Last Saturday, my gal pal and I galivanted in Sea Side Heights to an excellent brewery called Heavy Reel Brewery Co. located at 1520 Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ. heavyreelbrewing.com This Brewery had a large selection of craft beers on tap and take-home favorites in a can like "Stainless Surfer," Drowning Clown and Orange Creamsicle. If you want dark Stout beers, check out the " GlaucusII," a Triple New England IPA. I haven't tried it yet, but when I return soon, you bet your bottom dollar I'll try.
While there, you can bring your four-legged pal because the place is pet-friendly and has these very awesome backlit posters if you happen to walk to their restrooms (by the way, they also decorated the ladies' room with fishing reels and a massive fish on the wall even skateboards.
After Heavy Reel, we stopped at a local Bar and Grill restaurant called "Hooks" located at 1320 Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ, which is a lovely casual restaurant with beautiful outdoor seating and fun family activities like billiards, classic video games such as life-size Pacman game. The restaurant offers excellent craft beers from local breweries, the usual big-name beers, and even refreshing cocktails for everyone to enjoy. As for the food, I recommend the lobster grilled cheese sandwich, which is absolutely delicious. The dish is made with big chunks of lobster meat and American cheese between two big slices of Texas toast. My gal pal Lynn had the Corned beef Ruben sandwich with Russian dressing and Swiss cheese, which is also recommended. The best time to go is during the off-season if you prefer small crowds.
hooksnj.com
Our next stop was Toms River, NJ, which I had visited before, and this time, we went to another brewery with a massive selection of craft beers and hard seltzers. It's one of two breweries in TR that everyone should check out. I'm talking about Battle River Brewery at 69 Main Street, Toms River, NJ.
https://www.battleriverbrewing.com The Brewery is a BYOF (bring your own food), and there are menus the brewery provides from local Toms River restaurants. Craft beers include Liberty, Old Castle, War Horse, and Battle Seltzer Red. The establishment also has live music entertainment and big-screen TVs to watch your favorite sporting event.
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Garden State Distillery is around the corner from Battle River Brewery, located at 13 Washington St, Toms River, NJ.
Garden State Distillery Est. 2019 Garden State specializes in Gin, Bourbon, Whiskey, vodka, and rum. Natural fresh ingredients from local NJ farmers. One of their fall cocktails I've tried was the Salted Caramel Apple Martini made from Shuck Vodka, Apple cider, Apple pie Simple Syrup, Caramel Sauce, and Walnut Bitters rimmed with cinnamon sugar, and boy, it is delicious.
By the way, they also do live entertainment from local bands, and the ambiance is lovely for date night and, of course, girls' night.
Our final stop in Toms River is a beautiful waterfront restaurant called Water Street Bar & Grille, located at 4 Robbins Parkway, specializing in seafood, steaks, and specialty cocktails with outdoor dining and live music. You can take advantage of this place because The River Lady Cruise sits across the water from the restaurant. (see the last post on River Lady). Water Street has a beautiful atmosphere, and the ambiance is perfect for date nights for couples, family, and friends. As for the food, it was excellent. I had the short rib grilled cheese with provolone, chipotle aioli, and toasted sourdough. My friend Lynn had the Seasonal Shrimp pasta made with cracked pepper, linguine, Pecorino Romano, and sweet potato puree.
waterstreetnj.com
So, if you want to take a weekend out with the girls, take them to Seaside Heights and or Toms River, NJ, during the fall offshore season, depending on what the weather will bring. Walk along the boardwalk and make sure you hydrate and drink responsibly.
So, what will my next adventure take me this season? Well, you will stay tuned to find out, and happy travels.
Jerzy P 🚗😊💛
