Drew's Bayshore Bistro..............Keyport, NJ

paryzer · February 24, 2019, 5:14pm

Johnny, you should go on Fat Tuesday (March 5th). Drew has a special Mardi Gras menu below ($60 for 3 courses) and it includes the car bomb dessert I only wished I lived closer.

For the table:
Red Beans & Rice
Assorted Bread Basket

Starters:

Seafood Gumbo
Shrimp, Crab, Crawfish, Andouille, Trinity Vegetables
Dark Roux, Rice, Green Onions

Pulled Pork Gumbo
Pulled Pork, Tasso Ham, Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens
Dark Roux, Rice, Green Onions

Voodoo Shrimp
Spicy Worcestershire Cream, Jalapeno Cornbread

Cajun Pork Riceballs
Cajun Boudin Balls, Creole Mustard Sauce G

New Orleans Style Broiled Oysters
Garlic, Parmesan, Butter G

Crawfish Beignets
Habanero Tiger Sauce

Crabmeat Remick
Crabmeat, Spicy Dressing, Bacon, Parmesan
Toast Points G*

Pimento Cheese Empanada
Cane Syrup-Bacon Jam

Muffuletta Antipasta Salad
Muffuletta Olive Salad, Salami, Prosciutto, Provolone
Chopped Romaine, Radicchio, Endive
Ciabatta Croutons, Red Wine Vinaigrette G*

Main Course:

Short Ribs Criolla
Peppers, Onions, Tomato, Green Olives, Capers
Cheddar-Jack Smashed Potatoes & Braised Greens G

Pasta Jambalaya
Shrimp, Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Fresh Pappardelle
Cajun Parmesan Cream

Blackened 16oz. Prime Pork Chop
Cheddar-Jack Smashed Potatoes, Braised Greens
Ancho BBQ Sauce G

Fig Glazed Long Island Duck
Pan Seared Magret Breast, Fig Glaze
Duck Confit-Sweet Potato & Andouille Hash G

Nashville Hot Chicken
Bistro Fries, Jalapeno Slaw
Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce, Black Pepper Ranch
(ok, it ain’t from NOLA, but it fits!)

Mississippi Catfish Avery
Panko Breaded, Crabmeat & Crawfish Pepper-Jack Cream
Smashed Potatoes, Braised Greens

Crawfish Étouffée
Brown Gravy Smothered Crawfish Tails
Trinity Vegetables, Rice

City Jambalaya
It is spicy – and we are not kidding - No crying.
Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Tasso Ham, Trinity Vegetables Topped With Shrimp Creole G

Dessert:

SPCCT
Salty Pretzel Chocolate-Caramel Tart
Vanilla Gelato, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce

Beignets & Coffee
Powder Sugar Dusted Beignets, Cappuccino Gelato

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Vanilla Gelato, Whipped Cream, Caramel Sauce

Carbomb Sundae
Guinness Ice Cream, Bailey’s Blondie, Jameson Caramel

Key-port Lime Tart
Pastry Crust, Whipped Cream

CurlzNJ · February 24, 2019, 5:19pm

That really is an amazing deal…

I’m still trying to burn off the calories from the last time!

paryzer · February 24, 2019, 5:25pm

You can always make two dinners out of it Just take a few bites of each course and have the remaining leftovers at home We had plenty of leftovers from last night, especially with all of the generous comps that Drew kept bringing out.

CurlzNJ · February 24, 2019, 5:26pm

Oh, I remember…I took home a tower of leftover containers and had at least two more meals out of it! I think I just need to go have Voodoo Shrimp and dessert.

bros · March 16, 2019, 8:46pm

I love the food at Drew’s, been going there since like a year or two after Sandy, never had a bad meal. I really want a SPCCT right now…

paryzer · March 17, 2019, 1:05am

We had another fabulous dinner at Drew’s tonight. I had an excellent Cajun grilled 16 ounce Prime pork chop criolla. Mrs. P had her usual Nashville hot chicken. For appetizers we had reuben rice balls and an awesome muffuletta salad. Drew also generously comped us the always amazing New Orleans broiled oysters. We ordered the sccpt to go but unfortunately we forgot to pick it up on the way out At least we weren’t charged for it. It all went great with a 2011 Belasco AR Guentoto old vine malbec. The descriptions of the items are in the menu below.

RedJim · March 17, 2019, 11:58am

Wonderful photos!

paryzer · March 17, 2019, 12:20pm

Thanks Jimmy!

heidicooksandbakes · April 25, 2019, 4:47pm

How friendly is Drew’s for a single diner?

I’m going to an event in Keyport on Friday, May 3rd right across the street. My event starts at 7:30, so what time should I make a reservation for to have a meal, and then walk across the street.

paryzer · April 25, 2019, 4:55pm

Drew is friendly to all diners; single or multiple
You can probably make the reservation for 6PM if you want t leave by 7:30 (or 5:30 PM if you really want to take your time). If you are in a hurry, and want to eat fast, you can tell them when you order and they can get you your meal out pretty quickly.

NotJrvedivici · April 25, 2019, 5:11pm

I agree with @paryzer, Drew’s is welcoming for any size party including a party of 1. The only thing I will give you a heads up on, Drew’s is a BYO so there is no bar or such to sit at, it would be table service only.
(I don’t know if that matters to you, personally I always prefer to eat alone at a bar setting, just a FYI)

heidicooksandbakes · April 26, 2019, 8:41pm

Thanks notJR and Eli. I have made my reservation for next Friday at 5:30 for a party of one. I’m looking forward to it!

CurlzNJ · April 26, 2019, 9:13pm

A few tips:

GO. HUNGRY.
Put a cooler bag in your car for the leftovers.
Be sure to say hi to Drew.

paryzer · April 28, 2019, 1:45am

We had another awesome dinner at Drew’s Saturday night. We split an entree portion of the Nashville hot chicken as an appetizer. Drew also very generously comped us an order of delicious smoked ribs with black eyed peas and country ham. For entrees I had the magret duck breast with foie gras and duck confit dirty rice and a spicy tabasco gastrique. Mrs. P had the Southern fried soft shell crab with french fries, seasonal vegetables and wild scallion tartar sauce. We took home a Keyport lime tart and Drew generously comped us with an outstanding chocolate bread pudding for dessert. It all went great with an excellent 2014 Mas Champart French red blend of Grenache, syrah, and Mourvedre.

eleeper · April 28, 2019, 6:52pm

(This is a general response, not specifically aimed at paryzer.)

When I read a glowing report and it turns out that the poster was comped something (or even multiple somethings), I find myself wondering if the rest of their meal was what other diners would get, or whether they are getting a level of service and attention that is not the norm. Does Drew just randomly give away appetizers and desserts, or did he know the poster, or did he know the poster would be posting a review?

Obviously, full disclosure in posting comps is a good thing. I’m just leary of what it portends for ordinary diners.

paryzer · April 28, 2019, 7:38pm

I have been a regular customer at Drew’s for several years. I travel all the way from up North once a month to eat there, and Drew is very appreciative of my business as well as every one else’s business. He is a really nice genuine person, and I always try to stop into the kitchen to say hello and to thank him. I am very appreciative of the comps but never ask or expect them. We are regulars at several restaurants and get comped at those as well. We also tip well and make sure to tip on the approximate price of the comp as well. It’s just treating the staff with respect. I don’t think that we get larger portions than anyone else. I guess the comps come over time to the regular customers. The staff is friendly to everyone. If the customer is nasty and bossy to the staff then they cannot expect to get comps Also, for some of the restaurants that have been very generous to us, we bring a bottle of wine every few months to show our appreciation.

RGR · April 28, 2019, 9:23pm

For people who dine regularly at a restaurant, receiving “gifts” from the chef is s.o.p. in the industry. As Eli said, it’s the restaurant’s way of thanking those diners for their regular support. We began dining at Drew’s way back when he first opened in what was a tiny space (soon after enlarged by taking over the space next door), and over the years, we’ve been the recipient of Drew’s generosity.

We do a lot of dining in NYC and are regulars at several restaurants where we get special treatment, i.e., extra dishes and comped glasses of wine for Mr. R.

But the fact is, we became regulars not with the aim of getting special treatment but simply because we love the food.

I must add that regulars being treated this way does not mean that diners who aren’t receive food of inferior quality. Also, in many restaurants, if you are celebrating a special occasion and let them know in advance, even if you are not a regular, you will receive some sort of special treatment.

seal · April 28, 2019, 11:03pm

I’ll have what she’s having

CurlzNJ · April 29, 2019, 3:31pm

I have to agree with Roz…knowing some chefs and restaurant owners well, I know how much they appreciate diners who genuinely love their food, offer constructive feedback (!), and bring others to the table. I’ve never done any of the above with the expectation of getting something comped, but it’s lovely when it happens.

NotJrvedivici · April 29, 2019, 3:52pm

I too agree completely as Roz said it’s s.o.p. in the business. Personally I do not post about any “comps” I receive simply because besides being a steady customer at several places, I’m part of the industry as well. So many places I visit are genuine friends of mine, and I do NOT know how they would treat me if I weren’t a friend so I leave that out of posts so people don’t “expect” anything.

This doesn’t trouble me nearly as much as some “irrationally” good reviews I see some restaurants get. I’ve been around this business a long time, I’m not going to say my tastes are better or worse than anyone else, but I do know “good vs. great” food, and when I see some of these raving reviews over a place that was meh at best, that makes my antenna go up.