Murphy Style Grill in Red Bank

While the area may be happening these days, things in downtown Red Bank were very different 18 years ago when owner Mario Medici first opened Murphy Style Grill on Broad Street. 

"First of all, there were no restaurants on Broad Street or on Front Street, half the stores were closed, everybody was calling (the town) ‘Dead Bank' and everybody thought I was crazy," Medici recalled recently. 

"I realized that the town had to come back because the rents were low. This (restaurant) was a Charlie Brown's, and they wanted to get out of their lease, so I made a good deal with them and I decided to go for an inexpensive menu and give a lot of quality and quantity, and that built up from there." 

Nearly two decades later, Medici and his restaurant still are going strong. It's the type of place where the flat-screen televisions around the bar screen golf matches and stock market scores and the wine list is almost as long as the beer selection.

The Murphy Style Grill offers a quiet alternative to other downtown Red Bank spots. First-time visitors may have two questions: What exactly makes something "Murphy style," and what's the deal with the big tree in the middle of the dining room? 

To the former, Medici said, "The idea of it was Murphy style, which means, you know, you've had chicken Murphy, steak Murphy, pork chops Murphy, and that's what we tried to do but that never really caught on. 

"It's a tough thing to explain, but we still do it. ... In other words, you would order, say, pork chops and say you want it Murphy style and we'd put it in a sizzling platter with hot peppers, sweet peppers, potatoes and onions -- smother the whole thing. So, that's how the name got here, but it sort of got lost in the translation somehow." 

And as for the tree in the dining room?

"The same one wasn't here, but the tree was put in by Charlie Brown's," Medici explained. "Of course, I have to change it; it's not a live tree. It's a real tree, but it's not live. In other words, it's cut down and we put leaves on it, put lights on it and it's a focal point. A lot of people like to sit at that table (by the tree). Around seven to 10 people can fit at that table." 

Originally opened as a steakhouse, the menu at the restaurant has grown over the years to include hot sandwiches, salads and Mexican platters such as chimichangas and fajitas served with refried beans and rice. 

For those searching for more of a down-home flavor, Murphy Style Grill also offers a barbecue menu that includes a sloppy but not too messy pulled-pork sandwich served with baked beans and corn on the cob for $8.95, which makes for one filling meal that won't drain your wallet. 

According to Medici, the uncomplicated menu has been a part of his plan at the restaurant from the start. "I decided to try to keep it simple so we would have no waste," he said. "Everything was cooked to order." 

However, regular visitors to the area will know that there still is one practical matter to consider when visiting the area because while Medici has seen downtown Red Bank grow and evolve over the nearly two decades he's owned the Murphy Style Grill, he said one thing has remained constant.

"It's funny -- even though the stores were all empty, there was still a complaint about parking, and 18 years later, there's still a complaint about parking."