34 Best Restaurants in New Jersey Shore, New Jersey

It's not much to look at, but there's a reason people line up to get into this Greek-style diner. Decadent helpings of waffles and french toast for breakfast and hearty Mediterranean favorites for lunch and dinner keep locals and summer residents coming back again-and-again. BYOB.

This six-table, deli-style café sells fresh, high-quality food, such as salmon encrusted with pistachios, crisp salads, sandwich wraps, and baked goods. Although the chef is Italian, he sometimes cooks thick, tender Irish pork chops smothered in a secret sauce and sauerkraut, which is excellent. Eat in if a table is available, or buy food for a picnic or to take back to your room.

In operation for more than 150 years, the Renault Winery has become a destination in its own right encompassing an 18-hole golf course; Château Renault, a 55-room hotel; festivals and seasonal events. Dining options include the Renault Wine & Beer Garden; the Parisian-inspired Café la Fleur, perfect for pastries, cookies, and coffee drinks; and Taste 1864 which offers classic American fare.  To get here from Atlantic City, take U.S. 30 west for about 30 miles.

The Cape May newspaper Exit Zero described Bank Street's cuisine as part Key West, part French Caribbean, part New Orleans. Mesquite-grilled local fish steaks, dry-aged New York strip steak, and bayou oyster stew are flavorful stand-outs. Dine on the porches or in the garden courtyard of the 1840s cottage. The place pulses with life—from the jovial diners singing the praises of Chef Henry Sing Cheng to the greenery that clings and climbs the walls. BYOB.

The rustic atmosphere of the Atlantic City outpost of Chef Jose Garces's tapas-style restaurant is the perfect accompaniment to a night out at the Ocean Casino Resort. The Spanish-inspired menu includes dishes like bacon-wrapped dates, Spanish omelet, crab-stuffed peppers, and seafood paella, but if you're feeling really hungry opt for the chef’s tasting menu or the suckling pig.

A contemporary-style restaurant featuring a menu of classic dishes awaits at Borgata's American Bar & Grille. Dishes using seasonal Garden State ingredients whenever possible range from a roasted half chicken to local New Jersey-caught fluke or crispy pork Milanese. If you can't get a reservation, grab a seat at the bar. If you get cold easily, it's best to bring a warm layer.

If your wallet and cardiologist allow it, a trip to the steakhouse at Ocean Casino Resort will reward with bone-in ribeye, Wagyu strip steak, rack of lamb, crispy Brussels sprouts, and a fantastic raw bar. This is dining at its most decadent, where you can choose whether you want your steak topped with grilled shrimp or crab meat, and it's all brought to you by Marc Forgione, a superstar chef with a midas touch. As with most steakhouses, the decor doesn't shy away from the rich and robust. Banquettes are leather, dark wood dominates, and the open kitchen gives full view of the hard work that goes into preparing such feasts.

Open and run by the same family since 1935, Angelo's in Atlantic City's unassuming Ducktown neighborhood is reason enough to get out of the casino; it's only half a mile from the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Locals flock to this long-time favorite for Italian standards like chicken parmigiana, stuffed shells, and lasagna, as well as steaks and seafood.

In the traditionally Italian Ducktown section of Atlantic City, this restaurant serves family-style beef, veal, and seafood dishes. The braciole (rolled veal stuffed with sausage and cheese) is perennially popular, the wine list is extensive, and the kitchen is open late on the weekends. Its brick exterior certainly doesn't impress, but inside is a welcoming, if minimally adorned, dining room that recalls the mom-and-pop eateries that used to be common throughout town. The surrounding neighborhood has seen better days. It's advisable to drive or take a cab.

It isn't fine dining, but for fast meals and late-night cravings along the Boardwalk, those in the know turn to this lilliputian food counter where dollar bills stand in for wallpaper. They sling burgers and dogs, but simple Greek food is where they excel. Grab a gyro on the way to the beach or back from the casino, or opt for a quick breakfast, which is served all day long. In the summer, they're generally open 24 hours a day.

Named after a frequent flier in local skies, the Black Duck is just past the historic district in the small borough of West Cape May. White walls, wicker paddle ceiling fans, and black-and-white photos of old Cape May lend an island sensibility. An infusion of Asian and Latin flavors sparks the steaks and seafood on its contemporary American menu. Feel free to shield your eyes from the winged mascot painted on the restaurant's sign when you order the slow roasted honey-glazed duck or the Southwestern duck confit, but don't feel the least bit guilty about it. A three course early-bird menu is a fantastic deal at just over twenty dollars. BYOB.

Casino dining often equals buffet and buffet often equals disappointment. At the Borgata, they strive to remove the disappointment from that equation. Hand-carved prime rib, sirloin, a variety of shellfish, Chinese standards, sushi, salads, pasta, tables full of desserts—almost all the usual suspects are here (sorry king crab leg fans). Popularity keeps everything fresh and the room rates and table minimums at the casino keep the quality high. The dining room is pleasant, with deep comfortable booths, but its more functional than fashionable.

You might try veal Parmigiana, a tender New York strip steak, or flounder marechiare (with shrimp). Both service and food are first class, yet the restaurant is casual enough that you may wear nice shorts and deck shoes. Breakfast and lunch are served on a long, sunny enclosed veranda near the pool. Lunch choices include burgers, club sandwiches, and pizza.

Small, intimate, and exclusive, this Italian restaurant draws a seemingly endless stream of regulars. The steak, veal, and homemade pasta dishes earn high marks, as does the service and the homemade cream pies. The only problem is landing a reservation as they give preference to those who have dined with them before, or to those who at least know someone who has dined with them before. BYOB.

Owned and operated by the Dougherty family since 1897, the city's oldest restaurant serves seafood in a setting of wood and stained glass engraved with nautical scenes. Sample from the raw bar, try the flounder stuffed with crabmeat, or test your mettle against a hulking steamed lobster (they sell them up to 7 lbs). The wine list is expansive and reasonably priced. A must for anyone in search of a taste of old Atlantic City.

It'll be hard to tear yourself away from those amazing ocean views, but when you do, you'll be rewarded with a delicious Italian-inspired menu of handcrafted pasta, fresh seafood dishes such as tagliatelle al frutti di mare (scallops, prawns, blue crab, and clams), and delicious "carne" options like chicken parmigiana or the 14 oz NY strip steak. Be sure to make reservations well in advance, especially if you want a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

White starched tablecloths, sleek ebony chairs, and arching potted palms banish any notion of chaos in the world. At the Ebbitt Room in the Virginia Hotel, the fireplace burns year-round, a pianist plays, and the menu dazzles with contemporary dishes like Hudson Valley foie gras parfait and grilled Duroc pork chop. Embracing the farm-to-table philosophy, the chef sources many of the ingredients from the local Beach Plum Farm. Arrive early and have a glass or two of the signature punch from a seat on the front porch.

Watch the boats come and go from dockside in Gardner's Basin as you linger over a breakfast of Frisbee-size blueberry hot cakes or omelets and grits---some think it's the best breakfast in town; for lunch, there are sandwiches, hot dogs, and crab cakes. The food is obviously just as good inside, but it's worth a wait for a seat on the dock. There's another location at the Tropicana, as well as two other New Jersey locations. 

This may be 30 miles west of Atlantic City, but for meatloaf that tastes homemade, mashed potatoes, and fresh seafood it's worth the detour. Pies and bread are baked daily and the rotating soups specials bring regulars on certain days to slurp their favorites (chowders and bisque are especially popular). You can get breakfast here too, and a kids' menu is available.

Steps from the Boardwalk, you'll feel like you stepped into a time capsule at this former speakeasy turned Irish pub. It's a great spot for lunch away from the casinos serving traditional pub fare like sandwiches, salads, and burgers, and there are numerous beers on tap as well as an Irish gift shop.

A friendly soul food and barbecue joint that has become a fast favorite in a town with an endless stream of fried chicken and waffles coming out from the kitchen. Located just south of Gardner's Basin, it makes for a good pit-stop when you're coming to town, or going home.

The historic Flemish building that holds this restaurant started as a private gentlemen's club in 1912 and was frequented by the notorious power brokers of the day until it was raided by Prohibition agents in 1927. Today it's owned by the Dougherty family, whose four generations have operated Dock's Oyster House, and seafood—from diver scallops and crab cakes to lobster preparations—shines here, while rib-eye, filet mignon, and rack of lamb satisfy landlubbers. Parties of eight or more can take advantage of their Private Dining option, with prix-fixe meals served in intimate rooms.

Local fisherman deliver fresh sea fare seven days a week right to the dock at the always-rollicking Lobster House. Cape May salts, a petite and briny oyster, are harvested from the restaurant's beds in Delaware Bay. Dine inside on checked tablecloths, at the raw bar, or outside on the dock for the full maritime show. Of course, the eponymous crustacean is all over the menu—in bisque and salads, its tails stuffed and served with steak, and steamed or broiled whole.

The only thing "mad" about this spot, which is credited with starting Cape May's restaurant renaissance in the 1970s, is the wild popularity of its bountiful American breakfasts and brunches. Be prepared to wait. Or book a table for lunch or dinner. Request the porch to watch the action on Jackson Street and sample the dishes that are their greatest pride and joy: the buttermilk pancakes, the clam chowder, or the lump crab cakes.

A casual dining spot at the Borgata, this is a dependable option—that won't break the bank—to grab food before a show or before you check out. Menu highlights include all of the classic breakfast staples, specialty salads, great sandwiches, and burgers.

Whether you're in the mood for Thai, Japanese, Chinese, or Korean food, you'll find numerous options—noodles, stir fry, pho, or classic favorites like spring rolls, pad thai, and fried rice—that will soothe your Far East-food cravings. Drink options (in addition to the regular American offerings) include Vietnamese Iced Coffee (made with condensed milk), Thai Iced Tea, coconut, mango, and aloe vera juices, a range of sake, and imported Asian beers like Asahi, Tsingtao, and Kirin.

The seasonal tapas-style menu at the Sandpiper is perfect for a fun-loving crowd who wants to try a piece of everything, which you’ll want to do—crab-stuffed oysters, duck poutine tots, diver scallops, tenderloin sliders…you get the picture. The desserts are just as yummy with options like pull-apart monkey bread and chocolate brownie torte, as are the fruit-forward specialty cocktails. Another added bonus---the restaurant is helmed by New Jersey native John Zaitoun who has made local sourcing and seasonality the focus of the Sandpiper's menu including the restaurant's beer list which features beer from Cape May and Flying Fish Brewing Companies. 

Order large, cracker-crisp pizzas at this pizzeria with dinette tables. The white pizza is delicious, as is anything with the Italian sausage. Or you might try the fried calamari, then choose your favorite pasta combined with your favorite sauce to make a meal. They jar the most popular sauces and sell them to-go. They recently added a family style dining menu, where each item ordered serves up to four people.

Head to this butcher shop and deli and get in line for take-out. Tom Bailey's functions like a New York-style deli, churning out sandwiches, wraps, and salads for a steady stream of locals and summer residents. You can also pick up prime cuts of meat, homemade sausage, and even a selection of cheese, fruit, and desserts. On summer evenings from Thur.–Sun. waitstaff services the outdoor garden patio. At other times, you can take food to go or seat yourself.

An oil painting hangs over the fireplace mantle, wall sconces add soft light, and extravagant bouquets of flowers dress the room. You could be dining at your sophisticated auntie's house circa 1870, but would she have had a chef of the Union Park caliber preparing New American dishes like seared duck breast with duck confit hash or vanilla chai glazed short rib with smoked bacon marmalade? We think not. The restaurant is in the Hotel Macomber.