I love the vibe here. I get the mex bowl which is way more food than I can eat. Bottomless coffee with oatmilk (no lattes). Vegan cookie or brownie (half price baked treats after two). They recently had a vegan oyster mushroom po boy as a special and it was soo good. I wish they had a tofu scramble.
Updated from previous review on 2025-02-17
Michael Connaughton
Excellent spot for breakfast!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe Scrambled Eggs
rsng frce
Jersey shore posers, Snooki wouldn't be caught dead here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Gabe Levy
Overrated place
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Richard Ratcliffe
The food and the service were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
carl kellgren
Great breakfast and brunch fare! Try the quiche! It's awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe Spin
ELEVEN DOLLARS FOR A SAUSAGE EGG AND cheese SANDWICH? OUTTA THEIR FREAKIN MIND!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
H Kleva
Delicious eatery nestled on Bangs Ave near the Cookman Ave intersection. The hot, fresh coffee was outsourced from another local favorite, Turnstyle Coffee Roasters in Belmar. The staff was helpful and attentive. The food was tasty especially the beet-horseradish cream cheese on the Gravlax sandwich. We dined al fresco, which was lovely, highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan
Michael Donohue
We had the Breakfast Burrito with sausage. The creamy Chipolte sauce had just a sting to it. We will try again.
Parking: You have to be careful parking in Asbury Park. The meter maids are relentless.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Pork Roll Egg Kale Cheese Wrap
Alex Galetus
some of the best food i’ve found in this area. insane presentation on the food and drinks, very tasty as well. inside and outside dining is cute as well. we got intermittent service, not the most frequent but the place was really busy. i did not try the pastries but they also looked tasty. great brunch option!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pork Roll Egg Kale Cheese Wrap, Chicken and Waffles with Egg on Top, Pastries
The Millennial Chum and I stopped here for lunch yesterday after going into way too many stores at the Jersey Shore Outlets (how do you say no to Uggs under $50?). The Millennial Chum is very much a regular in Asbury and was visibly surprised to find out from the hostess that this place had been around for almost a decade. Cardinal was busy but not overwhelming so, and we were able to secure indoor seating immediately despite this being prime meal time. Very pleasant interior; lots of sunlight and it reminded me of a lot of NYC brunch establishments in a good way, slightly less claustrophobic as well.
I ordered the Banana Skillet Cake, and the Millennial Chum got the weekend special SXSW. I liked the Skillet Cake but it was on the bland side, even with the inclusion of the caramel and salted honey butter. It reminded me of some of the more mediocre banana puddings I've had, where the powers that be are solely relying on the banana - it's just not enough flavor. The cake itself is pretty dense/filling but was moist. The best part was the side of sausage patties I ordered, which provided a very necessary savory aspect to the proceedings and were juicy without being greasy. In hindsight, especially given how large the dish ended up being, I probably would have gotten something else. My suggestion to them would be to either go more aggressive with the caramel (maybe bake some of it into the cake as well?) or serve this with something like a scoop or two of ice cream.
Your mileage may definitely vary on this issue, but I honestly thought Cardinal was a little disingenuous in how they presented their entree options. We were both decently hungry and opted for what we assumed WERE heavier dishes, but this was over the top. As you can see from my attached picture, the Cake is insanely large. It's like a legitimate cake that would serve multiple people. The SXSW was similar. I ate about half of the Cake (thankfully pre-gaming on the elliptical) but this is flat-out not a single serving or close to it. When we asked the waitress if she'd ever seen anyone finish my entree, she admitted it had only happened once.
Here's the thing - there's a very compelling argument that you're getting a fantastic bang for the buck. This was about $18, and the equivalent of two or three meals (most of it is in my fridge right now). But I'd much rather have gotten a normal-sized meal without having to lug home significant leftovers (again, really depends on your perspective). The bottom line to me is that if your entree is this large, there should be a disclaimer on the menu that it serves two people. But as the Millennial Chum noted with a smirk, "Then people would only buy one." This is undoubtedly a selling point for some customers, I'm sure, but just be aware that these are not "normal" portions and if you're already loaded down with items with the Under Armour clearance rack, it could be a long trip home.
The service was fantastic. We were warmly greeted outside by the entrance, and our food (which by definition included some legit prep) came out very quickly, probably in 10 minutes or so. And as mentioned, it's really hard to argue with this price point, especially when you consider we were in the heart of Asbury Park, where every business can easily upcharge on that basis alone. I've been to my share of Asbury restaurants, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a place with better prices.
The breakfast sandwiches seemed to be super popular so I'd probably opt for that if I returned. Ultimately Cardinal has a lot going for it, especially in the intangibles section, which I've always argued is incredibly important and can make up for a lot of deficiencies. But it's hard to give a full-throated endorsement when the best food you had was the side.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Matt Baillargeon
Went here the past weekend when visiting asbury park! Lots of amazing food options for all dietary needs. Ended up ordering a delicious bacon, egg and cheese on brioche. Girlfriend for their shrimp bahn mi special. We were both very satisfied with our lunch and will be back soon!
Also if you’re into hot sauce, definitely check out their Mazi sauce they offer, very spicy but so flavorful!
Vegetarian options: They have several vegetarian options on the menu to choose from.
Dietary restrictions: They offer vegan, and vegetarian options!
Parking: Plenty of spots during the month of October since the city tends to quiet down this time of year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan
Eugene Ing
Food was amazing, but our server Brian was terrible. Waited 45 minutes for our food while we watched every single table around us turn over. When asked where our food was Brian said kitchen was backed up; IMHO he lied. Table that came in as we were getting our check got their food in 15 minutes. If a mistake is made just own it, don’t make up something which I can validate with my own eyes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe Scrambled Eggs
Daniel Smoot
Do yourself a favor and contact Cardinal to cater your wedding - almost all of the compliments we received from our guests started with how great the food was. On top of that, they were our favorite vendor to work with - we had a great time doing the tasting, they accommodated our requested customization, and Molly and Chef Katy were unbelievably kind and attentive during the process and on the day itself.
We are so grateful we got to work with this team. Thank you Cardinal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Albert Pulido
Excellent food and drinks. Friendly stylish staff. Had the stone fruit salad and ricotta toast. Also the yuzu soda was light and refreshing for a hot summer day.
I love the vibe here. I get the mex bowl which is way more food than I can eat. Bottomless coffee with oatmilk (no lattes). Vegan cookie or brownie (half price baked treats after two). They recently had a vegan oyster mushroom po boy as a special and it was soo good. I wish they had a tofu scramble. Updated from previous review on 2025-02-17
Excellent spot for breakfast!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe Scrambled Eggs
Jersey shore posers, Snooki wouldn't be caught dead here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Overrated place
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
The food and the service were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great breakfast and brunch fare! Try the quiche! It's awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ELEVEN DOLLARS FOR A SAUSAGE EGG AND cheese SANDWICH? OUTTA THEIR FREAKIN MIND!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Delicious eatery nestled on Bangs Ave near the Cookman Ave intersection. The hot, fresh coffee was outsourced from another local favorite, Turnstyle Coffee Roasters in Belmar. The staff was helpful and attentive. The food was tasty especially the beet-horseradish cream cheese on the Gravlax sandwich. We dined al fresco, which was lovely, highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan
We had the Breakfast Burrito with sausage. The creamy Chipolte sauce had just a sting to it. We will try again.
Parking: You have to be careful parking in Asbury Park. The meter maids are relentless.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Pork Roll Egg Kale Cheese Wrap
some of the best food i’ve found in this area. insane presentation on the food and drinks, very tasty as well. inside and outside dining is cute as well. we got intermittent service, not the most frequent but the place was really busy. i did not try the pastries but they also looked tasty. great brunch option!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pork Roll Egg Kale Cheese Wrap, Chicken and Waffles with Egg on Top, Pastries
Restaurantji Recommends
***3 1/2 stars***
The Millennial Chum and I stopped here for lunch yesterday after going into way too many stores at the Jersey Shore Outlets (how do you say no to Uggs under $50?). The Millennial Chum is very much a regular in Asbury and was visibly surprised to find out from the hostess that this place had been around for almost a decade. Cardinal was busy but not overwhelming so, and we were able to secure indoor seating immediately despite this being prime meal time. Very pleasant interior; lots of sunlight and it reminded me of a lot of NYC brunch establishments in a good way, slightly less claustrophobic as well.
I ordered the Banana Skillet Cake, and the Millennial Chum got the weekend special SXSW. I liked the Skillet Cake but it was on the bland side, even with the inclusion of the caramel and salted honey butter. It reminded me of some of the more mediocre banana puddings I've had, where the powers that be are solely relying on the banana - it's just not enough flavor. The cake itself is pretty dense/filling but was moist. The best part was the side of sausage patties I ordered, which provided a very necessary savory aspect to the proceedings and were juicy without being greasy. In hindsight, especially given how large the dish ended up being, I probably would have gotten something else. My suggestion to them would be to either go more aggressive with the caramel (maybe bake some of it into the cake as well?) or serve this with something like a scoop or two of ice cream.
Your mileage may definitely vary on this issue, but I honestly thought Cardinal was a little disingenuous in how they presented their entree options. We were both decently hungry and opted for what we assumed WERE heavier dishes, but this was over the top. As you can see from my attached picture, the Cake is insanely large. It's like a legitimate cake that would serve multiple people. The SXSW was similar. I ate about half of the Cake (thankfully pre-gaming on the elliptical) but this is flat-out not a single serving or close to it. When we asked the waitress if she'd ever seen anyone finish my entree, she admitted it had only happened once.
Here's the thing - there's a very compelling argument that you're getting a fantastic bang for the buck. This was about $18, and the equivalent of two or three meals (most of it is in my fridge right now). But I'd much rather have gotten a normal-sized meal without having to lug home significant leftovers (again, really depends on your perspective). The bottom line to me is that if your entree is this large, there should be a disclaimer on the menu that it serves two people. But as the Millennial Chum noted with a smirk, "Then people would only buy one." This is undoubtedly a selling point for some customers, I'm sure, but just be aware that these are not "normal" portions and if you're already loaded down with items with the Under Armour clearance rack, it could be a long trip home.
The service was fantastic. We were warmly greeted outside by the entrance, and our food (which by definition included some legit prep) came out very quickly, probably in 10 minutes or so. And as mentioned, it's really hard to argue with this price point, especially when you consider we were in the heart of Asbury Park, where every business can easily upcharge on that basis alone. I've been to my share of Asbury restaurants, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a place with better prices.
The breakfast sandwiches seemed to be super popular so I'd probably opt for that if I returned. Ultimately Cardinal has a lot going for it, especially in the intangibles section, which I've always argued is incredibly important and can make up for a lot of deficiencies. But it's hard to give a full-throated endorsement when the best food you had was the side.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Went here the past weekend when visiting asbury park! Lots of amazing food options for all dietary needs. Ended up ordering a delicious bacon, egg and cheese on brioche. Girlfriend for their shrimp bahn mi special. We were both very satisfied with our lunch and will be back soon!
Also if you’re into hot sauce, definitely check out their Mazi sauce they offer, very spicy but so flavorful!
Vegetarian options: They have several vegetarian options on the menu to choose from.
Dietary restrictions: They offer vegan, and vegetarian options!
Parking: Plenty of spots during the month of October since the city tends to quiet down this time of year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan
Food was amazing, but our server Brian was terrible. Waited 45 minutes for our food while we watched every single table around us turn over. When asked where our food was Brian said kitchen was backed up; IMHO he lied. Table that came in as we were getting our check got their food in 15 minutes. If a mistake is made just own it, don’t make up something which I can validate with my own eyes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe Scrambled Eggs
Do yourself a favor and contact Cardinal to cater your wedding - almost all of the compliments we received from our guests started with how great the food was. On top of that, they were our favorite vendor to work with - we had a great time doing the tasting, they accommodated our requested customization, and Molly and Chef Katy were unbelievably kind and attentive during the process and on the day itself.
We are so grateful we got to work with this team. Thank you Cardinal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food and drinks. Friendly stylish staff. Had the stone fruit salad and ricotta toast. Also the yuzu soda was light and refreshing for a hot summer day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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