5 Must-Try Restaurants At The Jersey Shore

On the boardwalk in Asbury Park, across from the legendary Stone Pony, this spot is always booming in the summer and has great vibey nightlife, albeit a little crowded.

It's a little pricey, and the service isn't always as good as the food, but when it comes to a meal, this stuff is GOOD.

It's 'vacation-inspired cuisine' and a lot of times you'll find special dishes on them menu influenced from everywhere from Hawaii to Spain to places in between.

Make sure you try the guacamole!

Located at 709 Arnold Ave in downtown Point Pleasant, this place has a very cool vibe. There's a full bar, great for watching football on Sundays, (be sure to grab a 40 in a paper bag when you're sitting at the bar for a game...it's fun!) and a sushi bar where you can get some excellent specialty rolls.

The menu is extensive and full of fun items and ingredients. Make sure to try their pretzels with trio of mustards and the goat in a coat to start and follow it up with any one of their entrees. (the nightly specials tend to be what I wind up choosing!)

The cocktail menu is also impressive: give the Pear of Kings a try!

Just a heads up, they don't take reservations and the last time I was there, the service was INSANELY slow...but the food is amazing, and hopefully the slowness was just a one-time deal!

I'd like to think of this place as an unknown gem. Right on Main Street in Belmar (between 11th and 12th), it's an authentic taqueria and Mexican restaurant, to the point where the insanely friendly staff speak very little English.

If you're looking for legit authentic Mexican cuisine, this place is AWESOME. They have a huge menu, and I'd highly recommend the enchiladas with spicy red sauce...but I've had several things from this place...all incredible.

Also give one of the sodas a go, (and maybe download a translation app to your phone so you know what you're ordering.)

Get your fancy pants on, and get ready for this place to blow your argyle socks off. Tucked away in a beautiful old house on Ridge Road in Rumson, this place is SUPER upscale and amazingly delicious.

It's definitely not a cheap restaurant, but I really believe it's worth every penny...from the moment you sit down to a freshly baked popover, to the miniature cotton candy sent to your table after your meal...this place is top notch for fine dining.

Give the lobster soup a try, it's really nicely presented, and may not look like much at first, but it's definitely a nice starter. I'd also recommend either the scallops or a steak and you HAVE to try to the truffle fries!

Make sure to leave room for dessert though...the cheesecake pops, banana tart, and chocolate peanut butter bombe are all AMAZING...though I can't imagine anything being bad here.

This has been one of my favorite restaurants for a long time. In the Belmar Plaza in Belmar (9th and Main), this tiny spot is BYOB, and upscale casual.

I've had everything here from Buffalo tenderloin, to scallops, to crispy duck, even a foie gras appetizer and a cabernet sorbet (yeah, that's right, FROZEN WINE!!!).

I've never had something at Brandl. that I didn't like. However, hands down, my favorite dish is their signature Lazy Lobster. Lobster out of the shell, vanilla bean butter, asparagus risotto...I'm drooling now just thinking about it.

Best of all, they do a Lazy Lobster special on Sundays, soup or salad, lazy lobster, coffee and dessert for $35.

More than worth every penny.

Also worth trying, the chocolate souffle...just make sure you order it at the beginning of the meal! Delish!