Astor Bar & Grill

This historic establishment (50 yrs come ’16) is absolutely 5 stars for those with the ability to appreciate the character that only time creates, and (my first ever encounter) to learn the proper etiquette associated when libations are served at a bar that’s a bit askew.

An «old man» bar. Simple and inoffensive, a staple that has survived a quickly changing neighborhood. I came in one night looking for a late dinner and a quick drink. The kitchen was closed but the bartender, Kelly (because everyone goes by last names in old man bars), kindly offered to make me a cheeseburger on the flat-​top. Paired with a $ 4(!) vodka served, I settled in for a quiet outing. At the time of my visit there was a small group of regulars and they were clearly intrigued by the newb. Most were friendly and I made a good impression with a Frank Sinatra sing-​along. One guy was way too in my personal space and making me uncomfortable. There’s no bouncer but Kelly hovered close to make sure I was handling myself.
Not the kind of spot i’d frequent but if you like a place so classic it’s approaching kitsch it’s worth a visit.
tl;dr: super cheap drinks, kitchen closes early, lots of 50’s & 60s music on the jukebox.

I am disappointed. After seeing decent reviews on Unilocal,but I decided to give this place a try. I got yellow rice and steak with onions. The rice is not fully cooked, it is so dry and the core of the rice grain is still hard. Steak is very dry, my jaw feels tired chewing it.

Went on the weekend, no good food then. Have to come during the week, for the good stuff.

They have the best pizza I’ve ever had. The food is excellent, consistent, and the portions are good. They have daily specials made fresh, and a great selection of food. The pizza is the specialty, and they have excellent burgers and sliders. They cater for parties. The kitchen is only open until about 2:30, but when you make it in, you get some excellent food.

I met to review this place a couple of months back but couldn’t remember the name until I walked past it again today…
The place = NO! My boyfriend and I decided to drop in one afternoon and there was one bartender there and one other person (not sure if they were an employee or guest). They both just stared at us– no one said hello, offered us a drink or a menu… Just stared at us. We were wondering if it was a race thing (we are both african american)… Maybe it was just bad customer service. Either way, I will NEVER go back.

Nice and cheap place to drink… good collection of draught beers and whiskey as well. and the bartender is really nice and friendly. Good atmosphere as well

I can’t comment to the food, but the Yuegling’s are cheap, I got a buy back on a shot of Tullamore Dew on my first visit, and since no one else has mentioned it-​they have their own parking! It’s one of those places like New Cypress on the JC/​Bayonne border where even if the spaces are full you just park behind someone and you’ll be asked to move your car if needed. I look forward to trying the bar pie among other things.

This is great local bar in a Jersey City. As others have mentioned, the drinks are cheap. Drafts are $ 3 but not too interesting (Miller Light, Guinness, Yuengling, Coors Light and one other that I forgot). Bottles are about five bucks and you have a few more options including some seasonals. Shots and other drinks are also available and equally a great value. Nothing super fancy but they’ll make you an old fashioned or most other «normal» cocktails. The food is all made to order. I had a cheese pizza which was really good. I was definitely impressed with it. They also have specials for football and other things that you can find out about on Facebook. I believe this has been in their family for more than 50 years. It’s definitely a popular place and has a lot of regulars. I would come here again to watch a football or basketball game for sure.

I just realized that I have yet to review Astor bar and I’m appalled at myself!
First off, let me start by saying that this is not a ‘five star’ joint, only that I think it’s pretty awesome for what it is (which is a stuck in the 70’s dive bar). Onwards…
Buried in the middle of an ‘up-​and-​coming’ part of Jersey City, Astor Bar is a time capsule from days gone by. Virtually windowless with a low ceiling, linoleum bar (yes, really), a kick-​ass juke box (if you, like me, love the music of Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, Elvis, etc), a perma christmas tree and really good «bar» pizza. Oh yeah, and it’s wicked cheap.
This is one of the places I like to show off to all of my out-​of-​town friends as a part of the «real» New Jersey. It’s the kind of place where old-​timer barflies mingle with retired cops, and hipsters and everyone is at least ¹⁄₂₆^th Irish on their mothers side (or some such). Come for the cheap drinks, stay for the camaraderie.
Astor Bar is a truly unique experience, and one you should have.

Great local dive bar. Cheap drinks. Intriguing conversation. Big baseball bat visible behind the bar. What more could you ask for?

Relying on Unilocalsters comments, we went to the Astor last night before taking in a St. Pete’s basketball game.
On a cold and rainy night, the Astor perfectly hit the spot. Cold draft beer, excellent burgers and fries, and a very good house pizza made for perfect pregaming.
Another plus factor, the family owned pub treated us like members of the extended family, as did the other patrons.
All in all a great time and experience, and from my point of view not a dive bar (although it could be), but rather a great neighborhood tavern.

Pizza was pretty good. If you’re allergic to or afraid of dogs, you might want to stay away. There were two there, large but super friendly and well behaved. But if you love hole in the wall bars, then you’ll love this place. It seems like a respectable old neighborhood bar with a decent amount of regulars.

This is one of my favorite bars in Jersey City. That being said, too call it sleepy is an understatement, but that is part of it’s appeal. This is the type of place you go if you want to have a beer and good conversation that the entire place can join in on. You don’t have to worry about screaming over the music or be annoyed by other customers. The bartenders and wonderful and always a quick with a joke or their two cents which is again part of the reason I continue to go back. And, did I mention, it’s a dirt cheap!

The best pizza I have ever had!!! It’s hard to eat pizza after you have had the Astor’s pizza not much compares to it! The other food is also very good and the prices are just right for food and drink. Great friendly atmosphere. I recommend stopping in and at least trying the pizza! You never know you may become a regular after that!

3 yuenglings, 2 cokes, and a bar pie came to 16.50… best bar pizza i’ve had in the NYC area, where it isn’t really something you see very often… nice vibe in the place, old school in good way…

The dive bar of all dive bars! Despite the location being in a not so good area, this place is pretty awesome. EXTREMELY cheap drinks. Bartenders are friendly.
Seems like the cop hang out, but every time I’ve been there it’s been nearly empty.
I live in the neighborhood & it’s a nice spot to go on the way home from work just to grab a few drinks. I’ve heard great things about the pizza buy everytime I’ve been there the kitchen has been closed!

My favorite bar in Jersey City. Every time I come here, bartender Chris C. has always treated me like «part of the family». He is so sweet and down to Earth.
The food is delicious (still drooling from the Italian Wedding soup) and the food/​drinks are affordable.
I also like coming here because I can dress down and relax and be in good company.
I’m a fan of Astor Bar & Grill.

Jersey City, Best Specialty Foods some, Shrimp or Chicken Parmigiana with Pasta or Fries, are You Having home cooked meals You have not Lived tell you try the Lasagna, or Pork Chops out of this world. The Jersey Chillipeppers meet there for Lunch a good time, Great food and Good Friends old & New .it is so Friendly

I’ve been going here for lunch regularly for the last 3 years as it’s walking distance from work. It’s the perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. The regular menu is good, but it’s generally standard bar fare — burgers, pies, clubs. The lunch specials are where the place truly shines. It’s like home cooked meals on the road for cheap.
Spend enough time there and you’ll be sure to see the mayor enjoying the ambiance, too.