New restaurants are fun to try out, but there’s something to be said about institutions that have been around forever, are consistently making the same delicious food, and are run by friendly locals that embody the down-to-earth LBI spirit that makes the Shore such a great place to call home. You really can’t go wrong with a traditional breakfast or some soft-shell crab. Here are ten restaurants every Long Beach Island local has eaten at.
1. The Chicken Or The Egg
If you’re in the mood for chicken wings, you know to go to
The Chicken Or The Egg. Open since 1991, this institution makes wings that are big and juicy and that come in 17 different sauces. The menu is available 24 hours a day, including breakfast, except during that sad time when the restaurant is closed for the season.
2. Black Whale Bar and Fish House
Photo via The Black Whale Facebook page
Located in Beach Haven, The Black Whale does seafood and steak like no other. They have established a reputation with a menu that features fresh sea scallops from Barnegat Light, an 18 oz. porterhouse, linguini with PEI mussels, slow roasted chicken, jambalaya, and a half-pound Angus burger.
3. Buckalew’s Restaurant and Tavern
What used to be a hotel, built in 1874, is now Buckalew’s , one of the best restaurants in town. Although the place is rich in history, the menu is modern and inventive. Aside from the sushi bar, you can try the chipotle lime roasted squash tacos, a pear and pecan salad with a maple balsamic dressing, blackened yellowfin tuna, and mouth-watering pizzas.
4. Uncle Will’s Pancake House
Uncle Will’s has been serving up breakfast to the people of Long Beach Island since 1965. They’re still going strong due to their classic staples that never go out of style, like their “eggs-traordinary” omelets, short stack pancakes, Belgian waffles, country biscuits with sausage gravy, and freshly-brewed coffee. There’s no better place to start your morning.
5. Wally’s
Photo via Wally’s Facebook page
The casual atmosphere and American fare at Wally’s make this family-owned and operated restaurant a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike. The breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are full of delicious options to choose from, like frittatas, an all-natural applewood smoked turkey melt, ginger crusted salmon and slow roasted prime rib.
6. The Arlington
Photo via The Arlington’s Facebook page
Rustic hotspot The Arlington is cozy and charming. The weekend brunch boasts bottomless mimosas. For lunch, there’s lobster rolls, steamed mussels, and crispy chicken skins. The dinner menu features a chili and coffee-rubbed New York strip steak, whipped ricotta toast with brown butter, charred octopus, and a beer-braised pork shoulder.
7. Daddy O
Photo via Daddy O’s Facebook page
Hotel, restaurant, and bar Daddy O is a chic place serving up casual, yet modern, fare. You don’t need to be staying at the hotel to enjoy everything the menu has to offer, including organic chicken breast, shrimp scampi, salmon with lemon ravioli, blistered shishito peppers, a spinach salad with watermelon and mint, and fried pickles.
8. The Greenhouse Cafe
Open daily all year round, The Greenhouse Cafe is a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can’t go wrong ordering anything off of their menu, but a few favorites include the apple-walnut pancakes, an eggplant florentine wrap in a spinach tortilla, penne with broccoli and garlic, and their renowned pizzas.
9. Scojo’s
Photo via Scojo’s Facebook page
Since 1998, Scojo’s has been serving up good food with a great attitude. This family owned and operated joint is one of the best in the area, with a menu that features coconut shrimp with a raspberry dipping sauce, homemade meatballs, flounder fillets with lemon butter, BBQ ribs, chicken and beef fajitas, an arugula salad with wasabi peas and a blood orange vinaigrette, and cinnamon bun French toast topped with caramel.
10. Mud City Crab House
Mud City Crab House is a fun restaurant, with a full-scale fish market, that every local frequents when they have a craving for crustaceans. They’ve got Alaskan king crab, Dungeness crab, steamed whole lobsters, and blue claws done Maryland style or garlic style. Their “Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes” was voted “Best in New Jersey” by NJ Magazine.
