We've been coming to BB for over 25 years, and it's always been a favorite. The last few years we haven't been able to grab seats at the bar, so we've missed out on that experience. Last night we finally snagged the last two seats -- and we didn't realize just how much we missed the burger! It was cooked to perfection, incredibly flavorful, and everything we remembered (and more). Service was on point as always -- friendly, attentive, and seamless. We were so happy to get those seats and enjoy one of our longtime favorites again. Highly recommend -- especially the burger with cheese on the side. Yum! read more

Barnacle Bill's - Tito's w/cranberry. Yup it's a double - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

Reminds me of many of my old haunts growing up in New England. Warm, bustling bar and grill well decorated with nautical themed items. Spotless and inviting. Service was outstanding, attentive and friendly and fast. Appetizers for our group included the fried zucchini - tender, well seasoned, crisp exterior - highly recommend. Entrees for our group included burgers (all were excellent). Myself I had the fried flounder sandwich - crispy fried, fresh and well seasoned. Cocktails all were good - personally I had the Long Island Ice Tea was perfect. Plenty of parking upfront or down the street. Perfect place for meeting old, or your newest friends. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Fried flounder sandwich. - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

What a great vibe this place has. From the time you walk in you're welcomed by a display of decoration that tell you you're not at your average restaurant. Then the view of the water is great. Now for the important part, their food is fresh and delicious, served with a smile. I had their little necks clams to start and they were fresh and delicious. Their burgers are really one of their staple foods and it doesn't disappoint. Finally, they are also famous for their Long Island ice tea-- wow, they are so good. Overall a great place to eat and have a beverage. They are building an outdoor deck which will be fun this summer. Give them a try. read more

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Barnacle Bills is located in the beautiful town of Rumson Nj right on Navesink River which is visible while dining. The bar scene is busy with locals and visitors friendly staff and excellent food If tabletop dining is your desire you're in luck. Seafood sourced locally is fantastic steamers , top necks and lobster alit with fish specialties. Burgers and sandwiches as well as steak and offerings are great. It can get crowded happy hour it's worth the wait. Bills is a great place for casual dining or a couple of cold ones. The sunset view is fantastic come see what the townies enjoy at this treasure. read more

Very cool place on the river. Service is swift and friendly. Burger was excellent and the desserts were delicious. Great shore-vide kind of place with very good food. Will be back. read more

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This is a terrific place in Rumson. My colleagues at work have mentioned this place a few times. Well we finally tried it. Was a long wait but it was a Saturday night. The place is a throwback in Rumson of all places meaning... not pricey. A great collection of people families friends and a solo act playing guitar. Terrific atmosphere. As we waited we went outside sat down and enjoyed a pleasant evening. Finally we were called. Didn't want to eat outside. We started with a salad that was good followed it up with burgers on a deli style hard roll. One with fries & one with baked potato. It was terrific. They are known for their burgers and they did not disappoint. This is a good old school eatery that has a great atmosphere good service and outstanding food. Everything you want in a family restaurant Recommend to anyone and want to return. read more

Love the Fried Softshell Crab & Sweet Potato Fries. Crabcake has flour mixed inside, tasted the dough chunks which was weird. Onion Ring was very good. Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Linguini was also satisfying. read more

Still the same old BB's! Love this place and it never disappoints...but they did scale back the shrimp cocktail...smaller shrimp but still tasty as ever! read more

We love going to Barnacle Bills. The only drawback is the long wait. Last night we were seated around 9:30. They also had a band playing so it was very loud and noisy. BUT, we had a great time. Our waitress did a great job with all our orders (4 people). We all started out with their classic clam chowder soup and followed by their well-known burgers, which the guys ate. Myself and my friend, we both had fish tacos that were prepared very well and tasty. They are known for their iconic Long Island Ice Tea drinks, which my husband and I indulged in. Next time we will go earlier and hope to be seated outside to enjoy the waters edge view. Enjoyed a great night read more

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A classic Rumson eatery. Yum. We sat outside and it was really hot; we had a little bit of shade with the umbrellas. We sat outside because it's loud indoors. The views were beautiful from the outdoor area, that's the best part of their outdoor dining area. You can always count on their food and drinks. I got a virgin Bloody Mary, it was great. For food, I got the crab cakes. Delicious and VERY filling! read more

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Having grown up in Rumson I have patronized Barnacle Bills for over 40 years. The service has always been top notch as in 40 years time I have never had a bad meal. I continued the Sunday dinner tradition with my ow family as we all look forward to it every week. read more

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My girlfriend and I recently tried this restaurant. We came on a weekday afternoon, and got seated right away. They have a large parking lot, which is great. Although we were seated right away, the place was super packed. We must of just made it in time. I started off with a beer. I tried the double IPA on draft. It was a very good beer. We then ordered our meals. I tried their burger with pepper jack cheese and bacon, cooked medium. My girlfriend tried their shrimp po boy sandwich. These seemed like 2 popular menu items. And both of them were so delicious. I especially enjoyed my burger. So juicy and flavorful. It was an awesome burger. Great tasting bacon too. The shrimp po boy was pretty tasty as well. That one came with fries, and they both hit the spot. Overall, this was a great place to come have a meal at. I will be coming back. Recommended! read more

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DOV: 8/30/25, PAX: 2, Arrival Time: Approx 5:15pm , Meal: Dinner__Upon arrival we were told it was about a 40 min wait and we accepted the first available table. Actual wait time was about 20 min and we were seated at one of the high top tables that faced the river. Ambiance is wonderful IF you are sitting near the bar facing the river or you're sitting outside. We ordered a bottle of J Lohr Cabernet and tap water, then went straight into entrees. Hubby had the Baked Seafood Combo with baked potato, and I had the MahiMahi Blackened and grilled with baked potato. My husband was thrilled with his dinner, but not so much for me (I thought the fish was exceptionally watery considering it was grilled). Baked potato was perfect on both plates. Coleslaw (on my plate) was good. For dessert I had a cappuccino (excellent) and we shared a Toll House Pie a la mode (good, but not great). The view of the river and grounds reminded me a bit of The Crow's Nest Inn on Montauk. TIP: Park in the lot on the corner of the street since the restaurant lot fills up quickly! read more

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This is not a place we go to often. Prior to the other evening's dinner. The last time we were there was two last year and dinner was very good. However, we were there the other night my wife ordered cheesesteak sandwich w without the mushrooms, when the waitress brought the food over, I thought it was the worst looking cheesesteak I had seen in a long time. The cheese was just sitting on top of the beef. There were no peppers or onions in with it. As far as my hamburger goes, it was a good size portion, but very dry where I couldn't even use the roll. I had to cut it with a knife and fork. Everything fell apart cost $74 total including two drinks each. Definitely not worth it anymore. read more

Barnacle Bills was such a great dinner! Although we waited close to 2 hours for a table (5 people), we grabbed drinks at the bar in the meantime. The bar area is awesome and has a fireplace which is a nice touch in the winter months. Our meal was excellent overall...if you love seafood, this is your place. Service was excellent and attentive to our table. This restaurant offers the best of both worlds being so great during the summer and winter months. Can't wait to sit outside during the summer! read more

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Solid four stars. Years ago my team opened the Tiffany store in Red Bank, and Barnacle Bills was practically the commissary for us that month. Great burgers, and they can deliver it to my 'as rare as possible' request. Shrimp cocktail sweet and tender. I must say, not a fan of salad type croutons in lieu of a toast slice in French onion soup. read more

When in today for lunch (about 1:15). Place was "slow" compared to the times I've been there in the past. 5 people at the bar (including the two of us). I was disappointed... bartender was somewhat engaged in the soccer game on the TV. He had a heavy Hispanic accent which made it a little difficult to communicate. My soup came out warm, at best. Wifey enjoyed her salad. It's not the "good old, fun loving" Barnacle Bills I remember. read more

Loved the vibe, and the burger was excellent. The wait was a little long but drinks at the bar beforehand made it go faster. We ate here in the winter time and it was cool, but appears warmer weather may be an even better experience. We will be back. read more

I love the NJ area! Spent a week in the Red Bank area and ate at many restaurants. Barnacle Bill's was a hotel recommendation! The location is off the waters. Beautiful scenery. Locals tying up their boats for the night and hosing them off from a day of being out catching seafood. The wait time was to be 45 mins or more, so my coworker and I grabbed a drink at the bar, and took it outside to sit by the waters down near the dock. It only took 20 minutes to be seated! We were excited! The food was delicious and I was impressed that food was being cooked on a fairly small grill behind the bar, where I could view the Chef preparing the food. What tickled me was watching him pour the lattice shaped kettle cooked Cape Cod chips, from the bag, on to people's plates that order "chips". They must go through a ton of those CAPE COD chips. They were delicious! Lol. That fried zucchini was bussinnnnn too! read more

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Haven't been here since 1998!!! And...absolutely as good as it was 27 years ago. Burger, dynamite! Onion rings, delicious. LiT's perfect.

The food was not good at all it was tasteless. We haven't been there in a very long time and were very disappointed.

This place is incredible! Delicious food and incredible ambiance, couldn't recommend more!

Everything on point here for a solid lunch on a recommendation from a local. Came here for lunch to treat my friend on his birthday and it was very busy! It was a Friday and a nice one but we were sat quickly and serviced very quickly. My friend and I split an order of wings and we both got burgers with swiss, but I got mine with some onions and mushrooms. Wow. The wings were hot and saucy and perfectly fried - just a great starter and I wish they bottled the hot sauce, I would buy it. The burgers were perfectly cooked with great toppings. It's hard to get a medium rare burger that makes me second guess a cook, but it was so juicy and it actually didn't ruin the integrity of the burger as whole. The onions and mushroom really crushed and had that great pairing with the swiss. Nice being next to the water and nice having great service and great food. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

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It's not the peanut shell covered floor local restaurant of the past. Its popularity got the best of it. Don't get me wrong, I love it when a business thrives and Barnacle Bills is certainly thriving but at what cost? The place is so busy nowadays. Want to have dinner in the summer? Good luck. Enjoy your wait. I ordered take-out recently: Fried chicken sandwich. The meat was pink. Is chicken supposed to be medium-rare? Oh well, a $16 loss isn't the end of the world. Like so many other successful businesses, when times are really good, it's easy to lose your attention to detail. read more

10/10 service. Went there in a busy Saturday night. Our waiter was Thomas and he was so attentive and recommended all the best drinks and foods. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Mudslide - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

I did not like my meal. Started with the French onion soup that barely had onion in it- the soup was mainly broth and they melted Swiss cheese on top, which did not go with the soup at all. Next, I had a burger, which was just a piece of meat with cheese on a bun that was stale. I had to ask for lettuce, tomato, and onion. The only thing that was good was the kids chicken fingers and fries. On a positive note, it is fairly priced and has a great location. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Chicken Tenders With Fries - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

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This restaurant is a beautiful rustic environment. It is very cozy with a wonderful fireplace. We waited 2 hours to get our table but it was worth the wait. Our waitress Emily was outstanding and very knowledgeable with great recommendations. We had the oysters, steamers and blacken tuna. All dishes were delicious. We will be back for sure. read more

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Barnacle Bill's is an absolute staple of the Rumson area and is a must visit. It's a bar/tavern/grog shop that is somewhat trapped in time but in the absolute best way. It's dark, loud and crowded but it just feels perfect. Burgers are charbroiled and the steak fries are great. Service is surprisingly good and the people watching is even better. I'm really happy places like this still exist. read more

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decided to go here the other day, it's always busy but we went when they opened. We sat at the bar, we ordered the calamari which was really good and I got the shrimp po boy which was just okay. Definitely a cool place on the water, probably nice in the summer time read more

Barnacle Bill's - calamari - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

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Been coming here for 10 years. The food and atmosphere are exactly the same. The decor is like a seafood shack and it's on the water next to a dock. The tables feel like old drift wood and on the wall are a bunch of nautical implements. Burgers are grilled behind the bar and back in the day people got a carton of peanuts and tossed the shells on the floor. Miss those days. Service is good, place is loud, food is fresh and consistently good. If you come get the burger with molten cheese sauce. It's delactable. The fried shrimp platter and Caesar salad are favorites as is the New England clam chowder. The desserts could feed 3. We thoroughly enjoyed the brownie tonight. Great onion rings and grilled chicken sandwich. Family friendly. This place gets packed so be prepared to fight for parking and ensure a wait. It's a loud hole in the wall kind of place but In that "everyone knows your name" kind of way. If you're lucky, you might spot Bon Jovi at the bar. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Fried Shrimp - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

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This place rocks. Came here on a Sunday evening for a date night and we absolutely enjoyed ourselves. We sat at the bar while we waited for our table to be ready. Place was busy but slowly cleared out overtime. It was funny watching the younger kids clear and bus the tables at the end of the night. They were having a ball which this environment brings for your dining experience. As for the food, we could hear the entire time the burgers sizzling on the grill which I guess is a very popular meal. I ordered swordfish and she ordered the burger. She ordered it medium which came more like medium rare like she's been here before. I had a bite and was very good. My swordfish was excellent. Tad too much pepper on top but was very enjoyable. The brownie that came with our dessert was a little dry, add cream cheese to it and perfection. Our server was delightful too which made the evening memorable. She had great energy for the amount of years of working there, could easily tell she enjoyed what she did. I will come back one day. Living in Massachusetts has its limitations to when but I also want to visit more places in the area when I visit. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Swordfish - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

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Nice little seafood spot with tons of options. Service was great, everyone was super friendly even on a busy day.

Came for the cold beer, stayed for the burger. My friend and I stopped in after paddleboarding and sat at the bar. Bartenders were quick to serve us drinks. We were seated near the open grill and were tempted into splitting one of the many burgers the chef was pumping out! It was plenty for the 2 of us. The burger was juicy. The only issue was that we ordered onions on the side but they came directly on the burger. Fun decor and there's seating on the back patio overlooking the water. read more

Service and food is great location is a beautiful I would highly recommend the place Burgers are out the world

This place is basically a dive bar that you can bring your family to in an affluent area. The go to items are the burgers in the Long Island Iced Teas. Place gets PACKED Fridays and Saturdays, expect a wait for dinner times. read more

Came here twice so far both times was amazing. Service was great food was great. Nice atmosphere decor is great it's a great hidden gem. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

ABBY is FANTASTIC! Great service, friendly, and personable! We're from Cali and I've never seen a waitress more attentive and 'on it'. What a great attitude !!! She should be training everyone if she isn't already!!! And BTW...it's Father's Day and the place is packed (fyi ...pic was an hour later... before this the place was mobbed)! Food was pretty darn good as well. One recommendation...put a bar, and maybe even a grille, outside. You'll make even more mula! ;-). Thanks for a fun Father's Day lunch. read more

Barnacle Bill's - Bars Near Me - Rumson, New Jersey

Been coming to barnacle bills since I was a kid, and it's just as good as I've always remember 20 years ago. You can never got wrong with a burger here. They are big, juicy, cooked how you want them. That's the main reason to go! For vegetarians you have some options, but it's even better for seafood lovers. I had the lobster salad sandwich last night and it was an amazing alternative to the burgers I loved as a kid. The wedge fries are always a pleaser and the onion rings are perfectly cooked; crispy and juicy. There is often a long wait, especially on the weekend nights, but the newly added backyard area is the ideal place to wait. Similar to Tommy's (Seabright) there is a deck that hangs over the river, with plenty of Adirondack seating and corn hole. We waited an hour for our table and we're totally content, just plan ahead to wait a little! Inside is dark lit and wooden features, giving a homey bar feeling like you could be tucked away in an Irish pub. Service is great as well. Always love BBs! read more

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The bar, where we sat, had not been properly cleaned. The menus, covered in plastic, were sticky. The fish I order, while ok, was not fresh. read more

This is somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 but I'm feeling generous so I will round up. Plus, the good certainly outweighs the bad. This place seems to be legendary among the locals and I can see why: The pros: gorgeous views of the Navesink. You should experience it at least once. There is limited seating outside but grab a drink at the bar inside and relax outside on a nice evening. This made the wait more tolerable which I will get to. The crew is friendly enough from the hostess down to the wait staff. Everyone is working very hard and it shows. Finally, what everyone comes here for: the burger. It's about a half pound, cooked to your liking on a flat iron grill behind the bar. It is very good and a right of passage if you live in the area. The cons: the wait is LONG. This could've been bc we came on a Friday night in the summer (around 6pm). If the weather wasn't nice, this would have been a brutal wait as the space inside is limited to tables as is the bar seating. The burger was good but not worth the wait. I love burgers but I can make a great one at home in the cast iron skillet so waiting almost 2 hours for one isn't ideal for me. I recommend coming early on a nice night. Don't go out of your way but if you live in Monmouth County, be sure to pay them a visit. read more

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