Chef David Viana is recognized for his culinary contributions in New Jersey, notably at restaurants like Judy and Harry's and Lita, and for his participation in high-profile culinary television competitions.
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I have been wanting to try Judy's for a while. The meal was good, but not great. Nothing we ordered blew me away. I almost feel like they tried to hard to put a creative spin on their meals and it fell flat. The service was excellent and its a great space! The meal wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would rush back to get. However, that being said, I wouldn't not recommend it. I think it worth a try!
Just got home from a dinner at the bar where I’d made reservations. I had three drinks. A paper plane and a couple others. All were excellent. My wife and I shared two apps. The calamari looked quite breaded and as if it would be dry and/or heavy and yet it was the exact opposite. Very light and fresh and with the jalapeños and sauce, very, very good. We also got the Costolette which is ribs with a white balsamic truffle glaze. They were similarly excellent. If I was being nit picky, I’d say I wish they were a hair more moist—they weren’t dry fwiw—but they were great regardless. For entrees, I got “The Parm.” Simply put, it might be the best chicken parm I’ve ever had. $56, sure, but it was monstrous, and evidently a pound of meat. It came with two sides and I chose the Schmaltz potatoes (which were addictive) and the cauliflower which was roasted in balsamic but very fresh and not overwhelmed by the vinegarette. My wife, for her entree, got the macaroni which despite not having it on its list of ingredients tasted like it was cooked in some sort of olive purée. This was not a negative. It too was very good and the flavor was unique. Perhaps a bit pricy for macaroni but really damn good. Listen, it’s Asbury Park in a boutique hotel. You have to come here knowing the food is going to be a bit on the more expensive side, even for Monmouth County. But with tip, we came to just $232 which isn’t bad at all for four total mixed drinks (my wife had one), two apps, two entrees, AND tip. I enjoyed the atmosphere at the bar and our bartender, Shannon, (I believe that was his name) was great. While it was relatively loud (as some have complained about here in other reviews), it did not detract from our experience at all. That could be because my wife sat directly next to me at the bar and maybe I’d feel differently if we were at a table. But that’s speculation and we loved it. I also enjoyed the open kitchen concept (just like their sister restaurant Heirloom) as it feels more intimate and as a consumer I feel a greater appreciation for how damn hard these people work. I highly recommend this restaurant.
5
Judy & Harry’s absolutely blew me away. Every single dish was to die for. We had the Arugula and Artichoke Salad and Judy’s Matzo Ball Soup to start. For a mid-course, we shared the Roasted Squash Ravioli with brown butter, sage, and amaretti crumbs. We also had “Costolette”, St. Louis pork ribs with white balsamic truffle glaze. For our main courses, we had the Chicken Savoy, and “Girello”, balsamic skirt steak, sides of “schmaltz” potatoes, and broccoli rabe—and somehow it just kept getting better with every plate. Every dish had incredible flavor and I enjoyed the finer details of each plate. They also have an extensive drink menu and I enjoyed a Bianco Spritz!
Dessert was unreal: “The Sundae” made of Oreo brittle gelato, chocolate sorbetto and brownies, as well as a malted coffee gelato on the side. I’m still thinking about it.
Beyond the food, the service was incredible. Our servers Megan and Kathy were absolute gems—so warm, attentive, and genuinely made the experience feel personalized and special. The space itself feels intimate yet big, inviting, warm, and cozy all at once.
From start to finish, everything was amazing. Kudos to Chef David Viana! An unforgettable meal with an awesome team behind it. Can’t wait to come back!
5
This place is amazing!
We went to Harry's first for a great cocktail. Louis did a great job informative and made a great drink.
We then went to our table which was actually the chef's counter, the only mistake was sitting there. Gave us some buyer's remorse when it came to our choices but when it's all said and done our choices were excellent and now we want to go back again. We started off with the fluke crudo the focaccia and the octopus appetizer. For entrees I had the skirt steak and my lady had the pasta with shrimp and crab. Everything was amazing.
5
First time here. Everything was perfect and everything delicious from drinks to dessert. Atmosphere spot on, comfortable, welcoming and relaxed...with the buzz of it all going on around you. Sunday sauce was legit. Calamari..absolute best I've had in years. We had before dinner drinks at Harrys and they were excellent as well. Judys has secured a coveted spot on my short list!
