It was 10:15 on a Friday evening and Landmark Americana Tap & Grill in Ewing was not filled with people. This was surprising considering The College of New Jersey spring semester had started only a few days earlier. By 10:45PM, bartenders were closing off the caps to liquor bottles and accouncing last call. Anyone looking for a late night out will be disappointed with the new hours at Landmark. Last call is now 10:45PM on weekends and the establishment must close at midnight.
New policies have been introduced after a fatal accident occurred in the early morning hours of December 2, 2018, when a drunk driver got behind the wheel of a car after leaving Landmark and minutes later collided with another vehicle.
According to NJ.com, Michael Sot, a 20-year-old TCNJ student, was the designated driver ferrying 5 passengers home when a car heading in the opposite direction veered across the yellow line and crashed into the college sophomore’s car head-on. Sot later succumbed to his injuries.
Now staff are tasked with keeping close tabs on how many drinks people have had.
There are other signs of the efforts Landmark has made to address the accident. Now the servers wear pins on their shirts that read, “Having a drink? Need a ride?” Two Brita water pitchers are now located at one end of the bar, with a stack of triangular paper cups sitting next to them. Hanging on the wall are signs advertising parking passes for anyone who wants to leave their car overnight and take a Lyft home.
Last month, New Jersey Attorney General S. Grewal and the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control made an announcement that Landmark would stop selling large mixed drinks called “fish bowls” and would only serve one alcoholic beverage at a time, according to a press release.
“We don’t do those anymore,” a bartender, said.
Some students say they are fine with the recent changes in policy.
“Clearly drinking and driving is not going to stop, so you might as well put as many restrictions on it as you can,” said Ewing resident Kiley Remer, a first year Occupational Therapy Assistant student at Mercer.
Samuel Serrato, a senior African-American Studies and Spanish major at TCNJ, agreed.
“The new policies are safer, which is good, but also a slight bummer,” Sarrato said.
Since the closing of the Rathskeller pub in the Brower Student Center in May 2015, TCNJ students have been looking for an establishment close to campus that could be considered a replacement to the bar/club they affectionately called “The Rat.” The October 24, 2018 opening of Landmark in TCNJ’s Campus Town development seemed like a good fit for students.
But not all are happy with the establishment.
“I think that the restrictions don’t serve much of a purpose,” said TCNJ student David DeJesus, a senior Psychology major. “I think it’s better at Rho [Ristorante Discoteca]. They stop doing drink discounts at midnight.” He added, “Some people don’t get to the bar until that time.”
Landmark in Ewing is cavernous, with high ceilings and a rectangular bar that takes up much of the space in the main room. Booths form an L-shape along adjacent walls. There is a semi-separate dining area located in the front of the building. The interior is immaculate, but devoid of any real character or atmosphere and service can be hit or miss. A couple at a nearby high-top sat for 10 minutes before a server came over to take their order.
Landmark is by definition a sports bar, and as such there are a dizzying number of TVs throughout the restaurant broadcasting several games at any given time. There are a few other events for people who might not like sports, like a weekly trivia night and an evening with live music. A DJ booth is awkwardly located in one corner of the restaurant with no clear area for people to dance.
Upon entering the establishment, one cannot escape the feeling of entering a chain restaurant. The newest Ewing location is the fifth in the Landmark family. There are also Landmarks near Rowan, Drexel, West Chester, and St. Joseph’s University.
Tuesday night is “Taco Tuesday,” where each taco on the menu is $2.50. The carnitas and Asian short rib tacos are each served on a flour tortilla; they are already stiffening when they arrive. The tacos are lukewarm, but flavorful and there is a nice crunch to the Asian short rib.
“Their food isn’t anything to write home about,” Remer said.
It remains to be seen if the accident in December will have a lasting effect on business at Landmark. With mediocre food, limited hours, and spotty service, the main draws are the screens for sports fans and the location for TCNJ students. Will this be enough to guarantee a steady stream of customers?
“I’ll probably only go if other people ask me to go,” said DeJesus, “or if I’m pressured by friends.”
