I think Skinner's is a great place to get a bite to eat, and the service was always good

The staff is great and the food is wonderful.

Has anyone been on it yet? It looks pretty from the street, but I'm not sure if it's open... are they going to have tables for dinner up there or just a bar?

My father and I recently enjoyed a delightful evening repast of Fuller's ESB, followed by Fuller's ESB and a dessert of Fuller's ESB. All this was washed down with copious amounts of Fuller's ESB, served on tap.

I have to say that I am surprised at the negative posts. Always experienced good, cheerful service at Skinners Loft. But again, perceptions of good service are very personal.

And by the way, leave our Maggie alone, she is a great owner, why can't she be comfy at work?
Skinner's Loft is a comfy neighborhood restaurant!

Generally, my expectations of service in the Jersey City venues are pretty low and I just deal with it. However, after being to Skinner's a bunch of times my expectations have been surpassed and I have been over all satisfied with the service and the food. Incidentally, their filet mignon sliders are really good.

I've been to Skinner's loft twice so far and both times the service has been very nice and accomodating. That said, they did screw up my order the first time I went there, but as soon as I brought it to their attention they offered to correct it and bought me a drink. I'll go back.

I was at Skinners the other night, and although the food was good, I also experienced below average service, wait staff had this look on their faces as though they would rather be anywhere else but at Skinners! I think people are missing the point. Skinners is losing business because a server and a manager couldnt find a way to come up with a scoop of ice cream?? I could appreciate if ice cream was "seasonal", or if it was produced in certain geographical parts of the world and had to be flown in daily to preserve it's freshness. From reading these threads, it was more the attitude of the staff that pissed off the customer. There is nothing worse than taking clients to a restaurant, then being let down by the service. There are too many places to dine at. After having 2 bad experiences myself at Skinner's, OX will be my new stomping ground. I am pretty simple when it comes to dining out and the service I expect. Sometimes you simply want to go to a place that wont let you down. Skinners, one recommendation, put more time and energy into hiring management, they can do a lot of damage you may not be aware of.

Wow, too lazy to explain the whole thing - but let's just say - my husband asked for a scoop of ice cream with his desert and the server said "I'll see what i can do". He kept his statement, "I'll see what I can do." Okay, let's just say, it wasn't rocket science, it was just a little bitty bit of ice cream with his desert because he can't have whipped cream. (FYI, my hubbies clients were saying he was too nice during this arrogant transaction).

My hubby realized the server came with shall we say - NOT ice cream - but rather ARROGANCE - my hubby (god bless him, he never does this) said "look, I'll pay you $20 for ice cream, I just can't eat desert without it". He wasn't asking for pretzels on his gourmet desert, IT WAS ICE CREAM PEOPLE.

So my hubby said he'd buy the ice cream desert to get the scoop. So when the server came he came with the desert with nothing and said "I did my best". So tell me, what's going on in the back does he try.....beg, pray with the chef and then get rejected. "I DID MY BEST?" What the f*ck does that mean?

Then he comes back with the ice cream 'cones' - 8 to be exact, it was a scenario where - to put it simply - IT WAS JUST ICE CREAM, they could have scraped one of the cones and placed it nicely beside the desert and admitted defeat, the customer won, he got his ice cream, but NOOOOOOO they had to be patronizing and serve the cones. Again, NOT A BIG DEAL, but it was like the server made it seem like it was really, truly a difficult request. My husband at this stage would never have taken it further but there's that moment when you know there's something going on bigger than you - when a server in an establishment is trying to make a point bigger than you they are trying to piss up the wall higher. So my hubby did something that made him feel like he couldn't believe he was doing it, he asked for the manager. He has NEVER done this in his lifetime, he always sides with the server or restaurant because I come from a server background...well, the manager was eating his dinner BESIDE MY HUBBY, he stood up and in his ultimate arrogance, and seriously it takes a LOT FOR MY HUMBLE MAN TO SAY SOMEONE IS ARROGANT - says "everyone tries to change the menu". Well, really? He's not asking for bison burgers, he's not asking for a burrito deep fried in whale batter....HE'S ASKING FOR A SIDE OF ICE CREAM ON HIS DESERT. And well, the manager, just shoved up his shoulders like "there's nothing I WILL do". It was patronizing and made my husband be someone he doesn't like. Seriously - do the poeple at Skinner's loft not realize that the culture THEY create, ultimately creates customers they won't like, they can play victim, but they made a gentle, normal man tonight be an asshole and let me tell you - he has NEVER, ever, ever in the 12 years I've known him with hold on a tip....EVER, even if it's bad service it's never the fault of the server and my hubby left with a company credit card and tipped 3% and let me tell you something else - the clients said that was TOO MUCH with the unbelievable arrogance that unfolded. Wow.

NOTE TO SKINNERS LOFT: You lost out on nice, decent people who love to patronize. And well.....YOU LOST OUT ON AN ENTIRE COMPANY, CLIENTS, LOCALS, ALL might we add are normal, decent, hard working human beings that witnessed something that should never have happened. Patronizing, arrogant behavior from staff and manager. SEE YOU LATER. Guess what? He went to OX for after dinner drinks and what did he get? A BOWL OF ICE CREAM.

Note to Skinner's Loft, you may think you are safe with saying "well, gee whiz, we don't want customers like that anyways". Well, you MADE this customer. He was a normal guy when he entered, willing to leave 20% and be happy.......all it took was ummmm, not rocket science, but charging him for an ice cream desert but adding it to the actual desert. Do you have a chef that is so SNOBBY that he doesn't want to change the menu? Wow. Do you know where you are?????

On that note, a woman slipped and fell and one of my hubby's customers helped him get up, she was hurt.....the woman was so greatful she offered my spouse's table a round of drinks and they insisted no - but it was a collaboration of customers that bonded....not staff.

Skinner's Loft, something has shifted, attitude - I know your owner didn't intend for this to happen. She needs to shake it up - you have a total of ....let me count.....1,2,3, 4, 15 staff with at least 10 clients EACH who went to your place for business WILL NEVER, EVER GO TO YOUR PLACE AGAIN. Then finished at OX and well, they just wanted someone to feel like they were home.......

So we went in for some reason the other night; I mean, so far I've had a generally mediocre experience, but sometimes a little variety is worth the risk (you can only order ox tail four or five or eight times before it gets repetitive. Actually who am I kidding, I could go for some of Ox's Ox tail right now). But anyway, I figured if nothing else, at least the hushpuppies at Skinner's Loft would make up for whatever else was wrong with the meal. Boy was I surprised to find the hushpuppies were gone.

When we were seated, we were informed that several of the menu items were out of stock since they were getting ready to change the menu (read: try and breath some life into it). We started with an order of the steak fries; they were actually cooked perfectly and the dipping sauces served alongside them complimented the potato very nicely. We also gave the duck ravioli in a whirl, unfortunately. The butter sage sauce was greasy without tasting like butter and not nearly sweet enough to compliment the butter and sage. The ravioli were a bit too undercooked.

We also had a steak and pear salad; a solid if unremarkable dish. I had a cheese burger, one of the better burgers I've had, though not the best.

It seems Skinner's excels at pub food, but falls painfully short of the new American cuisine they strive for. Hopefully the new menu, due to launch (or is this re-launch?) this weekend plays to their strengths rather than over reaching as the current menu does.

have had brunch there twice, gone for drinks once. All 3 times had great service and great food/drinks--even get very friendly welcome from owner/manager.

My wife and I thought it would be nice to have brunch at Skinner's Loft today. We previously had two nice dinners there and were excited to enjoy brunch. In my experiences at Skinner's, the service has been shaky but adequate. However, we have very much enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

The frustration regarding brunch at Skinner's began when I found the Skinner's Loft website and saw that it had not been "finished" yet. No online menu to examine. Not a big deal though.

We arrived at 12:45 PM this afternoon and there was nobody to seat us. We went upstairs. Again, nobody to seat us. We went back downstairs and the bartender told us to go upstairs. When we got back upstairs a waiter pointed to a few empty tables and told us to pick one. We sat down next to the fireplace and waited for 15 minutes. No menus. We got the waitress' attention and she unhappily brought us menus. After 15 more minutes of nothing - no water, no "would you like a drink", nothing, we walked out. I am not a particularly demanding diner and this may have been the first time I have ever walked out on a restaurant. I mentioned the problem to the bartender downstairs and she kind of smiled and said, "yes we are busy."

With plenty of empty tables, they were not that busy. They simply had a couple of confused servers upstairs that were not able to cover all the territory. I have no idea what the current situation is there, but it was totally understaffed and the people did not seem to notice or care that we walked out.

We went to Hard Grove instead and had a decent brunch.

I had lunch there a few weeks ago - sat upstairs by the window. What a beautiful place ! For starters we had the calamari, which might have been the best I have ever had - no joke. This place is great - wonderful addition to the area.

http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/


The Village Voice

This is not an argument about why you should live in Jersey City, where the commute to Manhattan takes eight minutes and costs less than subway fare, and an apartment goes for two-thirds of what you pay in the boroughs. Jersey City locals are tired of defending themselves against outdated perceptions that Jersey is a land of big hair and mob bosses, backed by a Springsteen soundtrack. Get over it. If we're always expected to jump on the bandwagon to the next hot spot deep in Brooklyn, the least you can do is cross the Hudson once in a while before Jersey-phobia causes you to completely miss the rapid rise of the gritty sixth borough.

Downtown Jersey City's metamorphosis from downtrodden fringe city to desirable alternative neighborhood has, for the past several years, been bound to Grove Street?a quaint three-block stretch of restaurants and caf?s. On the intersecting, aptly named Newark Avenue, something more desolate once greeted those emerging from the PATH. That's changing, though, with recent laws extending drinking hours. The strip of 99-cent stores and discount shoe retailers (and one lone bar) that till now has been referred to almost laughably as "Restaurant Row" is finally beginning to look the part. Hair nets and laundry detergent are still the hottest commodities here, but a sprinkling of high-end establishments is brightening the face of Newark Ave. The newest addition, itself a former shoe store, is Skinner's Loft (146 Newark Avenue), a two-story bar and restaurant. Crowded in the early evenings with commuters, and then with the late-night crowd returning from the city and seeking one last round, Skinner's Loft is a stop-by kind of a bar. But with close to 50 beers on the menu (from $4) and fruity cocktails (from $6), it's no dive. The crisp autumn martini, made with house-infused apple vodka and pear Grey Goose, is insanely strong, while the elderflower Belvedere martini, with sweet, flowery syrup, tastes like spring-flavored candy. Small plates, served until 11 p.m., include baked macaroni and cheese ($8), coconut chicken tenders ($6), and the surprisingly light and fluffy crab-and-corn hush puppies ($7). (Complete lunch and dinner menus are also available at the bar.) As for the d?cor, gilded mirrors, antique Jersey City maps, and artwork by local painters adorn the exposed brick walls, and scavenged items?including dusty floor tiles, church banisters, and a grand door frame?lend the look of an old-fashioned brownstone speakeasy.

The patrons are as diverse as the neighborhood?and the state. Early on a weeknight, an older writer pecked away at his laptop plopped down on the bar while Spanish-speaking sports fans cheered at the two wide-screen TVs. On a weekend, a loud table of dreadlocked drinkers nearly drowned out an argument between two white kids about whose Bon Jovi concert was better. Elsewhere, a couple of prim single gals brushed off a few frat boys, and by last call, frisky lesbians taunted greasy-haired Irishmen and Brazilians with a little boob-play for beer. It may not sound like much, but next to big, bad, segregated NYC, Jersey City's limited offerings actually bring people together. Places like the family-owned Skinner's Loft are gems that quietly make this city the best little neighborhood in New York.

I've been to Skinner's twice and really like the place... haven't tried any entrees but had the lobster ravioli appetizer (on the specials menu), the mac n' cheese and spring rolls and all were very good. They also have a couple wines by the half-bottle, which is great!

We went to Skinner's this past weekend and while the service was great and the management accomodating, the appetizers were mediocre at best. We ordered the Southwestern dip with blue and yellow corn tortilla chips...What we got was store-bought guacamole and yellow corn chips. The menu descriped the dip as having corn, shrimp and avocados amoungst other ingredients...definitely no shrimp. So we told the waitress and immediately she knew they were wrong and said "sorry we have changed the dish" so they removed it from the bill and we tried the duck ravioli instead. While good, my boyfriend took a big bite into a 1/2 inch thick duck bone...YUCK! So the waitress took it back to the kitchen and we were given our second round of drinks on the house. Main course however was a different story...both the ricotta gnocchi and hanger steak were delicious. We will definitely give Skinners another try...but maybe we'll start with the soup!

Quote:

I had dinner at Skinner's Loft last week with my husband and children and we loved it. The food was very good and the atmosphere was family friendly.

Can't wait to go back.

I was afraid that I would never be able to make this post but I had the best lunch I have had at Skinner's Loft yesterday. After a shaky start Maggie and her crew have done it. I am happy that after all the hard work, she was able to more than pull it together.

Keep up the good work.

Not to keep this long thread alive but I must add the following 2 cents:

I returned to Skinner's Loft recently to find a new menu and (I was told) a new chef. I urge anyone who had a bad experience there or was unimpressed to try it again.

In addition to the food being perfectly prepared, the presentation of each dish was something you'd expect to find in a 5-star restaurant. It was *not* bar food as you might expect.

Among the dishes we tried and adored were the duck and sweet potato ravioli in sage butter, double cut pork chop with caramalized apple and pear on a bed of sweet potato, crab cakes with some kind of caper sauce, chocolate mousse, coconut flan. Yum! We will be going back again and again.

Quote:

+1

I was there recently with two friends and we also had Keys as our waiter and as you confirm, Keys was very friendly, nice and attentive waiter without being over-bearing.

Two of us had the pork chops which were excellent and one of our group had the tuna which he found to be finely prepared.

I think Maggie, the waiters, bartenders and Will, the manager, are doing a great job at listening to their customers and trying to make ongoing improvement as only a good business will succeed by this attention to detail.

Good eats, bon appetit & laissez les bon temps rouler!

I went back to Skinner's Loft last night with Ms. Justi and a European colleague.

I am pleased to report that they have much improved since my earlier report.

The menu seems to be a lot thinner, but that's to be expected after they see what dishes shake out as being popular or not, and its probably a good thing, as they were incapable of delivering things the first time I went (opening night).

The food arrive very quickly- we had the southwest dip (which was OK), the duck ravioli (fantastic), and the baked brie, which was out of this world. In fact, it was the best thing I ate all night.

Meals were the magnficent pork chop- as good as it was last time, my Belgian friend had a lovely Agnus steak with Garlic butter, cooked medium. It was actually medium, rather than being medium well, which most restaurants call medium.

My wife had the saffron pasta, which was outstanding.

The wwaiter recommended a bottle of Malbec, which was a bit pricey ($42) but good- and I was on the expense account.

We had no room for dessert.

The total bill, with tip, was about $160. That's actually quite resonable for three people with appetizers and a bottle of good wine.

The weakest part of my first trip was the service. I noticed that the world's worst waiter, who I was unfortunate enough to have the first time, was not in evidence.

Instead, our waiter was a guy named Keys. He was outstanding. Friendly, knowledgable, present enough so that I never had to wait even two seconds for anything I needed, but not so present as to be intrusive. Absolutely professional service, perfectly done.

I am happy that this restaurant managed to work out its kinks, and it looks to be a success. Biz was good for early on a thursday. I would feel confident recommending this place to anyone visiting Jersey City.

I went to this place the other day for lunch expecting to find something like an Irish pub. Boy, was I pleassantly surprised. Both the decor and the food were good!

I really gave this place a chance but they have been letting me down. The champane mussles were amazing though.

Anyway brunch was a total let down. the coffe was water with grides, those little muffiins were right out the freezer! Barely defrosted! Why pay so much for such crappy food. Pancake Factory is sooo much better. An extra 1$ for blueberries? There were like two in the pancakes! French toast was super good, but with such a nice place they really need to up the quality of the food.

My date and I had dinner here on Saturday night and I have to admit I was delighted. The waitress was attentive and knowledgeable of everything on the menu. My date had the steak tips and potatoes and I had the salmon... delish, delish, delish.......

We shared the Chocolate mouse, it was oh my gosh melt in your mouth quite pleasing to palate. I highly recommend this place.

I ate there last night. It was good, and a welcome addition to the blight that is Newark. Only seemed to have 1 waitress upstairs, but the busboys were good. The Brie Puff appetizer was awesome!

A few weeks ago, my wife had the banana split. They forgot the banana. My wife ate some of it thinking it was uner the heaps of ice cream. No banana. When we complained we just got a look from the waitress and a sorry.

Then when my wife was in the bathroom and the waitress came back, one of my friends asked if we could get a banana as she really was wanting the banana. Rather than a sure no problem, the waitress semed troubled that we asked and then said "I don't know if I'll have any luck, but I'll see if we can do something, but I can guarantee anything.".

Umm, you forgot the banana and then it's a problem to get one. Let's see isn't that the key part of a banana split? Shouldn't the problem have been fixed without asking?

We finally did get the banana.

We were also there last week and another waitress was clueless on how any of the food was, clueless on any of the wine, and then when I finally picked a wine, she came back 5 minutes later to say they were out. And 5 minutes later she came back to tell me wife they didn't have what she had ordered for dinner.

I like to give places at least 3 times before I stop going there, but so far it's on a downward spiral for me.

The space is great.
The service mediocre.

Awesome:
Hush Puppies
Ribs

Mediocre:
Mac and Cheese

Tried skinners and loved every last bite. The pasta with shrimp and garlic cream sauce was delicious and a lot of food. The BBQ ribs were fall off the bone good. Service excellent and friendly.

the place is gawgeous! The food is great....and the staff is amazinggggg! great experiences! this is one of the places that makes jersey city better :)

Went to Skinner's last night for the first time, and really enjoyed it. La Chouffe on tap -- amazing!!

Food was very good - would recommend the great mac & cheese - beautiful golden brown top and a tiny dash of horse radish (!), spring rolls, and gravlax (not for the fish that's not that great, but the terrific potato salad it comes with), nice beef salad with slices of savory grilled meat

We sat at a table near the bar, and the service was excellent (thanks Bridgette!)

And did I mention they have La Chouffe on tap!!

Then we went next door to LITM and they have Chimay on tap
(little rivalry?) and the place was jumpin'

Nice evening altogether...