* NOTE: Sadly this bar closed suddenly May 1, 2005 *
Established in 1895 and nestled deep in the bowels of what is left of the shrinking Jersey City industrial district, is a place where one can enjoy some rock n’ roll by fire light. Although I’m not sure who was rockin’ the joint in 1895 … but I digress.
The very epitome of intimate, Uncle Joe’s Bar (154 1st St, Jersey City) has a back room complete with sofas, a fireplace and plenty of atmosphere.
This is a tiny room with a small PA, perfect for acoustic or spoken word shows. Unfortunately, the management insists, for some odd reason, on having bands play fully loaded and at top volume.
This was the only drawback to the place for me. Some groups making repeat visits have thankfully learned to scale it down a bit. In some cases bringing their own PAs.
There is also a back patio for an cozy evening under the NJ sky when the weather is nice.
The sizable front bar was in dramatic contrast to the back room. Bright with room enough for a pool table, this space had some interesting abstract art hanging on the deep red walls. An “hour hand only” clock and the showing of the original 60’s campy Batman movie on the TVs added to the charm.
All in all, Uncle Joes is a place that has recently been giving some of the Hoboken mainstays a run for their money. And, from the looks of things, should continue to do so for some time to come.
