LBI Restaurants Worth Visiting

From Upscale Romance to Diner Breakfasts, LBI Restaurants Dish Up Some Memorable Meals

Long Beach Island isn’t just for surfers and sun worshippers; foodies can find their place here, too. On the island for a family graduation party recently, we want the meals we will be eating at LBI restaurants to merit the effort of finding them. On previous trips, we have so-so experiences with the local cuisine. Here are some LBI restaurants we like:

 

The Gables

For a festive occasion, reserve a spot at the Gables in Beach Haven. Set in a Victorian house, this LBI restaurant features locally sourced food and a varying menu. We opt to dine on the front porch where we enjoy a light breeze as we watch the gas lanterns brighten our evening. All of the diners in my party are adventuresome: I try roasted strawberries for the first time, one of the youthful adventurers opts for raviolo al uovo and the egg yolk on it appears perfect. For dinner, the senior adventurer opts for scallops, I for salmon, and the youthful adventurers choose beef.

While waiting between courses, take a peek at the rest of the place. A fortunate few can stay overnight in a handful of guestrooms at the Gables. I don’t know if this old house is haunted, but I would like it to be.

What We Love: The atmosphere

What We Would Do Differently If We Were Queen: Stock the wine cellar more fully. The Gables does not have a liquor license, and when our table orders a second bottle of wine to follow our first, we are informed that we just consumed the last bottle of its kind in stock. Our server does make a suggestion for our second bottle, which we follow.

Tip: Reserve a table early and dress like a grownup. This is perfect place to step up your game.

The Gables, 212 Centre Street, Beach Haven, N.J. 08008

Terrace Tavern

Lured by the phrase “crab shack” on the building’s exterior, we stop at this LBI restaurant on a Friday afternoon for a late lunch. The Brawny Sherpa opts for a lobster mac and cheese while I cannot help but indulge in some fried pickles to start. From there, I move on to the crab cake sandwich. A bit of a crab cake snob (and never a fan of breadcrumbs), I love the Terrace Tavern’s jumbo lump crab cakes and hope to return for more. I wash it all down with an attitude-adjusting glass of prosecco.

What We Love: The great food in a low-key setting

What We Would Do Differently If We Were Queen: Not a thing. This is a perfect, beachy restaurant for summertime dining.

Tip: This place is hopping on weekend nights. If you’re looking for a more soothing experience, go for lunch instead.

Terrace Tavern, 13201 Long Beach Boulevard, Beach Haven, N.J. 08008

 

Dockside Diner

We ask the nice lady at the front desk of the Mariner Inn, where we are staying, for a good but divey diner for breakfast, and she immediately suggests the Dockside Diner. Off we go, me for the crab cakes eggs benedict (this time knocked back with healthful doses of coffee and grapefruit juice) and everyone else for some variation of eggs and other breakfast basics.

What We Love: Friendly service and well-prepared breakfast

What We Would Do Differently If We Were Queen: Open a second one in Westchester County, N.Y.

Tip: Get there early on weekend mornings. The place fills up.

Dockside Diner, 2404 Long Beach Boulevard, Spray Beach/Long Beach Township, N.J. 08008

 

The Meltdown Ice Cream

The youthful adventurer and I were on an LBI vacation more than a decade ago and we still remember this ice cream shop—not surprising, in part, because we visited it morning and night (this is what vacation is all about, after all). It is technically not an LBI restaurant per se, but we consumed enough calories for a meal there! The hardest part of any visit is choosing a flavor or three. The Brawny Sherpa manages to score some warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream while I select a summery strawberry flavor to enjoy solo.

What We Love: Every flavor

What We Would Do Differently If We Were Queen: As New Yorkers, we have a need for speed. Although all we want to do is get our ice cream and get out, we think the servers could pick up the pace a bit.

Tip: Try not to have a meltdown of your own as you see the line curving through the store. Our first visit on this trip is on a Friday night and we arrive at a good moment.

The Meltdown, 13302 Long Beach Boulevard, Beach Haven Terrace, N.J.

California Grill & Pizza

The perfect LBI restaurant if you have a case of the munchies is the California Grill & Pizza. We enjoy some New England clam chowder while waiting for our cheese pizza, which passes muster with the pizza connoisseurs with whom we happen to be dining (all three of our youthful adventurers accompany us on this trip). Yes, the crust is good. So are the sauce and the cheese.

What We Love: More friendly service!

What We Would Do Differently If We Were Queen: Delivery. I can definitely see all of us being too relaxed from our LBI experience to so much as walk across the street for takeout.

Tip: Anchor your napkins on a breezy night if you happen to be dining al fresco.

California Grill & Pizza, 13308 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach Township, N.J. 08008

—Lori Tripoli    

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Planning a visit to the Jersey Shore? You  might like these posts:

• Massacre on the Shore
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• My Kind of Camp: The Jersey Shore

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