Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar:
A New Brunswick, NJ Restaurant Review

The Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar is a high-end, upscale restaurant that has become one of New Brunswick's top dining spots. It's a popular spot with diners who come for a date, a family gathering, a special occasion, a business meeting, or even to meet up with friends for cocktails and a bite to eat.

The Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar is owned and operated by General Manager and Executive Chef Christian Graciano.

Chef Graciano received his formal culinary education at The Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. He later honed his culinary and restaurant management skills at the Hamilton's Grill Room in Lambertville and The Big Fish Seafood Bistro in Princeton. Before opening The Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar, Chef Graciano served as Executive Chef at the Witherspoon Grill in Princeton while also teaching culinary classes at Princeton University.

Chef Graciano serves a well-executed menu of fresh seafood, meats, and vegetarian options.

His talent lies in creating unique, high-end dishes on the fly.

Unlike many Jersey Shore mid-range seafood restaurants, Chef Graciano, will not serve mass-produced, traditional broiled or fried seafood platters His dishes are prepared using fresh, farm-to-table local market ingredients. Chef Graciano has a penchant for detail and personal attention given to a selection of fresh locally caught seafood right off the boats. Such as from Captain Rob Burcaw. off the Capt. Bob in Sea Isle, NJ.

For that added special flare, Chef Graciano also uses less common and often more costly ingredients, such as lion's mane and king oyster mushrooms. Other special ingredients may include pea tendrils, black garlic, Holland leeks, fresh ground horse radish root, and Peruvian sweet drop peppers.

Upon request, Chef Graciano is open to preparing traditional dishes.

His signature and high-demand dishes are the Charred Octopus, the Wild Potato potato-crusted halibut, and the Fried Calamari.

The ambiance at The Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar has a NYC vibe with seating for 150, it's comfortably elegant with an attractive, brightly lit contemporary interior. All of the woodwork is crafted out of pieces from an antique market, with doors built from scratch. Most of the original building structure remains intact, including the original exposed brick wall behind the bar, providing a soft rustic look.

A unique feature is their tri-fold windows, which open in nice weather, allowing diners to get an up-close view along Church Street. The casual bar area, with high table-top seating, can also be viewed through the front windows by passers-by, often drawing in curious onlookers who are attracted by the ambiance and music.

The more formal dining area in the back is done up with white tiled walls, wood tables, and hard wood flooring.

The lower level—dubbed "The Cove"—has more of a speakeasy vibe, with a comfortable lounge area, small bar, and table seating.

The raw bar, located in the center of the main dining room, is attractive and set up with many fresh oysters, crabs, clams, lobster, shrimp, and mussels on ice. It's also where the Seafood Towers are assembled. Here, you can order fresh raw seafood or just observe. Guests can be seated at the Oyster Bar and order either dinner from the menu or a signature cocktail, and if curious, can ask the staff questions.

The photography and artwork on display were taken by local photographer Kate Booth, with the original artwork created by Erika Iris.

The staff is friendly, welcoming, and professional with a good knowledge of the menu.

They are child-friendly with a Kids Menu.

There is a convenient parking garage across the street.

They are open six days/ week for dinner. Closed on Sunday

(updated: September 2024)