Barrio Costero, Asbury Park, NJ:
A Restaurant Review

Barrio Costero (Spanish for "coastal neighborhood") is a contemporary restaurant that features eclectic coastal Mexican cuisine. It is one of Asbury Park's upscale dining hot spots.

The restaurant features an open kitchen that produces a seasonal menu of coastal Mexican cuisine --- unlike many of the popular Tex-Mex restaurants found in New Jersey.
The fare is much lighter healthy, and eclectic than Tex-Mex.

The menu items include small, medium, and large plates, all meant to be shared. Their specialty is with their sophisticated creations of tapas. What's great about sharing plates is you don't have to do the typical "Here's my appetizer, my entre and my dessert."

Menu items are creatively prepared using fresh ingredients sourced from local seafood and produce purveyors, complemented by imported authentic Mexican ingredients.

Barrio Costero's ambiance is trendy, upscale yet casual, industrial chic with a vibrant atmosphere. The front room consists of a large, bar done up with soft neutral colors, and the adjacent open dining area with high exposed duct work ceilings. There is an open kitchen in the rear, along with a communal table for seating of twenty.

The high quality of the food and the ambiance are just part of the story at Barrio Costero. Partner Jamie Dodge, formerly with Elements and Mistral in Princeton, oversees the serving of libations bringing his creative talents in preparing inspiring, cutting edge Mexican-influenced cocktails using exotic ingredients.

During the warmer months there is outdoor, sidewalk dining.

Barrio Costero is open six days/week: Closed on Wednesday.

(Updated:September 2024)