If you were a fan of The Farnsworth House Restaurant and The Blue Monkey Tavern, our favorite restaurateurs are at it again, with the same delicious dishes! You’re likely to see some familiar faces too, at Oak and Ember Grill, the previous location of Tara’s Tavern 1 Cookstown New Egypt Rd, North Hanover, NJ 08562 #RunDontWalk 🍝❤️✨🍷
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rudy Nedelka
Good bar food, great service.
I posted this when it was still owned by Tara's. I have not be there since the change in owners.
J P
Terrible overpriced they took everything good off the menu. Hope this place goes out of business quick
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jamie
Came in for a bite to eat and an angry orchard. (They dont have it anymore) They sat us at a high top by the bar with menus for drinks, specials and food. But when she came to take our drink order, we said were ready to just put our food order in. She got really annoyed and stressed and said "I'm not ready for dinner" at that point, I wanted to leave. You can tell they were renovating (slapping lipstick on a pig- we liked the original pig lol) and the smell of paint was overpowering the smell of food. Not a fan of the new look. 3rd edit from what started as a 5 star review with original owners. Reducing from 2 to 1 star. Made no improvements whatsoever. And the way they have treated the so many of the locals is absolutely horrendous.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Chris Ritter
TOTAL DISSAPPOINTMENT If you are going here and expecting it to be be anything like Tara's, its NOT! Yes I am publicy shaming this poor excuse for a local restaraunt /bar after numerous times of being there with the new ownership. When Taras fist sold I went in for dinner and drinks, I have been eating and drinking there at least once a week since they have been open when Howie was there bartending. The first time I saw they took Taras menu and just added a Oak and Ember label on it and said they were working on updating the menu. I met the new owner and seemed to be a decent guy, WOW was I wrong! The next time I went in they made a new menu with lettering so small you need a magnifying glass to read it and they changed alot of items on menu, reduced portions and raised prices but still had your favorites there. Everytime I went I noticed less and less people, most of the great staff quit because they did not want to deal with the tyrant owner and overall moral seemed low with existing staff. I went in again recently and on a Friday night noticed no one barely in parking lot at 7pm, used to not even be able to find a spot before, I went in to smell a new paint job and no live music that made the place dark and miserable looking and no feel of being in your hometown eating establishment. This time I got a completely new menu, wait , what, NOT one single item from Taras menu existed and it was the same boring food I can get at any of the 20 pizza places locally for a lot cheaper. What used to be Re-Vamp's, Cajun Angels, Butter Burgers and Real Deal Cheesesteaks are all gone and replaced with Chix Parm, Chix Marsala and Chix Francese, all at 24.95 or more, REALLY , do we need more italian food in replacement of the menu that made Taras locally famous. I can get any one of those dinners for 17 bucks or less with a salad and bread. What used to be awesome apps, now you get a choice of overpriced wings, mozz stix or mediocre shrimp and only 4 sandwich choices , 3 being chix and one $18 cheesesteak. This has to be the worst changes of a menu I ever seen, take away all the good stuff and add italian dinners that are a dime a dozen. Oh burgers are 12.95, $2 for cheese and 75 cents for a pickle, yes really they charge for a pickle. You can get an incredible burger with cheeses and fries and pickle at the Plumsted for 11 bucks and WAY better! The owner walks around the bar looking angry, miserable and uninviting to clients, he saw me make a bad face at menu and instead of talking with me he got angry that I was not liking the menu. I never spoke to anyone in the bar business with that poor of attitude and zero clue of what the local patrons want or what made the bar he bought a success. He was even overheard that they no longer want the local families and military that have been customers for years to there anymore, looking for a new customer base, thats a slap on the face for long time patrons but he does not care. I was with a friend and we were about to order burgers until I saw the pickle upcharge, again the owner heard my make a comment to my friends and he decided to interject himself into my conversation and get angry again that we did not like the new menu or prices, we got up and went to the Plumsted Grill for better burgers and friendly owners/staff. While leaving the owner continued to argue claiming he was from NYC and knows what he is doing, I dont think you have a clue what you are doing in Cookstown! What a shame that such a great place with incredible people has gone so downhill in just 2 months of new owners. Based upon the owners ignorance, lack of human interaction skills and stubborness to know what your partons want will ultimately lead to failure and I hope it comes soon if you are unwilling to make positive changes to restorewhat made Taras the success that it was. Overpriced Food, Poor Selections, Rude Owners, Inconsistant hours, No entertainment, No food specials and destroying what made Taras a success. Dont Bother!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kristen Sharp
Won't be back. Much better Italian food at other establishments. Took a great burger pub and destroyed it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fried Tomatoes, Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese
Charles Beam
Food was OK.I hope in time the new owners drop prices a bit. If not they won't last long. I feel they are still hanging onto the many years of Tara;s frame. Better options heading into Mt. Holly or Freehold area. good luck.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
JOSHUA TIPPY
Obviously this place took over Tara’s Tavern’s ratings so don’t let the overall rating fool you. There is a new menu that in my opinion is not any better (maybe it would be close if the food was better, but more on that in a minute). First let’s start with the apps. The coconut shrimp with sweet chili dip/sauce was very good. Very well could’ve been frozen and jarred. The fried pickles fell apart as you ate them. Our table had three entrees. The cheesesteak was mostly edible, but will never be ordered again. The fries were terrible!! A ton of salt and the dip/sauce from the fried pickles made them edible. The sesame chicken off the appetizer menu (ordered as a meal) was dry and tasted charred….second item that was not finished in it entirety. The last entree was the 16oz New York strip. It was most definitely not finished. My daughter tried to trim off the top, bottom, and sides because the only thing tasted was char. The potatoes were decent. Didn’t even attempt the green beans. Our server was pretty attentive. The beer was good. I do like the atmosphere, however, compared to before, it’s just okay. The menu/food needs A LOT of work! Unfortunately, I/we will never see it as we won’t be coming back. Miss you Tara’s Tavern!!!!!!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Kaitlyn Tippy
Service was amazing. Appetizers were okay. shrimp were frozen. steak and chicken were so charred is was the only taste. i wouldn’t recommend unless you want a good beer
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 5
Marie D
My favorite spot: ruined!!!!! When I say terrible, I mean terrible beyond words and the most awkward bar experience I think I’ve ever had. When I visited my parents, I’d always stop in here, tonight was the last time. I get why it was so empty on a Friday. Don’t be fooled by Tara’s old reviews, the transfer of ownership RUINED the place. The owners stare and talk, about the customers! It’s so uncomfortable. The food went from “consistent/good” to beyond terrible. The interior went from homey and charming, culturally relevant to poorly done landlord improvements. Funny enough they call it ember and oak but painted over the oak! The soul, the energy and the quality have all exited the building. The only good thing is there is guaranteed spots at the bar, but who would want to go there anymore. The owners should be embarrassed, ashamed and disgusted they ruined one of the most cherished local spots. It was empty tonight, we left and went elsewhere which was packed with all of my favorite people that frequented our once favorite bar. I don’t know who is making the business decisions there but to scare away the locals, have a high air of arrogance and nothing of quality to back it is shocking. You are NOT Ember and Eagle in Eatontown, you are not fine dining. The owners are not people who understand the community, they are unjustly pompous and have such an incredible lack in taste, in design, service and food quality. How they run the business, they won’t be in the community long, and they don’t deserve to be. I really hope the owners see the empty seats and do soul searching, increase quality and be kinder to the people who pay your bills. Treat locals well, do well. Treat us like trash: we will do the same, you can sit in your dark and lifeless bar without paying customers.
From best local out of the way bar restaurant to worst. The new owner took all the charm out, has no character now. The owner would stand there looking at people or come to you unwanted with broken English to offer me something the bartender was already taking care of. This isn't a street side Turkish cafe' back off.
....In Response To The Owners Reply.... If you are so pro community and donate to Veteran Memorials why did you take out all the Local Town, State and Country memorabilia?
I have been writing more negative reviews because restaurant service has gone down sharply in the past several years and the transformation of Tara's to Oak & Ember proves it...again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kyle Buchanan
The chicken was so tender. I recommend checking out tue new menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kimberly Armstrong
This was my favorite place around for the 8 years that we’ve lived in the area. Sadly my husband and I will not be returning. When the new owners purchased it (formerly Tara’s Tavern), we were told that the [awesome] menu would remain the same. We went last night to find that not only was the menu entirely different (mostly Italian food with very few burger/sandwich options), but everything was way overpriced and EVERYTHING was an upcharge. They only have one burger on the menu and even lettuce is extra. Everything you add to it is extra, so your burger will cost $20, and it was the smallest burger I’ve ever seen (almost a slider). My husband ordered caramelized onions on it (another upcharge) and there were 2 or 3 little pieces of caramelized onion on his burger! Even bbq sauce is an upcharge (as with any sauce), and his fries were cold when the plate came out. My penne vodka was the worst I’ve ever had. The only flavor was that it was very spicy (not at all the way that dish should taste). I ate a few bites and didn’t even take it home. We observed how empty the parking lot and restaurant were for a Saturday night, and understood why after seeing the menu and getting our food. (This place used to be so busy all the time under previous ownership that you would be lucky to get the only available parking spot and there was a line out the door for a table.) Our server was very good, and we felt badly that she (and the rest of the waitstaff) are suffering loss of business due to the decisions of new management.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
Keith Owens
THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE is back ..I haven’t been to Tara’s in awhile and much to my surprise the old owners of the Farnsworth are now the owners of the Oak and Ember . Food ,Atmosphere,Service all 5 star !!! Absolutely my new stop !!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathleen Owens
This place was amazing!! The atmosphere was incredible! The new owner’s are doing a fantastic job!! The bartenders Amanda and Alison are great! The food was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend you check it out!!
If you were a fan of The Farnsworth House Restaurant and The Blue Monkey Tavern, our favorite restaurateurs are at it again, with the same delicious dishes! You’re likely to see some familiar faces too, at Oak and Ember Grill, the previous location of Tara’s Tavern 1 Cookstown New Egypt Rd, North Hanover, NJ 08562 #RunDontWalk 🍝❤️✨🍷
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good bar food, great service.
I posted this when it was still owned by Tara's. I have not be there since the change in owners.
Terrible overpriced they took everything good off the menu. Hope this place goes out of business quick
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Came in for a bite to eat and an angry orchard. (They dont have it anymore) They sat us at a high top by the bar with menus for drinks, specials and food. But when she came to take our drink order, we said were ready to just put our food order in. She got really annoyed and stressed and said "I'm not ready for dinner" at that point, I wanted to leave. You can tell they were renovating (slapping lipstick on a pig- we liked the original pig lol) and the smell of paint was overpowering the smell of food. Not a fan of the new look. 3rd edit from what started as a 5 star review with original owners. Reducing from 2 to 1 star. Made no improvements whatsoever. And the way they have treated the so many of the locals is absolutely horrendous.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
TOTAL DISSAPPOINTMENT If you are going here and expecting it to be be anything like Tara's, its NOT! Yes I am publicy shaming this poor excuse for a local restaraunt /bar after numerous times of being there with the new ownership. When Taras fist sold I went in for dinner and drinks, I have been eating and drinking there at least once a week since they have been open when Howie was there bartending. The first time I saw they took Taras menu and just added a Oak and Ember label on it and said they were working on updating the menu. I met the new owner and seemed to be a decent guy, WOW was I wrong! The next time I went in they made a new menu with lettering so small you need a magnifying glass to read it and they changed alot of items on menu, reduced portions and raised prices but still had your favorites there. Everytime I went I noticed less and less people, most of the great staff quit because they did not want to deal with the tyrant owner and overall moral seemed low with existing staff. I went in again recently and on a Friday night noticed no one barely in parking lot at 7pm, used to not even be able to find a spot before, I went in to smell a new paint job and no live music that made the place dark and miserable looking and no feel of being in your hometown eating establishment. This time I got a completely new menu, wait , what, NOT one single item from Taras menu existed and it was the same boring food I can get at any of the 20 pizza places locally for a lot cheaper. What used to be Re-Vamp's, Cajun Angels, Butter Burgers and Real Deal Cheesesteaks are all gone and replaced with Chix Parm, Chix Marsala and Chix Francese, all at 24.95 or more, REALLY , do we need more italian food in replacement of the menu that made Taras locally famous. I can get any one of those dinners for 17 bucks or less with a salad and bread. What used to be awesome apps, now you get a choice of overpriced wings, mozz stix or mediocre shrimp and only 4 sandwich choices , 3 being chix and one $18 cheesesteak. This has to be the worst changes of a menu I ever seen, take away all the good stuff and add italian dinners that are a dime a dozen. Oh burgers are 12.95, $2 for cheese and 75 cents for a pickle, yes really they charge for a pickle. You can get an incredible burger with cheeses and fries and pickle at the Plumsted for 11 bucks and WAY better! The owner walks around the bar looking angry, miserable and uninviting to clients, he saw me make a bad face at menu and instead of talking with me he got angry that I was not liking the menu. I never spoke to anyone in the bar business with that poor of attitude and zero clue of what the local patrons want or what made the bar he bought a success. He was even overheard that they no longer want the local families and military that have been customers for years to there anymore, looking for a new customer base, thats a slap on the face for long time patrons but he does not care. I was with a friend and we were about to order burgers until I saw the pickle upcharge, again the owner heard my make a comment to my friends and he decided to interject himself into my conversation and get angry again that we did not like the new menu or prices, we got up and went to the Plumsted Grill for better burgers and friendly owners/staff. While leaving the owner continued to argue claiming he was from NYC and knows what he is doing, I dont think you have a clue what you are doing in Cookstown! What a shame that such a great place with incredible people has gone so downhill in just 2 months of new owners. Based upon the owners ignorance, lack of human interaction skills and stubborness to know what your partons want will ultimately lead to failure and I hope it comes soon if you are unwilling to make positive changes to restorewhat made Taras the success that it was. Overpriced Food, Poor Selections, Rude Owners, Inconsistant hours, No entertainment, No food specials and destroying what made Taras a success. Dont Bother!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Won't be back. Much better Italian food at other establishments. Took a great burger pub and destroyed it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fried Tomatoes, Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese
Food was OK.I hope in time the new owners drop prices a bit. If not they won't last long. I feel they are still hanging onto the many years of Tara;s frame. Better options heading into Mt. Holly or Freehold area. good luck.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Obviously this place took over Tara’s Tavern’s ratings so don’t let the overall rating fool you. There is a new menu that in my opinion is not any better (maybe it would be close if the food was better, but more on that in a minute). First let’s start with the apps. The coconut shrimp with sweet chili dip/sauce was very good. Very well could’ve been frozen and jarred. The fried pickles fell apart as you ate them. Our table had three entrees. The cheesesteak was mostly edible, but will never be ordered again. The fries were terrible!! A ton of salt and the dip/sauce from the fried pickles made them edible. The sesame chicken off the appetizer menu (ordered as a meal) was dry and tasted charred….second item that was not finished in it entirety. The last entree was the 16oz New York strip. It was most definitely not finished. My daughter tried to trim off the top, bottom, and sides because the only thing tasted was char. The potatoes were decent. Didn’t even attempt the green beans. Our server was pretty attentive. The beer was good. I do like the atmosphere, however, compared to before, it’s just okay. The menu/food needs A LOT of work! Unfortunately, I/we will never see it as we won’t be coming back. Miss you Tara’s Tavern!!!!!!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Service was amazing. Appetizers were okay. shrimp were frozen. steak and chicken were so charred is was the only taste. i wouldn’t recommend unless you want a good beer
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 5
My favorite spot: ruined!!!!! When I say terrible, I mean terrible beyond words and the most awkward bar experience I think I’ve ever had. When I visited my parents, I’d always stop in here, tonight was the last time. I get why it was so empty on a Friday. Don’t be fooled by Tara’s old reviews, the transfer of ownership RUINED the place. The owners stare and talk, about the customers! It’s so uncomfortable. The food went from “consistent/good” to beyond terrible. The interior went from homey and charming, culturally relevant to poorly done landlord improvements. Funny enough they call it ember and oak but painted over the oak! The soul, the energy and the quality have all exited the building. The only good thing is there is guaranteed spots at the bar, but who would want to go there anymore. The owners should be embarrassed, ashamed and disgusted they ruined one of the most cherished local spots. It was empty tonight, we left and went elsewhere which was packed with all of my favorite people that frequented our once favorite bar. I don’t know who is making the business decisions there but to scare away the locals, have a high air of arrogance and nothing of quality to back it is shocking. You are NOT Ember and Eagle in Eatontown, you are not fine dining. The owners are not people who understand the community, they are unjustly pompous and have such an incredible lack in taste, in design, service and food quality. How they run the business, they won’t be in the community long, and they don’t deserve to be. I really hope the owners see the empty seats and do soul searching, increase quality and be kinder to the people who pay your bills. Treat locals well, do well. Treat us like trash: we will do the same, you can sit in your dark and lifeless bar without paying customers.
Edit: the bartenders were sweet and attentive.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
From best local out of the way bar restaurant to worst. The new owner took all the charm out, has no character now. The owner would stand there looking at people or come to you unwanted with broken English to offer me something the bartender was already taking care of. This isn't a street side Turkish cafe' back off.
....In Response To The Owners Reply....
If you are so pro community and donate to Veteran Memorials why did you take out all the Local Town, State and Country memorabilia?
I have been writing more negative reviews because restaurant service has gone down sharply in the past several years and the transformation of Tara's to Oak & Ember proves it...again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The chicken was so tender. I recommend checking out tue new menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was my favorite place around for the 8 years that we’ve lived in the area. Sadly my husband and I will not be returning. When the new owners purchased it (formerly Tara’s Tavern), we were told that the [awesome] menu would remain the same. We went last night to find that not only was the menu entirely different (mostly Italian food with very few burger/sandwich options), but everything was way overpriced and EVERYTHING was an upcharge. They only have one burger on the menu and even lettuce is extra. Everything you add to it is extra, so your burger will cost $20, and it was the smallest burger I’ve ever seen (almost a slider). My husband ordered caramelized onions on it (another upcharge) and there were 2 or 3 little pieces of caramelized onion on his burger! Even bbq sauce is an upcharge (as with any sauce), and his fries were cold when the plate came out. My penne vodka was the worst I’ve ever had. The only flavor was that it was very spicy (not at all the way that dish should taste). I ate a few bites and didn’t even take it home. We observed how empty the parking lot and restaurant were for a Saturday night, and understood why after seeing the menu and getting our food. (This place used to be so busy all the time under previous ownership that you would be lucky to get the only available parking spot and there was a line out the door for a table.)
Our server was very good, and we felt badly that she (and the rest of the waitstaff) are suffering loss of business due to the decisions of new management.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE is back ..I haven’t been to Tara’s in awhile and much to my surprise the old owners of the Farnsworth are now the owners of the Oak and Ember . Food ,Atmosphere,Service all 5 star !!! Absolutely my new stop !!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was amazing!! The atmosphere was incredible! The new owner’s are doing a fantastic job!! The bartenders Amanda and Alison are great! The food was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend you check it out!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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