Miller’s Ale House

One night after some shopping at Kohl’s on Rt. 35, we popped in for casual dinner at Miller’s Ale House, a national chain out of Jupiter, Florida that leans into the area’s local vibes.

The walls are adorned with photographs of local sports teams including the Jets, Giants, and Yankees. There are framed jerseys from well-known icons like Joe Namath, as well as Jersey jerseys from local sports teams, giving the restaurant a more hometown feel.

The hostess seats us in a booth in the indoor/outdoor patio, with the garage bay doors partly opened. There’s a nice breeze coming in, and the circular outdoor bar is beginning to fill up with after-workers grabbing a cold drink and settling in to watch a game on the many flatscreens.

Our friendly waitress Briana comes by for our drinks order from their wide selection of popular drafts and local craft beers on tap, including Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, Elysian Space Dust IPA, and Golden Road Mango Cart. Jeannine orders a Kona Longboard Lager and I opt for a summery 16 oz. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. Miller’s Ale House lives up to its name with a wide assortment of beers, a affordable cocktails like the Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita, Grey Goose Mule, Tito’s Strawberry Lemonade, Blackberry Bourbon Smash, and even non-alcoholic mocktails like the Dirty Cherry Cola.

The joint is bustling now as tables fill up in the main dining room, the padded banquettes along the walls, and the hi tops by the bar. Our semi-open patio area is popping as folks watch every game ESPN offers (plus golf) on the 15-plus TVs just in our sitting area.

Briana comes back and we order a couple burgers with fries. J gets their Classic Cheeseburger for the budget price of $10.99, while I splurge on their ‘Cue Bacon Burger because like that BBQ vibe. Other dinner options include six pasta options and five seafood dishes including a must-try English Pub Fish & Chips and Boom Boom Shrimp (watch out Bang Bang!). You can get a steak dinner four different ways from sirloin to ribeye to prime rib. They’ve got six different burgers, four big sandwiches, and six soup and salad options. There’s even a fully realized kid’s menu, with everything the rugrats love, from mac & cheese to chicken zingers.

There are lots of options for appetizers appropriate to a bar setting, from quesadillas and nachos to cream dips, calamari, dumplings, and mozzarella sticks. We are intrigued by Miller’s signature appetizer, the Zinger, a chicken tender crossed with a wing. It is zintriguing…

The burgers take a minute to arrive, so we relent and order those Zingers, with Sweet Thai, medium Buffalo, and Parmesan Peppercorn dipping sauces. They have the zing of a wing and the inger of a finger. The dipping sauces we choose are weird but good—except the parm dip wasn’t our fit, too cheesy, too gooey, and prone to separating. Overall, we’d order the Zingers again, maybe just covered in one sauce next time.

The burgers arrive and they are big and sizzling on a shiny Brioche bun, with a generous side of hot seasoned fries. My ‘Cue burger is juicy, with lots of frazzled onions and a rich BBQ taste. I ask J how hers is, and she mumbles something about it’s good.

Twenty minutes later we’re back in the parking lot, ambling toward New Jersey famous Strollo’s Lighthouse to peruse their ice cream offerings. We ultimately decide we are too full for soft serve (which won’t make it home unmelted), but it’s a great option, should you have room for dessert.

Miller’s, with its 100 locations across 10 states (including ones here at the Jersey Shore) is a great pit stop for a pub-style dinner, and an excellent place to score a truly affordable lunch. Sports fans, come watch the action and enjoy game day appetizer platters (even reserve a table for six or more fans to watch the World Cup). Nerds, come out on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Joe Trivia, and win prizes. Go online to nab digital coupons for free Zingers, or order online with the website coupon to receive $5 off a $40 online order, to pickup at the dedicated area in the back.

Miller’s Ale House
1603 NJ-35, Ocean Township, NJ 07712
(732) 795-9409
Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.–12 a.m.
Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.–1 a.m.

Save a Few Clams

Weekdays from 11-4 lunches starts at $7.99 for soup and salad dip, fish and chips, meatloaf, brunch burger and prime burger and domestic drafts at $4.49. Come on Monday or Tuesday for $16 ribs; snag Wednesday’s 12-count wings for $12; or treat yourself to $23 Prime Rib on Thursday and Sunday. Kids eat free on Tuesday.