We had an anniversary reservation @chef Justin's sunset keys in Lavalette just to try some place different . Well, they couldn't seat us even though reservation 2 months in advance!?! (Don't waste ur time) Came back over the bridge to the mainland and luckily our absolutely favorite restaurant was able to seat us without a reservation. It was around 8pm. Always a great experience from food, to service, to calm ambiance . Everything we ordered was off the specials menu & as always nothing disappointed. Starters-AMAZING crab cakes as well as chicken liver mousse (definitely a 1st for us to try but was absolutely fantastic!) on grilled crostini with apricot habanero jam--yum! Entrees-Asian style filet mignon which hubby crushed & pan cooked halibut which was tender & delicious. Thanks for another great anniversary dinner Rue! BYOB is a nice bonus read more

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The lobster bisque and fried seafood was terrific as well as the ricotta appetizer. We went here for Christmas Eve dinner with my 89 year old mother.in-law and the restaurant was quaint and comfortable and very inviting. We had the risotto, pork chop and bouillabaisse entrees and they were all delicious and we all enjoyed them very much. The server was terrific, helpful with his suggestions and very personable. I can highly recommend this restaurant which is reasonably priced and worth the money read more

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Last night, my girlfriend and I celebrated **New Year's Eve dinner** at **Rue 561 Bistro**, and it was **one of the best dining experiences I've ever had**. From the moment we walked in, everything felt special -- the atmosphere, the décor, the energy of the room. It was warm, elegant, and inviting without ever feeling stuffy. The food was absolutely outstanding. We started with the **Wagyu meatballs** and **clams casino**, which were flawless. For our main courses, my girlfriend had the **lobster risotto**, and I ordered the **ribeye (cowboy steak, bone-in)** -- truly next-level. I also had the **macaroni and cheese** as a side, and it was phenomenal. Every bite was five-star. What really elevated the entire experience was the hospitality. **Maître D David** made sure everything was perfect and that we were completely comfortable throughout the night. We also had the pleasure of meeting **Frank**, the creator behind the restaurant. Spending time talking with him about his vision, how he built Rue 561, and sharing stories about **Brooklyn -- Flatbush and Sheepshead Bay**, where my girlfriend has roots, made the night even more meaningful. You can feel the pride and intention behind every detail. If you're celebrating something truly special in life, **this is the place to do it**. Thank you again for an incredible New Year's Eve dinner. -- **Billy Irish** read more

Cozy Bistro with ample table spacing, efficient and friendly wait staff, small but sufficient menu of steaks and seafood with some pasta and specials, everything basically à la carte, so a bit pricier all-in. Our dinner for 2 was a shared tasty wedge salad, 16 oz perfectly cooked NY strip steak and the thick cut pork chop (that looked great but might have been a little over cooked or at least not as tender as you'd expect, hence the 4 stars) with cappuccino and a few churros for desert. Will skip the chop and be back to sample the seafood options next time around. Maybe find the missing "star?" ...TBD read more

I was honestly disappointed with this restaurant after reading all the good reviews. I highly recommend coming early as it is a small parking lot otherwise you'll have to find street parking. It's a quaint little restaurant with a small menu as its fresh farm to table. For appetizers we got the burrata, calamari, and octopus. The burrata on the toasted bread was tasty. The calamari paired great with the sweet sauce. The octopus was very tender. Why I was disappointed it was because of my entree the boullibase. I had 3 shrimp, 3 clams, and 7 mussels although 3 of them did not open so I could not eat them. In the picture it looks like a big mountain of seafood but that is because there are 4 potatoes underneath. I would have loved to sop up the seafood broth with bread but they only give you one piece of bread. I wish they gave more bread instead of potatoes. That dish was not worth $40 in my opinion. read more

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Outrageous ! What pride in ownership, service, and quality. Loved our date night @ Rue561and can't wait to go back. Started with the beet salad w ricotta.... super plentiful, earthy and light. Next up 45 day dry, aged pat LaFrieda (YUM) bone in ribeyes. Perfectly cooked as ordered medium rare. Great nutty flavor with a head of garlic confit. The side of Brussels was off the chain with incredible smokey porkbelly (smokey beyond belief) and a crisp sweet taste to the Brussels Lastly a gelato and berries that were a perfect night cap for only $9. Prices were very fair and byob....Loved it and will be back asap read more

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I decided to give Rue561 another chance last night. We arrived for a 7pm reservation for 4 and were greeted and seated immediately. Again, I believe they are short staffed as I only saw one waiter, however he was very good and attentive. We ordered 4 apps- Octopus-excellent Whipped truffle ricotta-amazing Scallops and fried calamari-good Waygu meatballs-very good The men ordered rib eye and strip steaks-both cooked perfectly and excellent. The spicy rigatoni was very good. Only complaint, as possibly my fault, we didn't receive (or ask) for bread, next time I will ask. Will absolutely go back again! read more

Went with party of 6 for my daughter's birthday, and not one drop of food was left on anyone's plate. Great steaks, but the salads and sides were delicious as well. Pricey, but no complaints as it was a great experience. read more

We've been around the area owning for 17 years now. Trying all of the restaurants locally. While we have some fans, Seaside and Tom's River aren't really known for amazing steak. Rue 561 was an awesome choice. We read the reviews and they are spot on. We ordered the Octopus and Chorizo, Steakhouse Bacon and Tomahawk Steak for 2 with Truffle Mac n Cheese. Oooooh, Mmmm Geeeee! Soooo delicious, all of it. And Frank, the owner, Chris ,our waiter, made the experience so much more. The Steak was off the charts great. Frank explained that he has 45 day aged beef from Pat LA Frieda. This is why this Steak was so amazing. We will definitely be back. read more

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Rue 561 Bistro is one of Toms River's finest dining establishments, consistently delivering exceptional food and service. I've dined here numerous times and have never been disappointed. The owner and staff go above and beyond to ensure every guest enjoys an outstanding experience, marked by impeccable hospitality and attention to detail. read more

First time trying it after passing it countless times over the years. We last minute got a table after not getting reservations at other restaurants and it was meant to be. This place is really good! Our server Chris was absolutely fantastic and professional. I had a halibut special that was a nice creative dish well done by the chef! My wife and mother had steak which were REALLY GOOD! Appetizers were good too. Great place for special occasions, romantic dinner, or treat yourself to more gourmet option in town. read more

Way too expensive for what you receive.... Just my personal opinion...over $70 for a strip steak.. and not worth the price....

Since yelp is not giving me the option to respond directly to the owner who recently responded to my review. I have no other choice but to update and add another review. This place has awful customer service.... Michelle, i truly don't appreciate you implying that I lied about not being informed of an up charge. If the waiter i had was upfront and told me that chicken was an extra $20, i most certainly would've declined and wouldn't have even bothered writing a review. Also, i simply wrote a review to let other people who may be considering coming to your restaurant know that its definitely not worth their time or money. Contrary to what you obviously think, I wasn't looking for any form of compensation as i was already told over the phone that nothing could be done for me. read more

We had to try Rue 561 after reading these great reviews and it did not disappoint. I thought the menu was somewhat limited but everything was fantastic and they also had a few specials. I had very low expectations for the wedge salad because it's just a wedge salad not this one was sooooo good with fried shallots and bacon. We also had the octopus/chorizo appy, airline chicken, and pork chop entree. Fresh baked churros for dessert. Another plus: it's byob. I made a resy about two weeks before. Service was good, but they were down a person. The owner was clearing tables and very friendly.... read more

Rue 561 Bistro - Wedge salad - Salad Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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I had very high expectations of this --and 3 may seem like a low rating but I have to say my high expectations were diminished by the flavor of the food. It was extremely bland for several of the dishes we ordered. Very cute atmosphere however you were in the middle of Tom's River not Manhattan. Prices seemed a little inflated for the location! They don't list them on the website either. The pork chop --looked beautiful on the plate however it was overcooked and dry on the inside. The corn mash was not even buttery or creamy or salty. It was just mush. At least try giving a dish of polenta under it for the same look but more flavor. The yuca fritas were just fried pieces of dough. Not even salted. The sofrito was tasty but added to the dryness. The Bouillabaisse was bland. Should have had more flavor. It was a filling dish but not as good as it looked. The charcuterie board was beautiful--but the chef forgot to add the cheese to it. The waiter returned with the cheese --it looked like 8 slices of a Cracker Barrel cheese logs. Yellow Cheddar and white cheddar looking with the end wrinkled from the sealed plastic. Nothing that resembled a "formaggi" which would lead someone to believe it was imported cheeses. It was misleading! Bread. Ok yes it fills you up. But when there is only one waiter on a weeknight --you need some bread to eat while you wait. There should be a carafe of water with a basket of bread so no one notices how long you actually waited to get your order taken! It claims to be farm to table however it really didn't give me that vibe. read more

Found this spot while visiting seaside from so cal. The ribeye bone on was excellent. It's served with baked garlic. You have to try it! My wife got a noodle dish while my kids were happy about the mac and cheese. The side portion of potato's was large. They're not stingy with potato's; that's for sure. Lastly the desert cheesecake platter was straight nuclear. My kids enjoyed the churros with caramel and strawberry jam like sauce. .... And most impotently, the service was excellent. I think this is a gem of a place. I'll be back next time we're visiting. read more

Nice quaint place. Clean and well decorated. Great attentive staff. Nice menu selection with daily specials. The Brussels sprouts are excellent with just the right amount of bacon for flavoring. The truffle Mac and cheese is moist, with perfectly cooked macaroni, plentiful amount of cheese and nicely garlic & truffle flavored. The 18oz bone in Prime Rib Eye was to dye for. Perfect salt & pepper seasoning, cooked medium rare correctly, moist and tender. The Panna Cotta dessert was a first for my wife & I. We where pleasantly surprised at the presentation and the exquisite taste. You must try this tasty dish. Finished with the perfect cappuccino Chris our waiter was excellent. read more

Rue 561 Bistro - Brussels sprouts - Salad Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Top notch food and service. Pricey but you get what you pay for. Good for special occasions.

A very enjoyable meal indeed. First of all. BYOB. Then the menu. Not extensive but something for everyone. Special tonight 48oz Tomahawk. Yea no need for a meat coma. Plenty of apps To pick from. I ordered and enjoyed the octopus. Very good and a little bite. Wife got the salmon. She enjoyed how it was cooked. (Still a little pink) I got the pork chop. Two bones thick. Quite tender too. We shall return. read more

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Amazing food. The restaurant had beef Wellington. I have not had that in 15 years. I had the octopus appetizer.

Food was excellent! Service was good. Would definitely return. Only thing we found a bit odd is there's no hostess station or waiting area and that was a bit uncomfortable but the food more than made up for it! Our first visit was on a holiday (Valentine's Day) so I'll reserve my opinion of the service for a return visit on a less hectic evening. Definitely want to go back! read more

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Absolutely loved this place. Everything was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. We had the bone in rib-eye. It was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The fingerling potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. The truffle Mac and cheese was honestly the best Mac and cheese I think I've ever had. We also had the maple glazed carrots, which were so tasty. Not one complaint. read more

Rue 561 Bistro - Rib eye with a side of fingerling potatoes. - Salad Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Went on a Thursday eve. We were the ony guests. Limited munu. One chicken, one porkchop. 3 steaks $$$ , 3 pasta..good service but it was only us. I had the pork cop. Okay but not a $45 chop no bread. Salad was extra. curious to see weekend. business ​ all finally OK. But I think there are better restuarants in the area. For etter value read more

Underwhelming was a term used last night at our table and I couldn't agree more. I had higher hopes, schlepping off the island is always a pain and I was hoping to find a good restaurant in the Seaside direction to avoid the traffic in Point. This was not it, especially for the price. We took our time ordering, having a drink as we were catching up with friends, the waitress pressed us to get our order in because there was another reservation at the table at 7:45...we sat down at 5:30. Not a great start. The charcuterie board was meh, six small pieces of nothing special cheese and what tasted like some coscto salami and prosciutto. The calamari looked quite good, lots of tentacles (my fav), but alas while rings were tasty the tentacles had a slight burnt flavor to them. The "sauce" was pretty much orange mayo, more like Applebee's quality than a good restaurant. For dinners we had a some more apps and the beef wellington. The wedge salad had a nice mustardy dressing. The octopus and chorizo was solid, I think the chorizo was better than the octopus. It was tender, but not super flavorful. The bacon was borderline inedible. Tasted like nearly raw diner bacon drowned in maple syrup. I will finish on a positive note though, the beef wellington was excellent. Maybe not worth the $88, but it was easily the best thing I ate last night. read more

This was our first time eating dinner at Rue 561. Our server Christopher was great!! He was informative and helpful with suggestions. The atmosphere was pleasant, warm, and inviting. We had the steak specials with garlic confit (NY strip & filet) which were each just as delicious and tender. The charred asparagus and side of roasted, parmesaned fingerling potatoes were a perfect accompaniment. We will definitely be back and look forward to sharing our experience with friends. read more

Rue 561 Bistro - Delicious gf butternut squash soup - Salad Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Went for an early Sunday dinner. Wagu Tomahawk was great and so was Chris the sever!

I took my mom here for her birthday and am so glad I did. The place is cute and clean, the server was so sweet and accommodating to my dietary restrictions. They were able to make a special vegan meal for me and my parents thoroughly enjoyed their dishes off the menu. I honestly do not love a lot of the spots to eat in this area and know I will be a regular here whenever I visit my parents! read more

Absolutely incredible. I am so extremely impressed with this restaurant and what they brought to Toms River. This restaurant is worth the price tag and I cannot wait to go back! John, our server, was also incredible. His attention to detail was suburb! read more

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Excellent food, atmosphere and service. We had a party of six and did not feel rushed at all. This is a great BYOB and we look forward to coming back. Everyone was very pleased with their dinner. The charcuterie board was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented as well as all desserts. The wedge salad was incredibly good, just wish there was a little more dressing. The only item I would not repeat is the mushroom bisque. It has very good flavor but I like my soup served very hot, just my personal preference. All around, great experience. Favorites:. Charcuterie board, wedge salad, Pork chop, truffle buccatini, airplane chicken, brussel sprouts, cheesecake and flourless chocolate torte. Perfect date spot. read more

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I don't even know where to begin. From the moment we walked in the moment we left display was just amazing. The service atmosphere. Everything was perfect. We order the octopus in chorizo for the appetizer and it was delicious. Octopus cilantro. I had the salmon with the squash and quinoa salad Orgasm. Cooked tender mashed potatoes delicious. Also ordered fries that were cooked crispy soft and creamy on the inside. We also ordered truffle oil mac & cheese. It was completely delicious. I cannot say enough.. can't wait to go back read more

I am so happy that this restaurant opened again! The food is absolutely wonderful and creative. The chef was so generous and the rest of the staff was so friendly and accommodating. We started with grilled octopus that was perfect. My husband had a salmon dish that was outstanding, but the best part was my pasta with truffles shaved on, beyond words . read more

Rue 561 Bistro - Octopus with potatoes - Salad Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Wow what an amazing restaurant. Don't get shocked by the prices, yes it is pricey but it's so worth it. I took my friend for a birthday dinner and we had the charcuterie board appetizer. The flavors were awesome fresh fruit figs and honey and delicious meats and cheeses. I had surf and turf special which was cooked to perfection. Then the chocolate Torte dessert was so good also with coffee ice cream. If you want to celebrate a special occasion this is the place to go to. read more

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Rue 516 bistro , yes, yes and yes! Every single thing I ate was amazing from the main dish down to the micro basil. I could not stop raving about the appetizers . I highly recommend if you are looking for a good date night spot or if you are looking for a place to bring someone from outta town. The service was really good, no complaints at all. Also BYOB ,which is a plus. Will definitely be back and will be dreaming about the whipped ricotta with black truffles. read more

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One of the best steaks I've had in a long time - service was spot on as well! Presentation was great, but I'm more about the quality and taste than how it looks.....they managed to do both- really well.. read more

This place went very downhill (as you'll see from my first review) yet have the audacity to raise their tomahawk price by $30. Our truffle mac and cheese was just plain mac and cheese which was a bummer because the truffle one we used to get was incredible. Hopefully things turn around but I hesitate to ever go back. read more

The food was great. I loved my meal and the apps, the atmosphere is quiet and intimate. It's byob which I love and the staff is amazing. I would highly recommend. read more

Delicious food, polite staff and lovely ambiance. The Scallop dish over Orzo was perfect, and the roasted Brussel sprouts were outstanding. An expensive evening, but definitely tasty and filling. read more

The food somewhat limited but this is what you want. The service was amazing and she was fantastic. The restaurant was quiet enough to have a conversation with people you love. Two thumbs up on the steak. The owner was receptive and a charm! We will be back...... read more

The entire dinner experience was not exceptional. After giving the server our order, we were told that there was a $20 charge for sharing. Here is what we ordered: 16oz Prime NY steak which was served on a platter by itself. No potatoes or vegetables were part of the dish. So, why should there be a $20 sharing fee imposed? The server said if we ordered pricer appetizers, the $20 sharing fee would not be imposed. Seriously! We ordered truffle ricotta for $18.00 and a chopped salad for $19.00 which totaled $37.00. We also ordered Yucan steak fries for $12 plus a dessert for $13 and Pellegrino water for $8.00 Total bill was 152.07 before tax and the 3% credit card fee. This restaurant is not in NYC. I would never dine there again. read more

We had enjoyed this place and it has changed. First, every time we go there is literally no one else there. The $85.00 rib eye was just ok. And the seafood dish was not good. I wish them well as they are very nice, but we won't be returning. read more