Quote: On a recent chilly but sunny afternoon, a few coworkers and I decided to check out a new downtown restaurant that had recently opened up a few storefronts from our office.

Touting itself as "Toms River's Newest & Best Sports & Sushi Bar," we were hoping the place lived up to its self promotion. Eating around noon gave us the opportunity to avoid the local school kids whose lunches end just before noon and the municipal traffic that rushes around town starting at 12:30.

The hostess sat us right by the window, which gave a view of the bustling downtown district. The decor was lovely and warm. Brown embossed ceilings and walls complemented the rust red and beiges that were in the seats and carpets. A bar ran the length of one side of the room, across from a mixture of booths and individual table seating. Here, a short order cook could be seen preparing orders that were presented to him by the wait staff and from telephone orders called in by local businesses.

A small salad bar was near the rear of the room, and beyond that, a sushi bar was awaiting patrons. Three to four flat-screen TVs could be seen scattered around the room near the ceiling, showing a mix of news, basketball, and hockey games.

Looking at the menu, the selection was varied, starting with appetizers, such as smoked duck quesadilla ($8.95) and fried wings in a variety of sauces: BBQ, Asia, and buffalo ($6.95). A soup and salad special was offered ($8.95), but the salad bar selection was not all that original. 

Seven different pizzas ($5.95-$8.95) were offered on the menu, and steaks ($16.95-$25.95), chicken ($6.95), and burgers ($5.95-$7.95) were all listed as well. Sides, such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, onion rings, and baked potato, were a la carte at $1.99 each.

According to the menu, the sushi bar had entrees ranging in cost from $4 for a seaweed salad to $17.95 for Nigiri Deluxe, which consisted of eel, flying fish roe, and salmon roe. I really don't know that much about sushi, so no opinions there. I'll leave that to the more adventurous.

I decided to try a buffalo burger, which had been marinated in buffalo sauce and topped with blue cheese, lettuce, and tomato ($6.95). A side of fries and the requisite pickle was included. The burger was delicious if you like hot and spicy. My lunchmates each had a bacon/cheeseburger, which they both enjoyed.

For dessert to take back to the office, we chose the hot chocolate cake ($5.50), which is served with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and a dash of raspberry sauce.

Everything we had ordered was tasty and the service was good. The only issue I had was that I had asked for water with lemon and received seltzer, which I don't enjoy. So be sure to ask for flat water or seltzer, depending on your preference.
From journals My Second Hometown - Toms River