The Golden Cicada Baja Beer Garden is now open at 195 Grand Street. The Mexican-inspired eatery is operated by Gary Keating and Eva Johannesdottir — owners of The Cliff in the Heights.
The new restaurant offers a mix of shared plates, tacos, and sides. Dishes include a tuna tartare, Cajun shrimp guac, and a Beyond beef chili. You’ll also find a few dishes from The Cliff, such as their watermelon salad and buffalo cauliflower tacos. Meanwhile, a small cocktail menu offers margaritas, aperol spritz, and a bourbon swayze. (You can check out the full menu here). Everything is generally priced below $20.
The new restaurant has kept the bar’s former name and is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4pm to 12am and Thursdays through Sundays from 4pm till 2am. News of the restaurant rebranding was first reported by Jersey Digs.
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The original Golden Cicada Tavern closed in 2019. Owner Cheng “Terry” Tan sold the Jersey City institution — known for its karaoke and baijiu shots — to developer Silverman for $3 million, according to Hudson Reporter.
History of The Golden Cicada
The Golden Cicada was originally named after Tan’s late wife, Kam Sin. (It’s the English translation of her Cantonese name). Despite its no-frills decor, the bar was loved by patrons for its authenticity and for Tan himself, who could often be found speaking with patrons about anything from politics to books.
The all brick, windowless building is located on the corner of Grand and Marin adjacent to a football field owned by St. Peter’s Prep. In 1999, the school sought to expand its field to meet state regulations and the city agreed to help. The city attempted to condemn Tan’s property and pay him $550,000 for it, but Tan refused, so the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency decided to seize it by eminent domain.
Lawyers from the ACLU of New Jersey offered to represent Tan as the conflict raised the issue of whether the seizure of private property to benefit another private entity is in the public interest, especially when it would benefit a religious organization (St. Peter’s Prep). Eventually, former Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy stepped in and the suit was dropped as the the state of New Jersey can’t invoke eminent domain to benefit a religious organization.
