Saltwater Bar and Kitchen by Big Mike — Restaurant in Highlands

I made a Father’s Day reservation here attracted to the local-forward and seasonal-focused menu in addition to the shore location. Although the weather was not conducive to spending the day perusing Highlands with my dad, the food, the bar and the service at this restaurant more than made up for it! In a world of restaurants focused more on social media ready presentations rather than the quality of what is on the plate, Saltwater Bar and Kitchen is a breath of fresh air offering unique takes on familiar dishes.

As a diner, it was a refreshing change of pace to have food and drink that was made with intention and love for the ingredients rather than just what is trendy at the moment. The crispy tuna appetizer and apple salad were fantastic starters, and our server gave great suggestions for mains as I was very pleased with the lamb shoulder.

Our server, Mia, helped make this experience one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. She clearly enjoys the food and was able to thoughtfully guide us when a couple specials were sold out (no judgement, just a sign of good business that makes me excited to go back). Give the girl a raise or something, she went above and beyond as front of house.

With all of that said, the costs are kept fairly reasonable for doing food of this quality probably by having the portion sizes be not nearly as gut-busting as other places (a fair tradeoff in my mind). This place should not be missed if you enjoy the ethos behind other Monmouth county standouts like Drew’s Bayshore Bistro.

Thank you so much for a...

I would give this place an extra star for service if I could.

My husband and I just dropped in for dinner tonight on a whim. They couldn't accommodate us for a table right away, for which they apologized - needlessly, but they did. Instead we opted for dinner at the bar, which I always enjoy anyway. Our server Mike was really kind, as was the entire rest of the staff. And they took such pride in everything! We ordered burgers, but as we waited we overheard the staff talking about how great several other things on the menu were as well, which was nice to hear. We got our burgers shortly afterward, and they were absolutely excellent! Served with literally the best fries I've ever eaten. Double-fried and so crispy. They nearly overshadowed the burger, which was so flavorful, and cooked to perfection! No complaints there!

We had left another restaurant in town, which was heaving with people and never seems to care about our business - quite the opposite, we have always felt like a burden there, yet we go because of the view and how close it is to our house. On the rare occasion we do go, we always go despite the consistently poor service and mediocre food, and still leave disappointed. We were so glad no tables were available there, because we had the polar opposite experience this evening at Saltwater Social, and didn't have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it.

We will be back,...

This makes me sad because it's right down the street from where I live. So, to give my local restaurant in my town such a bad review should speak volumes to the tourists and locals that come here.

-clam chowder: it was very good. It was hardy with a very small hint of spice. It wasn't bad by any means. 😊

-Beef queso dip: the dish had a lot of character to it. Not too spicy, with a good combination of flavors that did not overpower the natural flavor of the beef.

-prime 16oz ny strip: overcooked, underseasoned and not allowed to rest. I asked for medium rare and I got medium to medium well. I told the waitress the meat station messed up the order, and she said, "Well, I put medium rare." No offer to fix it or make it right. I had a few bites and boxed the rest for my animals. Potatoes were nice but the risotto had a very strong vinegar taste to it. It completely overtook the flavor of the risotto.

-Chocolate mousse: I had to wait about 6 minutes to receive a spoon so I could eat the mousse, but after I did it was decent. Light and airy. The crumble on top was a nice touch of texture.

All in all I would give this place a...