From bar fights to chill fire pits, Jersey Shore nightlife remains a COVID-19 work in progress

The first sign of trouble at Donovan’s Reef Beach Bar in Sea Bright came before even entering the longtime Jersey Shore beachfront hangout rebuilt after being destroyed in Hurricane Sandy.

A bouncer advised the line waiting anxiously for some Saturday night fun that the wait could be a while due to a fight being broken up. A bar fight didn’t bode well for the required social distancing ordered for outdoor restaurants in the age of coronavirus.

Once beyond the entrance, I walked the ramp to the upper level of the expansive outdoor bar and surveyed the scene — a sea of 20-somethings in crop tops a…