Finally was able to get in for a meal. Sunday afternoon, spectacular weather. The wait was 1 1/2 hours so we walked the Hook--why not? We sat outside once seated. Service was a bit slow, evidently short on staff. But the servers and the food runners were literally running, obviously putting their best foot forward. I had a Garrison margarita but asked for a tajin rim instead of salt. Came out exactly as requested and perfectly balanced. For dinner my hub had the fish and chips and he said everything was very good. French fries tasted fresh cut, crispy outside but moist inside. I had the chicken rigatoni with chipotle cream sauce spinach and cherry tomatoes. Also excellent. The chicken was blackened with a perfect char. Just enough heat to make it interesting. Dessert? This is the beginning of the Jersey shore so what's more fitting than funnel cake fingers with chocolate dipping sauce and ice cream?? Freshly made and again excellent. I only have this a 4 because there was some waiting time. But Ashley or server and Steve, one of the runners worked as quickly as they could and kept smiling and were happy to be casual conversationalists with all the patrons. Hats off to everyone for a great job. We will be back, and regularly. read more

You know those restaurants that you say I havr never had a bad meal from that place. Well Mule Barn is one of them. I am at Sandy Hook a bunch and have stopped in numerous times and each time I am pleasantly surprised how beautiful this place is. The service has always been cheerful and attentive. The food is delicious. Today we had drinks, the southwest salad, jersey shore burger and portobello sandwich. All where super flavorful and tasty. For dessert we had the nutella empanadas and they were so delicious. Thinking about them right now. Nice job Mule Barn. Keep up the good cooking so we don't have to. Sorry no pictures because we were all so hungry. read more

Perfect Tito's martini! Our seafood appetizer and vegetable pizza were also perfect, and of solid value. Everything tasted fragrant, delicious and very fresh. In fact, they customized the vegetable pizza - usually with a pesto sauce - to a regular tomato sauce. It was not a problem at all. The crust on the pie was memorably good. That was unexpected. I highly recommend trying one of their pizzas. The customer service and bartenders are top-notch. We felt warmly welcomed and taken care of. The place has a cozy, contemporary, port in a storm vibe. An upscale bar with sophisticated atmosphere. Worth a visit for certain! read more

We have visited there quite a few times but this last time led me to write this bad review. We decided to drive out there Friday night and to eat outside by their new "shack" where you can have drinks and it's an outdoor patio area. It was a cooler night. It was not busy at all!! Maybe there were another eight tables in the entire outdoor area. All we ordered was two drinks and the nachos. The nachos came out pretty quick. It comes with a little bit of cheese, tomato, jalapeno and beans on them. They are just ok, you can also have meat on top but we elected to not have any meat. One of the drinks we ordered was an old fashioned and it was a horrible drink. Barely any alcohol and you have the nerve to charge $13 for that. The other drink was a Margarita, same thing with that. The service was not good at all. Our waitress was all smiles but she was not attentive at all. There were 4/5 servers all at the hostess station, talking and looking through their phones. I kept looking over hoping she would come over. Our drinks were almost completely empty before she came back and then we decided to get the check and leave. The only thing good was the entertainment -2 guys-1 guy on guitar and a harmonica player. Played nice acoustic music; Neil Young, John Lennon, they were very good. Other than that, we will not be returning there. I will not waste my money there read more

We arrived around 7:30 on Saturday night. They told us they weren't seating anymore for the night because they had a 2 hour wait for a table. Heard from friends the food was good. Will give it another chance. Not sure if they take reservations but next time will call ahead before making the drive out. Gave three star rating because they recently opened and maybe need to work out the kinks. read more

Food was great. Service good Ambiance was hopping. Manager was super nice Beer on tap was nice and cold read more

Beautiful restaurant with amazing views of the Sandy Hook Bay. Fantastic renovations of an old mule barn. Food was great and you just can't beat the atmosphere. read more

We came as a party of 4 last Saturday night and Gabe took care of us. He made a few recommendations, such as the tavern calamari for us to share. Two of us ended up getting the tuna tacos and they were to die for. Extremely pleased with the attentive service, food quality, and ambience. Would gladly come again. read more

A tavern with a history of Sandy Hook and Fort Hancock. Previously a mule barn, the tavern has nice bar, indoor seating , outdoor tables, very good food. Wait help is always pleasant . Summertime means music outdoors and a full moon above overhead when lucky, can add to the atmosphere along the bay. Since opening it has been a great destination, avoiding other crowded places. After 6:30 driving into the Hook is free if just heading out for dinner. Serving stops st 9 when Park closes! Watch for deer! read more

I just returned from lunch at mule barn tavern. The food was delicious, service was excellent and the ambiance, awesome. Our server and Dennis, the manager, were very attentive. We will definitely be back! A great addition to the Jersey shore! read more

What a great place. Bonus that it is in historic Fort Hancock NJ. We sat outside this evening. Place is decorated nicely inside. Bartenders were great. Wife had a Moscow Mule and I had a Cold Draft while we waited for a table. Allie was our server and she was fantastic. Everyone was hustling including bartenders, waitresses, food runners and even the buss boys. I had the fish and chips. Highly recommend it. Wife had the Chimmy Chury Chicken Burger. She loved it. Fish was Wahoo. Great large Bavarian Pretzel for an appetizer. Will definitely be back. Reasonable prices. read more

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We had pizza there and it was delicious. Service was good. We will return again. They also have an outdoor bar and tables.

I'm not one to write reviews but after having the luxury this past Saturday of being served by Daniella, I have to write one. She was very friendly and attentive throughout our whole meal. Her knowledge of the menu was exceptional. I would go back again just to have her as a server. read more

Great food and a beautiful, casual space in a great location. Have had great service every visit so far.

I'm not exactly sure how long it's been but it has been many years for sure since a restaurant/bar l has operated at the Hook. Was out here for a little exercise when we stumbled on this place and very glad we did. Pretty original from the outside except for the outdoor seating at the rear but the inside is completely renovated. Grand Opening was less than 2 weeks ago so of course it's immaculate but it is also done well. Upstairs was significantly cooler, we got there between lunch and dinner so there was seating available downstairs but a full bar and additional seating upstairs is also available at certain times. We ordered a meat lovers pie and honey Thai wings to go with our drinks. Everyone was very friendly and the food was delicious. Will definitely be back when we're in the area. Maybe there's hope for some further investment and renovation to an absolute gem of a site. Best of luck to MBT and hope your stay here is a long one. read more

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We had our wedding reception at the Mule Barn on 4/27 and it was perfect The venue alone has beautiful views of the water for a cocktail hour and the inside rustic charm made our reception a hit with all who attended. The food is stellar and the chef made a special menu just for our event. The owner his manager Lindsay and her staff executed every detail from food choices to decorating to serving with smiles. The personal attention to detail and service is beyond many places that I've attended events at. Thank you again for a most amazing day! read more

Mule Barn Tavern - Pizza Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey

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Very nicely renovated historic old mule barn near the former Chapel and Theatre and current entrance to the Coast Guard station. Parking in the back and walk around to entrance in the front. Bar and seating downstairs where the actual mule stalls used to be. Additional seating upstairs where feed and hay used to be stored and used to be an open loft to the first floor. Too bad they couldn't maintain that interior. The staff consists of cordial order-takers and separate food deliverers and bussers. It was not overly busy when we were there and the appetizers and food took much longer than average to come out. Kitchen may be small or understaffed (?). Wings were meaty and well prepared. Calamari was not worth the price: very average and the actual amount of calamari mixed in with the hot peppers was skimpy. Pizza was decent average bar pie. Burger was large and very filling, coming with thin cut fries that were average. Mahi tacos were decent bar fare. Prices are a bit on the high side but where isn't it these days? I hope this place thrives, but if it gets too popular I fear the kitchen could be overwhelmed. Nice casual place to grab a drink and average bar food. Spring, Summer and Fall sunsets will be spectacular from this location. Music during the warm seasons would be nice. read more

So so food. Fries came out room temperature. Incredibly slow service. Appetizer came out with the main course 45 minutes after being seated Very expensive compared to other top notch restaurants in Highlands. Noisy as all get out. Been in quieter NYC bars. Not coming back. read more

Hubby and I came down from northern NJ. loved sandy hook for 40 + years. Mule Barn is great addition to our visit. Food and service were excellent. Hubby had soft shell crab sandwich and I had butternut squash soup and Swiss mushroom burger. All excellent. We shall return. Hopefully seals will cooperate. read more

Lots of staff, but service was meh. Our waiter had to come back twice to ask a question, and still the order wasn't right. And he was training someone...On the plus side, food was good. We ate outside and enjoyed it! read more

Such a fun place that we had no idea was even there. We frequent the beach but decided to go see the seals and this little gem was right across the street. The tavern was very busy and rightly so. Good food and good atmosphere makes for a good time. read more

This was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. We did receive our drinks but never received any food. Everyone around us received multiple courses of food and we didn't. After asking multiple times, after one hour, we paid for our drinks and left. The manager wasn't helpful. It was supposed to be a special day, my husband's birthday. Please don't go unless you want your special day ruined also. I have no photos to attach as we never received any food. read more

My first visit. I have not had food this bad in a very long time. The barbecue ribs were the worst I've ever tasted. I had one rib and had to stop. Sorry but ribs are not supposed to be salty. Truly horrible. The coleslaw was a little better but not by much. The service gets two stars. When you order ribs, you'd think you'd get extra napkins. Nope. But it worked out because I couldn't eat much of the ribs, anyway. My wife's arugula salad, according to her, was really bad, too. Again, very salty. She got through about a third of it before she threw in the towel. The bench I was seated on was curiously taller than the regular chairs so I towered over my wife. But the seating was far from being a deal breaker like the food was. The bathrooms were clean! read more

Just finished lunch at Mule Barn. The house made fired mozzarella was clearly fresh and was well-prepared; it was light and the sauce with it was delicious. Also excellent was the entree: blackened mahi-mahi tacos. The blackening could have been more but the flavors were great, the fish was fresh, and it was nicely presented. Worth noting was the service: the bartenders were immediate to take a drink order and checked back to see if anything else was needed. They make a great Bloody Mary. They were helpful with food recommendations as well. Very friendly and prompt service overall. The entire place is immaculately clean, too. Will definitely return. read more

I finally made it to the Mule which I have heard so much about. It is in a really cool and historic section of Sandy Hook, complete the a military cannon right out front. I went to a lot of lifeguard parties out there in my teens, and its really cool an actual restaurant is now there. The new outdoor bar, which the owner Dan built himself, was a great outside scene if you like dining outside. I hear they have live music planned there, which would be awesome. The food we got was awesome. We went European style and all split a bunch of dishes, and nothing disappointed. My favortie though was the crab cakes...best Ive had. The manager Dennis was great and on top of everything as well. Overall this place is awesome and a welcome addition to the Jersey Shore. Definitely change it up and head to the 'Hook for a different scene! read more

We really enjoy the food. This has been our go to place on Sunday night. We love sitting outside BUT the girl who seats you has no clue. Lots of empty tables that need to be cleared. You just get to watch the empty tables. High tops are empty too. After 30 minutes she called a couple and seats them at the empty table. She could get the tables cleared. Pick up a dish. She is your first contact for your restaurant and she is not a good representative. read more

The food was good for 2 out of 4 in our party. They delivered the wrong item, then tried to rush a new burger out; but ended up just service a burnt burger in the end. The waiter only checked on us once after ordering; and that because we waived him down about the wrong item. Took 10 minutes to get find him for this first issue. Then upon getting asking for the bill; he dropped the bill off; but disappeared for another 15 minutes. They need better training; as it was busy; to justify the absence of the waiter for long periods of time. Overall cool spot but unfortunately not worth the price for sub par food and mediocre service. read more

Went on Thursday sept 7 at 5:30. The bar was full and all the tables downstairs. The host quickly seated us on the second floor. The place is rustic and beautiful. Our server Drew was extremely attentive and provided the most amazing service. We did drinks and appetizers. We had buffalo over roasted wings and a gluten free pizza. Both were delicious and enough food for two of us to keep us satisfied for the entire night. When we left there was definitely a wait for seating and I over heard someone say near an hour. read more

I came in on Tuesday with 3 of my friends. Our server, Sarah, was friendly and attentive. The gluten free pizza was very good. My friends had salads and the chicken Caesar salad pizza. Everything was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend! read more

First visit was a good one. Busy evening but the pleasant host was right on with the wait estimate. The servers were friendly and helpful. The food was good and as represented on the menu. The sound level was moderately loud but you could still hold a conversation without a problem at the table. read more

Great atmosphere. We had the tuna nachos which were delicious. They are very crowded. So service was a little slow but I'm sure it will get better. read more

Great place for a quick bite in Sandy Hook National Recreation Area. Nothing fancy, but food and service are solid.

was so excited to check out mule barn tavern! we arrived and were told the wait was about 25-30 minutes and they were spot on! Loved how they add your number to the system and you could see where you were in the waitlist. We had a few drinks at the bar upstairs and the bartender was awesome! When we got seated, we had Ian as our server and he was THE BEST! He continuously checked in on us and gave great recommendations for our meals. Everyone loved their meals and I personally enjoyed the ahi tuna tacos which were so fresh and delicious! Definitely need to go back and get them again and try the ahi tuna nachos! Overall.. great food, great service and nice ambiance, can't wait to go back! read more

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I took two 10 year old boys to dinner last night and we loved everything about this restaurant! We were able to sit outside and watch the sunset on one of the last nights of October! the view of the sunset is better than anywhere else! the boys had wings and burgers as well as nachos, and I had the ravioli special. They were to die for! I have been to the Mule Barn Tavern FOUR times and have tried something new every time I go. I have had the Industrial Burger, Tuna Nachos, Mushroom Pizza, Southwest Salad, and now the Butternut Squash Raviolis. Every meal has been delicious! I am not a person who takes pictures of their meals, but last night I did. I was ready to pack up my leftovers and sent my friend a picture of the raviolis because she had been dreaming about them since having them there last week. All I can say is YUM! read more

Four stars only because of location and kinda like destination dinning if not on the Sandy Hook for another reason, ie beach and/ or exploring all the history. I will assume this place will be very busy during summer and wait time will be long. Went a week or so ago at around 6PM and got seated right away. Server was prompt and took orders and food was delivered at a good time considering it was good food! Server checked in on us regularly and filled drinks fast. Altogether very good food and service. Although for some reason very loud and not too many people in the place. Would say go and try this spot, but maybe in off season, as we will go back again during the cooler months and soon, because more items I want to try off the menu. read more

The food was over the top delicious! Our party of 6 was super pleased with nachos, side caesar salads, pistachio crusted cod, fish and chips, short ribs, burger, steak sandwich, juliette chicken, onion rings, drinks etc. Above all, the servers were friendly, polite and super efficient. A band played while we ate outside - we will definitely go back again! read more

Didn't get a chance to eat or drink. We were seated outside and forgotten about. We waited about 10 minutes and then decided to leave.

Really new, so expect some teething issues with service. The estimated wait time was off. Went with friends for lunch on a beautiful Saturday, so it was very busy. There's plenty of parking if you don't mind parking on grass. The food was quite good. I had a pizza, and the others tried a burger and a chicken sandwich. The portions were good. Prices are in line for shore places. Being on Sandy Hook makes it more special. I recommend. read more

Great atmosphere, great service, even better food! It's at the end of Sandy Hook so in the summer make sure you tell gate keeper your going to the restaurant and you won't have to pay to enter. read more

Bad. So bad. Food never came, had to ask to be seated. Worst service ever. Had to ask for silverware twice. read more

Mule Barn Tavern - Our dinner! - Pizza Near Me - Highlands, New Jersey