SerpApi.Org
New Jersey is split on enough things—Bon Jovi or The Boss, pork roll or taylor ham—so we’re not going to add Long Beach Island to the list. It’s about 90 minutes from Philly and two hours from NYC, but the truth is, everyone should spend time here. And when you do go, use this guide to decide where to eat and drink.
Along with some great seafood, there are spots for cheesesteaks, bagels, rapidly melting ice cream cones, and all of the Jersey Shore’s other primary food groups. Our guide includes everything from 24/7 diners to candlelit special occasion spots throughout LBI, and a few just off-island in Manahawkin that are worth the drive. And if you’re looking for the best places to eat in other Shore towns like Asbury Park and Point Pleasant, we’ve got guides for those, too.
THE SPOTS
Fuji 72 Japanese Steakhouse
Don’t let the Texas-sized menu overwhelm you. You’re here for the hibachi. At this sprawling Route 72 spot, chefs cook shrimp, steak, scallops, and lobster on the griddle in front of you, complete with onion volcanoes, flying shrimp, and the occasional spatula trick. Every meal comes with an enormous pile of fried rice, vegetables, plus your choice of protein (or two). And if you want to add a sushi roll, the raw fish is surprisingly good, too. Bring the kids for dinner and a show, or gather friends for a celebratory meal. There’s a full bar, and depending on the chef, you might earn a celebratory squirt of sake after catching a shrimp like a particularly talented seal.
Dock & Claw Clam Bar
Dock & Claw is for anyone yearning to relive childhood memories of clam shack dinners downashore, but realizes in adulthood that nostalgia alone doesn’t quite make up for the frozen seafood and soggy fries some are serving these days. In 2022, new owners took over this space of a beloved Beach Haven seafood institution. They uphold that nostalgia with a menu of classics like local oysters and lobster rolls, but added some more ambitious options, like chimichurri-brushed peri-peri swordfish skewers and birria tacos stuffed with spiced crab. It’s BYOB but sells a few local wines onsite, so grab a bottle, meet friends, and stake out the big wooden table on the front lawn. Or, bring your kids and gather around the horseshoe bar that dominates the space inside.
Black Eyed Susan's Cafe
Everyone knows that setting a calendar reminder a few weeks in advance is the only way to get a reservation at Her Place Supper Club in Philly or Carbone in Manhattan, but you should also keep that in mind if you plan on eating at Black Eyed Susan’s in Harvey Cedars. This spot is constantly packed with people celebrating special occasions, like a kid’s completion of freshman year, or an anniversary (while their freshman kid raids their liquor cabinet back at the house). The reason this white-tablecloth restaurant is constantly slammed is the seafood-focused American food, like doughy, charred gnocchi with big chunks of lobster, and jumbo lump crab cakes. On weekends, you'll want a seat outside—they frequently have a live band playing.
The Chicken Or The Egg
Even though you’re officially on vacation, it can take a while to forget about real-life issues like incompetent bosses and forgotten Netflix passwords. The best way to snap yourself into “vacation mode” on LBI is to head to The Chicken Or The Egg (Chegg) in Beach Haven. It’s a diner filled with groups who seem to have all gotten the memo on the implicit dress code of tank tops and flip-flops. The menu is huge, ranging from six-egg omelets to a reuben with not-too-salty housemade corned beef. This place also serves some of the best buffalo wings we’ve ever had, which are offered naked or breaded and tossed in your choice of 18 different sauces. The plate of naked wings with zapper sauce is our go-to order, and when we say that the wildly spicy ludicrous sauce is a day-ruiner, you should trust us.
Tucker's Tavern
We may not have been close friends with the kid at school who had the party house, but we still hung out there every afternoon in the summer. Tucker’s Tavern feels like that kid’s house, and the huge square bar in the middle of this spot in Beach Haven is where you should find yourself during Happy Hour from 3-6pm Monday through Friday, eating baskets of wings and $1 oysters. Similar to the party house in high school, there’s usually someone playing guitar in the corner, and there’s a roof where you can watch the sunset with someone who you asked to prom.
Bird And Betty's
Bird and Betty’s is a great spot to meet up with a couple of friends and have an excellent meal while listening to the music of Jersey Shore icon Jimmy Buffet. Owned by the group behind Parker’s Garage, Old Causeway, and Black Whale, you can expect quality seafood like steamed clams and blackened mahi mahi. But unlike those other restaurants, Bird and Betty’s also has delicious wood-fired pizzas, which pair well with a local beer and a game of corn hole.
Harvey Cedars Shellfish Co.
Coming all the way to the north side of the island and skipping Harvey Cedars Shellfish is like going all the way to Paris and not even taking a peep at the Eiffel Tower. The cozy clapboard BYOB is an institution, and has been slinging some of the island’s best clams, crab cakes, and simply steamed lobsters since 1974. But don’t snooze on their more elaborate dishes—come with a group and share the spicy calamari veracruz and creamy crab and artichoke dip. There’s usually a wait, but you can always pop your bottles early and get a little too competitive at the Hook & Ring game in the parking lot.
Parker's Garage & Oyster Saloon
Parker’s Garage opened in 2016 in Beach Haven, and it’s located right by the marinas, which will have you wondering if the fish came from the boat that’s parked right next to you. We’ve enjoyed things like Nashville hot fried oysters and roasted tilefish here, but if it’s available, try the chef’s tasting. You won’t know what you’ll be eating until it’s in front of you, but bet on having some super-fresh seafood that was probably caught that morning.
Black Whale Bar & Fishhouse
Black Whale is less than a block from Parker’s Garage, and both spots are from the same team, but deciding between the two is pretty straightforward. If you want dinner, go to Parker’s Garage, and if you want drinks and snacks, go to Black Whale. This spot is almost always packed, but if you get there early enough or wait around long enough, you’ll be able to get a high-top or seats at the horseshoe bar. This is an especially good move during happy hour, which is from 3-6pm on weekdays, when there are $3 beers, $5 wine and well drinks, and discounted food, like $1 oysters and big plates of not-overly-fried calamari.
Viking Fresh Off The Hook
It seems like every place on LBI serves fried seafood—and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a sign in front of Wawa advertising a free 24-ounce soda with every pound of fried clams—but the best stuff can be found here. Like Boulevard Clams and Pinky’s Shrimps, Viking Fresh Off The Hook has a staff who would bankrupt ABC if Jeopardy only asked questions about the ocean, and they serve seafood that you can literally watch come in off the docks in Viking Village. Our go-to here is scallops, but if you want to try everything, order one of the seafood combos and eat it at a picnic table outside.
Barnegat Oyster Collective
For fresh oysters, it doesn’t get better than the BYOB seasonal raw bar and dining outpost at Barnegat Oyster Collective. The group of independent oyster farmers based along the Barnegat Bay and the surrounding waters largely sell to restaurants and retailers, but at the Collective’s retail shop, the shellfish comes directly from the bay to your plate. Place your order at the window and they’ll do the shucking for you—two bucks for a local oyster ($3 for the out of state varieties, but why order those when the Jersey options are this good?). Beyond bivalves, the menu changes but might include Italian-style swordfish sausage, sauteed garlic clams, or crab cakes. Snag one of the dockside picnic tables and tip back a dozen paired with a bottle of white. FYI: the closest liquor store is Meyer’s, less than two miles away.
Pearl Street Market
You want to bring sandwiches to the beach, but you don’t want to spend all morning trying to remember who throws tantrums when you leave the crust on their bread. Instead, just make a pit stop at Pearl Street Market, a Beach Haven spot that has some of the best deli and seafood sandwiches on the island. Go with the Greek chicken wrap or lobster roll, which is light on mayo and very heavy on lobster. Or, if you want something that’ll keep you from eating a whole box of Cheez-Its at 3pm, try the roast beef melt or baseball-sized crab cake on brioche. There are also a bunch of tables out front in case you don’t want to deal with seagulls and runaway napkins while you eat.
Holiday Snack Bar
When you want a 30-minute throwback to a simpler time—say, back when people tucked short-sleeved button-downs into khakis—go to Holiday Snack Bar. It’s been serving a short menu focused on griddle-cooked burgers and housemade pies since 1948, and the circular bar is still a good spot to pull up a seat, drink a milkshake, and temporarily forget about the sparkling Jordans and matcha ice cream back home.
Barry's Do Me A Flavor
Think about all the foods you associate with LBI. Besides breakfast dishes and a bag of sand-covered potato chips, you can find all of them at Barry’s. This counter-service spot just south of Bay Village in Beach Haven serves burgers, Italian hoagies, meatball parms, and really good cheesesteaks—and those are only four of the 20ish sections on the menu. You really can’t go wrong as long as you remember two key things: get the garlic rolls and finish up at the ice cream bar. There are a ton of different toppings you can choose for either soft serve or a scoop of hard ice cream, as well as a whole menu of sundaes and milkshakes.
Stefano's
There are some things New Jersey does as well as anywhere in the country: be the set of HBO shows, house the stadiums of other states’ sports teams, and serve great Italian food. Combine the bit about the Italian food with the fact that LBI has great seafood, and you get Stefano’s. This upscale spot in Beach Haven does straightforward Italian dishes really well, like eggplant parm and housemade meatballs, as well as seafood dishes, like crab-encrusted salmon over lobster mashed potatoes. But our favorite things here are the combinations, like local scallops over tomato risotto, and penne vodka with shrimp, scallops, and lots of crab meat. Bring some Chianti or barbera (it’s BYOB), and try to get a table on the outdoor patio if it’s nice out.
Scojo's
Funny name, friendly service, and limitless pancake options? Say no more. This Surf City spot is only open for breakfast and lunch, so get here before 2pm for fancified diner-style dishes like lox bagel eggs benedict, three-egg skillets, and a short stack of Texas-style french toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese and your pick of fresh fruit (there is always a wait, but you can join the waitlist online). If breakfast isn’t your thing, have no fear—you can get as creative with your burger toppings as the under-5 set gets with their short stacks.
Ship Bottom Brewery
Whether you need a break from winning your kid stuffed animals at Fantasy Island, or you just want a fun spot to drink some really good beers, you should go to Ship Bottom Brewery. This big brewery and bar overlooking the square in Bay Village serves about 10 beers that are brewed on-site, which you can try as part of different tasting flights, like The Wipeout, which includes just about all of them. It’s also BYO food, so bring some gigantic slices from Bay Village Pizza next door and drink some really good beers while listening to live music, which they have most days during the summer.
Blue Water Cafe
Blue Water Cafe is from the same people as Stefano’s, and is like the hypothetical love child of that white-tablecloth seafood restaurant and a casual diner. This BYOB American spot on Long Beach Boulevard in Beach Haven serves things like yellowfin tuna and lobster-whipped potatoes at dinner, but it also has a massive breakfast menu with plates of huevos rancheros and Nutella french toast. We like it best for brunch, especially if you sit on the covered patio outside and order their phenomenal burger topped with a huge portion of blue crab dip.
Uncle Will's Pancake House
You and your friends aren’t saying much besides the occasional comment about not needing those tequila shots last night and needing coffee right now. You definitely don’t want to wait 90 minutes for a table at the Chegg, so walk a block over to Uncle Will’s. This diner in the middle of Beach Haven has been around since 1965 and has a lot of space and tables that work for big groups. Most dishes come with home fries, but for $1.50 you can substitute them for a full stack of blueberry or banana chocolate chip pancakes, which you should absolutely do. They even have a few wines (all from New Jersey) available, in case you want to ditch the coffee for some hair of the dog.
The Gables
If the suitcase you bring to LBI is filled with nothing but board shorts, bleach-stained tank tops, and three pairs of sunglasses, then that makes two of us. But just know that you’re going to feel a bit underdressed at The Gables. From the long, dripping candles on the white-tablecloth tables, to the chandeliers and old paintings, to the piano player in the entrance hall, this 19th-century inn in Beach Haven is the most formal restaurant on the island. The space is beautiful, including an outdoor terrace that feels like it belongs in Charleston, and the menu—which rotates, and but typically includes things like fresh cavatelli with kale pesto and eggplant polpette—is excellent. Both of those details make it a good place to celebrate a special occasion.
Skipper Dipper
There are about as many ice cream shops on LBI as there are cop cars hiding out on Long Beach Boulevard. For the most part, you should just go to whichever one is most convenient, like Poppy’s after walking around the lighthouse in Barnegat Light or Shore Good Donuts on your way off the island. But one place that’s worth traveling for is Skipper Dipper in Beach Haven. It’s been around since the ’70s and serves tons of flavors in hard and soft serve, sundaes, and milkshakes, including a cold brew float with coffee from La Colombe. A cone with two scoops of cookies and cream topped with chocolate and vanilla swirl soft serve definitely isn’t the only move, but it is the right one.
The Local Market & Kitchen
You want to get breakfast, but don’t feel like waiting an hour to go to one of the diners and then getting knocked out by some cream cheese-stuffed french toast and chipped beef covered in gravy. Go to The Local, a casual market right by the foot of the bridge in Ship Bottom, where you can sit outside and read the paper while drinking coffee and eating a pork roll, egg, and cheese. They also serve really good sandwiches until 5pm Mondays-Saturdays and until 4pm on Sundays, so pick up a roast beef with horseradish cheddar on your way to the beach or as a snack for the road on your way off the island.
Dockside Diner
Dockside seems like a pretty typical diner. It’s a casual space with counter seats and a few booths, and it has a big menu with about a dozen types of omelets, as well as sandwiches ranging from grilled cheese to one with Cajun mahi mahi. But the simple-sounding food is all excellent, and it’s right on the water. So if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to watch paddleboarders fall into the bay as you eat your banana and walnut pancakes.
Ship Bottom Shell Fish
When you want great seafood near the water on LBI, you could eat fried flounder out of to-go containers at Viking Fresh Off The Hook, or you could eat flounder francaise on a white tablecloth at Stefano’s. But for something in between, go to Ship Bottom Shellfish. It’s a casual spot with a big menu that ranges from buffalo calamari to shrimp stuffed with crab imperial, but we like to keep it simple and dip bread into a big bowl of clams with wine and garlic butter. You usually have to wait for a table, but it’s BYOB, so bring a bottle (or a cooler) and hang out on the outdoor patio until your name is called.
Old Causeway Steak House
Old Causeway isn’t technically on LBI, but before you insult our geography skills, know that we already heard it all in sixth-grade homeroom, and it still belongs on this guide. Not only is it the last turn before the bridge, but they also have a private shuttle that you can call to take you to and from the island. As the name suggests, there are steaks and oysters on the menu, and while you won’t be upset ordering either here, our favorite thing to get at dinner is the karate-chop pork chop doused in a pineapple-soy glaze. You could also just come for happy hour from 3-6pm at the bar or patio, have a few drinks, and eat some spice-rubbed wings and jersey devils, which, for the uninitiated, are deviled eggs topped with fried oysters.
Clemmy’s
Clemmy’s, tucked into a stripmall in Waretown, opened in 2023. But the intimate BYOB feels like it’s always been part of this beachside community. The warm and attentive staff welcomes you into a dining room filled with flowers and regulars—couples on date night, young families with babies—who spill in promptly at 4pm when the restaurant opens. Every dish on the concise seasonal American menu is creative and well-executed, but not overly fussy. You might find things like a bright scallop crudo with hazelnut brown butter and bits of orange, a peppery Old Bay bucatini flecked with crab, or juicy roasted chicken on a pool of herby green tahini. For dessert, try the signature orange cake, a little crunchy from the dusting of sugar and served with a scoop of housemade gelato. Clemmy’s doesn’t take reservations, so arrive early or plan to wait for a table with the rest of the town.
Mud City Crab House
Mud City is another spot from the same people as Old Causeway, and since it’s literally next door, you can use the same private shuttle to get to and from either place. The menu is seafood-focused, with things like soft shell crabs, baked clams, and massive crab cakes that are almost entirely made up of crab meat. For those who like to drink, they have a full bar in a converted trailer on the outdoor patio, and for those who like to drink a lot, they fully allow BYOB.
La Cabañita
After inching your way onto the island along with the summer Friday traffic, few restaurants could entice you back off. But one of them is La Cabañita. There’s not much atmosphere surrounding the lovely little stone building across from a strip mall, but you’ll find plenty inside, where the dining room is centered around a faux tree gleaming with twinkly lights and pink flowers that trail across the ceiling. Underneath, always-filled tables are piled with plates of Mexican dishes like al pastor or lengua tacos on handmade corn tortillas, or alambres—steaming skillets heaped with sauteed peppers and all the meats. On a breezy night, ask for a table on the stone patio and start with an order of shrimp ceviche, which comes in a bowl big enough to feed a family of four.
