Laguna Grill & Martini Bar, Brigantine

The island of Brigantine, NJ is small... very small. There have never been very many options to stay on the island AND have a 'nice' dinner out, and with the closing of Steak 38 the options became fewer still. That being said, you can always count on Laguna Grill & Martini Bar. While the deck area is basically a late night party bar (DJs, drink specials, the whole 9), the indoor restaurant itself is very nice, and has a delightful menu. They're open all year long and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

While I have been to Laguna for lazy breakfasts, fancy dinners, and late night drinks, on this particular visit we were there for lunch. Matt and I were joined by J and M and we were just interested in finding somehwere to eat where we could all grab something fast but good. There was snow on the beach and J wanted to get a better look at it, so we couldn't beat Laguna's location... it's right on the water and has huge windows, so you can see the whole shoreline. Matt and I both ordered sandwiches... a grilled veggie panini for Matt and an Italian style one for me. Matt's was great... loaded with lots of the standard grilled sandwich vegetables (ya know, zuchinni, eggplant, roasted pepper) and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and a pesto mayo. Mine was stuffed with sliced mozzarella, fresh tomato, prosciutto, pesto, and roasted pepper. Both were pressed perfectly and were nice-n-toasty. The pesto sauce on each of them really brightened up the flavors of the respective veggies, and the salty ham on mine was the perfect balance against the creamy, mild cheese. Throw some crunchy waffle fries onto each plate, and call it a day. Very satisfactory lunch fare.
M went with a burger, and it looked insane. It was a giant burger, literally smothered in bacon and cheese. While I did not try this bad boy, I could tell that M was really enjoying it. He said it was cooked perfectly and from the looks of it, I believe him! J ordered a personal sized buffalo chicken pizza. I don't know what person this was sized for, but the pizza was bigger than we expected it to be... two people could absolutely share one. The well done crust was adorned with a generous helping of spicy, breaded chicken. Both bleu cheese and cheddar made an appearance on the pie in their natural states, and of course there was bleu cheese dressing for dipping. There was just the right amount of heat, the crust was chewy and delicious, and the chicken was tender. A totally successful pizza, indeed.

While the lunch fare at Laguna is as casual as can be, the dinner options are a lot more advanced. Items on the menu include sushi, steak au poivre, shrimp wellington, and tuna spring rolls. The 'deck' is a favorite for locals, and is open late night all year long. The rum runners at Laguna re not to be missed... by far my favorite Summer time drink, EVER. If you ever find yourself on the little rock that is Brigantine be sure to check it out!

Laguna Grill & Martini Bar

http://www.lagunagrill.com/

1400 Ocean Ave

Brigantine- 08201

609- 266- 7731