Inside: Pour House in Tinton Falls

For about 40 years, the Pour House in Tinton Falls has worked to make a name for itself as a cozy beer and burger joint on Shrewsbury Avenue. With bigger, flashier eateries arriving in the area with fair regularity, can this down-home dining and drinking destination hold its own? Find out what we think as we take a look inside.

Décor: When it's done wrong, a homely bar can feel like a mood-killing night at your parents' house. However, when it's done right, as in the case of the Pour House, a cozy bar can be a perfectly comfortable and relaxed setting where one can eat, drink and be mellow.

The well-worn wooden and brick walls, coupled with the fishing nets hanging from the ceiling and the generally dimly lit atmosphere at the Pour House make for a chill setting where one can enjoy a filling meal and a cold brew.

Drinks: Sporting a stocked bar that includes all of the traditional draft beers, the Pour House may not offer much in the way of variety, but it more than makes up for it with affordability.

Boasting a happy hour that runs from 4 to 7 p.m. daily, the bar also has a rotating lineup of daily drink specials, so you can feel secure in the knowledge that an evening at the Pour House won't land you in the poor house.

Crowd: During a visit to the Pour House on a recent weekday evening during happy hour, the majority of the crowd at the bar appeared to be baby boomer-age friends and couples meeting up for a quick drink or a bite to eat after work.

However, according to manager Rob Roberto, the age of the bar's clientele shifts to folks in their late 20s as the evening progresses, particularly once the bar starts serving up half-price burgers and appetizers at 11 p.m.

Entertainment: Unless you count the guys a few bar stools down from you launching into time-tested slices of dialogue from Chris Farley and David Spade movies, entertainment at the Pour House is limited to whatever music happens to be playing over the bar's speaker system.

Unfortunately, the only mood breaker during a recent dinner at the bar was the choice of music being played over the house system, in particular the tunes from Clay Aitken and the Village People -- not exactly appropriate music for a laid-back watering hole. However, this inconsistency can most likely be fixed with a simple turn of the radio dial.

Food: The Pour House offers a daily selection of about 20 different food specials, including eats with such appetizing names as grandma's chicken pot pie and Uncle Louie's sausage and peppers. However, it's more than likely that you'll be tempted to try one of its burgers, and you shouldn't fight the urge.

The standard hamburger at the Pour House comes topped with a tasty mushroom and onion mix and there's sure to be a contingent of burger fans happy to learn that this place is unafraid to serve a hamburger that's slightly pink on the inside if it's ordered medium rare.

The hearty burger is rounded out with a side of potato chips (it's filling enough that you shouldn't need to opt for the platter that comes with french fries) and is complimented by a small and tasty serving of cole slaw. All in all, it's a fine meal that can only be improved with the addition of a cool pint of lager.

Bottom line: While the folks at the Pour House may not be attempting to reinvent the wheel, they make it their business to serve up good eats and affordable drinks in a comfortable atmosphere. If you're looking for a laid-back evening of burgers and beer, this is worth a visit.