Make your way into Cellar 335 at any point in the year and you’re bound to see a difference in several variations of tiki vibe: During the holidays a sign outside will say “sleighs and leighs,” and the interior will be decked with all the boughs of holly people expect during the holidays; during the summer the vibrant smells and flavors of cocktails that you’d enjoy while sitting on a beach in Honolulu fill the space. However, no matter what time of year hungry and thirsty customers come to the restaurant, the one thing that they can rely on is an experience.

“It’s the name of the game for us. It’s what we strive for, and it’s what keeps us moving in the right direction for the way that we go about our business,” said Jaime Knott, executive chef and co-owner of Cellar. “I don’t really think we’ve even hit our stride yet, and in order to really hit our best we have to keep working to make people come and bring more people. That all starts with the way you’re treated here.”

While Knott might not believe that Cellar has “hit its stride,” professional critics and everyday diners disagree. New Jersey Monthly recently named the tiki bar, which opened in 2016 and is located below White Eagle Hall on Newark Ave., one of the “The 30 best restaurants in New Jersey for 2019,” and Yelp lists it as one of the “top 12 best tiki bars in the U.S.A.”

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