The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard

    Opening a bar or restaurant in NJ is a fickle business. Here are all the joints I’ve reviewed that have permanently closed. Some make me sad. Others don’t surprise me in the least.

    Diesel & Duke - Montclair

    Diesel & Duke – Montclair

    [CLOSED at this location] I truly hate Duke. The university, not the burger joint. But I won’t hold...
    Ruthie's BBQ & Pizza

    Ruthie’s Bar-B-Q & Pizza

    [CLOSED] Barbecue is one of those words that just confounds me. Because it can also be barbeque. But,...
    Junior's Cheesesteaks & Shakes

    Junior’s Cheesesteaks & Shakes

    [CLOSED] No, dude, this ain’t Junior’s Cheesecakes. And stop fucking calling! But… your name. And the striped awning…...
    Vanillamore

    Vanillamore

    [CLOSED] Vanillamore is a funny place. It’s a restaurant that looks like a cafe whose namesake is essentially...
    Fin

    Fin Raw Bar and Kitchen

    [CLOSED] We’ve come to Fin several times over the years. When it first opened. Once a couple years...
    Casa Piquin

    Casa Piquin

    [CLOSED] There’s nothing like subterranean Mexican. And, no, that’s not like a Oaxacan or Yucatán thing. I mean...
    The Crosby

    The Crosby

    [CLOSED] The first time we came to The Crosby was on a sunny Friday afternoon when it first...
    Costanera

    Costanera

    [CLOSED] I can’t say that I had a ton of experience with Peruvian anything before eating at Costanera....
    DLV Lounge

    DLV Lounge

    [CLOSED] One of the great mysteries in life is what the DLV in the DLV Lounge stands for....