Blackthorn Restaurant & Irish Pub Parsippany NJ

When you enter this beautiful Restaurant you realize that when it was being built the Engineer put a lot of thought into the design. We appreciated it as we enjoyed the wonderful food and conversation without any noise interruption from other areas of the restaurant. The acoustics were well planned. Eugene Gillespie owner, has brought a little bit of Ireland to Parsippany N. J. The warm welcome we received by Eugene, his wife Rosemary, daughter’s Karen, Laura, and son Eugene Jr. was delightful and with the extra effort they gave we knew we were in for a special evening. Chef Joseph Labita who had training while at Tavern on the Green, New York and other well known restaurants had the skills of a master which showed when we started sampling the food. We started with The Blackthorn Combo, ($12.99) this is a favorite appetizer for all to sample…potato skins, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, buffalo wings and onion rings. I enjoyed the Spinach Artichoke Dip, ($8.99) baby spinach, artichoke hearts and roasted peppers, topped with Irish cheddar and Parmesan cheese served with warm chips. The Donegal Style Mussels, ($10.99) are very special, New Zealand mussels sauteed in olive oil, chopped shallots, white wine and a touch of cream. For Veggie enthusiast they have a Southwestern Veggie Roll, ($7.99), portebello mushrooms, zucchini, carrots and caramelized onions rolled in a herb tortilla and deep fried with a spicy red pepper sauce. The soup, Potato Leek, ($4.99) was delicious and the Irish Stout Onion Soup, ($5.99) was to die for. It was difficult to choose an Entree as they all looked so appetizing. Lennie (Ch 7) had the Gaelic Steak, ($28.95) 200z prince steak rack of lamb served with mince jelly. I had the Blackened Chicken Alfredo, ($14.95), Cajun skillet seared chicken served over fettuccine in our homemade creamy Alfredo sauce. Blackthorn is the name of the wood that makes the Shillelagh, (a wooden walking stick, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore, and also the name of an Irish Pub from County Clare, Ireland. Eugene has brought his part of Ireland to America.

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Sylvia Harte

Blackthorn Kenilworth NJ Review

customers have spoken....

"Drive by on way to Kenilworth and thought it was just a noisy sports bar. Found it to be a pleasant place with good food. Will come back again"

"Blackthorn is a local restaurant in my neighborhood. I brought a friend from out of town who loved it. Sat my the fireplace, and both of us enjoyed our delicious, fresh entrees".

"Very warm and welcoming atmosphere. Will definitely recommend to friends as a great place to meet, dine, and enjoy a good time!!!"


"Nice decor, pleasant service, easy location right off Rte 22 with loads of free parking."


"Everything, from the moment we walked in, till the moment we walked out, was excellent!!!"

"the service was amazing..the managers were so attentive..our server was the best i've experienced..though Blackthorn is not in my area..i would definitely make the trip to visit again ! excellent !"


"excellent quality and quantity of food. They are always making sure your dining experience is the best they can make it! Highly recommend them to all my friends."

"Our server was great! Everyone was VERY nice and accommodating. We felt comfortable and welcome."

"Great, neighborhood pub. Good food, dependable service. Reminds me of the bar in "Cheers" TV show!"

"Wonderful experience and a GREAT chef! Can't wait to go back."

"Loved everything. Our waiter was great and the food was by far superior than what we expected"

"I visit this establishment for both business and personal events. I am always happy with the service and the food! Thanks"

"Beautiful restaurant inside and out. Food was terrific, seating comfortable, with a large bar and a TV area. We will definitely visit again!"

"We travel from Edison to dine and socialize at the Blackthorn. This will be our 5th year going up the GSP to a GREAT Restaurant & Irish Pub. All the employees are wonderful. Where can you get great food, wonderful atmosphere, great people, and when the check comes its very reasonable... Alane & Ron Levine Edison, NJ"

"It was ST Patrick's Day so Blackthorn was the obvious choice and though they VERY crowded they had everything under control and our server was attentive and very pleasant. Great Job all around!!"

"The restaurant had a very nice decor. The dining area was very pleasant and seperate from the bar area. The staff and management was very attentive and nice."

"The restaurant had a very nice decor. The dining area was very pleasant and seperate from the bar area. The staff and management was very attentive and nice."

"the food here is of the best quality you could imagine. the wait staff is very good and they meet any of your requests/needs. the management is warm and friendly, they treat you like family."

"Loved the oudoor dining area, the live entertainment. Should promote this feature more, we were pleasantly surprised."

"We have eaten there several times and the food is always excellent"

"If it were closer to home would probably eat there more often. It was a wonderful experience."