Watch out for Jersey Shore restaurants opening in 2024
2024 already is looking delicious. So far, we know of more than a dozen restaurants opening at the Jersey Shore — and there will certainly be more. Get ready for a boardwalk restaurant with a menu meant for sharing, a fried chicken sandwich spot, a burger restaurant near a brewery, and a waterfront eatery serving wood-fired pizza. Hungry yet?
Here are the restaurants we can’t wait to try in 2024.
Blue Heron, Asbury Park
Restaurateur Tim McLoone plans to open Blue Heron this spring, right above his Iron Whale restaurant in Asbury Park. The 7,341-square-foot space will be McLoone’s fourth restaurant on the city’s iconic boardwalk.
“We have to make sure it’s very distinctive from (our other) places,” McLoone told the Asbury Park Press in a previous interview. “We’re not going to try to replicate that.”
He hopes to create a “meeting place,” that’s less of a sit-down environment (than his other restaurants), and more of a spot to grab a drink and a bite.
The menu is not yet finalized, but expect pizza, sushi, a raw bar and seafood.
Go: Above Iron Whale, 1200 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park; mcloones.com.
Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken, Manasquan
Get ready, chicken fans — it’s almost time for fried chicken sandwiches, scratch-made sauces and wings.
Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken should open in early January in the newly built Wall Center, co-owner Michael Kelleher said. It joins several other food businesses — Greens and Grains, D’Amore’s Tea & Toast, and Broad Street Dough Co. — that are under construction in the new 12,000-square-foot shopping center that replaced the Circus Drive-In on Route 35.
As of press time, Kelleher and coowner Michael Falatao were awaiting final inspection.
Diners can look forward to the “Original Country Chicken Sandwich” with pickles, buttermilk dill ranch slaw and hot honey sauce on brioche; a Nashville Hot chicken on with pimento cheese and chili-infused hot honey on a biscuit; and more than a dozen sauces, including chipotle ranch, Thai chili, chimichurri, garlic parmesan, lemon pepper, barbecue and “Sweet Southern Heat.”
Go: 1861 Route 35, Unit 102, Wall; broadwaychicken.com.
Burger 25, Brick
First came Toms River, then Ship Bottom, and spring 2024 will bring Burger 25 to Brick.
Denise and Steve Vetter, with help from their son, Aidan, are building their third restaurant next door to Icarus Brewing, also under construction on Route 88. New Jersey law prohibits breweries from selling food, so the two businesses will have separate entrances. But Burger 25’s customers will be able to bring beer into the restaurant, and brewery patrons can have burgers delivered.
“This is a location that we could not pass up,” said Denise, who looks forward to burger and milkshake collaborations with businesses in Brick and Point Pleasant, as is done at the other locations.
Go: 2045 Route 88. Also at 199 Route, Toms River, 732-270-0025, and 1915 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom, 609879-2525; burger25.com.
Casa Calaveras, Middletown
A “Chopped” champion will lead the kitchen at this 250-seat Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, which has been under construction for more than a year in a former Carrabba’s on Route 35. Coowner Rich Crocker anticipates a midJanuary opening; all that remains is to train the staff, he said.
Chef Gary Gonzalez’s menu “is going to have a lot of fun dishes,” Crocker said, including tacos, tableside guacamole and weekend brunch.
Murals by Shore-based artist Jay Mack decorate the front of the restaurant and the dining room, and Casa Calaveras features a tequila room with dozens of high-end tequilas, a 35-foot bar and an outdoor patio.
Casa Calaveras was inspired by
Crocker’s experience growing up in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, and dining at restaurants like Dos Caminos in New York City, and Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar in Florida. “The vibe is great, and I thought it was something that’s missing here,” he told APP in the fall.
Go: 1864 Route 35, Middletown; instagram.com/casacalaverasnj.com.
Catbird, Asbury Park
Sunset Landing, the wooden cabin on the banks of Deal Lake, has been many things in its more than 100 years.
A boathouse and bait shop turned malt shop and luncheonette, the building was razed and rebuilt in the late ‘50s. Now it is finding new life as a restaurant named Catbird from Aimée McElroy, who previously owned Medusa Stone Fired Kitchen in the city. She plans to open Catbird in the spring.
McElroy is excited to bring her bread and pizza oven, fueled by kiln-dried hardwood, into the renovated restaurant. There will be seating for about 50 diners, including some near new windows overlooking the water. “It’s that cabin-on-the-lake feel,” said McElroy, whose lunch and dinner menu will revolve around “all the things that can come out of the wood-fired oven.”
Outside, “we anticipate having a full garden,” McElroy said, and guests will be able to dine on the deck overlooking the lake. The restaurant will be BYOB, and she plans to offer “really creative nonalcoholic drinks” utilizing alcoholfree botanical spirits and dealcoholized wines. McElroy said she hopes to preserve Sunset Landing’s kitchenette vibe and its legacy in Asbury Park.
“The community support is phenomenal,” she said. “People are really excited to have a neighborhood place.”
Go: 1215 Sunset Ave., Asbury Park: catbirdap.com, where those those interested in opening announcements can sign up for emails.
Hoagitos, Point Pleasant Beach
If all goes well, 2024 will be the year Mark and Emma Spagnuolo and Terence McGill open their third Hoagitos.
Construction should begin soon on the restaurant, which is being built next to Last Wave Brewing Company in Point Pleasant Beach. The other restaurants are in Belmar and Ocean Township.
Founded a decade ago on the Asbury
Park boardwalk, Hoagitos specializes in small sandwiches stuffed with houseroasted meats, plus fried chicken sandwiches, burgers and breakfast sandwiches.
Go: 529 Bay Ave., Point Pleasant Beach; hoagitos.com. Also at 807 Belmar Plaza, Belmar, 732-556-6617, and 2005 Route 35, Towne Center Plaza, Oakhurst section of Ocean Township, 732-686-9181.
MJ’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill, Brick
PJ Sweeneys, an Irish pub in the heart of Brick, closed in August to make way for the ninth MJ’s Restaurant Bar & Grill in New Jersey.
Former owners Eugene “Gene” Gillespie and his son, Gene Gillespie Jr., said it was time to move on to a new location, while MJ’s restaurants’ Dave Lance DeLisa confirmed the pub will offer the same charm and conversational atmosphere as its predecessor. Expect TVs, DJ nights, live music, bar games and more. MJ’s serves both breakfast and lunch, with bites like sandwiches and wraps, burgers, tacos and sushi.
The bar also serves cocktails like the Lady Marmalade (with whiskey, lemon juice, vanilla, and orange marmalade) and Kickstart Your Heart (with double espresso vodka, Jameson Cold Brew, Baileys Irish Cream and Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey). “We’re a family restaurant, but we’re also thankfully an award-winning sports bar,” DeLisa said. “The sports programming is really important to us. (But) food is first.”
The restaurant was originally set to open around Thanksgiving, but a new date has not been confirmed.
Go: 447 Brick Blvd., mjsrestaurant.com.
Pizzeria ‘Lucci, Belmar
Jersey Shore pizza icon Mike Gallucci has enjoyed being a stay-at-home dad. But now he’s coming back.
Pizzeria ‘Lucci was expected to open in Belmar this past summer, but construction is still ongoing.
In 2017, Gallucci and Mike Mercuro opened Rosie’s Pizza in Point Pleasant Beach, which quickly became known for making some of the best pies at the Shore. At Pizzeria ‘Lucci, he plans to make classics like his white spinach pie, plus meatballs, a customer favorite.
“I’m pretty good with incorporating veggies on pizza … You can look forward to seasonal pies,” he said. “There will still be a core menu of pies you can get all the time, but I really want to focus on having (some) pies that rotate with the seasons.”
Gallucci looks forward to cooking for customers. “In our old space, you could only make so many pies at a time in a given day (often resulting in massive lines),” he said of Rosie’s, which remains in business. “Here, it’s going to be almost double.”
Go: 809 Belmar Plaza; instagram.com/pizzerialucci.
River Pointe Inn, Rumson
A new concept from a familiar face, River Pointe Inn replaces Victor Rallo’s Surf restaurant, which closed in September. “River Pointe Inn, set to open shortly after the turn of the New Year, is a new concept by father-son duo Victor and Jake Rallo and the Diaco family,” reads a news release. “River Pointe seeks to meet a gap Vic and Jake found in the local market: a quasi-American French bistro with great, meaningful hospitality.”
Expert oysters, cocktails, contemporary classics from Chef Josh Laurano, and retro-glam decor.
Go: 132 East River Road; riverpointe inn.com.
Rosie’s Pizza, Middletown
Mike Mercuro is opening a second location between Nicholas Creamery and Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co. on Route 35. A former Army chef, Mercuro has earned awards for his pies, including being named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “best pizza spots” in 2021. Try traditional, square, thin-crust pizza, homemade meatballs and more once they open, which is planned for March.
Go: 1500 Route 35; rosiesppb.com. Also at 620 Bay Ave., Point Pleasant Beach; 732-746-3060.
Smokies Craft BBQ & Burgers, Toms River
Dave Kaminski’s journey to owning a barbecue restaurant began in his own backyard. In 2024, he’ll own two. Smokies Craft BBQ and Burgers will open in downtown Toms River in late winter or early spring, he hopes. His Berkeley Township restaurant opened in 2021.
Diners can expect smoked meats, scratch-made rubs and sauces, smash burgers and brisket cheesesteaks.
Go: 49 Main St., Toms River; smokiescraftbbqnj.com. Also at 333 Atlantic City Blvd., Bayville section of Berkeley Township.
Ugly Dumpling Express, Holmdel
Look forward to dumplings, buns, wontons and soup dumplings when Ugly Dumpling Express, sister restaurant to Ugly Dumpling, opens in the former Cheeburger Cheeburger location in the Commons at Holmdel. An opening date has not yet been announced.
The quick-service chain will serve a scaled-down version of the menu offered at Ugly Dumpling. which opened in Edison in 2023. The restaurant is part of the hospitality group that includes KPot Hot Pot & Korean BBQ, which opened in Toms River in 2023.
Go: 2130 Route 35, Holmdel; ugly dumpling.us.
Also coming in 2024
BarCo Brands, Asbury Park: While BarCo works on its plans for renovating the former Langosta Lounge, they have some seasonal plans in the works. The summer pop-up Swimcrush will return this April. There are plans to keep it open after summer and convert it into a holiday-themed pop-up for winter. 800 Ocean Ave., 732-361-0577, swimcrush ap.com.
Moxie Coffee and Bakehouse, Keyport: This new coffee and bake shop has a secret weapon — Julie Labruto, former pastry chef at Talula’s in Asbury Park. Complete with delicious treats and inspired brews, there are plans to open the shop by spring. 24 Broad St.; instagram. com/moxiecoffeehouse.
Lino’s Italian Restaurant, Long Branch: In the former location of longstanding Tuzzio’s Italian Cuisine, Pat Trama (owner of Trama’s Trattoria in Long Branch) has plans to open a new concept. The opening was slated for September, but construction is ongoing. Expect an Old New York-vibe, with nods to the past. 224 Westwood Ave.; instagram.com/linosrestaurant.