Saltwater Bar & Kitchen, the Bay Avenue restaurant known for its lobster fried rice and Nashville hot chicken, has closed after two years in Highlands. Chef Mike Metzner announced the closure via social media, thanking the people who kept the spot running and the customers who kept coming back.
According to nj.com, Metzner opened the restaurant two years ago on Bay Avenue in Highlands, building a menu that leaned into local seafood and comfort-food mashups. The lunch and dinner menu included local clam chowder, pork belly bao buns, Nashville hot chicken, seared scallops and that lobster fried rice, per the same report. As reported by New Jersey 101.5, the restaurant spent two years serving Monmouth County with fresh plates, hand-crafted drinks and a laid-back coastal atmosphere.
A Bittersweet Goodbye From the Chef
In his announcement, Metzner thanked the people who supported Saltwater over the last two years, as well as the team behind the scenes, according to New Jersey 101.5's report of the closure. The outlet notes that he specifically credited the staff for its hard work and long hours in keeping the restaurant afloat.
Saltwater had built a following among locals and visitors alike, and that support was on full display once word of the closure spread. Patrons responded on social media with messages of sadness and gratitude, per New Jersey 101.5, and several commenters reportedly offered support to staff members as they figure out what comes next.
What's Next for the Bay Avenue Space
Saltwater Bar & Kitchen by Big Mike was listed at 128 Bay Ave. in Highlands, New Jersey, according to a business directory maintained by Highlands NJ. For now, there's no word on what might come next for the storefront, and the circumstances behind the closure haven't been detailed publicly.
What is clear is that another small Jersey Shore restaurant has shut its doors, leaving behind two years of memories for the regulars who found their way to Bay Avenue for a bowl of chowder or a plate of scallops. Metzner's message, as characterized by New Jersey 101.5, framed the closing as a thank-you rather than a farewell to the food business altogether.
