618, Freehold, NJ: A Restaurant Review
618 Restaurant is a destination restaurant; An extraordinary dining experience serving high end, healthy food in an attractive, upscale - rustic setting with professional service.
618: Restaurant Highlights
Fare: Creative New American with Mediterranean, Italian, Caribbean, Asian, and French flavors
Price: Expensive
Food Quality: Excellent - Serves a seasonally changing menu with inspirational dishes prepared using fresh, locally sourced produce and seafood, with meats sourced from quality purveyors.
Service: Professional, well trained, with a good knowledge of the menu. Friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
Ambiance/Decor: Upscale, trendy, rustic atmosphere
Overall Rating: 3 1/2 Stars. One of the top restaurants in Central Jersey.
Classified as Chef-Inspired Casual Dining *Note - See below restaurant classification for details
Note: Four star Rating System from 1/2 Star = Poor to 4 stars = Best in Class
Noise Level: Moderate
Dress: Casual
Recommended For: Diners who enjoy well prepared creative new American food in an upscale, trendy setting with a well-stocked bar..
Not Recommended For: Diners who prefer "Old World" fine dining or a low-key BYOB setting with a heavy sauce, traditional menu
Recommended dishes: When available, The Cabernet Braised Short Ribs; The 8 oz Filet Mignon; and The Grilled Organic Salmon.
Liquor: Full bar service featuring creative, hand crafted specialty cocktails, and a variety of craft beers and beers on draft, with a good selection well-priced wines by the glass and bottle.
Restaurant Review
618 Restaurant is one of the best Central Jersey restaurants. It is a fresh, alternative to the many mediocre BYOB's and franchise restaurants in the area.
This is a place where diners come to enjoy a creative American menu with healthy food options in an attractive, trendy, rustic atmosphere with a vibrant well-stocked, handsome bar. It's a popular spot to celebrate a special occasion or for meeting up with friends or family for drinks and dinner.
Opened in November 2016, 618 Restaurant is the creation of owner Matt Borowski, and part owner/Executive Chef Christopher Dutka.
Chef Dutka honed his culinary skills at Whole Foods Market as a Prepared Foods Team Leader, and at several restaurants in Florida including the highly rated Marina Cafe in Destin, FL.
In April of 2018, Chef Dutka appeared at The James Beard House in NYC as Jersey Spring Fling guest chef. The famous James Beard House regularly hosts dinners that are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world.
The team at 618 restaurant is hands-on and on target with the latest trends in New Jersey restaurants.
They are committed to serving the freshest food from local sources when available, complemented by shipped in quality ingredients. No "Old World" menu, ambiance, and service here.
Chef Dutka serves a seasonally changing menu with inspirational dishes prepared using fresh, locally sourced produce and seafood, and meats sourced from quality purveyors.
Produce is locally sourced, farm to table, from Beyond Organic Growers in Freehold, NJ who use vertical, aeroponic tower technology going beyond organic to produce fresh and non-GMO fruits and vegetables.
Seafood is shipped in daily from Trinity Seafood in Lakewood. Meats are sourced from Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, known for their aged prime and choice grade beef, from antibiotic and hormone free Black Angus Steers, raised on small, family-owned farms.
Most of the menu items are prepared from "Scratch" --- meaning that the food has not undergone significant modification, including being heated, marinated, assembled or a combination of those procedures. 618 Restaurant has no freezers.
Organic and gluten free, and other healthy items can often be found on the menu.
To enjoy the true experience of the Chefs cooking skills and the use of the freshest ingredients, order one of the daily specials.
Save room for homemade desserts, their signature dish, the warm sticky toffee cake with sea salt and orange-whipped mascarpone is outstanding.
Do not be put off by the plain exterior that gives little hint of what is inside. Once entered you will be surprised to find an attractive, modern rustic decor with high exposed ceilings, magnificent hanging rustic candle crystal chandeliers, and exposed brick walls. A feature of the interior is the handsome bar at the entrance of the dining area. The 20+ seat rectangular bar --- without TV's --- overlooks walls of exposed brick lined with bottles of wine and spirits, and soft rustic hanging lamps. Tables are spaced comfortably apart for enjoyable conversation.
Service is professional, well trained, good knowledge of the menu, friendly, and enthusiastic.
Convenient onsite parking is available.
618 Restaurant is open six days/week: Tuesday–Thursday 4–10, Friday–Saturday 4–11 & Sunday 2-9
Reservations are recommended especially on Friday & Saturday Evenings.
*Description of Restaurant Classification - Chef-Inspired Casual Dining:
- The current trend of upscale, high quality food focused restaurants.
- They are chef driven by chefs with impressive credentials including formal culinary education and skills honed at award winning restaurants.
- Serves an approachable, more casual menu with creative food preparation.
- Uses higher quality food ingredients such as imported items not available in the supermarket, with emphasis on local seasonal farm-to-table produce, wild caught seafood, & meats without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
- Chic, trendy ambiance with a casual atmosphere and a casual dress code.
- The wait staff is professional, knowledgeable, and attentive.
- Can be BYOB or have an alcohol menu with a variety of wines, specialty cocktails, and beers.
- Patrons are of all generations with medium to high incomes.The most popular upscale restaurants in New Jersey, classified into three categories; Chef-Inspired Fine Dining, Chef-Inspired Casual Dining, and Contemporary Casual.
The most popular upscale restaurants in New Jersey, classified into three categories; Chef-Inspired Fine Dining, Chef-Inspired Casual Dining, and Contemporary Casual.
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(Updated November 2022)
