BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse Opening In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you've been wondering when BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse is opening at the Ocean County Mall, wonder no more: the grand opening has been officially announced as July 1, just in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

The lights were on in the restaurant Thursday evening as traffic passed by on Hooper Avenue and people could be seen inside.

BJ's started as "a humble pizza shop" in 1978 and has expanded since then and their menu offers burgers, prime rib, pastas, pita tacos, and sandwiches, along with their signature dessert, a Pizookie — a cookie topped with ice cream and served in a mini deep-dish pan.

The restaurant offers deep-dish and "tavern-cut" pizza, a thin-crust pizza typically cut into squares that dates back to when taverns served it to keep patrons from leaving to get food elsewhere.

If you're in it for the craft beer, BJ's has a range of choices, from its Prickly Pear Honey Wheat to its PM Porter and Tatonka Stout. They also offer online ordering and a rewards program.

The grand opening on Monday, July 1, will be the first BJ's at the Jersey Shore; the company has more than 200 locations around the country.

It's part of a massive makeover of the north end of the mall where Sears stood for years. Simon Properties, the mall owner, is renovating that part, creating a new entrance and creating new pad sites that are bringing LA Fitness, Homesense and Ulta Beauty to the site.

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