Recently my husband and I left the kids with Grandma and got to go out for a super fun date night to a new local spot. We picked The Atlantic House, a fairly new restaurant located on First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands. We are always a bit wary of trying new places, but The Atlantic House did not disappoint. We had a great time with delicious food and drinks. Read below to see what we ordered and what we recommend and when you get a chance DEFINITELY stop in to try this new great restaurant out.
First, a little background on me (Paige) and my husband (John). When John and I started dating our favorite thing to do was go and check out new restaurants while ordering all the appetizers we could fit on the table. My husband knows that I love to try as much as possible and when we go to a new place we normally plan to go twice. The first time we order appetizers and the second time we go back we give the entrees a try. At this visit to The Atlantic House we had a drink and apps date and boy was that table full!
Downstairs (picture from AH website)
Now an introduction to The Atlantic House. Their goal at The Atlantic House is to bring to the Atlantic Highlands area European influence of handcrafted cocktails and small plates that will provide excellent food and drinks at a reasonable price in a comfortable but refined atmosphere. Patrons can dine and drink while enjoying beautiful views from their Rooftop Bar and Lounge Area or grab a table on the main level that has a light and airy ambiance with a touch of rustic/nautical decor. It is an excellent place for business people and locals to come for a delicious lunch/dinner and a good quality glass of wine. It will be an appropriate place to take clients: the perfect place for a lunch/dinner meeting. The perfect spot for date night, to catch up with old friends or meet new friends.
Upstairs (picture from AH website)
To drink I had the their Pear Martini and John had a beer. John always watches when I take the first sip to see if I give him that look like, ” OK YEAH! This is a good martini”. It is a high expectation of ours to have those drinks just right because it sets the ground for the meal before the food even hits the table. Good job Atlantic House it was top notch and I am wanting another as I type this.
Before we dive into the food, one thing I must add is we were extremely impressed with how many gluten free and vegan dishes are available. They also serve a “beyond meat” burger that based of reviews online, is delicious. I will keep it short and sweet because this is a place that totally speaks for itself . Have a look at the menu below.
Menu has slightly changed since this was posted on their site^
Our favorite of the night has to be the Cast Iron Steak Bites and I wish I got a better picture of them. They were a slam dunk, ding dong darling, absolutely freakin’ amazing! The blue cheese, amazing quality steak (no chewy pieces) and the crispy shallots were just, MWAH! The grilled crostini was perfect to have to dip in that steak juice and reminded me of my pregnant cravings while living in Providence, RI. The dressing on the bib salad was out of this world, I tried going to the store to buy the same type of vinaigrette and it didn’t even come close. The pretzels were soft and delicious which was nice because we can never seem to find a pretzel that isn’t dried out in this area.
We occasionally like to get a charcuterie board and try out different cheeses, but it definitely isn’t an all the time thing. When we do order them it is so fun because there is so much to try on the little board with so much different flavor. I brought home the rest of the cheeses and had them as my lunch snack the next day.
This is not a drill. These wings blew my mind and I am a person that doesn’t necessarily love eating meat off the bone, however these are the biggest exception, John and me have never had a better wing. I recommend sending all your husbands on sport nights to try these out. When they first put these down I thought, ” these look like they might be too hot”, and at first bite I realized they weren’t you average, ” I threw some Frank’s on it wing”. Atlantic House actually took the time here to perfect a delicious hot sauce that still gives you heat but doesn’t burn off your taste buds.
After getting started on all that food I realized that we didn’t have the meatballs on the table, which I forgot to order. Of course I said bring those babies right away ! The picture speaks for itself these meatballs were the bomb diggity.
We didn’t have room for dessert and I can’t wait to try next time. If you visit The Atlantic House you will see yourself why this is such a great spot to have in town. It all speaks for itself. Good drinks, food, atmosphere, and most importantly staff. The staff at Atlantic House wanted us to have the best time and were kind, courteous, and trained perfectly. Going to Johnson and Wales in Providence, RI exposed me to ( what I believe) is some of the best new chefs and food you can get on the east coast. This spot hands down made me reminisce my old days of being a foodie in Rhode Island. We will be back Atlantic House thank you for bringing this awesome spot to the Jersey Shore. We are thankful for your great food and hospitality.
xoxo, Paige
This post is NOT sponsored or endorsed by The Atlantic House.