Who’s Hungry? Iconic Asbury Park, NJ Restaurant Announces Reopening But With A Small Catch

We have good news coming your way left and right and I love it.

I just got word that an Asbury Park staple has set their reopening date after remaining closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic!

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The Moonstruck Restaurant located at 517 Lake Avenue in Asbury Park reopened May 28th of 2021 and we are thrilled!

When you look on TripAdvisor.com, people left over 450 Excellent reviews which is an overwhelming majority.

But there is a teeny, tiny catch: they will be open at a limited capacity with a limited menu.

I don't necessarily mean an indoor capacity limit though.

In a message on Moonstruck's official website, the leadership explains that only part of the restaurant will be open for the time being because of staff shortages.

"It has been an ongoing challenge to put together a staff large enough to bring the restaurant back to full capacity. Some of our people have retired, some have moved on to other jobs, and others have new life circumstances that make them unavailable to return at this time."

Luckily, Moonstruck was able to recruit a core group of their front of house and back of house staff!

"For now we will be opening only the first two floors: The first floor bar, lounge and porch, and the second floor dining room, bar and porch. The third floor will remain closed until we are confident that we are adequately staffed to offer the level of service our guests have come to enjoy."

One thing is remaining the same.

Moonstruck will only seat on a walk-in basis. That's right...it is first come, first serve and they will not be accepting reservations. In addition, the lounge will offer cocktails and appetizers for those who are waiting for a table.

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For those of you who are not familiar, Moonstruck is located right along the water in Asbury Park and the view is pristine.

But before I show you some photos of their interior, exterior, overall vibe, food and cocktails, I want to highlight one of the last sentences of their announcement because it is probably THE most important:

"We thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this somewhat New Moon phase."

Be patient. There are staff and supply shortages everywhere in the world and it will take a bit to return back to the normal we once knew.

Don't take out your frustration regarding these adjustments on restaurant staff please.

But take a look...this place looks OUT of this world.