What is FM: FM Jersey City is a 1970s-inspired theme restaurant located at 340 Third Street, previously home to Union Republic. The restaurant serves classic American comfort food from the 70s with a modern spin.
Interior: FM is a complete departure from the modern and minimalist look of Union Republic. It’s the ultimate throwback to when vinyl and 8-track ruled, and we think the new look absolutely works. The space is decked out with gear from the 70s including a Rhodes keyboard, record player, and multiple A/V receivers. Even the bathrooms are plastered with vintage magazine covers. Naturally, the restaurant’s playlist is 70s driven. Think “The Meters” instead of Katy Perry. (Let’s hope it stays that way!)
The Menu: Food is divided into bar snacks ($6), plates ($8-$11), sides ($6), and entrees ($18-$28). You’ll find throwback items like TV Dinner Du Jour, Fish & Styx, and Disco Sux Fries. The wine list deserves a shout out because someone really took their time with it. Not only is the selection great (hello, Achaval Ferrer), but prices are very fair with bottles broken out into brackets of $29, $39, $49, and $59. We didn’t try any cocktails, but will definitely be back to check out the bar.
We Loved: Despite having a 70s-inspired menu, FM does a great job of satisfying everyone from meat eaters, to vegetarians, and seafood lovers. Want to go healthy? The grilled watermelon and goat cheese salad can be a meal on its own if you add chicken. The gulf shrimp tempura is also an excellent starter with a nice, sweet chili glaze, sesame rice noodles, and a touch of sriracha for some heat. But the rockstar of the night was the vegetarian paella, made with Arborio rice, snow peas, baby carrots, Cipollini onions, kale, mushrooms, and plum tomatoes. It was flavorful, filling, and had the classic paella aroma and taste (despite being vegetarian).
Could Be Better: Service was friendly and attentive, but food was slow to come out. A few diners who arrived after us received their entrees before we even saw our appetizers. I’m not too worried about that since the restaurant is still new. However, I would love to see a dedicated dessert menu with coffee (or maybe old school milkshakes and sundaes). Four options were read out to us the night we went and we opted for the brownie s’mores, which was mediocre-to-good. It came with a golf ball-sized scoop of ice cream.
Go Now or Wait? Go now! The music is great, the staff is friendly, and the food we tried was spot on.
FM Jersey City | 340 Third Street | www.fmjerseycity.com
