Rod's Tavern — Restaurant in Sea Girt

Words cannot even begin to express how disgusted and disheartened I am by my experience dining here last night with a few friends. And let me first say that although the gentlemen behind the bar were wonderful and kind, I cannot say the same for the management.

My friend who is a vegetarian ordered a black bean burger, but instead, was served a chicken sandwich. After taking one bite and realizing it was chicken, she calmly informed our server, a manager came over to her shortly after (I don’t know her name), and took her plate back into the kitchen. Would you believe this “manager” had the audacity to roll her eyes at us while walking out of the kitchen to the host stand, where the young girl at host stand also began to look over and roll her eyes at us. When confronted, she put on the pathetic performance of “I have no idea what you’re talking about….”

My friend was incredibly patient and calm with the manager while informing her that she was served meat instead of chicken despite being upset that she had even taken a bite after not eating meat for over ten years. Mistakes happen, however, making such a huge mistake as serving a vegetarian meat to me calls for a humble, sincere apology. Instead, this woman was disrespectful, un-empathetic, and shared in her unprofessionalism with the young girl at the host stand who continued to roll her eyes for the remainder of our time there, even while walking out of the restaurant.

A different manager came over afterwards attempting to apologize by saying “Whatever it was that happened, I’m sorry you perceived it that way.” If this is how this establishment chooses to treat customers after making such a careless mistake that deserved so much more care and consideration than what this manager showed, then I am completely at a loss. Not to mention how it also set a terrible example for a staff member; that it is ok to blatantly disrespect customers, even when the restaurant is in the wrong.

I am disgusted and upset by how we were treated despite my friend showing grace and patience with the staff after being served meat. My friends food and drink were comped, but that’s not even the point. Don’t eat here, especially if you are a vegetarian. No care or consideration. Couldn’t even work up a...

2022: Update, April. Rod's reopened. It's completely different inside and it looks as though they've doubled the capacity (not a good thing since parking was already difficult). There are now two bars, one was added where the private event room used to be - both bars have table seating also. The dining room is where it was - but it's completely new, and is all hard surfaces. Which is where the problem is. The modern restaurant look of hard surfaces, mostly painted gray, has an issue - and the issue is noise.

Rod's dining room was deafening. Apparently they thought since the noise level caused by patrons was too loud, they'd drown it out by turning the background music up louder. Noise + More Noise doesn't equal a pleasant dining experience. Our waitress couldn't be heard. Our waitress couldn't hear us. I couldn't hear my wife and she couldn't hear me although we were seated on the corner of a table and perhaps 2 feet apart.

The noise ruined any pretense of ambience they were trying to achieve, and personally the sterile look of the new Rod's is to me off-putting. The old wood and green dining room was a much more pleasant place for dinner.

You might notice I had little to say about the food. That's because there was little to say about it. I had a steak-salad. The greens were all spinach leaves. The steak was ordered medium, it came out charred and dry. I requested a replacement, which took about 20 minutes to get - it was better than the charred offering. The dressing was a vinaigrette with nothing memorable to say about it. My wife had a turkey club. It was a standard club - nothing special except the price. Given it was newly opened I might hope the food might improve with time - so I'll give it a 3 out of 5 stars for food, and unfortunately 0 out of 5 stars for ambience.

We won't be rushing back. I talked to some friends we bumped into there, they felt much the same way. It's not a place to rush back to.

2020: Update - Rod's is no more. Supposedly it will be remodeled and reopened once Covid isn't a thing. Story is it was bought by Chef's International (Jack Baker...

Rod’s Tavern is the kind of place that feels like it’s always been there—and thank goodness it has. Nestled in the heart of Sea Girt, this spot oozes timeless charm, with that perfect old-school tavern feel that’s getting harder and harder to come by these days.

The food? Comforting and consistently excellent. Whether you’re going in for their legendary burger, a perfectly cooked piece of fresh seafood, or just some classic tavern-style fare, you’re going to walk away full and satisfied. It’s not trying to be trendy—it’s just trying to be great, and it absolutely succeeds.

The staff here are pros—friendly, attentive, and always seem to remember a face. There’s a neighborly energy that makes you feel welcome whether you’re a regular or just rolling through town for the weekend.

Rod’s is the kind of place your parents went to on date night and now you take your own family. It’s a throwback in the best possible way—warm lighting, cozy booths, a bar that hums with laughter and local stories. A true anchor of the Sea Girt community.

If you’re looking for an authentic Jersey Shore experience with history, heart, and a proper pour, Rod’s Tavern...