Nice, old school Irish pub, the service was good. the food leaves a little something to be desired. The portions on the calamari were like the kitchen staff was sampling my appetizer. The grilled Reuben made with pastrami the meat was dry and tasteless, even though it was sliced thin, which I like, which adds to the tenderness, however, the sandwich lacks flavor. The best thing I can say is that the Guinness and the Jamison's was on point. read more

See all

Food was excellent. Service was on point. Nice little place in a shopping center that you could miss. but its worth the wait to get in. Will be back read more

See all

My local watering hole! Drinks are great, guests are down to earth and regulars. Food is typical and not anything clever or inventive. Good for burgers and wings and etc Bourbon collection is great if you are a bourbon enthusiast! read more

Food isn't tasty. Did not care for the wings. We got the breaded ones and the two sauces we got for the wings were not good. Also the wings did not have much meat on them. The tempura shrimp was decent. read more

I had bangers and mash for dinner and it was very tasty The service was quick and the ambiance was very casual. I would definitely comeback and also recommend to my friends read more

I have drove past Donovan's many times and always wanted to stop in but never have. I had a dentist appt in the area and we stopped in. Jackpot! Best Irish pub ever. The food is excellent. My favorite is the hot corned beef sandwich. Prices are great. They have a great early bird menu, that I have never tried because I get the corned beef every time. Consistantly, nice and lean and bountiful. Service is exceptional. Always feels like you're right at home. read more

Delicious food, great service what a cozy nice atmosphere. Go try it you will like it. read more

The food was very good and our cocktails were delicious..we made reservations but they didn't have a table for us but then they finally did..waitress was pleasant..the open corned beef was amazing. We went last night for the second time but open corned beef was not as good..the bread was very very hard and instead of slices of corned beef it was pieces with a few slices..a little disappointing read more

Food: C+B, Service: Good B+A, Ambience: Good B, Overall: B+. Service was prompt, efficient and responsive. Unfortunately, the efficiency conveyed the impression that staff was trying to move customers to finish and clear the table for the next guests. With the right companionship in our party, we had a nice experience. read more

I have been here twice already and highly reccomend. The service was top notch, friendly, and efficient. The ambiance is bar friendly, and casual with an active crew there, looking like they we having a nice time. Food was good too. I'll be back ! read more

Just found Donovan's. Visiting in the area and stumbled across it. Love this place. The food is great. Let's start there. The service is crazy good. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. Never been disappointed whenever we stop in for a quick drink and sandwich. Never disappointed with their dinners. I ordered some odds and ends for a quick get together and everything was packaged well, stayed hot and everything was delicious. What a fantastic place. We don't live in the area but don't mind driving the 20 minutes to go there. read more

Drinks and food were ok. Good place that's close by if you wanted to go grab a drink on route 70 in NJ. Not much going on ambiance wise. The bartenders that served us was nice. read more

This is like the real live CHEERS. All the staff gets to know their customers. If you want a 2nd cup of applause for your pork chops, they will remember that. One of the few places that still has an early bird special, too! read more

So went and had calamari crispy wings and nachos all were next level came back a week later got the early bird (not good ) been back since has the burger 7.1 out of 10 Definitly a premade restaurant depot sort of burger not bad but not great the roll lettuce and really fresh tomato were very good except for the early bird special were the vegetables were mushy and salty and the food wasn't very good. Everything else I've ordered off their menu has been fantastic. read more

Stopped in for a quick bite had the Ruben sandwich and my my wife had the mushroom burger. All in all the food was good and the portions were large. I definitely recommend and will return read more

Thursday night date night. Heather is the best waitress. Food is always delicious. Front end staff is always welcoming and friendly.

Just dropped in for a beer and fries. Ordered a Fat Tire and the beer was cold and served right away, fries arrived soon after and were hot and were good. Didn't ask for a menu as I knew what I wanted when I walked in. Restroom was clean. Will I be back and order from a menu , yes I will based on cold beer and clean restrooms. I feel if those areas are paid attention to, then the kitchen will be good too! So yes I will explore the menu at a later date. Thank you read more

Donovan's Bar and Grill - Fat Tire and Fries - Bars Near Me - Manchester, New Jersey

Been patronizing this restaurant for many years since 2014. I will say that of recent years, 2024 to 2025; I experienced what was 'an attitude' problem with one particular bus person. Trying to 'be kind' and that she was a busy 'bus person' . . . I overlooked. She apparently was made waitress in 2025, the 'attitude' towards me persisted; I overlooked. She's busy so be kind. But Nov. 1... she blurted out the soups with meal (blurted, rattled out fast) making me assume all 3 soups came with meal... surprised when charged for a soup, I went up to ask and to just let her know how she explained it. The owner comes along, I try to say 'how other waitresses always SPEAK plainly of what is with meal what is not' (owner TWISTS my words "so you did know." (that's not what I said, I was speaking of HOW OTHER WAITRESSES explain things as this waitress did not... but IT WAS A LOST CAUSE, his attitude told me HE COULD CARE LESS what I thought. (so GOODBYE I guess you wanted me to not be a customer) So be it. (as I asked if I could sit at a recent vacated table, owner says NOT TIL ITS CLEANED... never looking in my face. (bad day? maybe...but I won't be back where I don't get respect as a long time customer) read more

Great food :) We went two years ago on St. Pat's day and the waitress had them give us mozarella sticks even though it was only Irish food that night . I got the lamb stew and it was awesome . Friendly for kids and fun for adults . read more

Good food. Comfy atmosphere. A nice place to have a meal. Very friendly staff. Good for drinks at the bar and also good for a family dinner. read more

See all

Love it here. It's our stop from Legh Valley PA to Lavallette. Always good drinks. Popcorn served immediately on tables. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Every time we are here, the crowd is happy. That's tells you enough! Very reasonably priced and food is very good read more

My favorite is the Blueberry Wine they offer. Also the Cheesecake wrapped in Filo dough. I have always had great service here. And the menu has something for everyone. read more

Ordered the Seafood jambalaya & was very pleased.....full of flavor & would order it again for sure. It was on the special menu but should make item on the menu . read more

Donovan's Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Manchester, New Jersey

Visited two times in last month. First service was great. But fries were cold and bun to big for burger. Salmon good vegetables over cooked and cold. French fries are always cold. Ordered baked potato got french fries had to ask for silverware busy place . read more

Today was not a good day to come . I saw on their menu at home that they had corned beef and cabbage and I was kinda craving it and my husband loves shepherds pie so he had that . The corned beef was sliced deli corned beef that went bad , tasted sour , my husband spit it out when I asked him to taste it . It really tasted bad . I told the waitress who said she was goin to tell the owner and then she came back to my table and asked if I wanted something else . The shepherds pie was just ok , didn't taste like fresh potatoes on top and some of the potatoes were chunky and hard in mine . The veggies inside peas and carrots weren't fully cooked . Owner seemed like he didn't care , never came to our table to apologize for the bad corned beef , my question is why can't you cook afresh corned beef brisket ? . It's not that hard . Why sour deli meat . Won't come back . read more

Donovan's Bar and Grill - Sour corned beef - Bars Near Me - Manchester, New Jersey

See all

Comfortable bar feel. Decent bar type menu. Service was excellent. Prices are reasonable.

Wonderful food, fantastic service, good prices. Stopped in here after shopping at the Jackson's outlets and had a very enjoyable lunch.

Went to Donovan's for the first time today with my wife, son, daughter in law and her mother. The food was amazing. Everything came out on time and was hot and delicious. The popcorn while waiting and the bottomless soda's was a really nice touch. The service was excellent and the waitress was very friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back! read more

Donovan's is a neighborhood bar & grill. It's a lot cozier than most of the bars in the larger neighboring town of Toms River. What impressed me about it is the niceness of the owners. I felt very welcomed. The service was as good as can be. They have an Irish theme, but they're really Greek owned. You can taste the influences in the food...that's in a positive way. All the food was better than most bars'. The beer selection isn't the best, but it's also a very laid-back establishment. Currently they have a lot of outside seating to accommodate the obvious restrictions. Their interior might need to be updated, but we didn't see much of it. I will definitely go back. read more

See all

Food was always good and reasonable. Real sloppy bar crowd. Only 2 decent bartenders. Wish they could clean that up. Service at the bar with tenders doing a bunch of shots??Really? read more

Great restaurant experience! Manny was an absolute sweetheart and provided exceptional service. Bill was also great. Kelly, the bartender, was friendly and made amazing drinks. The scallops were delicious. Highly recommended! read more

Donovan's Bar and Grill - Bar - Bars Near Me - Manchester, New Jersey

See all

A favorite the Lakewood Bar tour. Food is good, portions plentiful and nice bar atmosphere for a quick social experience. read more

I've been here twice now: once sit down and once takeout but got drinks while we waited. This place is local restaurant where everyone seems to be a regular. There's a fun and lively atmosphere. Both times we had Maria. She's energetic, super friendly and a great server. The time I dined in I had the chicken Alfredo. Enjoyed the pasta and sauce but didn't love the sautéed chicken - would've preferred grilled but my fault for not subbing it. The second time I got a chicken Caesar to go. The salad was good. The dressing caught me off guard; it's not your typical Caesar dressing. It's not as cheesy and has something to mayonnaise taste. I can't figure out what it's made up of. I didn't love it but the dressing grew on me. The drinks taste good and they're strong. This wasn't the best food I've had but it's one of the best restaurants I've had in the are. Most places close early so it's nice that this place stays open fairly late. read more

Much too salty. Some of the saltiest food we've had, ever. I had to send back the chicken noodle soup I ordered. Salty mashed potatoes? Why? On the plus side, it's a nice place, service left nothing to be desired. read more

I have been frequenting Donavans for years, 4 or 5 evenings a month. I stop off after working late, for food and a beer. Tonight was the worst. I ordered a specialty German dish. The veal was to be breaded and pan fried with a side of potato salad. The veal was black, doused in oil. The potatoes in the potato salad wasn't even cooked. The hard potatoes had a watered down mayo sauce liquid that filled the plate. I know the food can be awful after the chef goes home for the night, but this was it for me. Past night meals were bearable, and paying for inedible food seemed wrong. I will stick with the Office Lounge in Toms River for now on. I can't belive that yhe staff actually looked at the food as they placed it infront of me, thinking this is ok! read more

This is a working class down home bar with no pretensions. It's friendly, accepts anyone, and is a pleasure to sit at the bar. No bullshit, just good food and a warm place to stop in after work. The wait staff were uber friendly, efficient, and fun to be around. Chatting and joking the way it should be. They do not have craft beer but most of the clientele don't care I would imagine. Fair prices and good food. I had a buffalo chicken wrap and crispy fries that were excellent. read more

We had party of 5 walked into the busy restaurant the host stated we don't have tables for a party of 5. He was extremely rude and nasty! We asked is there wait list and he snarly said wait will be about 45 min look around don't you see we are busy. This day and age every dollar lost hurst the restraint would not even try to accommodate us. We will be never back even in the winter seeing as we live near by. read more

This is a great place to get a beer and a bite to eat. Not the best pub, but better than average. I would recommend and it's good for what it is. The service was great and the food is good. read more

See all

sure. No complaints, service was good, food was goid, was a bit crowded but worth waiting.

Great little local soft. Burgers are always perfect and the staff is warm and welcoming. Awesome place for all sporting events