As a longtime resident of the Jersey shore, I know that Monmouth County is a hotbed for up-and-coming chains. I’ve seen It’s Greek To Me take off, and also saw the entry of Playa Bowls into most of the country. Among Jersey shore locals, one pizza chain has started to become synonymous with #ShoreLife: MJ’s.
What Is MJ’s Restaurant, Bar And Grill?
The best way to describe this is that it’s a family restaurant that also has a chill, friends-on-the-weekend vibe. If you think about a venue that is spacious, dimly lit, and yet notably casual, you’ll have a good idea of what an MJ’s looks like.
The atmosphere is friendly, loud, and casual. So, it’s kind a better place to go if you’re just looking for a place to hang out.
The Menu
In a lot of ways, it’s a very Italian/Jersey shore type of menu. Yes, there’s pizza in personal, medium, and large sizes. There are also tacos, wings, nachos, as well as a nice selection of Italian dishes. All of it is pretty affordable—think Applebee’s prices without the terrible quality of food.
This is one of those places where you won’t be disappointed in terms of food quality, selection, or pricing. The menu is huge. When I ordered my appetizer off the specials menu, I was floored at how large the portions were.
The Drinks
One thing I noticed is that they have a massive drink menu, and that the drinks are fairly low priced. Then again, I come from North Jersey, where we subsist on Manhattan-style drink prices along the lines of $10 per glass of wine.
As most people know, I’m a huge fan of cheap drinks…but only if they actually get you blitzed and taste good. This is something that I can say MJ’s needs a little help with. Their mimosas are absolutely delicious. In fact, they taste a lot like an Orangina, really. However, they weren’t pretty heavy on the alcohol.
If you are looking for a light drink, their cocktails seem to be decent. On the other hand, if you want to have a heady drink, you’ll need to stick to beer and wine.
The Service
The service here was pretty attentive, and the staff knew what was popular. While I would have enjoyed faster service, the truth is they seemed to understand that this is the type of place where you are meant to spend a while. So, it’s forgivable.
Is It Really A “Jersey” Thing?
In the past, I was floored to find out that a place I thought was a one-off was actually a chain restaurant. (Looking at you, Morton’s!) As far as chain restaurants go, there are a number of places that I can think of that have all of their locations in New Jersey. MJ’s is, in fact, one of those places.
All of MJ’s places are conveniently found in Monmouth and Ocean counties. So if you want to get a distinct taste of the shore and dig in, then MJ’s is the best option out there. It’s a tourist and local favorite for a reason. Overall, I strongly suggest you check it out.
 | 36 Beach Road, Monmouth Beach, New Jersey 07750, United States |
 | https://www.mjsrestaurant.com/Monmouth-Beach/ |
 | 732-222-6800 |
Yelp Reviews
[wp-review-yelp-business-reviews id=”mj-s-restaurant-byo-and-grill-monmouth-beach” title=”MJ’s Restaurant, Bar And Grill” review_num=”3″]
