Bring Your Own Booze… To Dinner!

Sorry for the day late column, my loves. And while I’m at it, sorry for this week’s total cop-out story that follows. See, I didn’t actually get to review a bar this week, because I’ve had to get some wisdom teeth out and I’ve been a bit hopped up on painkillers and antibiotics. Which, I mean, sure, I can drink on…. If I wanted to die or be on a future episode of Intervention. So this week, I decided to take it easy, sipping some green tea and eating mashed potatoes for every meal.

But, I want you to go out this weekend and have some fun for me. So here, I present to you a Bar Hopper special: the best BYOB spots in Hoboken, for when your stupid friends think you should sit down to a meal every once in awhile.

My number one favorite spot for both eating and bringing in a six pack of Modello (okay, and a bottle of tequila) is , a Hoboken stand-by for good Mexican food. There is no preference between uptown (1024 Washington Street) and downtown (121 Washington Street), because they are both great, so who cares. My go-to dish is a little off-the-menu plate of vegetable enchiladas with mole, cheese, beans and rice. It’s a lot of food, but get the guacamole and chips too. Oh god, I want all of this so bad right now. But I can’t even eat real food! Okay, I need a guacamole and tequila milkshake stat, people. Who has a blender? 

Also probably tied for my favorite BYOB spot is , at 534 Adams Street, which is just hands-down my favorite pizza joint in the city anyway. Keep in mind, though, that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (which are usually the days when my pizza cravings are strongest – is this correlated?). For starters, the bruschetta is to die for, as is the spesto. I am a classical pizza person, so the “La Pizza” with fior di latte, tomato and basil is my usual order. This is perfect simply paired with a local beer like Brooklyn Lager, Sixpoint or Dogfishhead. Or I mean, you could get wine. I guess. Pro-tip: don’t get too drunk or stuffed at dinner, and take advantage of the bocce court out back!

If you’re looking for a casual place to pop over for lunch with a brown bagged Sparks (this is gross, don’t do this), don’t forget about at 86 Garden Street, for sandwiches and salads freshly made, not like, popped out of the freezer. As a hippie vegetarian, I really love their veggie burger, but you know, whatever, get a meat burger if that’s what you want. I would love to pair this with a bottle of Arbor Mist, or maybe Smirnoff Ice. I’m kidding, but you can totally go casual. Grab a few tall boys of Yuengling and head over for some day drinking. Just make sure you don’t have

If you want to get fancy, but aren’t keep on dropping bills on a bottle of wine, (953 Bloomfield Avenue) is miraculously BYOB. Really? How? Anyway, don’t fight it, just be glad that even though you are ordering a $30 plate, you can still show up with a $3 bottle of Charles Shaw that your buddy from Edgewater brough down from Trader Joe’s. I still haven’t been there, but if anyone wants to take their favorite Patch columnist out for a date, well, I don’t think I’ll argue. The pumpkin tortellini and bourbon-glazed donuts are calling out to me, softly. Just make sure you bring me a few bottles of Three Buck Chuck.

I haven’t yet gotten the chance to stop by this joint either, but hyped up new Italian restaurant and pizzeria (219 11th Street) is still BYOB, which gives you an awesome excuse to try the place out and not break the bank on the booze front. And from the looks of the menu, I kind of want everything in my mouth right now. Does that sound weird? Sorry, you know, the painkillers and all. 

So, sure, Hoboken’s got a ton of great restaurants that also happen to have great bartenders and mixologists on staff. Definitely visit them, and tip them well. But, if you want to shake it up and just kick back with a six-pack of beer, or a cheap wine, and not have to worry about rolling eyes from waiters, you have plenty of delicious BYOB options in the Mile Square.

Let us know in the comments where you like to go, and also let me know when that guacamole and tequila milkshake will be arriving at my door, thanks.