Does anyone have any to add- or maybe some success stories?
The one that comes to mind to me immediately is on Rt 33 in Millstone/Monroe. I’ve been passing by on my drive to work for almost 4 years now and the form Millstone Diner Restaurant/Lunchettos right by the Citco gas station in Millstone has been through several iterations none of which appears to have been any good and successful at all. The newest version lasted about 3 months I think and now the entire location is up for sale. Know from a topic on the old CH board this apparently was a somewhat long running place that rested solely on its location for years.
Another one that comes to mind is the old Sicilian Cafe in Red Bank right by St. James. The Sicilian Cafe was a successful joint around for a bit, but once sold the next owners lost out pretty quickly trying to keep it going. Then it was a cpl other places since then, including an ill conceived “global Kitchen” concept.
The NW corner of Routes 516 and 79 in Matawan went through four or five places in rapid succession before La Madona managed to make a hit there.
The location in Parlin on Route 9 South where Buenos Tacos is now also has had a rapid turnover in the past.
The original Mumford’s location in North Long Branch on Ocean Avenue. Nothing has succeeded there since they left.
How about the corner of Rt 35 and West Park (NE). Wonderful building w/ plenty of parking. But nothing but failed crap in 5 years.
The space where Trinity and the Pope was in Asbury Park, I think it has been 4 places since 2012.
It was Bank on Mattison, then Redemption then Skratch. Now it sits empty
Shrewsbury Ave in Tinton Falls, currently CJ Mc’Loons…this has been many incarnations in it’s life, just the fact it’s still open as CJ Mc’Loons is a curse in and of itself.
Rt. 35 Eatontown across from Ft. Monmouth, it was Hanna’s for soooooo many years then went through several short lived changes, it was so cursed it’s not a Church!!
Rt. 35 in Middletown AND Hope Road Tinton Falls, both were one time locations of Red Head’s since then several places have come and gone and both are still vacant.
Rt. 36 Highlands Area, the Wild Scallion, that place has been empty and for sale for 10+ years.
Swimming River Road & 520 Lincroft Inn, similar to CJ"Mcloons the curse was the Lincroft Inn for so many years. Now with it closed and Tommy’s supposedly buying it, it’s cursed just sitting rotting for no apparent reason.
Same corner the Greek Place across the street Stamna, has been several places.
I’ll come back as I think of more.
Gaiters in sea bright
How about the old red heads in middletown? That place can never keep anything going.
Hasn’t the old mike and nellys location been a bunch of different places too?
Hazlet, small retail space, right outside of Costco shopping center…it’s been Italian, Thai, Lebanese…lost track.
The new and much smaller location for Red Oak Diner also Hazlet at Airport Palza has changed numerous times.
Keyport location, Nemo’s, has been there a number of yrs. now but prior to Nemo’s was a dozen diff. small restaurants.
Matawan shopping mall with the popularr Starbucks has a burger joint that has changed owners and menus many times over.
Who wants to take on Red Bank…I lost track two yrs. ago!
Good calls.
How about the Chinese market in airport plaza? That has been quite a few places and good ones to be honest…the coconut place and Jing Chuang…or something like that.
What about the spot where the old ground round used to be and it was the office? (Between 35 and 36 across from home depot.) Oh and who can forget the park east spot? Lol
Any Mcloonies location is a super ginormous black hole that sucks all the life out of the surrounding food universe.
I thought there was going to be a taylor swift ham joke following this one for sure!
In Red Bank the name of the establishment often changes but unfortunately the owners and the mediocre food does not.
Basil tees, Earth Pizza, etc.
No. No jokes. Not after our heroine was groped.
We hope the smell of sizzling meat will soon be due to that DJ’s rump steak completing a 2000 volt circuit.
Speaking of cursed, how bout Charlie Brown’s?
Ehhh I wouldn’t call them cursed, just grossly mismanaged for a time. Doing well now.
Well you seem to curse everytime they get mentioned😉.
All true!
I agree with you that basils is often a letdown, but they are blessed with an amazing location. They are across from two popular hotels and they get a lot of traffic from the half mile Marriott, local people and others traveling through red bank. I wish the food was epic, but I can’t fault vic for raking in cash. This guy is swimming in money as I write this lol. I’m not mad at him. I wish this place was amazing but he is doing his thing. My gripe is that he, or the chef, are skimpy on putting a decent volume of pasta/starch/veggies on your plate. When I get a small piece of chicken with one fingerling potato for 24, I get disgruntled. For God’s sake, chuck a few pieces of starch on the plate.
I gave up on this place years ago, but they continue to rack up customers. In summation, this location isn’t cursed, but it’s another example of a monmouth county magical equation that you truly coinmarked.
My point was that the name changes, in this case to Birravino, but the food and owners stay the same.
As far as the patrons go, I notice beer&wino is very popular with the blue haired set.
I think they established their customer base with the mug club and the brewery, and never looked back.
As far as Vic goes, I see his PBS show is cancelled. Too bad we can’t cancel his restaurants too.
The place on Rt. 34 South after Collingwood Flea Market, but before the circle. It was most recently DOCO (Donut and Coffee Company, I think). Before that, I remember a deli, lebanese food, and BBQ a long while back. No doubt it has seen various other tenants. Currently vacant. It’s the one way curse… oops, missed the entrance, go somewhere else…
Rt. 36 West in Eatontown (or is it Long Branch). Currently a bagel place/grill. Always busy when I drive by. I am frequently in that area for work. Former tenants included a bakery and Gracie and the Dudes (sorry, Gracie!) Again, that one-way thing.
