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    JBJ Soul Kitchen

    4.8 (184 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    JBJ Soul Kitchen Photos

    JBJ SOUL KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - JBJ Soul Kitchen

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    Linda M.

    The service was amazing, the staff were sooo friendly & the food was beyond delish!! Portions were quite ample & very flavorful! Can't wait to check out the Tom's River location! Tell your friends! It's a win-win for everyone!

    Anthony R.

    What a wonderful time. The whole staff was amazing. They're doing valuable work and providing everyone with a wonderful experience.

    Entrance sign
    Michele L.

    We had an excellent experience here and food was delicious. I had daily specials for appetizer and entree: soup with vegetables and some pork in broth and grilled chicken with crumbled bacon and feta over linguine. Very tasty and just right spicy ( not too much). Other diner had menu items: Asian salad and Mongolian beef over rice. He liked both. Portions were perfect size to eat all at restaurant. For dessert we were offered fruit cup or what they called banana cake. We got the cake but it was yellow cake stacked on chewy blonde brownie with caramel sauce and dollop of topping. Still delicious but not banana. They may have run out of banana cake? No problem; we liked it! Drinks offered were water, infused with lemon water,tea, coffee and unsweetened ice tea. We got there at 5:30 pm and 2 tables empty of about 12 total plus 2-4 outside. Suggested donation for meal is $20 and the server mentioned that they understood if we had to pay less. We decided to pay $30 each as all monies go back to this restaurant and food and service was top notch. Only downside was it was very noisy so conversing with a quiet person was difficult but we still had a great time. Lastly, we weren't rushed after dinner even though they close on the early side.

    Cornbread muffin
    Debbie S.

    This place is truly good for your soul. The food was superb- better than some 5 star restaurants I've eaten at. We had Peruvian chicken and coconut cod- we gobbled it up and forgot to take pictures. Excellent service. And the atmosphere-- heartwarming. The restaurant asks for food donations (suggested $30 per person) for a 3 course meal but if you can't afford to pay you can work for a few minutes for your food as well. So several tables are filled with homeless men and women who were dining with dignity. It was a beautiful thing. This place filled our stomach and our soul! I wish there were more places like it!

    Salad appetizer
    Nicole P.

    A truly amazing place!! JBJ Soul Kitchen is a community restaurant that provides a 3 course meal to all even if they are unable to pay for their meal. I have been wanting to visit here after I was working at a hospital during the pandemic and they donated meals to us. I went on a Wednesday evening for dinner, arrived shortly after they opened, we were sat right away but all the tables were taken not too long after. It's a small restaurant of about 8 tables and a small outdoor patio area for when it's nice. They also have limited hours so be sure to check it out before going. The wait staff identified themselves as volunteers and were so friendly with quick service. We were offered cornbread to start which was delicious and enjoyed some watermelon mint infused water. The menu changes frequently so be sure to check online before going to make sure you'll find something you'd like as there's only about 4 entree options. The meal starts with an appetizer of soup or salad. We really enjoyed the entree of Creole shrimp scampi pasta which was loaded with flavorful shrimp and a big serving with enough to have leftovers! The dessert offered fresh fruit or chef's choice which was a delicious lemon cake. At the end of the meal they won't bring you a bill, so they can't differentiate between who is able to pay and those that can't. Instead they ask you to go up to pay at a counter and asked how much we would like to pay. The suggested donation was $30 per person and I would happily pay that again for a tasty 3 course meal that benefits an amazing cause!

    Meatloaf, mash and broccoli deliciousness
    Ellen M.

    Energy. Good food. Good people. Great work Nicole, Hilary and the gang. Your warmth and commitment is palpable. The love exudes from the front door to the plate. The food was delicious; lasagne soup, mouthwatering meatloaf and red velvet cake. Thank you for what you do.

    Ate at the Red Bank location. This place is amazing. The staff is all volunteers, except for the chefs. The staff is crazy friendly and welcoming whether you are paying or not. The food is really , really delicious and beyond expectation. Please stop in for a meal and support their mission.

    Today's lunch menu
    Carrie H.

    Love love love this place. Extremely hospitable workers. We got there at 11:15 for 11:30 opening. No wait. Food was so good. I had the Chili appetizer that had the right amount of kick. Not too hot. Frittata was amazing !!! On top of potatoes and was so tasty Offered us a variety of drinks that were cold and hot Dessert. We were so full!! But I had to try the cake Can't wait to come back !! Thank you for a wonderful experience

    After-dinner group pic
    Dragonlady L.

    It's December and winter, and it's freezing cold out! But, we drove 60 miles for our date night out (kids at grandparents!) and arrived here -- it's warm and inviting inside this cozy space! As soon as we walked inside, we were greeted by so many friendly and smiling staff, who made us feel right at home and happily explained the philosophy and mission of the restaurant when we said it was our First Visit! There's so much heart in this place you can feel it and then, taste it, too in the carefully planned and prepared meal. We couldn't have been more delighted to come for dinner and take part in this amazing community and dining experience to enjoy a delicious meal, while having the opportunity to contribute by paying it forward with our donation for the meal. 3-courses for a suggested donation of $20 (half for the meal and the other half saved for someone in-need). Will have to come back in the spring or summer to see the beautiful garden outside in the boxes out front! Thanks to the entire staff -- especially Dori, Denice, and Jeff. Kudos to JBJ, Dorothea and everyone involved in this great restaurant.

    Beautiful day
    Daniel M.

    So glad we took an afternoon ride and ended up here. Always wanted to try it. The menu is small but for what they do it's perfect. Sandra enjoyed her meatless burger and my fish and chips were terrific. The PB&J pie for dessert was outstanding. We enjoyed our whole experience here and will definitely be back. We purchased a few shirts and some of their seasoning also. We also paid it forward for someone else to eat there on us and not have to worry about the bill. Fantastic concept and great atmosphere. Try it. Enjoy

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    2 years ago

    Great concept.. great atmosphere..great food.. I live I red bank and awsome bonjovi gives back the way he does

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    Very nice, sweet atmosphere! Great food and all for kindness! Definitely recommend for a nice meal!

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    JBJ Soul Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - JBJ Soul Kitchen

    Do they take reservations?

    Sorry, I don't know if they take reservations. Just give them a call: https://jbjsoulkitchen.org/

    How long is the wait on a Sunday for lunch. Opens at 11:30. Is 11:00 am early enough?

    I see that this question was posed 5 years ago. Just noting, it's a great place. Give them a call with whatever questions you have, I am sure they will help you.… 

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    Once Bitten Donuts - Big indoor space, and they have a "classroom"-like space in the back

    Once Bitten Donuts

    4.2(91 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Chava chino mushroom coffee is just so delicious…read more I'm really grateful to the staff that work here and really makes such a wonderful cup of coffee. Service is always wonderful here. I'm so grateful. Thanks for taking care of us also wonderfully. Thankful for your supplier and for your management that buys such yummy products. I'm grateful to skilled staff that makes wonderful things for us to enjoy. Thanks for your grateful welcoming heart. I look forward to coming back. I wish I had a ukulele. I'd write a song about it all.

    We were exploring the area and discovered this place. There's street parking and pay-per-parking…read morelots nearby so nothing dedicated but it is in a relatively high pedestrian traffic area. It was larger than I expected and a little overwhelming. There seemed to be only one person working on Labor Day (or that was the case when we were there in the afternoon) and two cash registers. The one on the right appeared to be for drinks and ice cream, the one straight ahead for donuts. She was always helping out people with ice cream and we headed towards the back where there was a substantial display of donuts. They have plenty of tables and chairs plus outdoor seating so good for parties of all sizes. They do have gluten free and vegan donuts, but their donuts are NOT both vegan and gluten free which meant one of my kids could not partake. There is A LOT to choose from but we ended up getting: CRUMBLE ME APPLE: light and not too sweet. The crumble gave a nice textural contrast, the donut was good, and it was filled with a tart apple filling that I thought really made it delicious. There was also a sticky caramel (?) drizzle but it was very light and melded with everything else. Excellent donut choice. CINNAMON & SUGAR KRONUT: I asked for recommendations because I couldn't decide and the girl recommended a kronut. I've had my share of cronuts/kronuts (croissant donuts) but am always open to trying more variations. This donut was large, light, and had decent lamination. I didn't find it too greasy, sweet, or heavy and I actually really enjoyed it! ARE YOU CEREAL?: my daughter picked this. She really liked it and said it was "amazing". I didn't taste it but it definitely looks sweeter than the ones I chose for the adults. At least she likes it? Donuts were $4.75 each so it adds up fast, but the ones I tasted were quite good! They have restrooms in the back but you need to request a key to access them. You have to be a customer. They were out of toilet paper and paper towels but they do have a hand dryer. The only downside is they aren't very clean. Tables looked okay though it was highly dependent on the table, but floors were sticky. Not sure if we came at the wrong time or they were just understaffed. The girl working at the time was really nice and sweet so no issues with service itself. Overall, a great place to get donuts that taste good and aren't too sweet (depending on what you get). I'm glad we came across this place!

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    Once Bitten Donuts - Lana is so sweet! Mushroom coffee

    Lana is so sweet! Mushroom coffee

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    JJ Delicacies

    JJ Delicacies

    4.7(102 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Beautiful new toys and nice food. Well made with good customer support. I love it hereread more

    My family was exploring and I really wanted something savory while in the area. I saw "sushi…read moreburrito" and was intrigued. It seemed a safe choice (we're allium-free vegetarians) and I was luckily right, for the most part. The place is cute with a little gift shop (this squishiest, needoh, and little toys) to the side which I was not expecting and the rest was the restaurant. They have an open kitchen, do poke bowls and drinks including boba. Plus mochi ice cream, roll ice cream, and other sweets. You place your order at the counter, pick your table, and they'll bring out your food. Sushi burritos are NOT officially on the menu but you essentially use the same section as DIY poke bowls. Same price regardless of bowl or burrito. You just pick and choose and make your own which I thought was fun. The tricky part is the sauce. They have a good selection, but the lady did not know what the ingredients were, which was... disappointing. Didn't ask the kitchen either. We ended up going with soy sauce, which was given to us in a cup on the side. The burrito is nicely sized. I asked for a number of things and you could taste them as you worked through it but it's impossible to taste everything at the same time. But it's not throughout the entire length of the burrito. It also doesn't have any additional seasoning aside from items like oshinko (pickled, radioactive yellow radish... it was thinly sliced and I couldn't see it but I did taste it when I got to it) or things bloomed their own flavor like mango so the sauce is recommended. Soy sauce was perfect, but I really wanted to try the Honey Wasabi sauce. Anyway, the burrito was good! But it was also $17. Ouch. Tofu doesn't cost that much so I did think it a bit much? There's an option for NO protein which is a little cheaper so maybe that would have been better? Good place to go to for a savory bite. Would be better if I could get fancier sauce and there was better knowledge of ingredients. That in itself makes the place iffy for the entire family. One of my kids has multiple food allergies.

    Photos
    JJ Delicacies - Beautiful new toys

    Beautiful new toys

    JJ Delicacies - 2. Tuna It Up Bowl

    2. Tuna It Up Bowl

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    JBJ Soul Kitchen - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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