With temps still hovering in the high 70’s over the next couple days, it is hard to think about putting an end to your shore plans. The good news is, you don’t have to – lucky for us shore lovers, many restaurants, shops and businesses will remain open well into the holiday season.
We recently published a list of our “Top 10 things To Do at the Shore This Fall” and #8 on our list was “Go Out to Eat”. While some restaurants have already closed for the season, many others will remain open on weekends. Among these are dining establishments that will continue to offer al fresco dining (weather permitting), or at least stunning views to make you feel like you’re dining outdoors. Here is a list of our favorite restaurants in each town that are still open this fall.
Ocean City – Hula Restaurant
Say Aloha! to the vibrantly colorful and unassuming Hula Restaurant, tucked back off the main boardwalk between 9th and 10th Streets. The Hula is famous for its Hawaiian Chicken, sticky rice and other tropical-inspired delights. The food is fresh, healthy and delicious and will make you feel like you’re surfside in Maui. Take home a bottle of their famous Hula Dressing, Hawaiian Style Barbeque or Teriyaki Sauces (or all three!) Gift cards are available for purchase in the restaurant and will make a great holiday gift for Hula Restaurant fans. Outdoor seating available as weather permits; now open weekends until Thanksgiving. 940 Boardwalk.
Strathmere – Deauville Inn
Overlooking the bay between Ocean City and Sea Isle in beautiful Strathmere is the Deauville Inn, which has been delighting diners for decades. Boasting of an expansive dining room, a sports bar, an outdoor patio and bar area and, in the summer season, the bayside barefoot Beach Bar, the Deauville offers robust entertainment throughout the summer season. Their extensive menu ranges from burgers to fresh seafood and appeals to every taste. Now open weekends through December. 201 Willard Road.
Sea Isle – Carmen’s Restaurant
Noted as Sea Isle’s first waterfront restaurant, Carmen’s has been serving up delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner since 1981. Their large menus offer something for everyone, not to mention the delectable bay breezes and authentic nautical ambience. This restaurant also offers endless waterfront entertainment – watch fishing vessels come back with their catch in the morning, wave to paddle boarders in the afternoon and enjoy a beautiful sunset in the evening. While the restaurant is open air, clear shades are used when necessary to keep out the weather and cool breezes while still allowing for the beautiful view. Now open through Saturday October 20th. 343 43rd Place.
Townsends Inlet – Sunset Pier
Come here any evening and you’ll see how this waterfront restaurant got its name. But the Sunset Pier doesn’t just delight in the evening – during the day, visitors can enjoy an acai bowl or freshly made smoothie from the juice bar, visit the tackle shop and rent back bay boats for crabbing, fishing, or joy riding. A 20-foot pontoon boat is also available for party rentals. If you’re just coming to eat, you’re in for a real treat – their food is delicious, their menu appeals to all tastes and the sunsets are free of charge. Indoor and outdoor seating available (weather permitting). You’ll have to wait until next year to enjoy a sunset here, though…the restaurant is now only open for breakfast and lunch on weekends (Friday – Monday) through Thanksgiving.
Avalon – Sea Grill
One of three restaurants owned by the wildly popular Princeton Bar and Grille, the Sea Grill offers the finest in steak and seafood in a gorgeous romantic setting. The Sea Grill gives diners a unique experience as they walk up to a window to order or their main and side dishes, and then help themselves to a salad bar amply stocked with fresh ingredients. Although not a waterfront venue, the Sea Grill’s candle lit, cozy ambience is a perfect place for date night or to celebrate an anniversary or birthday. Looking for lunch, a casual atmosphere or some lively entertainment instead? Head next door to the Circle Tavern (or in the summer head around the corner to the Princeton Bar and Grill – sadly, it is closed for the season). The Sea Grill and Circle Tavern are open year-round; Sea Grill (225 21st Street) opens at 5:00 pm daily and the Circle Tavern (2008 Dune Drive) opens at 11:00 am daily.
Stone Harbor – Stone Harbor Bar and Grill
The Stone Harbor Bar and Grill offers a fun and casual dining experience in the heart of the shopping district – a perfect place to take a break from shopping and have a drink or a bite to eat. Catch a game on one of 25 big screen TVs and enjoy a cool ocean breeze in summer when the large front windows are opened. Their menu offers top quality meats, freshly baked breads, locally-sourced seafood and refreshing signature cocktails. Now open Thursday through Sunday, 12:00 noon – 10:00 -m (8:00 pm on Sundays). 261 96th Street.
Wildwood – Two Mile Landing
On the way to Cape May from Wildwood, nestled back by the bay in Wildwood Crest and offering expansive waterfront dining and stunning sunset views is the Two-Mile Landing dining and entertainment complex featuring two restaurants – the Crab House and the Two Mile Restaurant and Bar. The Crab House has been specializing in All-You-Can-Eat Blue Claw Crabs since 2012 and offers a raw bar, “Crabatizers”, burgers, tacos and entrees that will appeal to both landlubbers and seafoodies alike. In 2013, Two-Mile Restaurant and Bar opened to offer upscale casual dining featuring 21 beers on tap, a wide selection of wines and delicious entrees. These waterfront establishments feature two decks with a stage and plenty of live entertainment throughout the summer. The Crab House remains open 7 days a week starting at 11:30 am, and Two-Mile Restaurant and Bar is now open Thursday – Sunday at 4:00 pm. Both restaurants will remain open through October 27 and will also be open on Thanksgiving. Gift cards are available. 1 Fish Dock Road.
Cape May – Lobster House
Located on the Cape May Harbor and situated right next to the dock where freshly caught seafood is offloaded every day, the Lobster House offers a unique nautical dining experience. For decades, the Lobster House has provided elegant waterfront dining consisting of five dining rooms, casual dockside dining, a raw bar, a take-out window and a fish shop where fresh seafood can be purchased and enjoyed at home. It also includes the permanently moored Schooner American, a 130-foot long sailing vessel which provides the perfect setting for an outdoor drinking and dining experience and features a full bar, luncheon menu and specialty appetizers in the evening. The Lobster House, Take-Out Shop and Fish market are all open year-round; the Raw Bar and Schooner American are only open May – October. Hours are as follows:
Lobster House – 11:30 am – 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm – 10:00 pm. (Year-round)
Take-Out Shop 11:00 am – 7:00 pm during winter months (9:00 pm in summer) (Year-round).
Fish Market 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (9:00 pm in summer) (Year-round)
Raw Bar 11:30 am – 10:00 pm (May – October)
Schooner American 12:00 noon – 10:00 pm. (May – October)
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House (2 Ocean Drive) First established in 1962 in Stone Harbor, Uncle Bill’s expanded to several locations along the South Jersey coast over the years and is a popular breakfast destination for vacationing families and locals. Awarded as being the Best Breakfast at the Jersey Shore, Uncle Bill’s serves up breakfast all day long with over 15 different types of pancakes, waffles, French toast, omelets, farm fresh eggs and meats. Several locations also serve lunch and dinner. The staff tends to return each year, which is another mark of their success. Open May – September 7 am – 1 pm.
The Old Shack (705 Commonwealth Drive) The Old Shack is just that on the outside, but inside locals and visitors love to find a mouth-watering assortment of beach-friendly fare such as breakfast sandwiches, hoagies and sides. This is a great place to pick up a sandwich on your way to the beach or dine there on the porch. They are famous for their chicken salad, and hand-scooped ice cream is available to satisfy your sweet tooth. Open daily 7 am – 7 pm.
Twistie’s Tavern on the Bay (236 Bayview Drive) Twisties is an old-time favorite with a storied past. Once run as a speakeasy, today they serve much more than just drinks. The expansive menu includes burgers, salads, pasta dishes and so much more. A juke box cranks out old tunes and the paneled walls are lined with fish mounted on wooden planks to add to the nostalgia of this tavern on the bay. Open daily 12 noon – 12 midnight.
Azzurra Pizzeria and Ristorante (5012 Landis Avenue) Although Azzurra is located in the middle of Sea Isle, it advertises delivery to Strathmere – even on the beach. known for its award-winning specialty and brick oven pizzas. They also offer a large variety of stromboli, calzone, salads, subs, dinners and more, including homemade cannoli. Opens daily at 11 am with varied closing times until November.
Mildred’s Strathmere Restaurant (901 Commonwealth Avenue) In 1952, Charles and Mildred Conascent towed the original Llanarch diner from Philadelphia to Strathmere and opened Mildred’s Strathmere Restaurant. Using only the freshest ingredients, Chef Andy Raffa, who worked with the Conascentas for over thirty years, prepares exquisite seafood, beef and Italian specialties with homemade pasta and desserts. A favorite of locals and visitors alike, Mildred’s offers diners local Cape May wines and a BYOB option. Open daily 4 pm – 9 pm.
Deauville Inn (201 Willard Road) Formerly Whelen’s Hotel back in the 1800s, the Deauville Inn has a very storied past. It was rumored to have been a speakeasy during Prohibition, a rum-running station and a gambling casino during the ’20s and ’30s. A family purchased it in 1980 and, instead of following advice to knock the building down, they completely renovated it. Today it stands on the shore of the bay, at the foot of the Corson’s Inlet bridge, as a beacon for fine dining, cocktails and live entertainment every night. In addition to serving seafood, their menu includes steaks, chicken, pasta, salads and handhelds. It is a beautiful place to catch a sunset as well! Open daily, hours vary.
The Beach House (Deauville Inn, 201 Willard Road). While the menu is limited here to burgers, handhelds and munchies, the view is endless. The motto here is “sun and sand and a drink in my hand”. No shirt? No shoes? No problem! The atmosphere is as beachy and laid back is it can get. Guests are seated directly on the beach in beach chairs under an umbrella anchored by a low table. The views of the bay are spectacular, especially at sunset. Have a drink and enjoy nightly summer entertainment such as Reggae on the Bay, live music, painting parties and comedy shows.
15 rooms, it cannot accommodate many visitors and is only open during the summer. Please consult their website if you are interested in checking it out – otherwise, plan to spend your weekend in a neighboring town such as Sea Isle or Ocean City.
For over 2000 years the Leni-Lenape Indians lived in the area that would later become New Jersey. They came to the coast to fish and gather quahog shells, from which they “wampum” , or currency.
In 1881 the first hotel was constructed using materials that had to be brought in by boat. It was built next to the railway line and was called “Whelen’s Hotel” which later became the Deauville Inn. The building was used for a variety of purposes throughout the years, including a speakeasy during Prohibition and a rum-running station. In the 1930’s, well before gambling was legalized in Atlantic City, it was home to a casino. Several famous people have stayed at the Deauville Inn throughout the years, including President Theodore Roosevelt. 
The building suffered damage in both the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 and the Nor’Easter of 1962 – over the next two decades it ceased operating as a hotel and fell into disrepair. In 1980 the Carpenter family bought the building and worked diligently to restore it. Today, the Deauville Inn is a popular restaurant where people flock in the summer to enjoy dinner and a sunset over the bay.
Twisties Tavern on the Bay started out as a speakeasy during Prohibition but in the 1950s became a restaurant that continues to serve patronsa – although it had different names over the years, the inside remains largely unchanged according to its longtime customers. Also in the 1950s a restaurant by the name of Mildred’s was established, and today remains a very popular destination for discerning diners seeking a delectable dinner. 
Another factor in reducing development was the creation of Corson’s Inlet State Park in 1969 to help protect and preserve this area, which is one of the last undeveloped tracts of land along the coast. The sand dune and marine estuary ecosystems here are home to hundreds of species of wildlife who have made permanent or migratory homes here. Today, many visitors pass through the dune trail to beachcomb and fish. Boaters dock at the beach along the inlet to enjoy picnics and, at low tide, sandbars are formed where people can walk out and wade in the receding water.
Originally named “Corson’s Inlet” for the body of water hugging the northern shores of the barrier island it sits upon, Strathmere is a tiny unincorporated community that shares its island home with Sea Isle City and Townsends Inlet to the south.
Strathmere is comprised of beautiful sandy beaches that were recently replenished as the result of a federal grant program. After the devastation left behind by the Nor’easter of 1962, Strathmere was strictly beach, road and a few houses that survived with no protection from either the sea or the bay. Since then, a healthy dune line has been build up to protect Ocean Drive and its homes from the ocean – however, the bay is still free to encroach upon the town, and often does. Therefore, most new homes built in Strathmere are built up and soar high above the dunes with beautiful picturesque views from all sides of both the ocean and the bay.
A section of the central part of Strathmere known as “Whale Beach” got its name from the many whales that have washed up in this area. The Whale Creek Marina provides visitors with the ability to go crabbing, fishing, rent boats or go kayaking in the back bay. Without a doubt, the primary recreational activity in Strathmere is spending time on the beach.
The other free beaches are Atlantic City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. Strathmere’s northern beaches are monitored by the Upper Township Beach Patrol but the area known as Whale Beach is unprotected, so swimmers need to be careful.
Perhaps the most famous landmark in Strathmere is the Deauville Inn, originally known as the Whelan Inn. It was built in 1881 and operated as a hotel and restaurant until the storm of ’62. It was purchased and renovated in 1980 and now operates as a popular restaurant and bar where boaters can dock to enjoy dinner and a gorgeous sunset view. Next door the “five o’clock somewhere” crowd can sit on beach chairs under umbrellas on Deauville’s tiny bayfront beach and sip cocktails while the sun goes down.
