Week on Long Beach Island, NJ
What this foodstroll is
Our favorite things to do, see, and eat on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
Why this foodstroll works
Long Beach Island is our favorite Summer destination north of the Outer Banks, and with it’s private beaches and absence of a boardwalk, it resembles the Outer Banks more than it does the Jersey Shore. It’s always been low key and lesser know than other vacation spots, which suits us just fine. Lots of people drive four hours from NYC to the Hamptons, but when we mention that LBI is half the distance, they look askance. And according to us and Anthony Bourdain, who vacationed there growing up, the food is better too. LBI’s local fishing industry is know for Blue Crabs, Scallops, Clams, Flounder, Halibut, Tuna, and Swordfish, which feature prominently at the Island’s restaurants. But before you visit, fall asleep, and wake up thinking you’re in North Carolina, remember you’re in New Jersey. That means the country’s best diners and Italian American food aren’t far away.
Strolling
LBI is a barrier island 2 miles off the shore of mainland New Jersey, only accessible via the Causeway bridge. Someone once said after you cross the bridge “The haves turn right (south) and the have mores turn left (north)”, referring to the quiet, private nature of the north end. But actually the whole Island is quiet and private compared to most summer destinations in the Northeast.
Beaches have lifeguards in July and August, but are never crowded. Off season you rarely see other humans. Fall is our favorite time of year, with warmish water and deserted beaches.
The Barnegat Lighthouse sits at the northern tip of the Island, inside Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. Built in 1857, for $3 you can walk the 217 stairs to the top. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971.
Historic Viking Village is the heart of LBI’s local fishing community. Charters run daily from the docks in the summer, and you can buy the local catch at Cassidy’s Fish Market in-season.
Dating back to the 1970s, Fantasy Island Amusement Park and Thundering Surf Water Park are really good, family oriented summer attractions right in the middle of Beach Haven. Across the street in Bay Village, you’ll hear live music regularly during the summer.
One thing LBI has a lot of is mini-golf. The latest addition is Jen’s Links in Barnegat Light, a 36 hole bay front course. But driving north/south on Long Beach Boulevard you’ll see courses everywhere!
No matter where you are on the narrow Island, you’re never more than a few hundred yards away from the bay. Looking west toward mainland New Jersey gives you some amazing sunsets.
Beach Buggy passes are $50, and off season you can drive on the beach for miles without seeing another person. Our number one activity, wave hunting, is free year round!
Food Spots
All of our recommendations are family friendly, and most don’t require reservations, even in season, although at peak times there can be waits. LBI has many seasonal spots, most of which are great. For the sake of simplicity, and because we’re huge fans of the area year round, we’re writing primarily about year round operations. But some of our favorite eats are open summer only, like Polly’s Dock, Mustache Bill’s, and Harvey Cedars Shellfish Company.
If you are looking for a night out sans kiddies, and don’t mind planning ahead, our favorite upscale restaurants on the Island are Parker’s Garage, The Gables, Stefano’s, Raimondo’s, and Yellowfin. All five are open seasonally, BYOB, and require reservations far in advance.
Any conversation about food on LBI starts with Chicken or the Egg. Locals call it Chegg, and it’s the most recognizable diner on an Island full of incredible diners. In season it’s open 24 hours, with a menu the size of a novella. Things like the Famous Rueben (pictured) are favorites, but chicken is the main event. If you’re feeling brave, take the Ludicrous Challenge and attempt to eat a dozen of their hottest chicken wings. Only a handful of people have ever done it, one being Adam Richman of “Man v. Food”.
Tucker’s Tavern is a huge gastropub in Beach Haven with a bay view rooftop setup, outdoor event space, and wrap around bar inside the pub replete with TV’s. Of note is the excellent 3-6pm Happy Hour, where you can get $5 cocktails, $1 Oysters, and appetizer specials like Boneless Lacquered Chicken Wings.
Black Whale Bar and Fish House in Beach Haven is a year round neighborhood pub run by the LBI restaurant conglomerate Tide Table Group. As with all their establishments, they’re known for local seafood, and also have a good happy hour from 3-6pm daily, or 10pm-1am if it’s that kind of night. Weekend brunches are fun because they repurpose popular pub grub items into things like Crab Cake Benedict.
Open summers only, the novelty of Holiday Snack Bar convinced us to include it. It’s a four cornered counter bar dating back to the 1950s which specializes in pies and burgers. In 2019, People Magazine voted the No Name pie the Best Pie in New Jersey. The Slam Burger, which comes with Russian dressing and a fried onion ring, is also worthy of an award in our opinion.
Bay Village Pizza serves classic NYC style thin crust slices and pies, and it’s our favorite of the many pizzerias on LBI. Bay Village, Beach Haven’s central square, is also home to the excellent Ship Bottom Brewery, which is BYOF and hosts live music outdoors. The pizzeria and live music are summers only, but the brewery is open year round.
Sugar Kingdom in Ship Bottom is a pay by the pound bulk candy store, with over 2500 different types of sweets, from taffy and fudge to gourmet chocolates and ice cream. It’s decidedly more Jersey Shore than it is Long Beach Island, but if you have young kids, it can’t be missed.
The Arlington in Ship Bottom is a great gastropub with LBI’s best rotating craft taps. Crispy Calamari, Bucatini and Crab, Potato Crusted Halibut, and the fantastic Pork Chop are good orders. Their sister restaurant Daymark in Barnegat Light is also open year round, a good option for those on the north end, and an excellent brunch spot.
The Local is our favorite quick bite on LBI. Right off the entrance to the Causeway bridge, it’s often the first (or last) thing we eat on our vacation. They have great prepared salads, wraps, and coffee, in addition to made to order sandwiches like the amazing Clam Po Boy.
Old Causeway Steak and Oyster is another Tide Table Group standout, with reliably good seafood, a raw bar, and lively Happy Hour from 3-6pm daily with $1 Oysters and appetizers like Jersey Devils, aka deviled fried oysters. If your kids are squeamish about shellfish, we can’t think of a more appealing introduction than Lobster Poutine Fries (pictured)! The steak section is also popular, and our favorite cut is the Karate Chop, technically a pork chop, not a steak. Old Causeway is just over the bridge in Manahawkin, but in season there’s a shuttle, or you can designate a driver.
Mud City Crab House, across the street from Old Causeway, is yet another Tide Table outpost. It’s the quintessential family vacation seafood restaurant. Situated on the marshes where locals have crabbed and clammed for decades, it’s no surprise they specialize in fresh seafood. Their Fried Clam Strips would be our last meal. Other items that make our Death Row menu include Fried Oysters, Fried Shrimp, Fried Calamari, Crab Cakes, Softshell Crab, and Seafood Bisque.
Scojos in Surf City is a year round operation serving one of the Island’s best all day breakfasts. Although open only until 3pm each day, their lunch and dinner options rival any 24/7 diner in NJ. The menu is huge and full of winners like the Surf City Sandwich, and their hash brown patties deserve a Nobel Prize.
New Jersey is The Diner Capital of the World, and as such, LBI has some heavyweight contenders. Our favorite on the north end is Wally’s, an LBI institution for over 50 years with an encyclopedic menu. Omelettes, crepes, pancakes, and our personal favorite, the Wally’s Hash and Eggs, are good starts. The local Viking Village Scallops and Crab Cakes Imperial are things you won’t find just anywhere, and the excellent burgers come in pairs of two (you can’t order just one)!
Northside Bar and Grille is our favorite food and drink HH on LBI, and a very popular option for families. The menu has improved in recent years, as has its popularity. We miss the pool table, which was sold to make way for additional tables, but the shuffle board is still there (for the time being). We’ve killed quite a few afternoons in the Fall watching football at their all day HH on Sundays.
Black Eyed Susans is a tavern in Harvey Cedars with a rotating menu focused on local ingredients, namely seafood. It’s open year round and has a full bar, but unlike some other spots in our guide, you will need a reservation in season. It’s relatively upscale, but casual enough for families, with shareable plates and an awesome artisanal pizza section.
Any trip to New Jersey necessitates Italian American food, which you can find at Kubel’s in Barnegat Light. The 94 year old pub is the oldest on LBI, and open year round. In addition to things like Manicotti and Veal Parmigiana, they have really good local sea food. If you don’t believe us, watch Season 5, Episode 5 of “Parts Unknown”, where Anthony Bourdain praises the Clam Strips, Clam Chowder, Garlic Clams, Lobster Mac and Cheese, and Fish and Chips at Kubel’s.
No visit to LBI is complete without ice cream. There are lots of places to choose from, but our favorite is Poppy’s in Barnegat Light. Flavors like Cinnamon Churro and Smores compliment a full range of classics, and its location two blocks from the Barnegat Lighthouse gives you a perfect excuse to make the trip.
Transportation
Unless you’re the type of person who can charter a helicopter, the only way to get to LBI is by car or bus, and there’s only one access point, the Causeway bridge. It’s a two hour drive from most points in NYC, 80 minutes from Philadelphia, and 45 from Atlantic City. In season you’ll be richly rewarded for not running with the herd. To avoid traffic arrive on Thursday evening or Friday morning, and departure is always easier on a Saturday evening or Monday morning.
The best bus service from NYC and Philadelphia is TransportAzumah. They run regular buses to various points on LBI from May to October, and tickets can be transferred to alternate dates if plans change.
Off season there are no buses, but there’s also no traffic, no stop lights (which they turn off), and the speed limit increases on the Island!