After spending the day at the beach, we called last minute to see if they could fit us in, and the hostess happily let us know they could accommodate us. From the moment we arrived, the hostess team was warm, welcoming, and quickly showed us to a lovely outdoor table. The valet outside was so nice (it's complimentary so that's a plus!) the restaurant btw is beautiful. Our server, Jessica, was fantastic!!! She was friendly, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal. The food was outstanding, the service was exceptional, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. Thank you, Jessica, for making our evening so memorable. We'll definitely be back! read more

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I treated myself to a solo lunch here about two weeks ago. Sat outside facing the beach side. I did originally want to sit on the lake side but the sun was beating down on the dining tables and there was no shade at all. Honestly everything I ate was fantastic! Their apple walnut salad was refreshing, the crab cake appetizer was mostly if not all fresh crab (you can tell when some places add fillers), their coconut shrimp appetizer was so yummy (ask for the sweet Thai chili sauce!), and their pineapple cake- OMG I practically licked the plate. It was all so good that I also ordered their lobster bisque to go. I enjoyed it the following day and it was delicious with chunks of lobster in it. Service was wonderful- I feel so bad that I am forgetting her name, it may have been Katie. I will most definitely be back! read more

The Rum Runner - Apple walnut salad, crab cake, and coconut shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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We have been looking to try Run Runner since we moved here. We finally went on Saturday, from the moment we pull up the valet service to the friendly hostess we knew we were in for a good time. Our server Julia was so pleasant and was such a professional. She took our drink orders, which promptly came. They were delicious. A Rum Bucket and Ocho on the rocks. Since in was lunch we ordered appetizers rather than a meal. The Blue Point Oysters were delicious- cleaned no sand. The Buratta flatbread was cooked perfectly and Aji tuna nachos were delicious. A great experience. Can not wait to return. read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Great happy hour location with outstanding River views and a wonderful sunset Drink and food specials at the bar Service at the bar is great I have not had a dining experience as of yet Free valet parking available read more

The Rum Runner - Happy hour - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

In full transparency, the food itself is perhaps a 2.5, mediocre, ordered the 68$ or so seafood app from the raw bar, it was meh. Shrimp cocktail at 18$ was 4 average sized shrimp. I rarely consider process on the food but this one is as just a bit much for 4 shrimp on ice. The atmosphere and setting of course is what you're paying for and this is a reminder that the experience and expectations should be set accordingly. That said, we were offered inside or outside, beautiful day so we chose outside but rather walk up to the second level with the outside balcony we were walked to first floor adjacent to the cars parked. read more

The Rum Runner - Cocktail shrimp, 4 for $18? - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Welcoming. Impeccable service. Evie took such care of us. Very helpful and so kind .I order the halibut. It was fresh, colorful and soooooooo delicious! Hot earl grey tea in this foggy rainy day. My bff and I shared a piece of coconut cake. Adorable, fresh and tasty. I loved coming here. I simply adore the view of the bay. I am smitten!! I wanna come back asap!! read more

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We had such an amazing experience at Rum Runner! Everything from the food to the service was absolutely phenomenal. I ordered the Betty Salad with grilled chicken and it was so fresh and flavorful. My boyfriend got the lobster mac and cheese, and we were both obsessed--it was rich, creamy, and packed with lobster. We started with the chef's selection of bread and the calamari, and both were incredible. For drinks, I had the Rum Runner (which was delicious and a must-try!), and my boyfriend kept it simple with a whiskey on the rocks. Our waitress was so friendly, attentive, and made the entire experience even better. The atmosphere, food, drinks, and service were all top-notch. We honestly couldn't have asked for a better dinner. 10/10 recommend--we'll definitely be back! read more

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The Rum Runner is never a disappointment! It is decorated so nicely for the holidays and brings in the cozy holiday feel! The waitress that I had was so bubbly and cheery. She was so sweet, which always makes the experience better. I ordered the Sausage Broccoli Ravioli. Normally I would not think to put sausage and broccoli together for ravioli, but it was absolutely delicious. There was the perfect amount of sausage and broccoli in each. The sauce was also so flavorful. This definitely could be my new go-to here! read more

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I've been here several times and always leave feeling the same way: it's such a beautiful space with tremendous views of the river. It's just a shame the food is so mediocre. I was there for lunch this time. My mother ordered the black bean burger. She said it tasted good, but it was very mushy and could barely be classified as a burger since she basically had to eat it with a fork because it wasn't staying together. I got the crab cake sandwich. It had very little flavor and I wouldn't recommend. All of the "handhelds" come with a small salad these days. If you want french fries that's an extra 4 dollars. I got them to try and they were disappointing too. If you're going to make me pay extra for French fries can they at least be hand cut? So like I said, not a great experience, other than the beautiful room. read more

Poor service mostly by the hostess who failed to greet us, seat us, or provide menus despite three requests. Finally someone did give us menus and we had a great waiter and the food and drink were OK. Hostess needs training or another line of work. read more

Thank you and your staff for making it such a success! The food and service were impeccable. The team did a great job all around! The transition from buffet to dessert was seamless and non disruptive. The bartenders handled the group quickly and the specialty cocktails were delicious. Jared was so attentive keeping us informed of timeline and party progression so no one missed anything (and tracked us down when needed to do so because i was at every table!!!) We have always loved enjoying dinner at the Rum Runner and I knew having an event there would not disappoint. I can't thank you and the other coordinators enough and intend on referring as many people to you for their events In the future. read more

Have been here a few times and look forward to each time This is a happening spot and the valets are fast and plentiful Good size portions and the food is great read more

The Rum Runner was fantastic! We did the cheese board for an appetizer and it was tasty with the cheese, fresh fruit and nuts. We got the crostini on the side because my husband is gluten free. They were very accommodating to any dietary restrictions. I had the Betty Salad with salmon which was amazing. The portion was extremely generous. My husband had the seafood risotto and enjoyed his meal. The service was friendly and very attentive to any of our needs. The view of the river is amazing and the nautical decor goes well with location. I would highly recommend the Rum Runner! read more

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I wasn't a fan of this place the first time I tried it. I thought the view was amazing, the restaurant beautiful, the food was meh and service was poor. Nothing has really changed since my last visit but the service seems to be even worse! Our first choice was closed, second choice had an hour wait, so here is where we landed. We were seated just before 8pm on a Monday night. Only the second floor seating was open and the restaurant was fairly empty. We were told since we didn't have a reservation we could only sit indoors or outdoors overlooking the parking lot. The other outdoor seating was "reserved" although we didn't see anyone else being seated there our entire meal. Our waitress basically forgot about us outside after taking our order and after over an hour I had to seek out someone to find out what was happening with our food. Another few minutes passed and our food finally came. For the prices the food is mediocre at best. I asked for our check with our meal since I figured I wouldn't see our waitress again anytime soon. I guess the manager took this as a sign we weren't happy. He apologized and was kind enough to take the app off our bill which I truly appreciated. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this restaurant despite the gorgeous views. read more

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We had a reservation for a party of ten on a week night. They made us stand in the doorway for half an hour in the heat when the restaurant was 3/4 empty. They claimed they were waiting for another large party to leave to set up tables - there was no other large party. I watched them take 15 minutes to set up plates, silverware, fill water glasses and place menus on the seats. I literally had to just bring everyone to the table to sit. Food was very good and table service was good too but by that time it was too little too late. read more

Was recently in New Jersey for a wedding and made a reservation for 9 on a Saturday night. We were seated immediately and everything got better and better from there. Beautiful restaurant with gorgeous views. Since there were 9 of us, we tried a number of dishes. Everything was delicious. Not sure why there are a number of negative reviews, but we highly recommend The Run Runner. read more

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Been coming to this Tim McLoone restaurant for ages, before Sandy swept it away. We sat in the bar area to listen to some live music while eating dinner. We had salads, one with salmon the other was a Steak & Burrata salad, both plentiful and very good. Of course the wine & beer selection are good. read more

What a great birthday brunch we had for my mom's 80th. The service was perfect for our party of 16. We all had a memorable time and appreciate the wonderful team at the restaurant read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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Looking forward to eating out near the water for a last time this summer, we chose this Sea Bright staple. Though the decor is nice and the staff friendly, the food was disappointing. The food was under seasoned; prettier to the eye than to the taste. read more

The building is lovely from the outside and even more stunning inside. There are elevators so if scaling the steps is an issue don't fret. The restaurant has three floors and is an open area with booths and many window seats that overlook the bay. On a clear day (such as today) is was breathtaking views everywhere. We ordered starters and entrees and all were delectable. The staff is wonderful (our server was training and was on point checking on us from the moment we sat down until we left) and goes above and beyond to make sure you're satisfied. The restaurant was full and can get a bit noisy depending on the volume of customers since it's such a large open area. The only down side is the parking spots that are oddly the most narrow spots I have ever had to park in. Myself and my passenger almost fractured our ribs (lmao) trying to get out and inside the car. read more

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Where do I start? Last year I made a review and this review is a follow up. I was contacted by Hannah via email and she extended an invite to give them another chance. First, every restaurant needs a Hannah! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be making this review. We were greeted with numerous smiles at the front desk and escorted to our table looking over the beautiful River. We were greeted by Reed our server, who offered us to a cocktail , yes please! I had the island spritzer and hubby had sailor Bloody Mary. Warning, the spritzer is so good it's dangerous and the bloody was like an appetizer with shrimp and bacon! I had the goat cheese fritters and hubby had the candied bacon deviled eggs..both were outstanding! We moved onto the entree, I had Chicken and waffles and hubby had breakfast burger, the chicken waffles was delicious , chicken cooked to perfection and the flavor was amazing! The breakfast burger was messy good!! We recommend all of the above! We're so happy to give this restaurant another chance, we will be returning, OFTEN! Bravo to the chef, we tasted the love in your cooking! read more

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Nice spot, terrific water views. Stiff drinks, the bar can get loud at times. Staff friendly, and you just know they've seen it all-one Jersey shore summer can do that. Food good, nothing cutting edge-but it's not trying to be that place. Slooooow elevator! read more

It was great to be back at The Rum Runner this past weekend! With two levels of outdoor seating looking over the bay, the scenery could not be better as you watch the boats on a nice afternoon. We were seated right away. I had a pear margarita (sweet) and a glass of rose. The chef assortment of bread was a stand out. What sounds so simple was elevated in flavor with 4 different types of rolls and 3 incredibly flavored dips/butter. For my meal I had a wedge salad with chicken. read more

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Decided last minute to go out to eat and was very excited to see an open reservation at Rum Runner. Was seated at an outdoor table with a beautiful view of the sunset. Split a couple plates with a friend - tuna tartare special, the Betty salad, scallops entree and linguine with attitude. Absolutely delicious. We both also got the pear tini drink, which was refreshing and delicious as well. Loved this spot! read more

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I haven't written a review in years but man, was I compelled to write this one. I don't know how this place is still operating as some of the previous reviews I read (which I should have done PRIOR to choosing to dine here) should have kept me away. That is my mistake. My husband and I have a 3 year old special needs child so we don't get to eat out often and certainly not just the two of us. But when my mother offered to watch my child we jumped at the opportunity for a parents night out. We chose rum runner and chose an early reservation so that we could get home at a decent hour since I know my kid can be a handful. 5:30 reservations for which we arrived on time. Wr were seated right away and had a lovely booth for the two of us overlooking the dining room with the Navesink River for a view. Ryan was our waiter and he was great. Took our drink orders and then took our appetizer order which came after a short wait. After this is when it just went left. I ordered the NY Strip and my husband the bacon wrapped filet that was a special. I always ALWAYS order medium because a lot of times it's overcooked. My husband ordered his medium well. And we waited. Waited waited and waited more. After 45 minutes we finally get our meals and SURPRISE my steak is WELL DONE. My husband's steak is also well done. At this point I don't want to send it back because who knows how long it would have taken for a new one and already being out of the house for an hour and a half I didn't want to spend more time away from home and risking the possibility of my daughter having a meltdown on my mother. So I ate an overdone steak that thankfully had a sauce on it or I'm sure would have been dry. There was a family seated next to us who arrived at the same time and their meal took just as long to get to them. I could tell they ordered the tomahawk for two and I'm not sure what the issue was (I'm pretty sure I can guess), but they sent theirs back. We finished eating, skipped dessert and paid the $200 bill for a meal that I would say wasn't worth half of that. We were leaving and the family still hadn't gotten their replacement meal. Really avoid at all cost. read more

The Rum Runner - The dry overcooked meat I received - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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A delicious meal starting with some great appetizers! Coconut shrimp and parmesan fries, followed by a delicious bread selection with various spreads. Then we each had a different entrée and all were delicious! We didn't have room left for dessert. Gorgeous sunset and delicious cocktails! Live music Friday and Saturday nights and sometimes on Thursdays. Also, ask for Shaun, the best server! read more

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I recently went here on 5/11 for a Mother's Day dinner with 2 other friends. We had a server named Ryan and he was very nice and he allowed us to stay without feeling rushed so we made sure to take care of him his service was good, he communicated well in terms of when the food would be out and if the bar was out of stock in something on the menu. The food was pretty good, the drinks were much better! We all really liked the short ribs, but the corn seemed out of place in my opinion. I think a green or carrots could have paired better. The appetizer, entrees, drinks, and dessert were very good and we all thought the prices were fair and the quality was obvious. read more

Really great food, the service was amazing and the views are beautiful. I highly recommend.

Rum Runner is all about.. location.. location.. location. The sunset views from this establishment located on the water are phenomenal. The restaurant is very spacious and bright. Our server was fantastic; friendly, full of energy and offering up suggestions. The interiors an open space plan bar and dining area. Happy hour seems to be a popular option here. Although, we had dinner reservations. There is outdoor dining, but we came here after the season ended, so a bit chilly to eat outdoors. The food overall wasn't too bad. We were expecting average to less than average food, which was fine with us, because we were more interested in the location. However, we were pleasantly surprised with a tasty meal. My husband ordered the NY Strip and I went with the Veggie Burger, which came with fries. For dessert, the Caramel Cake was nice sweet ending to our meal. read more

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The views are spectacular and the staff is quite pleasant. The food was never the point, but I'll stick to the raw bar henceforth, as the prepared food just keeps getting worse. I meet a friend for drinks here about once a month, and tonight I decided to try a new appetizer, the octopus ceviche. Having traveled to Panama 2 months ago, I'd had a lot of excellent ceviche pretty recently. This was the opposite of excellent. For $22, I got this small dish of octopus apparently doused in supermarket jar salsa, accompanied by oily yet flavorless wonton chips. So sad. read more

The Rum Runner - Octopus ceviche with wonton crisps - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Short Rib was a bit on the dry side My espresso martini arrived with olives in it and my friends dirty martini glass had coffee beans in it. I have a feeling a new waitress was responsible for garnishing the drinks The general manager was also waiting on tables so I'm assuming there's some struggling going on with staff Nothing beats the view on the river side at sunset but you need to call early and specify where you want to sit The chicken wings were great ! read more

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My husband and I were in the area for a wedding and had some time to kill between the ceremony and the reception. We came to the Rum Runner for a drink and ended up doing happy hour at the bar. We got there around 4 pm and it was pretty dead so the service was fast. We got the coconut shrimp & the calamari. I also got an espresso martini and he got the McLoones IPA. Overall we really enjoyed the food and the drinks and the views as well. Would probably come for happy hour only! read more

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Came here for lunch. Had a great Riesling and a crab and pineapple ceviche. Pros: great location with lovely views of the water. You can eat indoors or outdoors. The restaurant is glass, modern. Cons: waitress was nice but not knowledgeable. The ceviche was bland. It tasted like shrimp cocktail and pineapple. The chips were fresh. I'd head here for the location and some drinks but not to dine. read more

The Rum Runner - Ceviche with shrimp and pineapple - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Tina's take: 8/10 The restaurant is absolutely beautiful! We started off with oysters and they were ok. The tacos as an appetizer we're so good though! We also got two entrees the salmon and linguini with clams. The drinks were strong and did not disappoint. This place is where you should go for a good atmosphere. read more

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Great balcony for outside dining, overlooking the Shrewsbury River. Staff were super friendly and accommodating. We arrived a half hour early (no traffic) and were able to be sat, although our table was in full sun, on an overly warm mid September afternoon. We were able to move under the shade shortly as diners left. The cocktails were delicious, a spicy Bloody Mary & Lavender Mimosa, which was a delicious twist on a conventional one. We had Maryland crab soup, a chicken salad sandwich (loved the addition of grapes (how I make mine at home) and a grilled chicken sandwich. I thought we were done, until the dessert plate came out, gave in and said I'd share one, next thing I knew we were being served a molten lava cake & a nestle roll house pie! Will admit they were both delicious. We had a lovely brunch, great views with excellent service! Definitely worth the ride! read more

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Perfect stop for a sandy hook day trip. Super Uber cozy fancy and affordable restaurant. Great views of the mansions of rumson along the river complete with jumping dolphins. We had lobster everything...lobster bisque, lobster Mac and cheese, lobster guacamole, and lobster rolls (when in Rome). All that food and drinks for under 200 dollars for 4 people. I will say there was also affordable options like a 12 dollar blt and the like. Masking hygiene by the staff was phenomenal and a refreshing change from every other restaurant I have been to lately!! Highly recommend read more

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Eddie was AWESOME! We spent our thanksgiving here and it was great, highly recommend. Sweet Potatoes, The fresh seafood(raw bar) was great! The cocktails were good as-well. Service was great and a honorable mention needed for, Eddie. Eddie was just amazing. We sat by the window and watch the sunset over the bridge. This place is very good, can't wait to come back during the summer. read more

Disappointed beyond belief. This was our first time coming here and our last time. We came here all the way from QUEENS and we were so excited to celebrate a birthday but instead received a night of horrible service. We were sat at 7:45. At 8:00 I had to physically get up from the table to tell the host that nobody has come to the table after 15 minutes of waiting. Apparently the waitress was never told that her table was sat. We ordered a bunch of appetizers including the parmesan fries which were cold and oily. We told the waitress and she said her manager was in the kitchen working on it but somehow the fries never made it back to the table? We had to point it out to the waitress and told her just forget it at that point. The entrees came out rushed while we were still eating our appetizers. Nobody checked on us once to see how we were doing once the entrees came out. Once we were done we waited another 15 minutes to get a box. Of course we waited...that's because nobody knew we were done because nobody bothered to come over to check on us. We had enough at that point, majority of our dining experience was waiting for service. Absolutely ridiculous. With all that being said, do you think we ordered the dessert for the birthday? No. We didn't want to wait another half hour so we went somewhere else. So with all that being said my mother goes to the host stand to get a hold of a manger. She explained to the manager what happened and she simply said "I'm sorry." I work in the hospitality business and have worked in restaurants before so I honestly expected better. Listen I get things happen, the host doesn't always communicate with the server about being sat and that the kitchen makes mistakes so fine I can overlook that. But once the server was aware that the table already waited 15 minutes to be greeted, she should have been attentive but that was not the case. The cherry on top was the manager saying she was sorry. That's all? Well, we are sorry too. We are sorry that we picked this restaurant. read more

View is fantastic and even inside is very nice seating. Server Sean was awesome but food was just OK and overpriced. Chilled seafood sampler the clams and oysters weren't cleaned or prepared very well and also werent served with a cocktail fork to prepare them myself so that was disappointing. read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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Their happy hour is one of the best around although I don't think you can get it during the Summer. 1/2 price appetizers. I highly recommend the lobster guacamole. Outstanding. The bartenders are very nice. Beautiful view. read more

The Rum Runner - Lobster Guacamole - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey