Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 9 16 BEACHCOMBER JERSEY SHORE BBQ continued from page 15 ate his award-winning, smoked meats. First, the meat is hand-seasoned with a custom blend of spices known as a dry rub. Then it is cooked in a smoker filled with local hardwoods where it bastes for hours. "This is what creates the distinctive and unique taste sym- bolic of Jersey Shore BBQ," he said. "We do not flash-create our meals, so we apologize if we have already sold out of something a customer wants to order." While JSBBQ is known for its smoked brisket, other customer menu favorites include The Longhorn Sandwich (their signature sand- wich—chopped brisket burnt ends topped with jalapenos, grilled onions, and pepper jack cheese), The "Steve" Sandwich (pulled pork topped with "Benny" sauce, collards, provolone, and garlic aioli), and the Monmouth Trifecta (choice of three meats including pulled pork, pulled chicken, sliced beef brisket, kielbasa, St. Louis Ribs, or smoked turkey breast). Also popular is their extensive choice of homemade sides: sweet potato fries, cole slaw, bacon potato salad, mac n' cheese, ranch beans, hand-cut fries, JSBBQ pickles, tomato cucumber salad, collard greens, corn bread, or small house salad. Other JSBBQ signature menu items include a wide array of appetizers, nachos, quesadillas, burgers, and greens. There are also several vegan and gluten free options on the menu. "We have a server who cannot eat gluten, so she helps with our gluten free items and being careful about cross-contamination of food. Believe it or not, our sauces are gluten free, and we offer salads in place of bread and vegetables," Walsh said. JSBBQ's catering service is still as active as ever and grows every season. They work with customers to design a menu to fit the needs of every budget and event. "We can handle any event, small gatherings to large weddings. It's what we do best and the cornerstone of the busi- ness," Walsh said. Services offered by JSBBQ Catering include made-on- site entrees and desserts, and prices include set-up and delivery. New this year is a line of custom sodas, which was Serpi's idea. "Island Girl Beverages in Hasbrouck Heights bottles them for us, and our flavors complement the taste of any type of BBQ," Serpi said. Current flavors include raspberry lime, root beer, diet root beer, birch beer, orange, and black cherry. Serpi said that what he loves most about his job is that it is family friendly. "Here, you're not a number as an employee or a customer. You are part of Doug's family, and he's a really good guy." Walsh is humble about his mastery of BBQ, but the countless awards he's received speak for themselves. "My favorite award is the 'NJ Magazine Readers Choice Award for Best BBQ in New Jersey.' We won that in 2013 and in 2017," Walsh said. Behind the scenes of the restau- rant and catering business, JSBBQ thrives upon giving back to the local community. "We opened our kitchen as a soup kitchen during Superstorm Sandy to feed volunteers and vic- tims," Walsh said. JSBBQ works hand in hand with other local businesses every year, including Point Pleasant Beach's Point Lobster Company and Atlantic Spear and Scuba, to benefit local children who are stricken with medical issues and out-of-pocket expenses related to those issues. JSBBQ also actively supports local youth sports teams, parent-teacher organizations, and the Valentine House in Point Pleasant Beach. Last fall, the restaurant donat- ed a lunch, in collaboration with the Gary Sinise Foundation, to the NBC TV show "George to the Rescue," which filmed an episode featuring Jersey Shore army veteran Tyler McGibbin, who was injured in Kuwait. McGibbin's home was rebuilt to better accommodate his injuries with help from other Jersey Shore locals, including Point Pleasant busi- nesses Tracy Pearce Interior Design and Brian Cole Plumbing. With his restaurant now a staple of the Jersey Shore, Walsh looks forward to what the future will bring. "The key to success for any business is to continue to evolve, and during the off-season, we will tweak our menu and continue to build our brand and become an even better restaurant and catering business." —Jill Ocone Jersey Shore BBQ has two locations. The Belmar location is at 811 Belmar Plaza and is open daily from 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, although the hours vary seasonally. The phone is (732) 894-9009. The East Brunswick location is at 77 Tices Lane and is open Sun. - Thurs.: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM and Fri. - Sat.: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM. The phone is (732) 210-2521. Third party delivery is available at both locations through DoorDash.com. For more information, visit www.jer- seyshorebbq.com. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @ JSBBQ and Instagram @ jsbbq_belmar. For more information about their cater- ing services, call (732) 267-2268 or email catering@jerseyshorebbq.com. The catering office is separate from their Belmar and East Brunswick locations and is open from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM. The Monmouth Trifecta platter with pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. Jill Ocone

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