Old Bay Restaurant In New Brunswick Closing

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A New Brunswick institution known for good times and good food is closing. After more than 30 years in business, Old Bay Restaurant in downtown New Brunswick is closing, owner Anthony Tola announced.

Old Bay will close at the end of December, Tola announced in a Facebook post. Incredibly, Old Bay had been open since 1987, serving Cajun-Creole-style dishes and offering New Orleans-themed drinks, merriment and live music of all genres to downtown New Brunswick. The restaurant was a known spot to Rutgers college students (of legal drinking age), young working professionals in the city, business people and families. Old Bay also had a Mardi Gras ball every February.

"Farewell, and what a long strange trip it’s been," Tola wrote on Facebook. "It started with a cynical statement to one of my best high school buddies, Anthony Ventre, in the summer of 1985. 'Let’s go to downtown New Brunswick and get some good seafood. ' He immediately knew that there was no such restaurant there serving seafood as the redevelopment effort in the downtown was in its infancy. We did extensive research into making such a restaurant happen. The concept evolved into a New Orleans seafood restaurant as we fell in love with the cuisine and musical culture of that city. Along the way Robert Steiger joined us as an investment partner and on Thursday May 28, 1987 we opened the doors to The Old Bay Restaurant. The rest as they say, is history."

"Now is the time to say goodbye. After over thirty years we will be closing our doors for the last time in late December," wrote Tola. "I will always be thankful for the countless patrons that frequented our premises. And give heartfelt thanks to all the employees that have given their hard labor and dedication into making The Old Bay the great success it has been over the years ... In our final weeks here, we would like to see you one last time for your favorite dish, an awarding winning craft beer, or one of our famous cocktails. And to say goodbye. As we wind down operations please keep an eye out for mail or social media announcements as we post some special events to celebrate our time here."

“He had a great run,” nearby nightclub owner Vinnie Brand told MyCentralJersey. Brand lives in Middletown and actually used to be on the Middletown Board of Education. He's a stand-up comedian and also the owner of the Stress Factory Comedy Club, up the street from the Old Bay. “The Old Bay was part of the old vanguard of the city, back from the days of the of the Roxy (Grill) and the Melody (Bar, both on French Street). The Old Bay was ahead of its time and if you went to the Old Bay, you’d see the best musicians in the area there, period.”

A Google Earth screenshot of Old Bay Restaurant at 61 Church Street in downtown New Brunswick.