There are definitely better bars on this block. The female bartender with long brown hair pocketed my money and said I gave her a smaller bill than I did, like literally stole more money from me than my drink cost. So pay attention when you’re paying or go to literally any other bartender if you choose to go here. The bathrooms are single bathrooms and don’t lock, so be prepared for a stranger to walk in on you peeing. This is the bar in the area with the biggest number of creeps, there are so many men just staring and lurking in the background that come alone. Their Wednesday Karaōke nights are decent The manager/bouncers are nice, the drinks were decent, but they pour their holiday drinks out of squeeze bottles which is a bit off putting.
Roberto C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Cliffside Park, NJ
My girlfriend went here on her birthday and creepy guys kept groping her ass. She approached one of the bouncers and asked them to keep an eye on her for her own safety and they responded, «This is a college bar, you are going to get groped.» This dingy-smelling mold infested sad excuse for a bar does not belong on Easton avenue.
Fiona L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New Brunswick, NJ
Occasionally, I come here with my friends on the weekend nights, but I prefer chilling at the bar at Clydz or a table at World of Beer than clubbing in New Brunswick. Golden Rail has a bar area with seats, but most people are on the floor dancing. It serves beer, shots, and cocktails at relatively cheap prices, but the cocktails are not strong at all. I can have three cocktails and barely feel tipsy. It’s not too crowded before midnight, but once it’s past 12, the crowd begins to grow. That’s when my friends and I come as well. The crowd is very YOUNG and ENERGETIC! It mostly consists of Rutgers college students, but you also see the locals and Rutgers alums and friends who are usually still in the early to mid-20’s. The dance floor is fun and lively with popular music and beats, but it can get messy because there are always a couple of drunk people spilling drinks and simply being messy. BTW, there’s always a LONG line to the bathroom, so don’t go when you absolutely need to(well, at least for girls)! Nonetheless, it’s a fun, divey place to hang out with your friends, dance, and meet people!
MandA R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Woodbridge Township, NJ
Felt like a basement with a bar in it. I may be too old to be here with the cool kids because they come after I am tucked into bed, haha.
Brice P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manhattan, NY
I love the Rail. In my college days, this place had the best trivia and Sunday night karaōke. Plus… DARTS! Unfortunately, there was a fire and it was closed my entire senior year. But it eventually re-opened and even though it’s less divey than before, it still retains that old charm. Cheap beer, friendly bartenders, and good beer choices make this a must-stop each gameday when I come back to New Brunswick.
Shirley D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Astoria, Queens, NY
Okay so here goes… If you like dancing then definitely visit Rail. It has the biggest dance floor on Easton Ave. As a Rutgers student, I was always trying to go out to meet new people and dance! Don’t get me wrong, I do like the small talks that’s why I would hang out with my friends in the other bars for the early parts of the night but then I would head to Rail. They always had music blasting and everyone dancing. Not only was I having fun but got my cardio out for the week haha. Pros: 1. Cheap drinks 2. Great selection of music 3. They have the biggest dancefloor out of all the bars on Easton Ave 4. Staff is really friendly 5. People are actually dancing Cons: 1. Okay so there might be some creepy people 2. Gets really crowded 3. Long lines for the restrooms 4. Kinda Divey —(WHOCARES you’re a college student!) Tips: 1. Come here on two dollar Tuesdays! 2. Come here after 12:45 am — if you come earlier, it’s kinda dead. 3. If you’re older than 28, you’re a senior citizen.
Dariene S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 River Edge, NJ
Fun to go in a group for some drunk karaōke, but not a fan of much else. I kinda wish they’d filter the crowd a bit.
Mark N.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Mahwah, NJ
divey college bar with mostly undergraduate and very drunk crowd. cheap beer and cheap shots. karaōke on wednesdays is a fun and popular time. went with a bunch of coworkers who are younger than me, if i went by myself i would feel like a creepy senior citizen here, i think anyone over about 25 might, but AnywAys the many beauties of Rutgers are everywhere here and elsewhere along Easton Ave. plenty of dancing And grinding and hook-up-ing a happening here. watched a world cup game here too, it was nice for that due to the cheap drinks but the power inside went out at precisely the end of the first half so my group had to migrate elsewhere. bartenders seem OK as far as service. it gets amazingly crowded late in the week but late at night
K C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Highland Park, NJ
Pros –very cheap drinks –cheap shots –good music on Friday nights –great young crowd Cons –very crowded on Fridays after midnight –Saturdays usually dull DJ
Dana M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
Karaōke on Wednesday nights! So much fun… even if you don’t get a change to sing at the mic. Everyone can see the lyrics on the TV around the bar so everyone is singing along. Bar isn’t too crowded and the bar tenders are nice.
Craig R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 New Brunswick, NJ
Cheap drinks, hot bartenders and good music. What more can you ask for? It’s been my go to spot since I lived in New Brunswick and I’m glad to see not much has changed.
Louis R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Hoboken, NJ
I used to come here when I attended RU. It used to be full of RU athletes, fratenity dudes(like me) and ho’bags…drinking cheap beers and doing shots. Came here last Friday. Not one dayum thing has changed.
Alison H.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Fanwood, NJ
Oh shit the golden rail what to say? Thanks for all of the good memories. 21, 22, 23 getting drunk on cheap vodka cranberries, dancing my ass off and who could forget the hangovers from the cheap liquor… dang I thought I was cool. Good times.
Mike S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New Brunswick, NJ
This place is a lot of fun. They always have great music and draw a good crowd on every night. Wednesday nights are karaōke nights, definitely check that out. They play a variety of music, and have some games on as well. The DJs are always great too. The service isn’t the best, and I wouldn’t want to drop something like a phone. It gets crowded and the floors aren’t the cleanest. Other than that I have no issues with the place. Go there and check it out any night of the week to have a good time!
Michael A.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Toms River, NJ
Lets be serious about this establishment, I’m not here to rant about this place, but give an honest opinion about my experiences here. This is your typical, cramped college bar that is as packed as a tuna can from Thursdays through the weekend. When I mean packed, like a huge line outside the door packed full of college student and people from all walks of life. I’ve been here a couple of times, as my friends come invite me for one of those nights where you bar hop throughout Easton Ave, in a drunken, belligerent, hazy walk. This is one of spots that all the students at Rutgers come to for a night that is easy on the wallet while experiencing a somewhat close but not nightclub atmosphere. The only pro’s I can see, is the drink specials throughout the weekends, like I said easy on the wallet. All specials are low tiered alcohol, and full of ice, that’s what you expect with 2 – 3 dollar price ranged drinks. I don’t blame the management for this, because how else is the management going to earn money. What I do see, and fail to understand is how cramped and diverse the crowd gets. When I mean diverse, I don’t mean it in a good kind of «diverse» where its about a melting pot of interesting cultures, I mean it as the night continues the places becomes sketchy full of older adults, which looks like to me creeping on the college student crowd. So if your looking to drink on a budget, with the mentality of «RAGING,» this is the place for you. Cheap drink and a very diverse crowd of people, all the way from the college crowd, to the completely sketchy«What you doing here» kind of people. This place is always cramped, and be prepared to get bumped into and have your feet stepped on. But hey, thats what the G’ Rail is known for. «One of THOSE nights»
Matt I.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Lawrenceville, NJ
This place just screams ‘creepy’. I don’t think it’s the bar itself but I think it’s the people that they reel in every night. Too many middle-aged men sitting in the corner of the bar being mad sketch doesn’t sit well with me. I feel like this bar is for the people that try to regain their youth or kidnap young people. The bartenders are okay. The price of drinks are kinda on the high side, but then again I’ll always complain if I have to spend more than 5 dollars on a drink, happy hour or not. I think people come here only when there’s no more room at Stuff Yer Face from across the street.
Joe M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Newark, NJ
Nice little place for a quick drink
Jay S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Jersey City, NJ
Absolutely love this establishment. First things first. This pub has great music, an awesome crowd with upbeat vibes, and sweet deals on drinks. I’ve been going to Golden Rail for a good 5 months now and every time I go, the night usually always ends up entertaining and fun. Always go with friends and be ready to dance. Music: great music, great DJs. Karaōke night is also pretty fun. Drinks: Okay. Service: The only part I do not like is the fact that service can sometimes be sloppy. The bartenders sometimes skip my and my friends’ orders, which is very disappointing but hey you can’t really do anything about that except tip less. Pricing: Last night I paid $ 40 to get in open bar. It was a bit pricey but well worth it. There were few ghetto trashy people so I appreciated that. In the previous times that I have been to Golden Rail, there were the occasional hoodrats but most of the time they don’t bother you. Things you should know: 1. Diverse– On certain occasions and days of the week, this place can be packed with a lot of asians, indians, and middle eastern folks. What i’m saying is Golden Rail is the most diverse establishment in Rutgers New Brunswick. 2. College crowd– so no old(25+) people here, which is great. 3. Dancing– if its 11pm to 1am, you better be dancing because otherwise you will look like some creeper. Overall this place is great if you want to dance and have a good time with your friends. I never have problems with the bouncers and they usually know when to kick the rowdy people out. I kind of wish people would dress a little better here but since it is the college crowd, I’ll cut people some slack.
Liz D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Montclair, NJ
Always thought this was a strip-club. Turns out I am half right. I’m fucking half-way to fifty, I can’t deal with this shit anymore.
Joes L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Morristown, NJ
The Golden Rail is sweet. Give me hole-in-the-wall over posh lounge any night of the week. Every college town needs a place like this where the bartender reminds you of your favorite cousin. It’s the law. The roominess works here — I can only imagine what it’s like on a crowded night. The number of flat screens that line the walls is a definite plus. The only thing that’s missing is that lovable Big Buck Hunter Safari shooting game or the Photo Hunt touchscreen game by Zynga. Just a suggestion. Wednesday nights are Karaōke themed. Definitely something to check out the next time you are in town.
Albert C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manasquan, NJ
For a place that gets beat and dirtied up on a nightly basis, its a nice looking place. The renovations after the fire are well done. The drinks are low priced(I live in Manasquan where I pay $ 4.50 for the cheap stuff), and the beer selection for $ 3 was pretty good. The place is small like the rest of Easton Ave bars so it becomes a grind fest just to get to the bar at some points. I could still get through the crowd though unlike some places *cough*Knight Club*cough* where it just becomes a bottleneck. Good last place on the bar hop list since the Scott Hall stop is a block away. Even better when you live in Easton Ave Apts like I did in my final year. You are just a few stumbles away from the lobby.