Has anyone mentioned “PARKING” yet? I’m now an older gentleman who appreciates shorter walks.
I find (to my dismay) that I am heavily influenced by the availability of parking. There are places that I’d happily frequent if I could only reliably park. There are a number of places in Asbury that I quite like but have fallen out of the rotation because of parking.
And conversely there are places that I frequent more for convenience than the absolute quality of the food.
Yes! I have stopped going to a lot of restaurants in Montclair because of the lousy parking situation (especially in the winter time). Who wants to walk several blocks in the cold, rain, and snow? I would rather go to a restaurant that has their own parking lot, or at least plenty of available street parking. Most of the parking spots in Montclair are permit only spots.
Parts of Red Bank could be a contender for this too. Parking in that huge lot behind Dublin is usually OK but a few blocks depending on where you are headed.
We lived in Montclair before moving to Monmouth County. However we seldom ate in Montclair. We were regulars at places like Pal’s Cabin (West Orange); The Star Tavern (Orange); what is now Matthew’s Italian (Clifton).
The other side of that coin were places like Osterio Giotto (sp?), Next Door; etc. Bloomfield Avenue makes a very poor restaurant row.
We were neighbors!! We used to belong to Surf Rider and like you we left when the kids got older. Now that the kids are “older” (20 & 22) it’s not so awful hanging out with the "rents’ and enjoying their luxuries we joined Deal Casino. (much better amenities than Surf Rider, pre-Sandy we left before the rebuild and substantially cheaper we couldn’t be happier there)
Wow it is much cheaper. What is the vibe like there compared to surf rider? Feel like whole deal with the beach clubs is joining one alongside people you are
Already friends with so that would be my only reservation if we weeew to ever join. Do they allow booze?
Yes the food is one of the best parts when we get to visit. Initially expected crappy snack stand quality and was very pleasantly surprised. Haven’t visited the spot in FH yet though somehow
You should try it…we go sometimes on Thursday nights for dinner specials in house…you can reserve a table, BYO. Food is very good. They change the menu each week (dinner specials Thu-Sat) and offer it take out as well.
How about charging a fee for using a credit card at time of payment? Wouldnt that be best worked into the cost of the meal rather than have that eyesore itemized?
I’ve seen some restaurants charge as much as $9 for a couple of small pieces of bread. That is ridiculous, especially for something that used to be given away for free.