Great service and amazing food! My husband and I have never had a bad meal here. The mussels in white are so good, you will want to drink the broth. The house made chips...the fries... AWESOME. The Turkey, bacon sandwich. Mmmmmm This will continue to be in our rotation And did I mention, they pour great drinks! read more

The space- The stench of spilled beer and cocktails from weeks (maybe months) past hung in the air, with sticky tables and bar tops throughout. All of this in a place that's fairly new, which makes it even more confusing. The service and the food- Easily some of the worst we've had. We mentioned that our food was inedible, and unfortunately that was not an exaggeration. The chicken fingers were absolutely obliterated. I'm someone who will usually eat a well-done tender, but these literally snapped in half they were so overcooked. The salmon on our salad was so hammered it had turned fully white, as if it had given up. The bartender completely ignored us while chatting with the other bartender (the place was dead). After about five minutes, we finally got her attention. She was visibly annoyed to be bothered. We calmly said the food was inedible and that we just wanted to leave. She dropped the bill with both items still on it. We politely asked if the uneaten food could be removed and said we were happy to pay for the iced tea and soda water. This request seemed to make her very angry. We then politely asked if a manager could help. The manager arrived with the same attitude. After some back and forth, the items were finally comped, but not before the manager called us idiots under her breath across the bar, which we clearly heard while she was speaking to the bartender. Overall- The staff matched the vibes. Hard pass. read more

They have live music, outdoor (& indoor) seating, and good beer on tap. All pluses. However, I'm never wowed by the food. They somewhat try to be kid friendly (which I get: it's a bar, so they don't need to be) but their fries are more like potato wedges and the chicken fingers aren't quite kid-approved. I got the burger and it was fine. read more

Castaways Pub - Chicken fingers - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

See all

Great spot- just had drinks and apps, but the absolute best nachos and great empanadas! read more

Castaways Pub - nachos - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

This place should buy a pizza oven, close its kitchen, and call itself a pizza pub. The onion soup is just weird. The calamari looks raw because it is very white. The beef empanadas were enjoyed. The burger was sad. The muscles marinara would have been better out of a jar. Nobody wanted to eat the crab cake. And the sliced steak in the sandwich was tender however if you wanted to eat the bread I would hope you have great dental insurance. Atmosphere is really nice and so is the bar and staff. But I'm sorry the food here is just not it. read more

Food was mediocre at best.. there was no taste in the muscles or clams... Had to return the fish tacos, cause it was overly taste of fish... cocktails were good in the vibe was good, but don't eat the food read more

Castaways Pub - Cool vibe doe cocktails.. food not good...no taste in the mussels or clams..returned the fish tacos ...overly strong fish taste... aweful - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

We have been to castaways five times. Each time we were surprised by a reasonably priced fantastic meals and delicious alcoholic beverages. We get there early because it has a tendency to fill quickly after 5 o'clock. Our attempts at reservations were a bit more challenging. Therefore only four out of five stars. But if you're looking for a place with good food, friendly atmosphere, great bartenders this is a great place to try. read more

The food was great, i had spaghetti carbonara and it was almost as good as I had in Italy!! Awesome drinks and the service was the best! Crazy good times!!! Don't miss out! read more

We went back again for the lentil soup - loved it the first time. As we sat, and older man struggled to leave and the owner stepped out and drove the man's car and him home - then jogged back to the restaurant. (The older man had recent cataract surgery and struggled to see). Great people. Great staff. Love the lentil soup and weekday specials are superb. read more

Haven't been to Lavalette in a while and my family came back for our vacation and discovered this spot. Good was very good, nice beer selection with some local craft, and love the outdoor bar. We'll be back! read more

Home made pasta was good, but everything else is overrated. We were part of a big group and tried most of the appetizers and several entrees. read more

Food was way below par. Have come before not sure what happened. Clams, mussels and lobster roll had very little taste at all and seemed to have been maybe frozen rather than fresh. Ambience is great but don't come for the food. read more

I visited here Friday for happy hour. They have a nice bar outside but we opted for inside being it was a little windy. We decided to have a nosh and cocktail before heading to dinner at Ohana. The sliced strip with tomato appetizer was fantastic. It was prepared in a red vinegar sauce and very tender. I also had the house tequila on the rocks. Not bad for $7. Loved this local Lavalette bar. Cute seaside town. read more

See all

I'm a local and really like this place. Good food, and good drink selections. The service is always great too.

A must-visit when the weather is too beautiful to be dining inside! Any place that allows me to enjoy a drink while waiting for a table is an excellent spot in my book and Castaways Pub offers just that! They've got a small bar with beachy decor and lively energy right outside for you to enjoy a cocktail roadside! It was a beautiful day, so my friends and I were able to hang out there for about 20 minutes before they sat us in the outdoor bar patio area for lunch. While it wasn't a large outdoor bar area, it worked perfectly for the 5 of us and made for a fun spot to kick back and relax before dining. Once we were seated, I went for the Castaway House Burger. The burger did not disappoint - it was juicy with gooey cheddar cheese and a whiskey-aged barrel sauce that took the burger to the next level. To finish off our meal, we decided to indulge in the Chocolate Skyscraper Cake. It was a masterpiece of chocolate cake layers and rich chocolate frosting, topped with a little mint leaf. What really set Castaways Pub apart for me, though, was the outdoor patio seating. The patio was situated on the corner of the street, giving us an amazing view of the bustling street and a hint of ocean scent just beyond the horizon. The atmosphere was lively and fun, with a mix of families, couples, and friends and the staff was fast with their table service and kept checking in on our drinks at a good pace for our group. read more

Castaways Pub - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

See all

First, you cannot find parking. Second, it is very small and loud. Third the food was well below average. Really meatloaf with peas in it jumbo wings not jumbo the only thing jumbo where the price is unless you're out of state don't go there. read more

It was chilly out so we ate at the bar inside. The bar was just ok. The service was good. We had "chicken tenders" as an appy, but it was more like 3 pieces of fried chicken. Good, but not fantastic. Then we had salads. Again, good but not great. Between us we had 3 beers on tap. The bill was just shy of $100 with tip. Pretty expensive for 2 salads (no protein), 3 beers & chicken tenders. I think the man singing outside was really good & we would have enjoyed being outside had it not been so cold. The owner seemed nice. read more

Gluten free lobster roll made my daughter's night! The food, service, seaside ambiance and drinks were delicious!

Mediocre meal. Ordered lobster rolls - meat was tough, bread was soggy and sandwich was under seasoned. Steak sandwich meat was also tough. Nachos were soggy. Disappointed and would not return. read more

Food is delicious service was good the sangria was really good. We Come all the time summer time is insane to even get a seat read more

See all

This is our new favorite place at the beach. Every meal we had we have loved so far. Great burgers and steak sandwiches.We went on a Tuesday for prime rib night for one of the best I've had. We met the owner.Phil and you couldn't ask for a nicer guy. Nice clean restaurant with a lot of options with nice happy hour offerings and live music Even in the off-season this place gets jammin so they must be doing something right. read more

Cute little pub.. friendly staff. Food was good, but typical. Gets very crowded with long wait in the summer of course.

Found this new spot from an article in New Jersey Magazine and since it was close to home and located in beautiful Lavallette, we decided to give it a try. The inside features a nice sized bar located right in the middle of the restaurant with tables all around it. Not very big inside but just big enough to give it a very cozy feel. Can't wait to come when the weather is nice as they have a great outdoor seating area as well and I can see this spot getting pretty lively on a summer night. Our waitress, Amanda, who was also the bartender, was super friendly and very welcoming. Since this was our first visit and it was lunch time, my wife and I just went with a burger which I had read was excellent here. We both went with the Castaway House Burger topped with yellow American cheese, butter lettuce, tomato, red onion and house made whiskey barrel aged steak sauce. I ordered mine with a double burger patty and added a side of truffle parmigiano fries while my wife stayed with single patty and added some shoestring onion rings. Well, they were right, the burgers were delicious, juicy and flame grilled like I like them. Went perfect with the double IPA draft beer I ordered. My only slight complaint here is that after I doubled up my burger and added the fries, my $13.00 burger went up to $19.00, which I think is a bit pricey for a local pub. Also the drink prices were mostly around 16.00 which again, just a bit too high. We are looking forward to coming here again though, especially to try their Happy Hour that offers some nice bar bites and drink specials. Overall we loved this place and it is definitely a welcome addition to the area. read more

Castaways Pub - Castaway House Burger, double patty, side of truffle parmigiano fries - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

See all

Great food and service. Open year round, great place in the summer to sit outside in the summer or at the outside bar and relax. Food is very good and Sal and Phil are dedicated to customer appreciation. As a local, it's also a great place in the fall to watch football on their many outside TVs and heaters in the cooler weather. Highly recommend! read more

Where's the beef??? Went here when it first opened and thought it was pretty bad. Figured we would give it another try because it's been open for a while now. Well, I think it was worse than before! I ordered a burger and had to search for the meat. At first, I thought maybe they brought me a veggie burger by mistake. Does that look like a $14 burger? Doesn't even come with fries. If you want fries, add 7 bucks. To tell you the truth, a burger off of the McDonald's dollar menu, if they still have one, is bigger and better than this place. read more

Castaways Pub - Where's the beef? - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Castaways is exactly what Lavallette needed! The owners and staff are unbelievably kind, funny and wonderful (Phil drove us home so we didn't have to take an Uber!!). The food and drinks are always 10/10 (GET. THE. MAC. AND. CHEESE!) and the vibes are everything you want from your neighborhood hang. Absolutely adore this place!! read more

Castaways Pub - Bar, menu - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

On a super slow, off-season, Tuesday night, my fiancé and I ordered two Bullet bourbons, appetizers and dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Instead of getting Bullet bourbon, we each received a foul-tasting, very light yellow drink. We politely asked our server what we received and we were told the drinks were what we ordered. When we questioned it, letting her know that Bullet bourbon (like all bourbon) is dark brown, yet what we got was light yellow and off-taste, she got defensive and insisted we were wrong. Next thing we know; the bartender starts holding up a bottle of the brown, ACTUAL Bullet BOURBON. She starts screaming at us across the bar, in front of many patrons. She and our server insisted that our drinks were watered down, which is why they were light yellow instead of the dark brown color of our favorite bourbon that we drink regularly. 1) If the drinks were actually what we ordered, why were the ladies both proudly insisting that our expensive drinks were watered down from the start, which is why they were very light yellow? 2) Why did we still have to pay for these unknown drinks that we did not order, and did not drink, even after politely saying we received the wrong drinks? As full-time locals who live here year-round, along with our huge families, it would be nice to have Castaways be our local bar to frequent. Too bad... Whoever was working there tonight ruined that for us, and ruined our anniversary celebration. We both love Lenny's (and used to love Castaways) but we were so disrespected and disappointed that we don't want to go to Castaways or Lenny's ever again. Why is it so hard to get a glass of bourbon here?! read more

Dinner on a Wednesday night. 6:30. Place was busy and were told there'd be about a 20 minute wait for a table for six. Hostess at the front podium directed us to the outside bar. Six of us had two drinks each and still no word on our table. It's now been about 35 minutes so I went to the podium. Hostess told me "should be about five more minutes," and five minutes later brought us to a table. An *outside* table. It was a chilly night, and we didn't ask for, nor did we want, an outside table. OK. Misunderstanding, or miscommunication. Not a problem. But... The hostess says to the mgr. *Now* they want to sit inside. Well we never wanted to sit outside. We weren't asked, either way. Also told the guy setting up the table that *Now* they want to sit inside. When I told her there was no 'Now' in the equation, I got the death stare, but no apology. Took nearly 30 more minutes to get a table (they were busy). Food was good. Lentil soup excellent, French Onion was lacking in the cheese dept., but tasted great. Shared a bunch of apps. which were all good. I'd go back, but would specify where we wanted to sit. read more

When we got there the rude hostess said we couldn't put 2 empty tables together so we stood at the bar. Both of the Bimbo bartenders ignored us ,never smiled, looked like they hated working there and served drinks in plastic cups that were barely half full! Almost $60.00 for 4 Patron on the rocks with barely any Patron! This place is a total ripoff joint with rude employees. Never going back! You have to wonder...is the owner this clueless....or just doesn't care?.. read more

Just what Lavallette needed! A fun little spot with good bites and drinks. We got burgers, the Turkey sandwich and fish & chips. It seems as though they are constructing a bar outside! Overall great place. Will be back!! read more

See all

Service was a little slow but professional. I will add it was very busy as well and they made sure to go out of their way to accommodate us. Kids actually enjoyed their food Mac n cheese tasted homemade and wings very good. I had the calamari and it was very fresh and tender . Adults had the fish and chips the cod was cooked to perfection. I did not like the homemade tarter sauce too much dill but wifey did. Very good and could taste the love! read more

Castaways Pub - Sunset view - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

See all

Great atmosphere! Owner was very nice and came around to check how everything was going . The fish sandwich was so good and fresh I will definitely be going back ! read more

The young man who was seating people was extremely rude and unprofessional. I wanted a table for 7 outside and he said that he could not do that. I then asked for a table for four and a table for three that didnt have to be together and he said they couldn't do that either. There were tables available and. no one was waiting.I asked if 3 of us could sit at the bar, which he had not suggested. He had no interest in making sure we got seated. The waitress was very slow and did not give me my change back. She assumed that the entire change was her tip, but did not ask me about it. The food was good but I will not go back there. read more

Went for lunch and had a nice meal. Douglas the bartender was very friendly and engaging. Food was excellent. We especially enjoyed the Thai shrimp appetizer. We definitely plan to return. read more

What happened? Yikes! This was our go to place for the fire grilled steak sandwich which had a beautiful 1/4 inch lean steak. Tonight it was replaced with one sliver of a deli meat sized piece of fatty meat. So basically I paid $20 for broccoli rabe on a roll with no fries. Please bring back the steak!! Won't be back until I hear this has been changed back. Huge disappointment! read more

Great place for food and drinks, with excellent service! Outside bar has the perfect vibe for happy hour, and the absolute best bartenders! We are here every weekend! Hidden gem in Lavallette! Shout out to Dee :) read more

Unbelievable turkey club. 20/10. The bread- a fresh baguette, crispy, warm, comforting: the perfect chew. The turkey fresh out of the over carved by hand. Bacon cooked to the perfect crisp with a nice Smokey flavor. I will be coming back for it. Delightful read more

Food was less than average. Bbq sauce was sweet and cinnamon-y and gross. Pretzel bites were like from the frozen section at the grocery store. The service was mediocre at best. I couldn't for the life of you tell me why the place had such a wait. Bleh. read more

Great burgers but very noisy / loud. Might try eating outside next time. Friendly service. read more

Wish I could give it zero . From the bugs on the floor to the horrible food. Save your money don't go