Navesink Fishery

Ate at the Navesink Fishery recently, we were a group of 6. Serve was good. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and a cup of NE clam chowder-​the shrimp cocktail was good but on the pricey side ($ 8.50 for 6 shrimp) and the NE clam was ok-​had better, had worse. One in our party ordered oyster stew and said it was good; 3 of us ordered baked cod and it was also good; one ordered flounder franchise and said it was mushy and the last ordered crab cakes and thought they were good. The waitress was unable to give us separate checks, which really should be an issue, but it was here, $ 60.00 plus tip per couple. Thinking this was a bit high-​the food was just ok, no raves and wouldn’t rush back.

Ruddy and his wife have created a very special gem here in Navesink, NJ. Each and every dish is truly wonderful. I love the unassuming frontage each time I enter. I feel like a part of a select few who know this place exist. When in season, you must try the Shad Roe. You will not be disappointed with the Navesink Fishery.

Absolutely delicious! We have been here several times and are never disappointed! The mussels in garlic sauce and the cajun swordfish bites are to die for! Everything is super fresh. Be sure to get there early on the weekends or be prepared to wait!

Nice Décor, family vibe, rustic. I ordered scallops, shrimp pasta. It was slightly under seasoned and pasta was a little softer then Al Dente which is what I asked for. Other wise okay.

The meals both of had were very bland. No flavor. The pasta was over cooked. Definitely not worth the coast.

We stopped in for lunch and were unfortunately disappointed with our choice. The lobster sandwich was lacking a decent roll which might have enhanced the sandwich’s blandness. The scallops & shrimp plate was cooked well but also bland. Pretty sad when the fries were the tastiest part of the meal.

Excellent fish dishes in a dated setting.
The Navesink Fishery is a hybrid fish market /​seafood restaurant. We showed up without a reservation on a Saturday night and were told there was a 40 minute wait — fair enough.
But we cleverly bought two quarts of their excellent soup at the market in the front and ate them outside while waiting for our table. The corn /​crab bisque was sweet and creamy without being spackle. And the New England clam chowder was fish and full of clams and perfectly-​cooked potatoes.
We were just finishing when our table was called.
We had clams casino, which were full of bacony goodness, and muscles in white wine sauce, also perfectly cooked. A dozen east-​coast oysters with excellent mignionette rounded out the starters.
Entrees included the now-​renowned horseradish-​crusted halibut in bernaise, which was both drained and cooked perfectly. Soft-​shell crabs sautee in lemon-​butter were crispy but tender. And rare tuna served with wasabi cream sauce had a lovely crust but wasn’t overpowering.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the service was just slightly inattentive. Butter on a busy Saturday night, I think they did a great job.
The specials menu is definitely the way to go, as the main menu is somewhat uninspiring. And the décor is shabby trying for kitsch (but failing). They could benefit from a facelift, but judging from the average age of their clientele (corpse-​like), no one cares.
On the whole, however, a great dining experience! Happy Eating!
For recipes and restaurant reviews, check out my hiheat tumblr food blog.

What I find so funny is that this place never came up in any of my Unilocal computer searches, but came up #2 on my phone Unilocal app search. And the reviews were good, so this was the place for us to go our one night in Middletown. It’s in a shopping center, but don’t let that fool you. Make sure to get there around 6 on the weekends, you will have a wait. We waited about 20 – 30 minutes. The place is also a fish market, so it was nice to look at the fresh fish and also read over the extensive menu to decide what I would have.
We had a nice sized table, and the room was pretty large. There were, however, two LARGE parties which made it exceptionally loud. So my BF and I didn’t really end up talking to one another much. The bread was hot and yummy, and the fried oysters w/​wasabi mayo my BF got were out of this world — I don’t even like those, but I liked these. The shrimp cocktail I got was good, but based off the shrimp I saw in the case, I expected them to be better.
Our food was served pretty quickly — I got a «mixed grill» with salmon, swordfish and tuna (w/​green beans and sweet potato) all for $ 23. All of the fish was cooked perfectly and they were really good sized pieces. My BF got the whole bronzino — it was good, not as good as the one I got in Italy, and there were too many sundried tomatoes on it.
So why a 4 and not a 5? Well the customer service stunk. We waited at our table for 10 minutes before anyone came over, and when our waitress finally did, she just asked us what we wanted — didn’t even tell us her name. She wasn’t receptive to my questions. The entire staff was practically sprinting around the room. I did mention this to the hostess on our way out, so hopefully it will improve in the near future.
But the FOOD is TOTALLY worth it.

Having eaten at this restaurant dozens of times it never fails to disappoint. The seafood always tastes fresh. Do not hesitate to eat here. The seafood store is also a great place to shop for dinner.

The short of it: Come for the atmosphere and to be with friends. Not for the food.
My boyfriend’s mother lives in Long Branch, and their Saturday ritual is to come to Navesink Fishery for dinner. I’ve come here about 3 or 4 times in the last few months.
Navesink is a very mom and pop looking restaurant, and also BYOB (which is great). The interior is very kitschy and homey. In the front of Navesink, you can buy fresh seafood, soups, or their desserts to go. In the back is their restaurant.
I’ve had many different dishes here. Their friend calamari, fried oysters, clam chowder, lobster, baked cod, linguine — you name it, I’ve probably tasted it. The food itself in my opinion is very mediocre at best. It doesn’t blow away, and sometimes it’s even under average. For a nice place located next to fresh seafood, I just expect more. I think the dishes just lack a ton of seasoning. Thank goodness their service is always nice here.

I was here last night after not having been since last summer. It was good then, but I don’t know what happened since because it was not at all this time. I was disappointed. The food was just bad in my opinion.
The clam chowder had a lot of little clams in it, but otherwise tasted like it came out of a can. My clams casino were gross. The clams they used were too big and all guts and the bacon and peppers were undercooked. Yuck. Then my shrimp scampi was also not enjoyable. The shrimp were little and hard due to being overcooked. The dish was covered in stale dried parsley that overwhelmed every bite.
My boyfriend didn’t like his chicken francaise either. On our way there, he raved about the francaise sauce from the last time he was there, since we both think a good francaise is hard to find. But again, things were not the same. The sauce was way too eggy and the coating on his chicken was practically like it was encased in scrambled eggs.
I’m only giving this a second star because another person in our party ordered fried shrimp and broiled scallops and I got a taste and they were both good. But I still won’t be back unfortunately.

First thing before i begin this review, the address that Unilocal provided is incorrect. You would be better off to Google «Navesink Fishery» and follow the address that Google provides.
Came here with the fiancée for date night on a Wednesday night. This place is located next door to a A&P supermarket and there was a beer and liquor store a few doors down from this place and since it’s a BYOB spot, we brought our own fun juice. This restaurant has a very homey/​family feel to it, which is what I like. The service was satisfactory and our dishes were brought out in a timely manner. The calamari came with wasabi mayonnaise, which was an addicting appetizer. I ordered the blackened halibut, which is an excellent choice for people who like meaty fish with lots of flavor. My wifey ordered the seafood sauté, which I had a bite and thought it was pretty good. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here and would highly recommend this place. The byob gives it an extra brownie point.

My favorite restaurant on the J shore. Linguine and clams are incredible but everything is top notch.