Asbury Ale House — Restaurant in Asbury Park

I recently visited a restaurant in [location], and I must say that my experience left me feeling somewhat ambivalent. While there were certain aspects of the establishment that stood out, there were also a few significant drawbacks that prevented me from fully enjoying my dining experience. Let's start with the positive aspects. The atmosphere of the restaurant was quite pleasant. The ambiance was cozy, and the decor created a warm and inviting space. It was evident that some thought had been put into creating a comfortable dining environment, which contributed to a pleasant overall experience. Furthermore, I must commend the waitstaff for their excellent service. The waiters were attentive, friendly, and accommodating throughout my visit. They were quick to take orders, and they displayed good knowledge of the menu, providing recommendations when asked. Their professionalism added a touch of hospitality to the dining experience. Unfortunately, the positives end there. The food, while not terrible, was rather average. It lacked the flavor and finesse that one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The dishes I ordered failed to impress, and they lacked the wow factor that would make me want to return for more. The lackluster quality of the food left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. Moreover, the management of this establishment left much to be desired. I encountered an issue when I wanted to make a simple substitution in my order. I requested to replace chicken with shrimp, but I was informed that this modification would come at an extra cost of $10, plus tax. While I understand that substitutions may sometimes incur additional charges, the price seemed excessive for such a simple change. This policy left a sour taste in my mouth and gave the impression that the management prioritized profit over customer satisfaction. In conclusion, while the ambiance and the attentiveness of the waitstaff were commendable, the average quality of the food and the management's questionable pricing policy prevent me from giving this restaurant a higher rating. If you are seeking a pleasant atmosphere and decent service, this place might be worth a visit. However, if you are primarily looking for exceptional cuisine and a customer-focused experience, I would recommend exploring other dining...

We had a really strange experience here. Firstly, we came because they had a flyer online for $6 local beers. We mentioned at the host stand that was why we were there. We sat at a table and asked our server about the special. She said she hadn't heard of it yet because it was new so she left to ask about it. When she came back she said the special was only at the bar, so we decided to move to the center bar. When we got to the center bar we asked that bartender which beers were included because there were two different categories of local beers (seasonal locals and local residents). He informed us that he only had two of the local beers at his bar and he could only serve those. His bar had just opened and was completely empty so we were surprised he did not offer to get us the beers from the other bar. So we then moved again to the other bar and the bartender seemed unhappy we were leaving. But there were so many local beers on tap that we wanted to try. When we got to the other bar we asked the bartender there about the special and which beers were included and she also had to ask because she was new. It didn't seem like anyone knew about this new special. We were informed that it was both categories of local beers, so we proceeded to order from those categories and hung around for trivia. The trivia was very odd and when we asked clarifying questions they person running it "had no idea". It seemed like he was just googling trivia questions as he went and was not even asking the right questions. We decided it wasn't fun and we wanted to leave. When we got the bill we were charged full price for all of the beers. There were several complications when we asked them to update the bill. They got it wrong several times and even charged us for beers we did not order. In the end we still ended up over paying by a few dollars because some were still full price, but at that point we just wanted to get out of there. We were really bummed because this place has so much potential to be a super fun spot but I don't think we'll go back after...

I almost never give one star.. because owners should not have their business rated on 1 visit.. But so much was wrong with this place, that it would be a travesty if I gave them anything higher than 1 ... because these are not one-off issues:

1. Five of us came in for drinks and food. Three of us are bigger in size... but they decided to cram us in a 4 top, with a chair at the end for the fifth person...we were jammed in between the table next to us, and the server station on the other side. My friend was startled 3 times by crashing plates above his head, as they were being thrown in the bus-bin . We finally asked to be moved to a 6 top. They moved us, no problem.

2. We ordered a variety of bloody Mary's... one being a VIRGIN MARY (no alchohol)..they charged the same price for all drinks, including THE ONE WITH NO ALCHOHOL!.. really? I even mentioned it... she had no response.

The drinks were a mix of watered down tomatoe juice that was almost translucent in color, and adorned clever garnish to put an upcharge... they were AWFUL!

3. The sandwiches were decent. They came with a small basket of fries.. mine was ONLY PARTIALLY FILLED... and worse, mine were the cold, old, dark, soggy fries, mixed with small burtn pieces...while everyone else had full baskets of piping hot, fresh fries... I mentioned it to the server, and the server said "oh sorry".. and walked away 😅 ... the server was nice, BUT...no service experience at all.

As a local, I really want restaurants here to do well. THIS place is not a good representation of the level of service and food available throughout town...a town filled with discerning patrons.

To the owner and management..... you...