Red Bank, located along the Navesink River in Northern New Jersey, has had a recent resurgence after an economic decline in the late 1980’s. In 2022 it had an estimated population of 12,856 people. There have been a number of urban redevelopment projects completed that have made it a vibrant city with a number of fun shops including some national retailers, antique malls, new hotels, breweries, coffee shops and restaurants. During the summer months, Broad Street, in downtown, is closed off to allow for outside dining by the many cafes and restaurants. I have been going to Red Bank and neighboring Fair Haven since I was a child. I had not been back in many years, so I was very excited to go back and explore. I went back again for two nights in July 2024 and enjoyed the experience. It is a fun spot to spend some time as you are going to and from the Shore, but you could also make it a fun weekend destination as well. You can take the train from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station, Newark Airport or other Shore points. You can easily walk everywhere from the train station.
My recommendations of what to do, where to eat and where to stay include:
Where to Eat
Candy, Ice Cream, Pastries and Coffee
Antoinette Boulangerie: This is a lovely shop featuring breads, croissants, pastries, cookies, tarts, macarons and more at 34 Monmouth St. The chocolate macarons were excellent!
Chocolate Works: At 36 Broad St., this is a fun shop for candy and chocolates including the traditional salt water taffy.
Whipped Creperie & Dessert Bar: This is a fun spot that features savory and dessert crepes, pastries, breakfast items such as Belgian waffles and espresso drinks. 6 Monmouth St.
Rook Coffee: Make sure to visit the Red Bank location of this local, 11-store coffee shop chain featuring their locally roasted coffee drinks. I went again in July 2024, when I was back in town. 10 White St.
Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co.: Located at 200 Monmouth St., this is the Red Bank cafe of this chain of seven local coffee shops in NJ founded in 2011.. It is located in an historic building on the West Side of downtown that was the former Anderson Moving & Storage building. It is a great space to relax and enjoy your coffee. It features its freshly roasted coffee and pastries. They also have bagels and breakfast sandwiches. There are several other tenants including a pop-up art gallery. I highly recommend the experience.
After my dinner I enjoyed Coney Waffle, Ice Cream and Sweet Shop at 13 Broad St. In the summer months, the street is pedestrian only with many restaurants with outdoor seating. “In the 1940s, Angelina D’Esposito made a living selling ice cream on Coney Island, a booming amusement park on the southern tip of Brooklyn. D’Esposito tucked the ice cream into freshly made Coney Waffles, a handheld confection customers could enjoy while they walked.” In 2016, her grandson opened Coney Waffle in Belmar which has expended to six location at the Jersey Shore. They are known for their many flavors along with ice cream cakes. I enjoyed the mango ice cream for dessert.
Cafes, Diners and Restaurants
The Boondocks Fishery: This is a fun, casual seafood shack at 1 Marine Park, overlooking the boat harbor on the Navesink River. I enjoyed lunch on the outside deck overlooking the boats and the water. You order at the window and the food is brought to you at your table. It is the perfect spot for a lobster roll. It is also an easy walk from the downtown shopping area or there is a public parking lot right outside the door.
26 West on the Navesink: Opened in the summer of 2017, this is a great new addition to the downtown dining scene. I was very impressed with the contemporary decor, the great views and extensive seafood menu. New Jersey Monthly Magazine featured them in an article in the past about their creative use of Jersey corn in several menu items. In July 2024 I went for the first time and enjoyed my dinner.
Toast City Diner, at 45 Monmouth St., recently took over the space that has been a diner since 1959. I loved the traditional décor and design. They also have restaurants in Asbury Park, Cranford and Montclair, NJ.
Another fun downtown diner is Red Bank Diner at 179 Broad St. I was going for lunch, but had to leave earlier for my flight back to Chicago, but I stopped in for a tasty banana nut muffin. I loved the atmosphere. The staff was very nice. I will definitely go back to try a traditional pork roll (Taylor ham) sandwich. They have a large breakfast and lunch menu along with dinner items for two days a week.
As a big Taylor pork roll (Taylor ham) fan, on my next trip want to try Johnny’s Pork Roll and Coffee Too at 8A Monmouth St. This tiny cafe features several different pork roll sandwiches. They look great!
Local Smoke, 244 W. Front St.: Started by a competition BBQ team in 2007, they have won over 100 awards including the famed American Royal BBQ contest in Kansas City and the National BBQ Festival in Douglas, GA. They have five locations including Red Bank. They feature ribs, pulled pork, BBQ chicken and brisket. It is owned by the son of local friends.
Surf Taco: This is the Red Bank branch of the NJ restaurant chain that I have enjoyed for many years in Manasquan. I always go for the mahi or shrimp tacos. Their location here is 35 Broad St.
For drinks, make sure to visit The Dublin House at 30 Monmouth St. This is a fun Irish Pub with a great outdoor patio, a traditional menu and live music. They also feature soccer sporting events on TV. Also check out The Robinson Ale House at 26 Broad St. with a large beer, wine selection and food menu. They also have locations in Long Branch and Asbury Park.
The Brothers Restaurant: I love the “supper club” atmosphere of this Italian restaurant featuring pizza and Italian specialties that has been there since 1957. 188 W. Front St.
JBJ Soul Kitchen: This is a non-profit community restaurant run by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. It serves both paying and in-need customers. The menu changes often and there are special events featuring guest chefs. It is open for lunch on Friday, dinner Wednesday through Saturday and Sunday brunch. Unfortunately it was closed on Monday when I was in town. 207 Monmouth St.
I enjoyed visited Five Dimes Brewery, a local brewery llocated at 77 Monmouth Ave. in downtown Red Bank. Opened in 2024, it has a menu with a number of beers on tap including ales, IPAs, blondes, witbier and pilsners. I enjoyed the refreshing light lager which I sipped while listening to a band playing live music in the tasting room.
Other spots getting good reviews are Cé La Vi and Semolina. Cé La Vi, at 16 Monmouth St., is an attractive open for breakfast, lunch and dinner or certain nights. They features sweet and savory crepes, salads, burgers, sandwiches and more.
Semolina Restaurant, at 13 White St., is a farm-to-table restaurant, that gets excellent reviews for its home-made pasta dishes using locally sourced ingredients. They also have Semolina Pasta Shoppe next door at 11 White St.
Where to Shop
Red Bank has the reputation as being a great antiquing destination. My sister-in-law and her mother and sisters love it. In addition to local shops and antique stores there are some larger national chains like Urban Outfitters. Make sure to visit.
Red Bank Antique Center: Since 1964 at 195 W. Front St. and 226 W. Front St. It features over 100 antique dealers in two locations.
Stillwell House Fine Art & Antiques: This is a lovely store featuring fine art, pre-industrial revolution era antiques, Meissen porcelain and antique accessories. 212 W. Front St.
Where to Stay
There are some very good hotel options in downtown Red Bank. These include:
Molly Pitcher Inn: At 88 Riverside Ave., this is a lovely 108 room, historic hotel that was originally built in 1928. I remember staying there as a child in the early 1960’s. It has wonderful views overlooking the Navesink River and was totally renovated in 1992. They have a lovely bar and restaurant.
Oyster Point Hotel: Located a block from the Molly Pitcher Inn, is their sister, 56 room, boutique hotel located on the Navesink River. It has a contemporary design, with the Pearl Restaurant and a cocktail lounge overlooking the water. I stayed there on my recent trip so I could have a king room with great views of the Navesink. I enjoyed the hotel, the staff and my two breakfasts at the Pearl Restaurant. 146 Bodman Place.
What to Do
On the third Sunday of the month, you might enjoy the Redbank Food & Wine Walk, by walking in the downtown area and tasting food and sampling drinks from the top restaurants. There is also the Indie Street Film Festival in August in various venues around town.
There are art galleries, film, comedy, talk and readings, theater performances, dance, music and an active nightlife scene. You might enjoy the Count Basie Center for the Arts. Originally the Count Basie Theatre, this is a landmarked performing arts center in downtownRed Bank. The building first opened in 1926 as the Carlton Theater and later, in 1973, became known as the Monmouth Arts Center. They offer a number of music, film, comedy and theater events. 99 Monmouth St.
Two Rivers Theater: This is a professional, not-for-profit, regional theater company producing plays and educational programs at 21 Bridge Ave. in downtown Red Bank.
Highlands, Rumson and Long Branch
Near Red Bank are some other town to visit and explore while you are there.
Highlands
Highlands is an historic waterfront community located on the Raritan Bay.
For waterfront dining, I highly recommend Bahrs Landing Famous Seafood Restaurant & Marina. In 1917, the Bahrs family purchased a “beached houseboat at this location, moved the rental boats over, and started cooking up chowder.” Today, “the houseboat structure remains as the interior of the main dining room and reception area.” Now run by the fourth generation of the family, “Bahrs Landing is considered one of New Jersey’s famous landmarks as well as one of the country’s oldest family-run restaurants.”
I loved the atmosphere, the food and the views of the water. I had a wonderful grilled tuna sandwich with asian slaw and sweet potato fries. They are also know for their lobster, chowders and other seafood dishes along with steaks and pasta.
Nearby is Twin Lights State Historic Site. This is an historic, non-operational lighthouse and museum. A lighthouse has “existed on the site since 1828, when it became an important guide and landmark for ships navigating the treacherous entrances to New York Harbor.” The current lighthouse, with two non-identical towers, was constructed in 1862. “This was the first American lighthouse to test a Fresnel lens and was also the site of a demonstration by Marconi of the wireless telegraph in 1899. A bi-valve fresnel lens is on display in the museum.”
I enjoyed walking the property, visiting the museum and small store.
A short drive over the bridge is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in the US. It is located at the tip of Sandy Hook, NJ and was designed and built on June 11, 1764 by Isaac Conro. On June 11, 1964, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse was declared a National Historic Landmark on the 200th anniversary of its first lighting. It is well-worth the drive. There is a visitor center with a small shop and museum. Guided tours are available.
The lighthouse is located in the Gateway National Recreation Area on the grounds of Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark. Fort Hancock is a former United States Army fort. This coastal artillery base defended the Atlantic coast and the entrance to New York Harbor, with its first gun batteries operational in 1896. Its yellow brick buildings were constructed largely between 1898-1910, with the fort reaching its peak population in World War II.
There is a daily charge for parking and beach access. But upon arrival at the gate just tell them that you are going to Fort Hancock and there will be no charge.
Rumson
Rumson is an upscale borough in Monmouth County, east of Red Bank. I recommend that you enjoy a meal at Barnacle Bill’s restaurant at 1 First St. This is a casual restaurant, started over 40 years ago, with a loverly outdoor terrace that overlooks the Navesink River. Unfortunately, I was unable to eat there, but I loved the atmosphere. I will defintiely go back when I am in town again. It is open for lunch and dinner, six days a week.
Long Branch
Located six miles southeast of Red Bank is the beach community of Long Branch. I have been through it on the train many times, but had never gone until my recent trip to Red Bank from Manasquan. It is a good town to stop and visit. I went for lunch and to explore on the way to Red Bank.
Long Branch along the water is very upscale and very different from other casual towns like Point Pleasant and Manasquan. Along the beach are a number of cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops and stores.
I recommend Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant with beautiful views of the beach. Its menu features fresh seafood, Maine lobster, a raw bar, steaks and pasta. I enjoyed the excellent mussels with coconut curry and fries. 100 Ocean Ave. N.
I recommend The Baked Bear for ice cream in Pier Village The almond brittle cake flavor was great.
After my ice cream I went to Cowabunga Roastery & Cafe, the coffee shop next door to Turning Point of Long Branch which is popular for breakfast, brunch and lunch. I had a great latte for a caffeine hit.
Make sure to visit the tasting room Beach Bee Meadery. They make a number of ciders and meads or honey wine. This is a fun spot where I enjoyed tasking the the Passion Cherry cider and the Old Fashioned Mead. They have indoor as well as outdoor patio seating. 89 Long Branch Ave.
