Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill — Restaurant in Woodbury

Wow! Scratch that off my bucket list!

Growing up near the Jersey shore, CHARLIE BROWN was a staple in our community. Over the years, the restaurant chain all but disappeared from towns all over the state due to bankruptcy. As of the writing of this review, only two remain.

My girlfriend and I, for the past few years, have been searching for a restaurant that includes a salad bar. And we sadly discovered that this is a thing that no longer exists. Another thing that no longer exists is buffets which Covid all but killed.

So, we wanted to have dinner at a restaurant that had a quality salad bar. We found one of the last Charlie Brown restaurants on the map and decided to drive 1.5 hours from Spring Lake to Woodbury in hopes of reliving the Charlie Brown dining experience we enjoyed in our youth.

Upon entering the restaurant, my girlfriend remarked how similar the decor was to what she remembered. The restaurant was very cute with a library-themed dining room and an adjoining bar. We arrived just after 3 p.m. for an early dinner, the place was fairly empty, and we were seated immediately.

Our server was very nice and patient as we took our time looking over the menu. My girlfriend and I decided on Prime Rib. She had the smallest cut and I had the largest. The meal came with soup or salad bar plus one side. We opted, of course, for the salad bar. We both chose a baked potato as a side.

The salad bar was the highlight of this visit. It's quite large and filled with every possible item you could hope for. From leafy lettuce to crunchy vegetables, pasta, and potato salad. It would be impossible not to pile your plate high with just about everything included here as we did, and as we watched others do as well. Everything is very fresh. Additionally, the staff did an incredible job of maintaining/refilling the salad bar after every crowded pass-through. It was amazing to see how much effort the restaurant put into providing an exceptional salad bar experience.

Our Prime Rib dinner was exceptional. The meat was cooked perfectly (we went with medium). It was served with a cup of au Jus, allowing you to dip each piece of meat into the sauce. The baked potato was perfect! It came with a generous portion of butter and sour cream. We took some bacon bits from the salad bar and incorporated them into it.

I have to say, this was one of the most enjoyable meals I have had in a long time. Everything was perfect from the service to the ambience to the food. If this restaurant were in my town, I would be eating here weekly. It's a real crime that this chain is almost completely extinct.

And the price? Not bad. For two Prime Rib dinners with a salad bar and two cokes, the total came to $70 for two people (before tip). At $35 each for all that food, it's not a bad price given this inflated market.

This was well worth the drive. Not sure I would do it again in order to return, but I think we'll plan more outings in this area just to give us an excuse to...

IF IM BEING HONEST...I DIDNT WANT TO GIVE U THE ONE STAR! It’s 2018 time for a face lift. I visited your establishment in woodbury where I live. Im sure you are aware your restaurant is the only eatery in town

You need a face lift....nothing ever changes ie chip paint on the entrance door, (FIRST IMPRESSION’s)old dirty carpet, dingy entrance way too dark which give the appearance of dirty walls, the ceilings are tin-with great detail but need painting and a lighter color. Your dining areas....what’s with the old books? Yes it’s a look but for god sake every shelf? It’s 2018, honestly when was the last time you did Anything to up date that dreary place?

Your bar....how about some top shelf liquor ? I should Be able to order a cosmopolitan with top shelf liquor ABSOLUTE,GREY GOOSE VODKA NOT SMIRNOFF’s!

I did notice one area you made significant changes ....YOUR MENU PRICE’s! If your going to increase your pricing....don’t you think it would be fair that your customer’s at least see some up keep? Your food : we ordered the new potatoe balls app. GROSS THEY WERE FRIED IN DIRTY OIL SALAD BAR WAS GOOD WELL STOCKED MAIN MEAL I HAD PARMCRUSTED CHICKEN VERY GOOD MY PARTNER HAD A BURGER HE TOLD ME THAT MCDONALDS MAKES A BETTER BURGER THE ROLL WAS HARD, FRIES COLD THE ONLY THING THAT MADE THE BURGER SOME WHAT EDABLE WAS XXX-katchup

You need to step up your game...I imagine the upper management at your company thinks with no other competition you don’t have to do anything except raise prices and count the profits? I quess they had the same mind set with BLACKWOOD AND MAPLE SHADE? YOU CLOSED DOWN BOTH? COMPETITION? EASIER SHUT DOWN THEN MAKE YOUR PLACES BETTER I GUESS!

If you expect customer loyalty and repeat customers then I will expect CHARLIE BROWNS NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CUSTOMERS!

ITS 2018 TAKE A WALK THRU YOUR ESTABLISHMENTS WITH THE EYES OF A PAYING CUSTOMER ....BETTER YET HIRE SECRET SHOPPERS.

From now on I will go to the Telford Inn or drive the extra 10 mins to the mall area

Your welcome for the $70.00 ($14 went to my server, no reason to punish her because your Company is being run...

Charlie Brown is a steakhouse, that is as interesting on the inside, as it is on the outside. Never have I been to a place like this before. What makes me want to come back is to unravel the rest of the historic building and their fantastic menus.

Their food was great and was by no means anymore expensive than a chain steakhouse restaurant. There is definitely a lot more quality in Charlie Brown’s drink and food menu. The style inside is of an old library that looks like it was owned by a 1900 century wealthy man. However, there is a lot in this big building. Like I wonder what’s up those stairs? It added to the experience and the food only complimented on this unique choice of design.

For starters I got their boom boom shrimp, it was so good that I forgot to get a picture. Over the course of the next few days I had boom boom shrimp from other reputable seafood joints and while they were good, it just didn’t touch what I had at Charlie Browns. I’m not joking, try them yourselves. For a drink I got a blueberry mojito and even that was spectacular. I wish I knew how to make it at home. For my entree I got the Parmesan encrusted chicken that came with the salad bar. Their salad bar is pretty expansive. You have your normal salad greens, but they also offered cold pasta, bread, and a whole lot more. However, I really wish there was hand sanitizer and single use gloves. I saw signs for hand sanitizer so maybe they weren’t there when I just so happened to visit. The salad bar was very great aside from that and I would go back. My entree was very delicious and I really enjoyed the fresh sides. It felt like a light healthy touch to the rich and succulent taste of the chicken. The dinner was worth every penny and service was worth the 20-25 percent tip. You will see me coming back Charlie Brown and I can’t wait to make the trip...