Sabor in Hawthorne, NJ: initial thoughts

Pork, corn, mojitos, martinis?  Sign me up.

We were very excited to see that Edgewater's Sabor Latin Bistro was opening another restaurant in Hawthorne, an area in desperate need of some new and interesting options.  And we weren't the only ones:  the place was doing quite a bar business on our first visit opening week, and the crowd at an early week follow-up trip suggested that the place is going to do well right out of the gate.  Apparently people like mojitos.

They did a fair amount of renovations to transform the old Oakville into the new Sabor.  Lots of bright colors and a vibe reminiscent of their Edgewater restaurant.  There's wide-open space and sunlight floods the room through the large window.

Sabor bills itself as a Latino restaurant, drawing on many cultures.  The food, while not strictly authentic or true to any one cuisine, is vibrant, flavorful, and down right fun.  A few recent nibbles included the following:

Camarones al Ajillo Con Cachapas.  This is a dish of 4 or 5 nice-sized shrimp over corncakes with a somewhat sweet garlic vinaigrette.  A real winner.

Tamales.  You get a pork tamale with a smoky spicy sauce, and a corn and goat cheese tamale (wasn't very corny).  Both are very tasty indeed, although we thought they could have used a bit more salt.  Without much knowledge of this type of food, though, we're a little unsure of that judgment.  But we would have liked more salt anyway.

Roast suckling pig.  A generous serving of long-time roasted (and probably braised) pork, served with garlic/orange mojo,  sweet plantains, a smoky/sweet mountain of rice, and some cracklin.  It doesn't get much better than cracklin.  (We had already started digging into the dish you see pictured by the time I bothered taking a shot)

Also recommended are the trio of ceviche and the braised oxtail.

One of the real draws here is the "tapas" style menu.  You can construct a great and fun meal out of the various small plates from their menu.  In fact, they're much more appealing than the large plates on a whole.

Since we sat at the bar I can't comment on the service, but I should say that our bartender was knowledgeable and friendly.  That goes a long way, and I wish more bartenders and managers could figure out that obvious little nugget of common sense.

I haven't explored the wine list, but they do have more than a few offerings by-the-glass, and they go beyond California and the usual suspects.  Refreshing to say the least.

My biggest complaint is that they didn't expand the bar area.  Sabor has another room behind the existing bar.  If they had blown out that whole damned back half of the restaurant into bar/lounge, there'd be a lot more room for bar dining, which is almost always preferable.

Get there early, grab a spot at the bar, order one of the 6 or so different "mojitos" they've got on the menu, pick out a bunch of small plates, and be as thankful as I am that someone decided to inject a little excitement into the area.

Sabor Latin Bistro : 1060 Goffle Rd (right off of 208) : Hawthorne, NJ : 973.238.0800

Comments

[Ev]

Yippee! Thanks for the report...glad it's a good one, as you know many of us have been waiting to hear YOUR thoughts. Can't wait to check it out!

[tommyeats]

Thanks Ev. Your comment made me think about something:

My thoughts and opinions, as always, come from only an honest evaluation of these restaurants. I don't expect free food, nor do servers, bartenders, or manangers know who I am. I never make mention. And I try not to make too much a spectacle by taking pictures of my own or others' food (hence a lot of horrible "cell phone" shots and low-light camera shots). My opinions, you are assured, are probably in line with anyone else's who is considering these places.

Just thought I'd take the chance to explain that approach, as there are plenty of people read this blog and a very small percentage likely know anything about me, my approach, or my tastes. I'm tempted to quote a few of my "readers", but suffice it so say, I've got a lot of "You calls it likes you sees it." That's my goal. Nothing more, nothing less.

Do go to Sabor, in Edgewater, or Hawthorne. And don't, please, don't, tell them I sent you.

That is all.

[Rail Paul]

Tom, I think you express your views clearly and honestly. Any sensible reader will calibrate your views against their own experience and adjust accordingly.

Just like any art, film, music, etc critic.

[Alan Leader]

Are you REALLY sure they're open? I have called twice, the most recent being July 23rd, and gotten an answering machine both times, which said that they WILL open July 10th. I left messages both times, but have not received a return call. We were planning to go there July 31 (4 people) to celebrate an anniversary, but obviously don't want to drive to Hawthorne to find they're not yet open. So....again.... are you SURE they're open in Hawthorne?

[tommyeats]

Alan, I'm a customer just like you, so I have no more information that you, other than they were obviously open the two times that I went.

[Karen]

Dined here tonight and was very happy, indeed.

We had a fairly good sampling of the different mojitos and martinis. The fresh watermelon martini was especially good. My friend ordered the guava martini, and while it was on the sweet side, it was just what she wanted, and loved it.

We sampled the crab and shrimp empanadas, the chicken empanadas, the Chino Latino Ribs and the
Roast Suckling Pig with
Moro, sweet plantains, with garlic orange mojo. All were enjoyed, but the best were the ribs. They just melted in your mouth, and were complemented by a slightly sweet soy glaze. We should have ordered two of those! Next time.

We will definitely be back.

[tommyeats]

Glad you enjoyed it, Karen. I think they'll have a hit on their hands.

How was the crowd?

[Karen]

We were there fairly early, 6:30. At that point, only a few teople were seated, but by the time we left, not one table was empty. As we exited, I could also see that the second dining room, and the bar area was also filling up nicely.

I agree, it'll be one of the new hot spots.

[chefdave]

The Mrs. and I had dinner there tonight, and it was excellent. We had never been to the other location, so we weren't sure what to expect, but the place really lived up to the possitive reviews that everyone has given. My only complaint is a very personal one....I don't like places that force you into using Valet parking. But we'll definitely go back!

[tommyeats]

Glad you liked it, Chef.

I too can do without valet. However, I'm growing more tolerant to it. Probably has something to do with aging. :)

[Ed]

The wife went with some friends last week and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to some tapas soon. You're absolutely right that Hawthorne needs some new options!

[Sebastian]

I liked your comments on Sabor. Certainly food is good, not too much room for dancing when the bar gets crowded but the music is great. Have you rated another Latin restaurant in Hawthorne called Fermin's Place Restaurant, I believe is like a Sports Bar, but the menu seems interesting. A relative told me about it and it seems they have a prestigious Chef that used to be with Houston's in Miami...

[tommyeats]

Sebastian,

Never heard of Fermin's, but I just looked it up. I know that area but can't recall the place. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip!

[Joann Van Splinter]

HELP!

Do you have any recommendations for an office Christmas Party luncheon (good food-not a wedding restaurant). We need a place to hold about 70 +/- employees. Also a room big enough for some type of entertainment (1 man band perhaps). We are located in Midland Park, NJ. I was actually going to call The Porter House in Montvale, NJ ! What do you think ????

[tommyeats]

jeez Joann, that's a lot of people!

Off the top of my head, and i've never arranged for something like that in NJ, you might check out the following:

* Porter House (as you suggest)
Bacari Grill in Washington Township
* Blend in Ridgewood
The Glen Rock Inn (not fancy in the least, but a classic local joint).
Rivera's in Fair Lawn (same deal as the Glen Rock Inn.)
* Rocca in Glen Rock (good Italian place)
* The Park Steakhouse in Park Ridge
Trackside - Fair Lawn
* River Palm Terrace - Fair Lawn
* Oceanos - Fair Lawn
Sanzari's New Bridge Inn - New Milford
Brady's at the Station - Ramsey
* La Cambusa - Ridgewood (BYOB i think)
Marcello's Ho-ho-kus Inn - Ho-ho-kus
Biagio's - Paramus
* Chakra - Paramus
Blu -Rochelle Park
Allendale Bar & Grill - Allendale

i can't guarantee good banquet food at any of these places, and they're sure to run the gamut price-wise. but that should be a good start.

* denotes that i'd think you'd probably have a pretty good event and food at this place.

[Patricia]

This is in response to Joann, the AB&G in ridgewood is decent but I don't think they would be aable to accomadate that many ppl. I used to have work functions in their 3rd floor room and I believe it only held 40 ppl. Good luck in your search : )

[Jeannie]

My husband and I visited Sabor two weeks ago. As you said the food was good however I found the manager and staff to be overwhelmingly stuffy. If you don't have a reservation you are treated like a hobo. As we left the restaurant a couple came in without a reservation and were rudely told that Sabor's doesn't take "walk-ins". I felt this was pretty obnoxious for a restaurant that was just starting out. I also agree that the valet parking is ridiculous considering how much parking is available. I have heard these comments from others that have tried Sabors.

[Elle]

Sabor in North Bergen is much better. What does the Hawthorne spot think it's so great? What attitude they have. And the valet parking is a joke. Reality check guys, you are under a highway and next to a car dealership.

[tommyeats]

I've been here several times and have never noticed any attitude. They're not under a highway, and I think their neighbor is a tile store.

Valet parking is a service. It's not an affectation. The North Bergen location has it as well. The Hawthorne location offers it only when it's crowded. It costs 1 dollar if you go by the general rule of thumb for tipping. Not a bad price if it's raining.

[Darren]

We went to Sabor shortly after the opened in Hawthorne (it was a while ago). We brought friends that came to visit from NYC. Since I wasn’t familiar with Sabor, and they’re used to great NYC dining (they eat at restaurants A LOT!), I thought I was taking a bit of a chance.

Anyway, we loved it. We all were impressed. I had the Roast Suckling Pig, I remember we ordered the trio of ceviche… I forgot what everyone else ordered. It was a while ago.

Service was excellent.

We ordered quite a few martinis as well. Very good.

I’m planning on taking my brother and his fiancée in a couple weeks. I’ll report back.