Stopped in for a prime rib sandwich and a Guiness on a Wednesday night. This place has that friendly neighborhood feel. The karaoke was entertaining. I expected to see more younger folks singing but it was mostly a Boomer night. Service is always great and tonight was no different. My only (recurring) complaint is how does a place that prides itself as an Irish Pub serve ICE COLD Guiness. I knew this from past experiences, so I ordered a Guiness with my martini and let it sit a good twenty minutes but it was still cold by the time our dinners were served. Bar seats were at a premium until after the dinner rush. Then it opened up a bit. Pool table is always busy when I have been there. Im sure we will return, but Im not sure I will order any more Guiness until they get serious about serving a proper stout. read more

Stopped in on Christmas Eve with my uncle who has lived in the area for 30 years, but had never been, and we were both impressed. Most impressive was the service. We were greeted and sat by a pretty young lady named Kat (I'm just guessing that it's spelled with a 'K'), who said she was tired and at the end of her shift, but was still full of energy and very sweet. She went on to answer our questions about the seafood bar and about the menu too... The seafood bar was small but full of great seafood choices! The interior was fitting for the area, well lit, had wood paneling, a large bar and plenty of seating. Also, since it is a bar, the urinals were made from old kegs... A cool addition and an 'up cycle' idea. Food... I was hoping for some Irish dishes, but because they closed early for the holiday, they kept the menu limited, so I opted for the next best thing, a big ol' burger, salad, and a bowl of clam chowder, which is not common where I live. The clam chowder was full of clams and vegetables, but not tomatoey at all. It tasted as good as it looked. The side salad was large, fresh and refreshing. My burger was just how I like it... Thick, juicy, flavorful, and spicy! I order mine med rare, Blackened, with jalapeños, bacon and cheddar, lettuce, tomato and onions on top, then add hot sauce. I will definitely go back the next time I'm in the area and try some other things. read more

Always a pleasant experience! Food and service is great with good music and many screens for sports viewing.

The bar itself is nice and conveniently located. Bartenders are friendly and there is usually live music on weekends. Also a pool table. The reason for 3 stars is due to the food being terrible. I've tried almost everything on the menu from pizza to wings to sandwiches and it's always a total disappointment. The also recently raised the prices significantly. They used to be on par or cheaper than Lefty's for drinks. Now they are pushing LBI prices. read more

Nice big bar, cold beer, good service. Food was excellent and ambience was wonderful.

Lighthouse Tavern is a cool.enough place to check out a band and enjoy a drink or two. The service is friendly and all in all, it was a decent enough night out. read more

Food is good, ambiance very friendly and service is great. Raw bar available on Friday and Saturday 4-6, Very fresh and choose individual options. Sports bar, pool etc. Live music on weekends ! read more

Let Joe cook the same seafood as Anthonys had He is great- Let him go- You will save the place He is an expert with fish and seafood Not the fried - frozen crap this menu now offers read more

WARETOWN: Lighthouse Tavern restaurant has been a staple in town for over 40 years! There is an American menu with burgers, salads, and a variety of appetizers, along with a big beer list and full bar. YAPPY HOUR is every Sunday from 4-7pm on the outdoor patio! It was very popular with people and pups and we were thrilled to see the happiness all around. There are puppy pools to cool down and it's a nice night to chill out and have a good meal. Jim, the owner, came by to say hello and we let him know that we love yappy hour! The servers are great and accommodating, and happy to bring out a water bowl. Yappy Hour Rules: Dogs must be leashed. Please no retractable leashes, our furry friends can get tangled in those with their friends. Dogs must be spayed and neutered. Dogs must be up to date on their rabies shots. If for some reason your dog gets aggressive, you will be asked to leave. The rules are in place for everyone - humans and dogs - to have a great time. read more

Lighthouse Tavern - three dogs in a pool - American Near Me - Waretown, New Jersey

There are a lot of bars and tavern up and down route 9 from Bayville to Barnegat. The Lighthouse could be the oldest one. Dunno for sure but we do know that if you like a raw bar! And $2 Rolling Rock Drafts you owe yourselves a favor to try out the Lighthouse. It's casual and homey! We always see the same happy faces and besides the raw bar the food is terrific. read more

Terrible food and service beter off going to Mc Donald's . So many better choices in the area.

Kathy is the best bartender!! Great food and fun atmosphere! Karaoke was fun and very engaging by customers. Great night out!

When we came it was pretty busy and took a while before anyone greeted us at the entrance. Sign says to get someone's attention if you're not attended within 15 minutes. Even after 15 mins, it was hard to get someone's attention. Seats opened up at the bar so we just parked right there. Again, a while before someone took our drink order so we were prepared to have our full order at first convo. Food was good. Drinks were cold. After a while, we were able to build rapport with the bartender. Drinks came quicker then. Aside from that, at lighthouse tavern you can come in enjoy a nice cold beer and watch the game. Play some pool, shuffleboard, or trivia on certain nights. Live bands are also on there but not the night we came. Prices are reasonable and plenty of parking. I would still go again after this experience. It was a busy night. read more

See all

Good food, great service, fair pricing and entertainment. Nice, homely atmosphere and the owner is there to insure everything runs properly. A place to go read more

Burgers were cooked just right. Service was good, too. However, we couldn't hear ourselves think due to this place having poor acoustics, hard floors and walls and stereo was loud. Everybody was screaming so the person across the table could hear them. We knew there was a noise problem here, but took a chance. We were there several years ago when a band was playing and it was way too loud. We like this place, but won't be back because the noise level is just horrible. read more

We stopped here for dinner last Sunday. What a pleasant surprise - expected typical bar food. But, turns out they have a really good chef. He had just finished baking several artichokes which were delicious. Generous portions and all the meals were really good. read more

Used to be so much better, place has gone downhill. They shrunk the menu to a "daytime menu" with limited options, even on weekends. The raw bar on weekends never has anybody working it! He spends the entire time in the kitchen, didn't see him shuck one clam or oyster! They only had one bartender and one server on football Sunday while the owner just sauntered around and sat in his office. What a waste of a once great bar. The food is mediocre at best, nothing was great, just run of the mill all frozen bar food, burgers and chicken sandwiches. Needs improvement. read more

Waretown is outstanding. Alpaca farm , dog park , and really good seafood and taverns. All minutes from Barnegat/ Manahawkin. Perfect Change of pace for a summer day in November in NJ. Chicken quesadilla , Calamari , Reuben, seared ahi tuna , and the biggest salad I've ever seen. All delicious all quality all priced right !! Staff was wonderful and attentive. Shuffle puck, pool and packaged goods. Local beers on tap and the place is spotless. 5 stars. Will be back !!! read more

Lighthouse Tavern - Cajun seared ahi tuna. Absolutely delicious $14.99 def an app for 4 or a meal for 1. - American Near Me - Waretown, New Jersey

Food is basic bar food but definitely hits the spot when wanting a simple good meal. The bartenders were very nice and quick. I was happy with the service even when it was super busy on st Patrick's day. St Patrick's was amazing here as they did themed things and had bagpipes. I also went on a standard nice and like that they have games and different things happening thru the year. Def a kid friendly bar/restaurant which makes for a fun family night BUT also great late night for a fun night out with Music read more

We went here to have a simple meal and knowing it wouldn't be gourmet. Located on Rte 9 in Waretown, this restaurant seems to have been here a long time, with a large bar , shuffle board, and a pool table with a small stage. The large-screen TVs were an attempt to modernize the premises. This is a local watering hole for the area, quaint for most and almost devoid of the tourist trade you see at the shore this time of the year. Will was our server, capable and friendly. We both ordered steamed clams in their own juices with drawn butter and Italian bread....excellent. With drinks. Decent craft beer. For the main course, my friend had chef salad and I had the Ahi tuna wrap, with sweet potato fries. The fries were only warm, but when another batch was served, they were excellent. The wrap wasn't that great. Cobb salad was huge. If the occasion arises, I would do here again. read more

See all

Food 3. Just had simple bar food late. Service 4 very pleasant personnel Ambiance 5. Great bands on weekends ! read more

The band live was great on Saturday, the service was extremely slow. I ordered calamari and steamers with a tequila sunrise. Came to check the place out for the first time don't get fruit in your drink, sitting at the bar you get to see all the hand service... if you get my drift. Glasses filled with ice. Do you want a drink with that ice? Food came after 40+ min. And it was only appetizers, and the calamari came cold. Oh well, salty steamers and cold calamari not worth the wait. Perhaps more cooks are needed, go for a drink and music you will be thrilled. Eat first. read more

See all

We finally thought to give the Lighthouse Tavern a shot after driving past it for years. We ordered takeout and everything was as expected. The biggest winner was the grilled chicken sandwich. The chicken was the star of the show; perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned with a flavor that could have easily stood on its own. The supporting actors -- a high quality roll, excellent honey mustard, and copious amounts of melted cheese -- helped drive it home and make it the best grilled chicken sandwich I've ever had. I never thought I'd be so stoked about a grilled chicken sandwich but I am. I'd love to explore the menu more but it would be tough straying from that excellent sandwich. read more

While the service is attentive I just can't say enough about how disappointing the food is. Our party ordered 2 Rueben's and they both came out burnt and flavorless. The drinks are good and reasonably priced and the music is good. Come for a drink and the band avoid the dinner read more

Very good bar food and really nice set up inside with a pool table section. Plenty of seating great bar with an Irish flare.

My friend and I needed some gurlie chat time over a couple of drinks and nibbles. This place was EXACTLY what we were looking for. Nice open bar, friendly bar staff and fresh food. Chris, the bartender, was super attentive and so was the bar waitress, Michelle. Food came out quick and was the right temp! The menu had a good selection of apps, salads, soups, burgers, wraps, etc. Zif I hadn't already arranged for an earlyish dinner, I would have gotten more than crunchy oozey cheese balls and pretty nice sized, moist and juicy wings. I saw the nachos and it was a MASSIVE platter! Like Fred Flintstone sized! The tv's weren't all sports and the atmosphere was light and friendly. The place was super clean. Looking forward to going again. So go, enjoy your visit. Update: 12/30/18 - Dani should go back to Breakers. Normally they are very accommodating but she wouldn't change one tv to the Dolphins game the even though the Giants were playing on EVERY tv. read more

The Lighthouse Tavern on RT 9 in Waretown, NJ is an outstanding place for all ages. Drinks are great, food is good but the people make it the best. Best Staff and Owner (who is hands on!) I have seen in a long time, and I am a restaurant manager. Fun place to hang with or without friends! read more

Stopped in with the family for a little pre Thanksgiving dinner. This is one of the few spots near my hometown that I never frequented. No real reason, but always had just gone somewhere else. I however was told recently of the $1 pints of Miller High Life, so automatically I'm a fan. It's hard enough to find the High Life in a bar, much less on tap. The place wasn't too busy, we got a nice table in the back. Ordered a few appetizers. Cheese balls for the kids and bacon wrapped scallops for us. We of course tried the cheese balls. Very tasty, I mean it's fried cheese, of course it's tasty. The scallops were also pretty delicious. Nice and meaty, the bacon wasn't raw, which sometimes happens and it came with a delicious sauce. We all got burgers. They were pretty big. The meat was juicy and flavorful. I got a nicely cooked medium rare burger with American cheese and fries. The fries were ok. I do have to say though, the burger was much better than I had expected, both in size and taste. The girls obviously had leftovers. The place was very clean, the staff was friendly and everything was great. read more

I went to this place for the first time visiting family, and I will never go back again! This old, run down shack had broken wooden chairs, a bad draft because the door kept opening behind us 29 times, and the food was horrible. The music and service was very disappointing. Every employee looked miserable and the food looked cold and bland. I couldn't wait to leave and would not go with children. I don't like to leave bad reviews but anyone who wants to go has to know. read more

They need a hostess. After you sit and watch more people coming in, standing awkward at the poster that says " wait to be seated" whereas you can sit anywhere, anytime, is a bit confusing for first timers. Food was good. Clean place. Just the hostess thing otherwise it'd be great. read more

I have been living in Waretown for many years, the Lighthouse used to be a good place to sit, drink, eat and be with friends and locals. Ever since a guy got beat to death in the parking lot and the son took over, the Lighthouse sucks. read more

Prime Rib Wednesday is a fun day with karaoke & a good meal.They use to serve best hamburger on the best roll .Not so anymore.Pleased with new wine glass.Overall a good local spot! read more

We all felt sick after having dinner. My Mom was throwing up all night...No lie and she's 78. Would have disputed the credit card charge if my Mom didn't pay cash. Service was good..Atmosphere fun..FOOD NO! read more

This place is a total shitshow. It keeps getting worse over the last few years. The owner is the son of the former owners and he clearly wasn't paying attention to what made this a good bar at one time. The food is horrible- even the new "chef" says with pride how easy is to cook there because 90% of the food goes in the fryer. Getting a drink is much more challenging than it should be. There are some good bartenders Chris and Tim but unfortunately they can't overcome the horrible manner in that they are managed or told what to do. You have waiters/bartenders running in and out of the bar never making eye contact and once in a while you can actually get their attention. They are getting in the way of the real bartenders and pissing off customers by ignoring them. The bathrooms are beyond disgusting. There's rarely any soap or paper towels in the men's room and the sink smells like a sewer. My wife also notices there's no soap in the ladies room very often. So if there's no soap for the patrons...what are the workers washing their hands with??? The only reason we go there anymore is the shuffle board table. That is not even going to be enough anymore. It's not even worth the free food they offer on fridays to teachers. The owner apparently doesn't care, people have been complaining about the bad food and smells in the bathroom for years. Look at their Facebook page for October 9th 2018. The owner posts an apology about the shitty food they are making and asks for YOUR PATIENCE! Then he makes another 11 posts in the next hour to burry his apology post. Too bad he's such a poor owner and manager. His parents would be EXTREMELY disappointed if they knew how low he's let the quality go here. Shame on you Jim. Sell the place or hire a real manager who knows how to clean this mess up...call Bar rescue and face the facts. We will be driving right past lighthouse to go to Breakers or Lefties until some serious improvements are made in the quality of management. I had to give it 1 star to be able to post. Deserves none. Peace. read more

Unless you're seated at the bar the service is just terrible. Actually, it would have to improve to be terrible. It takes forever to get the attention of a server. In the early evening there usually aren't any servers, just one bartender who has to service all of the people at the bar and the tables. My last visit I got spoiled meat in my entree. After waiting for 20 min to get a cocktail refill I had to go to the bar myself. The refill was made in the used glass and the spent fruit in the glass wasn't even thrown out. Disgusting. I've given up, I won't be back. read more

Good quality tavern food, great service and a friendly atmosphere. Live entertainment is great

This is a really friendly place and the food is spectacular. I highly recommend you stop by and enjoy.

Just moved into the area a couple weeks ago. So far this is my new favorite place to go. Great specials , friendly staff and the food is fantastic. Big portions too. Seems like a locals hang out for the most part. Usually pretty busy. But service is quick. Definitely recommend. read more

Fun casual atmosphere. Live entertainment, good food and good cocktails! Great night out with friends.

Service was poor....I ordered a burger that took forever and then came out raw ( I ordered medium) it was so raw the bun was full of blood. Place was dingy and dark. read more