Outlasting everything around you gives you a certain kind of New Jersey confidence, and Bahrs Landing in Highlands has plenty of it. Located on the water where the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers empty into the bay, the restaurant has been serving fresh seafood to hungry patrons since 1917. It’s not a typo. A bad lease renewal is more than most restaurants can withstand, let alone 109 years, two world wars, a few recessions, and the slow churn of a coastline that changes its boardwalks roughly every ten years.
Originally a bait-and-chowder stand on a beached houseboat, it has grown into a full-service waterfront restaurant and marina that is currently managed by its fourth generation. The establishment was started by John “Jack” Bahrs and his wife Florence, who were the grandson of a tall ship captain. It went through their son Bud and his wife Peggy, Ray Cosgrove, and now Ray’s son Jay. Jay is known as “Lobster Boss,” a moniker that seems absurd until you see the size of the lobster board that is put up at the entrance every day and lists the creatures that are swimming in the tanks. Over 12 million patrons, including Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, and Ernest Borgnine, entered the building at some point. It’s difficult to ignore the staff’s casual discussion of this history, as though a century of regulars is just another piece of furniture.
And it is, in a sense. The main dining room’s original houseboat structure still serves as its foundation, its worn character peeking through renovations like a memory that won’t be erased. You get the impression that the building itself is telling some of the story while you’re inside, surrounded by three dining rooms and an outdoor bar that consistently attracts weekend patrons. No plaque is necessary.
A German theme runs through the otherwise typical Jersey Shore seafood selection on the menu, which is a quiet surprise in and of itself. When a nearby German restaurant closed years ago, Bahrs took on some of its chefs and a rotating menu of Oktoberfest fare, including pot roast, potato pancakes, and a full German menu from September to November. On paper, the combination of lobster bibs and comfort food next to schnitzel seems strange, but it works because no one is pretending it’s fusion cuisine. It’s simply the result of one kitchen adopting the practices of another.
In the same way that long-standing establishments frequently are, the food itself is inconsistent—comforting in some areas, reckless in others. The complimentary biscuits are fluffy and slightly dry, and they come with a side of slaw that doesn’t really belong with them along with whipped butter. Despite your gut telling you that lobster and tomato sauce shouldn’t work, a “Lobster Boss” pizza covered in arugula succeeds.
Perhaps the most honest review possible is that the steamed lobster is competent and sweet without being exceptional; the selling point is dependability rather than innovation. While the Thai mussels arrive lukewarm in a curry that tastes more Indian than Thai, a broiled seafood sampler delivers excellent fried clam strips and a forgettable pile of shrimp in the same plate—a rare miss for a kitchen that otherwise knows its lane.
Most sins are atoned for by dessert. A tart, well-balanced key lime pie and a warm, fruit-filled blueberry crumble both point to a pastry department that occasionally works more carefully than the savory side.
It remains to be seen if Bahrs Landing’s upcoming decades will resemble its first 109. Coastal eateries must contend with growing expenses, flood hazards brought on by climate change, and diners who are more preoccupied with what’s popular three towns away. However, there’s something to be said for a location that has outlived its own novelty, where visitors still stroll in search of a little nostalgia from the Sopranos era and locals still wave from boats passing beneath the dock. The fifth generation’s appearance is still unknown. For now, table after table, season after season, the dining room continues to empty its tables back into the parking lot while the lobster board continues to fill up.
