Bar Anticipation

Bar A is a classic in NJ. Huge complex with multiple bars everywhere (multiple inside and outside bars), great staff, tons of drink specials all day, everyday. If you haven’t been here, missing out. Anytime of year is always good.

This place has gone downhill from when I first started going seven years ago, it used to be a lot more of a warm friendly atmosphere but now it seems more like a bar on its way to becoming dated (indoors) with cold staff and bad drinks.
The most notable event is Beat the Clock Tuesdays, where beers start at 50 cents and go up a quarter every hour. These nights used to get pretty crazy on Tuesdays and filled with out of towners. The outside portion is open during the summer and very spacious with grotto, sports sand area, multiple bars, VIP area (now goes mostly unused) and shot wheel.
The Good
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— The food at Bar A is pretty good year round, nothing especially unique mostly your typical bar menu but with a lot of unique twists on their food. There is (was?) a hot food buffet and seafood buffet on Fridays /​Sundays, and a made to order quesadilla bar on Tuesday happy hours in the summer.
The Bad
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Why I am updating my review —
— There is no bar in South Jersey that should be charging $ 9 – 12 for a crappily made mixed drink in a small plastic cup.
— Bartenders tend to pick their own prices for drinks that night and each bar will charge a different price. Obviously the less intelligent ones charge much more and wonder why they aren’t getting any customers.
— Beat the clock has died down, there used to be more of a dancing presence and music but now its just a bunch of people (or no one) standing around.
— In the summer if it wasn’t Tuesday there were nights that Bar A was just flat out dead. Someone with some business sense should realize there’s a problem and step up.
— In the wintertime, I will not go now because it doesn’t really have that neighborhood feel with a lot of the locals. Maybe some more event nights besides the standard Trivia night would help?
— The bouncers have some insane identification requirements, more for «crowd control» than for any other reason (if you know what I mean), which I’ve seen countless friends throughout the years get rejected. Last year I finally got turned down even with a brand new drivers license and passport and forced the 12 girls with me to leave for a nearby bar. Will make you think the DMVs 6 point verification is a walk jn the park. Bring backup ID! And always have a backup plan just in case!
Honestly, what happened Bar A, you’re falling apart. My school used to do Alumni reunions here but even they’ve had enough. Get your act together.

Tuesday Night’s voted best night in country. Staff rules. Enough said, this is a no brainer.

This prefab home has some of the best Talisker scotch on the eastern seaboard. Ask for their collection of fine cigars. Similar to Miami you go for the cheap thrills bus stay for the Cubans ;) All in all a lovely seaside shanty. Wednesday nights offer a full nagiri buffet and some of the best Arabic dancers I’ve seen. ⁸⁄₁₀

This is my least favorite bar probably in New Jersey, and I’ve been to finnigan’s at the bowling alley in toms river and plumsted tavern down in bumfuck Egypt. I’d rather be at headliner and that’s saying a lot. For starters, the line at this place is longer than the line to get into nyc’ most packed nightclubs. It’s outrageous. This is solely because the bar has made a name for itself among all the bennies who come down and infiltrate decent establishments during the summer. Every bouncer who works at bar a is on a power trip. Like bro how many times are you gonna glance at my id and look at me before you realize my id is legit and I’m older than you? I can’t go on, this review is making me sick.

Love it here. They’ve got it all covered. Incredible food (yes believe it or not good at bar-​a is incredible) order the grotto salad. Incredible entertainment, and great atmosphere.
Drinks are great, staff is fun. Caters to all ages. 21 – 60.

Great Food, Great atmosphere, Great Drink specials. Awesome Times. Sunday Football is out of this world.

Whether it’s coming here for a crazy night on Friday or during the weekdays for a late lunch I love Bar A! The blackened shrimp fajitas salad is sooooo good!!!

Bar A is a fun spot. You get the feel of four places in one. You can be at the beach, the bar, the concession stand/​game tables, or at a concert inside. That night they featured Garden State Radio which was an awesome treat! The light show was amazing and they really got the crowd going. It was a good night!

My company hosts a yearly event at Bar A for all the people who hit their growth goal over the summer. We’ve been doing it for years, and honestly the reason we come back is because the price for open bar is reasonable, the staff is always super friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is the perfect blend of cheesy and comfy. We have volleyball games going while others hang in the cabanas and others sit around the bar.
I don’t think I would like to hang out here with a bunch of strangers, but when it’s a meeting or event and everyone lounging in the cabanas is someone you know — it’s much less weird.

Beat the clock is the biggest gimmick in the world. If you really want tiny 7 oz cups of Bud Light so badly, buy a 30-​pack yourself. This place is HUGE. I mean HUGE. There’s room for thousands of people here. And they keep packing them in no matter what. It was wall to wall for Beat the Clock. SO not worth it.
It looks like their everyday prices aren’t bad to begin with. The slightly cheaper drinks are definitely not enough to warrant fighting through what is essentially standing room at a concert to go anywhere. Next time I’ll come on any other night where there’s room to breathe and enjoy the very elaborately decorated bar and reassess.

My family drove an hour and a half to attend an event only to be told my 18 year old was not able to get in. I went in to discover 4 and 5 year Olds in there. When I asked why we were told only 21 and older was allowed in I was asked to leave. not polity

Give me zero stars. You can travel the country with a passport, but you can’t get into a bar with one. Doesn’t make any sense

I went on a Saturday night during my beach trip and had a blast. I thought it’d be a chill bar but it felt like being at a club. They have different sections w/​bars and played 2 different types of music at once. So if you’re not feeling the music in one area, you can jump to the other side and enjoy the other music that the DJ is playing.
The drinks are cheap compared to what I’m used to paying in the DC area. It was $ 8.25 for my Vodka soda w/​splash of pineapple juice.
Do not wear sports gear, gym shorts or sweats on weekend nights (my friend did and we had to go back to our hotel and get changed).

Of all the bars I’ve been to «down the shore,» as New Jerseyans say, this one is by far my favorite, probably because it’s the largest. Between the fire pits, the waterfalls, the portable cabanas and TVs for outdoor bottle service and the fact that I can put my feet in the sand, it can’t get any better than this, other than by actually being on the water.

Great big place to go have a fun time at the jersey shore! This bar is HUGE. They have inside and outside space and outdoor space with a text. Tuesday is their big beat the clock night. They get very crowded and the line gets super long so getting in early is always best!

Went to Bar A last night for my friend’s 23^rd birthday and oh my god. I don’t even know how I managed to get back to his house.
OK so here’s the deal, I’m writing this as someone who has experienced the Cabanas at Bar A while also battling the crowd. We went here for «Beat the Clock» Tuesday where they have beer starting at 50¢ at 8pm and they raise the price by 25¢ every hour. Sounds like a great deal, right? Well it is EXCEPT there’s a crap ton of people here.
I’m so thankful we had a Cabana for the night because I honestly would’ve hated the place otherwise. It was nice, we had bottle service, food service, a TV, couches and all that fun stuff. Very VIP. My issue with this though is that there’s basically NO security for the VIP area. People were coming into our place and drinking my drinks which pissed me off. Um did you pay 60 dollars to be here? Did you order my Tito’s or my Jack Honey? Are you bringing me my decent Nachos? No? Then get out.
Apart from everything, it was fun and I had a blast. I just wish they could’ve improved in the areas I pointed out.
I honestly probably would not come back without a Cabana because that proved to be a safe Haven in the crowded bar. I get claustrophobia, y’know? ALSO it cost me $ 9.25 for a tequila with Sprite. Girl bye, y’all served in a plastic cup. No.

My experience with this location is limited but I know enough about this place to know about the people that run this establishment. The people that call themselves «management» have no understanding of what it means to run a business. A group of willing and very able guests prepared to spend cringeworthy amounts of money were unable to enter the «establishment» because of a simple misunderstanding.
Never again.

Ehhmmm. Not quite sure what to say about this place. Not really a fan. It was ridiculously crowded– we waited at least 15 mins to get in and another 15 at the bar to get our first drinks. It’s massive and there are multiple bars, but it seems like all people do is stand around and stare at each other. There was no dance area or band or anything appealing at all, actually. Really not sure how this place got so popular. For sure not worth the cover. Maybe I’m just getting old– but I think this place is more for the 21 year old single crowd than anything else.
Also– I waited 30 mins for the bathroom which was one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever seen. I don’t think you need visionary details —
***major tip here: if you have an NJ drivers license that is a duplicate (ie, if you’ve ever lost your license and gotten a new one) you’ll need another form of PHOTO ID to get in. They are really strict. They turned away some of our friends for this. Suuuuper ridiculous, I know
Drink prices are reasonable. Other than that, go elsewhere unless you’re 21 and under and just looking to smash.

I’m a former VIP Bar Anticipation card holder of 5 years, and shit has hit the fan at this once trendy Jersey shore beach bar. It’s taken a complete nose dive from the time of Maverick and Goose… Goose is dead at this place, and Maverick has no swager unless you count hundreds of dudes grinding on eachother swager.
If you are a girl, I would run like you were in Spain and they just released the bulls; because that’s pretty much what your experience may be like. If you dare to enter, you’ll be welcomed by a sea of dudes who think talking to women is like the the last 2 minutes in the NBA finals with a full court press until you either step out of bounds or turn over the ball.
Bar Anticipation use to be a place that was a great time with a liberal diversity between men and women. Now it’s a place where women run and hide under heat latter’s or to the rich duche bags that rent a cabana. It’s no longer the average Joe spot. It’s fallen like the small 1200 square foot homes that Belmar use to have and that the current residents would call litter and decay.
Bar A is more l Ike Bar B and has attempted to adapt with the times, but has failed like Seattle on the two yard line in the 2015 superbowl. It’s so close you can smell it, but that’s as close as it gets. Give everyone their $ 15 cover back, because they just paid for disappointment.
This is a personal experience. Your experience may be similar or different, and represents no general perception or experience.