Had a reservation here after our day at the beach and it was literally walkable from the beach itself which was cool. They were able to seat us ahead of our reservation as it wasn't too busy for a Friday evening. The server immediately greeted us and took drink orders and allowed us to have time to review the menu and the specials. I decided on the chicken Milanese which was a a daily special and my BF had the fried fish sandwich. He really enjoyed his sandwich which came with fries and I absolutely loved my chicken Milanese ... like legit one of the best I've had. Both meals were filling and neither of us finished and had zero room for dessert. We would definitely dine here again, maybe for a happy hour as the bar and outdoor seating area were roomy and lively at the same time. Give them a try if you're in Long Branch and near Seven Presidents Beach. read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Chicken Milanese - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

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I really wanted to like this place. Its very nice. Made a reservation. They sat us outside. Service was excellent. Had the signature Margarita. It was quite good. Garlic oysters. Star of the night. Spicy fish bites. I bit overcooked. But tasty. Greek salad was decent. Lobster tacos and fries. Liked it. Fish soup. Oh no! It made me sick. I would go back. Skip the soup. read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Oyster - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

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Came by for lunch in the 4th of July. Sat outside on a nice patio that had a wall covering for the breeze. We tried the brussel sprouts which were AMAZING - crispy and delicious with bacon. I tried the tuna tartare which was very good. My bf devoured the burger. The waiter was attentive and brought some delicious sriracha a sauce. The Chardonnay was also very good. They had a little boy "manager" come around and check on us which was adorable. Was quaint, beachy and airy restaurant with delectable food. Highly recommend! read more

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Better than you'd think, as some places so close to the water can sometimes not try so hard. Good burgers, drinks well crafted.

Charley's is a local favorite of mine when I'm in the Long Branch or Asbury Park area. I love ending a beach day by dining here. I've been here 3-4 times and have never had a bad experience so I'm really surprised by the negative reviews. It's primarily a seafood restaurant so be wary if that's not your thing. They have a weekly specials menu so there's always something new to try. Overpriced for certain items but portion sizes are good. During my most recent visit we ordered: Peruvian Calamari $16 - This was the star of the show!!! The sauce was so good we asked for a side order of bread to dip into it. I don't think I can eat calamari with marinara sauce the same after this LOL Wings (8 pieces) $16 - We ordered the thai chili flavor. The skin was crispy and crunchy, the meat was tender, and the chili added the perfect kick of spice. Fish Fillet Francese with wild rice $26 - The first time I ordered this dish tasted better, but it was still good nonetheless. Fish was fresh. I wish I had more sauce and it didn't taste like it had much lemon in it. Shiitake Peppercorn Steak $34 - Steak was tender and paired well with the peppercorn + heavy cream sauce. This dish comes with a generous side of mashed potatoes and broccolini. We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries ($8) and the portion is HUGE. We ended up taking a lot of food in to-go boxes because we were stuffed. I'm not a big fan of their cocktails because I prefer margaritas and mojitos with tropical fruit flavors like lychee, passion fruit, guava, etc.; they don't have those. One time I asked for a lychee martini and the server looked at me like I was crazy LOL. She said she would ask the bartender and then came back and told me that "no one knows what that is here". No complaints on overall service. The host and servers did an excellent job! They checked in on us, always refilled water, and were very prompt with everything. They gave off good energy which is refreshing to see in the food service industry nowadays. Check this place out if you're in the area. It is NOT a high-end seafood restaurant, but more of a casual bar/grill. Great spot for lunch or dinner while you're at the beach! read more

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My first time here trying it out for jersey shore restaurant week. Started out with a mushroom soup appetizer, followed by crab stuffed flounder and key lime pie. The starters here are the best! Highly recommend the Brussels sprouts, mushroom soup and fried calamari. read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Hands down the best mushroom soup I've ever had - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

Went out for dinner. The sangria came without any fruit. The waitress brought out the fruit on a plate after we told her about it. The octopus appetizer the chewy. I Would not order it. The blacken Ahi tuna tasted good but could have been a little more spicy. read more

Rode our bikes up from Belmar for Jersey Shore restaurant week. Beautiful place with yummy food and great service by Amy! My husband had the tuna pizza and really enjoyed it! I had a Pueblo bowl that was a perfect blend of flavors! So glad we tried it! Will definitely be back soon read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Pueblo bowl and tuna pizza - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

The food was OK. The waitress was friendly and prompt. The ocean view would have been incredible but It is now obstructed by foliage. I will return when the upstairs is open and will be able to check out the ocean view. read more

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My husband and I had a gift card to use. They were very accommodating and friendly. My husband got the fish and chips with was huge and delicious. I got the lamb chops special which was cooked to perfection. read more

Sunday afternoon, just finished a day out at the Monmouth Park and decided to take a ride over to Long Branch. Usually we would go to Rooney's, but the last two times the food was a bit lacking. We decided to try Charley's Ocean Grill and we were glad we did. Starting with a few apps of drunken clams and clams casino, we decided to go the taco route. They were fantastic. In our party we order the grill chicken tacos, the mahi,magi tacos and the lobster tacos. They were so big ad stuffed we each had to bring some home. But the plain fact was they were delicious. Hats off to the service staff and the chef there. Definitely on our go-back list read more

Oysters were superb and my Main meal of seafood pappardelle was excellent! We also had the calamari,steak bites and the crab and artichoke dip(party of 4) it was all delicious. Will definitely eat at this establishment again. read more

I live across the street from Charlie's Grill and I've only been there twice. I felt that his menu was lacking, the food was OK but the prices didn't seem right. However, I might go there one more time since I haven't been there in a while. read more

We had dinner on Saturday night. Wait staff good attentive and made sure our drinks and orders were accurate. Seating casual and comfortable. Food not great. Ahi tuna ordered rare, came out medium and was very dry with no sear. The sauce was flaming hot to cover the tasteless fish. Horrible! French fries were good. Mussel apps tasty. Oyster rockerfella wet and soupy. Off season not crowded, we won't be back. read more

We had my son's rehearsal dinner in their beautiful room upstairs. Worked with Doreen on menu etc and I cannot say enough about how wonderful she was to work with! Everything was perfect! The food in the buffet was delicious and Doreen was present the whole time to make sure all went well! Would not hesitate to recommend for any event!! read more

Solid 3.5 stars. Went with a party of 9 last night of our vacation. I was looking for a beachy vibe without the prices of the Pier Village area. Excellent service, we sat outside on the beautiful deck with view of the ocean (somewhat distant). Nice menu. Caesar salad was excellent, mahi maki tacos very good. Burger for my son, mac and cheese for my daughter. My wife's lemon chicken was a bit lacking in flavor. Many other nice choices available for next time. read more

Since this is more of a seafood place, I guess my review doesn't hold up much because I was in the mood for a burger and that's what I got. It was average at best and the juice from the meat dropped into my burger bun and turned the color of my bun a pinkish-purple. A little off putting. My dining companions ordered seafood dishes and really enjoyed them, so perhaps I'd have to order something else next time. However, their tollhouse cookie pie was the perfect dessert! So many chocolate chips and super decadent. The frosé was also the perfect, refreshing summery drink. Our waitress was lively and fun. read more

- atmosphere was great - staff was friendly and wonderful - great margarita - kids chicken tenders were great - seafood not on par. - clams casino had very large whole chewy clams inside that we all couldn't eat (amazing breadcrumbs though!) would rather have had the clams minced if they're that tough... - Sand in the seafood paparedelle - The shrimp ravioli came with very fishy smelling shrimp. - grilled lemon chicken was very healthy but plain.. Lemon potatoes were basically large fries. read more

CHECK YOU FOOD BEFORE YOU EAT!!!! On 9/11/22 a day of Remembrance. My family and I went here for mid day lunch/birthday celebration. Reservation time was for 2pm. We ate are meal and it wasn't to die for. But when it came time for dessert. We got moldy cheesecake and was told it missed the rotation. What is that ‍ Missed the rotation. ⁉How did it miss the chef or server in the kitchen when they plated the garnish. Did they think we wouldn't notice it. We had order 2 slices for too different people in my party of 4. When I wrote to the management I got an apology with "I am sorry we missed the ROTATION", and offered me a gift card of $40 to return. I wasn't even offered anything when I was there. Just we missed the "ROTATION". Basically, I won't be back and this was my first and last time going there. Thank god we did not eat it. I have a medical condition called Multiple Sclerosis aka MS. Again who knows how that would have affected me or anyone in my party if we ate the cheesecake. read more

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Excellent food, good service, great location, 1/2 block from ocean, very good atmosphere

Food is diner quality at best. Shrimp cocktail was disgusting and old--at $6 per shrimp, they should be beautiful and fresh rather than mealy and reeking. Oysters were sad looking for $3.50 each--presentation was horrible, sad lettuce and cocktail sauce that clearly had no fresh horseradish in it. Fish chowder was minestrone soup with remnants of fish fat and skin. TV was tuned to Fox News and a televangelist. If you took the staff from a failing roadside diner in the middle of nowhere and asked them to run a restaurant with the same standards at full price, this is what you'd end up with. read more

My husband and I ate here on a Sunday night for dinner . I ordered the coconut crusted fluke of of the specials menu . The sauce that accompanied the fish was sweet and spicy which was a perfect. It came with cous cous that I enjoyed very much . The portions are huge , so you definitely get your moneys worth . I had the vodka lemonade but I found it to be way too acidic and lemony . read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Coconut crusted fluke ! Delicious - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

End of an era. My family used to make the trek down here every year for a kickoff to summer dinner by the beach. We always found the food fresh, service pleasant and fast, and the atmosphere enjoyable. Even during the pandemic, things seemed status quo. Not sure what changed... This weekend, we had an early dinner and everything from start to finish was horrible. Our server knew nothing about the menu and had to go back to 'ask the chef' questions several times. All of our appetizers came out cold, with the mussels being served in a chilled bowl instead of the hot tureen it's usually in and with burnt bread. For my entree, I ordered the 'special', crab cakes, which were $40. I asked it come with broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. The crab cakes looked processed/frozen, the mashed potatoes had no garlic in them and worst of all, the broccoli was OLD. It was discolored and wilting; how a place could serve that, I'll never know. We made no fuss, because honestly, after driving all the way there and being starving, it was easier to just take the best of it, but we won't be going back. Time to find a new place to kick off the season. read more

I miss going to happy hour at Charleys or sitting outside to eat and see a peek of the water. Good beers on tap and happy hour has cheap beers and wine. Their food is bar food quality so wouldn't go there for the best eats. Neighborhood place though. read more

Stopped by for lunch. We were excited to try it, since it is right next to the beach. Unfortunately, the food was less than desirable. Oysters were absolutely filthy. Not sure who is running the kitchen, but oysters need to be cleaned and purged prior to serving them. We also ordered lobster tacos which were sickening. I have never tasted lobster that was so bad it was like eating cat food. The "lobster meat" was fishy, mealy, smelled awful, and was totally inedible. It seems that the chef just doesn't care what is being served. The waitress was nice but that's about the only good thing I can say. read more

Overall very disappointing. My 2 stars is really for our waitress. I forget her name but she was lovely. Very kind, attentive and provided good service overall. She was nice enough to take my dish off the bill. Otherwise, the food was absolutely horrible. Here's what my family ordered: - seafood grill platter (white) - so SALTY! - seafood grill platter (red sauce) - ridiculously spicy in an uncomfortable amount - fish francese - sauce was soooo eggy I couldn't put another bite in my mouth - mahi mahi tacos - overly cooked fish, so dry - feta bake - wasn't terrible but wasn't great either I will say the dessert (apple thing w vanilla ice cream) was DIVINE. It was the only thing we all enjoyed there. It just felt like the chef didn't care, no effort to make the food cohesive or add flavor. If flavor was attempted at, it was overdone. For a "seafood" restaurant by the beach, the expectation was pretty high for this place. Won't be returning. read more

Came here for a one year anniversary celebration dinner with my girlfriend and left way less than satisfied. The service was decent and the location was nice but the food was horrible. I truly would have enjoyed going to Olive Garden more because that's how the food tasted. Not to mention that for $150 for two pasta dishes and one drink each you'd expect a little more. It's needless to say that this place is wildly overpriced for less than mediocre food. Please save your money and go somewhere with half decent food. read more

Surprised at some of the negatives reviews on a yelp. Have been here 5-6 times and haven't had a bad experience yet. Most recently came with a party of 10 (4 kids) last night on a Tuesday and had an excellent meal. Table had a mix of regular menu and specials; everything from the appetizers to desserts were great. Took slightly long to get credit card back after paying the bill, otherwise no complaints to be had. Will definitely be back! read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Fish Fillet (Cod) Francaise, fish and veggies were fresh and delicious - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

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4 stars for the varied menu, ease of parking, locals vibe. 3 stars or less for disinterested, or distracted, service and for mostly over-salted food. Also lame wine choice. I go there for convenience, chill vibe and tvs but it always seems the servers get things a bit off - soup comes after the entree, lime instead of lemon in a drink, a cold side dish. Nothing terribly earth shattering but so easily remedied with more attentive staff. read more

Beautiful place, good service, generous wine pour - but the prime rib (special) was so tough as to almost be inedible.

Came here this past Sunday with a party of 9. We called ahead to see if there was any availability for our party, and was told the only available seating was for outdoor dining and that because our party was so large an automatic 20% gratuity would be added to the bill. We took the reservation and expected a full house. However upon walking in the entire restaurant was barely 1/3 full with ample amount of seating available indoors for a party of 9. We brought our concerns up to the host/hostess asking if we could be sat inside instead since the restaurant was fairly vacant. She responded saying the best she could do was to "squeeze" us in at once table. Before the rest of our group even arrived, while we were debating wether or not to stay, the staff began scrambling to put together two tables that would normally sit 6 people be squished together to seat 9. Another member of our party again asked if we would at least have two larger tables pushed together. This was met with a short curt response from the hostess stating "those tables are booked for reservations". So against our better judgement we sat down, only to be met with an entrée menu that ranged in price from 30-40 dollars. "Severely overpriced and underwhelming" is not a sufficient enough of a definition to describe our food. Fish tacos with flash fried fries priced at a whopping $30 dollars. Our waiter was aloof at best checking on us once and quickly walking away after. Meanwhile while eating a grand total of 3 other supposedly "reserved" tables had finally arrived. The rest of the spacious room available was not ever occupied after being there for over an hour and a half. Then comes the bill. Two couples in our group had split a meal, meaning we only had 7 meals to pay for. $300.00! That was the total (20% gracious gratuity included of course). I have worked in the restaurant industry as a busser, server, and hostess over the course of 6 years and I have never seen such an "over promised and under delivered" restaurant. While working at a 5 star steakhouse averaging around $30-45 per plate, all staff members wore button down suits with ties and trained to provide too quality service (since we also included a 20% included gratuity on large parties of 10+). This place doesn't even come close in comparison. Rude, dismissive, and lazy staff dressed in capris leggings, shorts, t shirts, and sneakers for a high price tag. Will not be coming back to such a overprice tourist trap fish market again. read more

We had a baby shower there on Saturday February 3, 2024. Started out with a tab bar but converted to running a tab the last 1 1/2 hours. There were 43 ladies. So in that short period of time they rang up a $600 bar tab! They said in that time period they made 39 mimosas and a few other things. We were really taken back. We feel they were just adding things on the bill to bump up bill. At the table I was sitting at not ONE person was drinking. At my daughter in law's mother's table no one was drinking either. Basically 4 of the 6 tables were not drinking. At the other 2 tables there were pregnant women. There were only about 6 women drinking. How can they have drank 39 mimosas in 1 1/2 hours????? If you have an event there you need to be aware of their un-honest practices. read more

I'm a neighbor to this place. I love it cause the staff is always super cool and accommodating. Happy hour is great. Seafood is above average. Salads are yum. But the simple burger is bleh. The bun is gross but the burger is descent. I'm at a cross roads, lolz. read more

Overpriced and the food was just ok. It is very nice inside. I liked my appetizer more than my meal. Sangria was good too. My friends said their food was too bland. I would probably just skip this place. read more

We had stopped originally by Ocean Place resort and spa figured we go sit in the back listen to music and drink at the tiki bar there and of course there was no band just a DJ playing music from speakers the tiki bar I ordered a piña colada which of course there were no frozen drinks so just a regular mix and my husband had a bloody Mary which of course it was just a premixed poured right out of the bottle on ice he threw two little limes in it and we end up paying $23.50 for both drinks a little ridiculous there was a separate area where you could maybe order something to eat we choose to pass on it go over to Charlie's down the street we went there and we both ordered a burger and they were very big fat cooked to order very flavorful and we just ordered ice tea with it we were very pleased having something to eat at Charlie's the whole time we had a drink at the other place we saw people order food and food wasn't even coming out yet we figure next time we're going to go over to the blue grotto in the back of the Monmouth racetrack at least they have live bands there read more

Charley's Ocean Grill - Hamburgers - American Near Me - Long Branch, New Jersey

Very disappointing. They changed dramatically over the last year and for the worse. Menu very limited. Portions small and pricy. I ordered fish and chips which were greasy and served in a cheap plastic basket for $22.00. The tables were all scratched and worn. Definitely needs a facelift. They brought the wrong appetizer and we had to wait, with no bread for them to remake it. We asked for bread and they then charged $3 for a dinner roll. When we spoke to the manager she said we should have asked for a basket for $6.00. She did nothing to assist us except to offer a free drink the NEXT time we come. We asked how will she know us and response was she would remember. Of course we are not returning. Chose one star because it was mandatory. Should be zero read more

First time here and most likely last. We were down at the beach on a Monday and around 4pm began to look for places to eat. We've dined at most of the places in Long Branch but had never tried Charley's. We arrived around 4:30 had a couple of drinks at the bar for happy hour (Amy the bartender was very pleasant) afterwards we went outside for dinner. Our server, Cindy, was very nice but somewhat inexperienced. For appetizer we ordered some wings. Although tasty 2 out of the 5 were cold inside. For dinner my wife ordered the $29 grouper dish. Although it was cooked thoroughly it lacked flavor and was very bland. As for me I made the mistake of ordering the $32 'C Food Pappardelle'. It was terrible. It was a hit and miss as to some of the seafood being cooked fully while others cold. Similarly the pasta was hot in some places, cold in others, and some of the pasta tasted like it was made a few days prior. I should also mention that no bread or salad was offered with our dinners. We had to ask for some bread to accompany our meal as well as napkins and cutlery since none were given. We didn't bother to stick around for dessert. Bottom line - there are much better places to dine in Long Branch. read more

Very disappointing! Will not return. Waiter was not familiar with menu. We asked if the crab cakes were fresh. He had to check with the chef. The crab cakes were frozen. Waiter didn't know if lobster roll had a lot of Mayo or not. One member of our party ordered chicken taco. Didn't want French fries. Asked for cole slaw, vegetables or salad. All requests refused! They had coleslaw but it only came with fish tacos as per the manager. Can you imagine! I felt like asking for the price of the French fries be removed since they gave us nothing to replace them. I had a chicken sandwich which was less than appealing and lacked flavor. The pictures of the place are deceiving. They make you think the decks are facing the ocean. They are actually facing the street. I and everyone I know will not be returning. read more

This is one of the best kept secret in Long branch. A diamond in the rough so to speak we stumbled upon this place after my wife and her friend bought a condo on Ocean Boulevard in Long branch. The food is excellent a good variety of choices on the menu and the staff was very pleasant and the bartender makes a great drink. Last time we were there which was Sunday our waiter was Chris he was very professional and helped us to the max the bartender was named Todd and he made excellent drinks I highly recommend this place if you're in the area. It is now our favorite go to place when we are down the shore read more

We are back to dining outside and this place is perfect. Outdoor dining at Charlie's is ready to go. We made reservations which is easy on open table. So relaxing, food delicious service excellent. The crab artichoke dip is fresh warm and tasty. The crab pieces are plentiful and the artichoke is baked in throughout. Our server Alyssa is awesome & so happy to be back with all of us. The sea breeze was welcomed and helped to keep the heat at bay. read more

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