Local Urban Kitchen

Local Urban Kitchen
1805 Route 35
Point Pleasant Beach
848-232-3451

Hours: Mon–Wed, 7 am–8 pm; Thurs–Sat, 7 am–10 am; Sun, 7 am–4 pm.

Price: $

Style: An organic eatery and juice bar with the vibe of a coffee house. Rustic pine tables and chairs invite diners to linger, chatting with friends or pecking away at a laptop.

Don’t Miss: For breakfast, three-egg omelets come in many varieties, like the Joe Leone ($10), named for a popular local deli owner and caterer. It features fresh mozzarella made at his deli, plus roasted red peppers and spinach. Or create your own for $10, choosing three ingredients from a wide-ranging list that includes turkey bacon, chickpeas and vegan cheddar. Even a short stack of chocolate-chip pancakes ($8) is big enough to share. The gluten-free vegan waffle ($9) is crisp outside and fluffy inside. Lunch choices are just as varied: The Thanksgiving special panini is filled with turkey breast, corn stuffing and cranberry sauce ($10); the black-bean burger comes with avocado and salsa on multigrain bread ($10). Salads include spinach quinoa with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, chia and sunflower seeds ($10), and the LUK salad, a grab bag of greens, walnuts, strawberries, dried cranberries, tomato, cucumber, red onion, broccoli, sunflower seeds and feta in a balsamic vinaigrette ($10). Or peruse a long list of ingredients and invent your own salad (three toppings, $8; for a few dollars more add chicken, tofu, ahi tuna, more toppings, more dressing). The juice-bar menu is extensive. Try the Maj Mix—kale, carrot, mint and apple ($8, 24 ounces). Or toss back a 2-ounce shot of wheatgrass or other virtuous potions for $4. Smoothies include the green tea, which adds avocado, spinach, strawberry and grapes to the title ingredient ($7.50, 24 ounces).

Heads Up: The first Local Urban Kitchen opened in Brielle in the spring of 2012 and is still going strong. Point Pleasant Beach opened two years later in a bigger space with its own parking lot.

The Scoop: LUK does a brisk take-out business. Order ahead, or grab a pre-packaged meal or dish from the fridge. LUK has occasional live music in the evening.