Antique Bar and Bakery
122 Willow Avenue
Hoboken NJ 07030
201-683-70028
Listed as one of the best burgers in NYC by Eater and in Hoboken on Yelp* and Reddit, we thought we should give the Antique Bar and Bakery a try. We had 5 pm reservations on a Tuesday night, something that was optional the night we were there. They currently have outdoor seating - you should REALLY consider it will eliminate some of the problems I experienced; for the endurance of the lack of attention to detail, you are on your own.
Rating Overview: ★ ★ ★ ★
| Food Quality | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | FOH Service | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | |
| Food Quantity | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Food Service | ★ ★ | |
| Food Preparation | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Ambiance | NONE | |
| Food Presentation | ★ ★ ★ ★ |
Notes
indoor seating is perfect if you think it is acceptable to pull out
your phone and use the flashlight to read the menu.
Next, the music was blaring making communication between diners and waitstaff at best painful. We asked about turning down the music and were essentially told “nothing can be done - that is the way it always is.” (about an hour later, the volume WAS turned down … maybe someone else more directly insisted that they be able to actually hear the other people at their table).
Using the menu as an ear trumpet,
I think I heard the waiter introduce himself and he felt the need to rank his favorites of the specialty cocktails without commentary on flavor profiles. That was as helpful as if he explained his favorite sodas were Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Red Bull, Strawberry Fanta, and Mr. Pibb. Looking at the specialty cocktails on the menu, it is evident that the mixologist owns stock in Domino Sugar - simple syrup is their go-to ingredient - so the previous sugary soda analogy is pretty spot on.
It was so hard to hear his insights over the music, he might have been telling me his Super Bowl picks.
I think I heard the waiter introduce himself and he felt the need to rank his favorites of the specialty cocktails without commentary on flavor profiles. That was as helpful as if he explained his favorite sodas were Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Red Bull, Strawberry Fanta, and Mr. Pibb. Looking at the specialty cocktails on the menu, it is evident that the mixologist owns stock in Domino Sugar - simple syrup is their go-to ingredient - so the previous sugary soda analogy is pretty spot on.
It was so hard to hear his insights over the music, he might have been telling me his Super Bowl picks.
When my “All the Way” showed up, it had a straw that appeared to be designed for a Las Vegas Yard Cocktail Glass almost tipping over the glass with its massive length. I am sure the bartender has a knife, but apparently, is not trained or caring to pay attention to detail or presentation.
We placed our order and were led to order the Bread Pudding at the beginning with everything else - like you would a souffle.
We also had the ANTIQUE RIB-EYE BURGER - Marinated dry-age rib-eye topped with Special Sauce, Homemade Pickles, Smoked Cheddar Cheese on a Kaiser Roll served w/ Worcestershire Fries. [NJ.com highlights their birria burger, but the menu did not list that, or at least in the dark, it was not apparent]
 |
| Can you FIND the burger? |
A small detail that would have passed if all other details had not been garishly flaunted, but I assumed the Burger was the star of my entree, but placing it on the table with the fries and pickles prominently front and center made me question the confidence of the chef in their ability to cook a burger correctly. No need to worry, the Burger was cooked to perfection.
 |
| Another table needs the basic of light to read the menu |
We DID order the Bread Pudding up front, so it was in the works when we again boxed our own leftovers.
The Bread Pudding was amazing. Imagine in Close Encounter if Richard Dryfus used Bread Pudding instead of mashed potatoes. 
The top was dry and crisp. The interior was warm and had a creamy semi-solid consistency. The whole thing was dusted with sugar and served with a ramekin of warm Tuaca (spiced brandy) Caramel Sauce. Unfortunately, the bottom was charred to a hard inedible crust - fortunately, the burnt flavor did NOT permeate the whole dish. One might think that having made this a few times previously, the procedure would have been perfected.
To end the evening, the actual waiter brought us a to-go box for the remaining bread pudding, without the thought that we would need a container for the Tuaca Caramel Sauce… I went and got that from the kitchen myself - again, a lack of thought and attention to detail.
To review: Eat outside in a quiet, well-lit protected area if you can. Service and attention to service-related detail are probably as good as you can expect in most independent restaurants without a corporate-mandated indoctrination and training program. Most importantly, The food taste and preparation are excellent.
