Three friends and a lovely day at the beach. We went for dinner before heading back up north and decided to try someplace we've never been. Plenty of spots in the parking lot and easy to pay for 2 hours on the app - signs don't say what time the "meters" go off, but with 2 restaurants sharing the lot, we figured you probably have to pay until at least 8 pm, and we were early (5:30 ish). Got seated quickly, in a booth near a wide opening out to the beautiful patio on the water. Rather warm in the restaurant and there were overhead fans that weren't rotating, but it wasn't uncomfortable. We'd have had to wait a bit for an outdoor table, and anyway it was a hot humid day and night so indoors suited us just fine. One friend had the lobster bisque, served with a good chunk of a bread that looked tasty (she's not a bread lover but she enjoyed it so it must have been delicious) and she really liked the soup. Then she added another appetizer, spicy garlic shrimp. Generous portion of 6 shrimp. My other friend had the crabcake & shrimp plate, which came with a side salad that our waitress was savvy enough to bring first when our other friend was enjoying her soup. Some crumbled feta on the side salads, a nice touch. When she ordered, my friend asked if the crabcake had a lot of breading and our server assured her that it doesn't; that turned out to be accurate! I also got that side salad with the Ahi tuna bowl I ordered. This was a bowl of dry, bland white rice (might have been jasmine rice but not strong flavor). On one side atop the rice was a good portion of seaweed salad, which I love. Piled sort-of artistically on the other side of the rice mound were several small slices (6? 7?) of perfectly "black and blue" tuna crusted with both black and white sesame seeds. The fish and salad were delicious but not terribly filling. I ate most of the rice. I noticed that there was a marinade at the bottom and began to mix the rice with the marinade that was tasty. They do add 2.5% for credit cards, but that's fair enough these days. Entrées are on the pricey side, I thought ($39. for the crab/shrimp dish, 32 for my tuna, 12 for the lobster bisque), but there aren't any bargains dining out these days. We had no complaints, other than my somewhat dry rice. I'd like to give it 3 1/2 stars but will err on the generous side. We'll probably return next year on our beach day! read more

Went to Marina Grille last night with my girlfriends as we are visiting Avon by the Sea for the week. To start- this restaurant is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Its on the water, so we waited for an outside table. We only waited about 25 mins on a very busy night (we were quoted 45) which I was pleased by. The tuna nachos were my favorite bite of the night. The plate was giant to share and the flavors were delicious. I got the shrimp and lobster pasta and if you are considering that, I would pass. The shrimp had a funny, almost lemon essense flavor. The lobster was tasty (can't really mess up lobster). The pasta however was mucky in my opinion. The pasta itself was broken so it wasn't easy to twirl and the flavor was just very bland. My friends got the salmon and the shrimp. Both looked delicious. I do have to mention that we did love that the entrees came with a side salad. Overall it was a lovely spot. Absolutely beautiful there. Hang at the outside bar as you wait for your table! read more

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UPDATE: the management was kind enough to reach out about my review and they listened to my feedback. I appreciate that! I have no idea what changes might be made, but I will update this review accordingly when I go back. For now, I will add back on a star for their courtesy to me. I hope to be back this summer. I wanted to give this place 5 stars but I cannot. Went recently with my bestie for some post-beach oysters, drinks and snacks. I should have been suspicious when I ordered a glass of prosecco at the bar and it was just super cheap tasting. It was only $10 so I guess you get what you pay for. There was also a gross dirty napkin just sitting on the bar that was not attended to. At the table, I ordered their peach spritz. It was not spritzy and light as one would hope. It was extremely sweet and gloopy with syrup. Not refreshing. My friend had the strawberry mocktail and had to send it back due to its unpleasant taste. The waitress was pleasant and just took it off our bill. We ordered a dozen oysters. These oysters tasted flat like old gray dishwater. I think maybe the kitchen didn't bother to spot check quality. I think these were Blue Points, but they tasted like wet bathroom slippers. Next we had the clams. These were actually very good, but after the oysters, I was expecting very little. We then tried the crab cocktail. For $30, it was 3 tablespoons of crab on garnish lettuce. The crab was just so so, a bit dry, and totally not worth $30. We both decided to try the lobster bisque. They overloaded it with heavy cream. But the worst part was the garlic bread on top. Hard, chewy and clearly STALE. For the price and low quality, Marina Grille should be ashamed of themselves. read more

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Great ambiance with beautiful sunset and marina view. Fun place to be with great friends! Drinks were delicious and wonderful seafood. Great service as well. read more

We stumbled across this place after a beach day on a 100* day. It's kinda hidden from the road but it sure was busy, so I'm guessing that's not an issue. We had to park 2 blocks away bc the huge pay to park municipal lot was full. We also went on July 2, so, probably busier than normal. It was still super warm and my husband was looking for something indoors with ac. This is not it! lol! Even the indoor areas are not air conditioned. Including the rest rooms. But the place looked so nice we decided to stay. We put our name in and got a buzzer for a 35 minute wait. I went to the rest room, came out, and spotted 2 bar seats at the outdoor bar. We hopped in those and returned our buzzer. It was still hot but there was a breeze in that spot. We got a couple drinks and were able to order our dinner at the bar. He got a bowl of New England clam chowder, which he liked. I got the tuna stack, which we shared and it was great! Fresh and cool and crunchy and spicy and sweet all at the same time. Definitely the best thing we tried here. For dinner he got the shrimp and scallops oreganato, which he enjoyed with the street corn succotash ( which was really just corn) . I had the salmon, which came with coconut rice and watermelon pico. The salmon was cooked well done, but I forgot to ask for it medium rare, which is how I like it. It was still good. The "pico" was just watermelon and red peppers, but it was ok. The fried shallots on top were really good! If it was just the food, I'd probably give it 3.5 -4 star. The food was good and fresh, but some of the descriptions sounded better than they actually were. However!!! Let's talk about Bobby. Our bartender/ server Bobby, was by far the hardest working person in the entire place. And he was friendly and patient all the while. He was sweating his a** off, and working an entire large bar completely alone. Some other employees came and went in and out of the bar, but he did not have much help. In addition to that, several employees came and asked for his help, which he gave them. At a certain point, 2 employees were standing just outside the bar, chatting for quite some time. He asked one of them for something, but it didn't seem they did it, or helped him in any way. He really deserves the 5 star rating! And a raise! Or at least bartender hazard pay on those 90+* days! read more

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Not sure what to expect because of mixed reviews but really wanted to try this restaurant. As soon as I walked in I saw a very cool, modern beautiful dining room and bar! I ate out on the enclosed patio because the weather was lovely. The atmosphere was nice. The service was attentive and friendly! The dishes were flavorful and creative! Great spot!!! read more

Marina Grille - Seared tuna special over noodles - Seafood Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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Stopped by for lunch on my way home from a beach day on a Monday afternoon (~1:30 pm). When I entered, there was a line to be seated with roughly 5 parties in front of me. I opted for an outdoor bar seat to get in and out. Ordered an orange crush while I reviewed the menu. Ending up selecting the NE clam chowder, citrus calamari, and spicy garlic shrimp. The chowder was decent. It was chunky with the chopped clams. The ginger glaze, balsamic, and sriracha dressing for the citrus calamari was a great combo, but the calamari itself was over cooked. The spicy garlic shrimp was the star for me. The garlic sauce was delicious. With the amount of shrimp (6 total), it's the perfect size for light fare. Wish it had more than one crostini to soak up all that garlicky goodness. read more

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I came here a very long time ago and ate outside and it was really nice but mostly because of the surrounding atmosphere like the water and the sunset. The food was decent too. I came back a few times over the past couple years and had a horrible experience every single time. It's unfortunate because this place has so much untapped potential, especially considering its location by the water with a beautiful view, and you can see the sunset. The management seems to be lacking because it looks like an overall issue not just a bad day for the restaurant. Also the hostesses were horrible. Horrific vibes upon entry. Also some nights they have a live music which is ok but the speakers are unbelievably loud if you're dining in that area. It's such an uncomfortable decibel, almost makes you want to walk out. They do not need the speakers, the space is far too small for them. read more

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Went to dinner with a friend tonight at Marina Grille. I had the fish and chips and we shared the calamari! Everything was very good. The ambiance was very pretty with the water. The only tough part is parking. Had to park a few streets away and walk over the highway. Other than that, service was great and we will definitely be back. read more

Massive restaurant in Belmar with tons of seating inside and outside. Amazing views of the marina - we were there for sunset and it was such a great view. Asking for a table outside is definitely worth the extra wait. Unfortunately, I think the views were really the highlight of this restaurant. The food was just ok. The mahi-mahi didn't seem incredibly fresh, and the pizzas were just OK. The pitcher of sangria had basically no fruit in it. Overall, I think this place is good for drinks and the view only. read more

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The March specials include a pizza with corned beef sauer kraut and thousand island dressing. Its amazing. The place is lovely. Its on the water. Staff is nice. read more

Food was good, priced fairly. Had to send my Prosecco back twice. Bartender kept serving it to me flat. Very annoying. What a nice response from the owner. Will definitely be back. Our waitress was the sweetest. read more

Food was ok, service was ok, what bothers me is that they charge a "service fee" just to swipe a credit card. Really nickel and dimey when you are charging 50 dollars a plate. read more

Small and 90 percent Mayo. kinda wild for 30 bucks.. like 4 bites with lobster. Very expensive read more

Marina Grille - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

You need to be prepared for long waits. We were told it would be an hour and 15 minutes for a table. It was less time in the end. The staff was friendly and they give you plenty of time to sit and chat. The place is very clean and has you can see into the kitchen/ice bar. The food is really good. I always get the clams casino. However, this time the menu said the ahi tuna is seared and if you have seared tuna you know it comes rare. It's best when it's rare. Today it was way over cooked. The waitress never asked how I wanted it cooked and it was specified on the menu. I won't be ordering the ahi tuna again. read more

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11/9/24: Loved Marina Grille! Marina Grille was within walking distance of our earlier whale watch cruise. It was around 5:30 pm. We came in without any reservations. Luckily, they were able to accommodate us immediately. Caryle was our wonderful server. Menus and water were immediately brought over to us. *Drinks- We ordered a Berry Good Mule w/Titos and a Captain's Harvest with Rum. Both excellent drinks. But Captain's Harvest had a slight edge over Berry Good! *Entrees- Delicious and plentiful salads with champagne vinaigrette came with the entrees. My friend had the Jumbo Shrimp w/fries and coleslaw. My choice was the Crabcake Duo. Both entrees were very good. The coleslaw had a nice spicy kick to it. The entree portions were very large. A very good value for their prices. Overall, customer service was excellent. The restaurant had a large "happening" bar in the center. Definitely would return! read more

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Sat on the patio with heaters with a view of the water and had a great lunch! We also had some pizzas and drinks! read more

Marina Grille - Spicy shrimp and arugula salad on the patio, great summer lunch! - Seafood Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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The ambience was spot on, second time I was here with the same complaint my food arrives nearly warm maybe sat too long before a runner served it to us. We mentioned this to our server and she apologized and got us a right off the grill temperature, but my wife was already done. Bloody Mary was not too good. And why can't anyone working there tell us how to park on the lot. Has signs for an app but a lady coming out with food said it's only pay after 4:00? Wish this was simple to understand. Soup was good but was served with a tea spoon really? So they need to fix things and I'll give it 1 more chance this summer read more

You would think you could get seafood at a place like this. No lobster. Poor service and always too crowded. Good place to drink only

We came on Fourth of July and expected a wait but instead we were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately. There's a lot of seating indoor and out so even if there was a wait the outdoor bar is a nice spot to wait. I ordered the strawberry kiwi cocktail and it was not too sweet but it was a tad bit too tart. The shellfish combo was excellent. The oysters and clams were so fresh. I really enjoyed the surf and turf because the meat was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. The lobster Mac and cheese was a little salty for my liking but overall we had an amazing dinner and quick and attentive service from our server read more

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Marina Grille hits 5 stars on location and vibe. Without a doubt the views are great and the expansive restaurant is a fun place to hang out. Our server was friendly and our food came out quickly. It took a while to get our final check, but not really a problem since we were sitting outside enjoying the marina views. As many reviewers point out, the food is very average. We ordered the Baja Bowl and Grilled Chicken wrap for lunch. Both items were very bland and underwhelming. And disappointing at the price point we payed. It's possible had we ordered the pizza or the corn fritters as many rave, our food experience may have been better. Marina Grille has such potential with the location and vibe. If they could just up a notch on the food this place would be a winner. We will be back for their Game Day specials as we enter football season, because you just can't beat the location. read more

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We've been here many times. View and vibe is the best thing. Food is okay, nothing outstanding. The worst thing is the bartenders. They take forever to acknowledge you and then act like they're doing you a favor. Plenty of places up and down the Jersey shore that are far more crowded than here, and those bartenders handle the patrons quickly, efficiently and professionally. These guys need to work smarter and drop the attitude! read more

Stopped by here after spending the day on the beach before heading home. We wanted to sit outside as it as very beautiful sunny day! The rattan chairs and benches on the deck are black and do not have any cushions. When I sat down at my table I immediately jumped up because the black chairs were extremely hot! No apologies from the hostess. I went to my car and grabbed my sandy beach towel so I could tolerate the very hot deck seats. We both ate the Caesar Shrimp Wrap, which was good. Their coleslaw and French Fries were delicious and we really enjoyed the fresh Key lime pie. I had a glass of prosecco that was served flat without any bubbles. I sent it back twice then just gave up and drank it. I would definitely go back, but making sure I bring my beach towel into the restaurant to sit outside and not order any prosecco . No idea why they would have black rattan chairs that absorb heat without any light colored cushions. I did get a small burn mark on the back of my leg from the chair. I did not receive any apologies from the hostess for the issue of the seats or the flat prosecco. read more

Terrible experience, hostesses were so rude to me, told me I had a 15-20 min, then after the time passed proceeded to tell me I had another 15-20 min wait, then after time passed again they proceeded to tell me I never told them about my baby as I'm standing next to my stroller and I sat down after in front of them and was literally breastfeeding my baby. Also the first thing I said to them was party of 4 with a baby please I came here my entire pregnancy multiple times a month and they made me feel so terrible about having a baby I do not want to go back no matter how much I enjoyed this place with my husband and family. read more

Great view. We opted to go to MG on a Wednesday evening for my daughter's 21st bday. We were seated rather quickly, the place was buzzing. Atmosphere, view, drinks and apps were 5 stars, I wish we would not have ordered entrees. Apps, we had the Bavarian pretzels and tuna wanton nachos. Both were excellent. For entrees I ordered the lobster roll. $30 and you get a choice of fries or coleslaw, really? The pieces of lobster were all small scraps, no big chunks of lobster meat like I've experienced. The role was tasty, fries were good but the scraps of meat pissed me off for $30. Wife ordered linguine with clams. She said it was ok, it was cold and had a lot of some dried herb she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Daughter had fried shrimp platter with fries, cold frozen shrimp. Daughter's BF, pizza, he said it was good. In-laws fish and chips, looked good and they enjoyed it. We'll definitely be back but we'll stick with apps and drinks or maybe try the fish and chips. read more

Marina Grille - Sunset - Seafood Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

We ordered the lobster roll but it should have been called the celery roll. For $30 you need to do better.

Four stars for atmosphere...Overlooking the inlet. Atmosphere is nice. Food is just a little better the "bar food", so I would say 3 stars for the food. My daughter asked for the "corn succotash". It was just corn, nothing more. And for $6 for a tiny side of this, totally not worth it. Drinks were good. Watiress was nice. read more

I had a nice visit here. Walked in around 4:30 on a Saturday and got a table immediately. The orange creamsicle Margarita was fantastic. Strong so be aware. The orange salmon dish was very good. The ambience felt like you were at a tropical resort rather than NJ. Parking lot is a bit tight and you need to pay on the park mobile app. read more

We had a nice experience with your server Victoria. Beautiful smile and overall friendly and helpful manner was just what we needed after a long week and upcoming memorial service. The food was good but the service was EXCELLENT. read more

I had horrible service thanks to one waitress which I won't name her, but she took $30 of mine that I didn't even give her. Her name starts with a M. I am so mad. read more

Shore time is always complete with every visit. The service, meals and most of all the water view make it an amazing dinner, app or cocktail memory! A great start of an L-summer. read more

Location, location, location! You cannot beat the all around ambiance and view from the restaurant or deck. This was my first visit here and three of us came for lunch. We chose Lobster Bisque, NE Clam Chowder and Volcano Shrimp. My companions both enjoyed their soups but I found the shrimp dish to be a poor imitation ofBang Bang Shrimp. I did not find tem to be especially spicy and the presentation is definitely lacking. entrees consisted of the Burrata, Cobb Salad and Crab Cake Sandwich. Once again, my companions liked their food but I found the crab cake to be tasteless, at best. I even had to resort to adding a little hot sauce to kick up the flavor profile. Overall, this place has terrific potential and needs to look at their food offerings. That said, I will come back to give it a second chance. read more

I am vegan so I ordered a salad without cheese or fish. The others in my party enjoyed the halibut. The inside is much too loud and ruins and ambiance. The acoustics are horrible, It was difficult to talk to others at the table and the servers. Service was friendly and competent. If I go again it will be in the summer when the outside is open. read more

Love this place. It sits on the Belmar Marina. So peaceful and beautiful. Hat off to the chef. We had a short rib grilled cheese, which as scrumptious. The sweet and spicy sausage pizza, a MUST try. I will definitely be visiting there soon. Our waiter, Frank was so nice and accommodating. read more

Our food was great. Service started off well--friendly and attentive-- but was nowhere to be found after we were a few bites into our food. We probably would've ordered more drinks and made the server more money! But we waited a long time for anybody to return to the table. We would definitely give it another shot as the food was quite good and the view is beautiful! read more

We visited this restaurant for the first time after one of my friends mentioned it's one of her favorite places. We are sort of local to the area and we drove down on a Saturday. They open at 11:30 and when you pull into the lot please be careful where you park because some of the spots right by the water walkway or by permit only and there's a few other spots where you have to pay on an app so make sure you park inside the lot to avoid any issue. The lot is not huge so if you get there in peak time you may have an issue with parking but we had no issue. One thing I noticed is when we were walking from the car to the restaurant there is a station set up right by the lot where the fisherman can clean their fish and the overwhelming smell of fish is very, very strong. The restaurant itself is very big the inside is very modern clean and beautiful. They have a lot of booths and then they have the outside area bar with table tops and then you can walk down a few levels and there's more tables with umbrellas. The restaurant was actually bigger than I anticipated. There was only two of us and we sat in a booth inside only because it was very hot that day and I did not want to sit outside. There was barely anybody in the restaurant and honestly it took a little more time for a server to come over to us, But she came over with a cold bottle of water for the table and we ordered two drinks while we looked over the menu. I ordered a Margarita with salt rim and my husband ordered the Kane Head High IPA. My margarita was good but I would not order it again there. A little too much sour mix. For an appetizer we ordered the spicy crab + spinach dip as an appetizer; for my lunch I ordered the classic Caesar salad with grilled chicken and my husband ordered the chicken cutlet sandwich. The crab dip came out rather quickly and it was absolutely delicious but I will tell you they need to remove the name "spicy" because there was no spice in this dip AT ALL. I'm not complaining, it was delicious but there was no spice or bite to it at all and I love spice. My Caesar salad was very good very crispy romaine I loved the dressing I did ask for an extra side of dressing because I like a little more and the grilled chicken tasted delicious. The chicken cutlet sandwich came on semolina and it's a lot of bread so my husband ended up eating just the insides and he said it was delicious. The chicken cutlet sandwich came with your choice of french fries or coleslaw and he opted for the french fries. My husband also ordered the Tropical Adventure rum Bucket, which was fantastic!! We did not choose dessert even though their dessert menu looks delicious and I really wanted to try the peanut butter explosion but we decided against it. Overall I will be back to the restaurant I think it's in a wonderful location I love that it's open and you have the option to go sit out underneath the umbrellas or inside. My only tiny issue is I wish the waitress was a tad more attentive because the restaurant was not full and she did not check back with the table to my expectation but I'm starting to find that in a lot of restaurants but overall we enjoyed our experience. read more

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My wife and I wanted to eat in Asbury Park around 5 pm but could not find a convenient parking space. Have been to the Marina Grille before and it did not disappoint. The holiday decor is wonderful. Our server, Emily, was attentive and friendly. We had the flounder frances and the crab cakes. Both were excellent. No trouble parking (of course no of the charter boats were going out). There was a nice crowd inside and a couple of good college games on the TV's. Great experience! read more

I cannot say enough about the amazing staff...and food was great too. After a day at the beach we stopped on our way out of town for dinner. Unfortunately, my mom injured her foot on the way in...the managers and waitress were phenomenal in their help. They immediately got ice and the manager helped to clean and wrap her foot. We were beyond grateful! The food was delish and the views of the marina are beautiful. We will definitely be back. read more

Came here for a repast after a funeral ceremony and they were able to accommodate a big group of roughly 30 so kudos to the staff. Once we got there they gave us all ice waters and got our drinks orders fairly quick. Plenty of cocktail and drinks options but since we were down the shore I decided to go with a local ale from Kane and was not disappointed. Apps were ordered for our table (corn fritters, fried calamari, and guacamole and chips). Calamari was tasty and I never had it served with orange slice which was interesting. Corn fritters were my favorite though. As for the main I decided to go with a pizza and I was so stuffed I should've gone lighter. I've been liking the recent obsession with honey on pepperoni so I went with the Sopressata + Honey pie which was tasty. There was a dessert and coffee menu but I just ordered an espresso and it came out quick. The views here are fantastic you can sit outside If you'd like but we opted for a table inside. read more

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If you're looking for a nice restaurant in Belmar with beautiful views of the marina, you have to check out Marina Grille. They have plenty of parking in the lot (might have to park at the end if it's more packed). They have indoor and outdoor dining options. They have plenty of draft beers and cocktails. Their appetizers were delicious. I highly recommend the volcano shrimp. Their sandwiches are also very big and a great portion. Their pizzas are delicious too! They were nice enough to give me a birthday dessert which was a chocolate brownie sundae and the perfect treat to end our dining! Definitely recommend coming here! read more

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