We've been to Moonstruck a couple of times in the past few years. Each visit was truly a nice experience. If you want a solid dining experience, good food, good drinks, and a nice, quiet atmosphere, I'd suggest Moonstruck as your choice for a night out in Asbury. Definitely date night vibes. read more

Called Saturday night to see if they take reservations for 2. The man on the phone told me they don't take reservations but the place was "empty". We arrived 10 minutes later & was told we had to wait 45 minutes. No wonder the phonecall mentioned above with him saying "We have a wonderful bar" because that is where we had to wait. Terribly misleading. So when we finally got seated we ordered the special. The waitress came back to our table & told us they were out of the special at 6pm!!! She also said they had only 11 meals for that specific special. We also sat at a corner table where I put my hand on the sticky side of duct tape when sliding into my seat. The duct tape was to cover a whole in the cushion! Used to be a great restaurant but it is NOT WORTH THE PRICE, REALLY WENT DOWNHILL FAST, STAY AWAY !!!! read more

We came here back in February right before COVID hit. We were blown away by this meal! Each appetizer and entree were prepared perfectly and tasted fresh and delicious. We also had great cocktails and mocktails as well as delicious desserts. I can't wait for them to reopen so we can dine here again! read more

The original restaurant was in Ocean Grove many years ago...love the Asbury Park location overlooking the lake with porches on every floor...this time we tried the Happy Hour...ordered various gourmet-type pizzas, calamari, bruchetta, and drinks...everything was fine, including the service...the entire staff members (from the hostess to our server, to the manager) were extremely cordial and inviting...and the atmosphere was conducive as well...we basically "rediscovered" this gem! read more

Moonstruck - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Asbury Park is a smidge out of the way for us Northern New Jersians, but it was someone's birthday (he's from Central Jersey) and we were on the hunt for a special place to celebrate. Apparently Moonstruck doesn't accept reservations, so seating is first come first serve. We were right on the cusp, and were seated immediately. If we were 15 minutes later, a wait would have been required. The building is beautiful, right along a river with both in door and outdoor seating. The service was impeccable and made the entire experience better than expected. The menu is online, so check it out ahead of time. Food is good - I wouldn't say it blew me away - but it was worth the price of admission. read more

I have been to Moonstruck several times and never disappointed! - The food has been consistently hot and fresh. From appetizers, dinner, dessert, and the yummy bread!!!! - Delightful to sit on the outside patio. Perfect location to sit and relax / look at the water. - Service is excellent. Never have to wait for anything, courses are perfectly spaced out, and very friendly people. This is more of a special occasion place as you are paying for above. They also don't take reservations and inside is a little dated in some areas. Overall - 100% worth getting their early - get the seating you want, and enjoy a vacation like awesome meal/experience! We park in Ocean Grove and short walk over to Asbury to easily find free parking and enjoy the ocean breeze before and after! read more

On the first post-pandemic visit to this iconic, elegant spot overlooking Wesley Lake in Asbury Park one thing was clear: it's still good. To begin, the helpfulness of the front-of-house staff can't be overstated. On such a matter as figuring out the parking payment system ("yes, there's a special app for Asbury") they were a stress reliever. Then we waited just long enough to order and receive a cocktail at a table in the comfy first floor lounge before going upstairs for dinner where the noise level was a little higher than ideal on a surprisingly busy Sunday night. I greatly enjoyed the special soup of lentils and carrots and all five in our party seemed to enjoy their entrée although only the rack of lamb portion left any for take home. There was room for dessert and a "black and white" crème brûlée was an outstanding end to the evening. I'm looking forward to our next visit. read more

This is the best restaurant in Asbury Park. All the servers are great, the food is especially delicious, the drinks come in the glass with a martini shaker on the side. Also, the best desserts! The Specials are good too. I could eat here every week! read more

I've been wanting to check this place out for some time now and hearing about their great Italian dishes. The venue itself is adorable, remains me of an old inn. My boyfriend and I arrived on a Friday night for a late dinner. It was cold inside, so we choose to wait 15 minutes for outdoor seating. The wait went quickly as we ordered a glass of wine at the first floor bar. We were able to close our tab and bring our drinks to dinner. Once seated, the first impression of the menu was that it had the standard american-italian cuisine. Nothing really out of the ordinary, though the food was delicious. I had the fettuccine grilled chicken which was great. Just the right amount of pesto in the dish. They serve large dishes, so best to go either really hungry or prepare to take a doggy bag going in. Our server was great, super friendly and attentive. He knew the way to my boyfriend's heart by bringing out a mango infused homemade cheesecake. Before I knew it, half of the slice was gone. I would go back here because the food was really good, just don't expect anything crazy on the menu. read more

Moonstruck - Homemade mango cheesecake - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Waited to long to be seated food was good service good chairs not very comfortable. Staff a little slow read more

Moonstruck - Amazing eggplant fries - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

See all

Stopped here for drinks one night out. Sat on first floor outside and had a great stoli orange martini. The grilled veg appetiser was awesome for two people. Staff was very attentive and place was clean. Great ambiance. If you wait for a table there are 3 floors. It looks like a big house in the water. Very cool. I will be back and I highly recommend you try it out. I can't wait for a dinner here should be awesome read more

Moonstruck - Menu - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

I have been going here since the Ocean Grove Raspberry Cafe days. We came on 7/27 to celebrate a special milestone. We arrived before opening as allegedly there are no reservations. For the first time ever, we were denied seating on the balcony for our special day. Our waiter, Brian was terrific and my pasta was great. My wife's chicken Milanese sucked and lacked flavor! After 25 years of patronizing this place in 2 towns, we are finished. It is no way to treat old time customers denying us outdoor seating when we arrived prior to opening. And we are both seniors to boot. I guess they don't want old time customers but rather young! read more

Food was tasteless and neither of our fish dinners tasted fresh and in this day and age fish should taste fresh and wild caught As well way way too much food thrown into the meal - If your a sophisticated" foodie don't go there read more

They have two seating arrangements, inside and balcony. Balcony as it sounds comes with a great view of a lake and, unfortunately for us, with a huge waiting line so we opted for inside which by the way also had a 30 mins waiting. They also have a bar with patio downstairs where you can order drinks and appetizers while you are waiting and is a total appetite killer. I would suggest do not order appetizer from the bar downstairs and save your appetite for main dining area. I had mussels and tuna and they both were very nice. The staff was very hospitable, and since I already had some food downstairs and had to share my entree, server split my entree in to two small plates before getting it and made it easy for me. That was very thoughtful. read more

Moonstruck - Seared tuna .. Awesome stuff - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Huge three story classic structure with wrap around porches overlooking a beautiful lake. Be prepared to wait at least a half hour (no reservations). They anticipate your wait with plenty of tables, snacks and drinks to order. Our wait was 45 min. as predicted and we enjoyed excellent service. Food is solid. A very old school atmosphere. read more

I went here with my boyfriend in March for the first time. It was not crowded. The atmosphere was nice, our waiter Ed was so wonderfully attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and personable - we even overheard another guest of his complimenting his service. We had a seafood linguine dish, a chicken pasta dish, key lime pie, coconut cheesecake, and a caramel dessert coffee a long with a few mojitos. Everything tasted spectacular!! We will definitely be back, it is great for a delicious sit down meal in the area. read more

Moonstruck - Amazing mojito! - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

I have been fortunate to have an expense account and entertained guests at the best restaurants across North America and Europe. Moonstruck is our favorite restaurant when spending our money. We have dined numerous times and each visit was a wonderful experience. Moonstruck has the ideal combination of professional friendly service, good food and a nice atmosphere. Inside it can get noisy at times, outdoor dining is just fantastic. The owners must have very high standards, congratulations to them. The We also like Nicholas in Red Bank but it is roughly twice the price. read more

4 stars! Delicious fresh halibut for dinner, beautiful ambience. Sat outside on the second floor, we were told 30 minute wait but waited over an hour. Delicious cocktails to pick from and wine to drink while you wait. Excellent service. Great for date night. read more

Beautiful outside and on the inside. Pretty nice staff, but a little awkward when we sat at the bar until our table was ready and we hadn't finished our drinks yet. Lamb Quesadillas appetizer was the best part. Had the Shrimp & Lobster Salad special as my meal (over white beans). It was ok, but had way too much dressing on it. My boyfriend had the Grilled Skirt Steak special which he enjoyed. I tasted the Chimichurri Salsa and that was great. The Shipwreck drink was delicious! Not many beer choices, but fitting for the atmosphere. Many martinis and drinks to choose from. read more

Moonstruck - Shrimp and Lobster salad special - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

It is good and although pricey portions are generous. That said it is a classical American restaurant with standard fare and very little new or imaginative. Clearly a talented team but would like to see something new and exciting out of the kitchens read more

Awesome spot for dinner. Wish I took photos of the dishes. We had the shrimp and scallops over risotto and chicken Milanese. The risotto was awesome, not too heavy and very tasty. The portions were plentiful and the food was amazing. The atmosphere was nice, and the menu offered a bunch of options. The wine menu offered a bunch of different options. Highly recommend stopping in for a dinner here read more

Hope everyone had a good Father's Day. We ate at Moonstruck to celebrate Dad's Day and as family patriarch it is my place to tell you we will not be going back. This in itself is a bad thing but dinner for 5 including 3 kids for $360 (including tip) is a bit much to stomach. The portion sizes here for the $$ you spend are also unacceptable. My wife and I both had the seared scallops and shrimp over risotto. 2 (yes 2) scallops and 4 small shrimp over a spoonful of risotto for $36.00. To say I was annoyed at that would be an understatement. I appreciate portion control but Moonstruck needs a bit of profit control as well. There is no more disheartening feeling than "I am getting screwed" when the wait staff gives you your dinner. WTF. Scallops go for $21.00 a pound at Wegmans. We get 2 at $36.00 per plate. Not happy. My kids had flat bread pizzas which further reinforces the steepness of the check. The review would have been 1 star if not for the staff. Great waitress. So IMHO this Dad got screwed on Father's Day spend your money elsewhere is Asbury. It will go much further and you won't feel like someone stole your wallet when you are done. read more

I was more struck by some of the policies than the food at Moonstruck. Firstly, as I have read, the wait was pretty epic. We were quoted around an hour and a half for the next available table, and outside would be an even longer wait. I get it-- the views. But, I had dashed in while hubs was parking the car to get our name on the list. The man helping me at the front, giving the long wait and kindly explaining that the first floor is a lounge with cocktails and apps available, proceeded to ask, "Is all of your party here?" To which I replied, "No, he is parking." The host said that we needed to check in again once he came back. To me this implied that we were on the list but not really on the list. This felt so unsavory since the wait is long no matter what and parking around there can be just as difficult (and costly). This just made all things worse and take longer. The second thing was that the buzzer we were given (after visiting the host a second time) did not reach very far: we had to stay on the premises. This I also understand, but when waits are an hour plus, there should be a better way to get in touch with you if you are next on the list. A phone call perhaps.... After getting not-so-great cocktails and a shrimp quesadilla on the wraparound porch, an hour to the minute that my husband and I walked in to truly get on the list, our buzzer went off. We went upstairs in the massive space and got a corner table where we could sit right next to each other. Our orders favored the specials. We got a fig and ricotta bruschetta (with far too much slippery watercress, which masked the sweetness of the fruit and texture of the soft cheese) and a grilled peach salad (what summer should taste like with salty cheese, crunchy sweet nuts, popping fresh blueberries, and spicy arugula to round it off) to start. These were solid. Our main dishes-- seared shrimp and scallops with summer risotto, and duck with veggies and wild rice-- were less impressive. They were both pretty lifeless. My shrimp and scallop dish really lacked salt, which would have made the sweetness of the seafood sing, and the limp risotto more animated. The duck was good, but the vegetables were generic, like a mix from the frozen aisle. Dessert was a blueberry peach crumble, which was not too sweet but definitely redolent of summer. Our server was stellar. She was funny, friendly and ready to give recommendations, but she was not infallible. It was heading toward the end of the night, of what must have been a long service for her. But she had character and added something to our meal. Overall, the place is classic, traditional, old-school. It is solid, but not innovative (not that it is meant to be). Unfortunately, I didn't leave moonstruck. read more

Moonstruck - Seared shrimp and scallops - American Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

NOT WORTH THE PRICE!! I've let many days pass before writing this because I wanted to be sure that I felt the same as when I left. AND I DO! I've read all the other reviews and cannot believe that no one mentioned how close the tables are to one another. That is not my only disappointment and since there were many, I'll number and list them. #1- we were seated on second floor next to bar. The tables were soooo close together that the server (thin) could not pass between them. He literally had to lean across the table. Every time (3!) the woman next to me went to ladies room, we had to grab and hold onto our table cloth, bread basket and cocktails or they would have ended on floor (or my lap)! I kid you not when I say that my fiancé and I could hear everything that the couples on either side of us were saying. Very annoying and not romantic in the least! This alone ruined our entire evening! #2- the table next to us (bathroom lady) were from a local magazine and writing a review. Why would that matter you ask? After EVERY dish was brought out to their table, the man would literally stand up and take a professional photograph using his flash! The first time he did it, I was nearly blinded, it was truly that bright. They drew attention to themselves throughout the entire meal. Talking over tables, telling everyone who they were. Our server did nothing to discourage this, I would even say he encouraged it. Bathroom lady lost her wallet and literally 4 employees came to pull the table away from wall to look for it, forcing an elderly woman to have to shift uncomfortably in her seat. This went on for at least 15 full minutes. Very disruptive. Oh, and remember I said we could hear everything? The nastiness between these two when they weren't blinding everyone with the flashbulb was hard to listen too. #3- I asked my server to help me decide between two different salmon dishes and was told "their basically the same"! Really?? He was somewhat annoyed that I would ask a question at all. When we first sat down he came over and said " I've had all my tables filled up at one time" and why do I need to know that? #4- since our meal was taking a very long time to come out and we weren't exactly enjoying ourselves with the close set tables etc, we must have looked pained because our server came over and explained that there was a party of 15 on the third floor and the kitchen was getting all of their food out to them at same time. I can understand that but why does everyone else in the restaurant have to wait a long time for their dinners? If the kitchen is not set up to accommodate large parties, they should say so and not make others wait! #5- at the prices this restaurant charges, I would expect a quiet and romantic dining room, meals served in a timely fashion and servers who are respectful to their guests. read more

One of the finest & consistent restaurants around. We have been eating here for over 15 years and I can honestly say that every time we came was spectacular. And besides great food, the staff treats you like family. This is definitely one of the top spots on the Jersey Shore!! read more

First time we were here I would have given 5 stars, however, I've been back two subsequent times and had very average meals. Service is always great but entrees are inconsistent. Particularly the tuna entree which was the best i ever had the first time and average at best other two times. For the price I will not be back. read more

Waited for a table We simply asked manager/desk attendant with white hair when table would be ready on a thurs night He blew up us and another patron and said i am not seating anymore He also rudely another couple to sit down and behave Don't patronize as it not worth being verbally abused We were loyal patrons for 10 years and he lost our business to cookman ave restaurants! read more

Had an excellent experience here on New Years. But last night I had the chicken milanese and it was the worst I have ever had. Plain as can be! Tasteless! The chicken coating had no apparent seasoning. The accompanying mashed potatoes were equally tasteless. When there is no gravy on a plate (and there wouldn't be with chicken milanese), the potatoes need garlic or some other kind of seasoning! They really ought to take this item off of their menu; it was that bad. The olive oil cake with a scoop of ice cream was $13 and it too was disappointing- both in size and taste. Service was good, but I am writing to "warn" diners who might consider this option and be equally disappointed. I've never had such a letdown at an otherwise good restaurant. read more

moonstruck gave me everything i hoped for in a birthday dinner. proximity to the ocean, a seafood-minded menu and really good food. not usually high on my list is alcohol, but the cocktails were delicious too! a sweet tea cocktail of somekind and a good ole mojito. the best, i've had in a while. the menu has so many options, you won't know what to pick. on top of that, they had numerous specials and that goes for dessert too! some highlights include: peach and ricotta bruschetta bronzino ( a special) seafood risotto (with a lobster stock!) a homeade merengue with coffee ice cream, pecans and fresh whipped cream. i was a happy birthday girl indeed. read more

See all

I was looking for a nice place to take my wife for our 25th Wedding Anniversary and my good friends just ate at this restaurant last night and they raved about it so I thought I would give it a shot. I'm glad I did. They don't take reservations on Saturday so we decided to go early around 5:00pm. They have three floors of dinning with indoor / outdoor seating. It was a beautiful day so we decided to eat outdoors. We were seated on the 3rd floor. (Nice view) the service was top notch. I didn't have to ask for water. It was filled for me about three times. I tried one of there specialty martinis called the Salty Dog such was pretty good. I ordered the Fried Calamari as an appetizer which was excellent. It was crispy and fresh. Then I ordered a Maker's Manhattan which tasted great. My entree was one of there specials. Pecan Encrusted Rack of Lamb. I loved it. It was cooked perfectly. Then for dessert, we ended the evening with a Pistachio and Cherry vanilla ice cream sundae. It was a perfect dining experience. read more

See all

I am so in love with this place. I was able to walk in without a reservation. Luckily their was room at the bar for a quick cocktail while the staff prepared my table. Everyone was very nice and attentive. The meals were fresh and detailed. read more

I won a prize to go here. Did not use the prize myself but gave it to a couple. They donated the prize and I think they were very cheap. But, that's my opinion. It was so cheap, that I did not feel it was worth the ride to buy from this establishment and pay to part, pay to get there and then have to add a lot of money to my prize certificate to get anywhere. That being said, the couple who did use it lived in the area. They said their experience was good. They thanked me for the certificate and had to add more money. If it had been a decent prize, I would have gone. read more

Very good as usual. We where told 40 mins for the table and only took 20 to sit inside. I think our first time inside. We where upstairs and it was very loud we usually sit outside but whatever. I had the new your strip who's was cooked on point and as good as any steakhouse. My wife had a shrimp dish and it was very good. Waiter could have been a little more attentive but it was busy and he was very good over all. This was our 5th time here and the reason it is always consistent. Very good. Got to be to 2 in Asbury. read more