My cousins recommended The Columns on Sundays they have live bands. We arrived and placed a request for a table of 8 in the restaurant. It took about an hour for us to be seated. There are 3 areas at The Columns- the bar area with seating on the right side once you enter. Dinning area to the left is cash only and grab and go foods and drinks! Sliders, fries. We were seated on the porch for dinner! Food was tasty! Enjoyed my Painkiller cocktail! After dinner, we went to the bar and listen to the band. Great night catching up with my cousins and friends. Prices were actually really reasonable for a coastal restaurant! The Columns located across the street from the boardwalk and beach of Spring Lake! Loved the boards with saying throughout The Columns located across! Gorgeous stained glass windows in the staircase! Would definitely return!! read more

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My wife and I visited The Columns and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. We sat at the bar and ordered both food and drinks. While the atmosphere was nice and we enjoyed the setting, the service from the bartender made us feel extremely uncomfortable. We were repeatedly ignored and had to go out of our way just to get her attention and receive basic service. What was particularly troubling was watching the difference between how we were treated and how other customers were treated. Based on our experience and those interactions, my wife and I both felt that we were being treated differently because of our race. I don't make that accusation lightly, but the disparity in service was noticeable enough that we both left with the same impression. It's unfortunate because the location and atmosphere have a lot going for them. We came there expecting to have an enjoyable evening together, not to feel unwelcome or as though we had to repeatedly work to get the bartender to serve us. Management should take experiences like this seriously. Every customer should receive the same level of courtesy, attention, and professionalism regardless of their race or background. read more

I had first heard of The Columns when I saw various local musicians list it as one of their summer venues. It seemed like a cool place to check out, but since I usually only went to the "Shore" during the afternoon, it never seemed like a viable option to visit, for live evening tunes, anyway. However, since I was recently staying nearby, I decided to make a night out of it, trying to get to the venue in time for a 9:00 pm band set time. We had met some local residents earlier in the day who warned us to get to The Columns early, as there was supposedly often a line to get in. That seemed absurd to us, but we decided to get there around 7:45 pm to have a safe runway before the show. Well, even getting there before 8:00 pm did not help us much. Our ride share dropped us off in front of the historic mansion with a giant wrap-around balcony, and there was already a line down the block. The crowd was young (think mid-20s) and many seemed comfortably familiar with the entrance process. In fact, I caught the girl in front of us suggesting that it was best to order drinks at the bar furthest from the stage, as it would be less crowded. I committed that note to memory and settled in for what I thought would be a lengthy wait to get inside. Thankfully the line moved quickly, and we were at the front of it within ten minutes. There was a $20 cover charge, and only cash was accepted. The staff at the door was very friendly, which helped ease the annoyance of the wait and the cost, however. Once inside, we headed to the left where there was a counter for ordering food and drinks. The food line was longer than the drink one, so we were quickly able to claim our mixed cocktails. The beverages were expensive, but served in large pint glasses, which helped minimize our need to fight the crowd for additional cocktails as the night progressed. That room also had a few tables and some loud DJ music as well. Once we had our drinks, we headed to the other side of the house where we had to push through a massive crowd to get passed two large bars and close to the stage in the back room. As the night went on, the floor became soaking wet from spilled drinks, the patrons were more intoxicated, and there was less space to move about. We tried to keep our cool and hold down our tight area without getting mixed up in all of the chaos, but we were growing frustrated that the band, The Nines, went on an hour after their scheduled time. Once they began, we enjoyed their talented tunes, but the sound system was staticky and not very clear. We stuck it out for another 45 minutes or so and then were ready to leave. While I appreciated that the floor staff was nice and continually cleaning trash off the floor, the place was just a bit over the top for us after our long morning trip to get down to that area, and we were exhausted by that point. The Columns was a beautiful venue with loads of character, and it offered an exciting evening atmosphere, but the cash-only requirement and young crowd made it not quite the right fit for us on a busy Saturday night. read more

The Columns - Line to get in - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

Finally made it to one of the Jersey Shore staples for dinner last week! Our server was friendly (despite what other reviews say about bad service), and we were lucky enough to snag a table on the porch with an awesome ocean view. Recommend checking for specials before you go - in June they had half-price entrées on Tuesdays. I had the vodka pasta with chicken; chicken was cooked perfectly and the portion was huge, but the sauce was just ok. My husband devoured his crab cake sandwich. We'll definitely be back later this summer for the live music! read more

The Columns - Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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I don't know why the bad reviews, went there a Friday night, got seated with 5 minutes, service was fast and good. Ambience on restaurant was great, beautiful views and Bru people in all age groups, food was excellent, meat dip was perfect, and lobster too. Will definitely go back. Prices are very competitive for that area and food read more

The Columns - Crab dip - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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Hello Darlings! As Summer 2026 cruises by faster than a bat out of hell, we came to the realization that we haven't done an outdoor beachfront meal this season and hubby suggested The Columns, since they have a fabulous porch overlooking Ocean Avenue. We decide to walk over kind of early-ish, arriving before 5pm (on a Saturday), and was surprised to see that it was busy, busy, busy, chock full of many, many jovial patrons, enjoying the libations and a band playing "classic rock" covers. They were good, no doubt keeping the increasingly jovial patrons at the bar suitably entertained. As for Hubby and me, we parked it at a table inside, people-watching as we endured our 30-minute wait. That kept Your Host suitably entertained. So, let's get into some of the deets, shall we? ATMOSPHERE: it's a bar with live entertainment (typically bands), so it's not quiet. It's popular with beachgoers who will typically hang out for drinks and/or bites after enjoying the beach. There's a fun, energetic vibe here and families will have their littles in tow. I imagine there is a cut-off time for the under-21 set but one might say that The Columns accommodates families. Saturday late-afternoon/early evenings are busy and take heed darlings that you will be waiting at least 30 minutes for a table. FARE: typical American bar food. Seafood is a thing here and they have a raw bar. The lunch offerings (mostly sandwiches) end promptly at 4pm and switches to their dinner menu, which are mostly plates. Food is okay...both Hubby and I had crab cakes, which were pretty tasty. SERVICE: attentive but not annoyingly so. Our server was a lovely woman, and food came out on the quick. Now, darlings, I now have to throw a little caution to the wind... There are no free refills on soft drinks and at $4 a pop, that can certainly add up. This is Your Host's biggest peeve with The Columns but gets around that with an adult bev. The other vexation is that they charge an extra 3% on credit card but debit cards are exempt from the surcharge...so that's nice (I guess). OVERALL; it's a fun place with some decent chow and a recommended stop after a day at the beach. What would Jonathan think? One of life's many questions... TTFN, Your Host read more

This is a beautiful spot to listen to music, dance, and drink. It is a better than average beach bar, with a varied crowd, strong drinks, and live music. It a gorgeous old Victorian mansion right on the water, so you can stare out at the ocean while you sip on a tumbler of wine and shout over the music at your friends. Also - there is a tiny restaurant in the back that serves cheap AF lobster and lobster rolls. It is cash only, and very no frills, but the lobster is excellent. read more

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Excellent service. A plus as we sat outside dining facing the beach. I had a salad for lunch & husband had the fish tacos. The grilled chicken on my salad was moist & flavorful. We definitely will go back for lobster & crab cakes. Looked really delicious!! read more

Lobster palooza is the signature meal here and features 1 1/4 lobster meal, they've eliminated the baked potatoes and replaced it with overly done diced potatoes- please bring back the baked potatoes! Service was good with young student summer workers. It's on the beach with great views and reasonable pricing. Live music and several bars are the highlight. Food is not five-star but it's not the reason to go. The setting, lively crowd and music are the reason. read more

My daughter and five of her friends went to see a band here on a Saturday night two weeks ago. Unfortunately, what should have been a fun night turned into an experience that left all of them feeling unsafe and unsupported. While waiting in line, they were repeatedly harassed by a group of young men who continued bothering them once they were inside. The behavior included calling them lesbians, insulting them as "poor," bragging about being "old money," and generally behaving in an aggressive and obnoxious manner. What concerns me most is what happened next. My daughter could not find security personnel to help. When she decided to leave, she specifically told a middle-aged, bald gentleman working there what had been happening and pointed out exactly where the group was standing. He expressed sympathy, talked about having a wife and daughters himself, and gave her the impression that he understood how serious the situation was. My daughter and her friends waited outside for a while to see whether anything would actually be done. From what they observed, nothing was. Instead, the gentleman appeared to remain near the curtain, drinking water and watching to see when the group would leave. Even while they were waiting in line earlier, this group was creating enough of a disturbance that local police approached them. Unfortunately, my daughter and her friends did not see any meaningful intervention then either. I understand that a venue cannot control the behavior of every person who walks through its doors. It absolutely can control how it responds when patrons report harassment and say they feel unsafe. Six young women should not have to leave a venue because the people harassing them are allowed to remain without apparent intervention. My daughter will not return. Neither will I, and I would not recommend this venue to young women or their parents based on what happened that night. A venue that hosts crowds and live music needs visible security and a clear, immediate response when guests report harassment. Unfortunately, that was not our family's experience. read more

Here is a nice way to end a beautiful beach day at Avon. Sit outdoors, watch the ocean, sip a Modelo beer and eat here. Service was excellent and the food was great. I loved my wedge salad. It came with plenty of crispy bacon and and fresh romaine lettuce. Shrimp was perfectly grilled. This place is a little pricey but location, food and service do add up to a perfect way to end the day. read more

The Columns - Wedge salad with grilled shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

Been coming here since I was a kid and it never disappoints. It's right off the Avon boardwalk so views of the ocean are great. Highly recommend the lobster roll! read more

The Columns - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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I literally redownloaded yelp just to write this. had a good experience for the most part but the late night kitchen staff is SO disorganized and unprofessional. I ordered $8 worth of food, they basically WHISPERED my number, someone else took it, and they refused to make me a new order or reimburse me. $8 wasted. They also gave me a fricken attitude like?? This is not my fault. I left hungry and cranky. if you're at columns and you want food just go somewhere else. Food looked mid asf too. Band was great tho and overall a good experience. read more

Great experience from start to finish. What's not to love about sitting right near the beach with stunning views? Started the evening with a few aperol spritz, wings, calamari and coconut shrimp. All were tasty and good portions. The calamari had a great spicy kick to it! Enjoyed! We then had our entrees. I had a lobster roll which was delicious! It came with fries on the side. My fiancé had tuna tacos, my future sister in law had shrimp tacos and my future cousin in law had crab cakes. I enjoyed mine, I know a few others thought it was average. Overall the food is good, however the views make everything that much better. I'll be back again! read more

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Great outdoor seating area for our party of 11, where you can see the beautiful beach. If you want to get seats for a large party be sure to arrive early. So we got there at 11am on Sat, thinking it was when it opened based on what's posted but it turns out it's opened at 11:30am and didn't take reservations. We did get seated right away at 11:30am so that was great. Enjoyed my fish tacos and my friends also liked their meals too. Keeping in mind food was not our focus this was a great meet-up spot to grab a bite and head to the beach just across the street!! read more

The Columns - Lobster Roll and fries - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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If I could give less than 1 star I would. It took the staff 15 minutes to get a high chair, it took 45 minutes to get 1 kids meal, and another 20 minutes for 3 meals that didn't even need to be cooked. The waitress never checked on us once and the host would not let our sleeping baby come up in a stroller during a quiet time when there were empty tables around us, even though they let other tables do just that. This restaurant is not only less than mediocre for food, but the service is terrible. Do not come here unless you're ready for disappointment. read more

Good bar with live music. Typical bar food with shore type specials like steamers and lobster rolls. For me I prefer lobster rolls with drawn butter over the rolls with mayo. I wish they had the choice. Definitely a better spot for lunch than the Pavilion on the beach! read more

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The specials were great & dining on the porch was a great vibe! Our server was very friendly & didn't rush us @ all which we really appreciated. read more

horrible service. long line where the bouncers were the opposite of helpful. cash only = sketchy af. leaving a soon as possible read more

The Columns is right on the shore which makes for a beautiful view. It is in an old family home and I was surprised how much space there is on the first floor. We attended a graduation dinner and they added cute little details for the grads around the room of the party (and the menu). So sweet of them! The food was decent. We had the steamers and calamari for an app and then I had the shrimp scampi for my meal. The steamers were cooked well and there was plenty of them. But the dipping sauce (usually just butter) was rather bland. The calamari was cooked well!! The shrimp of my meal was the best part. The sauce on the noodles were also bland. The drinks were also well but there is not draft beer which was off to me since there were full service bars around the restaurant. But the wine was delish and highly recommend if you dine at The Columns. The servers get 5/5 stars. So quick to get orders and were on it even with a group of 40+! read more

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Went there after spending the day at the beach, service was efficient and food was delicious! The drinks were on point too. Place is also very accommodating! read more

The Columns - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

Eating at this place was the worst dining experience I've ever had. Horrible food and service. I had to get my own straws. No free refills, expensive food and small menu. Do yourself a favor and go to applebees instead where they have edible food. read more

Love this place after a long beach day! The no-frills outdoor grill/deck has self-serve seating (cash only) with causal fare consisting of peel shrimp, clams, whole lobster, mini burgers, hot dog, etc. Cheaper prices but continually goes up each year. Can't beat that ocean view (if you're lucky). For actual dining, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the food was. Bacon wrapped scallops usually underwhelm me bc the scallop is too small or dried out and is overpowered by bacon flavor... not here!!! Juicy, sweet, tender scallops and the crispy bacon complemented nicely. Orange marmalade for dipping. The octopus special was sooo good, seasoned with olives/ & capers. Side salad was perfect. Waitress was very sweet and attentive. Be warned the floorboards do shake when folks walk by--it's an old house. Always expect a wild time here, as they have live bands around the clock. It gets packed, but plenty of standing room away from the stage. Cover charge by a certain hour at night. Depends on time of day for what age group frequents, but overall seems to be getting younger as years go by. read more

The Columns - Peel shrimp, seafood chowder, and a hot dog from the "outdoor grill" in the summer. - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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We came on a Thursday and it was Lobster Palooza Nite! 1-1/4 lobster and 2 sides for $20. Great deal. It was packed. We didn't have reservations and went right at dinner hour. We waited 35 minutes which was what they said and had a drink at the bar. Service and food was great. We had the seafood bisque and crab cakes very good. read more

3.5 stars. OK, so my review is based on going here on a cool, rainy June day so it was empty and quiet. I know it gets super packed normally, so my experience was different. I'm pretty sure that the columns used to be an old Victorian home at one point and it's probably needs the columns because of all of the different columns throughout the former house. It is a large bar/restaurant with different sections inside and outside. Since it was raining we were inside and obviously had the entire bar to ourselves. Aperol spritz FTW and a glass of water before heading on the road. It does smell like bar in there, but that's expected for a popular place like that. I wouldn't mind returning but only during quieter seasons. read more

The Columns - Aperol spritz - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

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The food isn't really anything special but the ambience is great! Nice porch restaurant across from the beach with water views. Had a lovely dinner there overlooking the ocean. Exactly what we were looking for when searching for seafood restaurant on the water. Food isn't spectacular, but I'd return for the view. Beautiful on a warm summer night. I had the crab cakes. We also got bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer which were kind of a joke since they only came with four and were very small, but good company and good vibes so it's alright. read more

Over the weekend I attended a wedding at the Columns. It was outstanding! Now understand that The Coulmns is a seasonal restaurant, bar and nightclub until Kip, Allison, Brian and staff transformed it into an amazing wedding venue on the beach! The set up was beautiful. The staff was top-notch and the food was delicious. Thanks Guys for such an incredible day for Sarah and TJ!! Kudos!!! read more

I don't know how anyone could walk away without awarding a five star rating. At least not on a Thursday night...LOBSTERPALOOZA night! I'm going to quite a bit straight from their website: Calling all lobster lovers! The Columns bar and restaurant has its popular LobsterPalooza special every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. You get a 1.25-pound whole steamed lobster, plus vegetable of the day and choice of mashed potatoes, rice or French fries, for just $19.95. In addition, live musical entertainment is provided by the Guns 4 Hire acoustic trio on Thursday nights starting at 6:00 p.m. end of quote. You definitely have to make reservations. I'm not sure if we had them, I forget, but we did have to wait. We had some wine and watched the beach waves, as the Columns sit right across the road by the beach. We also had drinks inside the bar,and the band was great. They kept giving away lobster dinners, but none of us were so lucky. But we sure felt lucky when seated with a view, wearing our lobster bibs, and taking photos to determine the winner of who had the best looking dinner. We had some calamari and pretzel bread before dinner. The veggie of the day was green beans, yum, and the potatoes were awesome, and the lobster divine. There was absolutely nothing not to live, other than our wait (which we made fun) for a table at this packed quaint dining spot. As soon as we plan to go back to the shores, I'll be marking in every Thursday night on the calendar with: call Columns! read more

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I love it here! been many times and never disappointed!! Can't wait to go again! The food is delicious, the ambiance looking at the ocean, and the service are all wonderful!!! read more

The bartender was not exactly friendly. They aim their service toward people who will tip 10x their bill. Had people cutting in line who were randoms! read more

This place fucking sucks! Do not go for food showed up at 9:00 on a Thursday in the summer whole staff seemed pissed to serve us. Everyone watched as we ate the whole time and the server was taking plates while we were eating. Honestly unacceptable behavior all around need to hire better staff. Will never go back! Table of 8 you would think the server wants to tip no absolutely so disrespectful read more

First, we dropped off everything at my good friend's car then walked over to The Columns. It was a spacious restaurant with one side for self-service and the other side if you want waiter service. We wanted to grab a quick bite so we went to the self-service side. My friend ordered a Griddle Dog and Seafood Bisque. I ordered the Boat of Fries (nothing special) and Sausage & Peppers (they should've mentioned that it wasn't the full link...this was yummy but I want more meat lol). For alcoholic beverages, you have to order at the cashier right next to the food line. Wow, the prices were so inexpensive man. read more

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Agree with the other reviews, this is not a spot you come to for fantastic food. It's decent, the service can be a little spotty (but friendly) but the drinks are good and the views are fantastic. read more

The reason to go here is the bar, and the people hanging out. It's really a jersey summer place as they close in the fall and reopen around Mother's Day. The food is good not great, better seafood can be found in a dozen restaurants within 2 miles, but none have a more magnificent view of the ocean. If you are looking for a great place to grab lunch or dinner with great views this place can't be beat. If you're looking fabulous food, this isn't the place for you. read more

The food and service were outstanding! Since this restaurant does not take reservations, we arrived around 4:40 pm. They were able to seat us right away at an outside table over looking the beach. We had the calamari and shrimp cocktail appetizers. Both were delicious. I had the whole lobster stuffed with crabmeat. Fir $36 this is a steal! My husband had linguine and clams. Also very good. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The Columns - Stuffed whole lobster. - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

Went for lunch while visiting the beach for the day. Wasn't super impressed. The meal was pricey for the portion sizes. Our server was wonderful & we enjoyed sitting on the patio. We will stick to Columns for their live music and night life read more

Was down the shore for the first time this summer and decided to start the day with a blood mary. Bartender at the columns was EXTRA DRY Get a new job buddy!!!!! read more

We came by for the "lobsterpalozza". My wife had the 1.25 lobster, I had the lobster roll. Both were excellent and very reasonably priced. We started with the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites...they were awesome!! This is a definite must-visit if you're ever in this part of the Jersey shore (and even if you're even remotely close by!!) read more

amazing. people watching as good as the lobster roll. to the losers leaving 1 star reviews, you're not coming to the French Laundry. relax. this place rocks. read more

The Columns - pickles, Lobster Roll, fries - Seafood Near Me - Avon by the Sea, New Jersey

While waiting to be seated you can stand inside and get a drink at the bar while music plays, which is nice to pass time. The view is beautiful since it is right on the ocean. However, the food is trash. We ordered the burrata, which didn't taste bad but it's wasn't a nice, fresh juicy burrata as I would've liked to have. There was way too much not necessary arugula with one ball of burrata. Then we ordered the calamari, which I'll give it to them it was different than your standard calamari since it had a thai chili sweet sauce with it. However it wasn't good, just ok. Then we got the vodka sauce pasta dish with chicken. The pasta was okay and the sauce was okay. The chicken though was disgusting. Chewy and gross. I also hated the bread it came with. The service was helpful they adjusted the price for our pasta since we didn't order it with chicken. They got our drinks fast and efficiently. I would come back to hang out get a drink, but never for dinner. read more

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