Maloney's Pub & Grill — Restaurant in Matawan

4 1/2 stars

I love when your second choice ends up being the best choice. The Millennial Chum and I came here for lunch this past Sunday after first walking over to an Italian place down the street that was busy hosting a private event and deciding to go somewhere else less chaotic. Maloney's is pretty non-descript; it's very easy to walk by without really noticing it, and the interior is very dark and honestly kind of drab. We were seated in a booth that could have used an upgrade; you could distinctly feel the springs under the thin vinyl-like material on the seats. Some overall TLC would go a long way here. This is by and large a very positive review though - if they updated the décor and lightened it up so you could see your fellow dining companions and food, this would be perfect.

We came directly from metal detecting on the beach and had worked up quite an appetite. I decided to go with the Shrimp Scampi Flatbread ($19), which absolutely hit the spot. Perfect choice; it's a decently-sized entrée that I devoured in a few minutes. And I mean this in the best possible way - it had kind of a naughty Pizza Hut vibe to it when it came to the cheese. You can see the visual similarities in the accompanying picture. Either you're in the mood for that almost mozzy stick thickness, or you're not. It worked here, and the lemon/garlic/parsley seasoning was a perfect complement and reminder that this was more than just a generic cheesy flatbread. Given that I had emotionally prepared and had my heart set on an Italian meal, this was a great way to slightly pivot without actually leaving the genre altogether. The price point might be a LITTLE high, especially for this more blue collar shore area, but it wasn't egregious. The Millennial Chum was in a fairly naughty mood for her standards and got the Margarita Quesadilla ($16), which was warmly received. A piece was nobly offered to me, but I'm not into chunks of tomato (no offense) so the appeal of this particular dish is lost on me.

The service was very solid. We were immediately and warmly received by the hostess, the waiter stopped by often to check on us, and we even had a proactive busboy who came by to fill up our waters regularly (metal detecting can leave one parched). Right after we finished eating, the Millennial Chum realized we could catch a movie that was starting nearby in 15 minutes. That would normally be my cue to panic and frantically hail down the nearest employee to expedite the check, etc. No need here. Everyone was on top of their game and we got out of there in time to catch most of the previews (which now apparently run for 30 minutes; that's a little extreme even for someone as pro-trailer as I am).

Strong recommend - I haven't found a lot of decent eating options in this area of Jersey, so it's nice to see a high quality restaurant...

Edit Spring 2025: The beers are still not kept well. Had a kölsch that tasted like raspberry or some other fruit most-likely due to the previous beer on the same line. Unacceptable in craft beer. Especially at high prices. Serve delicate clean beers on certain taps and keep the Smurf juice for fruity "dirty" lines. Had an IPA that was so foamy, two glasses were poured into one. All carbonation lost. Unacceptable. Also had a dirty glass with bubbles sticking to the inside. Unacceptable. Your best bet the the Reissdorf Kölsch since it is the only beer that occupies that tap as it is the only staple. Serve less beers at better quality. The potential here is so great but the mark is missed so bad. Also, the food special made me sick when I got home. Unbelievable.

Edit June 2022: The base food menu hasn't changed in years. The "specials" are usually the same. They don't feel like specials at all. Now about the food itself. It's been pretty terrible. The roasted garlic clams are ginormous, chewy soup clams. Inedible. They should be little long necks. We also had a salmon special that we were excited about. The fish was not awful but didn't look great. There was a sweet sauce that was not only on the fish but was also on the quinoa. This sauce was not mentioned in the description. Furthermore, you should not be using the same sauce on the side as the main. Very weird. I don't think I will ever eat here again. This is just the tip of the iceberg with the food here. The veggie burger tasted sour and spoiled the last time. I want Maloney's to do better. There are ao many options in the same area but they haven't tried to improve anything. The beer isn't bad. It tastes fresh but still served in different glasses than expected and not consistent. And c'mon! Not everyone wants craft beer. Please please please get a short wine list for your guests! Nothing crazy. Just a nice few bottles with some basic details on a menu! I mean.... C'mon!

Have not been happy the past few times. The beers don't taste right. Maybe the lines are dirty. They are a bit warmer than I would prefer. They can always warm up once poured if preferred. The glassware is not correct for the style of beer ordered. There are way too many beers. A smaller beer list would solve a lot of issues. It would also probably bring prices down. Smaller pour options are preferred for those wanting to taste and explore more, but they don't offer this so I'm forced to over-consume. The food has also been feeling a bit tired as well. Finally, the soaking wet and stained coasters are outright disgusting. C'mon...

This pub has changed over the years. I loved it when it first opened, low key with a great beer selection. I don't live in the area anymore, so it has been a long time since I last visited. I walked in the door with some friends, and noticed it had been remodeled. Didnt care for it. But we decided to grab a high top table near the bar. It was about 915pm on a Saturday night. The actual bar was pretty full, but hardly anyone was sitting in the restaurant or the high tops. The hostess walked over and handed us all food menus, which my sister said "no thank you were just ordering drinks." The hostess then replies "in order to sit at a table you have to order food". There was no room at the bar.. i said "We literally just finished a huge family meal, we're not hungry". Her response "just order fries or something. You can't sit unless you order food (with an attitude)". Its 930 on a saturday. You have about 15 other tables to seat people at and you're worried about me ordering a basket of fries? We weren't holding up a table from anyone else. Poor practice, even if the restaurant was busy. Your beers are expensive. We would have bought at least 3 each, and you permanently lost customers because of a $4 basket of fries. I will never go back. We picked up our stuff and said in front of the hostess we will go somewhere else for the night and she...