A sizable restaurant space along the Hudson River in Weehawken is slated to be re-activated in the coming months as a new business called Drift Restaurant & Bar is opening in Lincoln Harbor.
Construction has quietly begun at 1200 Harbor Boulevard, which was once home to a Houlihan’s outpost. That restaurant closed abruptly in late 2019 after business at the property since the 1980s.
Houlihan’s at the time told Jersey Digs that the closing was the “result of an ongoing dispute with the landlord.” Passersby taking a stroll along Weehawken’s waterfront may have noticed construction activity underway at the property, which overlooks a monument to the famous Weehawken duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
A new endeavor called Drift Restaurant & Bar is coming to the property with landlord Hartz Mountain confirming their imminent arrival in a recent leasing brochure. Ownership of the business can be traced to Jeremy Casilli, who runs Jersey City’s Hudson & Co.
Other prominent restaurants run by Casilli include Tribeca’s AOA Bar and Grill, Edgewater’s Pier 115, 3 Westerly in Ossining, New York, and other eateries located in the SoHo and Tribeca Grand Hotels.
The space Drift Restaurant & Bar will be taking over includes a significant outdoor patio and dining area, which will soon see the faded Houlihan’s logo replaced with something fresh. A liquor license transfer for the eatery was approved by Weehawken’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board last year.
Drift Restaurant & Bar will be opening right next to Blu on the Hudson, which launched last spring. Other tenants in the building include a Ruth’s Chris Steak House and nearby businesses include a Whole Foods and Beneci’s in the Sheraton hotel.
No timeline has been released for the opening of Drift Restaurant & Bar, but Jersey Digs will keep you posted with any updates that emerge.
