Zeppelin Hall Restaurant & Beirgarten

Zeppelin Hall Restaurant & BeirgartenZeppelin Hall Restaurant & Beirgarten
Zeppelin Hall Restaurant & BeirgartenZeppelin Hall Restaurant & Beirgarten
Bar, Eatery

88 Liberty View Dr
Jersey City, New Jersey, 07302-7364
United States

(201) 721-8888 | map
zeppelinhall.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.6
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
28
pDev:
15.28%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Nickls:
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Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

2.74/5  rDev -23.9%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
(From notes)

I really went into visiting this place with fairly low expectations, but I still managed to come away from the experience disappointed.

The atmosphere at this beer garden is just not for me (my friends who are even non-BAs didn't care for it either). The place certainly has the feel of an outdoor club crossed with a beer garden. I mean, the only way this place even felt remotely close to anything near charming or even with a chiller vibe was the fact that there were loads of picnic table-style seating.

I'm hesitant to get into bashing around the types of people who were attending, and how they behaved, but BAs be warned.

They did have a couple of decent brews on tap (Smuttynose IPA and Aventinus for example), but there is not much interesting out of the 20 mostly macro offerings.

The place was packed at the time of my visit, and even with multiple bars located throughout the property, there were fairly long lines at every turn. The food line was so long that it was avoided by my friends and I during the visit.

Anyway, major changes to atmosphere and selection would have to radically change for me to even consider another visit. Don't bother.
Jul 12, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by Zekenyce from New Jersey

Jun 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.54 by tribeerguy70_3 from New Jersey

Oct 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.01 by Nmelione from New Jersey

May 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.34 by almostjay from Virginia

Jan 14, 2015
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Rated by Cfeezy from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%
Typical beer garden, standard stuff on tap but tons of options. Great all year round but particularly in the summer.
Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by BanditoJunkie from New Jersey

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by JimmyAloysius from Pennsylvania

Jun 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by EnthusedAboutBeer from New Jersey

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by metter98 from New York

Jun 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by MO5290 from New Jersey

Oct 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by yevyalon1 from New York

Oct 08, 2013
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Reviewed by claspada from New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Nice fenced in area but it's still in the middle of Jersey City.

Many beers on tap from Germany and more recently, American craft examples.

Food was pretty standard German pub food. Pretzel was okay. Sausages were okay.

You have to serve yourself beer and food which is a semi-pain, but there were no lines at 4pm.

Big 32oz mugs are obviously the highlight, but be smart and don't get anything too strong or you'll fall asleep on the Light Rail going home like my buddy did.

During Oktoberfest and when they have the MaiBock (May Beer) festival they have bands which is pretty cool, but I wasn't able to attend so I can comment on their quality.
Feb 27, 2012
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Reviewed by jrutigs from New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -14.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5 | food: 1.5
Place is a good place to spend some time especaiily with a large group. Big fan of the tables. Very large beer selection, however, I feel they should have some real German beers on tap considering that it is a Beirgarten.

The food is not very good at all. The wursts are deepfried and not very tastefull. The big pretzels are good tho.

Great large outside area. Great place to drink day or night. The few behind the fence nees to be cleaned up. The parling situation is not too bad there is a parking lot a block away.

The inside area is very large as well with two different rooms. The front room is a smaller room with TV's to watch the games. The bacxk room is very large with plenty of seating. However, sometimes parent like to bring their kids to the bar and you can have a few kids running around which can be annoying. It is a big enough place to ignore the kids tho.

Once thing I don't like is that they serve the beers in plastic mugs. You end up chewing on peices of plastic that fall in your beer. The secret is that they have glass mugs under the bar. All you got to do is ask for a glass mug and the bartender will give it to you.

Zeppelin hall is locaed near the light rail and is a few blocks away from Skinner's loft and Iron Monkey.

Overall review is that I've been to better Beirgartens.
Nov 30, 2011
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I visited Zeppelin Hall during Halloween, and as it was pretty cold that night there was no one sitting (or standing) outside. It was fairly early on in the evening and there weren't too many people inside either. Still, my wife and I had a fairly hard time getting to the front bar to order a beer. The beer list was very good, but not amazing; and the service was friendly and smiling but basically "What do you want? And tell me now or I'll walk off.", which was somewhat expected.

After having received our beer and taking in the decor and character of the front bar we decided to move inside to the Main Hall. One of the first things I noticed was the security. We passed 4 "officers" on our way to find a spot at a table, and I saw at least 4 more in passing within just a few minutes. They seemed riled-up and ready for action. Maybe that was because it was Halloween, but I somehow doubt it. The crowd seemed mainly made up of younger, college aged guys, and I'm guessing they get a lot of trouble.

My wife went to the window to order some food and I dropped downstairs to the pisser. The bathroom was very odd, and it seemed almost set up to accommodate cleaning because of all the puke and piss that would be sprayed about it during the evening. Hmmm. Not good.

My wife thought her food was OK, but not great; and it was pricey, but the beers were cheap. OK, I can live with that so we had another beer and listened to the band getting set up. I'd have liked to have hung around a bit more but the people at the table we were sitting at were really boring, and we decided to just get out of Dodge and head north to the Pilsener Haus & Biergarten in Hoboken.

Overall it's a nice looking place with a wood bar, wood floor, and fireplace out front, but it's a little more bland inside the main hall. Still, it's OK looking... it's as you might expect it to be. The outside is nice though, and I'm sure it's pretty pleasant in the summer so I'll consider returning to give it a shot then - but two things that really bothered me are the security officers and the plastic mugs - it's just a little too amateurish for me.
Nov 23, 2011
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Reviewed by renegadeburger from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
ok felt compelled to come here even though i had been here many times before but after visiting birreria in the city i needed a good hoppy beer at a good price to settle the score

got into zeppelin and met a buddy after work we sat down at one of their communal tables and got our beers right away the selection is pretty awesome i believe around 60 different beers on tap which is very impressive of course there are a lot of "filler" beers but also some great domestics as well i had troegs abita stone allagash brooklyn sierra etc in addition they have the classic german beers like paulaner and weihenstephan

the place is raucous no doubt and on the weekend nights when the bathrooms get full it can be a bit of a sh*t show but what do you expect really all in all its a good time and when you can knock back brews witha crew of your friends at $5 a pop you know its the best deal in town

i like the delivery here its about the execution and the fun of having your friends hanging out and drinking a wide variety of beers in a fun communal environtment for a good price

i will be back again for sure
Jul 06, 2011
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Reviewed by clasher from New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
So we fell in love with this place as soon as it opened. It started out with a very cool mix of clientele but since word has gotten out the crowd has blended into a frattier, more sports oriented fanship on certain game nights and event nights. Though I can't say the change in crowd could ever deter me from this amazing place.

I think the best compliment I can pass on came from friends of ours who we brought for a welcome beer after their return to the states following 3 years in Germany. These skeptics were expecting hokey German knock-off bar, but what they got felt authentic and homey.

You walk in to a small side bar, but keep going through to the grand central hall and the second bar area (the best bartenders are usually there). Here you'll also find live music from famous imported acts direct from Germany, and local groups like the Ja Ja Ja's. (They also have some nights with more rock/pop type performers but I avoid these). If you're looking for a night with a raised glass of amazing beer and live polka this is the place to be.

The rich wood floors, fixtures and tables keep the authentic feel. The food station is a bit cheesie but I look past it. They have large screen TVs which can be great for events like world cup watching, but they can also take away from live music when a Yankee game is playing on the same night.

Perhaps my favorite part of this place is the amazing outdoor area in the back. It is essentially my home away from home on spring and summer weekends when we bring backgammon or cards and set up for a day of drinking and great company Saturdays and Sundays.

The beer selection for imports and European style brews is fantastic, but they're lacking in the craft and local beers that started as part of their selection. There are several bars, but they all seem to model eachother and I think they're loosing an opportunity to diversify their selections here. Personally I think they should dedicate thier back bar in the Rathskeller to craft and locals so it's kind of a tucked away little stash for those in the know. I also think they should do more to build a community around beer. They offer very vanilla events like Jersey Shore episode watching and rock nights that could happen at any non-descript bar anywhere. But they don't do events that grow a community around beer like 101's, classes, tastings, food pairings, clubs/groups, etc.
Dec 05, 2010
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Reviewed by Flashy from Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +21.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
A true beer hall (get rid of the big screen TV though), with an authentic beer garden outside. Got there before they opened and we sat outside for 20 minutes.
Found out beers are 1/2 price for happy hour (4-7), we were drinking liters of Dog Fish 60 Minute IPA for $6- how's that! $6 for a 1/2 liter and $12 for a liter at other times, but get there early and who needs later.
Beer selection was very good, not superb. Service was good, not superb. This place gets packed and I would recommend getting there earlier rather than later.
Still, with some faults it is a real German beer hall/ beer garden with free parking close by. it's right on the Light Rail and you can get into Hoboken quick if you want a change of scenary. And it's pretty kid friendly- early on.
Nov 14, 2010
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Reviewed by nathanlovesipas from New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 1
I went here a few times in the winter of '09-'10 and it was a similar experience each time. At first you come inside and see all of the taps and all of the beer garden style seating and think it's going to be a great evening. There are several things that take away from Zeppelin Hall though. First, the food is terrible (and terribly expensive). On one of my visits, a friend of mine got a hamburger that was a little funky. He felt terrible after eating half of it and didn't bother finishing it. He then threw it up when we got to the next bar. It killed the evening because then he felt like going home, and then there were only four of us, so we all said f this and called it a night. The 40 taps that they have aren't that impressive either, once you take a closer look. They have probably 4 or 5 Czech/German/Danish pilsners, including Golden Pheasant, Spaten, Dab, Radeburger and Carlsberg (but no frickin' Pilsner Urquell?!) and then probably another 4 or 5 wheat beers/hefeweizens, including Hoegaarden, Franziskaner Weiss, Hacker-Pchorr Weiss, Blue Moon, etc. Then there are a few assorted craft beers and other decent imports. It's not that I dislike these styles (although they aren't my favorite). It just seems like a really stupid selection, like somebody who doesn't know jack about beer picked these out of a hat to have on tap. They are what I call 'repeats', because a lot of them are so similar that they might as well just have one on tap. Imagine if an Irish pub had Guinness, Beamish and Murphys Stout all on tap. You would probably laugh if you saw that. That's how this place is. On the plus side, they DO have a few good brews. I had Blue Point Toasted Lager here and also Leffe Brune (extremely rare!). I guess even a novice bar manager would get lucky and pick some good, more unique beers out of 40 taps. They need to diversify a lot more though. Maybe have a couple of the more extreme or unique beers (perhaps Flying Dog Raging Bitch, Old Speckled Hen, some crazy IPAs, Belgian dubbels or tripels, or anything over 7% for instance)

On the plus side, there is a free parking lot about 30 seconds away, and the place is big--so big that you might lose your friends if you aren't careful (it sounds like I'm describing CostCo). It never gets stuffy or cramped because of this. There are three inside bars, all serving the same 40 beers on tap (no bottles). I haven't been here in the warmer months, but I do plan to, because they have a huge outside area which should be fun. If they have a grill out there, I might even get some food, because it would be difficult for them to f up a bratwurst and sauerkraut. I will let you know if they do though.
Jul 01, 2010
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Reviewed by infi from New York

3.88/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
First time visiting Biergarten at Jersey City with a couple of good friends. Was immediately amazed at the immense size of the venue, both inside and outside. That night must have had around 400-500 people. Real good times. Lots of beer drinking, conversation and laughs - great atmosphere for sure. The quality of the place was good. A bit crowded at times, but that's to be anticipated. Fairly clean overall. Workers come around time to time to help clean up any empty cups, glasses, plates and general garbage.

The service was actually fairly quick and friendly. I was surprised to see how efficient all the bartenders were, especially in a loud and crowded venue that Biergarten is. They know their taps fairly well. Mugs and steins are available upon request, as well as plastic cups.

First time seeing that many German brews on tap, so I indulged into some of them. Selection is not too uncommon. We had Hofbraü Dunkel, Franziskaner Hefe, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Carlsberg, Abita Purple Haze and Harpoon IPA all in pitchers. Enjoyed all of them throughout the whole night. I was a bit disappointed to find that a lot of their Bavarian items were sold out, so we just settled on the basics: chicken tenders and fries. The food was a little pricey at $8 per platter. It tasted fine, just not worth the high price tag. At $18 a pitcher, the beer was generally reasonable for all of us. We must have ordered 10-12 pitchers throughout the night.

Biergarten is a great place for a nice gathering of you and your friends. I'm definitely going back during the daytime to indulge outside on the patio and eat some Bavarian food. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this venue.
May 19, 2010
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Reviewed by Plenum from New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | food: 4
This place WAS awesome for about the first 3 months they were open. 3 tap stations with 48 taps at each station. They are a little heavy on the white and wheat beers and refuse to change the taps with the seasons, with the exception of a nod to Oktoberfest. I was hoping that would pass as we moved into Fall, and mid-winter they're still serving wheats and whites...

Their only saving grace is:

They have Aventinus on draft!!!

They have Aventinus on draft!!!

They have Aventinus on draft!!!

Ok, so the Aventinus is really good. They also have a ton of imports on draft, and a rather small domestic craft selection. Would like to see more IPAs and something other than Smuttynose as the IPA (nothing against Smuttynose, but there are better examples of the style closer to home...read: Dogfish 60, 90).

Would also like to see some of the bigger Brooklyn beers on tap (Local 1, Local 2, Hopfen-weisse)...their brewery is a rifle shot away from Zep.

Food here is good...but then this is coming from a guy who loves brats, andouille, kielbasa, etc...

Atmosphere is really good...true beer hall style...find an open spot, sit down, and start talking beer with the people next to you...

Get there early to get a seat outside...place fills up quickly after 6...

Gotta wonder...where did all these people go to drink beer before the Zep?

They definitely need more tap rotation and a better selection of US craft brews...especially as seasons progress. This place went from a solid A+ to an average establishment IMO because of the lack of responsiveness of management to tap requests and an expansive selection of out of season brews...this place could be so much better....
Jan 31, 2010
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Reviewed by IronGiant from New Jersey

2.6/5  rDev -27.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | food: 3
I have to divide a review of Zeppelin hall into two parts:

1 - If you like the feel of a beer garden then Zeppelin hall is pretty cool. It is big and easy to get to with lots of bars and space. The food isn't very good and you stand in line a long time to get it but maybe that's part of the feel. If I was rating on space and feel I'd give this place high marks. Seems lots of people who review Zeppelin review based on that.

2- Beer - not so good. I guess if you like the same german beer over and over with different names its good. They do have a couple of craft beer options. But if you want really good beer it isnt the place to go.

I would recommend this place in the summer for going out with lots of friends but not as a place to hang out or just sip a beer.
Nov 10, 2009
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Reviewed by Augustiner719 from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +14.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Visited this place on many occaisions. They have the traditional biergarten glasses as well as some other german beer glasses. The atmosphere is amazing. Outside seats 600+ people and there are 4 or 5 bars on the premise. Although the german beer selection isnt that great, there are still some good ones and they have a few craft beers as well. From my memory they have: HofbrauHaus original and hefe, paulaner hefe, a kolch, spaten, fransiskaner, hoogarten, hacker pschorr hefe, guiness, abita, smuttynose, leffe, pilsner urquell, sam seasonals (oktoberfest) and a few more... They also have a great indoor seating area in 2 or 3 rooms that have huge tvs. Great place to spend the day with friends or family to eat and drink and watch sports. Food is pretty standard for biergartens. Sausages, burgers wurst plates and they finally got pretzels in. This is a must try if you havent been to a biergarten.
Oct 13, 2009
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Reviewed by bonbini26 from New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Atmosphere - I went on a Saturday night, mostly a 21-40 crowd. Not really BA crowd if thats what you are going here for. I would also recommend coming here with a group.

Quality - The place is brand new, with huge tv's inside and plenty of seating inside and outside.

Service - For as crowded as it was, I was able to get a beer pretty quick and there were only 2 bartenders pouring. The were also quick to clean empty glasses outside too.

Selection - Mostly European marcos you aren't going to seek out any beer. The only American beers are Smuttynose, Bluepoint, Abita, Riverhorse. I didn't see a bottle list, the website is pretty up-to-date regarding the draft list

Food- Only had the wings, which were really good, i would like to try more of there offerings. Went back had the sausage sampler which was ok, spicy slaw was good.

Valve - $5.00 for a pint of anything on tap
$10.00 for a stein of anything on tap
$15.00 for a pitcher of anything on tap, you really can't beat that.

This place is walking distance from my house so I can't beat the location. The prices are very fair, it is billed as a German beer garden so I can't knock their selection that much. I would like to see more craft offerings from the US (local) and Belgium seeing as how many taps they have.
Aug 10, 2009
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Reviewed by DawnL from New York

3.59/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
$5.00 for a pint of anything on tap
$10.00 for a stein of anything on tap
$15.00 for a pitcher of anything on tap

Yes, there selection isn't geared toward microbrew and craft beer lovers - but it's a German Beirgarten. They have pretty standard offerings like Spaten Oktoberfest but they also have Blue Point Toasted Head Lager, Abita Purple Haze, etc. all on tap. They have Aventinus - in case you weren't paying attention to the other reviews.

Their staff ranges from sweet and clueless to polite and almost knowledgable. I wasn't blown away by beer geeks there, but it isn't that type of place and they really aren't trying to appeal to beer geeks.

The food always looked and smelled really good. Caught myself trying to think of inventive ways to steal a chicken wing from my neighbor's plate... How tacky can I be?

For what it is - the place is really nicely done. It seats 800 people with two indoor bars and one outdoors. It never feels too crowded even though the place is always packed - and yes, sometimes people may misbehave but with brews flowing and tabs not too steep, can you blame things for getting a little messy?

They also have a stage for live music that will be in use closer to the winter when it's too cold to be outdoors.

This place is worth the visit. I've been three times and will probably go again this weekend.
Aug 01, 2009
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Reviewed by twentyhanks from New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +28.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Great addition to Jersey City and the New York area.

It's huge, with tons of tables outside. It has become my favorite weekday evening place. On the weekends it is great to go during the day or afternoon.

At night, it gets busy and even though there a a couple hundred people there it doesn't feel too packed.

Beer: great summer selection right now, I believe they have about 36 or 37 different beers on tap. Some of my favorites: Carlsberg, Hacker-Pschorr Hefeweisen, River Horse Double Wit (jersey native), Radeberger, Leffe, Aventinus, & Franziskaner Weissbier.

In the big hall they have a huge projection screen where they show yankees and mets games, which I like and dislike at the same time.

Food: decent sausages, they are still in "soft opening" so the full menu is not available yet. They are also working out some kinks, so there are food lines but this weekend the lines moved much faster.

And prices....unbelievable! Especially for this area. 1/2 liter for $5/$6! Insane!
Jul 20, 2009
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Reviewed by DavidSeanNJ from New Jersey

2.58/5  rDev -28.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
I was really excited to try this place. It sounded pretty good and had gotten some nice reviews from patrons who had visited when it first opened.

I arrived at Zeppelin Hall on a Friday night around 8:45 PM. Walked in and quickly realized that it was anything but a relaxing "fun" environment. There was many "yuppie" types. Frat dudes all over the place. Yikes. I immediately knew this place was nothing like the advertisement.

Checked out the taps before I put in my order. Honestly, I could get most of these beers at any local restaurant. Very unimpressive. Don't expect to find any rare brews here.

It's friday night and there was ONE BARTENDER to about a crowd of 30 near the bar (those were jus the people who were looking to be served at the moment). The girl did not even make eye contact with me. She decided to flirt with some of the yuppie frat guys in front of me. Horrible service and extremely understaffed.

Honestly, did not even have a beer, just got so frustrated and walked out.

I have a feeling that this place will not cater to the BA's on this board. This will cater to the hoboken/budweiser/corona drinking crowd. I think guys even came here to "hook up."

I will not come back here unless some major changes are made.

TO BE FAIR- this place just opened.

I'd rather hop across the river to any of the beer bars in NYC.
Jul 12, 2009
Zeppelin Hall Restaurant & Beirgarten in Jersey City, NJ
Place rating: 3.6 out of 5 with 28 ratings