We stopped here for dinner after learning of their Thursday and Friday Specials. May I say that the service was much improved, our waiter this time even though you could tell he was kind of inexperienced, was very attentive and came by a few appropriate times to check if we needed anything. As per the food, just fantastic!!! The Tuna Tacos appetizer was delicious and plentiful!! It could easily be a meal by itself!!! The chowders as usual very tasty and fresh... The lobster special was perfect!! Included in the Lobster Special was a soup or salad, main dish is the lobster served with a starch and vegetables and of course dessert, if you are capable of fitting it in!!! Great food and value for @ $23!!! read more

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Teach the staff to not be angry due issues in the kitchen and sit show anger to the customers. Bartender showed angler when we tried to order food. read more

Waitress provided good service. However, I ordered the Sandy Hooker Combo. Not what I expected!! Seafood was all BREADED! I couldn't distinguish from all the breading what was fish/Shrimp/Scallops or Clams. The presentation of the dish needs to be revisited and probably even reinvented for a better delivery. Fish was not worth $30... I could have had this at a local diner back home read more

I really wish the service could be as good as the food. The soup sampler is my absolute fave, especially the lobster bisque. Even before quarantine the service wasn't great, but it's only gotten worse. read more

Food was insanely overpriced and very low quality. The grilled chicken was seasoned with thyme which was overpowering, random and unpleasant. Don't get the lobster roll - it's cheap old "lobster meat".. the service was mediocre and unorganized which I can give a pass on because they were short staffed. Liquor license was in the process of being renewed so we couldn't order drinks. This restaurant has potential given the location but they either need to significantly lower their prices to match the low quality of the food, or bring In better quality food and hire an experienced new chef so that the outcome of the food may ch the prices they are charging. And don't season grilled chicken with thyme! Definitely won't be returning. read more

I called at 8:15 to ask them if they had a 830 reservation. They said they do. I went there and told them I had a reservation and they looked at me like I was crazy. they told me the kitchen was already closed and they didn't have my reservation and no one there said I called them. I showed them my phone log. So they basically said we had to get up from the table because they put all the food away already. I heard there's a different owner there now. Are used to go there and it was excellent but not anymore. read more

We have been here several times for the lobster special...hard to beat...includes bread, slaw, choice of potatoes, soup or salad (I chose the New England chowder as anyone who has read my other reviews could guess), whole lobster with fresh veggies, AND dessert! They were fairly crowded but could not be more accommodating...in fact, the owners made a point of welcoming us back! This is rare anymore, so it was appreciated...our server was also very sweet and as attentive as she could be (they appeared to be a little short-handed)...the only drawback was trying to find a parking place, so get there early!! Nolan-great waiter! read more

We visited Saturday around 8:30p. The restaurant is right on the shoreline directly across the inlet from Sandy Hook State Park. We were seated right away outside in the deck. Devon, our waiter, was phenomenal - personable, knowledgeable of not only the menu but the area as well. He let us know about the upcoming Annual Clams Festival in Highlands 8/7-8/8 at Huddy Park which we will surely attend. Back to our experience at the Inlet Cafe, the menu selection is great. Apps, raw bar, fish and seafood however you want it, fried, broiled, blackened. We knew we wanted the fried calamari ( that's a standard app for us). Cole slaw and bread is complimentary - both were very good. Hubby went with his standard fried seafood platter, my son choose the seafood pasta, and I was torn because everything sounded delicious. So I asked Devon for recommendations. He said everything was delicious but said several patrons that night ordered the crab encrusted grouper off the special menu which came with mashed potatoes, asparagus. It had a lobster cream sauce/gravy. I decided to with that choice and let me tell you, I was I in Heaven! Each of us enjoyed and demolished our meals. The meals were truly decadent! We were all blown away and that says a lot because my husband and son will criticize a meal in a heartbeat but not here. The seafood and fish were cooked to perfection. I raved about my mashed potatoes which were homemade mind you, they had the red skin mixed in them which I loved! My son kept saying how good his seafood and pasta were. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed his deep fried platter even down to the fries which were lightly seasoned crisp on the outside and soft inside. Calamari app was truly on point - lightly breaded and tender beyond belief. Often you can get calamari that is over breaded and tough, but that definitely was the case here. For drinks we order pina colada and mango daiquiri- both delicious and refreshing. As we sat and ate and looked out over the inlet we got a glimpse of the finishing sunset. Please patronize this establishment. You won't be disappointed. Thank you again Devon for the conversation and exceptional service! read more

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HIGHLANDS: For a great meal and drinks with relaxing views, check out Inlet Cafe! Right across the river from Sandy Hook, they have a varied menu in a comfortable setting. Dogs are allowed at their outdoor tables on the right hand side. read more

Inlet Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

This was a family mainstay for years, but tonight's experience was horrible! A reduced menu at way way way higher prices, and my $38 salmon was so dried out I considered sending it back. The drinks were also shockingly bad. Flavorless and really expensive. So sad to be this disappointed by this place. I understand why it was so empty now. read more

Love the Inlet Cafe! Beautiful restaurant right on the water with delicious, quality seafood. If it's a nice night, you can expect to wait an hour or so for a table, however they do accept regular and call ahead reservations which help cut down your wait time. Definitely recommend calling 30-40min ahead of time if you know you're coming. My favorite entree is by far the Seafood Linguini on the specials menu. It's full of fresh seafood in a light sauce that isn't too rich or creamy. The seafood assortment dish is also great if you're not feeling pasta. Highly recommend trying this restaurant one night in the summer! read more

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A great restaurant with a great view!! The Sangrias are amazing!! I had baked flounder with a crab stuffing! It was pretty darn good! I don't care for calamari but I liked Inlet Cafes! read more

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Came here for dinner and was very impressed. We had the bang bang shrimp and calamari for appetizers. The shrimp was okay but the calamari stayed on my mind for days. Our entrees were the seafood linguini and mahi mahi fish. The pasta was very tasty and so was the fish. Our only problem was that the fish portion was very small and the rice pilaf that it came with was dry. I gave them four stars because the service was great, nice scenery, drinks and food. I'll visit this place again and we will try something other than the fish. read more

Inlet Cafe - Seafood linguini - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

Food was terrible, service didn't care. Unfortunate that there is a new menu / possibly even new owners. Restaurant once was great, now horrible. read more

I wish I could write something positive about our experience here but I have to say, the meals we ordered were gross!!! And not to mention expensive. The stuffed flounder should be condemned from the menu. For $32 I should have at least had a decent piece of flounder included with cheap stuffing. And the shrimp that's used in the Jambalaya is a joke!! The shrimp couldn't have been smaller. Overly priced for such a place. $12 for a glass of Sangria?? You gotta be kidding me!!! All I can say is NEVER AGAIN! Management should be ashamed and so should the Chef!! I should have gone next door to Proving Ground!!! read more

And you don't deserve that!!! You totally messed the place up food not good and overpriced

Boy were we disappointed. The live music and water views hardly made up for the lackluster meal. We waited 45 minutes for a salad and tacos. The pricey salad arrived with 2 grilled scallops and 4 overcooked shrimp atop limp mixed greens and unripe tomatoes. My so called Bang Bang Shrimp tacos forgot the Bang. The tacos consisted of 4 -5 over breaded rock shrimp atop a cabbage mixture and corn tortilla. The taco was so bland I was looking for salad dressing to dip it into. My husband said the beer was really cold, so I guess the 83.00 bill was worth it ? read more

Severs are wonderful and very good are what they do. We ordered a Florida Grouper (Blackened) however we did not know that it would be too spicy for my who was here on vacations, I guess the chef told the manager that we did not like the fish she came to our table with an attitude an told us that if we didn't know what blankeded means I apologized and told her No.. She gave me this look and asked me what would we like and we ordered a grilled fish with fries. The server came to our table and apologized. Food was very good we dont have anything else to said just the attitude the manager had toward to us because the dish was too spicy for my dad. read more

Inlet Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

The food was underwhelming, although the service does seem to have improved since earlier this summer. We had bottled beer so no complaint about the drinks. My biggest disappointment is that this establishment is clueless about the Skip the Straw Law (and also uses lots of plastic cups -- even inside). It's right on the water and has a nice view, for now. I hope they are interested in keeping it that way and limit their plastic waste. read more

Used to be excellent! Now, I'll never return. The hostess never acknowledged us, didn't say hello back when I said it to her, the server was miserable and ineffective. The fried fish was clearly frozen and so over cooked, the lobster was raw (and insanely overpriced), the sides were not what we ordered, no one was helping us, food was dangerously inedible. Manager was absolutely awful. Every single employee was rude. Never. Again. read more

What a terrific place. Ate here in April on a relatively windy night but wanted to sit outside for better social distancing. Their outdoor setup is the best I've ever seen--private, transparent, three-sided enclosures that protect against the wind but preserve the view of the bay and the colored sky as the sun sets behind the restaurant. So we're pretty darn strong on setting. The food was also spectacular. Highlights include the tuna wanton tacos, the the bang bang shrimp, the salmon, and the soft shell crab. Also, the brownie a la mode for dessert was very tasty. Service was very attentive. The waitress was funny, helpful, and easy to find whenever we needed something. Only criticism is the fact that they charge 4% to use a credit card. Leaves a bad taste after a delicious meal. Just raise the prices 4% and you'll irk people less. That mild irritation did not detract much from the otherwise fantastic experience, however. read more

It was my moms birthday and we came here with a party of 8. They told us the wait would be about 30mins, we waited an hour and a half. Ok no biggie that happens. The food was not good my fish was dry. What really was unacceptable was the way we were treated by one of the owners. When playing a game of corn hole she was sitting watching and said, " There goes the neighborhood.." our bill was very high we were good paying customers doing nothing wrong. We were baffled that such a comment was made. If this is how they treat paying customers I will never spend another cent in this restaurant. Go to proving grounds next door instead. read more

Sadly, our last experience was a huge disappointment. We have been coming here for years. Unfortunately, our last visit was a disaster. The food was horrible. Obviously, new owners are cutting corners. Staff was nice and tried. Incredibly disappointing for a Jersey shore institution. read more

I travel with my family from Hamilton New Jersey as usual to try something new as every week, all very well with the person who did not receive and the waitress. the food is not something that I would repeat and we had inconvenience with one of the dishes, which did not specify that it was spicy and my father-in-law because of his age and health issues can not eat anything with spicy: finally we told the waitress what which she very kindly agreed to replace the dish with another one to which the administrator or owner went to our table with a very bad attitude, something of very bad taste and annoying for us. if you plan to come to this business personally I do not recommend it and the restroom are next to the kitchen read more

Inlet Cafe - Lugar - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

After reading the reviews of the past month - I can do nothing else but say the others are not lying . This was not the eatery it used to be very sadly - read more

Nice little place with a very nice menu. The outdoor seating is great but the dinning room by the bar still gives you a great view of the water. My girlfriend, who'd not a big fish eater had the salmon as did my buddy. They both gave it a thumbs up. I had a broiled combo platter and everything was cooked perfectly. My buddy's girlfriend had a grilled shrimp platter. This is my 2nd time eating here and from those two experiences I can honestly say that there's no need to go to the overpriced place just down the street. read more

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Service was horrible. The Manhattan clam chowder had no clams in it and tasted like vegetable broth. We waited almost 2 hours for our entrees and finally just asked for the check. The waiter never apologized and couldn't care less. The manager seemed concerned but the owner also couldn't care less. What a sh$t show. Don't go there if you expect to be fed. read more

It's ok. Not fantastic, but not horrible. Atmosphere is great and no doubt what you are paying for. Everything is VERY expensive. $12 salad, ok... to add shrimp it's an extra $18. So a $30 SALAD? What? Just no. Fish and chips were good but super greasy. No specific gluten free options so you will be left with a burger or grilled chicken without a bun/fries or a salad, which is pretty meh. Drinks were definitely weak. My margarita tasted like straight up mix minus the tequila, so buy a bottle of something. Parking was hard, only had valet. Drive around the block and park on the street, which I'm sure the neighborhood must love. lol Service was ok but one meal was obviously forgotten about and there was no apology. Free bread and cole slaw, nice touch. Cole slaw was garlicky though. Will we be back? Not sure. read more

I've been an inlet cafe customer since the late 80's. I had no idea ownership changed and I'm so sorry I gave them my money. The food was so overpriced and lacking any freshness. I gave it two star's because the bar tenders are excellent. Unfortunately it ended there. Service was so bad, people there were not from New Jersey or the Tri-state area. The sushi was okay nothing special. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Will not be giving them a second chance. Close it down! P.S. couldn't eat inside because the manager and their friends were dining in there. Wow, just wow. read more

A complete cluster F". New owners have destroyed this place, what a shame! You can just tell watching the staff try and keep up with a 1/2 full restaurant. No direction, no flow. Menu is crap now. Managers no where to be found. I'm going to spare you of the 1/2 dozen mishaps. Over charging, bad drink mixes, problem with check. We couldn't finish the frozen fish they served us yadadada. I don't like to complain, I'll cut my losses here and just say NO Do not waist your time,money and your good mood. Not happy! read more

I've never had a bad meal or experience here. I love everything on the menu, they make great drinks, the staff is friendly and attentive, I could keep going with compliments. The view is spectacular and on a summer night you feel like you are in heaven. Food: I love the oysters Rockefeller. The cuban sandwich on the lunch menu was definitely surprisingly delicious. I could eat one every single day. The lobster bisque is wonderful! I'm a big soup person and I would definitely pick the lobster bisque here over many places in the area. The staff is not only friendly but if you want something they are out of or don't have, they will figure out an alternative for ya! They were all out of summer shandy and the best bartender Adriana made me her own version of it and it was AMAZING! She served it with a smile and made my day! The only downside I would say is parking, but when it's super busy they offer valet. The parking lot is very small & rocky. Sometimes people don't space out their cars properly but a small small issue for something so amazing! read more

One of my favorite places to go in NJ. You can not find a nicer spot not only because of the location but because of the food. The staff is great they know what is good and make great drinks. The clams are fresh and so tasty and all dishes are creative and so tasty. If you are looking for a spot for the view and the food then this is the place. read more

On top of raising prices there is now a 9.99% credit card charge add on (according to waitress, the menu is incorrect, it's ONLY 3%). Menu has changed too and not for the better. Do not recommend this place! read more

Just came from a painful 2+ hours at the re-opened Inlet Cafe. Ordered drinks...took 34 minutes, apps took another 45 minutes, entrees finally came another 40 minutes and the cold items were warm and the hot items were cold. Having been in the F&B business for 30 years I understand hiccups and staffing issues but when we tried to resolve the issues we were treated indifferently by the "manager on duty" who was actually a waiter. We finally left when they effectively ignored our requests to do something. Wait staff need some to be open and attentive and the back of house needs to get their act together! read more

Absolutely terrible experience. Had a party of 9 with us. Wasn't too busy. The waiter took our order and an hour later we only got half the order. Another 25 mins went by and we finally got the bland chicken sandwiches. The owner was nasty, every employee had an attitude. Apparently they don't have a manager either. Stay away from this place. Foods terrible. Service is terrible. The only good is the view! read more

Save your $$$. Overpriced, no wait staff, totally disorganized , menu is great if you like sushi. Sushi was below standard. How do you have a cafe on the water and not have clams?? This owner won't be around for long unless they wake up. read more

Decided to stop here for happy hour after a boat trip we were supposed to go on was cancelled for the evening (we wanted to be on the water). There is an indoor area, an semi indoor area where essentially the walls are removed, & an outdoor area on the water. The place was not very crowded & my friend & I had no problem scoring seats at the bar. The bartender was attentive & personable, for which we were grateful as that is not always the case. Happy hour runs from 4-6 & consisted of $5 well drinks, beer specials, wine specials, & small plate specials. I noticed the dinner prices were pretty steep for a place like this (when you're on the water, you can charge higher prices). However, the happy hour specials were awesome & inexpensive. I ordered a delicious salad consisting of greens, bacon, mushrooms & feta with balsamic. It was a decent size & was only $5. In addition I ordered a spinach & artichoke dip that came out with celery, carrots, & a large piece of Italian bread. Definitely enough to share. For $10 I had a great meal! We ended up spending the entire evening here talking with some other patrons at the bar. It was just a very easy going vibe & we loved it. So much so, we'll be heading back real soon! read more

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Good seafood and service. We spent the day down by the shore and was craving seafood. I had the steamers, which is an appetizer but they brought it out w our meal. Hubby had the lobster roll which he really enjoyed w/ seasoned fries. The boy ordered from the kids menu, chicken fingers and fries and the girl had linguine and clams, which we had to help ourselves too It's a very casual place w outdoor seating that overlooks the inlet next to Sandy Hook. You can be a beach bum all day, roll in and have some good seafood. read more

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We picked this place because the line was too long at windansea. Calamari was lightly battered and fried, steamers were huge and the octopus salad was fresh and delicious. The crab cake had lots of crab but not a lot of flavor. A bit over priced but the seafood is fresh. Go on a nice day and enjoy the tiki bar. read more

Inlet Cafe - Crab cake - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

The claim linguine taste so so good and The shrimp Taco taste so yummy too ,I like grilled shrimp inside. It a nice seafood restaurant by the water. read more