Nearly 30 restaurants open for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day at the Jersey Shore
Holiday checklists are endless.
Shop hours for presents you then have to wrap, check. Decorate the tree, check. Dig that ladder out of the shed to dress your house in hundreds of twinkling lights, check. It just goes on.
So why not let someone else handle Christmas dinner?
The following Jersey Shore restaurants are open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or both. Many are serving from their regular menus, but some are featuring special holiday dishes and drinks.
618 Restaurant, Freehold
Open 4 to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve
618 Restaurant will feature special drinks, such as the Mistletoe Margarita (tequila, cranberry, lime and mint); appetizers like an heirloom tomato display (with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, figs, cantaloupe, basil, balsamic and evoo); and entrees like grilled swordfish (with toasted pasta "fregola" and kale pesto, carrot cardamom sauce and candy cane beets).
Go: 618 Park Ave., Freehold; 732-577-0001, 618nj.com
B2 Bistro + Bar, Point Pleasant Beach, Red Bank and Toms River
All open until 9 p.m. Christmas Eve
All B2 Bistros will be serving their regular menu.
Go: The Point Pleasant Beach location opens at 11 a.m., 709 Arnold Ave., 732-295-0709; Red Bank opens at noon, 141 Shrewsbury Ave., 732-268-8555; Toms River opens at 11:30 a.m., 1250 Hooper Ave., 732-797-2570.
More information is at b2bistro.com.
Birravino, Red Bank
Open noon to 7 p.m. Christmas Eve
Birravino will feature their regular menu.
Go: 183 Riverside Ave., Red Bank; 732-842-5990, birravino.com
Local gifts for the holidays: Food gifts around the Shore to buy for the holidays
The Black Swan, Asbury Park
Open 4 p.m. to midnight Christmas Eve
The Black Swan will feature their regular menu.
Go: 601 Mattison Ave., Asbury Park; 732-361-7159, theblackswanap.com.
Blu Grotto Restaurant, Oceanport
Open from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Christmas Eve
Blu Grotto will be featuring their regular menu.
Go: 200 Port Au Peck Ave., Oceanport; 732-571-7900, blugrottorestaurant.com
Bombay River, Red Bank
Open 4 to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Bombay River will feature their regular menu both days.
Go: 90 Broad Street, Red Bank; 732-530-1598, bombayriver.com
The Bonney Read, Asbury Park
Open 4 to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve
The Bonney Read will feature their regular menu.
Go: 525 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park; 732-455-3352, thebonneyread.com.
Secret recipes revealed: New Jersey's home bakers share their recipes
Brando's Citi Cucina, Asbury Park
Open noon to 3 p.m., and 4 to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve
Brando's Citi Cucina will offer a seafood heavy menu, honoring the classic Italian tradition of the feast of seven fishes. Some highlights include zuppa di clams (red or white), shrimp scampi and sole oreganata.
Go: 162 Main St., Asbury Park; 732-774-2222, brandosnj.com
Calloway's Restaurant & Bar, West Creek
Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve
Calloway's Restaurants + Bar will feature their regular menu.
Go: 597 Main St., West Creek; 609-978-0220, callowaysrestaurantnj.com
CJ McLoone's, Tinton Falls
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
CJ McLoone's will offer a menu of small and big plates, salads, sides, tacos and more, including their crab-stuffed shrimp (with sautéed spinach, roasted tri-colored baby potatoes and lemon garlic butter) and apple street fajitas (house dry rub, sautéed peppers and onions, flour tortillas, sour cream, pico de gallo and jalapeno).
Go: 560 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls; 732-758-0800, cjmcloones.com
Listen: The Top 10 greatest, most heart-warming Christmas songs of all time
Drifthouse, Sea Bright
Open 3 to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
Drifthouse will feature a special three course pre-fix menu at $85, $35 per child under 5. Some highlights include mussels in white wine sauce (with fennel, leaks, cream, sambuca and grilled bread), duck confit arancini (with risotto, fontina, greens and roasted garlic aioli) and Tuscan cuccaccio (lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, octopus, tomato broth and squid ink spaghetti).
Go: 1485 N. Ocean Ave., Sea Bright; 732-530-9760, drifthousedb.com
East Bay Italian Grille, Barnegat
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve
East Bay Italian Grille will feature their regular menu.
Go: 696 East Bay Ave. #202, Barnegat; 609-994-2353, eastbayitaliangrill.com
Il Giardino Sul Mare, Forked River
Open noon to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, noon to 6 p.m. Christmas Day
Il Giardino Sul Mare will feature a special menu including pollo carlino (sautéed chicken breast, roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, asparagus, fresh mozzarella and finished with a white wine and butter sauce) and fettuccine il Giardino (fettuccine pasta sautéed with onions, peas, wild mushrooms, prosciutto, shrimp, fresh tomatoes and cream).
Go: 2 Hollywood Blvd. South, Forked River; 609-971-7699, ilgiardinosulmare.com.
Iron Whale, Asbury Park
Open Christmas Eve, but will release holiday hours soon
Iron Whale will feature a three-course meal for $65 per person that includes appetizers like oysters three ways (Chesapeake, smoke salmon, crème fraiche, blue point, cranberry mignonette, kumamoto, pickled pearl onions and chive pesto), entrees like pan-seared halibut (with gorgonzola gnocchi, baby carrots, rainbow swiss chard, carrot and parsnip butter) and desserts like peppermint bark cheesecake (with mint hot chocolate and whipped cream).
Go: 1200 No. Ocean Ave. Unit 504, Asbury Park; 732-361-5185, ironwhalenj.com
Kahuna Burger, Long Branch
Open Christmas Eve, but will release holiday hours soon
Kahuna Burger will feature their regular menu.
Go: 20 Centennial Drive, Long Branch; 732-222-2203, thekahunaburger.com
Do you hear what I hear?: 10 great Christmas songs by New Jersey artists
Kubel's, Barnegat Light
Open noon to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve
Kubel's will be releasing a special menu soon.
Go: 28 W. 7th St., Barnegat Light; 609-494-8592, kubelsbarnegatlight.com
McLoone's Pier House, Long Branch
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
McLoone's Pier House will feature a holiday menu with appetizers like Mediterranean mussels (sautéed Prince Edward Island mussels, fennel, white wine, fresh herbs, lemon and crostini), as well as seafood and meat entrees, such as their lobster crusted seabass (with sautéed spinach, herb basmati rice, champagne beurre blanc) and filet mignon (with asparagus, demi-glace and garlic mashed potatoes).
Go: 1 N. Ocean Ave., Long Branch; 732-923-1006, mcloonespierhouse.com
Osteria Cucina Rustica, Marlboro
Open noon to 11:30 p.m. Christmas Eve
Osteria Cucina Rustica will feature a seafood heavy menu for the feast of seven fishes. Some highlights include zuppa di clams (red or white), shrimp scampi and sole oreganata.
Go: 91 S. Main St., Marlboro; 732-577-8288, osterianj.com
Red Horse, Rumson
Open 4:30 to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, 3 to 8 p.m. Christmas Day
Red Horse will feature their regular menus plus chef specialties on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, there will be a three course pre-fix menu at $85 per adult, $45 per child under 5. Some highlights include clothesline maple bacon, tuna tartare (with avocado, shaved vegetable salad and potato crisps), as well as Chef Burke's U.S. patented pink Himalayan salt dry-aged steaks.
Go: 26 Ridge Road, Rumson; 732-576-3400, redhorsebydb.com
Ristorante Giorgia, Rumson
Open 2 to 7 p.m. Christmas Eve
By reservation only, Ristorante Giorgia is serving up classic Italian Christmas specialties, including appetizers like polipetti affogati (braised baby octopus) and entrees like involtini di spigola (branzino filet involtini stuffed with roasted tomato pesto).
Go: 102 Avenue of Two Rivers, Rumson; 732-741-3880, ristorantegiorgia.com
The Robinson Ale House, Asbury Park
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
The Robinson Ale House will feature their regular a la carte menu, as well as appetizers like stir fried snow crab claws (with garlic, ginger, coriander, chili paste and fish sauce) and entrees like duck confit gnocchi (pulled duck confit, potato gnocchi, shallots, parmesan cheese, veal stock, red wine reduction, heirloom cherry tomatoes, shitake mushrooms and micro greens).
Go: 1200 N. Ocean Ave., Asbury Park; 732-774-1400, therobinsonalehouseasburypark.com
The Robinson Ale House, Long Branch
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve
The Robinson Ale House will feature their regular a la carte menu, as well as specials including, swordfish livornese (with parmesan risotto, olives, capers, tomato and extra virgin olive oil), as well as goat cheese and butternut squash ravioli (with sweet potato puree, roast carrot and lemon beurre blanc).
Go: 68 N. Ocean Ave., Long Branch; 732-222-2212, therobinsonalehouselongbranch.com
The Robinson Alehouse, Red Bank
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
The Robinson Ale House will feature their regular a la carte menu, as well as specials including stuffed portabella mushrooms (shrimp, crabmeat, ricotta, onion, pepper, bread crumbs and mixed greens) for an appetizer, and blackened salmon (with farro, brussels sprouts and dijon cream sauce) for dinner.
Go: 26 Broad St., Red Bank; 732-383-8219, therobinsonalehouseredbank.com
The Rum Runner, Sea Bright
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve
The Rum Runner will feature a special holiday menu, including appetizers like Sea Bright mussels (Prince Edward Island mussels, spicy tomato broth and crostini), entrees like the Dark & Stormy pork chop (with roasted garlic mashed potatoes), and a full raw bar, including oysters, shrimp and more.
Go: 816 N. Ocean Ave., Sea Bright; 732-842-2894, mcloonesrumrunner.com
Salt Creek Grille, Rumson
Open 3 to 8:30 p.m. Christmas Eve
Salt Creek Grille will feature special a la carte and sushi menus. Some menu options include Faroe Island salmon (with ponzu sauce, citrus brown rice and garlic baby spinach), as well as coffee-encrusted New York steak (with blue affinee cheese and bourbon caramel, baby arugula and Yukon gold mashed potatoes).
Go: 4 Bingham Ave, Rumson; 732-933-9272, saltcreekgrille.com/rumson
Villa Vittoria, Brick
Open noon to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, noon to 6 p.m. Christmas Day
Villa Vittoria will likely have a special menu that will be released soon.
Go: 2700 Hooper Ave #4108, Brick; 732-920-1550, villavittoria.com
Yumi, Sea Bright
Open noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. on Christmas Day
Yumi will feature their regular menu.
Go: 1120 E. Ocean Ave., Sea Bright; 732-212-0881, yumirestaurant.com
Gabriela L. Laracca recently joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
