Hard Grove Cafe

They have been trying to open at a new location on Newark Ave for 8 months. Clearly nothing will ever change with the people running this joke.

Thank god they closed this dump. Food quality slipped over the years and they started to jack up the prices because the hood rats on LHHNY filmed there. Got tricked into getting the weekend brunch bottomless mimosas’, they always use bottom shelf liquor and they want to charge top shelf prices. Good riddance. If you want good Spanish food go uptown to Jersey City Heights, Union City and North Bergen.

This review is based purely on their drinks. They are strong, sweet and cost efficient. However I did notice that for the Bacardi mojitos I ordered they mixed the Bacardi with some house rum. Not cool.
But overall, this place has been here forever and I don’t see that changing. Will update once/​if I try the food there.

I feel really bad writing this review, but I don’t want anyone else to leave here as hungry and disappointed as i did. I don’t think I could possibly emphasize the disappointment I felt after eating here. The margarita was FAR TOO SWEET and the salt was crusted on the plastic margarita glass — it wouldn’t come off even after sipping the margarita!
But on to the food — so UNBELIEVABLY BLAND. I literally had no idea that cuban food could be so bland. I do not care about price when I go out to dinner — as in, if it is cheap and the food isn’t good, I will not eat there. likewise, if the place is expensive but the food is good, i will most definitely eat there — that being said, my entrée was neither cheap nor good. My boyfriend ordered a spicy jerk chicken wrap and he thought it tasted like an unflavored piece of basic grilled chicken. I can count the number of times I have left a restaurant truly disappointed (as I try to look for the restaurant’s plus sides), and this is one of those times.
All in all, if you are looking for something flavorful and authentic cuban. probably stay away. if you are looking for a good tasting margarita and not just something to give you a buzz, probably stay away…
on another note, our server was good. and that’s about it.

My wife and I were downtown Gove (JC) to pick up our pooch this pass Sunday but wonder around since the pace didn’t open until 12:00 noon. So we decided to find a place for brunch and ended up at Hard Grove Café which is a Cuban spot by the way. It’s not a bad place. They have both indoor/​outdoor seating along with daily drink specials. Their Sunday funday specials are $ 5 beers and shots, ½ price on all burgers, ½ off on selected appetizers and $ 2 Coors light. They have other daily specials as well during the week.
We took a seat at one of the table outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. I ordered a beer (blue moon) and she ordered a glass of sangria. For our food, I had an omelet and my wife had the breakfast tacos with yuca fries.
Over all, the food is okay and the prices are reasonable.

Cute spot super close to the PATH train and across from a taxi stand. We ended up here after seeing the Bistro was packed, I think it was a good move.
There was a nice drink menu with some really fun options. We went for white sangrias, I had White Peach and he did Pineapple. Served in mason jars (so i guess this officially a thing now?) the drinks packed a punch. It was really warm inside so we sat outside and the awning was enough to protect from a light drizzle. Service was fast and friendly and the other patrons seemed pleased.
Here’s where things get funky: I go to use the restroom and there’s only one. No problem, except it’s occupied and apparently has been for a while. So i’m waiting and a waiter comes to bang on the door and tell the occupants to come out. Then the waitstaff start discussing in spanglish how there’s two people in there and they’re almost definitely having sex. Eventually a couple comes out and starts screaming at me, calling me every name in the book and describing at top volume all the ways they plan to injure me. I’m a little taken aback but brush it off because at least now I can go in. When I come out a waiter and patron tell me to be careful and indicate that the couple is re-​seated at the bar. SERIOUSLY?!? Someone has sex in a public bathroom, threatens another patron with bodily harm, and not only do you not remove them, you continue (over)serving them? So irresponsible on every possible level. My date shouldn’t have to survey the scene to make sure he can protect me if things go down. The lack of action left a really bad taste in my mouth on what was otherwise a great night.

Its just ok food. We went on an afternoon where there were barely any people so service was ok too.
I would say about the same ranking as a Denny’s. A little more expensive but overall not too bad.

I will give this location three stars overall. The food I feel is better then the service in my opinion. I enjoyed their guacamole and plantain chips and their grill chicken sandwich. If you want some traditional cuban good then unfortunately this is not the place in my opinion. I never tried the drinks surprisingly so I have no comments.
The restaurant is right on the Grove strip exactly across the street from the path.

Unfortunately our orders keep getting messed up and it takes forever for the food to arrive at the table. Even though, the waitress at least have a good attitude about it.
Ladies — bring a sweat with you in the summer, it gets freezing in here.

My boyfriend and I got really hungry pretty late, so we ventured to Hard Grove on a whim.
We were totally bewildered by the menu, probably because it was late and we were already too hungry. Even picking out a drink from their extensive drink menu proved difficult. After settling on a drink (I was not fond of but finished regardless), we were able to decide on two appetizers, but couldn’t get much farther than that.
We had the codfish cakes, which the menu mentioned was back by popular demand. I think my boyfriend and I were both envisioning maybe three cakes. When the waitress brought out our appetizers, we were desperately relieved that we had not ordered our entrees yet. There were six healthy sized, bready codfish cakes. They were delicious, hot and filling, but the amount was not appetizer sized, unless you were a party of three to six.
Along with the massive number of fish cakes, we got the tostones rellenos. These delicious morsels were fried green plantains, stuffed with a filling of our choosing. We picked the ropa vieja, which gave great insight into the taste of the main dish under the same name. I loved the textures, there was the crunch of the double fried tostones and the chewy softness of the stewed meat and vegetables. There was also a great balance because the almost bland crunchiness of the tostones made the saltiness of the meat more subtle.
After realizing the enormity of our appetizers, instead of getting two or even one entrée, we decided on getting a Cuban sandwich. I really wanted yucca fries, but that option was not available with the Cuban sandwich (although it was with others). Our waitress said they were very specific about which side one could get with their sandwich, and her asking added time and difficulty. In the end she said we would have to order it as a separate side and we were fine with that.
When our sandwich finally arrived, the yucca fries were not separate at all (we didn’t end up paying for them like a separate either… whew). The sandwich was not great at all. It really fell flat in comparison with the rest of our food. It was almost flavorless. I was craving the tang of the pickles and the bite of the mustard, but the flavors were not really there. The meat was over dried and chewy in a bad way. I was deffo underwhelmed.
Dessert had the same effect on me. We got flambéed maduros, that the menu said was accompanied by ice cream, but we just got a hefty dollop of whipped cream. I did not like this dish as much as I thought I was going to. Something tasted off, and I think ice cream could have unified the flavors a little bit. Oh well.
The service was almost as disappointing as our Cuban sandwich. It was a Friday night and the place was pretty busy (but not overrun) with a few larger parties, but we ended up being ignored. Not only that, it seemed like our food took much longer to come out than everyone else’s. The whole yucca fries debacle didn’t add pleasantness either. It was a very slow meal in an upbeat and lively atmosphere. I would deffo go back at maybe lunch, or a week day evening, to try out other options on the menu.

Descent place to stop in during happy hour, if all you want is drink, and some food. The place lacks personality, is outdated, and bar staff look miserable. Had 2 drinks here, and decided to walk over to Bright Side Tavern. A long walk, but, well worth it. Did not try the food, but, did not look like people were lining up outside trying to get in… Also, only 1 bathroom for men and women… Gross!!!
This place is in the process of moving, to a new location, so look forward to checking out the new spot once is done. I can only think that Hard Grove was a good fit for JC 15 years ago…