Left Bank Burger Bar is officially coming to Bergen-Lafayette, Jersey City. Known as one of Downtown Jersey City’s best burger joints, they are expanding westward into a space that has been dark for almost four years.
The restaurant, situated at 194 Newark Avenue, announced they are taking over Sam a.m.’s former Bergen-Lafayette outpost at 196 Pine Street. That business closed in 2019, leaving a fully-restored storefront on the corner of Communipaw Avenue and Pine Street vacant for too long.
Left Bank Burger Bar’s first outpost sits just across the street from the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, which was only a twinkle in the eye of the neighborhood when the restaurant first arrived. Left Bank’s mission is to provide food, beers, and shakes that “put the chill in Chilltown,” with their burgers showcasing a melting pot of cultural influences in line with their home city.
Left Bank uses all-natural, grass-fed, hand-pattied beef on all their unique burgers. House special highlights include the Ghostface Killer, which combines espresso-rubbed beef, ghost pepper jam, smoked gouda, and sweet bacon tots along with tomato and bbq sauce.
The restaurant also offers a build your own option with patties of beef, turkey, chicken, black bean, and veggie on the agenda. Sides like Jersey Devil add to the fun by combining bleu cheese crumbles over French fries with buffalo sauce.
A collection of craft beers are available at the restaurant’s Downtown outpost, but it’s unclear if the libations will be making their way to Bergen-Lafayette. The new endeavor is branded “Left Bank Lafayette” sans the “bar” portion. While the previous restaurant operated without a liquor license, a request to transfer one to the property does not appear to have been made.
Those looking for updates regarding BeLa’s spin on Left Bank Burgers can follow their new Instagram account specific to the upcoming location at the handle @lb.lafayette.
