Gourmet Takeout & Specialty Markets Near Belmar, NJ
- Jul 26, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 18
Although our Belmar vacation rental has a well-equipped kitchen for preparing meals, sometimes you just don't feel like cooking after a sun-soaked day on the beach. For moments when you’d rather relax than make dinner or trek out to a restaurant, fill your fridge with high-quality takeout meals from our favorite gourmet markets and Italian specialty shops. Simply reheat your to-go meal in the oven or microwave, make a fresh salad if you like, and enjoy an easy dinner from the comfort of home!
Below, you'll find a local's list of the area's most popular gourmet takeout markets near Belmar NJ. Shop these specialty markets for take-home meals, fresh ravioli and sauces, entrees, sides, salads, fresh Italian bread from New York, pasta dishes, meatballs, robust deli sandwiches, and desserts. In many of the shops, you'll also find a selection of imported oils, foods, and grocery items. The markets are listed in order of proximity to our beach house vacation rental in Belmar.
Drew's Market
Spring Lake Heights Shopping Center
2407 Route 71
Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey 07762
732-974-9399
Drew's Market is popular among the locals for its takeout entrees, full-service deli, catering services, and in-house butcher. Drew's Market is very close to our Belmar rental, less than 10 minutes away by car.
On August 1, 2023, a new owner, Chuck Grosso, took over the operations of Drew's Market. He's made some renovations to the store but has kept the traditional recipes and takeout offerings that Drew's is known for.
In addition to daily hot and cold lunch specials, I shop at Drew's for dinner entrees, homemade soups, fresh Pastosa brand ravioli from Brooklyn (more on that below!), Boar's Head cold cuts, and Italian bread from New York City. Check out the wide selection of fresh meats, house-made Italian sausage, and fresh Bell & Evans chicken.
Belmar Beachcomber recommends: Chicken Diane, Pastosa ravioli, holiday pie (turkey pot pie with stuffing and cranberry sauce on top), balsamic marinade, shrimp salad, grilled turkey London broil, lobster bisque, chicken pot pies, stuffed rigatoni with sausage, and beef barley soup, cheesy garlic bread, to name a few of our favorites.
Joe Leone's Italian Specialties
527 Washington Boulevard
Sea Girt, New Jerse 08750
732-681-1036
Joe Leone's Italian Specialties will celebrate its 20th year of business in 2027. Joe Leone's flagship location is located in Point Pleasant Beach, but the second location in Sea Girt is closer to our summer rental home in Belmar.
Similar to Drew's Market, Joe Leone's offers catering, as well as a wide variety of gourmet takeout fare. You'll find seasonal menu items, homemade soups, made-to-order deli sandwiches, and a rotating roster of chef’s specials packed by the pound to takeout.
The Sea Girt location of Joe Leone's offers grab-and-go fare — prepared sandwiches, packaged foods, salads, soups, sauces, etc., conveniently packaged for takeout.
If you're game for a short drive, the Pt. Pleasant Beach location of Joe Leone's Italian Specialties has a wide selection of imported gourmet foods and takeout prepared foods, homemade breads, fresh mozzarella, and cheese. It's a fun adventure for foodies!
A third Joe Leone's location, the Centro Market at 113 Main Street in downtown Manasquan, New Jersey, opened in March 2022.
Belmar Beachcomber recommends: Flounder Francaise, honey balsamic dressing, potato salad, semolina rolls, pasta fagioli soup, homemade rice pudding, stuffed breads, chicken cutlets, and the specials.
RELATED: Where To Shop For Groceries Near Our Belmar Vacation Rental
Pastosa Ravioli
2410 Highway 35
Manasquan, New Jersey
732-722-8076
After discovering the Pastosa cheese ravioli at Drew's Market for several years ago, I was thrilled when Pastosa opened a market with its full product line nearby in Manasquan, New Jersey. The Manasquan location of Pastosa Ravioli is the second one at the Jersey Shore for this family-owned and operated Italian specialties market (Matawan being the first).
Trust me: You will never eat grocery store ravioli after one bite of the fresh ravioli from Pastosa. Although the round cheese ravioli are my personal favorite, Pastosa's in Manasquan sells an unbelievable variety of ravioli flavors: chicken, crab, lobster, meat, broccoli rabe, artichoke, spinach, pumpkin, gorgonzola-walnut, sun-dried tomato, Tuscan style (stuffed with potatoes, leeks, and pancetta), and more. For those with special dietary needs, Pastosa also sells low-fat, gluten-free, and whole-wheat ravioli.
The gourmet sandwiches here are hearty and served on semolina bread delivered fresh from Brooklyn and Staten Island. Shop here for prime cuts of meat, fresh Italian sausage, pasta sauces, fresh and frozen pasta, hot and cold prepared foods, Boar's Head cold cuts, traditional Italian desserts, and more. And the tiramisu? Incredible!! You must try it. Find it in the frozen case at the front of the store.
Belmar Beachcomber recommends: Fresh cheese ravioli, marinara, meat sauce, vodka sauce, focaccia pizzas, fresh Mozzarella, chicken soup, artichoke hearts with seasoned bread crumbs, tiramisu, marinated bean salad.
Other Gourmet Takeout Markets Near Belmar NJ:
Tom Bailey's Market
1323 3rd Avenue
Spring Lake, New Jersey 07762
732-282-0920
Tom Bailey's West
2100 Highway 35
Sea Girt, New Jersey
848-469-8820
Whole Foods Prepared Foods
1933 State Road 35
Wall, NJ 07719
732-359-3400
ShopRite of Belmar
1732 State Route 35
Wall Township, New Jersey 07719
732-681-0900
The World-Class ShopRite supermarket at Route 35 and 18th Avenue in Wall Township, New Jersey, has an expansive prepared foods section! You'll find a fresh salad bar, soup bar, sushi, Chinese food, BBQ ribs, submarine sandwiches (if you know me, you know I call them hoagies!), entrees and sides to go, rotisserie chicken, bake-at-home pizza, fresh pasta and sauces, and much more. The butternut squash soup is my go-to in fall and winter ... also a fan of the creamy tuna salad and the turkey London broil for salads.
Local Tips: Marked-down prepared foods and bakery items are sold daily at the front of the store by the checkout registers. If you're bringing lunch somewhere, you also can order custom subs (hoagies) right at at the sandwich counter — great for a day at the beach, a fishing trip, or a tiki boat tour.
Live Like A Local: Rent A Belmar Beach House
Day trips down the shore are fun, but the best way to experience the area is to unpack your bags and stay for a week or two. If you are looking for a clean, quiet getaway for a couple, solo stay, or small family trip, our updated two-bedroom Blue Hydrangea Cottage in Belmar, New Jersey, is the perfect place to relax in serene surroundings at the Jersey Shore.
The house sleeps up to four people and is consistently rated five stars by our guests for its fantastic location, spotless upkeep, and all the thoughtful details that make for an easy beach stay. You can see photos and check open dates on our Blue Hydrangea Cottage rental page.
RELATED: Explore our local Belmar NJ Travel Guide to plan your beach days, dining, and local events.
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