Nice friendly waitress, good service, lovely view from the deck. Enjoyed our breakfast. Will return.

I've never given a 1 star review. I would love to talk about the food & service & share photos. But even though I made my reservation at least 2 MONTHS in advance for our anniversary dinner we were refused to be seated as was the couple in front of us. Apparently there was a "problem in the kitchen" & the people sitting at their tables apparently had been "sitting there for an hour" according to the hostess?--not sure what that was supposed to mean? Ambiance--ALL tables are outside and a thunderstorm was expected so I feel like maybe it was a blessing in disguise & we dodged a bullet. There was no seating inside . They're supposed to have great views of the sunset but we wouldn't know bc again--our reservation didn't mean we could get a table. Now I can understand an issue in the kitchen and you can't seat ppl, but I received a text 30 minutes prior to my reservation (booked on Resy) that I was expected at the restaurant in 30 minutes. WHY in the world could the restaurant not text me before I drove over the bridge and out of my way that they could not serve us? Because of this it shows poor management, lack of regard for other ppl & horrible customer service and I would never recommend them or ever go back. I'd rather pack a picnic and watch the sunset from the park in front of the restaurant. read more

Super cute spot right by the bay. Delicious food and fast service. Highly recommend the eggs Benedict and biscuits & gravy! Indoor and outdoor seating available, I'd say stay inside if it's windy. read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys - Jersey Benedict - comes with hash browns or a side of fruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Honestly I wish I could put 0 stars. Extremely disrespectful and inappropriate welcoming. The bigger gentleman at the front, which I think was an owner possibly, was making uncomfortable remarks to me. He stated "Do you belong here" and also "am I making you nervous". When I was seated, he also said "why do you look uncomfortable talking to me?". This is very unsettling considering I am a young female and he is older. The only person that was extremely polite and pleasant was the bus boy. It seems like the staff especially the bigger man was very rude to him as well. Overall horrible experience and couldn't wait to get out of there. They also rushed us and we were in there for not even 45 minutes. Will never go back. read more

Place was horrible food was gross service sucked and the owners a dueshe .Went there had a reservation our table wasn't ready the girl seating us couldn't care less told us there was nothing she could do when I asked her where the boss was she said she wasn't allowed to bother him there not allowed to talk to him when we finally sat down it took forever to get the food and the food wasn't good when we complained about our food the waitress rolled her eyes . Also our table was dirty and not stable and the ambiance sucks .Stay away from this place don't waste your time or money your better off eating at Lenny's read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys is truly a gem in our little beach town! After the devastating fire back in January, it took a long time for them to recover and reopen, and we all know how important this time of year is for a local restaurant. They were finally able to open in mid-August, and it's clear the community was ready--this place has been absolutely packed for brunch and dinner daily. I've noticed some negative reviews that don't seem fair, especially given everything they've been through. Since reopening, I've eaten here eight times--so they must be doing something right! The food is consistently outstanding, and the service is always top-notch. On a few occasions, I was lucky enough to meet Chef Justin himself and share my positive feedback with him directly. Some of my favorites: Brunch: The Frenchie Bennie is a must-try. Dinner: The wings and fried calamari (so tender and clearly fresh cut by the chef) are excellent. Pasta: All homemade--I even caught a glimpse of the pasta machine in action one night. Crab cakes: Gigantic and probably my favorite dish of all. Every dish I've ordered has been delicious with generous portions. Sunset Keys is more than worth the wait, and I couldn't be happier to have them back! read more

Great food, service, BYOB! Also sunset is beautiful, worth a visit. Bone in veal chop, home mage pasta and so much more. read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys has become our favorite/go-to spot for dining around Lavallette. The menu is always exciting and the food is always amazing! The staff is friendly and attentive. The location along scenic Bay Boulevard can't be beat! Where else can you get this sunset? We love bringing our own wine which gives us more spending room on the dinner bill. Chef Justin stopped at our table once - what a nice guy! Can't possibly recommend Sunset Keys more highly!! read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys - Spectacular Sunset views! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Finally made it here and i am so glad that I did! The outside is set up with a covered, heated area, super casual, and you can enjoy the sunset. Service was right on. We started with an octopus special that was cooked perfectly, flavored well and served over potatoes and onions. Extremely delicious! Our entrees were also excellent! See the photos. The restaurant is not opened every night, and close for a couple of hours between lunch and dinner, so check the schedule. read more

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Good food great service and spectacular sunsets. Very enjoyable evening. Nice outdoor seating with an option to sit indoors

This place was a huge disappointment. Lunch Menu states sandwiches served with cole slaw & pickle. They have no cole slaw. Says nothing about coming with chips, just that fries are an up charge. They ran out of chips so they gave sour cream & onion with no other option, gross. Table next to us asked where the coleslaw was and waitress said "we don't do coleslaw anymore" well then update the menu or at least inform guests prior to ordering! The chicken sandwich came out made half the way the regular one is made and half the way the spicy one is made, which was completely wrong and had to send it back because my wife doesn't eat chipotle mayo and it was drenched in it. By the time it arrived the rest of the table was done eating. The chicken was so dry and flavorless we left half of the sandwich. Grouper sandwich was decent but it came w mango salsa which was just chunks of mango, that's not "salsa." Some tomato mixed in would have increased the flavor. $4 for a seltzer water!! CC surcharge added to bill (before paying) but is not posted anywhere on the menu, that's actually illegal in NJ. We watched 2 tables sit down and leave without ordering. We debated doing it too and wish we did. Lunch for 4, with no alcohol and only 3 fountain sodas was $105 with tip, for less than average food. This place will not make it, just like all its predecessors, which is too bad because the neighborhood could use another option. read more

So glad sunset Keys is open again! Our first time back tonight and it didn't disappoint. Already looking forward to our next visit. The lobster rolls and old bay fries were terrific. The beet burrata salad was perfect. The shrimp risotto was so tasty. Our waitress (Monica) was top notch. The service couldn't be better. Good luck for the rest of the season. You'll be seeing us again for sure. Great ambiance, great service, friendliness above and beyond, and the food is just delicious. read more

The atmosphere is fantastic. The service is fantastic. The food is fantastic. The pasta is homemade. I had zuppa Depeche. My wife had the grouper with shrimp and it's the best food on the island. The staff is very friendly and very accommodating. You can't go wrong. read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Amazing food and spectacular service at Sunset Keys. Highly recommended BYOB. Look forward to visiting again and again.

Wow wow wow! My husband and I ate here a few weeks ago and were very impressed. I had the shrimp scampi. Hubby had the bolognese. Both dishes were plentiful and delicious. The best food in the area for sure! Service was great. And the setting can't be beat. We will be back soon. read more

What a Phenominal expierence!! My Family and I have dined here 3 time now. Chef Justin has taken this to a whole new level - as we were past customers under the previous owners. I thought the sunset views were 2nd to none until our food arrived. My entire family raved about their meals and the service is just as great as the food and ambiance. I am actually heading back there for lunch with my son today read more

We randomly decided to walk to the bay in Lavallette and dine at Sunset Keys, on a whim and. suggestion. WOW... we were totally impressed by the food, preparation and the atmosphere. A very casual setting and live guitar, made for a lovely night :) The menu is soooo interesting, with a few staples, but overall very different, really wonderful options! I had Corvina fish with a sweet potato hash crust and vericot verts/baby potatoes/arugula salad with a horseradish dressing!! It was so good!! We also tried the angel hair pasta with crab and yellow tomatoes in a. beurre blanc sauce...superb! The restaurant is BYO and they accept credit cards, as well as cash! A real GEM!! They are open for breakfast too and I was informed by a regular customer that the Pork roll, egg and cheese, on their secret roll is an experience you won't want to miss. My plan is to try that tomorrow morning... lol!! read more

Made reservations weeks in advance for party of two. Got there early to make sure because never got confirmation. Then they tried to seat us on a table that was on uneven pavers on $5 plastic chairs when we told them they had 5 empty table we were told they were for bigger party's so I guess we didn't count as enough revenue to deserve a safe space to enjoy our dinner. No wonder why they closed twice read more

What an unfortunate experience - one of my favorite breakfast places has become a never again. Due to the attitude and rudeness of the hostess, I will not be returning. After hearing how she spoke to me as well as how she spoke / reprimanded other customers who had been waiting, we will be frequenting the places on the island that employ the kind, friendly people that make this place what it is. We left and were not the only ones who did. Hostesses are the face of the restaurant - when met with attitude, it ruins it for the rest of the staff who are smiling and kind. What a shame. read more

Sunset Keys! Under new ownership! Great place for breakfast! Very Nice outdoor seating, pleasant staff good food! Would definitely go back! read more

The only positive aspect of this restaurant is the view. There should be a law suit for false advertising. After ordering 4 basic egg Benedict's it took them just about an hour for us to get the food. Let alone the place was basically empty. The Eggs Benedict was decent although the hash browns were burnt on the top, soggy in the middle, had no flavor, and tasted like a day old bag of chips that was left out in the open. Finally, we asked them to split our checks. This whole process took at least 30 mins. It was almost like we took there splitting check virginity. After explaining which card is for which bill, they brought back the checks, only to find out each card was billed to the wrong receipt. Overall, this place needs some major service work. It's funny how the waiter said once he took our order, "your food will be out shortly". I feel like he gave us false hope knowing how bad of a restaurant he works for. I am honestly surprised this place is still in business. read more

This was our first time having dinner at Sunset Keys. We are local and had a birthday to celebrate. Dinner did not disappoint! BYOB which is is nice. Everyone ordered seafood. Scallops over risotto were stellar. Grouper and whole Sea bass were both amazing. Sides ordered were truffle fries and broccolini. We ordered haricot verts but the server said they were out. We asked for salad instead which was never delivered. That is the minus one star. I recommend for a lovely dinner on the bay. Price was about 50pp. Worth it! read more

We used to come to this place on occasion when we came To Lavallette, the view and the food was great but UNFORTUNATELY that is not the case any longer. NEVER AGAIN !!! - what a big disappointment. Service was terrible and our server looked genuinely annoyed to be there. The coffee came out and it was flavored and the 2nd cup of coffee tasted awful. The food was not good - A big waste of money - we will not be coming back. !!! Such a shame because it could be an amazing place to eat. The new management needs to be managed ! read more

What a lovely place to dine. The food was EXQUISITE. I already want it again. We got hot and cold lobster rolls (both 10/10, but I prefer cold cuz I'm not a butter guy), corvina (holy s**t has fish ever tasted better? Doubt it.), and the bolognese (for our non-seafood guy and look at that bowl with the burrata!!). Our waitress Christina was delightful and went above and beyond with her service. And you're right by the bay for sunset. Cannot recommend more, though I will say... get there now before it's the hottest place in town! read more

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Went for the Restaurant Week tasting menu and was extremely disappointed. Small plates came at one time and the final minuscule portion was literally served on a teacup saucer. read more

We went here twice and the staff is super friendly and efficient at the same time. I wish I saw more of this these days. We asked our waitress for recommendations and we took her advice and she was spot on! The food is outstanding! read more

We ate here for dinner & really enjoyed the whole experience. We ate off the specials menu which were awesome but need to go back after we saw the burgers delivered to the table next to us. The view of the sunset as we ate desert made it extra special. read more

Chef Justin's Sunset Keys - a crosswalk and a street sign - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Only 2 years ago, The Sunset Cafe was off the charts good! It's always been the most enjoyable breakfast spot. The coffee had that freshly brewed flavor where you knew one sip in you were getting a second cup. The food was delicious and always prepared to your liking. Unfortunately, since the new ownership this is no longer what it was. I understand it's very difficult to follow such a high standard after taking over such an excellent establishment. But this one went from 5 stars to 2 as of today. The coffee alone was flavored as it if wasn't even coffee. Bitter, strong 10w 40 motor oil that couldn't be saved by any amount of cream or sugar. My egg Benedict was good. But what made me make this my last visit was my girl asked to please have her coffee off the bill due to it undrinkable. Waitress didn't even consider it and didn't accommodate. We're done. I hope they can get their act together and I wish them well. It's always been a great spot for a restaurant/ cafe. read more

Absolutely TERRIBLE!!!!! First the host tells us the wait will be 15 minute, we ended up waiting much more than 15 minute. Not to mention the host is rude and nasty to all the customers. We finally get seated and she then tells us they are no longer serving breakfast. We order lunch but then look over and see other tables ordering breakfast? We asked our server if there was any way we can order breakfast, and she says no because the cook will get angry. We finally get our food and it ends up being okay. Moral of the story the cook had a hissy fit and ended up CLOSING THE RESTAURANT even though online it says they are open 8-8pm. DONT COME HERE!!!!!! (our waitress was very nice though, nothing against her.) read more

Food awesome. Service awesome. Ambiance awesome. Will be coming back. Have been here for breakfast lunch and dinner now, goes from beachy diner in the morning to classy water front soirée at night. read more

Just went to the sunset keys cafe twice since it opened Awesome new menu including the dinner menu I tried out. Will be back weekly as I'm down the shore read more

Me and my girlfriends went for lunch. We waited a long time for a table and a long time for our food. When we finished eating, the hostess came over to our table and asked us to leave because there was a family waiting and they had a baby! I couldn't believe that the hostess was that RUDE! Not good customer service because the five of us will NEVER eat there again! By the way, there were two other tables that were available for the other customers. SO RUDE!! read more

We had a wonderful breakfast here today. Everything was delicious but especially the bananas foster French toast. Yum! Our waitress was simply lovely and very honest. She charged us for an extra order of something we wanted to take home which we hadn't noticed but she quickly rectified the mistake. Really appreciate great service and honesty in todays world. Thanks!!! read more

Nasty rude people work here. Tried to call in an order and the woman told me to stop calling back after she hung up on me three times

Went there last September for brunch with three friends. Enjoyed sitting outside. Food and service were good. Service has improved under this new management. I will be back . read more