If you’re looking for great food and cocktails — The Vanguard Harrison should be high on your list. Yes, it’s outside of Jersey City, but it’s a short PATH ride away and just steps away from the Harrison station.
The Vanguard is operated by Skopos Hospitality. The New Jersey-based company also owns Franklin Social (Jersey City), Cowan’s Public (Nutley), and The Barrow House (Clifton). Each speakeasy/cocktail bar has its own theme.
For the Vanguard, Skopos drew inspiration from Harrison’s industrial past and the tiki bars of the 1940s. The result is a cocktail bar complete with vintage posters, tabletop radios, and a 50s/60s inspired playlist.
The Vanguard’s food and drink menu also plays on the 1940s theme with items like the Blue Hawaii, Shake & Bake Fried Chicken, and Sloppy Joe Sliders. (You’ll also find a few modern dishes like Tuna Poké and Cauliflower Steak).
The Vanguard Harrison was built from the ground up and consists of three rooms: The Bar Room, The Dining Room, and the Cocktail Lounge. The dimly-lit cocktail lounge was our favorite as it has comfy, leather sofas and a small stage for live jazz performances and movie nights. (And, yes, NFL football on Sundays/Mondays).
Although each room has its own distinct feel, they all have an industrial, vintage look. A lot of research went into The Vanguard’s design, and when you combine all of the small details — you get an amazing, 1940s-tiki-inspired venue that’s more than just a pastel-colored bar serving umbrella drinks.
Our only criticism is in regards to pricing. Expect to pay from $12/$13 for cocktails, which is probably average for downtown Jersey City, but feels high for Harrison, NJ. We were even charged an additional $4 for an extra basket of bread to accompany our Spinach Dip. (Whereas most restaurants would give you extra bread on the house). On the plus side, food and drinks are solid, so you’re paying for quality. Here are some of our favorite dishes and drinks.
Crabcake BLT
The knockout dish of the evening, the Crabcake BLT is a must. You get perfectly toasted bread with chunks of blue crab meat mixed with bits of smokey bacon. The accompanying fries are golden and crisp, without being overly oily. It’s $19 well spent.
Cocktails
The mezcal-based Scorpion Reef (left) is one of The Vanguard’s most popular cocktails and we’re not surprised. Though I’m not typically a fan of mezcal, this drink balances the smokey mezcal with pineapple, lime, and cardamom bitters. Meanwhile, the Aviation (right) is downright addictive made with Jasmine-infused Brooklyn gin, which gives the drink a gentle, floral finish.
You can’t have a 1940s-themed cocktail bar without tiki drinks and the Vanguard doesn’t disappoint in that department. 3 Dots & a Dash features blended rums, house allspice, honey, orange, lime, and falernum — which is a syrup/liqueur with hints of ginger, clove, and almond. It’s a delicious drink especially if you like rum. Meanwhile, the Blue Hawaii is a blend of vodka, rum, Curacao, coconut, lime, and pineapple. It was a bit sweet for our taste buds, but still a worthy tiki drink.
Final Take: A Must Visit
Special shout-out to the staff at The Vanguard. Everyone is very accommodating and friendly. They were quick to make recommendations and answer any questions about the menu.
On a side not — if you arrive in the early evening, you’ll get to enjoy a 50s/70s-inspired playlist that includes everyone from Elvis to Stevie Wonder. (Later in the night they switch to a more modern soundtrack).
Overall, The Vanguard is an excellent, sophisticated cocktail bar that gets so many things right, but never takes itself too seriously. It makes us all the more excited for the forthcoming Franklin Social.
The Vanguard is located just outside the PATH Harrison station (705 Frank E Rodgers Blvd South, to be exact). It’s about a 15-minute PATH ride away from the waterfront and well worth the trip.
