Local Restaurants Compete by Offering Tasty $5 Lunch Menus

Living on a budget is hard. You can't dine out at fancy restaurants all the time. So Patch went around to some local eateries to find where you can get the most bang for your five bucks.

The Pine Tavern at 151 Route 34 in Aberdeen has a $5 lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 12 p.m. through 3 p.m. on Saturday. There is a fairly large $5 lunch menu including Chicken Marsala, Chicken Louisiana, a Chicken Caesar Wrap and the Tavern Burger.  The restaurant has a full bar and lots of space to eat with friends. The Chicken Caesar Wrap was very flavorful and the the freshly cut fries were the perfect amount of crispy.

While The Pine Tavern features many chicken dishes, The Brass Rail at 89 Freneau Avenue in Matawan has more variety. The former Poets' Inn, they serve $5 lunches Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes a crab melt, Grilled Swiss and Bacon on rye, angel hair with broccoli and chicken, and penne with vodka. Many of the dishes served in the spacios dining room were pasta dishes. I tried the penne with vodka sauce, which was served piping hot and was nice and creamy.

The $5 menu at Cafe 34 Bistro was far from skimpy, featuring some of their best selling dishes, according to Kathy, my server. Cafe 34 at 787 Route 34 in Matawan serves $5 lunches every day from noon to 3 p.m. The atmosphere here was more of a restaurant feel, whereas the other locations were more of a bar and grill. Their choices for the $5 lunch are the taco salad, chicken Caesar, or chef salad, in addition to a mini turkey wrap, soft tacos, chicken quesadillas, sliders, and chicken or tuna melts and plenty of pasta dishes. I was intrigued by the taco salad, so I decided to try it out. I would be lying if I didn't tell you I thought there there would be some sort of bowl or shell like at most fast food places. Instead I was pleased with Cafe 34's twist on this dish.

Bart's Restaurant at 74 Main Street in downtown Matawan boasts a $5 lunch menu with a wide variety available Wednesday through Friday starting at 11:30 a.m. Head there for items from Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Salad to Chunky Red Chile & Beef to Sweet Potato Gnocci with Gorgonzola Sauce. Make sure you have cash if you are eating alone, since there is a $15 minimum for credit card purchases.

If you want a faster lunch, then Trattoria Rustica at 259 Main Street in Matawan is your choice. It serves $5 lunches Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Rustica is a quaint pizzeria with the perfect mix of a nice dining room and lunch hot-spot. It serves $5 meals from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The majority of lunch options available at this low price were pasta dishes, so I decided to try the Sienna. Don't get hooked on any one item, though - items on the menu can change daily.

Another very good Italian restaurant in Matawan is Famiglia Ristorante and Pizzeria, 4 Morristown Road in Matawan. It serves $5 lunches from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Their $5 menu was rather large, serving dinner entrees, cold subs, hot subs, pasta, and special sandwiches made with foccacia bread. While on my Tour De Cheap Local Lunches, I tried to sample a variety of dishes. So this time around, I chose a foccacia sandwich to munch on. The Tuscano foccacia was tasty and almost too much to eat! The crisp and flavored bread blended well with the prosciutto and fresh ingredients.

And last but not least, La Riviera at 113 Main Street in Matawan also boasts a smokin' $5 lunch special from noon to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The vibe was a lot like a club; with a rather large menu. Some of their selections include Pan-Seared Garlic Shrimp, Turkey Burger, Jalapeno Poppers, and Chicken Fingers. Their $5 menu is served for both lunch and Happy Hour, so there is no chance that you will go home hungry.