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THE JEFFERSON HOUSE RESTAURANT- offering great food and beverage in a casual lakefront setting as well as catering for banquets, and special occasions. Located on the east shore of Lake Hopatcong at Nolan's Point, Jefferson Township The Jefferson House Restaurant has been an important dining and entertainment attraction on the lake since its construction in 1926.

Continuous remodeling and renovations make its facilities and atmosphere second to none. The Jefferson House offers live entertainment, lakefront dining on our outdoor patio, drinks at our famous Tiki Bar, and our beautifully decorated lake view banquet hall is the perfect place for parties, banquets, and special occasions.
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Quality and price will reflect the same attitudes of the Management that have made the restaurant a "must" stop for Vacationers and Boaters on the lake during the Summer Months. Entertainment can be provided at a reasonable cost or you may make your own arrangements. Our flexibility or price and packages combined with our lakefront atmosphere and friendly service will result in an evening to remember at half the price of comparable packages.
Reviews (29)
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Adele P.
Jun 30, 2022
Another QAnon business. so sad. Hate banners. poor service. mediocre food. good brew but the rest overshadows.
Jesse R.
Jun 26, 2022
The food we got was pretty decent but the service was pretty bad. Server brought our apps out and left before giving us everything even though it was sitting right on their tray. Had to reorder because it got cold. And only received 1 of the 2 items I ordered for my entree. do not recommend.
Janet Bejarano
Jun 20, 2022
Food was dry. Alcoholic(?) drinks in plastic flimsy cups. No complimentary bread or lids for our non alcoholic drinks. Our waitress Cam, was very nice and a good server.
Lynn W.
Jun 19, 2022
We have always enjoyed having a decent meal and drinks while enjoying the sunset. However. when we saw the mean spirited, vulgar banners hanging up on the building we were shocked! This is a restaurant not someones front lawn or t-shirt. When we mentioned it to a staff member who came by, she told me "it is what it is". We will miss going here, it's been a long time favorite.
R. B.
Jun 15, 2022
I love places that fly flags that say FUCK THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES That's what the flags say. I don't like the guy either, but I have respect for the office. This place doesn't, and should burn for it.
Lisa Hart
Jun 09, 2022
Stopped by for dinner tonight and brought our pup. Everything was great from service to food. Love they are dog friendly on the deck and she had a blast playing with everyone. Owner stopped by to say hello. It was our first visit and we'll be back.
Morgan King
May 15, 2022
Rad. Good beer, good food, good people watching, and able to view all the boat chaos from a safe distance. Life hack: Double fry those onion rings you guys
Carann
Sep 23, 2021
Went here today for the first time. They were really busy because it's Labor Day so we had a bit of a wait but that's to be expected. Once we were seated on the deck service was very good. There's a gorgeous view of the lake and boats and cool vibe. Food was okay and reasonably priced. There are a lot of steps though to enter and I didn't see a handicapped entrance.
I. S.
Sep 20, 2021
Pretty cool place to hang around with friends. There's live music everyday during the summer season. Monday is closed. Great views. Good location. Parking lot right in front of the restaurant. Service was good. Drinks ok. Need more draft beers. We had bottled beers and a couple of cocktails. Food menu needs a lot of improvement though. We went to a restaurant nearby for dinner. I would go back for drinks and the live music.
Peter B.
Jul 27, 2021
Went there last Friday for the first time. Overall average, likely won't go back. Pros: Nice view of the lake right on the water. Boat slips for water access. Live band (cover music). Middle of the Board: Food was just ok. Nothing too great. Lots of comfort food. Drinks were just ok too. Stick to bottled beers. Cons: There were two of us and after 90 minutes of non stop drinks, appetizers, full dinner, and dessert, the waitress told us "here's the check.

There are people waiting." before the dessert got there. Kinda rude to a table that ordered $200 worth of food and drinks. Also the place isn't all that aesthetic. It has a college spot ambiance.
Stephen R.
Jul 23, 2021
Last minute dinner decision last night proved to be a pleasant surprise. Table out on the water with live music for entertainment. The staff was great, very friendly and checking in regularly to see if we needed anything. The food was equally as good, highly recommend the fish tacos! Make sure to leave room for dessert, the lemon cello cake is worth it. Overall a great experience and worth the trip to take in the food, view and hospitality!
Cat M.
Jul 19, 2021
Fun place with good music, an excellent view & good drinks! In the bar area, there is a $30 minimum on credit cards - which we easily spent! Enjoyed some drinks along with excellent steamers - 20 of them for $!8 - not cheap but I will say that these steamers were cooked perfectly. The other apps we grazed on were jalapeno poppers, potato skins, & chicken tenders.

The food is OK but the best part of this place is the view. I was surprised at the amount of people eating chicken palm & spaghetti & meatballs as this is not an Italian place. Entree's are pretty pricey. Go with the expectation that you are going there to enjoy the view; the food is not the priority.
Des Kf
Jun 08, 2021
My friend always finds these little spots on the water so for a fun day girl's lunch we tried it. When we arrived we parked in their lot. It was kind of hard to find the entrance. When we finally did, my friend told the hostess we had reservations for 8 and they sat us. The spot is older but the views were amazing. It was chilly so had to have a jacket.

Our server was Jenn and she was super kind and attentive. The menu isn't really big but they had a decent selection. I ordered a simple chicken sandwich and a Cabernet. While waiting the wind was so strong my drink spilled and the waitress got me another one of course free. The wind also knocked over the umbrella. When the food came out we all ate and I thought the chicken sandwich was ok. The girls seemed to have enjoyed their meal as well. All in all it was a decent experience.
Jill C.
Jun 01, 2021
Went for Memorial Day with live music. Other than the long wait to get a table, it was a wonderful experience (they are actually low on servers so they couldn't seat as many as they'd like - when college kids are back in town, this will improve). LOVED sitting right on the deck right next to the water, listening to great live music and finally enjoying the sun!

Once we got seated for dinner, food came fast, was tasty and we enjoyed it! Love the French fries, grilled shrimp, burger. No complaints! Do not listen to the haters in these reviews. They were probably tired, cranky and drunk coming off a day boating in the lake. HERES TO SUMMER 2021!
Hello Kitty
Mar 24, 2021
The waitress forgot to put my entree order in so everyone was eating at my table except me. The manager came over to our table to ask how everything was. I told him I'd love to know. He asked me what happened to my food. I told him it never came out. The food was good when it finally arrived.
Steven R.
Mar 21, 2021
Been here like 10 times over the last 4 years. I can't believe it's even open. Worst food I have ever had in my life. Chicken Parmesan is a cheese covered Tyson chicken tender. Restaurant is dirty. Smells like cigarettes and failure
Joel Oliveira
Feb 19, 2021
The place is cool, but need improvement and the menu could have more options about seafood, the french fries was good, the nachos wasn't good and beverages served in plastic cup like fountain thing and charged like can, staff are good. hope next summer they change the menu.
Thomas Pirone
Nov 13, 2020
I drive an hour to get here. There is no better feeling than to be outside right by the water with an unobstructed view of the whole lake with a beer in hand. The live bands always play songs to which I know all the words.
Lisette S.
Nov 06, 2020
Went here for the first time in June with my boyfriend for a last minute night out. The food was absolutely delish. I had stuffed shrimp and fries and he had steak and fries. Staff was very friendly and loved the atmosphere. Most definitely will be back!
Dan S.
Oct 10, 2020
This is our first visit to the Jefferson House. Greeted by a friendly staff and seated right away right along the water. We started out with a glass of wine and some chicken fingers with homemade honey mustard sauce for an appetizer which was delicious. We put in our dinner selections and took in the amazing view on Lake Hopatcong. I was impressed to see my crab cakes and my girlfriend's steak everything looked awesome.

The steak and crab cakes just melt in your mouth. The combination of crab, scallops and shrink and the seasoning are so far unmatched. I look forward to our next visit. Our server Kiandra was absolutely perfect as was the Manager Lenny was as too. Thank you to the chef and cooks as well. Great Job!
Dave B.
Sep 07, 2020
I lived in Lake Hopatcong for almost 15 years back in the 80's riding the boat up to the Jefferson House was always fun, Great to park it and grab a beer and something simple, mainly because u can only order simple things there, the options aren't plentiful nor are they tasty.and than pay a decent price and not get ripped off. Got to admit today we went, the bar tender was a little rude right off the bat, we were told 25 mins And sat "by" the tables by the bar where we could just get a drink (4 seat table and just drinks) I ordered a miller lite and was shocked it was $5 bucks.6 crummy Miller Lites were $30 bucks.

Maybe at a high end place u can see that.like "Alices" but not here. Finally they called us and it was a whole thing because there were three people with the same name. I tried to say chk the phone numbers but she still made a big deal out of it. So we sit down and I ordered a cheeseburger.simple. took 35 mins to get. And it wasn't cooked the way I wanted it.

If it weren't for the atmosphere which is excellent right on the water I'd never go there again.the waiting staff is never around and no ones seems to care. Sad part is I'll be back.it's in my blood there.
Tricia B.
Aug 05, 2020
They have a consistency issue with their garden salad. I loved the photo of the steak salad that I saw on Yelp with tons of fresh iceberg lettuce, and I made sure to ask the waitress about it because the menu said "mixed greens". She assured me that the salad was mostly iceberg and said that they put a little sprinkle of spring lettuce for show. There was not one piece of iceberg in the salad, and I hate Romain because of all the tasteless ribs that I had to push inside.

The vegetables were very fresh and the grilled chicken was delicious. The balsamic vinaigrette was tasty enough. It's a lovely view for lunch and the servers are friendly, but that place is so hard to find, even with GPS.
Rosa C.
Aug 02, 2020
I went this Saturday and the location is a bright spot in NJ. The staff was excellent especially our wateriest named "Boomer" who was amazing. We had the stuffed mushroom and crab cakes as an appetizer and I had the stuff shrimp and my fiance had the royal cod. Both were great. They followed the safety protocols and we felt safe and happy we chose this resturant over others in the area better know but not as good. Great place with reasonable prices.
Scott H.
Jul 12, 2020
If you're looking for a place that allows you to drink and look over the lake this is it. The food is average. It's nothing spectacular yet on the other hand it's not horrible. I had the marinated grilled chicken sandwich which tasted good. The chicken wasn't dry (which I like) however, the amount of fries was pretty low. You'll see it in the photo I posted.

The staff here is really friendly and pretty fast. Right now in the middle of this COVID19 mess they have outdoor dining on the deck. The deck has great views of the lake. Some friendly ducks come up to say hello and pick at food dropped on the floor. I'd go back again.
Michael Van Dromme
Dec 06, 2019
Sitting outside to enjoy the gorgeous view and breeze & the best assest here. If you like just simple beers its a nice patio bar. The food was very adequate. Nothing to rave about. We were excited to enjoy the outdoor bands they are well known for.but daggone the singer was off key every song. Our server was very good for a plus. Great hang out for a domestic beer with friends.but Id much rather spend my dinner money at the Windlass.
Jeanna G.
Sep 13, 2019
Jefferson House is best for grabbing drinks with friends and a small bite to eat while out on the water. There is a dock so you can arrive by boat which is nice and they usually have live music. The food here is more so bar style as compared to other restaurants on the water. The prices are moderate but seem to be increasing from what I am reading with other reviews.
Christina D.
Aug 07, 2019
We chose the Jefferson House because it's more reasonably priced that some of the upscale restaurants on the lake. While many of the nearby restaurants have updated (and increased prices), Jefferson House is still offering the same menu they have for years--at least it seems that way. Sitting outside is great and they have a great bar space. Inside, however, is dated and feels cheap (part of their indoor bar is currently being used as storage--so, that's not ideal).

Service was fine, but a bit slow for a night that was light on customers. The food was better than I expected given other reviews, but pretty average. This is an affordable place to stop when you're on the lake and ok with average food.
Amber M.
Jun 12, 2019
This is the place to go for drinks with friends. It's on the water and you can come up and park your boat to hang out. There's live music and it seemed like everyone at the bar was having a great time. I wouldn't recommend the food. I went with a group of four for dinner after a day on the lake. We waited about 30 minutes to be seated. Ordered our food right away, there steak salads and a chicken fajita. 40 minutes later our salads come out.

It was the salad from the supermarket 2 for $5 bags that had lettuces and shredded carrot and cabbage and about 4 pieces of thinly sliced steak. Almost $100 bill for food we didn't like.
Catherine Mathews
May 15, 2019
It was a very busy night. Beautiful weather. Live band. But we sat right next to the water. We got hot roast beef & buffalo chicken sandwich. Delicious. Service was a but slow but the food was delicious and hit the spot. Drinks were great too. Don't need to dress up.