42 Best American Restaurants near Lavallette

“We took a long weekend to the Jersey Shore. We stopped in at Meg's Grill for breakfast. Clean, welcoming staff and a great breakfast! What else can you ask? Oh, and pet friendly.“

“I’m always a happy customer. They’re always hospitable and friendly, and food is delish!!“

“The fried calamari is the best!!!“

“Awesome!!! The only problem I have with this place is I can't get there enough. Great stuff!“

“The Lava Java, starting with the owner Brooke and the entire staff, is a jewel at the Jersey shore. Highly recommend. 10 stars out of 10.“

“We (a party of 4) had dinner last Thursday (3-7-24). We decide to select our dinner choices from the fixed-price menu being offered that evening. EVERYTHING was wonderful. In reading the other reviews, they truly reflect our own dining experience. This is going to sound a little weird, but I have found this to be true. If the restaurant proprietor (as in this case) provides a restroom facility that goes beyond just clean and tidy, I believe the same attention to detail carries over to every aspect of the restaurant, from food preparation to presentation. Truth be told, I used the facility early in the evening. I can’t speak to what it may look like at the end of a busy summer Saturday service, but its condition would reflect more on the customer comportment. Final note, I’m about an hour away, but it is well worth the drive. GREAT RESTAURANT!“

“Delicious !!! Fresh seafood !!! Wonderful staff !!!“

“The food, Service, and atmosphere were all excellent. The fresh brewed tea is spot on. The Firecracker sauce is Devine and you can't go wrong with the wedge salad. Not a bad thing I can say from my experience.“

“A go to place for great food, perfect atmosphere and awesome staff….“

“coisa boas matérias lindas“

“The best service and food.“

“The best food down the shore bar none.“

“we decided to stop in for a happy mac and cheese with bacon delicious. boneless wings or disgusting half of them were fried half was cut chicken with buffalo sauce on it. The bartender was great,trying to get this fixed. She told me she spoke to the Cook it was totally disgusting. how they can serve food like this is unbelievable .The manager never came out, the bartender had to do everything on her own, to fix this.“

“We went here on Thanksgiving. They had their open menu as well as a Thanksgiving dinner, which was delicious. The servers worked as hard as they could. To make sure everybody got their food on time. Click on the refills of your drinks.And you were able to sit out side by the water. If you go, i'm sure you will enjoy it.“

“Came here for a quick, Sunday homestyle breakfast and was not disappointed at all. The atmosphere is unique, to say the least, but also gives a lot to start conversations amongst the table. Serving portions were superb and food was very tasty. I have seen other comments and reviews that were very negative and nasty, but everybody can have a bad day once in a while. They were complaining on the service and owner/waiter being rude and yelling. I've seen more positive ratings than negative ones. While not everybody has the same humor, people can definitely be some Debbie downers. All in all, we had a nice experience and enjoyed the food. Ihop who?? Lol will def be back!!!“

“Perfect way to spend my Birthday dinner Year after year! Always perfect service and food/drinks.“

“Great Lobster and soup was delicious. I highly recommend“

“Food was good, service was good, and manager came over explaining why our gift card wasn't working and gave a discount for the inconvenience. The gift card not working wasn't even their fault, but I really appreciate him coming over and telling us, plus giving the discount.

We'll definitely be back because of the way he handled that“

“Great food! Excellent tunes! Friendly staff! Perfect breakfast to start my day... ☺️“

“The food here is always delicious. The quality and value are exceptional. It’s the perfect place to go when everyone wants something different from the other to eat. Tonight I had the pork chops. They were as good as a fancy restaurant. Tiffany our server was friendly, attentive, and helpful. We have had her on other occasions and have always been satisfied!“

“Great dinner as response service class act! Loved appetizers and filet and shrimp special excellent“

“I’m absolutely thrilled that St. Pete now boasts a breakfast spot with convenient parking and exceptional food! The outdoor seating is particularly wonderful, especially when dining with kids. The French Connection is a standout – their French toast is both incredibly fresh and satisfying. What truly sets this place apart for me is the outstanding staff. They treat my son like family, particularly Val and Brandon, whom I always request. It’s heartwarming when they inquire about my family, remember my favorite dishes, and take the time to brighten my son’s day with extra smiles. Their genuine care means the world to us. While you can find pancakes anywhere, the genuine friendship they extend to my son is truly unique to this place. Thank you for employing such exceptional individuals. And let’s not forget to mention, they serve the best lattes in town!“

“First visit today. Great breakfast and lunch menu. I had an omelet with home fries. Good was excellent. will definitely return!“

“Joanne is the literal best! We have come here every summer on vacation, and make sure we are in Joanne's section. She is always polite and has always made sure we had a great experience, as well as all of her other tables at the same time. The food is also great, and the dinner was cheap. The restaurant is very nice inside. Joanne is truly an angel!

Parking: Always busy, so street parking is hard to come by. You have to pay, but it's cheap.“

“What is referred by my brother-in-law i was not disappointing“

“We had Kate & Ally’s cater a party at our local community center for 100 people. Everything from securing the date, choosing the menu, the food, and the service was top notch! I am so happy we were able to provide such high quality and creative food, but also, to have had the opportunity to just enjoy the party while the Kate and Ally staff handled it all from set up to clean up! Huge thank yous to Dianne, Lindsay, Janet, and Rich for all their hard work to help make my event special!“

“Decent after beach meal at decent beach adjacent prices.

Parking: 15-20 spots right next to the place.

Kid-friendliness: Outside seating, plenty of room to run around.

Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs.“

“The breakfast is excellent at the Riverside Cafe . Their pancakes are among the best I have ever had with great texture and flavor, (no need for syrup). I also liked their egg sandwiches and homemade hash browns. Looking forward to trying more food from here. It is nice to have friendly service while enjoying the view of the boats as they move through the inlet.“

“Had a great time at Windward Tavern. Food and drinks were great. Service was excellent.“

“Laurie was a pleasure to work with! Our catering order arrived on time & the food was amazing! Highly recommend!“

“Delivered a boat by water there a fee days ago. The Harbor Master. (I forget his name) was very helpful, friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. Even as a non member he treated me and my partner kindly as we delivered a boat for someone else.“

“You can tell care is put into this food, not your average reheated frozen slop from most places around. Best mozzarella sticks in the area, a must on their menu. Chicken fingers were also superior to most.

My chicken sandwich was really good, nice sauce too. My husband liked his burger as well. Take out can end of lackluster by the time you get home to eat it, but that wasn’t the case with Big Dogs. Was happy to see them reopen so we could finally try them out.“

“This place has been consistently great for many years. Very fair on prices and all sorts of weekly special food and drink specials. You never feel gouged when getting the bill like many other places around.

Parking: November 1 parking is free until April I think.“

“Table of 4 with no duplicates on apps or entrees so that’s a lot of ingredients. Every one of those ingredients were prepared to perfection! A thick cut pork chop you could cut with a fork, mussels that I’ve never had that tender, the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever had and the list goes on. Every person there raved about their meal. All the best, you’re definitely raising the bar in the area. Oh and our server was super friendly.“

“great food great service great ambiance ....I'll be back“

“My husband and I LOVE River Rock's outdoor dining. We enjoy seeing the boats coming and going while we eat. The Manasquan River is a beautiful sight. Any food items that we have ordered are delicious. Lauren Guenther is one of our favorite servers. She's a sweetheart. She's very friendly, personable, and very focused on what she's doing. We know Lauren from when she served at Carrabba's. She was very special to us back then as she is now. Being local residents, we visit River Rock frequently during the summer and we will ALWAYS request either Lauren or Kelsey Conover because we simply adore them both. River Rock is our outdoor Happy Place during the summer. 💗💗“

“Had an awesome brunch this morning. Food was delicious...Danielle was amazing.“

“I was attending a wedding in Lakewood, NJ. There are surprisingly very few hotels nearby there that aren't on the shore. I had in the past stayed at a Ramada in Toms River, but I learned that it had been sold and turned into an office building. For some reason, Lakewood has very few hotels. I had stayed at one of the only other nearby hotels, a Hilton, but it is overpriced. I saw the Days Hotel, and it got good reviews. The bride's grandmother told me a friend had stayed there and had given a good report, so I booked a reservation. The Days Hotel Toms River was a pleasant surprise. It was the cleanest hotel I've ever stayed in! No dirt, no signs of bugs. no stains in the bathtub! No cracked tiles or mismatched wallpaper. And I asked for maid service after the first night, and they gave it to me, complete with all fresh towels, bedding, and amenities, made the bed, vacuumed, and cleaned the coffee area, even not waiting until late in the afternoon, as some hotels do. And it looked like the hotel had just been redecorated. Not 1950s dreary with holes in the carpet and broken tiles in the bathroom. Very tasteful with light, simple colors: just the way I like it. The hotel was very quiet, no rowdy guests, and it was set back from the highway, so no road noise, as well. And a big parking lot in front (free) with no driving around and around for a space, even after I returned from the wedding late at night. And it is conveniently located to the main streets leading to Lakewood, which was important to me. Staff was nice, and there were two computers in the lobby with Internet + a printer for guests to use. It's a four-story hotel, and I had a room on the top floor, which I had requested. I had noticed before I left that the room rate (AAA - two double beds) since I made the reservation had gone down. I pointed that out when I checked in, and the agent behind the desk matched that rate. And there was always someone behind the desk, regardless of time of day. And they answered the phone!! There was a restaurant in the hotel that I didn't use, but they were very nice and gave me plastic silverware and disposable dishes so I could eat in my room the special-diet food I had brought. The room also had a large mini-fridge (that functioned well!) So overall I would say it was much better even than staying at the old Ramada. And better than the Hilton. at a much lower price. And 1, 000 times better than an old Best Western I stayed in once, which apparently is also kaput. Only complaint was that one of only two elevators was out of order, and it wasn't fixed the whole time I was there (3 days, 2 nights). But there usually wasn’t a wait for the other elevator.“

“Very friendly staff and deliciously crafted food. This is no diner. You will get a great small town feel meal that is creative and delicious.“

“Love this place! Always come here with my family! The waiters/waitresses (especially Patrick) are always very kind! I always get the Royal Red Robin! It is amazing. But the only problem is that the yolk is always kinda runny. But other than that, everything else is perfect!“

“Me and my hubby always go here for half apps and drinks. It's our thing. And we are sat at the same table most of the time. It's meant to be lol! It's close to our house, convenient, and relatively cheap. We always get the 50-cent mozzarella sticks. They are crispy on the outside. Yummy. My favorite is the Wong Tong Taco app. ? So delicious and crunchy. Then we always get boneless wings with the Spicy Asian sauce. To die for!! And we get the quesadillas. With different drinks every time. Until I find one, that's my go-to favorite! We've drank margarita shooters. Malibu buckets. Whiskey sour. And a blackberry cocktail ? ? ? Always leftovers. Half price is a genius good idea. I love all the different choices and flavors. With a relatively cheap check. The service at this particular Applebee's has been pretty good and on point. Every waitress was attentive, nice, and kind. Always checked up on our table and retrieved whatever we needed effortlessly.

Parking: This Applebee's is located in the mall. There are multiple spots! Due to the mall parking and the shopping Plaza next door to the mall. Free parking. Never an issue!

Kid-friendliness: There are both high chairs and booster seats. Some Applebee's have crayons and paper. But overall, the atmosphere is kid-friendly. From the music. To the pictures on the wall. To the company and crowd Applebee's pulls in. Very appropriate for children of all ages.

Wheelchair accessibility: There is disabled parking right out front of the Mall and also Applebee's. For wheelchair accessibility, the mall has ramp-like sidewalks. Making it easy to get upon. The door to Applebee's, doesn't open at a push of a button. But it is, attached to the Ocean County Mall. And the Mall itself has doors that open for the disabled.“

“I am decorator, and has a great experience to decorate event in their venue. Stuff is very pleasant, professional and perfect organized. They care about their clients! Looking forward to come over multiple times.Thank you!“