Reddog’s Hi Point Pub: A Dive-Bar Comeback… Kind Of

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The memories I have at Absecon’s Hi Point Pub are some that I will cherish. I’m talking about the buffalo chicken wrap of my dreams (yes, I still think about it regularly) and the legendary 21st birthdays that always seemed to end with a Shirley Temple and a bacon, egg & cheese. The vibes? Chaotic. The memories? Iconic.

But as the news headlines rolled in over the years, serious accidents, drunk drivers plowing into lawns, you could feel the era slipping away. So when the doors finally shut for good, my nostalgia kicked in HARD. (Had I known it was my last buffalo chicken wrap, I would have held my last one a little tighter.) Sure, their neighbors dish out some decent eats… but Hi Point had that “dark, dingy, lovable dive bar” energy that no one else could quite recreate.

Enter: Reddog’s Hi Point Pub

BUT!!! Plot twist! The pub was reborn thanks to new owners, a new look, and a new name: Reddog’s Hi Point Pub. The local paper even covered their grand opening. Family-friendly branding! Renovations! New theme! New logo with a shamrock that whispered, Maybe I’m Irish…?

So naturally, a few years later when I was in the area, curiosity got the best of me. Time for a little Hi Point reboot adventure.

First Impressions: Monday Night Quiet

I walked in after work on a Monday and… crickets. Just me, a regular, and the bartender having a very low-energy standoff. But hey, I like the calm before the storm.

Inside, there wasn’t much that seemed different from before. Nothing screamed “Irish pub.” Actually, it didn’t seem to scream anything. It felt more like, “We’ll figure out our personality later.” Family-friendly? Hmm… not sure that’s the vibe either.

There is a side room with a pool table, shuffleboard/bowling hybrid, and a golf simulator, which definitely helps.

Naturally, I asked for a mocktail menu.

Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t one.

If I bought a bar with a dicey past? I’d be pushing safe, fun mocktails like my life depended on it. Root beer floats, whipped-cream soda concoctions, something. But nope. So, Shirley Temple it is.

And Then… THE CHERRY INCIDENT

Let me set the scene.

My Shirley Temple arrives.

I lift the ruby red glass.

I look inside.

NO. CHERRIES.

Look, I know it’s not legally required, but c’mon. WHERE IS THE LOVE? This is a lifestyle choice.

Food & Vibes

The menu is teeny tiny now compared to the last owners, classic Bar Rescue/Kitchen Nightmares move, which helps ensure quality of food, so I get it. It was happy hour, and the food specials were tucked away into a tiny box on the table tent on the bar. Nothing called out to me, so I went with a grilled chicken sandwich. It was good! Not memorable, but good. Fries were crispy, so that’s always a moral victory.

What actually saved the visit? DJ Trivia. Happy-hour-long trivia, gift cards for the winners, and just enough competitiveness to make it fun.

They’ve since moved Trivia to a later time, but they still offer plenty of weekly entertainment: live music, brunch, trivia, you name it.

Will I be back? Ehhh. Nothing really hooked me.

Final Sober Party Score: 5/10

A very enthusiastic “meh.”

Pros & Cons

Pros 👍✨

  • 🎱 Pool table & games (shuffleboard/bowling + golf simulator!)

  • 📺 Sports always on TV

  • 🍟 Edible food with some standout hits

  • 🎤 Great weekly entertainment (trivia, live music, bingo, brunch)

Cons 👎😬

  • 🚫🍹 No mocktail menu

  • 🍒❌ NO CHERRIES in the Shirley Temple (a crime, honestly)

  • 📉 Smaller menu with limited options

  • 😕 Missing the warm, friendly vibe from the old days

  • 🤷‍♀️ Overall… meh


UPDATE: A Better Round Two

We went back, because when your friends and family live nearby, Hi Point becomes the default meeting spot whether you like it or not.

And actually? It was better this time.

The wings with bang bang sauce were chef’s kiss. My husband inhaled the French onion soup. My cousin’s Caesar salad with jumbo shrimp looked like it came from a totally different kitchen. Color me pleasantly surprised.

BUT… still no mocktails. And yes, still no cherries in my Shirley Temple. At this point, it’s becoming my villain origin story.

Revised Sober Party Score: 5.5/10
 Great food options discovered, still mourning the cherry drought.


***This post was originally written in April and May of 2025.***
Location: Absecon, NJ, USA

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