Monday night was a double win for us at the Tuckerton Beach Grille. Not only did we get to eat to the sounds of one of my favorite local bands, The Pickles, but the special of the night was lobster tail extravaganza.
My companion and I sat in one of the spacious, thick wooden booths beside the bar, averted from the dining room because of The Pickles’ Acoustic performing in the small stage set up in the corner of the bar area. In addition to the booths, bar stools and more formal dining room, the Grille boasts an indoor and outdoor Tuck’d Away bar and raw bar, as well as a banquet room for special occasions.
“You have quite a few choices,” owner and chef Romeo Robles said.
You can relax at the bar or booths with a couple drinks and an appetizer, or enjoy a full meal there or in the dining room. Tuck’d Away is the restaurant’s newest addition, with an inside bar surrounded by windows and an outside deck, offering a special menu and a view of the bay a block away. Back inside, with the day I’d been having, I opted for a drink over my usual water. I ordered the one I’d had my eye on last time I ate at the Grille — the Spiked Palmer, made up of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and pink lemonade. That hit the spot.
Next, it was time to peruse the menu. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted from that previous visit, and ended up ordering it — the crab penne with delicious jumbo lump crab meat sauteed in garlic butter and white wine with fresh basil, lemon, garlic, fire-roasted plum and sun-dried tomatoes, tossed with imported penne pasta. It was quite good, better, even, than that I had tasted at another, more expensive place. The garlic butter and white wine sauce was so good, I even ate more of the fire-roasted plum and sun-dried tomatoes than I normally would have (read: very few.)
My companion had the lobster special, served with plenty of melted butter and a generous serving of potatoes. Both meals included soup or salad and rolls. Our entrees were filling, but I wanted to try another dessert, as the Kentucky Derby Pie (essentially a big hunk of chocolate chip, nutty cookie, served warm) that I had there in the past was outstanding. So I took the tiramisu to go. Not bad at all.
The two entrees we had are just a tiny sampling of the many menu choices. From “soups, salads and appetizers, to gourmet meals,” Robles said, there are “a lot of different options.” Favorites range from his crispy flaming duck a l’orange and creamy, seasoned and fried jumbo lump crab cakes, to any of the parmigianas, including chicken, veal, shrimp and eggplant.
“They tell me no one makes it like over here,” he said. “It’s because of my sauce. Very tasty,” he said of his Romeo’s Marinara sauce. “Best hamburgers, too, they say.”
The restaurant also offers low fat, low carb and vegetarian options.
“A lot of people know me from LBI,” Robles said. For 30 years, he was owner and head chef of Romeo’s Restaurant in Beach Haven, which served continental cuisine. His family purchased the Tuckerton Beach Grille in 2003, and after two summers of running both restaurants, he decided it was too much and stuck with the Grille.
The restaurant by itself is quite a handful, because of its many sections, different menus and variety of entertainment.
“There’s always something going on,” Robles said.
The Pickles Acoustic perform every Monday all summer long, and Thursdays turn salsa with reggae musician Smokey Starr and special Mexican dishes and drinks. There’s free, live music every Friday and Saturday night as well, and pianist Pete Grigis performs in the dining room on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during dinner hours from 5-8:30 p.m.
The Tuckerton Beach Grille is open daily starting at 11 a.m. and is located at 1000 South Green Street in Tuckerton. Extensive additional information, including menus and specials, can be found at tuckertonbeachgrille.com.
