Clark Bar

Good wings and nice to hang out

I stumbled upon this place and said: let me give it a try. That was probably 20 visits ago. I really enjoy going here. It’s a beer and cocktail bar inside of the Whole Foods grocery store in Clark, NJ. The atmosphere is awesome. They have sports on the TV, the place is outfitted in white subway tile, dark wood bar and metal chairs. It has a real «cool» factor to it. It’s well light up, not dark and is kid friendly. They have about 12 – 15 tap handles (beer) and they put a focus on local craft beers. They pretty much always have Carton, Kane and some of the other well know NJ/​NY/​PA local breweries. $ 6 for a draft beer (regular) and $ 5 during happy hour. Can’t beat that. You can buy food from the hot buffet bar (inside Whole Foods) and eat it at the bar or you can order a burger or a snack from the bar menu. Very solid choice.

The bar is clean and well maintained. The staff has always been friendly and knowledgeable. They have a nice selection of craft beers. The menu is small, but they do change it periodically. During football season they have half priced wings as long as a football game is playing. It is a nice place to watch a game. On the down side the menu is limited and somewhat over priced, but I would definitively recommend it.

Friendly and calm atmosphere at 5:30pm…order your food from the bar, and they will bring your order to your table… or you can just sit at the bar… they have a cozy sitting area with club chairs, long table for a group, and semi-​booth tables. Ample parking space, it’s a goid place to kill time or meet friends… love their hot mexican sunshine cocktail, liv & lime prosper cocktail, chicken wings and chorizo & cheese flatbread… will return to meet friends for a cocktail and wings…

As a vegetarian, there is a terrible selection to eat here. The house made veggie burger is inedible– it’s practically raw, has no taste and has a creepy texture. Against my better judgement, I came back and had a pretty decent salad– but alas they took it off the menu. I tried the butternut squash salad and the squash was totally raw.
Great concept, but I will not waste another dollar on a third meal I can’t eat!

Agree with many of the other posters … OVERPRICED! $ 10 for a glass of Pinot Grigio?!! I made sure I drank the last drop.
The food is just «OK», nothing to rave about. To me it’s just ine more place to eat in the are, albeit much more quiet and less crowded than other places («maybe» the high prices are keeping people away…)
Just like the Whole Foods itself has left me underwhelmed after having enjoyed the Union/​Vauxhall store, the restaurant has too, left me feeling wanting more.
I will not be a regular.

Would be 3.5 stars, but I will gladly round that up. This bar is located inside Whole Foods. Patrons and curious visitors can enter either through the supermarket or the separate entrance out front. All the alcoholic drinks must be consumed inside the bar, and never be brought outside or right inside the supermarket.
Inside, several tall chairs were set up for those who wanted to enjoy their local brews and food at the bar table. But for those who didn’t want to sit there, several table sets were available. For those who really wanted to get comfortable, they have a corner with couches that can sit two people each, one long couch that can sit more people (or have one person sleep on that — lol), a comfy chair for one person and a coffee table right in the middle. Right by that corner is the concession area for patrons to grab ketchup, mustard, and mayo. On the other side of the bar is the wash area for those who want to wash their hands, a pricey photo booth area, and one restroom. If that restroom is occupied, you can always go to the one in the back of the supermarket.
My friend and I came here on a early Saturday afternoon since we were eager to grab a local brew. We were greeted by a cheerful bartender and presented us a beer menu. Because it’s not often that we drink local brews (previous time I had one was last year at a YEE), we had to ask her what was the lightest beer on tap. She told us two types, and gave us free samples (reason why I’m rounding up the rating). We both settled with the Troegs Beer from Hershey, PA (my friend initially wanted the Flying Fish after taking a sample, but it seemed that he got the last drop since they just ran out).
After we got our beers, we proceeded to sit in the couch area. The couches were very comfortable, and the beers tasted great. The table that we placed our beers were very clean. We also grabbed some complimentary fruity water with ceramic cups from the condiment area, which tasted great. So I said all of the good things, so why not five stars?
My friend was curious about the food menu, so I grabbed one for us to read. We actually couldn’t help but laugh at the prices. For what they were offering, it was too expensive. The foods were actually made in the same kitchen where salads, meats, pizza, and more are prepared for their «grab and go» areas. Sure, there are organic ingredients, and this is Whole Foods, but is it worth it? My friend says he’s better off going somewhere else to eat based on those prices, and I agree. I take away one star for that.
Patrons can grab complimentary fruity water with ceramic cups to go along with their meals or beers from the condiment area, which is cool. The entire bar appeared to be clean and modern. Overall, this is a very good place to grab a drink and hang out. But we will never consider eating here.

Like the name Chuck? Bored with folks who think it’s chic to put down Jersey? Me neither, but sometimes we have to read reviews that are more an indictment of the writer and less about a dining experience. And thus I disagree with aforementioned specie: I had a wonderful Burger au Poivre at Clark Bar yesterday — cooked to perfection, with a healthy helping of their «slaw»” — so much better with a vinaigrette than mayo… Does the name «bar» conjure up images of hipsters over-​paying for a Ginger cocktail rather than young ex-​pat families dragging high-​chairs across the small seating area? Could the non-​alcoholic beverage menu be more expansive? Absolutely! But if you’re like me and look for your life-​style fix and cultural, intellectual and artistic stimulation in places other than a super-​market, you’ll enjoy a nice, relaxing lunch — or light dinner — at Clark Bar.

Want to have dinner in a Whole Foods? Like New Jersey? Me neither, but sometimes we have to visit our families, and when we do, it’s best to put up with their suggestions to make them happy. Case in point: «want to go check out the new Whole Foods, we can grab a bite to eat there».
Pulling up to the aforementioned «new Whole Foods» is actually a nice experience, especially if you know what this part of town used to look like — namely a Shi%t hole. Well the old factory is gone, and in its place is a Jersey favorite… Strip mall!!! As sarcastic as I am being, it really does look much nicer than it did (still though I don’t think I’m moving out here for an Applebee’s with a fountain view, just sayin’). The new Whole Foods is just as expensive as you’d expect, and like any good mega corporation that has swept into a neighborhood, is doing its best to be «local».
“Hey have you heard of this place called «Whole Foods»? Nope, but this must be the only location, the restaurant is called «Clark Bar», and we live in Clark!“
Lazy name aside, for a moment, the one thing you can and should take away from this review is that your basically paying to eat marked up takeaway grocery store food. Seriously, the «kitchen window» leads to the same place cold cuts are sliced and chicken salad is put into little containers (not that you can order these things at Clark Bar… that would NOT fit with their theme -” fake class to up charge”). Any who, when you’re done ordering at the bar, as you would in any fine dining establishment, you can have a seat and wait for your burger or salad to be passed from the «kitchen» to the «bar» and brought to you. To be fair it is kind of a bar, as they do serve over priced beer and wine (6 $ for a beer is fine… in the city… not in Jersey… no the dollar off at happy hour does not make this better). Don’t ask for anything else though, as you’ll be told that this is not a full bar — code for «we only open bottles or taps and pour, we don’t mix things together». Moving on to the food; I had a bacon cheese and fries, and it wasn’t bad (nor was it great), but the one thing that stuck with me is that it was 12 $…again, that’s city pricing.
Note to the Whole Foods team — your food is mediocre (sorry), and I know, I know, you’re Whole Foods and all, and you can charge more for «quality» (i.e. your name), but seriously tone it down; this location is not on Houston, you’re charging too much of a markup in a place where you shouldn’t be.
So there you have it, Whole Foods made the neighborhood look nicer in that «Disney land fake» kind of way, with an over priced lazily named bar and grocery store. Way to go. Do yourself a favor and find a local place to eat, this place is a waste of time.