Left Bank Burger Bar

A very chill atmosphere in Jersey City. The food tastes as good as it looks and the service is on point. The Mac and Cheese balls are a good way to start and the Tar Heel Burger is a good way to finish. Definitely coming back.

Used to be a good go to place in the neighborhood with quick svc and solid burgers. I had been there at least a dozen times.
Unfortunately I had not been there for a while. I was there at the bar and my burger was overdone and the bartender forgot my drink. It wasn’t even as busy as it had been in the past.
Lots of options in JC now. If they hope to keep clientele attention to detail is important.

Maybe it’s because I came on a Friday night.
Although they weren’t packed busy the inside was exceptionally noisy. So we decided to eat outside.
The service was sparse but we got ordered: I had the lamb patty with Taylor ham and asked for it Medium, Medium+and the Wilted Kale.
My partner had GhostFaced killer medium rare.
It took a reasonable amount of time to arrive and we got our meal.
His burger was spot-​on, messy as hell, but sweetly delish.
Mine however was WAY past medium or «just over». It was dead. It died the heat death it didn’t deserve. The kale was awash in oil. Not all that appetizing.
The waiter came after the presentation about 5 – 10 minutes later and asked about it. My partner reported his satisfaction and I reported my dissatisfaction and displayed the lamb-​burger. I didn’t mention the kale.
He saw the truth of my statement and said, «Sorry,» and left.
Nothing further was done. I wasn’t impressed with that reaction.
Later, speaking with Liz the manager that evening, I told her of my plight. She understood what was up and fixed the issue and we came to an accommodation as we had tix to see a movie and a remake wasn’t practical.
In exchange, I promised I would return and offer a rematch. And I will do so and offer another review when I do.

So this is my first time actually dining in left bank. The last time we ordered our food to go. Our experience was great. On a Friday night, we were seated right away and our waitress was pleasant. For our drink, my date and I had the Greenville Punch– It was good. As far as my burger, I ordered the Garden State aka the black bean burger. LOVE! This is probably the only thing on the menu that will keep me coming back. I will say that my dates burger looked great also. I don’t eat meat so I can’t tell you how it tasted but it sure looked yummy. He ordered the Merica Meltdown aka grilled cheese burger. He thought it was good. On the side he ordered the sweet potato fries (Yummy) and I ordered the Chilitown Fries (minus the chili and bacon… So basically it was just cheese fries with jalapeños lol). My cheese fries were just ok. I guess I’m not a fan of cheese sauce. I asked beforehand what kind of cheese they used on the fries and my water had no clue. I tried to have cheddar cheese on the fries instead but they didn’t have. On their menu it does say no substitutions so just be aware of that. I’ll just be back for that Garden State burger.

Our waitress was kind of snarky and made us feel guilty for asking for sides of pickles…
Besides that, I would say the onion rings and sweet potato fries are some of the best I’ve ever had. No exaggeration. You must order both! The burger is not greasy, and actually on the leaner side, so it pairs well with cheese and sauce. If you order bacon, don’t complicate your burger or else you won’t taste the bacon.
The burger was the perfect size. Hefty but totally finishable. And for you health freaks, they do offer lettuce «buns.»
Also– nice selection of draft beers. We’ll be bringing the pops.

They do have outside seating!!! I stopped in on a Friday night to grab dinner with my boyfriend. We love just sitting outside or at a bar, we chose the bar this night but outside seating is available. The place was packed but we snagged two seats with a great bartender! The ambiance of this place is just as you’d expect for a burger bar in Jersey City — fun hip and clean!
I ordered the Mac Daddy — totally recommended! They put a garlic spread on there that paired with the fried Mac and cheese was delicious! My boyfriend ordered (I’m not sure the actual name) a grilled cheese burger which he is still raving about. I’d also like to mention I ordered med rare and he ordered rare and they were cooked perfectly !! We shared disco fries which were delicious, you could tell the fries were cut there! I did have to bring half he burger and fries home because it was too big for me, but it was still great day 2.
They have PBR cans which is one of my favorites when out to casual dinner.
Definitely recommended if in the Grove st area!

Great option for a great burger in downtown JC. Staff is very great and it is a very family friendly spot (we have 4 yr old twins and an 11 year old).
My wife and I will often try the different signature burgers and we haven’t been disappointed with any of them. I’ve gotten the Tar Heel a few times and it has become my go to option. Our 11 year old loves the build your own burger option and even our 4 year olds love the mini burgers off the kids menu. One of the few places that they will finish their meal. I also have to mention the fried pickles and Mac n cheese poppers! Both are awesome and great to start with or have as a side to your burger. That doesn’t mean the fries aren’t good though… as we still get fries with our burgers… in addition to the starters.

SOLID!!! I’ve been here quiet a few times and always leave beyond satisfied. Great beer prices and the food is always so good.
Their wings are pretty damn good and have the perfect amount of kick to them. They are a great size for sharing or if you are just ordering for one. Their fries are so yummy with either its their chilltown fries or jersey devil fries they leave you satisfied and full! Jersey fries are pretty much like ordering buffalo wings without the actual wing. The chilltown fries are fries with chili, jalapeño, and cheese, YES PLEASE! Both are so good and I honestly don’t know if I could choose one over the other.
I’ve ordered the fried pickles which are a great snack, side order, or to just have them (not judging). Bottom line HAVE THEM! Their LB sliders are a great size for either sharing or just a meal. They are nice portion of meat and cheese and must say when Ive ordered them its more than enough for a meal.
I’ve also ordered for pick up as well and must say that they are fast here. Food was ready to go by the time we got there to pick up which was great. Staff is good we’ve sat at a table or the bar both spots staff is attentive.
Good selection of beer and cocktails both are really great prices on what they offer. This is probably one of my go to places when I think of good burgers. Haven’t been disappointed with anything that I’ve ever ordered here.

My experience here was okay. Not memorable good, not memorable bad. Just okay. Their burger isn’t memorable too. The patties, most of all, are lacking in flavor.
The ambience inside is pretty neat, though. Service was great, too. Could be a nice place to hang on the regular!

So normally I’m not a fan of «busy burgers»… I like my burgers simplistic. But this place knows what they’re doing and I find myself craving one right now.
So far I’ve tried the chillmatic, the mac-​n-​cheese burger (forget the name), the pulled pork burger (forgot the name too lol), and the ghostface killah… They were all incredible! The ghostface killah was by far my favorite but each is amazing in it’s own way. The pork rinds are a steal for $ 3 and are one of the best things on the menu. If you’ve never had fresh pork rinds, it’s not like the dust flavored ones you get in a bag but a light and airy pork flavored delight.
Overall great spot and my go-​to when I’m down by Grove.

There are tons of good burgers throughout Jersey City so this place has to have a stellar burger in order to get a high rating from me. Unfortunately, I don’t think this place really stacks up. On the plus side, the place has a great selection of craft beers, beers on tap, wine, and cocktails. Also very reasonably priced drinks including happy hour specials. The bar was packed on a Friday night so the secret is out. Service was a bit rushed as the place was crowded and there was a bit of wait. The place has a cool vibe w/​JC themed art all around and a laid back chill vibe. I would def return for a drink catch-​up w/​friends.
Menu is solid with good selection of apps, salads, fries, and of course burgers! It has a good array of burgers w/​interesting toppings like the chilmatic (house blend, smoked bacon, lobster salad, house potato chip, mixed greens, tomato and red onion) and another with taylor ham. They also have build your own w/​tons of different choices (baked mac n cheese, gouda, bacon, guac, you name it they do it) which I did like. Prices start around $ 8 with each topping $ 1 – 3 and fries an additional $ 2.50.
We got nachos to start. They weren’t bad but really nothing special. The cheese sauce was a bit overwhelming and the chips were sort of soggy. Sour cream also sort of took over the entire plate. I ordered a build your own burger w/​guac. When the burger came it, it was w/​o the guac which was disappointing. It was also dry, flavor lacking, and just sort of blah. Fries were over fried and greasy. In a city full of great burgers, this burger didn’t measure up for me.

Good american style fare, nice décor and good service.
Left Bank Burger bar has been consistently above average each time I have visited and the wait times at peak hours has never exceeded 25 minutes. I highly recommend trying the Tar Heel Burger, which features loads of pulled pork, coleslaw and barbeque sauce stacked on top of a juicy burger.
There is also a small outdoor seating area street side which is nice for a lazy Saturday afternoon in the sun.

Great burgers plain and simple! And you can’t beat the prices!
I have eaten there twice so far, both times at the bar. Typically I do a burger, medium rare with extra blue cheese, mushrooms and onions. Sweet potato fries are also great, as well as the onion rings.
They have a nice happy hour as well, I believe it was 5 $ wine.
Great addition to downtown JC!

I have been here a few times now. The burgers are good but nothing that great in my opinion. I built my own burger the two times I went and both times they came over cooked. The bank sauce isn’t too bad though. There onion rings are monstrous and pretty good. They have a nice selection of craft beers on tap including a few IPAs which is a plus.
Overall a decent experience but nothing spectacular.

I came here for dinner and started with the the buffalo fries. You can’t go wrong with fries, but these fries were okay. I like my fries crispy and thin. For our entrees, we ordered the mac daddy burger and the chillmatic burger. Both burgers were good, nothing to complain about. The lobster salad in the chillmatic burger was quite delicious. My girlfriend said the mac daddy was not that great, she only finished half.
I am surprised that the burgers did not come with fries. Almost every restaurant that serves burgers, always comes with a side of fries. This restaurant came with nothing. This was quite a disappointment. I will probably not come here again because it is not worth it for the price.

Came here on a Thursday night because I was craving some fries! My boyfriend and I tried the Mac Daddy & the Chillmatic Burger and they were both good. Their meat isnt really flavored and if it wasnt for the condiments, it would be so bland. We had the Buffalo Fries with a substitute of ranch and they were yummy. The burgers do not come with fries and their presentation for food isnt there. So if you’re into taking pics of your food, its a little sad.
Also, everyone kept staring at us though… i dont know why. Its like two asian people cant eat burgers. Besides that it was a decent meal. I probably wouldn’t come back unless i had too. I wouldnt crave for left bank, but do try it out for yourself!

This is a solid burger joint. They offer a great selection of sides and burgers AND their meat is from Jersey’s own Pat LaFrieda (of Shake Shack and 5 Napkin fame).
Now having mentioned good old Pat above, one of my favorite burgers is the Garden State black bean vegetarian burger. It’s hard to accomplish, but they certainly do serve a mighty tasty veggie burger! Having sourced it from JC Veggie Burger, they accompany it with a fresh tomato slice, slaw, pepper jack cheese, and a spicy sauce.
I love their sweet potato fries! Really crunchy and served fresh from the fryer. The fried pickles are not really my thing but these were pretty good. I wouldn’t order them on my own still, but if your pickle-​loving friends order it, then definitely try them. You may be surprised! The mac and cheese bites are sinfully good, and they definitely top the overly salty ones from Cheesecake Factory.
The general vibe of this place is really fun and very Jersey-​centric! From the local purveyors to the 201 décor, this place is a great hometown burger joint! The menu is playful (burgers named Bankrupt served with government cheese and another called Ghostface Killer! Who doesn’t love a Wu Tang reference?!) and the location is easy to get to. Parking may be troublesome but what with the way downtown Jersey City is going, parking will ALWAYS be a problem.

Normally when I get a burger, I caution getting one that has a lot of stuff on it. It just feels overcrowded and one item usually drowns out the rest. But, the ghostface killer burger here is an exception. An espresso-​rubbed patty with ghost pepper jam, smoked gouda cheese, sweet potato-​bacon tots, red onion, and a mustard-​bbq sauce. Every part sounds awesome, and the combination is nothing less.
The espresso rub gives it this great smokiness and the smoke gouda cheese only adds to its grittiness. Even the tots somehow work, and I’m not the biggest tots fan. As for the sauce, if you have ever mixed the honey mustard sauce with the bbq sauce at McDonalds for your french fries, that is exactly how it tastes: sweet, but not too sweet, and you can’t resist that next bite. The french fries though were just okay, a little too salty for me. Nevertheless, an awesome burger I would absolutely get again.

Came in on a Thursday around 7:30 and the place was only half filled. I thought it would be more packed seeing that happy hour wasn’t even over yet (M-​F 5 – 8 $ 3 Miller Lite and house well drinks, $ 5 house white/​red, cosmos, dirty martinis, and apple martinis).
I opted for the cosmo — the only ‘girly’ drink I’ll drink, but only if it’s strong! Unfortunately, this one was not and was just too sweet. Your safest bet is to get the house wine or well drinks (because let’s be serious, who really wants to drink dirty dish water… er…I mean, Miller Lite).
To start, we ordered the chilltown fries (chili, cheese, smoked bacon, and jalapeños). The toppings were good. But then again, I’m a sucker for any combination of bacon and cheese. Throw some chili on top of that? What’s not to like?! Besides the actual fries themselves. I feel like all of the fries were only made from the outer layer of the potato, so all I really tasted the whole time was potato skins. We also had the spinach artichoke dip. Nothing special, but you can’t go wrong with this one.
As for the burgers, I went for the Mac Daddy (house blend patty, fried mac and cheese, smoked bacon, and grilled tomato). I ordered medium rare but it came out more medium well. We told the waitress and they brought out another one, which was still more medium than medium rare but I didn’t want to send it back again. Even at medium, the burger was still good. It was nice and juicy. The grilled tomato was a nice way to somewhat balance out the greasiness from the rest of the ingredients.
My boyfriend ordered the Ghostface Killer (espresso-​rubbed patty, ghost pepper jam, smoked Gouda, sweet potato bacon tots, red onion, and mustard BBQ). This was good too but it definitely was nowhere near as spicy as its name suggested. Could have used a little more spiciness, actually.
As you can see, I was not doing my arteries any favors that night. But I do want to try all of their burgers so I’ll deffo be back. I guess I’ll just have to take one for the team and for the good of Unilocal mankind.

Great food, great craft beer selection, and great great service. My large group was accommodated and well taken care of. Cool music and fun environment for lunch or dinner.
I had the Tar Heel burger: beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, pulled pork, pickles, BBQ sauce and bank slaw. Very good! Sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly, and were some of the best I’ve had in a long time!