excited for the jersey shore restaurant week! hubby selected the waterfront! extensive menu options for a fixed menu for $42.26 person! philadelphia filet tips (5pc) caramelized onion, provolone cheese, demi-glace ala creme, garlic bread! this is a must have!! so delicious! asian calamari sweet thai chili, side ranch blackened grouper napoleon cajun grilled, pan seared crab cake, sauteed spinach, lobster cream sauce, wild grain rice, chef's vegetable gnocchi michaelangelo shrimp, chicken, prosciutto, peas, roasted red peppers, potato gnocchi, vodka sauce! such a large portion- i took the leftover home! bourbon bread pudding chocolate lava cake!! beautiful views overlooking the bay! our server kim c was great! thank you a lovely dinning experience! indoor and outdoor seating rooftop lounge plenty of parking! highly recommend! read more

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We have been here a long time ago for dinner, it wasn't good but thought it might just be a bad night so never did a review and figured we would try again sometime in the future. Well - we had to go see a music school engagement at the Waterfront today and decided to have a little lunch. First as a appetizer I order the Grandma Connie's Home made meatballs ($15.50) two meatballs, about 1/2 teaspoon of ricotta and some kind of marinara sauce that was more like tomato water than anything that resembled an Italian gravy - Horrible! Then wife said forget that and lets get sandwiches; ok - she got the Short Rib Grilled Cheese ($20.00), and I got the Bourbon Chicken Wrap ($17.50) - they were Both Horrible! Grand kids got the chicken fingers ($18.00) and they were a bit over cooked but tasty. Overall opinion = Food is way overpriced for the quality, flavors are blah to horrible and just no worth another trip. Too many good food places around, this one is huge pricy disappointment........ read more

We celebrated Father's Day with a delicious brunch here for a very reasonable price. The staff was so friendly and attentive and the breakfast buffet offered so many options. They're located at the marina and the views are beautiful. It was a great way to begin our day. Definitely returning to try their restaurant. read more

The Waterfront - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

While visiting family, we went to this very nice waterfront restaurant that seems to be a classic building but in excellent condition and has great views of the river. The wood tables are spaced far enough apart to hold conversations but also keep your conversations private. Our waitress was fast, friendly and had the prettiest blue eyes. She was helpful in selecting our meals too, which was welcomed because the menu is quite eclectic and had tons of options as well. read more

The Waterfront - Beautiful view - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

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Terrific food, especially the Sunday brunch. Great menus and friendly service. The outside eating area (covered) on the second floor is very nice. Accommodations for larger families easily made. We have been there several times and never disappointed. Thank you! read more

Nice menu with many choices I have it a 4 because we ordered the flatbread with feta and mozzarella and they put some sweet sauce that was too abundant on the top. I only had 1/4 of it read more

Very noisy. Food is mediocre. Wait staff, very nice. I wouldn't recommend excepting a drink and sandwich or burger.

Came here from a recommendation from my aunt and uncles neighbor and it did not disappoint. Great 'on the water', with music and the menu had a ton of awesome choices - although that does make it difficult to choose - but it's awesome when u have options that are different than your used to and have a hard time deciding. I opted for the crabby pita. Wow crab! My other half had a very porky- porky pig flatbread! lol. My aunt and uncle had a cheesesteak and loaded nachos For appies- helloooo coconut shrimp with a fantastic (I have to find the recipe) raspberry horseradish sauce, and pretzel bites. It was hot sitting in the sun, but we had a very friendly waitress and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Thanks waterfront. Formerly from NJ (me) but now a Californian- took my boyfriend to Nj to check it out - and this was a nice surprise addition for our tastebuds out here. Thank you! read more

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Came on a Sunday morning for brunch. The service was excellent with recommendations and pointing out examples with explanations of everything. This is a sprawling property with multiple areas and bars. All tastefully decorated. Perfect place for a meeting,date or taking your grandma out. The food was middle of the road. It presented well and had some originality with some dishes but some repeats you can get from other local restaurants at a smaller price point. I'd go again pending the rotating specials read more

The Waterfront - Short Rib Benedict - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

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I came with my kids on a weekend night to get out of the house and hear some live music. We were sat quickly by a very friendly hostess. Our server was great and on point! Kids enjoyed their food and my cheesesteak was delicious. Had enough to take home to my husband! read more

The Waterfront - Cheesesteak - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

Staff is welcoming and friendly. Ate outside under the tent. Couldn't see the water from our table but it was pleasant sitting outside. Prix Fixe menu is a deal. The lobster bisque was wonderful! The chicken parm and Thai shrimp were very good. Generous portions. Great service and didn't rush us out when we finished eating. Very enjoyable. read more

Food is always good. Service also customer oriented. Hostess station sometimes seems over whelmed...needs more experience in that position and customer service. read more

I can't say for sure whether snow on New Year's Day brings good luck, but it certainly brings a whole lot of joy. Waking up to a fresh snowfall is always a gift--made even better after an exceptional New Year's Eve at The Waterfront NJ Restaurant in Lacey, NJ. This year marked our 35th consecutive celebration with our best friends the Fays, a tradition that grows richer every time we gather. The ballroom was beautifully decorated for the holidays, and the band "Slap Happy" delivered an outstanding performance. With the drinks flowing, at one point, we even found ourselves at the microphone, adding our own spirited contribution to the night. While our table was a bit close to the stage--and the volume certainly matched the energy--the music, dancing, and drinks created a vibrant, festive atmosphere. Angolina, our server, was outstanding, helping to elevate the evening from the moment we arrived. Warm, attentive, and effortlessly efficient, she kept the celebration flowing. We began with our first round of drinks, and I made sure to savor my final dirty martini of the year. After three rounds and plenty of laughter, Angolina returned to take our dinner selections. Jeanne Marshall Schrader chose the jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab, finished with a luxurious lobster‑sherry cream, and served with rice and vegetables -- $35. I opted for the Zuppa D'Pesce: a beautifully prepared combination of jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, crab meat, little neck clams, and mussels in a spicy marinara over linguini -- $42. Carolyn Fay and Bob both selected the GF filet -- an 8oz center-cut topped with compound butter, accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes and a side of demi‑glaze -- $42. It was a flawless New Year's Eve--excellent food, exceptional service, lively entertainment, and the best company to welcome another year together. read more

Amazing love it everything so much beautiful, clean, great vibes!!! Great service! Food amazing!

My family and I had a very positive experience at The Waterfront - we sat upstairs for the river view and were not disappointed, The staff was young, energetic and attentive, the food was first class. The first plus for me was the elevator, sometimes it's the little things that make me appreciate a restaurant. The menu is diverse, there's a happy hour and plenty of dishes available if you're really hungry or just want drinks and a snack. Our table ordered nachos, coconut shrimp and a round of their lobster bisque. I ordered a Ruben sandwich along with a Cape May draft and ended up taking half home, it was really delicious. I'm looking forward to nuking the other half tomorrow for lunch. The grounds are pretty, there's plenty of parking and it's sits right on the Forked River. What's not to love. read more

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A must visit!! I have never written a review before, but felt compelled by how great this place is. My boyfriend and I came to the Waterfront for the first time a few days ago, and I cannot say enough great things about it. The bacon wrapped dates appetizer are a MUST! We had dinner upstairs first, and our server Julianna was very nice and did a great job. Afterwards, we headed to the outdoor bar downstairs for some live music. The staff seemed genuinely friendly and fun to interact with. The band was so talented, and sunset view over the water was immaculate. Our bartender Katie was awesome, and made us a delish rum bucket to match the vibes. Manager Vinny was so kind and a pleasure to talk with. We even had the opportunity to talk with the owner, Joe, who was so friendly and welcoming. Great music, genuinely delicious food and fun friendly staff results in a really great date night. We will absolutely be returning soon!! read more

I normally don't write reviews unless they are positive, but I am making an exception here. I was at a wedding this past weekend (my great niece's) at the Waterfront and will offer some constructive criticism, which I am very qualified to do, having been in the business for over 35 years. I will start with management because I hold them responsible for overseeing the event, and like the saying goes the fish stinks from the head down. There was no supervision present on the floor and I did ask a staff member, if there was a manager present and she replied yes several they are probably sitting in the office, they did not surface through the entire wedding. There was no table service, not once did someone come to the table to inquire if anyone needed anything, not even to fill water glasses and no there was no water pitchers on the tables. The food was horrific, a buffet, which was displayed so unprofessionally with no care. This was a wedding and presentation is a major part and the way things are displayed makes a difference. The food was less desirable than the presentation, if that was possible. Again 35 years in the industry and an accomplished Chef, so I am not speaking without justification. i choose not to eat after one bite, beef dried out, pasta overcooked and everything else unappealing. I did not stay for the wedding cake as I had lost my appetite and actually went for dinner somewhere else. I understand some people are willing to compromise certain things to have an event by the water, but truthfully the view did not even come into play. I understand aside from doing affairs this is a restaurant also, but I would recommend you create away to make your guests, whom are coming for an event which is normally a special occasion, to feel special. This is surely not case and anyone who is thinking of having an affair here should consider your guests and how you would want them feel if invited to your special event. I write this review with no malice, but would hope that if read by an owner or manager, it would spark some incentive to improve on all aspects of this establishment, because it lacks in every area. No matter what anyone pays for a wedding, remember less money, should never mean less quality and service should never be compromised. Your staff needs training and that means hiring management who are capable of such. The restaurant and catering business need leaders whom are passionate about what they are doing, it is an Art and should be treated as such. If as an owner you are worried about the bottom line, remember it starts with offering great customer service and quality and the bottom line will take care of itself. read more

Food fantastic Service persons seemed a bit stressed Ambiance great Price point fair read more

Had this to go and had the penne vodka it was pretty good. The flavors were nice. Was fresh sauce was good on it that they have to try it more of what they offer here. Good views on the water too. read more

The Waterfront - Penne Vodka - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

Rip off. Over priced appetizers that looked like they came from Costco freezers. Over priced lobster roll, with minimal lobster salad on a buttered nice roll. Will not return. This must be a place for drinkers, not eaters. read more

Great food, nice staff, indoor/ outdoors is great. Live music weekends. Just a good time. Ribeye steak was excellent. Cousin Vinny's dish also great. Thanks . Highly recommended. read more

While visiting friends we stopped by for Sunday brunch. Drinks we had the Mimosa tower this comes with various juices & mixes 2-3 bottles later we were nice loll. Main dish I had the Pigs in a blankie, the name caught my attention since it just sounded funny the dish was actually very good, pancake rolled with some eggs, sausage very tasty. Hubby had a Breakfast burrito comes w home fries , good size , good burrito. Also good was the Omelette w home fries. Nice place overlooking the water, service was good & prices were reasonable we enjoyed our meal. read more

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We had a fantastic dining experience at The Waterfront last night, and we owe a huge thank you the dockhand Landon to our waitress, Lawren. From the moment we docked by boat, it was an awesome night. Lawren was incredibly friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Beyond her efficiency, her genuine warmth and friendly demeanor made our evening truly special. This level of personalized care is what elevates a meal into a memorable experience. We will definitely be back to dock and dine and enjoy great drinks, food and music. -Enjoy The Ride read more

Took my daughters to dinner and had scallops that smelled terrible they took them back and they came back with fresh seafood

This was the first time we catered for Thanksgiving. And, the Waterfront did not disappoint. The food was amazing from the whole turkey, veggies, salad and dessert. The service was excellent from them bringing it to and loading it in the car. We have eaten at the restaurant frequently and once again we were not disappointed. read more

We wanted to try out their brunch before the summer season got underway. I had last been there when it was called Latitudes, and that was about 10 years ago. Turns out, the Waterfront is still a nicer place with water views. It has more of a seashore feel without having to go to Florida or over the bridge to LBI. Many years earlier it had been part of Southwinds Marina, and the building still retains the feel of a charming marina clubhouse. Their brunch has many different options. However, I would call it a fancier breakfast with big portions. The crowd in this region prefers luncheonette/diner breakfasts, so a delicate balance needed to be struck between breakfast and brunch. Slightly more alcoholic brunch drinks are available. My Bloody Mary was prepared very well and was my favorite item of the experience. The prices for both the drinks and brunch meals were actually fair, which is rare these days. The service was efficient, and I can tell everyone is well trained. However, I do have to say that I encountered some nuanced resistance from three different employees at various stages of the experience. I got the vibe that they just wanted to seat us and turn the tables quickly, but that might not end up being the case for you. read more

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We were looking for someplace in the area where we could enjoy the water view and have a little bite and cocktail. We were happy to find this place, clean, bright with a great water view. The waitress was sweet and gave us some suggestions when we requested. We tried the meatballs which were delicious with some crusty bread (some fresh ricotta with these would throw them over the top). Chicken wings with sweet Thai chili sauce were good, we failed to ask for them to be well done as we like them but the waitress happily took them back to the kitchen to char them up for us, which in our opinion made them so much better. Lastly we had a street corn quesadilla, it was nice and cheesy. The corn was delicious. Unfortunately we did not realize it had peppers in it which took over the whole flavor of the quesadilla. As well. I'm allergic to green peppers so I couldn't eat this. The only negative I would say is that the older gentleman working the hostess stand is not very hospitable, no warm greeting which was fine but we specifically asked to be seated by the windows and were so happy with our view and some warm sun. A few minutes after he sat us, he was back, he began shut every single blind on a beautiful afternoon, he didn't speak to us, just leaned over our table and began closing it, we asked if he could leave ours open as we specifically wanted to see the view - he argued that the sun was bright and that we could still see through the blinds (you can only see through them if you are straight on, not if you are sitting at an angle as we were.) but either way we really wanted a sunny warm spot as we explained when he sat us. He was annoyed which was weird. He then came back about ten minutes later to lite the candle on our table, again for no reason as it was still sunny out at 4pm. He just seemed annoyed to be there and a nuisance while you're trying to enjoy your meal and conversation, as we passed to leave, he was at the hostess stand chatting with a bunch of waitresses. We didn't even get a thank you or a good night. Aside from that, we enjoyed the place and would come back to maybe sit outside in the warmer weather. read more

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Unfortunately after spending $160, we would never go back or recommend the Waterfront. Food was just OK. I asked for a regular ice tea with lemon and received a raspberry ice tea. I asked for a small side salad and received a large salad. There were no utensils or napkins on the table. read more

Absofreakinlutely The Best Rueben I've had in a long time!! So tender and thinly sliced absolute perfection!! read more

The Waterfront - Rueben - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

Went back cause I enjoyed it last year but something's changed! Worst burger I ever had!!Companions dinner was ok except for the frozen vegetables. Also up charge to have salad instead of fries was $6 and had wilted spinach. read more

Just wanted to sit and relax by the water . Well the whole patio is appealing and we were seated right away . Wife and I wanted drinks and they arrived right away. She had her Mango Vodka and she swore it was made to perfection and the glass wax full too! .. I had the Kona Wave brew and it too was perfect , nice and cold. With input from Chris our server we decided to share a Nachos with chicken . Holy Guacamole was that good! And to make things even better there was live music. A duet of guitars and both had excellent voices. Very pleasant. There name was the Pickles, Thank you very much Great evening . Great looking food was passing by our table , places is very clean and we will be back for dinner soon. Thanks again Chris. Great attention to our table and a wonderful evening read more

The Waterfront - Nacho with Chicken and Mango Flavored Vodka, splash of Cranberry with seltzer over ice - American Near Me - Forked River, New Jersey

Amazing food, great deals I got shrimp fries and coleslaw which was good and my lady got snow crabs fries and coleslaw on fish Friday it came out quick and good. Would recommend for fancy dinners would come back. read more

This is one of the few restaurants where everything I tried was good. Tier list time! S (must order these) : grouper sandwich,lobster roll, crab cake, tortufo A (still very good): onion rings, pickle, coconut shrimp tacos, cauliflower bites, cheeseburger, lava cake B (good but should order S or A tier first): fresh fried Flounder sandwich (the alliteration is annoying because when I ordered I accidentally said flesh sandwich ), southwest chicken wrap, chips. Nothing here is worse than B tier which is great. The servers started out good but after we got our food, they just completely neglected us, it was crazy. Everything else was so good though, so I don't want to knock a star off just because our waiter was a failure. Also the lava cake was advertised to have a melted molten chocolate core, but it was not melted at all, it was igneous chocolate but it still tasted good. The waterfront location is also awesome and this guy playing music was going crazy with it, with some actually good songs! Then a band nextdoor showed up and was too loud for us to hear our guy, and the band nextdoor was worse! Luckily whenever they ended a song it was quiet because not a single person clapped. We need justice for Trane Stevens. read more

It was my birthday on Thursday. I waited alk week to have the lobster roll. I am so disappointed and upset. There was hardly any lobster in it. I had to ask for drawn butter and that was not done right. The class oreganoto was frozen and reheated. I know because I buy the same kind. And my poor elderly mother had to pay for this. read more

Service can be a little rushed but the food is very good and the atmosphere is nice Upstairs on the deck was breezy but enjoyable read more

The Waterfront is a very large restaurant with a large outdoor bar and dining area. We were there on 8/16 to see a band. The atmosphere and service was great, but the food was below sub-par. We ordered grilled chicken nachos, and what we got was canned chicken with canned cheese spread. It was nauseating. It's a wonder how they cater weddings there, unless they just serve crap outside. We also ordered tuna sushi, which was also very low quality. The food was a big disappointment. I ordered a Moskow mule cocktail; the first one was very good, butI could not drink the second one, it tasted like dish water. They need to step it up with the food and drinks. read more

We always have a great time here - whether it's brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks outside listening to the live music. Servers are very good as are the bartenders and hosts. read more

This is a cute little spot on the water with cocktails priced between $9 and $13. The food is solid, though nothing too extravagant. The Brussels sprouts made for a fantastic appetizer, though. I had the meatball parm pizza for my main, which was essentially a standard pizza with meatballs - it was good, but not memorable. My boyfriend tried the wings, which were decent as well. I'd likely return for drinks and an appetizer, but it probably wouldn't be my first choice for dinner. read more

The ahi tuna dish for $18 was very disappointing and should be embarrassing to the chef! The paper thin, barely an inch long, (more like the size of a dice) tuna was ridiculously placed on top of a large slice of cucumber... read more

OK I need to vent !!! as a local we always like to support our restaurants especially in the winter when there's nothing happening. Well today is my birthday. I wanted to celebrate my birthday at the Waterfront. My husband and I went over there for an early dinner, and some drinks....but that never happened they sat us outside on their side porch. Everyone else is getting service ... We never even got our drinks. No one ever even came by to take our drink order... it wasn't that busy.. it was still before the dinner crowd. When I went up to the courtesy desk and asked, is someone coming out to take our drink order .. they said "Oh yes, we'll get Eric". Whoever the hell Eric is.. Eric was standing at the bar talking with his buddies inside. Eric go take these people's drink order.... five minutes goes by no Eric....We left ....Happy birthday to me. read more