These 2 Bars In NJ Made The First 'Best In USA' List From USA Today

NEW JERSEY — Two well-known watering holes in New Jersey have made the 2024 list of "Bars of the Year," a new collection representing some of America's favorite local spots.

USA Today’s inaugural "Bars of the Year" list was put together by a network of food writers from across the nation, who are the local experts in restaurants and bars in their communities.

Their selections "represent the best neighborhood taverns, the finest cocktail meccas, the coziest wine bars and the beachiest beach bars," the publication said.

The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park and Tierney's Tavern in Montclair were named among just 27 other bars in the U.S., with reviewers highlighting the unique charm of both venues — and mentioning the high quality of live music you can find both on the boardwalk and amid the suburbs.

Several Garden State newsrooms are in the USA Today network, including the Asbury Park Press, New Jersey Herald, Daily Record, and the Courier-Post.

"These bars are the places we love – a mix of old, new and in-between. They’re places with stories to tell, places that should be on your bucket list when you travel and your favorites list where you live," USA Today wrote.

So, what else did these reviewers note about these popular spots?

Wonder Bar, which bears an iconic Tillie tribute, has an outdoor "Yappy Hour" for dogs, and welcomes patrons to sit at its spacious circular bar to chat — when the music isn't playing, of course.

Live music is a big draw at Wonder Bar for both regulars and first-timers — with Asbury Park native Bruce Springsteen among the long list of previous performers (and regular guests).

Attractions at Tierney's include its vintage wooden architecture and secret-menu burgers. “Locals – from college kids to boomers – have gathered in the classic Irish bar for generations, often accompanied by family (and, sometimes, celebrities),” USA Today writes.

The Montclair venue (136 Valley Road, Montclair) is also well-known for hosting a wide range of music acts, and was the home of the “smallest liquor store in town.”

See the full "Best Bars" list here, and check out our original Patch articles from Asbury Park and Montclair below:

• Iconic Spot By The Shore Listed Among ‘Bars Of The Year’
• Tierney’s Tavern In Montclair Is Among ‘Bars Of The Year’