Me and a few guys are going to be in Harrison at 3 on thursday. Does anyone have any knowledge of the area? We plan on starting out at The Spanish pavilion, but were wondering if there are any other bars in the area. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated?
In Newark, sure, but in Harrison... not so much. If you leave the train station (Penn Station) in Newark and head down Ferry street then there are a number of decent restaurants / bars that are way better than the Spanish Pavillion within 4-5 blocks.
The ESC's main hangout is El Pastor... http://www.elpastorrestaurant.com/ It's a little joint in Newark, and if you're going to go, bring a few cameras, preferably from ESPN...
Probably wouldn't be a good idea to go to that place, even though the menu looks pretty awesome. Probably just find a small local spot, eat some great food and have a few too many beers.
I'll be getting to Newark around 3 as well and was also looking to hit up some bars/restaurants before heading over to the tailgate.
Jeez...you are either incredibly smart, an incredible Googler..or both. Hat tip and repped Edit: "you must spread some...".so fail
NY has a thread for this: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1348411 Avoid El Pastor and MMMBello's, which will be "full" of irritating RB fans.
The Green Room is right up the street from RBA. It is about 10 blocks north on the main drag. It is a small blue collar bar, but they do have beer and some great chili and burgers. I've been there a couple of times when I have been up at RBA.
Going to park and be in the Ironbound neighborhood to the South of the stadium. Seems to have lots of free parking and lots more bars and restaurants than in Harrison. Also seems to be easier to get out of after the game! Seems the walk across the gridge is only 15-20 minutes.
Don't forget there is also a trolley (really a bus) loop that drops off at the stadium too. Just one more reason why it makes no sense at all to drive up there. This will be my 4th trip there, and I highly recommend taking the train to Newark Penn Station, grab some good food in the Ironbound, and then either walk or hop that 'Red Bull Express' trolley to the stadium. It's not a bad walk, and you're in sight of at least one cop pretty much the entire trip, but I guess some people aren't able to walk it for one reason or another so the bus thing is nice. The train ride back from Newark to Hamilton is much more relaxing than driving, and it allows an extra drink or two at the game.
Away fans typically go to either Spanish Pavillion or Green Room. They can also hit a few places outside the Newark Station, however, I stringly recommend NOT going to MMMBellos (GSS Bar) or El Pastor (ESC Bar). Catas is another place, mostly Viking Army peeps, they are a little less agro but its a smaller place and they may not let you in at all if it fill sup.
We ended up going to Seabras Marisquiera in the "Ironbound". Wow, place was pretty sick. Prawns the size of Mondragons unit. Octopus softer than the avg goal scored on Seitz. Vihno verde, Chorizo, Paella. Overall was pretty impressed, people were nice and IMO is an underappreciated destination for people into food or experiencing something a little different. Highly reccomend making a day of it next year. Moved to Spanish pavilion to meet some friends, great move, 280 east, which leads to the turnpike is only a block away. No traffic at all, we were on the turnpike within 10 minutes after leaving. Overall was a great trip, except for the game.
We were in Spanish bar in Ironbound as well and really enjoyed it (better than the match). Had some issues with RB fans at a bar right before getting on the bridge going to the arena, but enjoyed the walk and conversation with RB fans heading back across the bridge. We were also back onto 95 in no time. Looking forward to visiting Ironbound next year!
For future games reference, O'Donnell's Pub on Harrison Ave is the place for opposing team fans. http://www.odonnellspub.com