The new and improved Asbury Park boardwalk

Asbury Park, a Jersey Shore beach town with a rich musical past, has recently revamped their boardwalk and is slowly making a new name for itself.  As a Monmouth County resident, I’ve always had reservations about traveling to this beachside metropolis and after 22 years, I’ve finally made the trip.

2005 marked the beginning of the new Asbury era.  Since then, many new shops, restaurants and bars line the walkway.  Langosta Lounge, McLoone’s, and the new Aqua Restaurant and Bar (which I’ve been told is rumored to have fist pumping gurus at night) are among some of the more trendy destinations on the boardwalk.

Feeling a little daring last night, my friends and I veered right into Pop’s Garage Taco Bar, which also has a location at Normandy Beach.  This tiny eatery is seat yourself either on the boardwalk overlooking the massive beach or inside their tiny quarters.  Sitting outdoors was definitely the better option as I watched not only the waves crash but the diverse crowd stroll by.  The laid back atmosphere made for the quintessential summer night.

Reminiscent of Surf Taco, with far less options, you have your choice of tacos, quesadillas and burritos, to name a few.  Their menu even includes a glossary for those of you who did not have to endure 4 years of high school Spanish such as myself.

Margaritas were had and salsa was dipped, and after my three supersized chicken quesadillas, I was stuffed.  After our South of the border adventure we continued to walk on the boardwalk to see what else Asbury had in store for us.  Music was bumping outside of The Beach Bar and Wonder Bar as these nightly bars were gearing up for a routine thirsty Thursday.

The original boardwalk in the early 20th century

Forget about your preconceived notions about Asbury Park and venture out to a new Jersey Shore destination that is slowly becoming one of Monmouth County’s hot spots.  The Asbury boardwalk is not like others I’m used to, it definitely has a historical and old fashion feel to it evocative of the 1930s, but rich history is what our lovely Jersey Shore is all about.  So come check it out the new Ocean Avenue for yourself.

The view from our table on the Shrimp Box's patio: sunset beyond some of Point Pleasant's commercial fishing fleet. Pretty sweet.

Point Pleasant Beach seafood staple the Shrimp Box’s Web site brags that this Inlet Drive restaurant overlooks nothing but the harbor. A casual Tuesday night dinner with friends very much proved this to be the case. We hit up the Shrimp Box on a recommendation from my cousin’s neighbor. He had eaten there every night this week and loved it. He seemed to be quite serious about this, so we took his word and pedaled over from my cousin’s house. (and then rode bikes to Martell’s Tiki Bar, but that’s another story for another time.)

The three of us sat right down at a table on the Box’s patio and were treated to a spectacular sunset over the water. Not 20 feet away, some of Point’s commercial fishing boats are tied up, so you know the fish has got to be fresh. Friendly young servers flit around clad in t-shirts that urge you to “drink outside the Box” and a seasonal bar has set up shop beneath a canopy.

Dusk at the entrance to the Shrimp Box's patio - Outside the Box, where, yes you can think, drink and eat.

We split a coconut shrimp appetizer, which was awesomely coconut-y and accompanied by a tangy orange dipping sauce. The shrimp were massive and impressively butterflied. The spicy sauce was a nice touch with the sweetness of the coconut coating.

My cousin, in poor form, ordered a chicken sandwich, which she liked enough to wrap up and take for lunch the next day. Our other dining companion ordered the sauteed – not fried – crab cake and raved about it. I ordered the fish and chips and was thoroughly satisfied with my decision. My mind fails to recall exactly what type of fish it was, but it was white,  flaky and beer-battered – just as fish and chips should be. (One gripe: the side of green beans were too dark-green-looking and I, being a new green bean fan, was not having it. I’m fairly crazy though, so don’t let this deter you from enjoying vegetables at the Shrimp Box.)

Everything we ate was exceptionally fresh and the casual dockside setting was the perfect backdrop to our ladies’ night. After three entrees, one appetizer, two glasses of wine and a beer, the damage was just $62 – insanely reasonable for the Shore in July. While all the neighboring seafood restaurants - like Red’s, Spike’s and the Wharfside - are excellent, the Shrimp Box definitely deserves a visit. Before 6 p.m. on a weekday or Sunday and 5 p.m. on a Saturday, you can snag a sunset dinner: entree, beverage, chowder or a trip to the salad bar, potato, veggie and dessert for $12-16. Not too shabby at all.

The Shrimp Box is located at 75 Inlet Drive, Point Pleasant Beach. For more information, call 732-899-1637
or visit www.theshrimpbox.com.

Soft shell crabs are a rare appearance at Red's. 3 year old crabs are not.

The wife and I were racking our brains for a quick spot to grab dinner with our kids on the way down the shore a recent Friday night… Spike’s? Too crowded. Patio Bar? More fun sans children. Hmm, how about Red’s?

Tucked away around the outer edge of the inlet away from the crowds, plus counter service (read eat and split at your own pace in case the fit hits the shan) Red’s Lobster Pot seemed to be a good choice with a 3 year old awaking from a car nap and a restless 2 year old that refuses to nap. Throw in outdoor seating on a rare sunny day in this beast of a June we’ve had, and B.Y.O.B., and the choice was easily made.

We hadn’t been to Red’s in a while and had to actually Google the location, which also brought up a useful Tommy Eats review. You’d be hard pressed to find a better overview of Red’s than his, and it appears absolutely nothing has changed there since his Sept. 2006 post.

There’s a small indoor restaurant of about 12 tables that, even on a quiet pre-4th of July weekend had a wait time, as the friendly hostess pointed out. Word to the wise, they don’t take tables bigger than four inside, and you should probably think about going somewhere else with a bigger party.

Biggest differentiator is probably the pasta-leaning menu inside, fried fish and fries heavy menu outside, tough it looks like Red can mix it up. There’s was a delicious looking blackened Mako bites over salad that we regretted not ordering, and an Asian Squid Salad on the menu. Both indoor and outdoor have their own separate collection of specials.

We were already sold on the dockside counter, which is one of those shore places that on one hand looks like it could use an update (and maybe a good power-washing) but really, what would they change? The reddish-orange hue of the picnic and built in tables? Nah, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I steam, you steam, we all steam for steamed clams. YUM.

We ordered a pot of steamers ($13), fish ‘n chips for the kids to split ($20), fried scallops for the lady ($26 or so), which were juicy and just sort of briny enough and very fresh. Everything was top notch. I was full on going in for the lobster roll after reading Tommy’s review in the car, but my mind was quickly changed by the appearance of soft shell crabs with cajun seasoning on the speicals. The cashier/order taker assured me these are rarely available, sealing the deal (despite the $29 price tag). They were among the best I’ve ever had, and a true early summer treat as I believe our season for them is short.

Soft shell crab primer: Epicurious says ’soft-shell crabs are really blue crabs that have recently molted and are in the process of growing their new shells. This allows the crustacean to be eaten whole, shell and all.’ Had I thought about all the molting would I have ordered differently? Probably not.

Belly full of Sam Smiths IPA and fried goodness, we hung back for a few minutes and checked out the fishing boats, listened to the band rocking some cover tunes across the water at the Patio Bar, and annoyed other diners by letting our kids run amok around the lower seating area. Recalling the $86 bill, and looking at the menu, I’m thinking the next stop there will be for the much cheaper lunch, but it was well worth it!

Red’s Lobster Pot is located at 57 Inlet Drive : Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. For more information call 732.295.6622

All's well that ends well. The fishing boats coming in for the evening is a fun treat for the kids.