Mathews Food and Drink Brings Cocktails and Brunch Energy

The overall read

Mathews Food and Drink lands in a useful middle ground between a cocktail bar and a full-service American restaurant. Its 4.4 Google rating, based on more than 1,400 reviews, indicates broad approval rather than a small burst of enthusiasm. In the available public feedback, diners repeatedly praise the drinks, flavorful food, attractive setting and attentive service.

The room also appears flexible enough for several kinds of plans. Reviewers describe both indoor and outdoor seating, while visits range from lunch after an afternoon appointment to happy hour, Valentine’s dinner and drinks before a night out in New York City. That versatility is one of Mathews’ clearest strengths. It can serve as the main event, but it also works for cocktails and a quick bite.

What diners order

Cocktails receive some of the most consistent attention. The “To Lychees Own” was called refreshing by one diner who ordered a second, while other reviews singled out the Bidi Bidi Bom Bom and an ’80s glam cocktail with edible glitter. The drinks sound playful and presentation-conscious without eclipsing the food. One guest stopping only for appetizers and cocktails also considered the pricing reasonable.

Among starters, shrimp corn fritters appear in multiple reviews and draw praise for their spicy sauce. Caesar salad is another repeat order, served alongside larger plates or shared with a burger. Burrata and deviled eggs also earn positive mentions, though each appears only once in the supplied feedback.

The main-course comments cover a fairly broad range. Diners praise the double cheeseburger, bar steak and eggs, jerk mahi, truffle pasta, spicy lobster pasta, chicken and short rib ragu. The common thread is richness and assertive flavor rather than one signature specialty dominating the conversation.

Service and atmosphere

Service is a major positive in this review sample. Multiple diners identify the same server, Josue, and praise his patience, energy, recommendations and attention. Another review describes the bartender as helpful and friendly, while others mention being seated quickly and receiving useful guidance on what to order. Those details suggest that hospitality contributes meaningfully to the restaurant’s strong rating.

The setting gets similarly favorable, if less detailed, feedback. One reviewer calls the place beautiful and notes plentiful seating inside and outdoors. Another describes the cocktails as cute, reinforcing the sense that Mathews pays attention to visual appeal. That combination suits dates and celebratory meals, but the lunch and happy-hour reports suggest it does not feel limited to special occasions.

Editorial verdict

Based on public ratings and the supplied diner reviews, Mathews looks like a dependable downtown Jersey City option for groups with mixed priorities. Cocktail drinkers have several memorable choices, while the kitchen covers salads, shareable starters, burgers, pasta, seafood and meat-focused plates. The strongest recurring food signals belong to the Caesar salad and shrimp corn fritters.

No clear complaint repeats across this sample. That makes it difficult to identify a specific operational weakness, though diners should still treat individual dish and service reports as snapshots rather than guarantees. Overall, the combination of a substantial review count, a 4.4 rating and consistently positive comments supports Mathews as a strong pick for brunch, lunch, dinner or pre-night-out drinks.