I arranged a dinner at Rum Runners for my wife and two other close couples to celebrate the birthdays of our friends, Ann and Lynne. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences we have ever had. To give you an idea of how bad it was, the management ended up comping the entire meal for the six of us. We had a confirmed reservation for 7:45 PM for outdoor seating to enjoy the beautiful sunset. My wife and I arrived early at 7:15 PM to confirm the reservation and select a special birthday dessert for Ann and Lynne. Everything seemed fine at the bar as we waited for our friends, who arrived on time. However, we were not seated until 8:30 PM, missing the sunset entirely. The manager apologized and offered a round of drinks and appetizers to make up for the delay. While this gesture was appreciated, it was just the beginning of the problems. We ordered dinner and drinks, but the waiter informed us of delays due to a kitchen backup. The food arrived after about 30 minutes, which wasn't too bad. However, during dinner, the manager informed me that the selected birthday dessert was sold out, and I had to choose a different one. The real issues began after this. We waited until 10 PM before I asked the waiter for an update, and he said the kitchen was still backed up. We watched other servers deliver food, hoping it was ours, but it never was. Finally, at 10:30 PM, our food was served, except for my wife's salad, which arrived much later. The constant apologies from the waiter and manager did little to ease our frustration. During this exasperating wait, we ordered drinks that were either not delivered or severely delayed. My steak and my friend's fish were both overcooked and dried out, tasting more like "shoe leather." Again, the manager apologized and removed the dishes, offering to serve appetizers instead of dinner as it was too late. Even the appetizers were wrong and had to be replaced. Throughout the evening, the manager repeatedly apologized, but it became clear that Rum Runners could not manage even the basics of service and quality. Finally, we decided to skip dessert and asked for the check to end this disaster of an evening. The manager comped our meal due to the disastrous experience, but it did not make up for the night we had. I thanked her but made it clear that we have many dining choices in the area, and Rum Runners will no longer be one of them. This was a truly disappointing and frustrating evening. read more

Our server Shaun was the most incredible and personable waiter we have ever had. The atmosphere and the food was good but Shaun absolutely amplified how wonderful everything was!! When I find myself back in NJ I would absolutely request him as my server once again :) Great customer service read more

The food was fantastic as always the staff is absolutely amazing it was a great experience read more

The Rum Runner - Sunset over the rivers - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

We attended the Chef Tasting last night. The food was fabulous. So delicate and each course had a multitude of flavors paired with Sonoma wines. Servers were attentive and friendly. It's a beautiful restaurant with a great view. The Chef came out afterwards and chatted with each table. A wonderful night. read more

I love Rum Runner. We are frequent diners. I prefer to dine outside as I feel the inside dining room is a little more "stuffy". The views are wonderful. The drinks are yummy. I do wish they had not changed their menu as they got rid of one of my favorite dishes. Service is a little hit or miss but we have never had a BAD experience. Some are just better than others. read more

First time in this restaurant and it was a positive experience! Nice ambiance, good service and the food was very good. I can imagine that this is a hot spot in the summer months, but it was easy to get in tonight. read more

See all

This place is not great, ordered the bread today (fig jam/whippedbutter/tomato oil dipping sauces) came with none of the dips just bread and ice cold butter cubes. Also had the prosciutto flatbread which was tasteless, with only the smallest drizzle of truffle honey that I could hardly make out. People only come here for the ambiance is what I can gather. For these prices you can go to a multitude of restaurants in the area that have significantly better food! read more

Great , food, location and service Nice to seat outside I will go back ................................... read more

Ate there last night and was up all night with food poisoning. Definitely wouldn't recommend

I found this place while riding my bike out of Sandy hook beach often. And passed by this place several times. So today decided to try it. Really nice place to spend a warm afternoon enjoying lunch or dinner. They have outdoor seating that sits above the water where you can watch boats go by if you want to be outdoors. Inside is at a nice temperature that you do not feel cold with short sleeves on. This is good a place to enjoy as a couple or solo sitting outside or at the huge bar area inside The staff is extremely friendly and attentive but not overly. My waitress was good to share her favorite dishes to try for lunch. And offered to refill my water or tea when they were emptied. I had the Cajun Mahi sandwich with potato salad on a brioche roll. The fish was tasty but the Cajun matard over powered the fish on first bite. After removing the extra mustard then the fish I could enjoy much better. The potato salad was OK. Easily seasoned to my taste with little more pepper. Also got the Chicken salad sandwich to go for later. That was really good even 8 hrs later. I actually enjoyed the chicken salad more than the fish. The menu had some nice choices to choose from and changes for dinner. I will definitely return to try more. read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Friendly staff, our waitress was outstanding. Sat outside, very nice. Expresso martini was eh. Apps were delish - highly recommend the prosciutto flatbread and cheese board. Wings were also quite tasty. Had the burger, it was fine but I wished I had ordered the prosciutto flatbread for my dinner. It was that good. We will definitely return. read more

The food was delicious. Drinks ok. The waiter was on point. Sat at a high top on the balcony. Definitely will go back.

amazing professionalism from waiter and manager with issue with my meal but other meals at the table were delicious

The service is great but the food is not amazing. It has good ambiance the place gives off good vibes and especially Amanda the awesome server. Please give Amanda a raise. read more

We attended the Thanksgiving Day Buffet. Many of the serving dishes were empty; for example there was no turkey only some stuffing; limited pieces of salmon while there was plenty of vegetables and salad. There were rolls but no butter and when we went up for dessert, there was only one or two pieces of pie available. Coffee served at dessert came without milk or cream because the restaurant had run out. Our server, who was very nice, told us that people ordering lattes had used up all the milk and cream. All in all it was a big disappointment. Only a vegetarian would have enjoyed this buffet! read more

We stopped in on Saturday evening around 6:00 and went to the upstairs/outdoor/open air bar. The view and setting is amazing, no other way to describe. We opted for the free valet parking, I know why they do it but it seemed silly waiting 3 minutes for my car when it was literally about 100 feet away. Our bartender, I didn't catch her name, was one of the most genuinely nice people/bartenders I can remember encountering in recent memory. She did a great job and we appreciated it. They had a good beer selection, we went with a Kane Head High draft, Sam Octoberfest (she got it for us from the main bar as they still had Summer on tap) and an Allagash White bottle. Total was $20, so roughly $6-7 a beer, which is the going rate for this area/location. All the beer was delicious. Being elevated and on the river it does create a nice breeze outside. A really beautiful setting with some outdoor tables as well, looking forward to returning here for dinner sometime. read more

See all

Food is amazing and the sunsets are tremendous Service is great the Ambiance is perfect read more

The Rum Runner Was rebuilt after SS Sandy in 2012. They did a really nice job here sitting on the Shrewsberry River and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The place is nicely decorated and is totally upscale as to the standards of Tim McLoone with his 8+ restaurants in NJ. We were greeted by Mario, our server, after a few cocktails we ordered. The scallops with risotto and the shrimp and clams in linguine were excellent though quite pricey. Plan to spend $70 pp. that being said, enjoy the ambience, enjoy the service, and enjoy the noise, because it will be loud. The sunset is quite beautiful. Parking is with only valet, it's free but tipping is recommended. read more

See all

No shock, several past dinners remind me that the view and the ambiance at Rum Runner renders whatever comes out of the kitchen all but superfluous. Unfortunately for this upscale purveyor of seafood, we're dead central in the take-out era so there's no atmospherics to distract from the microscopic shellfish and the crab cake helper that all but squeezes out any actual crab. At Rum Runner the extreme pricing guarantees piracy on the high seas. Steer clear of the rocks and shoals and... hide your wallet. read more

Love the Happy Hour especially with the new drinks on it. Delicious espresso martini and there is always a phenomenal view

Restaurant is lovely and nice view , but the food is not good. We had friends that recommended the brunch. They said it was good! They said , yes, the food there usually sucks but brunch is really good! We tried brunch on Thanksgiving 2023 It actually was very good. Service top notch Food good. This past Sunday we went for Easter brunch. It was awful. The young kid waiter did ok though. Food was the worst This place is good for a cocktail. But, unfortunately that's all‍ read more

I drive past this place so many times and was always taken back at what' a beautiful building it was. i've eaten here twice and i'm yet to be wowed. tonight i had a watermelon salad and mahi tacos. can they have put any effort into them. watermelon salad was ok nothing special. mahi tacos, blacken mahi mahi which wasn't blackened with an avacado slice. Really??? only one avacado slice, no slaw, no nothing. Could t get anymore boring. my friend had a prime rib burger which he said was good. he had truffle fries which came out wilted and cold. service, nothing special, waiter must of walked by table and stopped a few times and never refilled empty water glass. the decore, can't beat the view, especially whe. the sun goes down. read more

One star for beautiful atmosphere and average food. Not enough staff and the place keeps filling tables. I get everyone is short staffed , but turn people away then. Our waiter was great for the 3 minutes we saw him and couldn't blame him. Do not overseat if you can't provide service. People here are on vacation and wanted to spend and relax. Some dude ( maybe manager) in a vest walked by our table 3 times not once asking if we needed something. In the meantime my husband and I shared one napkin and place setting whole meal. Never had a refill on drinks and waited 30-40 minutes more for check. Head down the street to For more options or to Rumson or highlands for more options. read more

The view of the river, even after dark, was really nice. We went on Friday, around 6:30, in March & the joint was jumping. It was extremely noisy. My husband is soft-spoken and I really could not hear him at all. I probably would have given 4 if it had been quieter. Service was ... relaxed. Our server was chipper and friendly, but there were long waits between getting the menu and placing our order, and between placing our dessert order and dessert appearing. I ordered the burger. (I have been on a major burger kick lately). It was good but very basic - didn't even have a pickle I requested mustard on the side, and that was brought immediately. French fries were really good. Side salad of caesar salad was adequate, though dressing was oddly heavy on the mustard. Husband had the crab cakes, which were good and loaded with shredded crab. I prefer lump crabmeat, but maybe that's personal preference. Hubby ordered the cheesecake for dessert and it was excellent. It was pricy - Husband had iced tea, I stuck with water & bill was $85 before tip. If we go again, it will likely be for lunch - maybe it will be quieter? And cheaper? read more

This is a very nice place specially when you want to catch the sunset after a beach day trip, food was average , so is the service and drinks... I'll definitely come back and have a beer by the bay on a sunset time. read more

See all

Love sitting at the bar and looking at the water. Food has totally improved recently. Drinks and bartenders are great. Highly recommend.

Another Rum Runner update. We were celebrating the engagement of our good friends this evening. I specially made an Open Table reservation at least a week ago and requested our "usual table" - window view by the water. This was THE main reason we came to Rum Runner ... to celebrate with a special dinner with a great view. Unfortunately when the hostess seated us, she took us to a table in the middle of the dining room and completely ignored my reservation request. (I know you read them because I've had the table by number two other times in the very recent past). Our dinner was OK. The restaurant was super busy and service was slower than normal. I can understand that in today's world. What I cannot understand is ignoring my Open Table request without even contacting me. I was trying to show off your restaurant for a future bride/groom that has many future events coming up in their lives... engagement party, bridal shower, baby shower and you just ruined it. read more

See all

Service was extremely slow and not accurate. Forgot the rolls and the tabasco sauce ordered for the wings. Food was only ok atbest. Chicken wings appetizer was overly dry and overcooked. Linguine woth clams entree was small porttion with only 8 clams. Some weren't cleaned properly and a little gritty. Only thing great was the spectacular view of the Shrewsbury river at sunset. I don't reccomend this restaurant. read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

See all

Amazing atmosphere any time of year. Perfect spot to watch the sunset. There are plenty of tables but it does fill up on the weekends. It's a bit pricy as it's fine dining but the menu is concise and focused and the food is delicious. Waitstaff is very attentive and often come around and refill your waters. read more

We've lived in the area for over a year and have unfortunately avoided coming here due to poor reviews. Thankfully many things are closed for the season and brought us to this tasteful gem! My mother was in town for thanksgiving holiday and was dying to come here for the views and mussels. This place is BEAUTIFUL. Would be a great place to host any type of special event (engagement parties, birthdays etc) the building is so nice lots of parking. Even an elevator for those who are unable to access stairs. The hostess sat us rather quickly. At first my expectations were low of this place just on what I've read. Upon being seated our glasswear was dirty (water stained). Our server changed it out and got us our sodas as we do not drink. Everyone's soda was flat or flavorless, which is fine but again disappointing. The server seemed frustrated as we did request different drinks, we're told it's because the gun at bar is acting weird. Still never got a solid drink. He kinda pushed drinks alcoholic and mocktails which was a tad insulting as I'm 8 months pregnant and we had a person in recovery in our party. To get to the good part though! We started with the mussels, which were SO good. Easily the best mussels I've had. The bread was perfect not over cooked not under cooked the best compliment to dip for extra sauce. It was so good we ordered a second round! My fiancé got the orecchiette, although I did not try he loved it and finished it all! We also got the chopped salad, easily the best chopped salad. Very fresh not to much dressing not too much of anything just right. Definitely regret not getting a protein with it! We also got the lobster Mac and cheese which was huge. There were big juicy chunks of buttery lobster and crab a good texture with the bread crumbs as well. The food was incredible over all. Although we were full we did order dessert. I loved that they brought a grey for us to see what each thing was. There were many options and all looked so good. We got the lava cake and ice cream. To die for truly. ONLY giving 4 stars because the food was insanely good, this place has such a great atmosphere and great chef but lacked true hospitality. This place has something special to it, unfortunately it's not the younger staff. read more

See all

Had my son's engagement party at Rum Runner. Everything was absolutely perfect! First of all, the food was delicious! Everyone was raving about all of the dishes. The service was excellent from the entire staff. Everyone at Run Runner was extremely accommodating. We cannot wait to go back! read more

Went with a couple of friends. Terrible service. a The server dropped a drink twice and was half way full once it got to the table was never replaced. The cheese / grape/ appetizer came without crackers, we're we supposed to just eat it without crackers.... had to ask twice about the cracker, we first got 4 pieces of bread and had to ask again about the crackers. To top it all off one entree got there, the other three got there 20 minutes later. Awful service. Th e server said the manager would come talk to her but never got there. I would have gotten charged less at any fast food place as food was tasteless and overpriced. I do not mind paying when food and service are good. This service was poor. first and last time you will see me there. read more

Absolutely amazing, swordfish was to die for. Staff made the night outstanding especially during these strange times read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

See all

Awesome food and service. Great place to bring the whole family!!! This was my 3rd time at Rum Rummer. Looking forward to returning in August. read more

Stopped in while passing leaving Sandy Hook. Really really great view while sitting on the outside deck. Could definitely see us being regulars if we lived closer. Food was very good & not as expensive as you would think. Stop on in! read more

The Rum Runner - View from outside deck - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

Perfect view. Great location. Solid service. Food was delicious! Love this place. The pork chop is fantastic!!

Yea l must say that they are very selective with their seating. We asked to be seated by the window , it was a handful of people in the restaurant, there were plenty of tables, it was early in the day and they sat us by the bar next to the waiter station . THE FOOD WAS OKAY . It was not sensational at all. I know so many other places locally to eat that are so much better . I don't go to restaurants for ambience , I go for good food . read more

The Rum Runner - Seafood Near Me - Sea Bright, New Jersey

The view looking at the water is beautiful. Our waitress was so nice and friendly she didn't rush us. The food was delicious. It was our first time going there and definitely not the last! read more

I went to the Rum Runner on a rainy weekend and thought it was very good. The views are beautiful despite the poor weather. I made reservations on open table and was promptly seated. The food and drinks were very good. The calamari, chicken vodka flatbread and wings were so delicious. You can't go wrong with any of them. I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Okay so, I'm only giving it three stars because of one reason. (which I will get to at the end. !.) - Food was good. My friend had the Pork chop. said it was delicious. I had the Linguini with attitude. which is just linguini with clam sauce that they put red pepper flakes in to make it spicy. okay fine. problem is they did not put any Chopped clams in the dish. Linguini with Clam sauce traditionally is served with chopped clams in the sauce as well as clams in the shell. that was a bit of a let down. otherwise the dish was tasty 2.) - our server George was excellent. right on his game. obviously experienced. the reason for a three star rating is when the matradee was bringing us to a table. I asked if we can have a table by the window. she had to go back and (just like when your purchasing a car) and ask the Boss. she comes back and says. sorry, they are all reserved for larger parties. okay, though it was early and no one was in the Restaurant. so some of the tables did fill up with larger parties. then, though. she seats TWO PEOPLE right in the table that I requested to be seated at. I guess they were her friends or maybe regulars there, though they didn't seem to be. pretty ridiculous we couldn't be seated by the window. we don't get to get out there all to often. plus since the virus hit a whole year we were not there. no reason on earth why they couldn't have seated us by the window. so three stars........until next time! read more