Charlies of Bay Head

My company's Christmas party was held here. And I'm so glad it was! For my first time here, the food was perfectly prepared. My favorite was the lamb chops! Our server was very attentive and friendly. And the restaurant itself was decorated so beautifully. It was as if we were in a winter wonderland.

I always have the best food and experience everytime I go! The kitchen knocks it out of the park with executing the menu and the wait staff is amazing! Jordyn served me most recently and she was THE BEST! Definitely recommend a meal at Charlie’s!

Definitely the place to be during the holiday of Christmas. Spectacularly decorated to celebrate the season.

This is a great location for evening drinks and conversation in the bar area on a Friday night. The vibe is young professionals who aren’t loud and obnoxious like at Shipwreck Grill where it feels like the locals are marooned and need to be heard to be saved from their daily lives. The decor is simple elegance. Not extravagantly modern like Jean George or Nicholas in its former self.

I haven’t tried the food for dinner. This was just a trip to have late night drinks and I was not disappointed. I sampled the calamari because if a restaurant can cook calamari perfectly then more than likely, the rest of the menu will not be a disappointment. The calamari was tender and crispy with shishito peppers. Not the same quantity given at La Modina but sufficient for the price.

I had the Bone Chili-er cocktail served shaken in a martini glass. I like my drinks not watered down with ice to taste the full flavor. This drink reminded me of the perfect margarita with a hint of heat. A definite favorite whenever I’m in the mood for tequila.

The dining menu look promising so I will be back to sample.

Back again on another Friday night at 5pm. Reservations were not to be had for main dining room but there were a few high top table seating available next to the bar.

I had a Grey Goose martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. I can attest that these olives do not taste like any jarred or ones you would find at shop rite. I may be wrong but the blue cheese was fresh and tasted as if a staff person hand piped the blue cheese. It’s amazing and there’s a difference. It’s the details that matters. My wife had a gin and tonic and the rocks glass was about twice the size that you would typically see elsewhere and for the same price. Wow.

The app of pita with whipped feta, honey and mint was amazing. Normally it comes with pistachios but my wife was allergic. Simple but yet so wonderful. I plan on replicating this dish at home. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My wife and daughter had the seafood tower and it was enough for 3. No regrets. The lump crab was amazingly fresh and vibrant. So much better than the canned version. The king crab legs were surprisingly large for their size than what you would see at Costo. The shrimp were extra jumbo if that even exists because they were huge. The west coast oysters were robust and so much better than the east coast version.

I had the Halibut with Parmesan Basil Risotto. Perfection at its finest. The halibut was flaky and tender. You won’t find a better preparation unless you are at Le Bernardin. It’s that good. The risotto was a perfect complement for a dish of $42 which was well worth the asking price.

Our server, Steve was amazingly knowledgeable from the diff types of gin and their flavors to the selection of oysters.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and this place has become a favorite spot for drinks or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

Wonderful, well-known Bay Head gem. Gorgeous decor & amazing food (and drinks)! Highly recommend their 'special' cranberry spritz! We went to an upstairs wedding - Lovely! We also went for an 80th B-day celebration. They brought a decorated key lime pie dessert, was Great! Book ahead to get in. Buon apetito ~

Such kind and helpful staff. Stunning views, and the food was incredible. Drinks were also great. Thank you!

Fantastic food and service! We came here for brunch and the food was delicious. Later we came back for a baby shower. The server was great and I definitely want to come back for more!

The food was fantastic. Jordan who took care of us was outstanding. She was very pleasant and attended to our needs. We also had a baby with us and she made a point of checking on us frequently. The bar was nicely decorated for the holidays adding a nice atmosphere for our first time at Charlie’s. Highly recommend!

What a beautiful location and ambiance. The staff was pleasant, the view was amazing and the food was on point. From the whipped feta and crab deviled eggs, the lamb chops and chicken sandwich, the food was amazing! The lavender mimosas were A MUST!

Had the grouper special. Absolutely incredible. I’ve had lunch here before and it’s pretty good but dinner is on a whole different level. Honestly I would skip lunch and go for dinner! Amazing drinks as well, I was very impressed with the dessert drinks as well. Not overly sweet and every part of the drink was good quality. Even the marshmallows were not your run of the mill ones. Fantastic desserts. Also the appetizers were very good. Loved the spicy tuna on crispy rice!

Charlie’s is one of the nicest restaurants I’ve been to in quite a while. I was a single diner on a Sunday night at prime dinner hour. The seaters accommodated my request for a standard, not high top, table. My waiter, Cameron, was attentive, but not too attentive, and very personable. I ordered the special appetizer of the night, salmon poke, and a cocktail. Both were top notch, arrived at the table in a very reasonable amount of time and were top notch in presentation and flavor. For my entree I ordered the swordfish special. It was cooked to perfection and served on orzo with a delicious sauce. I topped it off with their house made key lime pie. No surprise, it also was well presented and delicious. This is not a cheap place for dinner but I felt like I got more than my money’s worth. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a classy dining experience.

Had the pleasure of dining again at Charlie’s and again it NEVER disappoints. It was a double birthday they were made aware of but they went over the top with service
And hospitality. The food and drink as always on point along with atmosphere. Thank you again for a great night👍🙏🍷

Beautiful, sunny spot for brunch. Nice views, fun drink menu, and delicious food. Will return to try their dinner menu.

Beautiful restaurant, fantastic server Chelsea, great views, and the best blackened shrimp tacos I have ever eaten. I highly recommend a meal here if you are anywhere near Bay Head NJ, even if you aren't nearby worth a road trip.

This place was amazing!! We were down at the beach just going on a walk on a day off in January and we got a reservation within an hour. So warm and inviting with such a nice atmosphere...service was honestly the best! Staff was so friendly and had multiple people there to take care of ask. Had an early dinner, so we literally had the third floor to ourselves.

Plus, the view was amazing...right on the waterfront and down from the beach. Made it right before sunset and saw the whole thing.

The drinks were delicious. I had gotten the apple cinnamon sangria and my friend had gotten the mint and rum drink...forget the name, but whatever it was, they both were amazing and had such nice details to the cocktail!! (Cinnamon sugar on the rims, cinnamon stick floating on the inside, etc.) one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had!

And the food was great. Starting with bread and black salted butter to the actual entrees. I got the Charlie’s burger, which was seriously cooked to perfection...one friend had got the seafood mixture with fettuccine which she absolutely loved...And another friend got the cheesesteak pizza...I did happen to steal a bite of her pizza and OMG! So good.

Wish I could rate the experience more then 5 stars, because it was awesome!!

Charlie's is an amazing place to dine. The food is delicious, so many selections and prepared perfectly. The service is impeccable, they give you time to sit and chat with your party. I look forward to a visit there all the time.

Our server Ellen was amazing! Her attention to detail, friendly conversation and excellent service made our experience unforgettable! The food was out of this world. Will be back soon!

Sunday brunch, had reservations. There is free street parking or if you can find a lot nearby, I don't recall seeing meters anywhere. It was 2 small flights of stairs, I'm pretty sure there was an elevator, if needed, but dining was on the 2nd floor. Steps were outdoors. Service and staff were amazing. It was a joint birthday brunch. They gave a little HBD card and served desserts with a candle and HBD written on the plate, nice touch.

The food...

At the beginning of the meal they served 2 slices of bread, one was a spiced bread, the other was a berry bread, and 2 mini corn muffins, I knew I was in for an awesome brunch from the start.

Grilled and chilled shrimp cocktail-- 3 giant shrimp are served with a brandy mayo and atomic cocktail sauce. I preferred just the cocktail sauce, I'm not sure what the atomic part was, it seemed like normal sauce--it was really good though. A little disappointed the shrimp was not fully cleaned properly, but I just cleaned out the and went about it--all 3 shrimp had remnants of the black string still connected, a little tug and they came off

Crab cake Benedict--just get it. I mean....if u like eggs Benedict, you like crab cake, you could not ask for anything more (needed just a touch of salt, but that's my preference). I was weary about the tomato on it, I dislike them, but it worked for me. The egg was cooked perfectly and when u sliced through the yolk, it just oozed deliciousness everywhere. There was just the right amount of crab cake.

Crab and corn toast-if u don't have someone to share with, you're going to have to make a decision on which crab dish you want. The crab and corn---it was a close 2nd for me, I preferred the Benedict only because I was in the mood for the egg, but this crab and corn toast was just as delish!!!!

Both are decent portions, good for one person and allow someone to take a bite or two---I do not like sharing my food when the plate only gives u 2 bites worth. These portions were perfect, and filling.

That being said, I forced down some dessert....just splurge, its worth it...

Cookie skillet vs chocolate pastacio tart....winner is....the tart, I think. Idk, get them both. The cookie skillet was a warm, soft, gooey chocolate chip cookie with a scoop of ice cream. The tart was a chilled, more refreshing type of dessert. Both were outstanding.

Great staff. Great food. Great atmosphere. A little pricey, but worth every dime.

Charlie's in Bay Head is really a beautiful restaurant. The front bar room is open and spacious with a cascading wall of water separating the bar from the back dining area. There is also an upstairs which I haven't seen. I have been here twice and everything I have had so far has been excellent. Appetizers and entrees, even cocktails. We sat at the bar. The wait staff is friendly and personable as well as attentive. Having said all of that, it is pretty expensive to eat here. Definitely a special occasion place. They seemed to be

Fantastic all around - no reservation however they seated us in the dining room ahead of a reservation and it worked out perfectly. The water view was fantastic as was the service and food. Highly recommended in Bay Head!

TOP Tier Service TOP Notch Food. Absolutely Fantastic From Top To Bottom.

PROS:
+ Valet Parking.
+ Wonderful Views. 1st and 2nd Floors have Windows all around.
+ Great Decor. Festive and well thought out.
+ Service was excellent. No newbie servers here.

CONS:
- None, but consider the wait could be lengthy.