Dining al fresco at the Jersey Shore is a quintessential summer experience. Asbury Park provides the best spots to breathe in the fresh salt air and soak up the sun while indulging in a casual or gourmet meal. Locals and visitors have their pick of places to enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean or people watch with their pups along Cookman Avenue. Keep reading to learn about which restaurants have outdoor seating in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Asbury Ale House | 531 Cookman Avenue
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Asbury Ale House is a lively bar and restaurant located in the heart of downtown Asbury Park with beers on tap, comfort food entrees, shuffleboard, beer pong, and special DJ events. Its seasonal cocktail menu and Instagrammable plates keep visits exciting — there is always something new to try (and to take photos of!) Outdoor patio seating is available and nothing beats enjoying a frozen margarita flight while sitting outside on Cookman Avenue on a gorgeous summer day.
Read More: The Music Man: Jersey Shore’s Singing Ice Cream Shoppe
Bond Street Bar | 208 Bond Street
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Bond Street Bar is a dive bar located in downtown Asbury Park right off Cookman Avenue. Its menu includes simple but delicious burgers, BLTs, patty melts, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, potato wedges, and more. Expect cheap eats and cheap drinks. Outdoor sidewalk and patio seating is available.
Brando’s Citi Cucina | 162 Main Street
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Brando’s Citi Cucina serves soulful Italian food with classic and updated fare. During the warmer months, outdoor patio seating is available. Dogs are allowed at the outdoor tables. Brando’s was the location of Teresa Guidice’s surprise bridal shower as seen on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 13, Episode 13.
The Break | 1000 Ocean Avenue
The Break has oceanfront dining with live music, fresh sushi, and Mexican-inspired dishes. Its food menu has a delicious selection of salads, tacos, seafood, steak, burgers, and sushi. The Break’s drink menu includes wine, beer, cocktails, and non-alcoholic mocktails. Visit The Break’s website for live music schedules, hours, and menu updates.
Cardinal Provisions | 513 Bangs Avenue
Cardinal Provisions is a woman-owned and operated, full-service breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Asbury Park. Its menu features salads, sandwiches, pastries, and creative plates. Outdoor sidewalk seating is available. Cardinal Provisions is the perfect place for an outdoor brunch during the spring, summer, and fall months.
Cousins Maine Lobster | 800 Ocean Avenue
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Lobster lovers, rejoice! Cousins Maine Lobster — as seen on ABC’s Shark Tank — opened last year on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. The nationwide chain serves wild-caught Maine lobster and its menu includes lobster rolls, tacos, clam chowder, grilled cheese, clams, tater tots, and more. Cousins is a quick-service food stop with picnic-style outdoor seating on the boardwalk overlooking the Asbury Park beach. Cousins Maine Lobster is open seven days a week from 11AM to 9PM.
Dolce Fantasia | 521 Cookman Avenue
Dolce Fantasia on Cookman Avenue dishes out northern Italian and French flavors with an exciting menu featuring everything from homemade pasta to gluten-free desserts. The vibrant eatery is a great spot to grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Outdoor sidewalk seating is available during the warm weather months.
Homesick | 522 Cookman Avenue
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With its chic ambiance and eclectic menu, Homesick is a fabulous spot to enjoy a plate and cocktail under its posh pink umbrella tables that adorn the sidewalks of Cookman Avenue. Its menu includes everything from lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes to breaded veal cutlets. Visit Homesick’s website for hours and menu information.
Iron Whale | 1200 Ocean Avenue
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For top-tier tacos and fantastic ocean views, foodies must visit Iron Whale. This rustic seafood restaurant is open daily for brunch, lunch, and dinner right on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Its extensive menu features everything from sesame-seared ahi tuna to sausage and broccolini cheese ravioli. Plus, they have a great selection of beer, wine, and libations as well as an exclusive non-alcoholic beverage menu.
Loteria | 632 Mattison Avenue
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Loteria is an upbeat Mexican restaurant that serves street-style food, including tacos and burritos, plus beer and cocktails. Visit on Taco Tuesday to enjoy an amazing Loteria taco and margarita al fresco at one of the outdoor tables on a warm, summer night. Loteria’s outdoor seating is pet-friendly.
Mutiny BBQ Company | 808 Fifth Avenue
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Mutiny BBQ Company is an Asbury Park craft smokehouse. Mutiny creates authentic small-batch BBQs, incorporating flavors and methods of Texas, the Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Louisiana. Its menu includes mac and cheese, brisket, pulled pork, sausage, ribs, collard greens, banana pudding, whoopie pies, and more. Mutiny has indoor and outdoor patio dining and is a BYOB establishment.
The Robinson Ale House | 1200 Ocean Avenue
The Robinson Ale House — located in the historic Howard Johnson building right next to Convention Hall on the Asbury Park boardwalk — is a contemporary grill that serves up seafood, steaks, and other classic American entrees with prime beachfront seating. For a quick lunch by the beach or a fancy night out to celebrate a special occasion, The Robinson Ale House can, and will, match whatever vibe is desired. Its lunch and dinner menus also have gluten-free and vegan options.
Stella Marina Restaurant + Bar | 800 Ocean Avenue
Stella Marina — which means star of the sea in Italian — specializes in rustic yet classic Italian cuisine. The restaurant is located right next to the Carousel building on the Asbury Park boardwalk, providing patio seating and gorgeous ocean views. In the case of inclement weather, indoor seating is also available. Its menu features pasta, chicken, and seafood entrees. Dining hours, happy hour details, menus, and more information can be found on Stella Marina’s website.
Swimcrush | 800 Ocean Avenue
Swimcrush is a casual beachfront bar and grill located right on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Its menu includes creative cocktails, local seafood, and bar food favorites. Outdoor seating is available on the boardwalk. Soak up the sun with a cold beverage in one of Swimcrush’s high-top lifeguard chairs or gather with a group of friends under an umbrella-covered picnic table.
See More: Must-Visit Rooftop Bars at the Jersey Shore
Talula’s | 550 Cookman Avenue
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Talula’s menu revolves around its out-of-this-world sourdough bread and pizza, but customers can also find a fabulous selection of seasonal salads, grain bowls, pasta, made-in-house desserts, and a full bar featuring craft beer, cocktails, and an all-natural Italian wine list. Talula’s also has gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options and substitutions. Talula’s does not take reservations for its outdoor seating. Outdoor tables are first come, first served when the weather is right.
Best of the Jersey Shore Guide 2024: Vote for Your Favorite Local Businesses
The Jersey Shore is full of incredible local businesses — from restaurants, coffee shops, and ice cream spots to boutiques, fitness studios and so much more, this area of the Garden State has so much to offer. To shine a light on local businesses at the Jersey Shore, we're excited to introduce our first-ever Best of the Jersey Shore Guide, voted on by JSG readers. If you've seen our annual "Best of" guides on our sister sites, The Hoboken Girl + The Montclair Girl, you know that this is a great way to highlight local businesses in the area. Our first-ever Best of the Jersey Shore Guide includes lots of categories — from 'Best Quintessential Jersey Shore Bar' and 'Best Bagel' to 'Best Music Venue' and 'Best DIY Experience'. Share the love and vote for them in any and every category — these reader-selected awards give businesses bragging rights for months (and sometimes years) to come. Let the voting begin for the Best of the Jersey Shore Guide 2024 — scroll down to get started!
How to Vote
Readers and community members are the reason these businesses are so successful, so now it’s your chance to vote for your favorites. You can vote once per day in all categories, now through Sunday, December 1st at 11:59PM. The winners for each category will be announced in mid-December once the categories are tallied.
Winners will receive a decal sticker to display on their storefronts as well as accolades on our website for all to see in the new year.
***By submitting your email, you agree to receive marketing communications from TheJerseyShoreGirl.com.
This is one of the easiest + quickest ways to support your local favorites this holiday season — plus, who doesn’t love a friendly competition? Good luck to all of the local businesses at the Jersey Shore — and let the voting begin!
