The Shepherd & the Knucklehead of Haledon, NJ

What’s not to love about this place?! I give them the 5 stars they deserve because it is just great! The staff there are awesome ! Every time I go I feel very welcome and like I’m part of the Shep family! The beers there are all great and prices are good! They always have a different variety for those of us who live to try different craft beer! The food is very creative and delicious! My personal favorite are the wings! The only downer I would say is that parking is a little hard to get! Other than that, what you waiting for?!

Where do I start?
Been coming here for about 2 years now.
Do you want attention. Good food. Great service. Come here … I am considered a local… But I’m a tough person to please… I really have nothing bad to say… From the great beer to the good food… And the great service… Please come see for your self…
A MUST TRY… A worthwhile experience. Thanks
Joe, Sasha, Tony. & Caesar!!!

I’ve been coming to this place for years! Pretty amazing selection of beers on tap — definitely one of its kind in the area. The place has lots of regulars. There are board games and a pool table which gives this place a fun, relaxed home-​y vibe. If you’re a big beer drinker, absolutely check this place out — it will not disappoint! The food is pretty decent as well. I love the chicken sandwich sliders.

First time here and I’m sad we didn’t try it sooner. Awesome pub with 2 bar areas and plenty of tables. Once inside you have no idea that you are in Haledon NJ. Lol. For apps we had wings – Mac & cheese and kielbasa. The wings were tender and the sauce had a great flavor. The mustard dipping sauce that came with the kielbasa was the best I’ve ever had. All made in house. For dinner Sandra and I had a burger and Suzie had ribs. Both burgers were cooked perfect and were very flavorful. The ribs fell off the bone. I had a few different kinds of beer that the very knowledgeable server recommended. Great place and a great experience. Can’t wait to go back.

Very friendly and beer knowledgeable staff. Pretty interior. Great beer options. That said, burgers were all very dry. BBQ Pork poutune was bone dry and soda was flat. Great menu choices with disappointung results.

We waited over an hour and a half for a table before leaving. There were six-​person booths which the staff kept filling with groups of two or three (despite said groups only ordering a drink during their entire time at the table or a different group already having seats at the bar). Maybe eating at a restaurant on a Friday night was an overly ambitious idea on our part…
The beer selection is of course extensive but that can only hold you over for so long when you come hungry and expect to eat in a timely manner. I will not be attempting to dine/​drink at this poorly managed bar again.
Edit/​Response: That group of two that was ahead of us should not have been seated in a six-​person booth, especially when they had a spot at the bar already. There were two-​person tables that opened up soon after as well. That seems like a bad use of the tables/​space. We appreciate the drink offer, but will not be taking advantage in the future. It really was an unpleasant experience.

O M G … I love this place! Spectacular beer selection … Friendly staff and well executed food so close to home!
Don’t know how I haven’t tried this place sooner. We tried the buffalo wings, a filet mignon and a NY strip. Everything was delicious — standouts were the bourbon caramelized onions and mashed sweet potatoes.
Service was fast, friendly and efficient. Love this place for informal dining and an exceptional selection of craft beers.

No place else i’d rather be.
Beer selection on point, food is amazing– every single thing on that menu is 100% they do not *uck around.
Bartenders know whats good, they understand the beer lingo that will suffice any beer lovers yearns.
Music juke box in two different rooms, now has an app so you don’t even have to get up to charge ur favorite music from the speakers above.
Atmosphere holds this powerful grunge hip spot, that gathers in many people from different places.
Even if there are no seats around, standing in the amidst of the bar creates a whole new enjoyable vibe as well. Love love love

Large selection of beers. Service was great and the food was better. Very creative menu. Will definitely be back.

This place is cozy and gets very crowded on weekend nights. They have a wide variety of draft beer (and I personally love that they have PBR on draft). The staff is very friendly and the food is excellent. Try the mozzarella wedges! Super cheesy gooey goodness. They also have a touch screen music jukebox and board games too. Check it out! I’d go much more often if I lived closer.

The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub.
At my last Jersey Unilocal elite event I was talking with a few other elites about good pubs in the Jersey area. They recommended I try The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub. They said the food was great and they have a vast selection of beer on tap that would appeal to anyone’s palate. I bookmarked it on my Unilocal app and forgot about it.
A few months later I was in the area with my father and I was looking through my bookmarks and I came across The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub. I typed the address in my cars navigation and off I went.
We arrived around 5pm. I was cordially greeted and immediately seated by our host Joe. He was very friendly and knowledgeable on the beer selection and what might suit my taste being that I’m not a beer connoisseur and there are over 90 beers on tap to choose from.
Joe picked my brain a little on what type and style of beer I liked. So he suggested for starters I try a beer called: Victory Golden Monkey. It’s a Belgium style beer that is brewed in Downing Pennsylvania. It’s 9.5% Alcohol and it was $ 6.50 per pint.
Joe’s second beer recommendation was: Anderson Valley Flats, Oatmeal Stout. 8oz $ 3.00. 5.8 percent alcohol by volume. Brewed in Boonville, California.
Both were very good choices, inexpensive and very good in taste. I was pleased with Joe’s recommendations.
For appetizer we went with: Shep’s Pork Poutine. I have never had Poutine before and I must say that I enjoyed it. French fries, braised pork shoulder, melted mozzarella and cheddar. All that flavor packed in one plate. $ 11.95. Delicious.
Entrée: Bbq, pork sliders. Three Braised marinated pork sliders, topped with sharp cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun. It also came with a side of french fries. $ 10.50. Great dish and very filling. Each slider was packed with flavor.
I was impressed with the hospitality, the food and beer selection at The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub.
The link provided below, has additional information on this establishment:

I find it crazy that after four years of undergrad at William Paterson University (right up the street) I’d only started coming here just within the past year with co-​workers.
First, if you’re a fan of beers, you’ll be in your element here. They have all sorts of beers and the best part is they keep bringing new ones from all over. Download the beer menus app and you can see what they’ve got; they update it regularly.
The food here is great! Appetizers made to share, my co-​workers who’ve ordered entrees have nothing but great things to say. My favorite is the giant pretzel and crazy enough their French fries are crazy good.
Service here is spectacular. The staff know every beer and can give you a description. They also aren’t sticklers about giving you a taste of a beer before ordering one. Super cool detail too is that if a beer you order taps as they pour it for you and you don’t get a full serving, it’s on them!

This place has continued to lose my attention as it reincarnates itself. Turning into a Unilocal favorite has multiple drawbacks and all are evident here at The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub & Steakhouse. The recent addition of «Pub & Steakhouse» to the name is the newest and most glairing change in direction since the expansion that more than doubled it’s size. Not only is that one too many ampersands but another distraction from what made this place to begin with, beer!
The staff are very hit or miss with only a few educated bartenders (no certified cicerone) that can give you the scoop on what’s new-​just in, and picks up on your preferences by paying attention to your inquiries. The place is left run by children and it shows as they get busy. Bumping into one another behind the bar, pouring liquor for shots and cocktails directly from 1.75 liter bottles, using the wrong glass, all that’s a big NO NO in the bar biz. The addition of toasted almond, buttery nipple and jolly rancher party shots only serves to inebriate the least likely able to hold their liquor creating loud, obnoxious, impulsive overgrown baby’s to tend to.
Now gastropub/​steakhouse, gone is the real direction «The Shep» once had, in it’s place is the upsell business model we have today. I can’t imagine this will turn around since the owner opened another (dive type) bar nearby. So get out those credit cards and be ready to fork it over, cause it ain’t cheap in here.
The seating comes in two variety’s; bar stools or booths, both on the less comfortable side and jammed together. Service is ok however don’t waste your time asking servers for beer info. The toilet is awkwardly located and reeks of urine, when you open the door you can hit a barstool and the odor wafts into the bar. The food is acceptable but amateurish and the ingredients do leave a lot to be desired so when making your choice stay with uncomplicated offerings and skip the crappy burgers.
As stated here repeatedly, the beer selection is good, taps clean, pricing a bit high and food ok, next thing ya know… get out the toolbox its a Unilocal elite event. «Foods Yummy!!! Beer is Delish! Thanks To Wonderful Brittany» Where’s my Unilocal wrist bands? I think I left them at The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub & Steakhouse.
Funny the day I posted this review the owner pm’s me a passive aggressive diatribe about how he needs to «talk to me». Yeah ok guy, c-​ya!
BSE3−68

The Star Ledger gave them the title as the best Craft Beer Bar in NJ and I certainly believe they can take the reigns. Cloverleaf Tavern is certainly a great alternative, but I feel the Shepherd & the Knucklehead had a better selection. Here, they had just about 90 beer taps all neatly broken down into the types of beer they are. So many options for across the state plus beers across the country. It is really hard to sit down and just pick a few beers that you want because all the sought after beers are available here.
I cannot comment on the lunch/​dinner options as I only had an appetizer, but I can say they had the best Bavarian pretzel that I have ever had. Extremely soft, good portion, and delicious beer cheese to go with it.
Overall, the pub area is not very large. Just about 12 chairs along the bar and 4 booths, but it does expand into a bigger area where the restaurant is.
I will certainly be coming back here.

If you can only go to one tap house in nj, this is it. It doesn’t matter what kind of beer you like, because they have some of every style. This place isn’t run by newbies to the recent beer surge, and it shows.

First time the Friday evening before winter storm Jonas. Loved it. Wish this pub was just around the corner rather than a tricky 25 minute drive. Superb service from Caesar with lots of guidance about the current brews. Joe and others there also friendly and welcoming. You want to taste a couple of beers before ordering, yes of course! If you like sour beers the Smuttynose with cherries was good. My husband tried some great IPAs. Another pub with Magnify, one of our favorite new NJ beer craft breweries. We shared wings and a giant burger! Food was tasty pub grub. We will return.

Spent two different nights here. Big beer menu and the spring rolls we had as an appetizer were quite good. Service was good the first night, but the second night was much more crowded and service was noticeably poor. Overall, the place, bathrooms included, were clean and we had a good time. Definitely will be back again.

This hipster place is perfect in every way. Not only do they have a beer selection that would humble most craft beer aficionados, but their food is actually better 80 to 90% of any other bars I’ve been to. I would rank this place nearly even to Cloverleaf in Caldwell with the determining factor in my choice being that it is way easier to park at cloverleaf than at the shepherd. Great beers that change quite frequently and with the seasons, and food specials that do not disappoint. absolutely love going here.

This place is a craft beer lovers heaven! 90+ beers on tap, what else can you ask for?! There’s something for everyone in Northern NJ! I read great reviews about the food and can’t wait to try some. The bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks for existing Shepard! I wish there were more bars like you.

Where do I start? Why would a fairly small bar have over 90 beers on tap? The answer is, why the hell not? Size aside, this place is a beer lover’s paradise. With a constantly revolving selection of the finest and often most eclectic craft brews, they’re a winner. Almost as important is the beer menu which is lovingly arranged by style and type. Granted, it’s not always up to date because the selection is always changing so if you’re picky, check their website for the most up to date offerings.
As for employees, they’re top notch both service and knowledge wise. Clearly these guys are seriously into their beer. You would imagine with such a large selection, their knowledge would center on a few of their most popular offerings. You would be sadly mistaken. These guys literally know just about everything about every beer they’ve ever sold. I think that beer sommelier would probably be a more accurate title. And as far as service goes, again flawless. Our usual guy Tony is a virtual encyclopedia and literally never misses a beat no matter how busy they get. They actually seem genuinely glad to have your business and always make it a point to remind you.
And lastly we come to the food. A place that concentrates so heavily on beer really is not expected to have decent food. Again, if you make this assumption, you’ll be happily mistaken. Food is fantastic. So what are the flaws with this place? Hmmmmm. Like I mentioned, it’s small. Seating is limited and parking can be a bit of a challenge. But if beer is your thing and you like to enjoy it with some really good bar food and learn a bit while you’re at it, you really couldn’t pick a better place. You guys rock. Expand and I’ll email my Unilocal CM for a 6^th Star. You guys deserve it :)

Came here Friday night with a group of friends and we had a great time. I have to say that what stands out the most about this place is the service. ALL of the bartenders were so friendly and helpful. They almost became your friend by the end of the night. They are willing to explain the many beers that they have on tap. They make great suggestions of what to taste, and dont seem annoyed to allow you to try them.
Some of my friends had some of the food there– wings, pretzels, and wraps. All seemed average.
Small parking lot on the side– i luckily got a spot, but Im sure if you dont you can park on the street, but just beware b/​c i do know my friend did get a ticket there once.
Overall, great craft beer bar!
Tip– full service bar

Couple Good things about this bar, couple things that irked me.
Great Neighborhood Bar that caters to the beer snob in your life (like me). Place is set up with 2 rooms. One main bar, and then another dinning room with a smaller bar in the corner.
A Few tv’s but not any that stand out. A great Beer list is where this bar stands out. It’s a great selection of beer on tap (they boast 90). The bartenders are super friendly, They seemed to introduce themselves to everyone. They knew their stuff and could suggest anything.
Here are the problems I had:
I ended up being sat directly infront of one of those bartop arcades. It seemed completely out of place and was an annoyance. Not a big deal though.
There were 3 bartenders… However there were long stretches of times where they wouldn’t even be behind the bar. I wasn’t the only one who noticed this. A few of the guys sitting next to me were complaining about it to each other
But here’s why I gave this place 3 stars instead of the 4 it probably should have. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Wrap. When ordering the bartender said «cool… Fries?» and I said. «Yea»
Food came, everything was fine. But when I got my bill I realized I was over charged by about $ 5. Now I wouldn’t know the item because they just put the bill on my card and never gave me a receipt. And then of course they disappeared. I don’t believe they were hiding, I’m just saying. They were constantly missing from the bar. So I paid it. I checked the menu that was sitting on the bar… and go figure. a side of fries was $ 5. I would have appreciated being told that I was buying something. Wouldn’t have minded, I just think that’s a shady practice.
This place has won awards as a must go to beer bar. Maybe for NJ, But wouldn’t in a lot of other areas’
With all that being said. It’s still a place worth going, just expect to have to deal with these issues. Frankly they benefit from the fact that there is a horrible selection of bars that fit this niche in this particular area. I have a hard time finding a quality place to go around here every time I’m here for work.
UPDATE: owner has reached out to me and addressed my concerns, because of this I’m giving the 4^th star that the place deserves.

Last night was my first visit to The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub. It was amazing! The food, the beer selection, the ambiance, the service were all top notch. I have never written a Unilocal review before, but felt that this establishment definitely deserved much praise. I look forward to going back soon and will not hesitate to recommend it to all. Thanks for a great meal and GREAT service!
Things I ate/​drank that I can recc: Jalapeño poppers (best ever), spiced honey glazed kielbasa, any of the steak dishes and for IPA drinkers, the Exit 16.
Thanks again to this place for a great experience!

The craft beer selection here is mind blowing. I was with a few friends who have a very refined beer palette (so I was with some beer snobs) and everyone was blown away by the selection of brews here. They’ve got an entire menu dedicated to beer with pretty much anything on tap that you could ever want and need, and then some.
Once your beer is chosen (the important part), don’t overlook the food menu which is filled with a slew of tasty options. I went with the mozzarella wedges which were golden, fried to perfection and oozing with cheese. They only came with four which is kind of skimpy, especially since your always going to have a friend that wants to try one, and then you really just have three. And we all know that nothing good ever came out of just three mozz sticks. But, what they lacked in quantity they made up for in quality and I loved them.
I also tried some of the short rib poutine which was overflowing with melty cheddar and tender short rib. This wasn’t really poutine because there were no cheese curds and gravy and instead was basically just meaty cheese fries. But that’s okay, because we like meaty cheese fries. Between the overflowing bowl of fries and the sliders at the table which came with three full sliders and a mound of fries, I probably under ordered. But it’s fine, now I know for next time!

Used to be a 5 for me when it wasn’t all done up and new construction. Was an old man authentic Bar now very college-​ie

The Shepherd and Knucklehead is clearly a beer lovers favorite with over 90 on tap! The place is clean with an attentive wait staff, so it fit my bill for a dinner experience tonight. Ordered the special, NY Strip with Mac&Cheese and Saffron Rice (my typical meal, a protein and 2 starches!). Delicious!

If you’re serious about good beer, it’s hard not to like 90 lines of craft. It’s also clear that they’ve gotten more serious about the beer they carry, having worked on relationships with Anderson Valley and Duclaw to have specific offerings only at the Shep. Very cool stuff.
A couple of TVs to keep an eye on the game. Seating can be at a premium on busy nights. The food has become more consistent over the last year or so, and that’s a great thing. The fries are pretty darn good, but the giant German pretzel? That is a must get if that’s your thing.
Service is usually good. There are some nights where they get busy and they appear shorthanded. The staff who is there works very hard but you can tell they are spread thin. Not the staff’s fault if someone doesn’t show up or there aren’t any backups.
With its proximity to William Paterson, it can get busy and loud on Friday and Saturday nights.
Unless you get there early or you’re lucky with timing, you won’t get a parking spot in the lot that fits maybe 7 cars. Otherwise it’s street parking and you can usually find something nearby. In the winter it becomes a giant pain because Haledon does a terrible job of clearing the snow before it turns to an icy mess, so be mindful.
Depending on the tap takeover event and the brewery, the place can get crazy.

I’m stunned. I cannot CAN-​NOT explain how awesome 90 beers on tap is. I LOVE beer and this place not only has fabulous options, BUT their bartenders know their ISH. Nothing like going to a craft beer spot and being able to taste some samples of beers they think you’d like by your description and have them do a pretty darn good job at their recommendations too. Their food is also actually impressive, not that I expected otherwise but just something to note. I had the sword fish special, a bit heavy on their butter usage but it sure was tasty! They seem to catch the crowd from Willy P which I don’t mind at all, keeps the place alive. I can’t wait to go back and try more of their beers and food. My boyfriend’s burger was STUPID delicious. There was a little mix up on the tab we opened since there was 2 registers going but they settled it quickly and professionally. Kudo’s Shepherd-​Knucklehead, I’ll be back; oh– I moved up the block so you’ll have a couple of regulars for sure. BEERS ON BEERS ON BEERS.

A really great place. Just started going here because my boyfriend recently moved into the area. They have a very wide variety of craft beers on tap, as well as two full bars. All of the food is homemade and very tasty, particularly the giant pretzel, mozzarella wedges, and the fresh cut fries! Quality steaks, too, which is rare for a small pub. I detracted a star because the service leaves something to be desired; you kind of have to wander in and seat yourself, and once you get your food, it’s difficult to get the attention of your server. They’re very friendly, though!

The Shepherd & The Knucklehead Pub is a beer lover’s paradise and I was in heaven! A fellow beer lover recommended this restaurant to me, and I am so happy she did! Their extensive beer menu was everything I ever wanted and more. Reading through all of the 90 microbrews they have on tap was just a delight. I had trouble deciding what I wanted. Luckily, our super friendly waiter recommended my friend and I indulge in half pints if we want to have a few different beers. I love a pub that has half pints! More places should do this. The beers we had were delicious (Ithaca, Carton, and Clown Shoes just to name a few). The food is not too bad either! We started with the buffalo wings which were perfect. I ordered the Philly Cheeseburger Wrap, it was pretty good, I just wish it had a little more flavor to it.
My friend and I arrived on a Friday night around 7pm and surprisingly it wasn’t too crowded. We were lucky and able to grab a booth right away. I can see how it may be difficult to find seating if the restaurant is crowded since it’s on the tinier side and there aren’t an overabundance of tables. I will also agree with what everyone says about parking; their parking lot is super tiny so we parked on the street hoping that we won’t get a ticket. We didn’t. Whew.
All the servers and bartenders at the Shepherd and Knucklehead are really really friendly. We had a couple of different servers wait on us and they were all just the nicest! We also didn’t feel rushed as we finished up our beers, which is always so appreciated. One more thing, we asked if they had any fall beer on tap and our waiter said they have fall beer kegs, but they wait until the actual FALL to tap them. Much respect! I loooovvveeee some Fall beer, but I understand and love that they stand by that. Good for you Shep and Knucklehead! I’ll definitely be back to get those Fall beers.

Stopped in for the first time on a Tuesday afternoon. Place was busy, and not divy as I was expecting. Parking area not big enough, you’ll probably need to park on the street. The service team was great, very impressive. I had a veggie burger and my boyfriend had the steak fajita. Oh my the choices of beers! Beer lovers, come one come all! Varied menu, great environment, good service at good prices. Can’t go wrong and will definitely return.

I’ve heard from a few people how’s great the shep was so I had to come check it out for myself.
It has 90 taps!!! That’s a great beer selection. I sat at the bar and the bartenders were very attentive and nice. I had a few great beers and the tried the food. Hands down some of the best jalapeño poppers I’ve ever had. I also had the sliders which were pretty good as well.
If you’re into the craft beer scene, you can’t go wrong with the shep.

Happy 50^th Review to me! Is that a thing? I guess it is now: p
I had never heard of this place before but came here with a party of 6 after a friend recommended it. We made reservations in advance for 7 PM and called to tell them we were going to be a little late. We got there around 7:15 and surprisingly they appeared pretty busy. Luckily, they held our table in the back room near the bar. I really appreciated this because often restaurants will make you wait even if you have a reservation. The décor in this place is best described in my opinion is quirky and full of nick nacks– random books, signs, and just little odds and ends all over the room. The crowd seems like a mix of people of all ages– I saw a few families, groups of young adults, a few older guys with their friends etc. They have a juke box playing music which can be hit or miss. Definitely a hit if I can play my Britney Spears all night (hehe), but unfortunately while we were there some guys were hogging it and played metal all night.
We sat down and studied the extensive beer menu which in my opinion compares to the beer menu at the yard house– several solid choices depending on what you’re in the mood for. The food menu is typical bar food– finger foods, salads, sandwiches and burgers.
I ordered the angus fajita wrap which was perfectly seasoned and really yummy! It was a tad on the greasy side– I had to blot it with a napkin, but I still demolished the whole thing. I thought it was a little odd the wrap didn’t come with fries or a salad, but I didn’t feel deprived of it by the end of the meal. My two other friends got chicken fingers with fries– they were how you imagine it. My two other friends got the chicken sliders which came with fries. Those looked delicious and my friends agreed! They came on a fluffy looking pretzel bun and seemed like a good choice. My only friend that didn’t care for her food was the one who ordered the lobster soup– she said it tasted like there was more crab in there than lobster.
Our server, Joe, ended up being the owners son! He was friendly and asked us if we had ever been there before. After explaining it was all of our first times he told us about how his dad opened the bar and gave us a little history lesson about it. He was very nice, attentive, and didn’t give us the stink eye when we asked for separate checks. Also, fun fact– they sell a book «The Shepard & The Knucklehead» that his dad actually wrote, how cool is that?! And Yes, I bought a copy! (See Amazon for my review of that :))
This is a really fun, chill bar to hang out at and serve pretty decent, reasonably priced food. Some menu items could use some improvement but most were pretty tasty! My only complaint is the whole parking situation– their lot only fits about 5 cars and the street next to it was a hill full of cars. We ended up parking at the diner down the street. Either way, I’ll definitely be back for more drinks!

My husband and I stopped in for dinner last night. A few of our friends had been here, and had great things to say, so we thought why not!
They offer an extensive craft beer menu, so if your into trying new and different beers, this is the place for you! They even let you sample beer to make sure you like it before you order it! Big deal!
The food, a step up from your typical bar food. We ordered the poutine for appetizer, yes, do it! So delicious! My husband got the angus burger, it was perfectly cooked and he added, bacon and a fried egg, well, talk about amazing! I had the angus fajita wrap, the steak was a little to well done for me, but it was packed in there and very good as well!
Our waitress, Emily, very sweet, knew a lot about the beers and very attentive.
Go give it a shot!
Enjoy!