When the hangover starts to subside on Saturday night and students fully recover from their night out at Porta, there is only one place on Monmouth students’ minds. Johnny Mac House of Spirits, or Jmacs as we call it, is located on Main Street in Asbury Park and houses Monmouth’s greatest local bar scene. With three different sections, great music, plenty of opportunities to socialize, and free pizza (yes, free pizza), this spot is everything a college student can dream of, even more so than Porta.
One of the first great appeals of Jmacs is the bar atmosphere. With three sections, this bar provides visitors with plenty of opportunities to socialize, and well as get their groove on.
“Jmac’s is the better bar because the music is better, it’s easier to talk with your friends (due to the lack of sweaty people), and the vibes are just better in general,” stated Vicky O’Malley, senior marine and environmental biology and policy major. At Jmacs, you don’t have to worry about wasted people pushing into you at every opportunity. The vibes here are more relaxed, all while still categorizing as a college bar.
While Jmacs won’t make you feel like you are on an episode of “Jersey Shore,” it will allow you to converse more with friends and partake in a social experience with people you might not have met anywhere else.
“Jmacs plays songs that are fun and energizing to sing along to with friends but you can still socialize without getting bumped into. During themed nights, the music fits into different genres and time periods that are appealing to different audiences and age groups,” explained Meghan Reilly, senior English major. Jmacs is also the perfect place for students to get their flirt on without having to worry about, let’s just say, strange individuals.
“Jmacs is my favorite bar because you can really do whatever you want. If you want to relax and talk to your friend there is a place to do that, if you want to dance there is a place to do that, and if you want to get free pizza and talk to strangers there is a place to do that too. It’s even better when the weather is nice because there is so much space to meet new people,” said Kristen Frawley, senior sociology and social work major.
While people might prefer Porta due to the ability to dance, Jmacs back tent features the same space to dance with friends while still being surrounded by their third bar. The music is modern, upbeat, and appealing to all different kinds of music fans. From Chappell Roan to Morgan Wallen, DJ Rob Bush always appeals to various music fans while still keeping the energy flowing in the building.
Last, but certainly not least, the greatest aspect of Jmacs is their free pizza. With each drink bought, customers are given a little red ticket that grants them access to some of the greatest pizzas in our vicinity. Yes, the lines are long, but the time spent in them with friends and the friendly people around you makes it fly by.
“Jmacs is significantly better than Porta for so many reasons, one of them being the free pizza. It is one of the greatest marketing schemes ever. Every time you buy a drink, you get a free pizza, which helps you sober up, leading you to buy more drinks. It’s convenient and delicious. Good drinks and free pizza, what’s better than that?” stated Olivia Puzio, senior psychology major.
Dave Portnoy even stopped by Jmacs to try their pizza during his One Bite Pizza Review series. He gave the pizza a 6.6 and told audiences that the experience was “one of its kind in the world” and that Jmacs was the “first-ever category of free bar pizza” while praising the individuality of the location.
Listen, I love Porta as well, but there are such unique aspects of Jmacs that you can’t find at any other bar. And with that, let’s just say they saved the best college bar for the last of the weekend.
Which is your favorite college bar? Scan the QR code to participate in our survey!
