Carmela’s 19th Hole Lunchonette

Great service… hole in the wall type diner with amazing food. Best omelet I’ve had out in a long time! 20 dollars for two people for a huge breakfast. Can’t complain about that!

This place is amazing. We went out of our way to stop in here after hearing so much via word of mouth. We were not disappointed, and the staff is so welcoming and nice, we didn’t want to leave.

$ 18.00 for breakfast without tip? Are you kidding me? Stay away!!! The food is decent, but the prices are obscene. There’s a luncheonette in Eatontown that has good food for a fraction of the price of this place.

Loved this place. Small, greasy diner feel that I miss from my hometown. Good food, friendly people, and biscuits and gravy. Enough said. I had something that was basically biscuits and gravy inside an omelet. It was so great!!!

Perfect breakfast spot pre-​beach. Retro diner with great food and good service. Not healthy but certainly delicious.

Great place for a down home breakfast, where else do you get grits i had the she man bfast special today 3 pancakes 4 pieces french toast piece of bacon, a sausage patty grits and toast for 9 bucks??? very friendly staff nice laid back atmosphere

..The best cofee and atmosphere in the area .The eggs, omelletts, hash browns, Benedicts, bacon and everything else is delicious.
The service is great and the restaurant is as charming as Carmella.

Carmela’s: The Best of the Best of the Hometown Luncheonettes on the Jersey Shore.
I love this place! It is a throwback to yesteryear where locals would gather for a nice breakfast or lunch and actually talk to their neighbors and friends. Fast food restaurants have robbed us of this special delight. Carmela who owns and runs Carmela’s 19^th Hole Luncheonette provides food that is cooked to order and is substantial and prepared with that special love. It is easily located right on Route 35 just across from the Shark River Golf Course which I believe is why the name. Coffee fill ups are always there, you don’t have to ask, the friendly staff is always attentive to your needs.
The omelets are my favorite and are superb. Cooked just the way you like them and I would put them up against the finest 4 star restaurants for quality and taste and probably even beats them in portion size. I am from a Scottish background and I always love to get marmalade with my toast or English muffins. They always have it where most places usually only have grape or strawberry jelly. This is a small quality indicator for me. For those who are budget conscious you can’t beat their scrambled egg breakfast on price. Why would anyone want to go to one of those fast-​food, drive-​through restaurants where your breakfast is served on a throwaway plastic plate? I used to be an assistant commissioner of health for New Jersey and president of the New Jersey Public Health Association and I must say that Carmela’s is clean as a whistle and «does it right» unlike some fast food restaurants that I have observed.
If you come alone for breakfast or lunch, sit up at the counter and you will make new friends. You can also catch up on the latest news by reading today’s paper which is provided for you. Its like the way it used to be with that «down home» caring atmosphere. Actually my kids love sitting at the counter, it’s a new experience for them that they can only find in the movies about life as it used to be. The people there love seeing the kids! If you have friends or family grab a table. I love seeing a couple ordering breakfast together and enjoying a very special, inexpensive time together. I had a friend visiting from Florida and they couldn’t get over how inexpensive everything was. Another special feature, I teach online at a number of colleges and universities so I grab their high speed Internet connection that is openly displayed and provided with their password. Again, another quality indicator that says enjoy and stay a while. Although those very expensive coffee places offer a tiny table and an Internet connection they lack the warmth and personal touch that Carmela’s provides.
Carmela also sells some inexpensive jewelry, knickknacks and some one of a kind items that people love. My Mom loved the ‘Betty Boop” items and I would always get her a little something from Carmela’s that made our trip special and memorable.
If you just need a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast sandwich Carmela’s will do that too. But I recommend taking your time and «drinking in» that special atmosphere of the 1950s and enjoy an outstanding breakfast or lunch with special friends. Indeed, it is one of those places where «everyone knows your name» or make a new friend so the next time they will know your name. Create a special day and enjoy Carmela’s Luncheonette! It is a timeless experience and totally wonderful!

In short: skip this place.
Nice people, but the place is… grimy. Nothing was fresh. Order an orange juice, and you’ll get a cup with ice and a plastic bottle of OJ.
I ordered a side of biscuits which were stale and handled without gloves by the server. The French toast was dry and made with wheat bread. Home fries were cut on the big side, and barely crispy. I’m surprised at the good reviews. I won’t go back.

I’m currently sitting on the toilet as I’m writing this review. Although the pancakes were good and bacon crispy, why the hell has my stomach been screwed up for the last two hours with multiple bathroom runs? They did something wrong today! Okay, on with the review. The place is pretty disgusting inside; old, crummy and somewhat dirty. The staff looks like they were recruited out of a circus, where did they find half of them? The prices are great and the food was good (discounting my current situation) but the place looks like a pawn shop. Really tacky looking jewelry and handbags right in your face… I was waiting for Chumlee to walk by and try to sell me something. The clientele are interesting. Some scummy looking toothless wonders hanging around, but that’s ok, they were entertaining. Lots of extreme obesity. I saw a lady with one butt cheek on one chair the other on the other chair as she ate a stack of 5 pancakes with whipped cream, bacon, sausage, homefries, toast and enough butter to send you to the emergency room. I had to watch because it was absolutely ridiculous to see someone consume that. On the whole, good food in a pawnshop atmosphere. Gotta wipe my ass… Goodbye

Delicious food. I had Carmela’s pancakes with mascarpone and nutella. It’s a small spot in a strip mall but the staff was very attentive and Iove that Carmela is actually working in the kitchen herself.

Ok, so here’s the 60 second lowdown:
1) Great food!!! The pancakes soooooo fluffy…
2) Great service! «Southern hospitality» is available up north too! The staff is beyond friendly, and Ms. Carmela goes the extra mile as she goes around to speak to each person to make sure they are happy with their meal.
3) Great shopping!!! Ms. Carmela also has a (small) but nice lil’ selection of jewelry, accessories, bags, etc., so you can shop ’til you drop before you leave. (I snagged an awesome necklace).
4) Great prices!!!
Great vintage breakfast spot w/​the «back in the day» type of feel that you don’t see too often anymore. I can’t wait until I’m back in Jersey to go back again!

typical taylor ham and cheese… nothing special… the biggest turn off is all the crap on the walls and the back dining room is a hot mess (not meant in a good way) Place looks like it hasn’t gotten a through cleaning in decades… most of the crap in there belongs in a dumpster…

Yummmmmmy soups at Carmela’s 19^th Hole Luncheonette & Gift Shop HOMEMADE heart and healthy. Today I had her split pea– thick with ham and carrots in it– YUMMMM sticks to your ribs high in protein low in fat. either a bowl and a roll, a bowl and a half of a sandwich or a cup … makes you feel all warm and fuzzy— better than mom or grandma used to make! I had a delicious half of an egg salad sandwich with tomato salad and macaroni salad on the side– brought my leftover soup home for another meal! Weekends such awesome interesting omelet combinations, waffles– the ham and cheddar waffle is awesome! LOVE all her foods! Even has a healthier choice options for those «waist watchers» Fresh veggies with egg whites, delicious loaded oatmeal with fresh fruit– need I go on? Okay I just drooled a little– come in for good food and a family atmosphere

Love Carmela’s! Great price for great food. The service is always great. Love the home fries so much.

Their menu is available at

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Tried Carmela’s for a change after another sub-​par performance from Irv’s Deli 2 days prior. I tried Carmela’s for breakfast and I was impressed with it. I ordered my usual, chocolate chip pancakes, with 2 eggs, and an OJ. Very good! Service was pleasant as well with a smile. This is a local place, that the locals love.
I’d be delighted to go back and try lunch sometime. I’d be curious how the lunch food at Carmela’s compares to Irv’s Deli.