The Sandbox at Seastreak Beach — Restaurant in Highlands

I had high hopes for my visit to The Sandbox, but unfortunately, the experience was negatively impacted by one of the food truck vendors on-site. On Sunday 8/3, my best friend and I visited and ordered from the food truck located closest to the admission and bag check area (unfortunately, I did not get the name of the truck). The service from this vendor was alarmingly slow and unprofessional. Orders were taking as long as 30 minutes, and customers who politely inquired about their food were met with visibly poor customer service. While the young man working the register — identifiable by his septum and double nostril piercings — was initially friendly while taking orders, things quickly deteriorated.

I ordered a burger with a side of onion rings, and my friend ordered a buffalo cheesesteak (we ordered this together). Our wait time was 20 minutes. I checked our food before leaving and noticed I had only received two onion rings and no sauce, despite ordering a full side. My friend’s cheesesteak also tasted undercooked and unpleasant.

While waiting, I observed the same employee engaging in tense interactions with other patrons. One man, upset that he and his wife had waited over 30 minutes while others were being served despite ordering after the couple, expressed his frustration. Instead of handling the situation with professionalism, the employee responded with hostility and poor attitude. He proceeded to have a back-and-forth with the man rather than apologizing or deescalating the situation.

Additional incidents occurred, including a mix-up where a mother and daughter received the wrong order — one that included meat despite their request for none. The same employee admitted to accidentally switching their order with the man’s order (who was upset prior), but that customer responded angrily for being accused of stealing as he clarified that he paid for all of his food. The employee was extremely dismissive and used inappropriate language, even insulting the man to the women who were waiting stating, “That man is just in a pissy mood.” The situation escalated unnecessarily, with customers feeling disrespected and unheard.

Eventually, I approached the employee myself, making it clear that I had experience in food service and was not there to be confrontational. I calmly explained that my order was incorrect. He responded with surprise, saying, “Oh, you wanted a side of onion rings?” and then took another 20 minutes to fulfill the order correctly. He seemed to be polite only when customers were polite with him, which baffles me because we are paying for our food and trusting that it be made in a timely fashion without being insulted or, in this case, accused of stealing.

Overall, while the beach setting was enjoyable, the food truck experience was deeply disappointing. I encourage the management at The Sandbox to be more selective in choosing vendors, ensuring that all on-site services reflect a higher standard of professionalism, efficiency, and respect toward guests. My best friend and I genuinely wanted to like this spot! Unfortunately, we won’t be returning nor recommending the spot to others unless they are opting to...

Be prepared to be thoroughly searched by a teenager at the door.. I'm talking TSA level search.. the young lady opened up my small 5 oz containers and stuck her nose in them.. handled and thoroughly inspected all my personal belongings that were clearly not alcoholic.. she wasn't wearing gloves... At the least it's a ridiculously gross intrusion of your privacy.. I'm betting they're violating civil rights laws.. yea.. imagine the level of intrusion to make this upset.. as a member of the NY law enforcement community I fully appreciate the businesses right to search your belongings.. but this is really next level by individuals not qualified to perform these types of illegal searches. A great of example of a business being run be individuals that don't know how to run this type of business. The place is actually nice, somewhat, at least when they play live music. Just be prepared to be strip searched on a Tuesday afternoon at 2pm with a stroller and a baby in an almost empty establishment lol.. oh AND I had to buy 2 water bottles at $6 to replace the ones they literally stuck their nose in. BIG THUMBS DOWN 👎 l want my money back... Look for weapons.. look for alcohol bottles and respect American citizens constitutional privacy. Am I asking for too much?? Keep in mind this isn't a fancy bar in Brooklyn, it's just a random offshoot from a boat ferry company. However, it's a great spot for kids and families. Just prepare like you're traveling for an...

Fun & busy beach spot. I enjoyed it more initially when it first opened, as it was more locals and relaxing. Now, is inundated with Benny’s (sorry) and feels less like a quaint beach bar and more like loud crowded Sandy Hook on a July weekend.

What I DO love: •it’s not tightly packed, with lots of seating. • a variety of live music • it’s family-friendly (for the most part) toddlers to grandparents! • there’s a variety of food trucks & an option for everyone, including VEGAN options!! 🌱 Yay, Sprout House!!

What I DON’T love: •The new fee for anyone NOT a local (Highlands) resident. I think It’s fair to charge for everyone outside of Monmouth County, and charge out-of-state people more.

•the “pets-allowed” policy. I love my dog more than anything, But it ruins the time when I see people bringing their dogs, and the dogs are miserable because it’s too hot, and they’re constantly barking, and people are not controlling their animals (or cleaning up after them. It’s nasty.) •every table should have umbrellas, not just some. •having only one drink trailer. The line gets insane on a decent weather day, and you have only 1...