Not sure how this place only has 3.5 stars, people must be crazy! Let's start with the amazing location , right on the water , you watch the boats go by and kite boarders play in the waves. The staff were all friendly and courteous and made us feel welcome from the get go. The food was not only delicious it was bountiful! I'll probably eat my dinner left overs for lunch tomorrow and the next day! The Inlet Cafe is great spot for a special dinner or just dinner on a random, don't feel like cooking night! read more

We had some great burgers and enjoyed a lively atmosphere near the water with friendly service. When this quarantine is over lets support our local businesses, & this will be top of the list! #supportlocalbusinesses read more

GO TO PROVEN GROUND NEXT DOOR NOT HERE - NEW CHEF NEEDED ASAP! Seen this little restaurant while I was at the proven ground that is literally right across the way So I decided to recommend it and try it with my family. SO DISAPPOINTED. Thought the waitress was great but as far as the taste of our food that came out, not good. We all rated our food each one of us and we were a party of 5 between a number 1 and the best a 4. 2 orders of linguini and clam sauce both of my family thay ordered it said The fish was not fresh and clams came out of a can and the linguini soggy. Huge disappointment when we are on the water eating and expected great fresh seafood and fish. I personally Ordered the vodka sauce over pasta and the garlic was Soo overwhelming In the sauce that it was unbearable and I was not able to eat it. No joke my mouth burned. I am Italian and LOVE garlic so you can only imagine how bad it was. My sister ordered an islander cafe salad. The salad was Slimy and uneatable and she wished she would have it taken off the bill. She could not eat it. The lobster roll was decent but not the best but ok. It was a 200 dollar meal for all of us. Not a terrible bill for a party of 5 but when all of us hardly ate our meals I think that's pretty sad and quite an expensive night for eating nothing And No one even asked why are all your plates were still filled with food. In my opinion I have been to the proven ground too and I would just go there, definitely better food with the same on the water experience. This place definitely need a new chef! read more

Inlet Cafe - Vodka sauce with pasta - Seafood Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

Decided to do take out and unfortunately both of our entrees were underwhelming. The Lazy Lobster was chewy and poor quality- no tail or claw, just really chewy. The grouper was over risotto which was yellow rice and mayonnaise- not a good combo- the fish was fresh but tasteless read more

Menu online was NOT the menu I was given. It was very limited. We arrived at 3:04. Menu was over 60% sushi. However sushi bar was closed, so no sushi available. Frozen drink had no alcohol or flavor. It tasted like melted ice when you've finished your drink. Bang bang shrimp, classic fried calamari & fries were all good. The mussels were bad & we barely touched them. (Maybe too old to serve). I didn't complain but server also didn't ask about them. (We took the leftover calamari & fries with us) The server also never offered us a second drink! (I would have declined). I worked in restaurants many years & found this place a disappointment! read more

Been coming to the inlet cafe for decades but it's really not what it was anymore. Gone is the family atmosphere, yummy coleslaw and bread in are over cooked 50$ steaks and 40$ crab cakes and salmon (well not really because only 7 entrées and those were out). The new sushi is decent but I'll take the friendly service and casual dining back in a heart beat. Dinning companion sent back his steak with request to have it prepared properly (come out Well to MW and ordered M) and the sides on the menu (mushrooms and frites as opposed to the asparagus and mashed potatoes it was served with) waiter took and said he'd talk to manger. After everyone else finished the waiter came to drop the check and said the manager took the steak off the bill. I said so no refire? He just gets no food? We paid and left. I did tip 15% because not the servers fault though he disappeared for long stretches but wow has this place gone way down our list. We are locals and usually don't go in prime season but company was in who loved the place sadly for the free bread and coleslaw also long gone. View is still great (1 star for the view and 1 for the mediocre sushi) same view next door at the new Proving Ground or at Bahr's go there. read more

Stopped in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon it was chilly out but we just wanted to see the water. Always do Bhars when were in the area but decided to try Inlet Cafe. We went to the dock area bar which is enclosed in the winter they have a little fire going which is nice, the bar was full so they had a nice crowd for the day.. bartender was really nice brought us menus and made us some nice spicy bloody Mary's. Look at all that horseradish in there Yum! We told her we would share a few appetizers I had a cup of the lobster bisque not much lobster in there few tiny pieces, nice flavor but a little thick. Fried calamari was perfect! Not over done and rubbery, the rings were tender and delicious and not a tom of tentacles which I was happy about. Didn't even try the marinara with it, they didn't need it. I didn't see it on the menu but asked the bartender if we could get scallops wrapped in bacon as an appetizer to share she said she would ask the chef and came back and said no problem. Yeah!! When they arrived they looked perfect had a nice horseradish dipping sauce which was again nice and spicy they were well cooked! I asked for the bacon well-done because well mushy bacon is gross LOL..they were crispy outside, juicy inside but I noticed a greasy spot on the plate as if one was sitting there and taken off hmmmm. See photo how four are nicely placed on one side and then three are spread out strangely on the other side? S and I also thought it was weird that they gave us seven scallops for two people to share and it cost $17 for this appetizer but whatever, S decided not to eat them, and to order a burger instead, so it was plenty for me alone anyway..never did I expect to see this (zoom in on photo of empty tables inside) when I went inside to go to the bathroom right after our food arrived..Ah ha, our other scallop wrapped in bacon sitting at a table on a plate alone!!! No Way!! Yes Way!! I HAD to take a photo to show S! It was gone off the plate by the time I got out of the bathroom but the waitress who was working inside was sitting down in front of the now empty little side plate!! Hmmm I guess she wanted to share our appy with us, guess she could have paid for a portion of our app then!! Hope she used a clean fork to take it off our plate. Honestly, we came for the beautiful view of Sandy Hook, didn't really expect much of the food. We were pleasantly surprised, for a small bar it was pretty great food..worth a shot, just invite the waitress to join you, cause she's hungry! PS..saw someone ordered the fried clam platter OMG that looked good, nice large clams and more clams then fries which is not typical!! read more

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The View of Sandy Hook fantastic, fantastic, fantastic The Food, terrible, terrible, terrible Don't bother looking at the menu online as many items listed are no longer available (the chef died last year and now under new ownership). 80% of the menu is sushi. ??? Jersey shore restaurant, you want seafood not sushi. we had the clam strips (all batter no clams) and the fried calamari with sweet and sour sauce. why fry the calamari to make it crispy and then drench them in the sauce making it a soggy mess? To top things off they add a surcharge for using your credit card but don't inform you of this fact if you miss it on the printed bill. My advice is buy a couple of fish sandwiches at MickyD, drive out to Sandy Hook and enjoy. you will save lots of $$$ and have a great meal and view. read more

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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I can't say enough good things about Inlet Cafe. Absolutely the best happy hour in Highlands. The food is always fresh and delicious. Service is attentive and friendly. AMONG THE BEST WATERVIEWS ANYWHERE. Prices are great and portions are good. Highly recommend the cod fish sandwich. **Order a Rum Bucket!!!** Side note - the accessibility for people with mobility issues cannot be beat. If you have a member of your party who can't walk long distances well but wants to sit outside and enjoy the extraordinary view of the water and the NYC skyline, you can't do better. Drop them off by the door before you park. You may also be able to valet. 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

We went to Inlet Cafe on a Monday, I expected the place to be crowded- only a few tables. To give a background- I've been coming here for close to 40 years. The waiter was slow and uninspired. We had to keep asking for drinks when he finally showed up. I understand that there are new owners- they need to get on the staff and take pride in their place. The Proving Ground next door was rocking, Inlet was just surviving. It's sad to see such a wonderful location going down hill. We probably will not be back; Barnicle Bills does it much better. read more

We went to Inlet Cafe for dinner with guests from out of town over the holiday weekend. We expected slower-than-usual service (this was NOT the issue) but we didn't expect subpar food. The sandwiches were downright skimpy with a tiny piece of chicken on the club sandwiches. Literally to the point that my husband who never complains about anything pulled off the bread to show me how little was on there. The rest of the food was meh including the burgers which our kids typically will gladly eat. Most left theirs largely uneaten. The service was fine and the view was nice but won't go back as food was not good at all. read more

The prices are insane for the quality. Crab cakes had freezer smell and flavor. Mussels were mushy and mealy (not fresh). The fries were clearly re-fried. We had to ask for silverware and napkins after the food arrived. We waited a long time to get service and the place was half empty. The prices would be fine if the food and service were amazing, but $7 per shrimp, $4 per oyster, $23 for a single (bad) crab cake and $40 for a fish entree? Yikes. read more

Lunch was a huge disappointment. Chicken sandwich and chef's salad were skimpy and overpriced. View is great,

Horrible service we had to ask for for everything the food was cold not good at all we had a table of 10 and everyone did not like what they order it was so dirty all bar area and tables do yourself a favor go somewhere else the waiter was terrible not friendly at all we didn't even get plates for apps how to wait 10 minutes by that time food was cold read more

No more bar. Food was terrible. Fish was charred and dry. Very disappointing.

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

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

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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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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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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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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My sister, Lori's visit from the Left Coast had me taking her out to my old standbys in terms of getting the most of the "Jersey Shore Experience" as possible. So we hit the Inlet for lunch on a beautiful October afternoon, and finally, the food approached the always stellar service and view. I had the NE Clam Chowder, and this time it was much improved. Lots of tasty clam for a start, and a nice spicier tang this time too. I had a basic Bacon Cheese Burger and Lori had a Grilled Chicken Club sandwich, both very tasty! A couple of Tequila Sunrises and I was once again in that comfort zone that comes with beautiful surroundings, "chamber of commerce weather", good company, and that casual laid back feeling that is part and parcel of the best Jersey Coast establishments. The sky was crystal clear, as Lori seemed to have brought the "San Diego Weather" with her. On every one of her trips East however there is always one helacious storm and sure enough we got that on our visit to the new Meadowlands Stadium for Monday Night Football. But I'll relate that in a separate review. read more

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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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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

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