Inside: Connolly Station in Belmar

This installment of "Inside" brings another trip to the area of coastal Monmouth County known as the Irish Riviera with a visit to Connolly Station on Main Street in Belmar.

Metromix Jersey Shore recently pulled up a stool at the bustling tavern and restaurant in the heart of the popular Shore town to let you know if you should make this station a regular stop on your schedule.

Décor: There may not be any sawdust on the floor, but this tavern -- which was named after a train stop in Dublin and is located a stone's throw from Belmar's own train station -- never lets you forget its Irish roots. It's common enough for a bar to have nearly every one of its walls covered with beer advertisements, but take one look around the dimly lit Connolly Station bar area and you'll realize that nearly all of the ads are for Guinness.

Drinks: How can you go wrong with a place that offers a pint of Guinness as a part of its appetizer menu? Earning its stripes as an Irish bar, Connolly Station knows how to pour a proper pint, making sure the beer is served up with the correct amount of head and at a U.K.-pub-friendly cool but not too cold temperature. It also helps that on Thursday nights the bar offers its Irish night special, where drafts of Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks are just $3.

Crowd: The turnout at Connolly Station usually is pretty strong, and you can expect to spot almost anyone in the bar: friends, coworkers, even an old football coach or two. On a recent Thursday night visit to the tavern, the age of the folks stationed around the bar ranged from late 20s to decades older, and everyone seemed to be having a good time as the background music was drowned out by friendly conversation.

Entertainment: Connolly Station features live entertainment several nights a week, and it recently has hosted performances by acts such as Seaside Park-based funk ensemble Big Baby Ernie, Irish-American band the Bantry Boys and cover act the Matt Noffsinger Band. The bar also offers a dart board, an arcade machine and flat-screen televisions in nearly every direction showing sports.

Food: While Connolly Station offers a wide variety of eats, including burgers, steaks, seafood and pasta, the centerpiece of its menu is its selection of Irish specialties, such as Irish bangers and mashed, shepherd's pie and a corned beef platter.

The bar's chicken Murphy -- sautéed chicken breast, onions, peppers, sausage and red pepper flakes served over golden fried potato wedges -- was so big it practically had to be delivered from the kitchen in a serving bowl and was more than enough for two people. However, the sizable dish lacked some flavor and ultimately was filling but bland.

Bottom Line: If you're looking for a place serving up good, reasonably priced drinks close to public transportation, Connolly Station is worth the trip, offering drink specials every night of the week. However, with filling but unremarkable fare coming from the kitchen, you may want to save your eating for someplace else.