Bahama Breeze

520 Woodbridge Center Drive
Woodbridge Township, NJ 07095
http://www.bahamabreeze.com/

I'd heard before of Bahama Breeze because there's one in Cherry Hill, where we often meet up with friends from Delaware; we'd never made it to that location, but when we had an opportunity to visit the new location in Woodbridge, we jumped on the chance.

In what I call "The land of the chain restaurant," Bahama Breeze stands out.  You won't find potato skins or mozzarella sticks on their appetizer menu, but rather dishes that are truly inspired by the Caribbean.  We were so impressed with everything the restaurant put forth: 

• our service was great, responsive to our needs as well as those of our two children, and very friendly.
• the food was delicious.  The prices were pretty reasonable, and the portions seemed decent.  We commented that the food didn't feel like chain food, probably because the menu is so unique compared to other chains around.  Hey, not many chain restaurants on Route 1 offer curry anything, but BB does.
• this restaurant was incredibly clean.  My husband mentioned that he had to go under the table to retrieve one of our kids' toys, and that it was spotless.  Yes, the place is brand new, but surely other diners have sat at that table before and spilled something.

If you want a unique and enjoyable experience, definitely check out Bahama Breeze in Woodbridge!

The Shannon Rose

St. George's Crossing : Route 35 & US 1/9
Woodbridge, NJ
Phone 732.636.6100
http://www.theshannonrose.com/woodbridge/home.html

We met up with a friend for dinner tonight at The Shannon Rose in Woodbridge. I have to admit, my hopes weren't particularly high--I'd looked at the menu, and there wasn't really a whole lot that jumped out at me.

I walked in, though, and it really had a great vibe and the decor was definitely one in which I could imagine myself spending some happy hours and just hanging out. If only it had been around in my early-mid twenties! (A quick note on decor--it's like a library, so I ended up on a sofa rather than in a chair!)

We were running late, so our friend had ordered a drink before we got there. She had an "Irish margarita," and she said it was outstanding. BAJ ordered a beer, The Shannon Rose Amber Ale, and it was really good. We decided on an appetizer of Golden Ale Cheddar Dip, which was topped with a bruschetta like thing and came with toast. Yummy! We were concerned when it arrived that there was way more dip than bread, but just as we were going to ask for more bread, our server offered it to us. Hooray!

I ordered the Shepherd's Pie, and it was outstanding. It came with Irish soda bread, which was also quite good. BAJ ordered the pulled pork sandwich, and was quite pleased with it as well. Our friend ordered fish and chips, and she said it was great too. Finally, The Boy went to town on his mac and cheese. I wasn't really all that hungry, but just couldn't stop eating because it was really THAT good.

We then ordered a dessert (rare for us to get both dessert AND appetizer, but it happened); Apple Bread pudding. Yet another really tasty dish!

Our server was really attentive, and asked if we wanted The Boy's dinner with our appetizer or with our dinners... surprisingly few servers do this! They seem to have a lot of food runners, and we were very pleased with how quickly each course came out after ordering.

We were really pleased with our meals; everything was delicious! It's really kid friendly but seems like a great place to drink the night away too.