1200 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ
This was the first place we ate at. It’s part of the McLoone’s Restaurants chain. I thought I was in for a bad time when I realized that, despite the Irish sounding parent company, there was no Guinness to be had. Luckily my anger and disgust at this unnerving news shed away quickly.
First of all, you can’t beat the location. Salt Water Beach Café occupies the downstairs portion of the old Howard Johnson’s. Tim McLoone’s Supper Club is upstairs. More on that later. I was so happy to see that the funky architecture of the landmark motel was kept more or less intact.
We opted to eat outside, with beach serenading us — and the people gawking — we were able to unwind and let the relaxation of the weekend begin. That is until I heard the night’s specials. Honestly, all of what was around me was a blurry buzz of unimportant words and noises except for this, “BBQ Cheddar Cheeseburger with Pulled Pork.”
Yes, a cheeseburger topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce (it’s photo number 4 in the slideshow below). That was it. Heaven. There was nothing left to say. It was over. I was hooked. Even before I ate the beast, I was hooked. Could it live up to its name? Did it really matter?
Aside from nearly stroking out in the middle of my meal, it was about as close to a perfect as such a carnivorous delight can get. I think my girlfriend got some kinda healthy chicken something, but when faced with this much meaty goodness, the world around me stops, or at least my ability to care.
We would eat again here on our final night in town. This time indoors due to the high winds. I would also go on a bit more of a healthy route with the Tropical Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Chutney. It was delicious.
See Also:
Salt Water Beach Café
