I would give them a Zero if an option. The fact that they are not motorcycle friendly, to the point they won't even let them park in their lot. read more

Donovan's is really nice and the beach is nice. I've been here multiple times over the years. But after my last experience I'm never going back. The staff at the front gate are the worst people I've ever met in my life. We brought our 15 month old kid here and they were giving us a hard time of about bringing formula and cut up grapes through the front gate! I thought it was a joke. The guy said "do you usually bring food to a restaurant? We're trying the make money here". Well I'm glad you're trying to make money but I can't find formula or baby foods on the menu? By the way we ordered fries and a burger and it took 45 minutes to come out! So not only are they aggressively strict on what you can bring in, they also suck at making food if you need it. I understand if grown adults were trying to bring pizza and beers through the front gate, but baby formula!?! That's an absolute joke and I'll gladly take my business to another beach because of this. read more

RACIST ! RACIST ! RACIST ! Welcome to 2020, where establishments are once again feeling comfortable exercising their prejudices and demonstrating their bigotry. Long story short, visited Donovan's Reef yesterday with some friends. We are Hispanic and Black. From the moment we stepped on line we were treated rudely. We got everything from "We require ID," and "You need to pay to get in," and even "It's only cash do you guys have cash?" After ironing out a simple ID issue, we were allowed to pay and enter. We ordered some rum buckets at the bar and found a nearby table. Perhaps 5 minutes have now gone by since we seemingly passed the entrance grilling process. I guess that's as long as they could stomach having us in their place. As our last friend arrived, she was followed by one of the guys from the entrance who demanded to re check our Black friend's ID. Ultimately we were asked to leave because, "They have people there that do not cause problems." If you're a person of color, if you are a minority, or if you are simply a normal human being spend your money somewhere else. However if you fancy you're self a good ol confederate time you have found your home. They might even give you complementary white hood upon entry. P.S. Just take a look at the pictures on google. I especially love the creative tank top. I wonder if it's stamped Trump 2020 on the back read more

First off , 10$$ cover?? The food sucks , the lousy beer menu sucks , I just wanna say that the guy working the back fence entrance was a complete prick.. I asked if I could bring in a bottle of water (sealed) not open , we were there to see the band .. he replied we don't allow you to bring in water cause then it insures that we BUY a DRINK.. sooooo .. apparently I'm subjected to drinking town tap water and not allowed Poland spring...what.the. An I can't stress this enough fuck. Is wrong with this place ?? I'm a mature 40 something year old woman .. this place seems to cater to the young , shot & puke kids .. maybe I'll return to see live music. but overall the righteous rude nature of this place since they reopened is not the kind of place I'd like to spend money in . read more

Meh. Nice atmosphere at first but gets old really fast. Same music over and over. Establishment allows patrons to smoke on the beach. Just gross read more

RACIST STAFF!!!!! I have never written a review in my life but I'm glad this will be my first! First off all before I address my headline let me point out that half their staff had NO MASKS ON. I don't know this women's name but she is a disgusting human, to describe her she is maybe in her late 50's early 60's probably about 5'2/5'3 white women with shoulder length or shorter blonde hair.. she usually sits on the beach part guarding the sides to make sure no one "sneaks" in. My friends and I arrived and were having a good time, 2 hours later 3 of our other friends (who are black) arrived and we yelled to get their attention, NOT TO HAVE THEM COME IN WITHOUT A WRIST BAND just to let them know they found us and to set their things down on the side that wasn't apart of Donovan's .. they wanted to walk to the other side so they proceeded.. this women SPRINTED to them just to say "you can't sit in here without a band" they knew that and they weren't trying to so she then watched them the ENTIRE time that they walked to the other side , literally grilled them down!... HERE'S THE BEST PART!! 2 other girls came along (WHITE GIRLS) walk up to her say something and she lets them through .. neither one of them have a band on ... she turns her head for 1 minute and we hear the girl say "ok go go go!" And sprint inside After my friend pointing that out to her she proceeded to say "excuse me! They come here every weekend and their sister paid for their bands so they were going to pick them up from the bar" .. WHAT!? Lol so I kept asking her how does she know they really got the bands and she said "you'll have to trust my word" but then switched and said "they told me on the radio" which was an obvious lie... she didn't like that I kept questioning her and that I wasn't going to let her talk to me however she wanted so she then threatened me by saying "keep it up and you'll lose your band" and told me "are you done talking yet" really lady ? when I remained calm the entire time ... I also want to point out that when she knelt down and approached us while we were laying on the beach she had NO MASK ON.... Check your staff Donovan's ... because it's 2020 and they're still stuck in the 60's... racist shit won't be tolerated and they WILL have something said to them Having a manger reach out to me to speak about this would be great but we all know that won't happen since no one cares out there read more

Summer memories.. Now that the autumn cold kicked in it's time for a summer related review:) Donovan's reef . I'm so excited that there's something like this in Sea Bright! ... In fact it's the only place I know ( from sea bright to Belmar that has a bar on the actual beach ). I come from a place where you have tons of beach bars / clubs no membership with sun beds,umbrellas, beach service : food and drinks , music, parties on the beach ..that was the normal way of going to the beach ... Here in New Jersey / NY I noticed 2 options: beach clubs with annual membership or going at the beach with everything I think option 2 sucks. So, yes , discovering Donovan's reef was the highlight of my summer ! What I love about this place : - full bar on the beach - you can enter the beach and pay at the entrance of Donovan's . Weekends it was $8 and weekdays I payed $5 - the place is surrounded by a nice fence but you can exit on the public beach - they have music!! Even live music in the weekends. But yes, they have music !:) What I think would make this place the best: - optional sun beds rental - beach service - changing booths - showers Hope in 2016 they will open again! :) read more

Donovan's Reef - View from the entrance - Dive Bars Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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What a terrible place Raul the small bouncer is so rude. The manager does not care about customer service at all. Overpriced and staff is so rude. Manager needs a wake up call before this place gets shut down read more

i've always wanted to come here and finally did the other night. We found parking in the parking lot, and cover was $10 which is cheaper than most places. they have a semi inside area and outdoor bar with also a beach area. Drinks were good and relatively cheap. It's a cash only spot too. Bouncers and staff were friendly, and there was good music. Definitely would come back it was a lot of fun read more

Dangerous Aggressive and Hostile Environment - afraid to come back after being harassed bullied and my credit card handed off to a stranger by the bartender!! I had come early morning 10am enjoy the facility making several trips on an off the premises throughout the day to purchase food, drinks and use the restrooms with no issues. However my final trip over to the facility around 4:30 was a different story. I had been separated from my friend and alerted the bartender (who previously served myself and my friend hours prior) that my friend was the one carrying cash and after several minutes saw he was at the nearby bar but was no responsive to my calls. I explained to the bartender of the situation handed him my credit card as collateral (which he took) and then he requested I leave an unattended drink at the bar (major liability for myself and the bartender). My response was my friend is right there you have my credit card and if your concerned you can follow me and I walked towards my friend. I was under the impression he was following but instead he aggressively grabbed and refused to take the funding from my friend. The situation was escalated with a large bouncer approaching me and bullying me and somehow my credit card was handed off to someone I didn't know by the bartender. I was then threatened by comments "the police would arrest me", which of course did not happen. I left NJ with my credit card stolen, my human rights disregarded and my planned day of relaxation turned to choas. Donovan's Reef epitomizes the culture that shows such as the Jersey Shore depicts will recommend to all colleagues and friends to never set foot in the place! read more

Brittany was THE best! Great hostility in such a busy atmosphere. I've never been down the shore before but when I come back I will be back at Donavans looking for her. Made us feel special in such a large crowd! COME SEE HER! read more

Good drinks... Great Band! I almost did not go in when I heard the five dollar cover price on a Sunday night. It was worth it. The rum drink was premade so I recommend ordering a drink fresh! We didn't try the food because you had to go yourself and order it and pay for it so we ended up just drinking read more

*** DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NURSING MOTHERS*** I had planned a day trip here with my friends for my birthday. I'm a nursing mother and have a manual pump that I bring with me when I have the opportunity to sneak away. I had asked if it was okay if I brought an EMPTY cooler to store my pumped milk. They said they had a strict no cooler policy and were not willing to accommodate me at all. I have been sick with mastitis twice, and need to pump every 2 hours. I also donate my extra milk to a mother who can't produce enough, so I can't just pour my milk out. This milk is the main source of nutrition for my son. This place just truly sucks. Your money is better spent elsewhere. read more

They would not let my friend in with his service dog. He is a disabled veteran and needs his service dog with him. They said he could come in without the dog only. This place does not honor veterans or people with disabilities. read more

Awesome bar during the summer months. Mixed crowd with age ranging from 21 - 55, pretty atypical for many Jersey shore establishments. What I love about Donovan's Reef is the size, the private fenced off beach area. Very easy to get a drink and in-line with prices at most bars. Haven't tried any food here so I am unable to comment on the quality of the food, but all the bartenders were super attentive when possible. They do a good job even during busy times to move and get orders out as soon as possible. Get in a late afternoon and get some sun, play some cornhole on their sand patio, and stay for the evening to enjoy a nice evening with good music, food and company. read more

We stopped for a quick drink and light bite on the way out of town. Happy hour and fresh chips with guacamole and salsa. Great location for beach side view! Multiple bars and they might often have live music at night. We didn't get a meal but the salmon burger looked really good... for next time. read more

Awesome beach bar with excellent burgers, tasty cocktails and very cool live tunes. Staff is very friendly and attentive! Remember to bring cash, they don't take credit cards but have several ATMs on property. read more

This place is awesome!! Great crowd, amazing bands and every single game your heart desires. The view is a pleasure, nothing like having the beach as a backdrop. Love you guys! read more

Great place to go on a nice day - we went last Sunday and the weather was amazing! Crowd was a mix of older and younger and with three bars it was pretty easy to get a drink. Only downside was the food line, it was always super long! Will 100% go back - quick ferry ride from the city. read more

Been here now a bunch of times, and can never complain. The beach is always clean and not overly crowded. I was only here once before Hurricane Sandy hit and was able to enjoy the tiki bar area. They had music and it really was one big beach party! Hopefully the bar will be rebuilt soon but in the meantime, I am still enjoying the quiet beach with my friends. They always have life guards on staff and you can't beat the view. It's a great little spot to get away from the normal busy routine of life without leaving the state. And you're not traveling hours upon end to get some sand and sun either. I will continue to look forward to coming to Donovan's and cannot wait for it to be restored to it's usual glory. read more

Donovan's Reef - Sunny day at Donovan's. - Dive Bars Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Well I was really excited to visit this establishment. The place was highly recommended. I drove 2 hours to get there. After driving around for an additional hour to look for parking I decided to leave. Did I mention the establishment has it's own parking? Well I attempted several times to park but the attendant stated the parking g lot was full. My last attempt I asked him if was full, he stated YES. As I drove away and looked in my rear view mirror he allowed a vehicle to enter. Dont waste your time. Go to City Island you have a better chance to fund parking and eat great food. read more

Donovan's Reef - Not worth driving around to look for parking. - Dive Bars Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Love the music they play here!! Such a great atmosphere with being able to have a beach day and order drinks too

Rude staff. Bouncer bent my ID even though I'm 25.. Bartender did not offer me change. Front staff was nasty when we asked where the restroom was. Also, all cash, which is very annoying. Will not return. read more

It's really hard not to give a great time 5 stars but I have to give it 4 stars because the cocktails need improvement! They rebuilt beautifully. Last weekend was the first time back this summer (summer is flying) and we all had a great time. $10 to get in on the weekend for the adults. Children are free. The beach is small, nice and clean. As for the music playing on the loudspeaker they need to change the rotation or stations throughout the day because it was the same song every maybe 30 minutes and if you are a music person that could become boring. Onto the cocktails.. The Bloody Mary's where watery and pretty much tasted like plain tomato juice... they need to be a little thicker and put some pep in the step. The Pina Coladas some people liked them but some of us weren't a fans at all. The rum buckets...DELICIOUS and on the money...perfect for the $12. I didn't eat the food there but the people I was with did. They all had good things to say. The burgers did look delicious ... next time I have to try one. We saw the band Lifespeed and they were awesome, everybody around us was completely into it and so all in all it was a great time and I would absolutely recommend this spot for an adult day at the beach. read more

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Trendy, hip, casual on the beach. Great place to go with friends or a date. Age range 20's -50. Open a couple of months from what I was told. The one negative , drinks are really weak and topped with ice. I am a light weight. I get buzzed on one drink two drinks had no effect. read more

Donovan's Reef - Dive Bars Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

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With all the signs they have outside they should probably say that they don't take credit cards at the bars. They tell you to go to 7-Eleven for cash back but the 7-Eleven doesn't give you cash back you pay $10 to get in to walk out because they don't accept cards. What a waste of $20 read more

Very dirty beach...cups, straws, mayonaise wrappers washing into ocean. Complained to management, and town many times. NOTHING done. Not worthy of your business. They could care less about the environment. My pictures would make you sick. read more

I cannot emphasize how kind these bartenders are. Came here for a friends birthday and the two bartenders (both women, LD and Christine) were doing a great job enforcing Covid restrictions while being super hospitable. They even bought my friend (the birthday girl) a beer. I have to say it's super refreshing to have such great service at a bar on the beach. The food was also delicious (the wings were PERFECT), the drinks were great, and the view can not be beat. Thank you for such a special afternoon! read more

Donovan's Reef - Dive Bars Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

I came here before sandy and felt bad when I heard it got destroyed. With that being said, they did a great job of remodeling the place. It has ample space and the tiki bars look great. They only accept cash at the tiki bar so be prepared. Drinks are reasonably priced and service is quick. Great to come enjoy a summer day here and chill on the beach. We will definitely be back. read more

Just across the board no. I miss old Donovan's staff was still rude but it was super laid back. This has turned into a tacky shore money pit. Food is gross. Won't let me bring my water bottle in but bartenders won't give you a cup of water with your $8 drink. Go drink it from the cooler across the beach? It's so apparent how greedy this place is. No atmosphere. It's really a shame what this turned into read more

Delicious food and great atmosphere! An amazing place to enjoy quality time with friends!

Lost two stars for the fact that it's MONDAY and there is a $10 a person cover charge. Plus they have no parking so we had to park down the street ($2). OH and it's cash only. read more

Good view and good drinks but workers are extremely rude. Every single one. You guys should really consider how you treat your customers. Should also have a cash only sign outside read more

Spending my summers growing up at the Jersey Shore, I devoted a lot of ill-advised, by-no-means regrettable, underage nights to bouncing around from one teen movie, beach party scene to the next. OK, so maybe some nights were more like that flashback in Superbad when the three of them are just binge drinking by themselves. But these are minor details. The point is Donovan's Reef is the closest re-creation of such coming-of-age memories I've had the nostalgic opportunity to experience in my now-adult life (uh, the cool party-hopping experience, not the other one). Except that here and now I have to show ID, pay cover, and buy my own drinks from a bartender instead of pumping my own Solo cup full of keg beer or chugging cheap alcohol like it was water until it was time to muster up enough boyhood courage to make-out with some little filly by a lifeguard stand. Or blow chunks by a lifeguard stand. One or the other. Ah, the confidence of youth... Anyway, Donovan's Reef is, by no exaggeration, a giant house party on the beach. It's shorefront property turned into a bar. The residential neighbors must love it. There's typically a live band off the back porch, where people post up on the dunes to take in some tunes. Then, there's a DJ set-up, next to the giant, thatched-roof tiki bar planted right on the beach, that plays something like the latest volume of Now That's What I Call Music! It's such an ideal, care-free summer setting that even the healthy mix of locals and bennies that populate Donovan's seem to co-party peacefully. On more crowded nights, the bathroom situation is no different than the shore traffic on the Garden State Parkway that brought you here. Because of this, it's almost unnecessary to head indoors (it's also a bit unnecessary to head indoors even when you don't have to go to the bathroom, seeing as you're at a beach bar). The Porta-Johns on the outdoor deck must alleviate some of the gridlock by sheer logistics, but there are multiple lines here just the same. Plus, they're Porta-Johns. I hear Sea Bright has the most DUI arrests in the state per square mile (factually unconfirmed), and by the number of cops I saw patrolling the shore town the last night I was here, I'm inclined to believe it. That being said, don't drive to Donovan's - hire a taxi or assign your crew a dead-sober designated driver. Not that you should be drinking and driving anyway. I got it, Dad! During the day, Donovan's is the same full-service beach bar party scene, plus a volleyball court. But regardless of what time you come, even when the place is packed to the gills, making it past that deck and onto the beach, to see swarms of twenty-somethings stretching out to the shoreline celebrating summer, is really a beautiful, cinematic sight. read more

Seems like reading the reviews a lot of people have a problems with a private establishments rules. Remind you everyone unhappy can go to public beach or bar. Every time I have been here over the last few years even during covid I never experienced issues. During covid I thought the bar did a great job given all the rules and regards they had to follow. All the issues I've been witness to I would have to side with the staff at the bar. alcohol sometimes brings out the worst in people. The security is really helpful with questions or if you need help. Myself and gf had an issue with another group next to us (intoxicated) fell on my gf and didn't apologize. They witnessed it came over and asked the guy to leave thank god! Great job and made us feel safe that someone is watching. Drinks are excellent in particular rum bucket and orange crush Food is good exactly what you expect for a beach bar. read more

Third and LAST TIME I will EVER step into this place again. The burgers are decent drinks are okay! The STAFF IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! The parking lot is very small! My last time going as I pulled into the lot I noticed two people leaving so I followed and waited probably 30 seconds for them to get into car. The " parking lot rent a cop " PHIL walked over to my car and said " move the truck " I replied I'm just waiting for them to pull out again MOVE THE TRUCK he yells. If we weren't hungry I would have left right there. I walk up to the front where the woman in the front is giving out wrist bands and ask her what the old mans name was she questions me why ( which I thought was rude ) she was hesitating to give me his name. I start to explain how rude he was to me. As he walks over asking in a loud voice what my problem was I tried to brush him off by saying I'm not speaking to you he continues to wave his hands in my face and yelling at me. I show my Id and go on my way. On to the Bartender don't remember her name okay service not a full bar at all took some time to get a drink considering. I asked her the names of the woman and man in the front ( she questions me why I need to know also ) this set me off I feel like they are all so unprofessional! I explain my situation she tells me she will wave one of our drinks and that she's sorry but there is no one around to speak to. And I need to understand everyone has a bad day! Which I do however Phil was out of line. I ended up finding out there was a manager sitting at the table I pulled him over to let him know how his front staff speak to people and he basically told me he will buy us a round but there is nothing he can do. I will warn everyone for the price the view isn't worth it! Go across the street to Tommy's THAT PLACE IS 100000 times better ! read more

I would give it six stars if I could! Relaxing on the beach with a rum bucket is simply something out of a dream, while the deck provides a great shaded area to stand in to get out of the sun. The food may be a little overpriced, but still delicious and I mainly come for the beach and drinks. Having the ocean at your fingertips is the beat part about this place. I guess you could say ill be taking a dip at DONNY'S soon enough. read more

You know that saying (that I may have just made up, or that I heard someplace and am now pawning off as my own) 'If you're ugly, the least you can do is be nice'? Well this place is as ugly as sin, and as rude as they come. But why the 5 stars? Because in the realm of dive bars with cold beer, good music, and weird people, Donovan's Reef reigns supreme. Looking for absolute chaos? Go on Memorial Day, and watch Brian Kirk and the Jirks tear up the stage. Watch Tyrone the sax player get on the roof and play the solo on "Rosalita". See some drunken mess dance with himself and sing into his empty beer can. THIS is why you go to Donovan's. Don't bring the kids. read more

Welcome back! Stopped by Saturday night and The place looks great! The security Staff was very hospitable. The varied bars were all good. The view by the water was beautiful. I know it's only been a week, but I recommend having a couple workers picking up the multitude of littered cups and buckets we saw, since drinkers are too lazy to dispose of them properly or there just wasn't any place for them to toss their cups and garbage. Will make a big difference and maybe customers will take note and keep the area clean. Hope so! Will be back. The cover charge was fair for the band etc for sat nite. read more

I can't believe I'm the first person to yelp on Donovan's... This place is a major locals hangout in Sea Bright, dont visit too much or you may get caught in the drama. Former biker bar in the 70's turned super lax beach bar on the N.Jersey Shoreline. This is the ONLY private beach bar/grill left in NJ , $5 cover to get onto the beach, full service inside bar with bathrooms. Tiki bars on patio and beach. Lounge chairs available for early beach goers. Clean small beach with lifeguards. Live music day and night. Nights here on the weekends can get extremely crowded, Sunday being the busiest... This could be there last summer like they've said the past 3 years... If your not from the area you will LOVE this place, as most do. It really is a rare NJ experience. My friends in the city are always surprised that something like this exists in NJ. Feels like your in FL when your here. Three stars because I know this place all too well... read more