I like this little cozy place! Stopped by for lunch on this cold spring day and was greeted by this warm inviting restaurant. I had a BLT which was delicious! The sandwich was overflowing with crispy well cooked bacon and a perfectly toasted bread. Cole slaw was tasty, though a little too much mayonnaise. My companion had a very good grilled cheese sandwich. A perfect spot for a quick bite. read more

Anytime I drive by this place, the parking lot is full. Recently, I decided to check it out. You walk through the front door and you enter the small bar area. There are booths in back as well as Al Fresco dining, weather permitting. We were headed to a show in Asbury so we sat at the bar and ordered some cocktails and a pizza. Bartender warmly greeted us and made a great Cosmo and Vodka martini. The bar is full of welcoming locals and there is alot of bantering while patrons watch the game on the TVs. I immediately noticed the Trenton tomato pie on the menu, but my bride overruled me and she ordered the regular pie. While waiting for our pie, a Trenton pie came out and was served next us. It looked awesome. Our pie arrived as we were finishing our cocktails. Perfect timiing. Pie was delicious. Nice crisp undercarriage, just the right amount of cheese and sauce. I added a pinch of oregano, my squeeze added a pinch of hot pepper. The pie is typical bar pie size and we ate it all. Go early if you want a seat at the bar. Cant wait to go back and try that Trenton pie. read more

I've been to this place many times, but now I'm officially boycotting. I ordered at 7:25 and at 8:08 I did still bot have my simple burger and fries . I think she forgot and wouldn't admit it(Diane,) she said food takes a while(I cook.) i watched people come in after and get pizzas. They kept making excuses and when I answered, they said I was complaining. Diane is a legend in her own mind and needs to retire. Don't go here unless you have extra time to waste and wait. Rude and self righteous (joy us a nice person, i don't know about other people, but Diane is awful!!!!!! Time to retire! Sorry not being mean just truthful. PE read more

Came here for lunch and will likely be back again! Lunch specials were until 2pm. Reminds me of a spot you would find in the middle of nowhere Tennessee on a road trip. Paper handwritten specials menu. A classic diner plastic menu to go with it. The smell of greasy good food filling the air from the kitchen. Regulars in and out like a revolving door and the bartender knows every one of them. Menu is very reasonably priced. I got the turkey club on rye and it was packed with flavor. ($11) The coleslaw was even good. I need to highlight the margaritas, though. I got a regular marg on the rocks no salt (my usual go to.) I expected a pint glass, it came in half a fish bowl! Haha! (See photo) This is NOT a complaint, to be clear! What's even better is it didn't taste like a big glass of sour mix. It was perfectly balanced. She made it so well this was the best $10 marg I've ever had. This place is definitely tiny. The lot is full every night, I'm not sure how they all fit. Get there early, or have some patience. They're doing great. read more

Shady Rest Restaurant - Kickin' Club Sandwiches (Turkey) - Pizza Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

Food is excellent and reasonably priced. It is so good that lately it has become a weekly outing. I've been going to the Shady Rest since 1989 and I've never had a bad experience or a bad meal. Service is excellent. A great place for families too! Relaxed atmosphere and servers are friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I would highly recommend this place! read more

We've been going to the Shady Rest for over 20 years and it's our favorite restaurant when we're in the area. My favorite dish is the Shady Rest chicken and my husband has too many to mention. We love the backroom booths, the servers are always pleasant and we've never been disappointed. read more

A comfort food type of restaurant! I enjoyed their penne vodka with chicken, which had great flavor. My boyfriend enjoyed the Steak Alexis, also cooked perfectly. Bonus - their outdoor seating area is adorable! Located right on Route 9, I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area. read more

Delicious with great service and price, We will definitely go again. The pizza was really good. read more

I've been coming here since I was a child. One of the best restaurants in the area. Love Shady rest. It is a neighborhood staple.

Slowest service ever. Food is below average for in my opinion but what really drags it down is the long waits for courses to arrive.

Chicken Shady Rest is my favorite meal any day, anywhere. Pizzas and Fish & Chips are also top notch. read more

Shady restaurant is a definite go to for some good food and drinks. Watch a game by the bar bring the family for larger parties they have outdoor seating when the weather is nice out. I have a few things here flounder franchise ( a little on the lemony side for me), chicken shady rest. It's basically chicken parm with a different sauce the sauce seems like it has a wine in it or something. It was pretty good a little on the sweeter side. I would rather just have the chicken parm. Ur traditional italian dish. And the keep the chicken cutlets edges crispy. Nice touch. The trenton pie is very delicious crispy and light. read more

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I TRULY had nostalgia regret on this one . I was acHeY breaky for sOmE ChiKy Parm like in the olden days and in a a nice hole in the wall. The only thing the Shady Rest got right ? Was the hole in the wall part. The Chicken Parm was $24 which alright - I can absolutely , without a doubt accept that - but is my chicken coming up farm raised ? orGanTiX ( joke and if you want ReZ DoGz). I would love to know exactly WHY the $24 for a chicken parm in a literal trash nugget place like this would have the entire audacity to charge that - but moving on. The server was " nice enough " to tell me they could turn the sandwich into one cutlet and give me a side of " noodles " you either get " ziti or noodles " " we aren't one of those fancy places " was the excuse for anything I asked for - and that response was to me asking for " sherry " for my lobster bisque ( um what ? ) basically anything I asked for ( which these are just typical things I get in Barnegat - which please forgive me - ISNT fancy ) but if your going to have " fancy " prices .. do y'all want to try and pretend ? The thing that irks me more than shaming a customer like making them feel " too good " for a place yet charging absurd prices - is when the server then asks you to " settle up " because they are leaving and standing there SO um I'm aware y'all ain't fancy ( I'm purposely using this type of language now ) but you are in customer service and I don't know what about me says "fancy" maybe my palette today isn't saying " Crackdonalds" like some of your servers faces ( I'm in recovery I can say that ) but asking for a to go cup because your trying to " turn over " tables quicker And rushing the customer ISNT good service. The server was helpful but also unprofessional. The hostess and other servers were pushy and rude. Honestly , if the response to this post is " well you should just know what your getting when you go there " Are you KIDDING me ? Is this what they have done to US? Again I will REPEAT I am IN the food service inductee / I OWNED a business this is NOT acceptable behavior. Towards the end I got nasty and bussed my own table / even grabbed a rag and wiped it down to make a point and asked for a to go cup and asked if this also is " too fancy " . I have a sneaking suspicion that someone I used to know ( who feels bad about their lot in life ) May be having some ego issues. But listen hunny you have an entire Steak in your name on a billboard " Steak Alexis !" So really ? What's not to be happy about ? Is this a comfortable place to eat if your dining alone ? Absolutely NOT . Will you feel judged for asking for bare minimum things ? YES Are the servers in need of serious customer service training and probably on serious drugs? I think so yes and if your going to treat me poorly and think your going to get away with it ? No boo boo this isn't High School. If you look at my past reviews - I always support restaurants and any place - that's my entire GOAL but if somewhere messes up and mess up bad. I'm going to state it. Their was severe ( a male server who went out of his way to grab me a fork ) after my server " settled up" and packed my food as quickly as she could to peace out. I tipped her well over 20 % not because she deserved it but because if I DIDNT I'm a jerk and so it's always a lose / lose right ? But no. I'ma air out my grievances here. I'm DONE trying to " talk to managers " they don't care - nothing changes. Let the Shady Rest Stay The Same Garbage Its Always Been but Now Charging " fancy " prices. *I* would NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone who works hard for their money. But that's just me. For those who like to toss money in the trash ? Go for it read more

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I've been going to Shady rest for over 14 years and I'm so over it. Service is great. The waitress are are adorable and very friendly, but that's about all you'll get for your money. The atmosphere is dark and out dated. If your butt can handle sitting on schools bleachers then you'll be ok here. Just had a cheese burger and a beer with my mother. She had the same. Burger was good and priced at $15 that's not bad except for the $3 up charge for cheese and $1 for onion. The Coors light beer was on tap and so warm neither one of use could drink it. It was disgusting. They used to have frosted mugs so I guess I never noticed how warm the beer was. Not going back. To many places with good food and COLD beer to waste me money here. read more

Shady Rest Restaurant - Warm beer on tap! - Pizza Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

Excellent food, fun atmosphere,the place has been there a long time for a reason. Crabby Bread is awesome.

Food: large menu to select from. what I was in the mood for wasn't on the menu. I wanted a fried chicken sandwich and they only had grilled on the menu. I asked my service and he was more than happy to accommodate me! def a plus. My friend also wanted something off the menu which was a chicken Caesar wrap and they accommodated her as well. The serving sizes were big too. Service: staff was friendly and nice. food came a little slow but was delicious! Ambiance: it's not fancy at all but if you want a good local friendly meal. This is a spot to go! Would def recommend and would go again read more

Shady Rest Restaurant - Buffalo fried chicken sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

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Honestly I've been coming to shady rest for a while now and the service has been exceptional. Everyone is friendly and tending except one bartender named Diane. I normally don't write but I have had enough of her bitchy attitude and terrible drinks. She is rude to customers and employees and I'm not sure why management has not done something about this. She messes up food orders, makes drinks incorrectly and is a total liability. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, however she is a HUGE PROBLEM and people need to be aware. read more

Stopped in for the first time for a Saturday lunch/early dinner. Had the Baltimore scallops and crab, Manhattan clam chowder, garlic bread and expresso martini. Everything was excellent and soup was home made! Bf had shrimp casino which he enjoyed. Small, quant, friendly place. Waitress was very friendly. Definitely will be back! read more

Two of us stopped by after donating blood nearby and had a delicious and plentiful lunch (doggy bags needed!)! Great bread (regular and garlic), eggplant parm and lasagna. I had an experience post-blood donation, feeling faint and flushed, and Janine our waitress was so kind and caring (having worked at the blood bank in the past herself!)! Can't wait to return (without the drama!) Great cozy place! read more

Superbowl Day and they delivered a flawless dinner! Krabby Bread, crab stuffed mushrooms, stuffed scallops, and fall off the bone spare ribs! Everything arrived hot, everything cooked to perfection! Highly recommended! Great job Shady Rest cooks and delivery people! Also the girl who took my order professionally and accurately. read more

The Shady Rest is a longstanding Italian restaurant in Bayville. Funnily enough I had not been to it in about 30 years, and I just went back. It hasn't changed much since. . . in a good way. They offer -- what I'd call -- cozy Italian food. It's nothing elaborate, but it is done in an accessible, approachable way. The atmosphere inside has a traditional roadside feel. They have a small bar actually, which is not common for restaurants in New Jersey, but I imagine it's grandfathered in. There are plenty of Italian restaurants at the Jersey Shore, but the Shady Rest does it in a quaint, unique way. The service was very understanding and helpful to my mom, who had a million questions! I would recommend going there with multi-generational families. read more

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My husband ordered a pizza light crust and I ordered a sandwich. The pizza came out well done. We told our waitress Angela as soon as it arrived that the pizza was well done and she replied that it was what they sent out and walked away. We did not touch the pizza and so a few minutes later when she returned, we stated that it was supposed to be light crust and that we would not be eating it. She took the pizza, saying nothing, and walked away. Angela did not offer my husband alternative food or a new pizza and so he ate half of my sandwich. She didn't return again until it was time for the check. Needless to say we will not be returning. read more

Alexis was our server and attentive was her mission and with a pleasant smile each time she stopped by our table If you've read any of my reviews from the past when I'm with my wife it is always an adventure. She reads the menu and lowers her calorie intake while dining healthy . I knew immediately I wanted the eggplant with nice Manhattan Clam chowder and garlic bread. The wife went for grilled chicken and salad with Italian bread. ( she wanted the butter) We made great choices. And to drink I went with the Brooklyn Lager and she stayed with the tried and true Yuengling Everything was great. Thank you I will say this the name Shady Rest restaurant and outside signage trick my brain into thinking it an Irish pub, but the menu to ME reads like a fine Italian restaurant. read more

Another great meal and service at Shady Rest. The Super stuffed clam never disappoints. The Rigatoni and vodka sauce had too many onions and we wouldn't order that again. The old time bar feel of the restaurant is so cool. Our waitress was a sweetheart. read more

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Five stars. Best service around and the food is delicious ........priced right. My favorite place

Cute restaurant with classic ambiance. Has a very homey vibe and seems like a great place to regular. All the food was great, diner-wide variety. Server was sweet and attentive. Overall, enjoyable meals - will go again! read more

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have been going to shady rest since 1990. I know this because my husband and I went there on one of our first dates. I have to say tonight was beyond disappointing . We had a reservation and a server who was clearly not in his element. having served myself as my daughter we are beyond patient. 30 minutes to get a drink. then husbands soup came. 20 minutes later my daughters salad and mine. we had to ask for bread. my food came out incorrect. Honestly Bob would be so disappointed, as I watched the entire area around me send things back. read more

Great pizza and other food, with a quaint atmosphere. Located on Atlantic City Blvd (A. K. A. Route 9) it is easy to find and has outdoor seating pending weather. read more

We first went a few years ago and were so uncomfortable in the booths (we are a lil tall), we don't recall our meal as just wanted to get out to stretch legs. The inside was on the cozy side with a smaller bar, small wooden booths, and some tables. We heard great things, so we wanted to give another try. My husband & I rode our bikes down the local railtrail and made it over to Shady Rest. The outside was smaller than I thought, but unique and beautiful. Service was perfect from our waitress. Fresh unsweetened icetea served in a mason jar was refreshing. My husband enjoyed the tuna salad over greens. Good portion, taste fresh. I ordered a basic cheeseburger. The beef patty was just blah, nothing to it. Disapointed. I was hoping for a good solid juicy cheesburger. The french fries, coleslaw, and pickle were good. For us, it's just not our vibe, but it's a lovely local establishment. Great options for lunch after riding the rail trail. Fresh air. All in all, great local established with average to good food. I have not sampled enough of menu to give a full review. Review is based on our two visits. read more

Great food and service. Good local spot for dinner. Nice garden seating. Not big and gets crowed read more

The food here is always very good!! I especially love the shrimp francese !! Pizza is great too! read more

Shady Rest Restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

Pizza is always delicious with a good crust! Antipasto is HUGE! Great neighborhood bar and restaurant. Wonderful specials at lunch or dinner . Always love their carrot soup ! Unexpectedly delicious . Very nice servers and bartenders . Classic South Jersey Tomato Pie a go to winner ! read more

Came here with friends for an early weekend dinner. The server was so nice and friendly. The menu has many great Italian options I got the Chicken Shady Rest. The meal came with a a choice or soup or salad and garlic bread which is great so many places now you do t get a salad with your meal. This quiet little restaurant is very old fashion with the dark wood interior. read more

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Table 13 with Janine Ladies and Gentlemen, This is still a service industry. We couldn't have been reminded of this more until we had dinner tonight. We love Shady Rest for the food(any chicken or fried scallops should always be considered) but for the most part, the dining experience has usually been random, at best. Tonight, we had the pleasure of being seated in Janine's section, and we've never had a finer experience at Shady Rest. Janine was The Best! Everything came out correctly and we never waited for a refill. We will be back soon on a Saturday night to sit in Janine's section. read more

Will never go back to this establishment again. Ownership horrible!!! Food deserved a 0 rating National Pizza Day. Did not enjoy at the all. read more

They were busy so service was a little slow. Awesome ambiance, really cool looking. The chili is fantastic. The onion soup was good. That's all we ordered. I would go back to try some dishes I saw others had ordered-looked good. read more

This place is the best! We usually sit at the back bar and love the service and drinks from bartender Daniel! Everything on the menu is delicious! Some go to items are the raw bar, shrimp poppers, pizza, meat ravioli, stuffed clam, coconut shrimp, and the chili! If you have not tried this place you are missing out so go and support this local business! read more

Specifically went to this restaurant in person to reserve dinner for New Year's Eve for my wife and I two days prior to New Year's Eve. At the time I was able to reserve a specific table, but upon arrival on New Year's Eve I was told the table that I had reserved was not available, and that I should have reserved on line to secure a specific table. At the time there was an available table in the same area that the table that I had reserved was; however, I was told that we could not be seated at the empty table because it was reserved for only parties of 4. The hostess only gave us two options- which was wait until the table that we had reserved was available or to sit in what I call the "dungeon" area. Upon booking our New Year's Eve table 2 days prior I had specifically told the hostess at the time of booking that I did not want the "dungeon" area (and would book somewhere else if that was all that was available) because I was claustrophobic and would not enjoy sitting in that area. On New Year's Eve night with no other options (other than to just walk out and go somewhere else) we elected to sit in the "dungeon" area in the same sized booth that was made for 4 that we had been told we could not be seated at in the nicer area of the restaurant. We did not want to wait for the table that we had reserved as the people at that table were enjoying their meal and we had no idea how long the wait would be. 15 minutes after being seated in the "dungeon" area a party of 2 were seated at the open table that we had requested and had been told that only parties of 4 could be seated at. The couple that was seated at this table (arriving 15 minutes after us) ordered, received their food, and were done and gone before we ever received our food. The wait for our food was just over 1 1/2 hours. Our waitress was pleasant (as the long wait did not seem to fall on the waitress) and the manager discounted our meal; however, the desire to spend New Year's Eve pleasantly at one of our favorite restaurants was circumvented by the attitude of the hostess (she rolled her eyes when we complained) and the reservation process we encountered. Not sure that we will want to ever return to this restaurant, although the food and drinks are good, the cleanliness and reservation policies are horrible! read more

We made reservations for a booth. The booth was taken when we arrived and we were told you should have made the reservation online! We were brought to a booth all the way in the back which was like being in a closet. We wanted to wait for the table we reserved. There was a larger booth but we were told 2people can't sit there. We got yet another different booth that was claustrophobic. We noticed 2people were now sitting in the booth we asked about. Turns out they reserved for 3people but only 2showed. We felt like some game was being played or regulars were given preferential treatment. Halfway through our drink the table we reserved was free. Now we moved there. Dinner took over an hour to arrive. Drinks are so slow to arrive. Hostess needs customer service training and stop the eye rolling like a 12 yr old. Mgr was nice and tried her best to correct the issue. Waitress was very nice and friendly. Dining out is a treat. Place needs cleaning big time and redesign. Food was mediocre and prices were not great. read more

went to shady rest for first time last night with my husband. We had to make a reservation to ensure we would have a seat without waiting. I had the chicken shady rest. it had a star next to on the menu so I assumed it was especially good. Boy was I wrong. it said sweet cream sherry with red sauce and pecorino and romano cheese. It was dry breaded chicken cutlets swimming in strong smelling sherry red sauce there was no cream and no cheese. It was not edible. I asked the server who checked with the kitchen and the chef said "that's how it's made" and that was that. We spent over $100 on two people. I will never go back again. Buyer beware! read more