On a recent dreary, rainy, chilly late September afternoon, we drove out to the tip of Sandy Hook to the Fort Hancock area of the Gateway National Recreation Area to the 6-week-old Mule Barn Tavern. The building was used as a mule and horse barn when Fort Hancock was active. The structure itself dates back to pre-1900. The renovation of the building took quite some time and turned out great. Not only is the indoor space very cool, but the exterior was also preserved. So great to see another building saved that could have continued to deteriorate like many others at the Hook.
When we got there some tables were taken and a few folks at the bar. We chose to sit at the bar. There was also overflow tables and a bar on second floor, as well as an outdoor patio when the weather is nice. Based on the rather low number of people I think the first floor could get quite noisy when filled up - which apparently happens on weekends. There are numerous flat screens with sports and a sound system playing classic rock.
Our bartender, Adriana, was great. Not only attentive, but a lot of fun. As we checked out the menu, I ordered a Kane Head High ($8) on tap and my wife got a glass of the house Chardonnay ($8). She said the wine was good, but the pour was a little light. I decided to get the M.B.T. Classic Burger - swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and fries ($19). My wife ordered the Ahi Tuna Taco – coleslaw, radishes, jalapenos with Wasabi sauce ($21). I can’t speak about the taco price, but I thought the burger price was a little high.
OK to the food. My wife loved her tacos. Fresh ingredients, very tasty tuna and a good sized portion. My burger was huge, maybe 7oz. So, my thought about the price being a little high was wrong. I asked for medium, and it was cooked to perfection. It also had a nice little char to it as well. I am a burger snob and I have to say, this was one of the best burgers I have had. My only wish is that it was on a hard roll rather than the brioche bun. The fries were excellent as well.
Bottom line. A fun place with very good bar food. Maybe a tad pricey, but worth it. The taco, burger, 2 wines and 1 beer came to $71.25 including tax and credit card fee (3% fee for using a credit card).
