TapHouse Wayne Permanently Closes After 15 Years​

WAYNE, NJ — The TapHouse in Wayne has permanently closed after almost 15 years of serving up local brews and upscale tavern fare, according to the restaurant's owners.

"We sincerely thank our patrons for your support over the years," a message on the restaurant website reads. "It was a pleasure serving you with some of the best beer and food!"

All of TapHouse Wayne's social media accounts had been deleted, as of Thursday April 3. It is unclear when exactly it closed.

The eatery and bar, at 344 French Hill Road, opened in late 2010 with a menu focused on Italian cuisine, before taking on a more New American flair. A number of New Jersey breweries were on their rotating selection of 24 draft beers.

TapHouse received an OpenTable "Diner's Choice" award back in 2023. That's also the year they launched "Wayne Wednesdays," with 10 percent of proceeds going to local first responders and the Wayne Animal Shelter.

During the Prohibition era, the building was known as the French Hill Inn — a "notorious" speakeasy and brothel that was shut down in 1926 following a high-profile murder case, as a Wayne Museum historian recounted in this 2023 TAPInto article.