Best Bars and Nightlife in and Around Toms River New Jersey

Toms River is the seat of Ocean County, and its nights out are spread across a few places: Main Street downtown, the water at the western end of the river, and the shopping corridors along Hooper Avenue and Route 37. I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living, and when I show homes in Toms River, buyers often ask where they would go for a drink, a band or a game. Here is a look at bars and breweries that were open when this guide was updated in September 2026. Hours and live music schedules change, so check with each place before you go.

Local Favorites

• The Office Restaurant & Lounge, 820 Main Street: Open since 1975, The Office marked 50 years in business in 2025. The menu runs from steaks and seafood to pasta, with a sushi bar alongside the kitchen. There is a happy hour menu and a daily specials menu. The bar is open until 12:30 a.m. most nights and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the restaurant takes reservations through Resy.

• Water Street Bar & Grill, 4 Robbins Parkway: A waterfront bar and restaurant on the Toms River, known for many years as Baker's Water Street. The menu covers burgers, wood-fired pizza and seafood, and there is an outdoor deck with boat access in the warmer months. It sits across from Huddy Park. Live bands play Friday and Saturday nights from 8:30 p.m., and the October 2026 calendar also lists bingo nights.

Sports Bars and Entertainment Hubs

• Tommy's Tavern + Tap, 1279 Hooper Avenue: The Toms River location of a New Jersey group of sports taverns, with a full bar, draft beer, cocktails and a food menu. It takes reservations and handles events and catering. The bar is open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Miracle Sports Pub, 201 Route 37 West: A sports pub with a package goods store, open daily from 10 a.m. It carries the NFL package and shows baseball, hockey, basketball, golf and NASCAR, with a menu of breakfast, burgers, wings, flatbreads and pizza.

• Riv's Toms River Hub, 1850 Hooper Avenue: A sports bar with burgers, wings and ribs, live music at the bar and UFC nights. It is open daily until 1:30 a.m.

• Mac's Pub, 1747 Hooper Avenue: A pub with trivia on Wednesdays, live music on Fridays, music bingo on Saturdays and a Tuesday prime rib special. This is the address that was long known as McIntyre's Pub.

• The Office also promotes NFL game viewing, so it doubles as a place to catch a game with a full dinner menu.

Craft Breweries and Distilleries

• Battle River Brewing, 69 Main Street: A brewery taproom in downtown Toms River with trivia every Monday and live music every Thursday. It opens in the evening on weeknights, from 4 p.m. on Fridays and at noon on weekends.

• Toms River Brewing, 1540 Route 37 West: A brewery with a bar and grill and a beer garden, in the former Rinn Duin Brewery space it took over in 2018. It describes itself as steeped in American-Irish tradition, and beers have included St. John's Irish Red Ale, Sweet Nothin' Honey Cream Ale and High Cross Red Rye IPA. The taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday, and crowlers, growlers and 4-packs are sold to go.

Wine Lounges and Upscale Bars

• Aqua Blu Kitchen & Cocktails, 3410 Route 37: Modern American cooking with an Italian influence, including steaks, pasta made daily and seafood, with wine, beer and cocktails across several rooms and bars. It has a happy hour menu and live entertainment, and it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

• B2 Bistro + Bar, 1250 Hooper Avenue: Across the road from the Ocean County Mall, with a wood-fired pizza oven, a sushi station, a patio, a wide-ranging wine list, rotating drafts and barrel-aged spirits. The space was previously Tuscan Bistro Bar.

• The Office Restaurant & Lounge on Main Street, with its sushi bar and full dining room, is the long-running choice downtown.

Late-Night Hotspots

• Water Street Bar & Grill: Open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with bands until about 12:30 a.m.

• Riv's Toms River Hub: Open until 1:30 a.m. every day.

• The Office Restaurant & Lounge: The bar stays open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the kitchen serves until midnight on those nights.

Worth the Short Drive

• Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club, 518 Arnold Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach: A comedy club that opened in 2004 and books touring comedians. It is in Point Pleasant Beach, not Toms River. Check the club's calendar for show times.

Toms River gives you a classic Main Street lounge, a riverfront bar with bands, sports pubs on Hooper Avenue and Route 37, and two breweries. If you are thinking about buying or selling in Toms River, I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato, and I'm glad to talk through the town with you, from downtown to the neighborhoods along the river and the bay.