Cape May County is NJ’s top destination — here’s where to eat
Earlier this week I wrote about how Cape May County just became the number one tourism destination in New Jersey — $8.44 billion in visitor spending, 12 million visitors, an 84 percent return rate. Number one in the state for the first time in 32 years.
If it is New Jersey's number one tourism destination, it must be the number one dining destination too. And it is not even close.
I have been eating my way through Cape May County my whole life. From Ocean City boardwalk breakfasts to Cape May Italian dinners to a cold hazy IPA at a craft brewery on a summer evening. The options run from legendary to hidden gem to hole-in-the-wall perfect. Here is the guide — town by town, north to south, no sponsored content, just places I can actually vouch for.
Just over the bridge — Somers Point
Before we even get to Ocean City proper, make a stop at The Crab Trap in Somers Point — technically Atlantic County, just across the bridge from OC, but close enough that leaving it off this list would be a genuine disservice. The crab cakes are legendary. The creamy crab bisque is what you think about on the drive home. It has been an institution on the bay for decades and it earns every word of praise it gets.
Ocean City — boardwalk classics that never get old
Manco and Manco pizza on the boardwalk is non-negotiable. Thin crust, perfect ratio, the slice that has been the standard for Jersey Shore pizza since 1956. People debate Shore pizza endlessly. Manco and Manco ends the conversation.
And before you hit the beach — or any time you walk past it — stop at Brown's Restaurant on the boardwalk for breakfast or at minimum a donut. Brown's has been feeding Ocean City families since 1946. The donuts are made fresh. There is always a line. Get in it.
Strathmere — sunset dining on the bay
The Deauville Inn is one of the best dining experiences on the entire Jersey Shore — not because of the food alone, though it is very good, but because of the setting. Get a deck seat at sunset. Watch the light change over the bay. There is no better hour in Strathmere than that one.
And Twisties is back. New owners, modified menu, same classic old-school bayside Jersey Shore atmosphere that made it a local institution. After a season away it returned this summer and Strathmere got its soul back with it.
Sea Isle City — Irish pours and fresh seafood
For a great Irish-style meal and a cold beer, O'Donnell's Pour House in Sea Isle City has been a reliable favorite for years. A Shore bar that feels like it has always existed and always should.
For seafood — and of course you want seafood at the Shore — head to Mike's Seafood and Dock Restaurant in Sea Isle City's Historic Fish Alley. The takeout alone is worth the trip. But for the full Jersey Shore experience, sit dockside and order the mussels Bianca. And the white clam chowder — the best I have had at the Shore. Not a qualifier. Just the best.
Stone Harbor — when you want Italian and seafood and refuse to choose
Friends and online reviews have been raving about Spiaggetta Cucina Romana in Stone Harbor. Italian. Seafood. Roman-style cooking. The question of whether to have Italian or seafood at the Shore is a false choice — this is the place that proves it. I have not been recently but the people I trust who have will not stop talking about it.
SEE MORE: Cape May County is NJ's top tourist destination
Cape May — where the dining matches the destination
Cape May has more great restaurants per square mile than anywhere else at the Shore and I will not pretend I can list them all. But here are the ones that have earned a permanent place in our summers.
The Lobster House on Fisherman's Wharf is a Cape May institution — open since 1954, docking its own boats, serving seafood so fresh it barely needs preparation. Peter Shields Inn is the special occasion dinner, the evening you want to remember. Harry's Ocean Bar and Grill delivers great food and an energy that feels like summer in every direction. The Mad Batter on Jackson Street has been a Cape May brunch staple since 1975 and earns its reputation meal after meal.
And we do not let a summer go by without Sapore Italiano. Authentic Italian in a town full of great restaurants — it stands out anyway. If you have not been, go. If you have been, you already know.
Oh, and Congress Hall. I have to mention Congress Hall. It's a true time machine, that takes you back to — do I dare say — a classier time. The Blue Pig and The Brown Room are must visits.
Start your Cape May morning at Uncle Bill's Pancake House — a landmark breakfast spot that has been doing one thing exceptionally well for over 60 years. Or rent bikes and ride out Sunset Boulevard to Beach Plum Farm for breakfast in the fields. The best egg sandwich I ever had was enjoyed at one of their outdoor tables on a beautiful summer morning. I've been trying to duplicate it at home ever since. That bike ride and that breakfast is one of the best summer mornings available in New Jersey.
The breweries — because this guide would not be complete without them
Cape May County has quietly become one of the best craft beer destinations in the state and I say that as someone who takes this seriously.
Cape May Brewing Company is the anchor — one of the best craft breweries in New Jersey, full stop. The hazy IPAs are exceptional. The taproom in Cape May Court House is worth a dedicated visit. Gusto Brewing is newer and worth finding — the brewery that rewards the people who discover it early.
A summer in Cape May County without hitting at least one of these is a summer with a gap in it.
The bottom line
New Jersey's number one tourism destination did not get there on scenery alone. The food — from Brown's donuts at 8am to a Sapore dinner at 8pm, from Mike's white chowder dockside to a Cape May Brewing hazy IPA at sunset — is as good as the Shore itself. Every town on that list has earned its place.
Go hungry. Come back full. Repeat all summer.
The best restaurants in New Jersey according to the experts
Gallery Credit: Dennis Malloy
