I would give it 2 stars. Â The worst part of the experience were the severs and hostess. Â The servers - no personality whatsoever, not very friendly at all. Â The hostess didn't even look up as we walked out after dinner and I know she had to have seen us walking by her - no thank you, no good bye, no nothing. Â If you want diners to return you had better acknowledge them when they leave! Â It's certain I will never return until the staff learns how to interact with the customers. As far as the food is concerned - it's a meh.
My wife had the shrimp with angel hair pasta, it was ok was not bad bug thought the pasta and sauce was a little bland. Â I had the 20 ounce New York strip medium rare. Â I question whether it was really 20 ounces. Â Is it the best steak in New Jersey? I highly doubt it. Â I've only been to 2 "real steakhouses" in jersey and it compares to those - which is mediocre. Â I've been to most of the high end steakhouses in the New York area and none of the jersey ones compare. Â I have had better at the chain steakhouses.
Seeing the poor reviews, I proactively reached out to the manager for her perspective on why the reviews were so bad. Fay said "Reviews are 1 persons opinion. Â The real review is when you try our restaurant for yourself." So having tried it myself, I can honestly say that the reviews are not wrong and the awards are a marketing exaggeration.
The steaks are not even close to the best in the region or the state. My porterhouse was the "cheap mans" version of the steak, as it had no filet. To make it worse, it was way over cooked. I sent it back and had to wait over 20 minutes for another one while my friend ate his meal. Although the 2nd steak was cooked perfectly, it still lacked the filet portion of the porterhouse. To make it even worse, nether my server, nor Lou, the owner who was also the manager that night, cared. No one bothered to come to the table and I had to track down my 2nd steak.
Finally, to make it even worse yet, I shared my feedback with Lou, the owner, at the end of the night and he just questioned why I sent back my steak. That conversation made me realize the reality of this restaurant -- they just don't care about their food and service.
I wonder if Gordon Ramsey could save this place? The decor looked promising when I walked in for lunch. The regulars at the bar gave me the once over when I walked into their turf. My Coke tasted funky so I asked if they gave me a diet by mistake. The bartender took offense and said something under her breath to the senior citizen regulars that I mentioned earlier. Very off putting vibe.
I had a crab cake lunch special. The crab cakes had a THICK breading and a lot of filler in the cake itself. For a $16 lunch special I was disappointed. The veggies were obviously frozen rather than fresh.
If I would have read the other reviews before going I would have gone someplace nice like WaWa or Burger King. Ok, that was snarky. If you have a choice, go somewhere else.
Beware - the name and ambiance is deceiving. We did not have a good experience here, and I will not return until I know this place undergoes e a revamp. First, the wait staff acted as if we were bothering them, pushing us to get the order in as soon as we sat down, never refilling drinks, and, worst of all, taking away plates before we were finished eating. The people working here did not seem happy and I think that says alot - not to blame the wait staff, because it's possible that the issue comes from above. We had a pre-set meal that cost $25 a person. For that much, I expect something that tastes like food. The stuff that came out was not good at all, I will only be back once I know that Colts Neck Inn lives up to what it could be.
Review Source:This place has so much potential, its such a shame the food and service absolutely ruin it. Â The atmosphere is very nice inside, with an appropriate horse them for the area. Â We went there with a small group. Â First, the two ladies serving our table were very unfriendly, boarding on rude. Â Its as if we were bothering them by asking for anything, and they seemed to go out of their way to show we were unwelcome. Â This included never asking how the meals were, never asking about drink refills, then clearing away plates while others were barley done.
As for the food, I've had better food in coach class in an airplane. Â First, the salad consisted of a standard house salad with dressing mounded in a corner. Â The bread was served with frozen butter packets. Â The worst was the main entree, a london broil, if you can call it that. Â A leather belt would have been softer and had more flavor. Â It was tough, tasteless and altogether horrible. Â I had to drench it in steak sauce to make it edible. Â And I don't like steak sauce. Â As for dessert, it was store-bought ice cream. Â We did complain to the staff, but again, they didnt seem to care at all.
Overall a miserable dining experience, but at least the company was good!
Colts neck Inn is NOT the place to go. Only thing going for it is the ambience. Unfortunately for them, they do not understand the concept of customer service. Â There is no service-period. It is such a shame that that they don't get the big picture. Â In a tough economy, when people go out they want the whole package.
The bartenders can barely grunt at you and there are never enough of them. Wait staff are unenthused and again, never enough of them on a busy night. Plates, glasses on table were never bussed- sat on the table piled up by myself and STILL had to ask for them to be removed. Â Food is decent but overpriced because it's Colts Neck...I am a local that has given them several chances. I WISH they were better, I really do. Worth the drive to go anywhere but there!
I stopped in for lunch recently and had the Smokehouse burger with fries. It's not often that I'm the youngest person in a restaurant, but that day, I most certainly was. The lunch crowd looked like a lunchroom in a retirement home.
The burger was pretty darn good, but the fries were inedible. Mushy and mealy and almost cool at the center. They looked like grocery store fast food style fries. For the price, would it kill them to slice up some fries from fresh russet potatoes and leave the skin on so that they look appealing?
The size of a mixed drink was also a bit small for the price. Things would really need to be shaken up here before I'd come back. I can almost see why the trendy folks of Colts Neck head into Red Bank for food and drinks.
Hi Folks, I usually don't do this but you MUST avoid this terrible restaurant!!!
How sad that a landmark destination should fall so flat on it's back..from front to back...
While it still maintains its classic 'old world steak house facade'..that is about the beginning and end of it (Well...Ok..wines by the glass were good, and well chosen..fairly priced, with a good serving...but please don't serve the finer white in a 'frosty/melting' glass..!)
The Tossed salad was a joke..OK we are in NJ..in August..and not a single Jersey tomato included?! I've seen better in a diner..
The Ceasar was drowned in cheese (yes not dressing..but shredded cheese!) and the entree..their 'famous' 2X Jersey shore winning steakhouse steak..the 28 0z Porterhouse..ordered M/R, served 'curled up' WELL!!! The  'Diver Scallops' were 'processed' not 'dry' (even as the manager informed me 'Babe I buy 'em myself'.. Obnoxious jerk award?) and the veggies all frozen..even the local corn!!! I kid you not and I know the difference..read on...
The best they could do was to 'sell up' while taking ours off the bill.
I took a Tilapia as we were going to a concert nearby and didn't want my stomach growling.. a fast fix..The manager couldn't care less, never showed her face after our (professional polite) complaints.. then charged full boat for the fish..I guess she knew we'd never return and was just trying to recoup her loss's
BTW..
I am an executive Chef and have been in the Biz for over 35 years, My Gal is a Country Club Manager with over 15 years of experience..
This place is just plain terrible from front to back..avoid at all costs!!
I hope someone takes it over..it's a beautiful landmark, in decay..