Where to Eat Before or After a Show at the Wellmont Theater

Sep 23

7 min read

You have tickets. The show starts at 8. Somebody in the group chat already asked "are we eating first?" and nobody answered, which means you are now officially in charge of dinner.

The Wellmont Theater on Seymour Street in Montclair is one of the best rooms in North Jersey to see a concert or a comedy set. What it does not have is its own parking lot or a place to sit down for a real meal. So dinner before the show (and food after, if you are doing the night right) has to happen somewhere else.

If you are coming from Woodland Park, Little Falls, Totowa, Clifton, Wayne, or anywhere along Route 46, that somewhere is BASK46. We are at 1530 US Highway 46 in Woodland Park, about 15 to 20 minutes from the Wellmont depending on traffic. Close enough to make doors with time to spare. Far enough that you are not fighting half of Montclair for a table.

Here is how to plan the whole night.

Why Eat Near the Wellmont, but Not Right Next to It

Show nights in downtown Montclair get busy. Everyone holding a ticket has the same plan: eat on Bloomfield Avenue, then walk over. That usually means a wait for a table, a kitchen that is slammed, and a lot of checking the time while your entree is still on the grill.

Eating on the way in fixes all of that. You pull into a lot, sit down, eat without rushing, and drive over with enough of a cushion to find street parking or a spot in one of the nearby municipal lots. Since the Wellmont does not have dedicated parking, that cushion matters more than people think.

It works the same way after the show. Downtown clears out quickly and a lot of kitchens are wrapping up for the night. BASK46 stays open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday, so the night does not have to end when the encore does.

What BASK46 Is (Short Answer: A Little Bit of Everything)

A group going to a show almost never agrees on food. One person wants pizza. One wants a burger. One "is not that hungry" and will quietly eat half of everyone else's fries. The easiest fix is to go somewhere that is all of those places at once.

BASK46 is a bar. It is a brick oven pizza place. It is a burger joint, a wing spot, a sandwich shop, and a taco place. It is a sports bar with TVs on every wall. And underneath all of it, it is a real sit-down restaurant, with servers who actually take care of your table, a full kitchen, and a full menu that goes from mozzarella sticks to a 12oz NY strip on a sizzling platter.

That is a big part of why people searching "restaurant near me" in this corner of Passaic County keep ending up here. You do not have to pick a category. You just have to pick a table. (If you are new to us, here is a longer look at why we are the restaurant in Woodland Park NJ locals keep coming back to.)

Before the Show: What to Order When You Have a Start Time

Pre-show dinner has one rule: eat well, but not so much that you spend the second half of the set wishing you could lie down. Here is how we would build the table.

Start with something to share

Sampler Platter. Mozzarella sticks, cheesesteak egg rolls, wings, and potato skins. It ends the "what are we getting" debate in a single order.
Jumbo Bavarian Pretzel. Served with spicy brown mustard and beer cheese. Made for passing around the table.
Bang Bang Shrimp. Crispy fried shrimp with our house firecracker sauce.
Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. Beef, onions, and our signature sauce. If you have not had them yet, this is your sign.

Brick oven pizza for the table

Pizza might be the smartest pre-show order there is. It comes out hot, it splits easily, and the only thing anyone has to agree on is toppings. The BASK46 Margherita (fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil) is the safe pick that is never actually boring. The Hot & Spicy Upside Down, built cheese first with spicy marinara on top, is the one people are still talking about on the drive to Montclair. Fig & Blue and the Funghi with rosemary mushrooms and truffle oil are there for anyone who wants the night to feel a little fancier.

Want to know why the crust tastes the way it does? We broke it all down in brick oven vs regular pizza.

Burgers and sandwiches if you want a real dinner

Every burger and sandwich comes with fries, no upcharge. The 46 Smash stacks double smashed patties with American cheese, applewood bacon, caramelized onions, sweet butter pickles, an onion ring, and boom boom sauce. The OG Bask Bar Burger is pure Jersey: taylor ham, bacon, a fried egg, and American cheese.

On the sandwich side, the Rich Man's Cheesesteak (sliced filet mignon tips, peppers, onions, mushrooms, bourbon sauce, and swiss on garlic bread) and the Braised Beef Short Rib Grilled Cheese are both full meals that hold you through a long show. The whole lineup is in our sandwich lineup, ranked.

Something lighter if you want to stay comfortable

Not everyone wants a heavy dinner before standing for two hours. The Avocado Steak Salad, the Grilled Salmon with two sides, and the Oh I'm On A Diet Chicken (yes, that is the real name) all keep things light. Every taco on the menu can also be ordered as a lettuce wrap. For more ideas, check out the healthiest things to order at a bar and grill.

A drink before you head out

The bar is stocked with cocktails, beer, and wine, and if you are going to a weeknight show you may be able to catch our happy hour menu. Browse the full drinks list, or read about how we build our cocktails. If you are driving to Montclair, pick your designated driver before the first round.

After the Show: For When Nobody Wants to Go Home Yet

The lights come up, your ears are ringing, and somehow everyone is hungry again. This is the best part of the night, and it is exactly what a late-night bar and grill is for.

BASK46 Wings. Buffalo, mango habanero, thai chili with pineapple, teriyaki, garlic parmesan, bbq, spicy bbq, or old bay. Not sure how hot to go? Our wing sauce guide will help.
Brick Oven Wings. Finished with sauteed long hots and caramelized onions and served with brick oven bread.
Disco Fries. Jersey fries, brown gravy, and mozzarella. There is no more New Jersey way to end a concert night.
Loaded Mac & Cheese. Beer cheese, bacon, sauteed onions, and a panko Cheez-It crumb on top.
Another pizza. Nobody has ever regretted it.

On Friday and Saturday you have until 2am to eat, have one more drink, and argue about whether they should have played that song earlier in the set.

Bringing a Big Group to the Show?

Birthday concert, company outing, or ten friends who bought tickets back in the spring. Big groups need a plan, especially on a show night. For ordering ideas, here are the best shareable plates for big tables.

Going with the kids to an all-ages show? BASK46 is family-friendly, and the kids menu has cheeseburger sliders, chicken fingers, and pasta.

Is Your Team Playing on Show Night?

It happens every season. You bought the tickets months ago, and now the game is the same night. BASK46 has TVs everywhere you look, so you can catch the first half with dinner and check the score on your phone during the opener. Game night is a big part of who we are. Read more about the sports bar near Totowa and Little Falls locals keep choosing.

Do Not Just Take Our Word for It

BASK46 has more than 700 Google reviews, and they are great. Guests keep coming back to the same things: food that comes out hot and on time, a friendly staff, and a room that works for a date night, a family dinner, or a loud table of friends. When you are looking for a restaurant near you and do not want to gamble on the night, 700 reviews is a pretty good reason to trust the pick.

Already been in before a show? We would love to hear about it. Leave us a review and help the next person with Wellmont tickets figure out where to eat.

Plan Your Wellmont Night

BASK46: 1530 US Highway 46, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
Phone: (973) 256-2275
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 12pm to 12am. Friday and Saturday, 12pm to 2am.
The Wellmont Theater: 5 Seymour Street, Montclair, NJ 07042. Check the Wellmont Theater site for the show schedule and door times.
Drive time: About 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
Timing tip: Sit down about two hours before showtime. That leaves room to eat, drive, and park without rushing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is BASK46 from the Wellmont Theater?

BASK46 is at 1530 US Highway 46 in Woodland Park, about 15 to 20 minutes by car from the Wellmont Theater in Montclair depending on traffic.

Is BASK46 open late after concerts?

Yes. We are open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday.

What kind of food does BASK46 serve?

Brick oven pizza, burgers, wings, sandwiches, tacos, wraps, salads, steak, salmon, pasta, and plenty of shareable appetizers, plus a full bar with cocktails, beer, and wine.

Whether you need dinner before the show or a place to keep the night going after it, BASK46 is right on Route 46 and ready for you. Take a look at the full menu, grab a table and we will see you before the curtain.