The Columns

I think it’s quite funny that Asbury park doesn’t have a solid seafood restaurant. As much as I love Asbury we end up at the Columns for lunch or dinner because of their raw bar, very good seafood chowder, and a solid fresh seafood menu. The porch is perfect for a romantic dinner for two with a view of the sea.

My fish tacos were good and so was my Pina Colada. We sat outside on the wrap-​around porch with a view of the beach, which was nice. We were able to leave our beach gear in a spot in the front, so we didn’t have to be crammed in. I liked it!

Came to Avon by the Sea for a weekend of sun and beach fun. The Columns was conveniently located near where I was staying so I figured I should give it a try. For an appetizer my boyfriend and I split the Caesar salad and calamari. They were both HUGE portions but mediocre at best. For my main course I had the stuffed lobster (which I ordered the following night as well.) Needless to say it was amazing and quite filling. Our server was extremely friendly and attentive. Will be returning for sure !

Not the best but not terrible either. Stuffed lobster was good. Fries were a little greasy. My friend enjoyed her massive nachos. My husband liked his mako shark special and fried calamari. Wait staff is good. No problems there. Just very loud and crowded. We are outside which was nice.

The stuffed lobster and lobster ravioli were amazing! And the view from the deck made it even better!

Let me start by saying I realize my trip was in the middle of summer on a Saturday at dinnertime. With this understood, let me tell you why my experience at The Columns was only a marginal one.
I tried to get a seating when my wife and I strolled up at about 10 of 8pm. I knew it was busy being a Saturday and everyone was hungry and I was going to wait for my table. I was greeted by a less than sympathetic woman who immediately said she didnt know if she could seat us EVER given there were a lot of twos waiting. This for a restaurant that closes at 9“30 on a summer Saturday. She couldn’t be bothered with our seating although she grudgingly took my name.
Now this restaurant is one of only a few, maybe 3 – 4 restaurants along the beach. Very few to serve a large community and tourists.
So tell me why The Columns would choose to close the kitchen at 9−30pm on a summer Saturday when they have a line of customers flowing down the block??? Sounds like bad business to me.
So we went into the bar to drink when I saw mostly tables in there. I found out, not from the girl at the door but my bartender that I can eat at the bar table without waiting. It would have been nice to hear that from the idiot at the front door.
We sat down, ordered drinks, saw the raw bar and read the menu. The raw bar was small but looked very fresh, drinks were fine but the menu was small and over-​priced. Fish Tacos at $ 19. and they were very small. A half chicken that looked like a half pigeon. Very tasty but ridiculously tiny. Food was not a problem as to taste. Very good.
The Raw Bar was very good. Prices reasonable. Oysters fresh $ 1 – 4 ea. Shrimp $ 1 ea. No complaints.
Service was another problem. It seems like waitresses would rather wait on tables outside than in the bar so we waited for awhile to get served. We got a nice waitress who smiled and was very friendly. Food came quickly. Dessert was pleasant. No cappuccino available.
Inside was very musically noisy. I dunno. Maybe its me but 8pm music to club levels during dinner? Not very pleasant.
Overall I had no problem with the food other than serving portions. Service was on the short end of acceptable but the owners need to extend the hours to serve those who didnt get there at 4pm to eat. Three stars and I would only go back on a weekday night in the middle of winter. Go across the street instead and get a better menu with ceviche and BBQ and a lot less noisy.

If you’re looking to eat amazing food while onlooking Avon by the Sea then this is 100% the place to be. I ordered the Grilled chicken sandwich that came with pickles and a side of fries. No lies, hands down, THE best grilled chicken sandwich I’ve had. The red pepper and moist chicken breast really put this sandwich over the edge! I absolutely recommend this place! Great views and extremely nice staffing. All the lunch options look delish.

Fresh lobster roll and fish tacos, full bar, solid draft beers. Patio overlooking the ocean. What more do you want?

Cheap great drinks. Bread was stale with dinner however and the lobster dinner on Thursday night lobster night did not have much meet. Lobster ravioli was excellent (although there were only about 4 or 5) and the fish tacos were good.

In general, the bar in the afternoon, with the raw bar, and the night scene there when bars are playing is fine.
However, the dinner menu is obnoxious. No burgers! Grade B seafood that is overpriced (not talking about the raw bar, the dinner menu). They have expensive entrée salads that I thought were going to be great. Very disappointed. They use those costco chicken strips in them. Ever hear of blackening a real chicken breast and putting it in the salad? No, they serve packed, pre-​cut chicken. That’s inappropriate.

The Columns is quickly becoming a favorite spot along the Jersey shore for me. We have enjoyed the raw bar and main bar area only, so our review will be based on service in that area. Yes, as others have wrote, this is one very busy bar. The Columns could employ at least one extra bartender at any given time. The bartenders are always working and working hard. Drinks are not cheap but not too overpriced either, and the long island iced teas are worth every penny. I really enjoyed the Titos LIT and want to try another speciality Titos drink next time I go back.
The food is amazingly good, and comes out fairly quick considering the hustle and bustle of this place. This is a seafood lovers restaurant– we love the raw oysters, and split the $ 24 seafood sampler dinner. It was excellent. The scallops were tender and flavorful, the crab stuffed fish and shrimp were perfectly done, and the asparagus and mashed potatoes were fantastic as well. I really, really enjoyed this meal!
The bands are great. They get everyone out on the dance floor and keep a great vibe. Be warned though, the volume is loud. Like ears-​ringing-​for-​a-​day loud. It’s a great mix of people– old and young– trendy and regular types– all having a blast on the dance floor. Great for people watching and just having a good time!
There is only street parking and that can be a challenge. Can’t wait to come back though!

Nice service but the food was only okay. The seafood bisque did not have much flavor and had fake crab meat! The lobster roll had good chunks of lobster but was not well seasoned, and it was served on one folded over white toast! Beer selection and the burger were good though. It is not a seafood restaurant like Klein’s, even though it claims to be a seafood restaurant.

A great improvement over last Memorial Day weekend. They have cleaned up their act… literally. The grille room porch had clean tables. The food came out perfectly, with nothing improperly cooked. Great value and experience. So glad management is hearing their customers. Go get a lobster for $ 12 with ocean views. Cannot beat it for a true Jersey Shore experience.

Oh there’s honestly nothing but the view that’s positive here. Dry, not fresh lobster dish which should be called Mac n’ Cheese & some lobster. Scallops smothers in fat and oil with hash browns reminded me of high school lunches. Steak so charred that I could draw with it on a white wall.
Beer and wine selection was good.
I’m sorry but that’s not ok. I suppose when some people want a decent view, they don’t mind the subpar food?

Came here with my sister and mom. There was no wait. Our waitress was nice but she forgot my sisters drink but we got it eventually. Appetizer was a crab cake which was good. We got a chicken salad sandwich, lobster roll, and a chicken Caesar salad. The chicken salad sandwich mostly celery. Lobster roll was mediocre at best and the chicken Caesar salad was good but you cant really mess that up. The view in fantastic though. For dessert we got a chocolate mousse and it was good. Overall i would come back

I have been going to The Columns for years but I was just there for a girls weekend and we had dinner on the porch. We were all very impressed with the food.
One of us had the scallops, the other had a Korean Beef. We were pleasantly suprised. Prices were not bad for a tourist area. Service was good and what was even better was we were able to dance off all of the calories we consumed! Great bands and entertainment there all of the time.

I’m newly single and have been trying this new Eat, Pray, Love thing where I eat alone so I came here by myself. I waited til around 2pm hoping the crowd would be smaller and it was just starting to lighten. I got a seat outside on the porch after about a 5minute wait.
The crowd was a mix of families, groups of women, and couples, all coming from the beach across the street. It’s a casual atmosphere and a copy of the menu is outside on the podium. I noticed it wasn’t very extensive but they did have $ 5 drafts and $ 7 specialty drinks which sold the alcoholic in me. I ordered the corn chowder (average), crab cake appetizer (very thick, crunchy exterior, a lot of crab inside) and an order of fries (crunchy Burger King texture). I also ordered a pineapple Mojito which was nice and fresh. A manager or owner woman came around asking how everything was when I first sat down. She did that high pitched ending to a question thing you do when you’re trying to be overly polite. I said great even though I had only had water in front of me. I was told and have read that this place caters to an older crowd at night but during my lunch did not experience this obviously due to time of day so I cannot speak to that. Overall the food was your average shore food. The prices were more than fair though so I appreciate that. The waitresses are all young girls who are probably doing it as a summer job (at least in my people watching, overly assuming mind). Not a bad experience. Not an over the top great one. Ask me after my second drink though.

Avon-​By-​The-​Sea is low-​key and lovely beach. Zack and I had lunch at The Columns after a few hours of sunbathing, and I’m glad we did. While the food was a little lacking (crappy corn chips out of a bag, salsa out of a jar) the view of the ocean is so relaxing. I would definitely come back here for drinks.
Avoid the fish tacos and go for their classic crab cake sandwich. Made fresh everyday!

From the beach, it may appear that this is a more pricey seafood lunch spot. The reality is that it is a huge bar with indoor/​outdoor seating, a raw bar that patrons can come off the beach and order some shrimp, oysters, so-​and-​so, and then a lunch menu with sammys and salads (huge salads) ranging from $ 9 — $ 16.
They also have your classic beachy-​style drinks and live music that sets the tropical-​paradise mood (without all of the fluff — i.e. tiki lights, garlands of flowers). It’s right across the street from the beach and their food outweighs the overpriced crap you’d purchase at that food hut right on the sand.
I’d say it’s smart to avoid the heat for a few hours and drop in for lunch and a drink while listening to live music or enjoying the people-​watching view from their outside terrace.

Just being right on the ocean would earn major huge points in my book. Who can complain about that!
We had a quick bite to eat here and some quick drinks before a night out. We had the venetian salad with chicken– I loved it… so tasty! My friend had the seafood bisque and she also enjoyed that. Service was great. Loved this place. Great atmosphere! Sit outside on the patio and enjoy the view!