Home Care In Rumson, NJ

I was saddened to hear that an extremely popular restaurant in Rumson was closing its doors after a long 27 years sitting along the pristine banks of the Navesink River.

The Salt Creek Grille is a place that has a spectacular happy hour featuring half-priced wines, reduced-price drinks, and dinner specials depending on what day of the week you are lucky enough to enjoy.

For 27 years, the Salt Creek Grille cranked out good mesquite-fired dishes, good service, and had great bartenders. I enjoyed the restaurant. I was friends with their former managing partner, Steve Bidgood, who had tremendous energy and a great personality.

I hosted many of his wine-and-cheese charity functions and auctions in the party room that openedt to the beautiful views of the Navesink River.

It was a place to relax and hang out with family and friends.

Why is Salt Creek closing?

The official notice from the managing partners at Salt Creek Grille says that their lease has ended. The last day of operations will be Dec. 31, 2025.

Salt Creek Grille Rumson is the third of four Salt Creek Grilles to close. Princeton closed its doors in October of 2025, citing COVID as a strong reason for the closing. Princeton Salt Creek was surrounded by office buildings and with a sizable percentage of the nation’s workforce now working from home, gone were the client luncheons, executive happy hours and grabbing dinner after work. I understand how that could be the demise of the Princeton location.

The Salt Creek Grille in Rumson did well during the week, and maybe the same holds true for the “work at home” realization that once people are home, it is tough for them to make the effort to go out and eat dinner and relax. Weekends were busy but you need the week to sustain a successful restaurant that occupies a large space on the river in one of New Jersey’s most prestigious ZIP codes. Rent, utilities, and insurance are at a premium. It is very tough to pay that premium if you are not getting the necessary foot traffic into your restaurant.

The Salt Creek Grille opened its first location in 1996 in Valencia, California. The partners then opened Dana Point, California, followed by Rumson then Princeton. All but the Valencia location remains under the Salt Creek Grille umbrella.

What is next for that location?

Nancy Mulheren, a longtime resident of Rumson, owns the property where the Salt Creek Grille resides. She also owns the surrounding post office and Crazees ice cream store.

She is a philanthropist who has helped so many through her generosity. What I enjoy about Nancy is that she is a preservationist in trying to keep Rumson a community that serves the people while keeping the beauty of Rumson aesthetically consistent.

No word on what will go into the space of the Salt Creek Grille, but it will be a pleasing, enjoyable restaurant for all of us to enjoy. You cannot beat that view.

Thank you to the staff at Salt Creek Grille; I had many enjoyable times there with both family and friends. I wish you well.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

On a 99-yard, second-half drive, which ultimately put the game out of reach, Wall ran 22 plays.

Rumson-Fair Haven snapped the ball all of 16 times in the first half — four of those were punts.

Wall pushed Rumson-Fair Haven forward when on offense and backward on defense Friday night. The Knights ended RFH’s reign as Group 2 champions with a 17-14 victory in Wall in the NJSIAA/Xfinity Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.

The victory by Wall (8-2) was its eighth-straight and advanced the second-seeded Knights to the CJ2 final next Friday at top-seeded Camden (8-2). Camden overpowered Manasquan in the other semifinal, 46-6.

Wall opened up a 17-0 lead when the 22-play drive ended with a 32-yard field goal by Heath Reinhardt with 9:08 left to play. Rumson-Fair Haven put together a pair of scoring drives but ultimately ran out of timeouts and time.

“Once we went up by 17 I knew time was on our side,” said Wall head coach Ed Gurrieri.

With the loss, Rumson-Fair Haven (6-4) failed to reach a sectional final for the first time since 2012.

“We kept it simple,” said. “We kept going forward. We were physical, hard-nosed and ran down hill.”

There is a formula to beating Rumson-Fair Haven — at least over the last decade.

An opponent needs to run the football, stop the run, be better up front and stay ahead of the chains. Wall did them all.

The Knights had only five negative plays all night. They outgained Rumson-Fair Haven 73-19 on first down, converted five times on third down and three on fourth. Wall finished with a 168-36 rushing yards advantage.

On defense, Wall did not allow a first down in the first half. It held RFH to minus 13 rushing yards through the first two quarters and six total yards in first half.

“Wall did exactly what it did all year,” said RFH head coach Jeremy Schulte referencing Wall powerhouse run game and line dominance on both sides of the ball. “We executed in the second have but not earlier in the game. We had a lot of negative plays in the first half.”

Wall was especially dominant when it came to time of possession (the third-quarter drive went 12:44. Its first scoring drive went 10 plays and took 5:59 off the clock. Its second was a 9-play drive that consumed 4:51.

Wall’s running back put up big numbers after contact. Dylan Cohen had 80 yards and Mike Boulard had 45.

“Dylan and Mike never go down on the first hit,” said Wall’s senior QB Brian McKenna, who threw a TD pass.

Wall scored on its second possession driving 66 yards. Cohen carried seven for 36 yards on the march. The Knights found success attack the Rumson edges. Cohen capped things off with a four-run over right tackle with 2:39 left in the first period.

Wall’s second scoring drive in the second quarter covered 51 yards. The six-run, three-pass march ended on a 23-yard strike from McKenna to Maddox Mizelle. On the play, McKenna rolled right and connected with Mizelle at the pylon on a third-and-nine.

“Maddox (Mizelle) ran a post-corner,” McKenna said. “He ran a great route.”

The second half opened with Wall forcing Rumson to punt on a fifth-straight drive. Then came the 99-yard drive after Rumson punter Drew Cavise pinned Wall at its own one yard line with a 62-yard kick.

The methodical, penalty-free drive, featured two third-down conversions and one on fourth down. Except for a 21-yard pass from McKenna to Justin Davis, Wall nickel-and-dimed its way down the field.

Playing with a sense of urgency, RFH scored twice in the final 9:08. Using short drops designed to get the ball out of QB Brady Williams’ hands quickly, Rumson scored with 5:36 left on a five-yard pass from Williams to Cole Spoonire. With 2:13 remaining Williams threw another touchdown to Jack Gyimesi also from five yards out. It pulled RFH to within 17-13.

After the second TD, Schulte decided to go for one point and not two. A two point conversion would have cut the Wall lead to 17-15. Wall, however, blocked the kick.

Wall handled two RFH onsides kicks to secure the victory.

While work to fully remove the old bridge continues, county officials said concrete from the bridge will help construct a fishing reef.

RUMSON, NJ — Concrete from the old Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge is prepared to ship to a designated spot off Sandy Hook, where it will be used to construct a fishing reef, the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners announced Thursday.

While work will continue until Spring 2026 to fully remove the old Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone said the concrete being used to build a fishing reef off Sandy Hook (as approved by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection) is ready to go.

The process will involve using barges to transport materials around Sandy Hook to the designated reef site, officials said.

“Fishing reefs like the one to be constructed offer numerous ecological benefits such as creating habitat for marine life, providing protection for juvenile fish and offering recreational opportunities for anglers and reef divers,” Arnone said.

“My fellow Commissioners and I are proud to see the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge project contribute to both our infrastructure and our environment by transforming the old bridge into a resource that supports our coastal ecosystem," Arnone continued.

Demolition work for the bridge is being done by Richard E. Pierson Construction Co., Inc. of Pilesgrove, NJ, officials said.

News of the concrete being ready to ship follows a previous announcement from the county about their plans to use parts of the old bridge to construct a fishing reef off Sandy Hook.

Construction on the old bridge came after Monmouth County received $31 million in federal funding for its replacement in 2020.

According to the NJ Department of Transportation, the existing bridge structure was “at the end of its service life” and required a complete replacement.

The county then proposed a movable bridge to replace the structure, and over the summer, the new Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge was able to open to the public.

To learn more about the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge and see updates on the project, you can visit the bridge website.

Previous Coverage

The legendary waterfront restaurant announced its impending closure in a statement posted on Friday. See details:

RUMSON, NJ — After 27 years in the local community, a beloved Jersey Shore restaurant will be closing its doors at the end of December.

Salt Creek Grille, located on Bingham Avenue in Rumson, announced its impending closure in an online statement posted on Facebook on Friday afternoon.

In their statement, the Grille said they have come to the end of their lease and will be closing their doors on Dec. 31 “after 27 incredible years.” The announcement comes just a month after they announced the closure of their Princeton location.

“While this chapter is coming to an end, the memories we’ve created together will last a lifetime,” the Grille said in their statement.

Before Salt Creek Grille closes, the restaurant said they have eight weeks left to fill their walls with “joy, clinking glasses, and one last round of your favorite dishes.”

The restaurant is inviting patrons to come say goodbye, raise a toast, and help make the Grille’s final days unforgettable.

Customers can tag @SaltCreekGrille in their favorite memories and photos online with the hashtag “#SCGRumsonFarewell,” officials said. The restaurant will repost their favorites.

“To our loyal patrons who’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, first dates, and quiet Tuesday nights with us — thank you,” the restaurant said. “Your laughter, stories, and support have filled this space with warmth and heart.”

“To our amazing staff, many of whom have been with us for over two decades, you are the soul of Salt Creek,” the restaurant continued. “Your passion and dedication made this place truly special.”

Salt Creek Grille first opened its doors in 1996 in Dana Point, California, and was started by restaurateur Tim McCune and his original business partner, Pete Truxaw, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press.

Before the Grille's Rumson location closes on Dec. 31, they will be open daily through New Year's Eve, the restaurant said.

To learn more about Salt Creek Grille, you can visit its website.

Salt Creek Grille is located at 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson.

RUMSON – A beloved riverfront restaurant is closing its doors after 27 years.

Salt Creek Grille in Rumson has announced on Facebook that its last day is on Dec. 31.

“We have come to the end of our lease, and while this chapter is coming to an end, the memories we created together will last a lifetime,” the announcement read.

This comes just over a month after the restaurant announced the closing of its Princeton location.

“After nearly 20 years in the Princeton community, it is with heavy hearts that we announce Salt Creek Grille Princeton will close its doors after service on Saturday, October 4^th,” another announcement read. “This decision has not come easily. Since COVID, we’ve faced ongoing challenges, and despite the dedication of our incredible team and the support of so many loyal guests, it is no longer sustainable to remain open.”

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Salt Creek Grille was started by restauranteur Tim McCune and his original business partner Pete Truxaw, according to its website.

It first opened its doors in 1996 in Dana Point, California. It served causal American grille. When it closed in 2024, the restaurant was so beloved that a group with real estate, restaurant and hospitality backgrounds decided to buy the restaurant and reopen it five months later under the same name, according to the Dana Point Times.

The Salt Creek Grille’s last location in Valencia, California is still open.

“To our loyal patrons who’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, first dates and quiet Tuesday nights with us – thank you. Your laughter, stories, and support have filled this space with warmth and heart,” the restaurant’s announcement about its Rumson closing read. “To our amazing staff, many of whom have been with us for over two decades, you are the soul of Salt Creek. Your passion and dedication made this place truly special.”

The restaurant did not return a request for comment by publication time.

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at [email protected].