Blue Water Seafood Company, East Brunswick, NJ

With so many fantastic dining choices in Monmouth County, it seems quite sacrilegious to make my first restaurant review about a restaurant in Middlesex; however, Blue Water Seafood Company simply cannot be ignored. As we all sit here wondering when this weather will finally turn around, I found myself seeking refuge and curing my separation anxiety from the beach at Blue Water Seafood Company on this hazy June Tuesday.

My past dining experiences at this adorable restaurant on the northbound site of Route 18 (across from The Brunswick Square Mall) led me to mandate Blue Water as the venue of choice to celebrate my parent’s twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. I called ahead to reserve a table for three for 7:00, and the voice on the other line said, “I wouldn’t really call it a reservation; but I will take your name anyway. We are not crowded at all.” I embarrassedly hung up and then thought to myself, “He’s probably right. In this economy, who is shelling out the big bucks for seafood on a rainy TUESDAY night.”

As we drove up to the very small white building, we curiously looked around the equally tiny parking lot. We parked in the last spot which happened to be the only spot left. The past two times that I visited Blue Water on the weekends, the parking situation would have been disastrous if they did not have valet parking. That being said, valet parking is available, and certainly necessary, on weekends for free. During the week, it’s every man for himself! We entered the restaurant to find about three parties waiting to be seated and nearly almost every table occupied. I proudly marched over to the maitre d’ and told him I had called for a reservation. This instance left him feeling embarrassed and not I. (He also was much more polite this time.)

Upon being seated at our cozy table, we were greeted by our very personable and professional waiter and were given our menus along with fresh bread. The menu is quite extensive, with options for every taste. My father ordered a bowl of New England clam chowder ($4) to start, and my mother and I ordered the Buffalo-style sea scallops ($13). For the main entrée, my father ordered the Atlantic Swordfish ($23), my mother ordered the Chilean Sea Bass ($25), and I ordered the Caribbean Red Snapper ($23).

The starters came out within 10 minutes, and the pure ecstasy began. My father proclaimed, “This is the way soup SHOULD be,” while my mother found ourselves in such bliss that we were unable to talk until we devoured our scallop appetizer. The scallops were perfectly fried and then coated with a traditional—and quite delicious—Buffalo wing sauce. The scallops were not greasy at all and were wonderfully tender inside. They were served on top of a large bed of greens with fresh onions, cherry tomatoes, and bleu cheese. I am seriously contemplating making this dish my entrée the next time I come for lunch! It was a perfect portion size for two to share, and it would make a great salad for one to have for a lunch or light dinner.

Within another ten minutes, our beautifully presented entrees arrived at our table. (See photos) One looked more incredible than the next. At first sight, I wondered to myself, “How am I ever going to be able to finish this monstrous portion?” I carefully inspected my plate only to find a heaping portion of potato straws over my snapper—both laying over a bed of sautéed spinach. Some of the potato straws were a bit too crunchy for my liking, but I found softer ones as I dug through the pile. From both a presentational and culinary standpoint, I loved the spin the chef took on the traditional preparation of fish with potatoes. When I finally got to my snapper, I was even more pleased. I enjoyed every minute of this delicate and extremely fresh piece of fish that had a slight garlic taste to it. The snapper was extremely moist but still remained solid and not flakey. There is nothing worse than a fish that keeps falling apart as you try to eat it! The spinach was also perfectly prepared with a lovely lemon taste to it. It was not overly wilted or dry.

My parents had the same reactions to their selections as I did to mine. They both were extremely pleased and continued to say how Blue Water truly is one of the best, if not the absolute best, seafood restaurants in NJ. (As native New Yorkers, everything is always compared to restaurants in the city, and trust me, they hold their standards extremely high.) Unfortunately we were all too full to even try one of the desserts; however, I am almost positive that they would have been just as heavenly as the rest of the food.

All in all, I HIGHLY recommend Blue Water Seafood Company for those seeking to enjoy quality seafood at very fair prices. The service is top notch, and the food is to die for. An additional perk about this place is that you can bring your own wine for the table, and the wait staff will so graciously serve it to you. (Nearly every table tonight had a bottle of wine on it. We forgot ours but have brought and enjoyed it in the past.) Don’t forget to call ahead on weekends! Bon appétit!

Food: 5*
Service: 4.5*
Atmosphere: 3.5* (a bit cramped and noisy but still cozy!)

1126 State Route 18
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 967-9220