Best Restaurants in Monmouth County, NJ
Our picks for the best restaurants in Monmouth County, NJ: 15 local businesses, with phone numbers, addresses and websites. Chosen by the NJ Business Directory team; sponsored listings are labeled.
Looking for restaurants in Monmouth County? This guide covers dining rooms from Freehold and inland towns to shore spots like Red Bank, Long Branch and Asbury Park. Some places are BYOB—check before you go—and summer weekends at the shore can mean longer waits.
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Restaurant Nicholas
Restaurants
160 State Route 35, Red Bank
Nicholas Barrel & Roost is a restaurant from Chef Nicholas Harary and Melissa Harary in Red Bank, Monmouth County, the more casual follow-on to their earlier Restaurant Nicholas. The menu covers brunch, lunch and dinner with brick-oven pizzas, oysters, short-rib burgers, house-made pastas and craft cocktails built around a private-barrel spirits program. The room is styled as a modern farmhouse for family dinners, late-night bites or a drink at the bar.
LA Cipollina Ristorante
Restaurants
16 W Main St # A, Freehold
La Cipollina is an Italian restaurant on West Main Street in Freehold, Monmouth County. The kitchen runs a midweek prix fixe menu and a Sunday family-style supper alongside its regular Italian dining service. The NJBD listing still shows LA Cipollina Ristorante, while the current site uses La Cipollina. Confirm current hours and reservation details on the restaurant website before visiting.
Metropolitan Cafe
Restaurants
8 E Main St, Freehold
Metropolitan Cafe is an American bistro, sushi bar and lounge in downtown Freehold, Monmouth County, open since 1999 with a Pacific Rim–influenced menu. Guests can move between sushi and small plates, lobster ravioli, signature calamari and shrimp, and a wine and cocktail program with patio seating. The restaurant also offers pickup and full-service catering for private events. Confirm current hours on the restaurant website before visiting.
Teak
Restaurants
64 Monmouth St, Red Bank
TEAK Restaurant & Bar serves Asian fusion cuisine in Red Bank, Monmouth County, with handcrafted sushi, classic and signature rolls, and a full bar of cocktails, sake, wine and beer. The restaurant has operated for more than a decade and pairs dinner with a nightlife setting near Count Basie Center for the Arts. Reservations typically allow a two-hour dining window.
Off The Hook
Restaurants
1 State Route 36, Highlands
Off The Hook Restaurant and Bar is a waterfront restaurant on Route 36 in Highlands, Monmouth County. Its own website shares little beyond the Highlands location and contact details, so this card sticks to the category and town. Diners should confirm the menu, hours and seating on the restaurant site or by phone before heading out to the waterfront. Confirm current hours and services for this Highlands, Monmouth County business on its own website before you go.
The Squire Restaurant & Bar
Restaurants
West Long Branch
The Squire Restaurant & Bar is a full-service restaurant in West Long Branch, Monmouth County, serving seafood, steaks and craft cocktails. The menu mixes familiar plates with chef-driven seasonal features, and a private dining room seats about 12 to 35 guests for parties and corporate gatherings. The business is staged as a new NJBD listing rather than linked to an older listing at the same phone and address.
Fresh
Restaurants
Highlands
Fresh is a farm-to-table restaurant in Highlands, Monmouth County, that opened in August 2012, reopened after Hurricane Sandy in March 2013, and has grown from a single dining room into upstairs seating and a patio. The kitchen uses local farms and purveyors for Italian- and Mediterranean-leaning plates and also offers catering with custom menus. The dining rooms and patio together seat roughly 85 guests.
Dolce Fantasia
Restaurants
Asbury Park
Dolce Fantasia is a northern Italian restaurant in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, open for lunch, brunch and dinner with classic recipes made fresh daily. Chef John greets guests and rotates specials, and the same kitchen runs Il Dolce Fantasia catering for events. Reservations run through Resy. Confirm current hours for weekday lunch and weekend brunch on the restaurant website. Confirm current hours and services for this Asbury Park, Monmouth County business on its own website before you go.
MANGAL HOUSE
Restaurants
Englishtown
Mangal House is a Central Asian and Uzbek restaurant in Englishtown, Monmouth County, known for traditional plov, samsa and charcoal-grilled kebabs. The restaurant is BYOB and family-friendly, with dine-in, takeout, delivery and halal offerings, plus catering for celebrations. Reservations are recommended for larger groups. Confirm current hours on the restaurant website before visiting. Confirm current hours and services for this Englishtown, Monmouth County business on its own website before you go.
Hadaka Asbury Park
Restaurants
Asbury Park
Hadaka Asbury Park is a reservation-only omakase sushi restaurant in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, and it is BYOB. The experience focuses on sushi served as a tasting menu rather than an a la carte sushi bar. Guests book ahead for the seated omakase. The own site is short on public menu detail, so confirm the current tasting format and booking rules on the restaurant website.
The PIT West End
Restaurants
Long Branch
The PIT West End, also known as the Lobster Pit, is a lobster-roll stand and outdoor tiki bar in the West End section of Long Branch, Monmouth County. The menu centers on New England and Connecticut-style lobster rolls, plus items such as a cowboy short rib sandwich, with the Drink Box tiki bar open evenings. Seasonal outdoor service may pause when the weather turns cold.
Marigold Market & Cafe
Restaurants
Spring Lake
Marigold Market & Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot in Spring Lake Heights, Monmouth County, owned by the family behind Sisters Café in Spring Lake. The seasonally influenced menu covers classic breakfast and lunch plates plus in-house pastries and baked goods, with outdoor dining when the weather allows. The lineup town says Spring Lake; the site places the cafe in Spring Lake Heights.
Il Leone
Restaurants
Matawan
Il Leone is a family-owned farm-to-table Italian restaurant in Matawan, Monmouth County, run by Barije and Izzy. The kitchen serves handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza and seafood, with gluten-free and vegetarian options, and the restaurant is BYOB with outdoor seating, private dining and catering. The room is set up for family meals as well as private celebrations. Confirm current hours on the restaurant website before visiting.
Ruoccos Restaurant
Restaurants
Manalapan
Ruocco's Restaurant serves classic Italian cuisine in Manalapan, Monmouth County, with a second location in Boynton Beach, Florida. The New Jersey dining room is set up for dinners out, brunch with friends and traditional Italian plates in a warm setting. Hours vary by day, with a closed Tuesday listed in the site schema. Confirm brunch and dinner times on the restaurant website before visiting.
Patricia’s of Holmdel
Restaurants
Holmdel
Patricia's of Holmdel is an Italian restaurant in Holmdel, Monmouth County. The dining room serves lunch and dinner from a traditional Italian menu in a sit-down setting. Public detail on the own site is limited beyond that identity, so diners should confirm the current menu, hours and reservations on the restaurant website before visiting. Confirm current hours and services for this Holmdel, Monmouth County business on its own website before you go.
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