Looking for help and it might be a tall order. In or near Asbury, place with seating at a bar, but also offers a decent amount of healthy food options. Thanks all.
Grand Tavern in the Neptune Bradley Beach area my favorite
Reyla in Asbury Park real small portions but good healthy food
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Welcome to hungry onion! Paging our resident Asbury Park expert @CurlzNJ!
In AP, we like reylas or barrio. I would recommend skipping modines if healthy food is a priority.
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Yes Gracieggg agree on all accounts
Reyla definitely fits the bill thank you⊠but website says they are closed for renovations. Reservation system still online tho, so will have to call to see. Really wanted to do Porta, but wife is trying to diet and she will not have the willpower to say no to pizza if we go there. Also we are planning to go on the later side ahead of a show at Asbury Lanes, and i think Porta gets a little nuts on a thursday later. As an aside, anyone try the food at Lanes? The venue seems to get mixed reviews in general, not sure about the food.
According to njmonthly.com Reylaâs is reopening tonight (Thursday May 9th) after completing renovations.
âAfter a few weeks of serious renovation, Reyla is reopening to the public this Thursday, May 9. âWe always wanted an open kitchen at Reyla,â says Pat Pipi of Culture Collective, the hospitality group behind Barrio Costero and Reyla and a forthcoming project (see below). Time constraints and construction issues meant it wasnât possible when they first opened Reyla, but ânow that time has passed, we wanted to create that original vision,â says Pipi. (For a sneak peek, see a recent Instagram post of the near-finished kitchen.) âThe idea behind Reyla is coming into somebodyâs home; itâs inviting, there are no walls between the people and the food and the guests, similar to what we have at Barrio Costero.â Beyond that sense of openness, the newly renovated space will have a 12-seat chefâs counter, and the interior itself will be slightly changed. âSome of the walls came down, and weâre adding more seats, booth seats, to keep the refined-yet-casual feel.â As a finishing touch, local Asbury Park muralist Porkchop is doing the front vestibule. (Heâs done work for Culture Collective at Barrio Costero as well.) Once Reyla reopens, theyâll continue their shared plates menu and the Four Bites concept, but the chefâs counter marks a significant shift, allowing for âmore culinary experiences, classes, different chefâs tastings,â says Pipi. This Thursday, the restaurant will be opening with a late spring/early summer menu and a new cocktail listâ. Reyla , 603 Mattison Avenue, Asbury Park; 732-455-8333
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Iâm heeeeeeeeere! 
First of all, welcome @misterc71 ! Weâre always happy to have new faces/voices around here. Definitely let us know where else you like to dine, as we have posters from all over NJ, although thereâs a heavy Monmouth/Ocean concentration.
As referenced above, I live in AP and have (ahem) some strong opinions about whatâs good and whatâs just okay. My favorite two bars with food worth eating are Reyla (reopening on Friday 5/10 according to their Instagram post so Iâd call and confirm) and Porta (where IâM able to resist pizza if I eat meatballs and salad, but thatâs me). Drinks and food are excellent at both, and imo, a few plates at Reyla is plenty of food. Iâve actually told them outright that their sister restaurant (Barrio Costero) needs to bump up their offerings for the prices they get. Iâve never left Reyla thinking Iâve overspent for the portion sizes, but I canât say the same for BC.
The other option is Taka, but that bar gets packed early because of their Happy Hour specials. Both their sushi and cooked food is very good, but not a bargain. Thereâs also the Bonney Read, which Iâve only been to once because I have a shellfish allergy and thatâs their focusâbut I did have their octopus with chorizo and it was excellent, so that might be an option. Not sure about dining at the bar, thoughâdefinitely worth asking.
Finally, for a little bit of everything, thereâs Brickwall Tavern. A full pub menu so IF one chooses to eat healthy, I think one can (Iâm generally that person)âŠ
If you want to park once and arenât averse to walking âdowntownâ from the area near the Lanes, I do it all the time. Parking downtown and moving over near the Lanes can be a challenge if there are multiple events on the same nightânot sure if thatâs the case when youâre coming to town. As for the diner at the Lanes, I canât say itâs bad, but itâs not what Iâd recommend for dinner when you have far better choices! Can you get a decent burger/fries? Sure. Can you be occasionally surprised by something being really tasty? Sure. But you may also say âmehâ depending on what you order. The service is very nice there, but itâs not quick like a diner, so thatâs something to consider as well.
Curlz
P.S. Hereâs a tip: the big parking lots near the boardwalk are still open and FREEâŠthatâs about to change, but you can park at the Carousel, the lot across from Porta, or the lot next to Wonder Bar as long as the incoming gate is open and thereâs no $25 Special Event sign. 
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I agree with Curlz, and I canât eat pizza and go to Porta pretty often and either get the meatballs, octopus or a salad.
I wasnât all that impressed with food at the dinar at the Lanes. And I wouldnât recommend anything on the boardwalk, but thatâs just me.
Brick wall is very good, same pork chop as Pascale and Sabine and half the price
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I think you now have the idea that Porta is more than a pizzeria. Someone is doing something close to magic in the kitchen.
I used to enjoy Brick Wall - that is no longer true. Between the menu changes and my perception of it being a poor value we have dropped it out of the rotation.
I do urge you to consider trying Medusa (4th & Main). Like Porta they are a bit more than pizza - weâve happily done meals there sans pizza. Small menu; small venue; parking & BYO.
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While I love Medusa, Iâll say that itâs pretty tough for me to go there and find anything other than pizza; thatâs my only complaint about the place! Their salads and pizza are wonderful, but except for mussels, thereâs rarely another option that doesnât involve carbs. The first summer they were open they were doing Mazi wings (thatâs where I got hooked on Mazi) on the grill outside, but I think they have their hands full with the rest of the menu and they didnât offer them last year. ETA that itâs also BYOâno bar.
I canât believe I didnât mention MY FAVORITE octopus! And reallyâtheir meatballs are excellent as well.
AndâŠReyla JUST posted that theyâre open!
Thank you all for the warm welcome and all the thoughts. Unfortunately, my night in asbury just fell apart due to a now sick wife and kidsâ practices being rescheduled for later.
As an intro to the board I am a longtime Monmouth county resident and back again after a hiatus in NYC after college. Yes, I am obsessed with food like you all and the wife does not always appreciate that. I am a partner in a local restaurant but am not involved at all the day to day operations (though I did work the kitchen for a while and came up with a brunch menu while we still were open for brunch.). I wonât ever post about the place but certainly watch for any postings, especially the negative ones. Those are the most useful to a restaurant owner of course.
As for the places in the area that continue to interest me: Blu Grotto is a date night go-to at the bar. Great pastas and though Portaâs Octopus is good, Grottoâs is the best in the area IMHO. Comes on a board with smashed fried potatoes, wilted scallions, and a delicious sauce.
Albariño is a good recent add. Lots of interesting tapas, and the paella is very good, if a little salty (I request no added salt). Price point on it is pretty steep tho. Their house Albariño wine is relatively cheap but good. Donât miss the patatas bravas and the crispy eggplant. Oh and the steak.
Been going to piccola italia for years. Not cheap, but great quality and inventive with the Italian - skewed menu changing a bit seasonally and always great specials.
Trama is solid for Italian too. Love the shaved artichoke salad with shaved parm and though admittedly kinda lowbrow, we always get an order of the garlic bread.
Love Porta and Talulas for pizza, I fact love most everything there. Porta wins out for dinner, but Talulas does for brunch.
Ok last Italian mention would be newcomer Nettieâs in Tinton Falls. Pasta al dente, great vegetable sides (like deep fried mushrooms), and the bread and olive oil is top notch.
Tommyâs in sea bright I like their non traditional oven fired wings with onions, long hots, and sauces on the side. Speaking of wings, for traditional bar wings, Jacks Goal line stand is good. Their hottest level is the hottest I have had in my life, and I have downed wings made with Carolina reapers. Not sure if these are reapers or ghost peppers, but man are they hot. Do the next level down for hot and flavor rather than kill yourself.
Like Indian, Thai, but donât get to do the latter often since fam doesnât love it. Bombay river a welcome addition to red bank.
Catch 19, tho feels like a club-turned restaurant is worthy of a mention for the angry shrimp and lobster app with âsinisterâ sauce. It is a spicy light cream sauce and is like crack to me. Move is to ask for it with pasta and do it as a main. So good.
Iâm sure I forgot a ton, but hereâs my little intro as to what I like. I cannot resist pasta in any menu and will often get an extra one as a app for âthe tableâ. I know you all have pulled a similar move!
Looks forward to being a parting this board. Thanks all!
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Oh and curlz you have piqued my interest in Medusa and those mazi wings. That will happen soon, I hope they still have em.
@misterc71, you have found your people.
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NOPE⊠thatâs why I donât end up there very often; Iâm generally not a big carb eater, so thatâs why I end up at Portaâmany more non-pizza options.
Hope everyone is feeling better at your house. We just got through a week of strep with my toddler which was AMAZING. 
Iâm looking forward to a cocktail tonight!
You mention a lot of favorites of the board. We have been going to Neelam in Middletown for Indian for 10 years. Also, if you havenât checked out Semolina (same space Dish occupied in Red Bank) you should try that soon. BYOB fresh pasta and way more changing menu. Everybody here knows my true favorite is still Heirloom Kitchen <3
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The Bonney Read has ample bar seating and bar tables around it. Iâve never had a problem getting seats. If you like seafood, you can dine healthy here. We love their oysters, mussels, shrimp, spicy clam stew, and a handful of not-so-healthy options.
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Thanks, #gracieggg. That Heirloom Kitchen menu looks great, but Old Bridge is a little bit of a trek for me. Though that gnocci dish on the menu looks like it could get me to make the trip. With âcrispy potato skinsâ?? Not something I have ever seen before and MUST try at some point.
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So, if you have your heart set on a dish, call them beforehand. They change the menu each night and are now doing a fix menu instead of a la carte. I highly recommend them.
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