The Edge Restaurant, Jackson, NJ: A Dining Review

The Edge Restaurant is a northwestern Ocean County hidden gem. It's a popular spot with upscale dining patrons who value stunning ambiance and decor, with an excellent specialty bar menu, and live music. The setting is ideal for meeting up with friends, or a date for drinks and a bite to eat.

The setting is so magical that even if the food was terrible (which it isn't), you'd still tell all your friends to go.

The Edge Restaurant, with its unrivaled decor and ambiance, stands apart amongst the mostly lackluster, low-key restaurants in northwestern Ocean County.

The restaurant is set in a newly constructed stand-alone building with high exposed ceilings. It's an ideal setting for a stunning spacious multi-level interior that combines reclaimed timber that pre-dates the 1930s, with brick walls, steel, leather, and light-colored hardwood flooring.

The centerpiece is the custom-built, large rectangular bar constructed with polished Latin American hardwood resting on an elevated platform with a grouping of large screen TVs suspended from the ceiling and centered over the bar. There is seating for 16 at the bar with additional seating in plush lounge chairs and high-top tables.

The main 125-seat dining room surrounds the bar area and features a large cascading waterfall, a fireplace, and an attractive stone communal table. Wooden tables are set sans linen, surrounded by black, comfortable chairs.

The Edge Restaurant is owned and operated by Phil and Louise Cornick and supported by General Manager Jose Acosta-Leon, and Executive Chef Estuardo Mancilla.

What’s new at the Edge?

They have recently hired a new Chef. Executive Chef Estuardo Mancilla is now on board with a culinary background that includes working in the kitchens of the Hilton and Marriott hotels, and prior to his taking over the kitchen of the Edge Restaurant, was the Chef at kitchen 35 in Manasquan, NJ.
Early signs are positive that Chef Mancilla is making his mark by breathing new life into the menu by introducing some additional well-executed dishes.

Compared to other neighboring western Ocean County restaurants, the Edge Restaurant dishes are above the pack in execution, inspiration, prepared with fresh, high quality ingredients sourced from top NJ purveyors.

The top purveyors include Pat LaFrieda in North Bergen, NJ, known for their natural, organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed, dry-aged, American Angus steaks and burgers, and locally sourced seafood from Atlantic Fishery in Point Pleasant, NJ.

The menu options include a decent variety of ala carte selections, multi-course prix fixe options, supplemented by nightly specials featuring Wednesday Night Burger, Thursday Night Lobster & Seafood, Friday Night Ladies, and Sunday Night Pasta specials. There is live entertainment on Saturday nights.

The attractive custom-built, bar area serves a large variety of popular handcrafted specialty cocktails, an extensive wine list, single malts, blended, whiskies, and beers on tap. Their beer and wine selections are attractively priced, with many priced below other area restaurants.

The area includes a dance floor, and live entertainment, enjoyed by more active patrons, who are looking for more than an alcoholic beverage to accompany their dinner.

Not recommended for children.

The Edge also has a semi-private dining area for up to 50 people, that can accommodate sit-down dinners or cocktail parties.

They are open for dinner 5 nights/week. Closed on Monday & Tuesday.

Updated October 2024