Then and now: Restaurant Ninth
18
September
9/18/2008:
You’d have to be a Hoboken resident for 10 years to remember this restaurant that used to be on 9th and Washington: Restaurant Ninth. Since then, a few places have come and gone – including the tapas place Vale, to finally end up as Bombay West (Indian).
I had only been in town for a short while, drove by many times, but had never visited it!
Do any of the old-timers remember what the food was like here? Is this just a doomed location like Rodeo (and Privee, Mercy Grill, etc.)? I ask because Bombay is rarely packed and wonder how long they can survive.
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September 18th 2008 - 14:09:04 |
I used to live on 10th and Wash at that time. The food was good and the guy who hosted (he may also have been the owner) was nice. If I remember correctly, the place did an OK business. I was never really sure why it closed…
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September 18th 2008 - 14:12:03 |
In the last 80’s early 90’s it was Mr. Bigs. A Blimpie knockoff join.
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September 18th 2008 - 14:17:40 |
I miss Restaurant 9th. It was really good. It’s not a doomed location. They closed because of non-payment of rent. It was something to that degree.
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September 18th 2008 - 14:25:06 |
Bombay West is pretty good. I could be wrong, but I think they may do a pretty substantial delivery business.
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September 18th 2008 - 14:45:46 |
Ninth was a gem. Nice food. Warm vibe. It was my favorite place in town, at the time.
Mark Singleton, who’s onto other business ventures in town, did a terrific job as the proprietor—always made everyone feel welcome & well-cared for. And also tried to integrate live jazz, at one point, I recall.
And I recall there were some great Tim Daly paintings on the walls.
Others may know more, but I think there was some issue with the estate, after the then-building owner’s death, that resulted in Ninth closing. Not anything to do with the restaurant’s health, but what was demanded by the folks who inherited the building.
Bombay West—so-so, at best.
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September 18th 2008 - 14:56:44 |
when it was Mr. Big’s, they had a half decent video arcade in what is now the kids day care biz. Times sure have changed since this video geek last dropped a quarter on a Defender game.
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September 18th 2008 - 16:13:34 |
One of my favorites! I still miss thier mussels and the sausage with broc rabe. Always a good meal.
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September 18th 2008 - 16:31:34 |
I liked Vale and was sorry to see it go, although I probably like Lola’s a little more.
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September 18th 2008 - 17:11:47 |
Nope. But I can tell you some of the best places to get a cold one in the 1940’s.
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September 18th 2008 - 23:16:51 |
The food at 9th was very good and the atmosphere was cosy. My family and our friends enjoyed it. It was a loss to the neighborhood when it closed. They were supposed to get a beer and wine permit, but I don’t think that ever came through. Then the rent skyrocketed when the building changed hands and the old lease wasn’t valid (at least that’s the story I heard).
Bombay West’s food was great when it first opened but the quality has slid a lot. (And the atmosphere is depressing.) Maybe it’s gotten better again, but I haven’t tried it since the night I went there and got a vegetable dish with one green bean and nothing else in the sauce. They forgot my samosa, the half a pappadum was stale and there was a long, long wait for the entree despite the place being otherwise empty. The other two Indian restaurants in town are nice and I have no reason to waste my money there on bad service and indifferent food.
I’m not sure what happened to Vale. It was pretty crowded on weekends.
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September 19th 2008 - 03:33:15 |
I must have just missed it as 9th. I moved here in 2000.
Vale was pretty good. Lola’s isn’t so authentic Spanish as I hoped.(Boqueria in NYC is a nice tapas place. Reminds me of some places I’ve been to in Madrid.)
Bombay, I ate there once, not so impressed.
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September 19th 2008 - 10:03:53 |
Off topic but where is the best happy hour in Hoboken? I usually go to Duffy’s but want to mix it up a bit. Any suggestions would be appreciated…
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