect medium rare. Everything served hot and tasty. Since it was early (around 5p), the restaurant was pretty much empty so I can’t speak much on the atmosphere. However the space and decor were very cute, would def come back.

We loved our visit and food we went 2 nights in a row. The food was amazing. We had prosciutto pizza, lamb meatballs, tomato pie, and chips. It was the nicest food we had in America. Very clean and cosy atmosphere.

Currently sitting here about to check out as I write this review. That is how great this experience was. I came in solo, and able to see the restaurant shift from the Sunday afternoon crowd into the evening. Great service from everyone around, attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and bad suggestions when asked. Everything I ordered was delicious!!!!!! As I’m writing I overheard someone say “that was good pizza!” I didn’t try the pizza but now I’m even more excited to. I had the Bangkok shrimp. Nicely breaded and fried. Good crisp. Juicy and the lemon juice has a nice touch. The golden beet salad was DELIGHTFUL. Great flavors every single ingredient. The mint dressing, beets, mandarins to pistachios! Oh my god the blueberry cheesecake is perfect. Beautiful presentation, good portion, creamy with nice graham crust- the blueberries were yummy! Even the black raspberry ice cream was amazing! I can’t wait to return!!!

As soon as you walk into this gorgeous restaurant the vibes just call for one of their perfectly prepared old fashions or espresso martinis. The dishes at Burke’s are always freshly prepared, the chef accepts modifications to any dish to accommodate dietary restrictions. I always enjoy the warm salad prepared with in season vegetables, which is normally served as a side to meat entrees but delicious on it’s own.

I'm in Newark for work, and came to Burke's Tavern because it had 4.8 stars and 200+ reviews. It did not disappoint, and can't imagine why anyone would give it less than 5 stars. I order the Farmer's Salad. It was amazing. I was shocked by the portion size and worried I couldn't eat it all. It was probably one of the best salads I've had in years. I also ordered the pepperoni pizza. Chef's kiss 👩‍🍳 One of the best pizzas I've had this year. PRO TIP: Order a side of marinara to dip your pizza crust in. I do this anytime I order pizza and i usually get a scoop of cold marinara in a plastic cup. But not here. At first I thought they forgot my side order of marinara, but then it came out in a nice bowl heated and garnished with parmesan. It was the best side of marinara I've ever had in my life. I only wish I had taken a picture of it. I guess you'll just have to order it and see for yourself!

We had dinner here for my birthday. The food was so good that we came back for lunch the next day. Highly recommend getting the pepperoni pizza and pork sausage pappardelle. It’s plate licking good!

We had tickets to see show at the PNC Art Center! Search for restaurants near the center! Found Has good reviews! Made reservations. Staff was friendly! Retro decor- loved it! Enjoyed cocktails and dinner! My sandwich was huge!! Loved the show string fries. Had a lovely experience! Highly recommend! Lucky we were able to find street parking between the restaurant and center. Took a 20 minute stroll from the restaurant to center! Enjoyed the street art! Lots of murals.

The kitchen Chef Linda runs is reliable kitchen preparing delicious apps, mains, and desserts. 😋 Diego and crew bartend mixing delicious cocktails and tending to your dining needs attentively. We recommend Burke’s Tavern with any reservation!

i was pleasantly surprised to find this spot on my walk through our new neighborhood. it’s so pretty outside & inside has an amazing vibe. the food was delicious and the service was amazing too. I can’t wait to come back with my family! the entire experience was a 10/10

Service was ok and food was decent, some good and some so-so. We were seated at a table with little lighting so had a hard time seeing our food. Lamb meatballs were ok, Steak Frittes was done well - the best amongst the entres we ordered, Burke's sliders were good, linguini with clams were decent, Bangkok shrimp was ok - a little better than the Costco frozen fried shrimp, Goat Cheese and Herbs was good and Cacio E Pepe was ok. The flat bread that came with the Goat Cheese and Herbs was good but a second order was under cooked.

Really wasn’t sure what to expect of this restaurant after knowing what the place was before they took over, but I was blown away. We came promptly as they opened and we’re seated right away. By 6 PM the place only had 3 tables open. The food was amazing. Do not miss out on the pork sandwich, it was absolutely amazing. The pizza was okay, good flavor but not over the top amazing in my opinion. I will gladly come back before a game or show at prudential.

This tavern is located on the corner of Lafayette St in The Ironbound of Newark NJ. The spot is perfectly located within walking distance of Prudential Center and Penn Station. The service and food were amazing. My husband and I tried the Moroccan meatballs, citrus salad for appetizer followed with a tomatoe pie pizza and sliders. Each delivered with special attention to details and the flavors that followed. I also tried the Palo Santo drink which was by far 🥰. The atmosphere was perfect for an occasion you may have wether casual or date night. The place opens from 4pm to 12 am. This is great of your looking for after work meet ups or passing by just being curious. Stop by and you won't be disappointed at all. I recommend highly and next time I will take some consideration into looking at the massive wine and beer selection 👌 and ordering more from the menu. Stop by and hang out in the Ironbound for this beautiful addition to the historical Newark downeck area.

I met up with a friend of mine at this location. When I arrived I found parking nearby. I walked in and sat at the bar. The place is super cute. Diego was our bartender and he was nice. I ordered the LIT and it was pretty good. My friend got the garlic bread and shrimp and I tasted both. They were both very good. The shrimp especially was good. The bill was super affordable. I really had a good time and will return.