230 Forest Avenue Restaurant

Food is Standard, Bar is Great. So let me get the boring stuff out of the way. The food was just ok. You don't go there for the food. The menu items are standard, too standard. Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Rosemary Thyme Chicken, Carb cakes, etc. Their desserts were boring (yawn).

BUT.......here are the plus-es. The decor is great. I like the look. On Friday nights the place is moving, so you know you're in the right place. The drinks were delicious as well. I had their 230 Martini and it was to die for.

So with such a great review, why the 3 stars. Well, it's called a restaurant, which I don't think focuses on their strength. I think they should be a bar that serves food. The restaurant part is just subpar.

I definitely recommend that you go for the happy hour and get yourself a martini.…

Great Martinis. I went on a Friday night so the place was pretty busy. We had made a reservation a couple of weeks in advance. That was fairly easy. We waited for about 15 minutes to get seated. (which I didn't really care for). This however gave us time to check out the drinks. My friend and I had the plum basil martini, which I guess they're well known for. it was fabulous. Not too sweet. Just the right amount of alcohol.

their meals were nothing special. Fairly standard fair. A little too cookie cutter. but well done. The halibut was cooked just right. We skipped dessert. the dishes were all reasonably priced. Between the two of us, the dinner came out to $73.…

Unbeateable Happy Hour. Fun place to hang-out place & delicious food. We girls love to hang out here since it's so close to the beach. Favorite yum drink: plum basil martini Favorite appetizers: sugar-cane tenderloin, ahi tuna tartar, calamari, manila clams & green-lip mussels, caesar salad with the cheese-cracker.

If you ever sit for dinner: the smoked bacon wrapped scallops, pan seared scallops, seabass & halibut are the bomb.

Dessert: bread pudding!…

Great place for dates & taking your friends/parents out. I love taking my boyfriend & parents to 230 Forest after walking alongside the beach and window shopping on Forest St. This is definitely a place to share with family and friends. Plus, they have enough flat screen TVs with sports games on; enough to keep the guys entertained & not at all distracting for everyone else to enjoy their meal.

The menu is made up of seafood & poultry, all of which is incorporated into classic American favorites such as baby back ribs, mac & cheese, grilled fish, steak & even beef stroganoff. Food to try:

Swordfish with crab meat - This was a chef's special & had a medley of corn, tomatoes, garlic & crab meat on top of the swordfish. No corn from a can from this place, it had the vibrant crunch of fresh corn!

Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese - Not on the menu, this is a side dish on one of the entrees. It's small enough to share with another person & adds to any meal. They added a little spice to the cheese & topped it with breadcrumbs for extra oomph.

Hoisin Duck Eggrolls - Appetizer. Great to split for 2-3 people & savory enough to satisfy ravenous guests. Especially since they put sliced hot baguettes & olive spread as soon as you're seated.

Baby Back Pork Ribs - Order the full, it's only $3 more than the half & you're sure to have perfect late-night leftovers. Amazingly paired with shoestring onion rings & mashed potatoes.

Molten Chocolate Bread Pudding - Save room for this coma-inducing dessert. This is a single large slice of bread pudding, soaked in the sweetness of caramel & cocoa. Walk a few times around the block after this one.…