This unassuming seafood joint is one of the best at the Jersey shore

It was a Saturday night and mid-July and a little after 8 o’clock. I surprised my friend with a quick visit for his birthday. He owns a restaurant in Point Pleasant, so I wasn’t going to buy him dinner there. We took a ride around to the Manasquan Inlet to look for a seafood place for dinner.

Midsummer Saturday night near the water. Good luck finding a spot for dinner. We settled on a place that’s not on the water but has a great reputation for really good seafood. Being after 8 o’clock things were just starting to thin out at Spike's!

Spike's Seafood Restaurant has been there for 97 years. We met the current owner, Steve, at the end of our meal, who is a great guy that loves his job and loves the people he serves.

After a bucket of clams and some stuffed mushrooms, we had great seafood and entrées, like stuffed shrimp and blackened swordfish.

The service was super friendly and efficient, and you can tell the seafood was freshly caught, and very well prepared.

They're also a seafood market that opens every morning at nine. They also just added outdoor seating earlier this year and the place looks great. If you’re looking for a well-established, long-time classic seafood Jersey shore restaurant, might I recommend Spike's? You will not be disappointed!

This was just before closing at the end of the night. Earlier that evening every chair was full with people waiting to get in.

There are very few privately owned independent seafood places like this left. It's a treasure.

It's got so much local charm, no wonder it's a favorite of everyone around Point.

Just the look of it inside tells you it's a no-nonsense place for great seafood.

You can sit at the clam bar for a more close-up seafood experience.

The seafood market is right in the restaurant.

My buddy is a seafood snob, and he said the clams were excellent.

Great atmosphere, great people. The locals know where to go!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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