New Jersey Transit isn’t the only train pulling into Glen Rock this month. Stone & Rail, a new restaurant in Bergen County specializing in craft beer and elevated American fare, has also rolled into town, hoping to become the preferred dining depot for hungry rail commuters and full-time residents alike.
Don’t let its strip mall location fool you—this is far from your average whistle stop café. We recently choo-choo-ed on over for an early dinner and were impressed by the transformation the place has undergone since the former tenant, Greek Taverna, closed its doors. Featuring an interior decked out in reclaimed wood, exposed brick, and authentic railroad-inspired accents (with a few modern touches like flat-screen TVs, shiny chandeliers, and a seemingly endless row of polished silver beer taps lining the back wall of the bar in the mix) the long, narrow dining room makes you feel like you’ve stepped inside an old-time railway car—first-class, of course.
Stone & Rail’s conductor, so to speak—executive chef Adam Weiss—has put together a small but more-than-satisfying selection of inventive starters, salads, sandwiches, shared plates, and a few more sizeable steak and seafood entrees that manages to take typical bar food to the next level without going off the rails.
After being seated at a comfortable hi-top for two, our meal train left the station with the arrival of a Jumbo Pretzel ($8), a New York-style soft pretzel accompanied by a delicious Guinness stout cheddar dipping sauce that puts that boring old yellow mustard to shame. There were several other small plates that caught our eye—including the “Bang Bang” Fried Calamari ($11) and Fried Pickle Potstickers ($7), but we opted to share a Panzanella salad ($12), featuring a bed of baby arugula topped with ciabatta croutons, pickled red onions, tomato, and burrata cheese dressed in the most delicious basil pesto and balsamic reduction. Super-fresh and satisfying.
For our main courses, we went with the Grilled Chicken Club ($9), one of the menu’s handful of sandwich/burger-type items, and the Grilled Salmon ($25). The sandwich—served on a ciabatta hero with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and smoked bacon and accompanied by a heap of thin, crispy fries (shhh, we promise we’ll repent later)—was surprisingly substantial, considering the price, and beyond yummy. Meanwhile, the salmon—also generously portioned and cooked medium, per our friendly waitress’s suggestion—was fantastic, dressed in a sesame-ginger vinaigrette and served alongside baby kale, chickpeas, cauliflower, and a quinoa “bowl.”
Wanting to extend our ride just a little longer, we decided to stay for dessert, ordering a slice of Warm Chocolate Cake ($7), which arrived with a scoop of coffee ice cream and a side of chocolate sauce. This dish scaled on the smaller side in terms of size, but packed a punch with its rich flavor. Not the worst way to finish off a meal, in our opinion.
All aboard!
Stone & Rail
75 Rock Rd, Glen Rock (201) 345-0709 Sun, Tues, Weds: 5pm – 11pm Thurs: 5pm – 1am Fri-Sat: 5pm – 2am Closed Monday
