143 Social

“delicious, atmospheric, decent service even during the rush of a friday night! I would definitely visit again!! we got the partridge in a pear tree coctail & the nutcracker nightcap, both amazing holiday drinks - yum! the truffle fries were good, we got the parm on the side because of my dairy allergy & they were very accommodating to my vegan diet! we got the brussel sprouts as we’ll, yummy crispy goodness! AND they did something special for us which was let us order the vegan shitake mushroom pasta at 143 Social when usually it’s only a dish served at Better Days upstairs. I really appreciated the service and the aesthetic of the bar was soooooo cute!!”

“143 Social is more than a speakeasy, it’s a cocktail sanctuary! I happened upon this place several months ago. The bartenders are likened more to chemists than mixologists. This place is for people who appreciate the finer things in food and drinks. The decor is vibrant and elegant. This is a top spot for couples, first dates, or single women interested in meeting distinguished, polished gentlemen.”

“Such a great spot! The vibe at 143 is unmatched.. amazing music, delicious cocktails, and super fun energy. Huge shoutout to Ana and Melina for making the night even better; they were so friendly and kept the drinks flowing! Definitely one of my favorite bars in Jersey City”

“143 Social is marketed as a chill, lowkey speakeasy, and it does have that intimate vibe that could be a nice spot to start the night with a drink or two while waiting to get into one of the more premier speakeasies nearby. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t quite match the atmosphere. The drinks felt noticeably overpriced for what they were, especially considering they seemed to be made by bartenders who are still gaining experience. What really left a bad taste was the billing. I was told the 3% surcharge was due to credit card processing, but my friend paid entirely in cash (for himself and his date) and still got hit with the same fee. On top of that, 20% gratuity was already added to the bill, yet we were told tips weren’t included. The lack of transparency around these charges made the whole thing feel off, especially at these prices. It has potential as a laid-back starter spot, but the sneaky surcharges and rookie-level execution make it hard to recommend over better options in the area.””

“I was really looking forward to Valentine’s Day here with my boyfriend, but unfortunately the experience fell incredibly short. There were only four staff members working (one bartender, one bar back, and two men who I couldn’t even tell you if one of them was supposed to be the hostess and the other a waiter), but it seemed as though everyone was doing multiple different jobs. We waited an incredibly long time, not just for drinks, but even to have our water glasses refilled. At one point, I had to get up and ask the bar to refill my water myself after noticing our waiter helping himself to a drink after I had asked him. The two men (supposed hostess and waiter), did a particularly poor job. We weren’t asked once how everything was, and overall the service was incredibly inattentive and disorganized. The food was good, which makes it even more disappointing that the service overshadowed it. The couple next to us shared the same frustrations, and we even watched another couple get up and head toward the door, only to end up paying for their meal standing there because no one came to bring their check, and another couple questioned why they weren’t seated after waiting quite some time when they were told they would be, but someone else was sat before them. It was just a poorly run night on what was supposed to be a special occasion.The only positive of this place was Brian, who I assume was supposed to be the bar back. He was extremely apologetic and seemed to be the only one genuinely trying to hold things together. I hope he finds himself somewhere better so we can run into him again, he deserves it. Thank you Brian for being the only upside to this place for us. Overall, we were really let down, along with many others from what we could see.”