Riverside Cafe

We went to see if they were as good as everyone commented that if the truth! The place is not the best (aesthetically speaking) and only accept cash, but the hot dogs are great and Mel’s Hot Dogs juice is the most !!

Perfect spot to relax and view the inlet. Food is decent but nothing spectacular. I had the Popeye egg white wrap which was kind of bland. But again you are here for the view.

We came from New Hampshire with our puppy and this was one of the only places around that was dog friendly! We were able to order inside with him, got him a doggie bag which had tons of food with a doggie poop bag, and they gave us a bowl of water for him! Located next to a dog friendly beach and the town seemed very welcoming to dogs! Definitely recommend this place if you have a dog!

Food was decent, wayyyyyy overpriced. I’ve never been there before and I mentioned to the cashier my brother couldn’t have gluten and she screamed «well we have gluten free bread» so nasty as if I should’ve known that. Then at the end of our meal I went to get my brother Icecream I got him vanilla but then realized that they used the same scooper as the peanut butter ice cream so they re-​charged me for a whole new Icecream… I was so disgusted. So food was decent but overpriced and staff was just utterly brutal.

I have been coming to this family owned business for the last year and I LOVE the food! The service is terrific, its a relaxed place to get a meal by the water and sit outside. I feel like I am in Europe. Especially since a family owns it and they are there together. The fish tacos are the BEST I have ever had on the east or west coast. So much so that when my brother comes up from Georgia, he insists on going back to Riverside to get the Tacos. We tried the Cajun Grouper sandwich last weekend and it was phenomenal. Great choice when at the beach!

This is the only place where i eat when at the beach. sometimes twice a day.
It’s family-​owned, and that shows through with the care of the service and the homemade food. Whether a light bite, an indulgent meal or some refreshments, Riverside Café is the only one for me.

Best Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. The home fries were awful though, and not hot.

Riverside Café advertises «the best fish sandwich in Manasquan». In reality, they don’t own claim to the best fish sandwich in a twenty-​foot radius. Their food is below average in taste and above average in price. Avoid dining there. The competition across the street is the way to go (for all your fish sandwich and other-​fare needs).

When you’re spending a weekend with long days on the beach and long evenings of cocktails and booty shaking, it’s nice to start the day with some fresh food in a low key locale. For me, Riverside hits the mark.
I’ve tried most of the breakfast wraps and they are all tasty. My favorite is the popeye wrap, which is egg whites, spinach, diced tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. I have them add grilled chicken to it, to make it more substantial. They do so, sometimes happily and sometimes grudgingly, but they always come through.
The lunch options are also good, but I prefer breakfast. The portions are on the small side for the price, but that is the story of every spot in Manasquan. Plus, they except credit cards. Huzzah! It’s a nice reprieve from the pizza, cheesesteaks rolls, and bevy of fried options that you have seaside.

The food here is awful.
The high prices add insult to injury.
I got taken in by the (now obviously self delusional) «best fish sandwich on the Jersey Shore» sign
The sandwich ($ 14) was terrible. Basically a plain piece of what was advertised as grouper but was more likely yesterday’s tilapia. Served on a tasteless dry roll. And handed to you on a pile of stale tortilla chips. Yum!
Other comments from our group:
Worst burger ever
I think the chicken is bad
This salsa tastes sour
If this place wasn’t right on the inlet it would have gone out of business long ago.
Don’t waste your time/​money/​calories/​appetite here.
Head into town for one of the good places there.

I’m shocked to see so many low star ratings on Riverside Café. This has a great view on the inlet and was recommended for having a dog friendly patio. Everyone was super friendly and the food tasted good.

A nice spot with good service.
Savory brunch, burgers and a wide variety of drinks are served.
If you plan to enjoy both good food and casual time on the shore, it’s worth visiting and spending some time here!

Enjoyed breakfast here, sat outside on a sunny morning. Food was OK but cost more than I expected. Good location, Rumour has it Bruce Springteen has breakfast here when in town !!!

what a great place — delicious food and the views of the Manasquan Inlet is breathtaking !

As someone who lives in Squan, I really want to support local businesses.
Overall, its very expensive and the food was to put it nicely not good at all. Ordered cheeseburger well done and it came essentially raw and was dripping with liquid. Seemed like it was frozen and for the price you would expect something fresh. Asked to get it recooked to well and came back just as bad. A $ 1 mcdonalds burger blows this overpriced $ 7 dollar burger out of the water.
The one positive was the staff, they were all very nice and welcoming. However the food overshadowed it because at the end of the day I went there for food and it wasn’t good at all.

Clam strips good. Clam chowder ok. Service excellent. Dog friendly.

This place is pricey. You are paying for the location, which is nice, right on the inlet. You can eat outside, but it’s not on the beach. You have a view of the inlet.
The clam strips were pretty good. Bready but tasty.
We also ordered the grilled tuna steak sandwich, mediterranean style. It was way overlooked and dry and tasteless. I went back and asked if I could get something else. The woman (owner?) said she would cook me a new one. I asked if I could get the founder instead (after all, there is a sign out front that says «voted best fish sandwich»), and the tuna was just gross. Didn’t want to gamble with that again. She insisted on cooking me another tuna steak. I said flounder might be safer. She yells «oh, here we go…» with major attitude. The man behind the counter was nicer– he made us the flounder. It smelled and tasted fishy and I got heartburn from it.
The fries were good, but it’s hard to mess up fries. I won’t go back.

Overpriced, smoking in kitchen, nasty owners, attitudes, and very bland food. I’m from Manasquan and I would rate it worst bang for a lot of buck. Go to Johnny C’s or Carlson’s Corner.

Nice clean place with friendly service. Great location on river with outdoor seating. Family friendly with reasonable prices. I had 2 breakfast sandwiches here, a few days apart. The first was really great. Fresh and delicious. The second was mediocre because they used a non-​fresh (maybe a day or two old) roll, which made a good sandwich not very good.
Despite the non-​fresh roll, I’d eat here again when in Manasquan. The place has a nice vibe.

I have been eating at this spot for a few years now so I am surprised there are no reviews yet. I have only been there for lunch so I can’t comment on breakfast or dinner. For lunch it is a pretty nice spot in a great location to grab a quick lunch while you enjoy the breeze. It is standard beach food (burgers, hot dogs, fries, quesadillas, etc…), but they do it well. The burgers are simple but tasty. Same goes for the fries and other sides. It always ends up costing a bit more than I expect it to, but I guess its the price to pay for the nice location. Definitely a good spot for a casual lunch near the beach.