Offering burgers, gourmet king-sized grilled cheese sandwiches, meal-sized salads, old-fashioned milkshakes, frizzles (an adult milkshake), over 50 craft beers and generous pours of wines by the glass, Bonds Tavern is a new addition to the dining scene in West Orange.
We opted for two burgers: one made with brisket, short rib and chuck and a tuna burger. I have a big mouth, but there was no way I could bite into the beef burger that included bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce and avocado. The burger and toppings were large and so moist that the juices were running down my arm, but the bun was bigger than the burger. We would have preferred a thinner bun to enjoy the meat and toppings. Ditto for the large bun used for the tomato and rare ahi tuna burger with wasabi mayo, crispy panko onions, and fire-roasted tomatoes which was properly cooked and worth ordering. We would also have preferred the kale salad with kale. The menu listed Tuscan kale with arugula, apples, grapes, Pecorino Romano and toasted walnuts but what we received was an arugula salad without any kale. The salad was also dry as the blue cheese dressing was actually a few drops of blue cheese. We asked for a different dressing, a Dijon vinaigrette, and that made a difference. When we told the waitress that there was no kale in the kale salad she apologized for the mistake, but did not offer to get us a new salad or to take the charge off of our bill. While the salad was fresh tasting and large enough for two to share, it was not what we ordered.
Happy hour is celebrated Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 PM. The restaurant was very noisy and music was blaring.
Bonds Tavern
643 Eagle Rock Avenue
West Orange
973-731-5309
Bond burger
Ahi tuna burger with wasabi mayo, panko onions, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
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