Atlantic City Has a Lot More Going for It Than Just Gambling
Once the East Coast’s answer to Vegas, AC has a lot more going for it than just gambling. Dining—fine or otherwise—has taken off, and for anyone who likes a good meal, a trip here is a sure winner
When it comes to shore towns, Atlantic City certainly has made a name for itself, but what usually comes to mind is a casino floor, roulette wheels, and poker chips—not Michelin-grade dining. But you’ll find both here, and plenty more besides.
On the food front, an influx of fun, innovative new startups have joined the casinos’ celebrity chef chains and tried-and-true standbys like Dock’s Oyster House and The Knife and Fork. To finally be able to find a gastropub that’s vegan-friendly in a town once known only for its steakhouses and breakfast buffets shows that “America’s Playground” has potential to become so much more.
It helps that AC is also home to one of the nation’s top-rated hospitality programs, and has gotten a boost from the Tennessee Avenue Association. It’s also an incredibly walkable city and, unlike Vegas, pretty much every table in town has an ocean view. Edible Jersey invites you to come along for a day to explore a few of our favorite restaurants, eateries, drink spots, and gourmet stops.
LEFT: Gilchrist Restaurant; TOP RIGHT: Hayday Coffee; BOTTOM LEFT: Cycles of Life
8 am
Fuel up
End your morning stroll down the boardwalk at the beach block of New York Avenue for hands-down the best java in town at Hayday Coffee. Located on the ground floor of the Bywater Building, which is decorated with colorful murals, this coffee shop can satisfy your drip, cold brew, or nitro fix (for an incredibly reasonable price—I can’t remember the last time I had a sub-$5 latte) and has an array of light bites, including gluten-free options from Kizbee’s Kitchen. Indulge in a signature drink like a Loaded Chai or French Toast Latte as you take in the ocean air. (If you partake and plan on toking up later, there’s a dispensary in the building as well.)
9 am
Enjoy hot cakes dockside
In the land of breakfast buffets, the hot cakes at Gilchrist Restaurant still stand out, even after more than 75 years in business. The casual breakfast and lunch joint has a newer location in the Tropicana, but the OG restaurant—situated on the water with a better view and vibe—is well worth a slight detour. The breakfast menu has all the usual trappings, including great home fries, but you won’t want to leave without at least a side order of the large, flat, lacy-edged hot cakes—blueberry is tradition, but they usually have some kind of seasonal fruit option as well. Although they don’t take reservations, service is quick, and the food is so good the locals say it “makes you sweat.”
If you have your heart set on a buffet, make it Kelsey & Kim’s Southern Cafe for the soul food brunch. This Black-owned business serves upscale renditions of favorites like fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and mac ’n’ cheese weekends between 10am and 3pm (last seating is at 2), with or without reservations. The restaurant also hosts live performances by local jazz bands and soul singers.
11 am
Bike off the carbs
It’s not a trip to the shore if you’re not spending at least part of it on two wheels. Make a reservation with Cycles of Life, which rents tandem, standard, and basket bikes, and get pedaling. There are several nice trails, but the best for beginners is the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trail, a roughly four-mile stretch on the boardwalk itself. Although hours are restricted on the boardwalk during the peak summer season, bicyclists can ride unrestricted all day long after September 15. You’ll pass not only casinos and AC’s famous Steel Pier amusement park, but also the campus of Stockton University, home of one of the top-ranked U.S. hospitality programs, and plenty of stunning oceanfront real estate. Past Ocean Casino Resort at the far end, there are great coastal views as well, and it’s worth venturing off the boardwalk to check out Absecon Lighthouse, which dates to 1857. Although these days it’s dwarfed by surrounding casinos, it remains the nation’s third-tallest lighthouse and offers great panoramic views from the watchroom, which visitors can access after a mere 228 steps.
LEFT: “A Little Bit of Everyone” mural by Denton Burrows; TOP RIGHT: Kelsey and Kim’s Southern Cafe; BOTTOM RIGHT: Cardinal Restaurant & Lounge
noon
Get lunch to go
If you’ve worked up an appetite, White House Subs is a New Jersey institution, frequented by celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. There are two locations, but the one on the second floor of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will be closest, so stop by and get a classic Italian sub like you’ve never tasted before. You can eat it while strolling the boardwalk and souvenir shopping. Don’t leave without some salt water taffy, the iconic candy of the shore, which was created on this very boardwalk when a storm flooded one of the candy stores in 1883. You can purchase the candy in a box with vintage packaging at James Candy Company, along with other sweet treats.
1 pm
Take a tour
Little Water Distillery offers tours and tastings of their house-made spirits (two rums, a gin, vodka, and whiskey and some premade mixed drinks) every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm (or Fridays at 5pm). Conveniently, The Seed Brewery is right next door, if you happen to be (or be with) a fan of an excellent IPA. Inside, the draft list is a masterpiece; outside, the taproom features one of more than 70 murals on public display in the city thanks to the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, which offers a map on its website for anyone inclined to do their own free walking tour of the larger-than-life art on display. Another good option for an afternoon drink: Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall has more than 40 beers on tap, and a decent craft cocktail menu, too.
3 pm
Get your game on
If you’re feeling sober enough (and have the requisite closed-toe shoes), there’s Westecunk Axe Throwing nearby. For the slightly less adventurous, Lucky Snake Arcade & Sports Bar in the Showboat Resort has everything you need to be entertained: retro arcade games and pinball, billiards, hallways of claw machines, an indoor go-kart track, rock climbing, and mini-golf. If you really want to practice your golf swing, though, head to the Ocean Resort’s Top Golf Swing Suite, which has its own bar and kitchen. Wednesdays through Sundays, groups of up to eight can reserve the space, which is home to the largest Topgolf suite in America. If you can, squeeze in a quick soak in one of the many heated pools or hot tubs at the resort’s spa, which offers day passes.
LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Atlantic City Boardwalk Trail, White House Subs, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall RIGHT: Abescon Lighthouse
5 pm
Kick off happy hour
Along with the previously mentioned options, the cocktails are flowing at Cardinal, a newish contemporary American restaurant that focuses on seasonal, sustainable, and quality ingredients. The well-edited drink menu features stand-outs like the Last Night in Town—gin, green chartreuse, St-Germain, and lemon—which are definitely worth a sip even if you don’t stay for dinner. In that vein, should you want a pre-dinner appetizer and a show, head to Superfrico at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino. Described as an Italian psychedelic restaurant, it features tableside mozzarella stretching, where fresh curds are pulled into a cheese appetizer in a flamboyant, fun atmosphere.
7 pm
Sample small plates
You will definitely want to save room for Amada in the Ocean Resort & Casino, Chef Jose Garces’s Spanish tapas restaurant. The food is top tier, and it’s hard to choose wrong from the menu, but the piquillos rellenos (crab-stuffed peppers) and albondigas (lamb meatballs made with foie gras) were two standouts. Wash them down with a glass of the best sangria around and enjoy the ocean view from pretty much any seat in the house.
LEFT: Tapas selections at Amada; TOP RIGHT: Amada interior; BOTTOM RIGHT: Ocean Resort
9 pm
Dessert is mandatory
By several accounts, the best dessert in town is the sticky toffee pudding at Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen in Caesars, and it’s worth the trek just for a taste. If, however, you prefer an after-dinner drink, hit up Bar 32 Chocolate, which has the best of both worlds. This after-dinner hot spot combines artisan chocolate with a mouthwatering dessert cocktail menu. You can custom-design bars, buy chocolate gifts to take home, and indulge in cocktails/ wine pairings with different chocolates. There are even custom playlists designed to enhance the experience for chocolate lovers (the Red Hot Chili Peppers to accompany the house hot chocolate, for instance).
10 pm
After-hours fun
Ready to dance all those calories away? Check out whatever indie band is playing the Anchor Rock Club, which features punk, hip-hop, rock, and more. The HQ2 nightclub in Ocean Resort is also pulsing with energy and the sounds of world-class DJs, so you can get your sweat on.
FOOD & DRINK
1 Hayday Coffee
155 S. New York Ave.
haydaycoffee.com
609.300.5142
2 Gilchrist Restaurant
804 N. Rhode Island Ave.
gilchristrestaurant.com
609.345.8278
3 Kelsey & Kim’s Southern Cafe
1545 Pacific Ave.
kelseysac.com
609.344.2200
4 Ocean Casino Resort
500 Boardwalk
theoceanac.com
609.783.8000
5 White House Subs
2301 Arctic Ave.
whitehousesubshop.net
609.345.8599
6 The Seed
204 N. Delaware Ave.
theseedbeer.com
609.246.7324
7 Little Water Distillery
810 Lexington Ave.
lwdco.com
609.344.7867
8 Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall
133 Tennessee Ave.
tennesseeavenuebeerhall.com
609.541.4099
9 Cardinal
201 S. New York Ave.
cardinal-ac.com
609.246.6670
10 Superfrico
2100 Pacific Ave.
(inside Caesar’s Hotel & Casino)
spiegelworld.com
702.534.3419
11 Amada
500 Boardwalk
(inside Ocean Casino Resort)
theoceanac.com/restaurants/amada
609.783.8000
12 Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen
2100 Pacific Ave.
(inside Caesar’s Hotel & Casino)
caesars.com/caesars-ac/restaurants/hells-kitchen
609.317.2110
13 Bar 32 Chocolate
121 S. Tennessee Ave.
bar32chocolate.com
609.248.6960
SHOPPING, ATTRACTIONS & ENTERTAINMENT
14 James Candy Company
The Marketplace at Tropicana
Brighton Avenue & Boardwalk
2821 Boardwalk
jamescandy.com
609.344.2408
15 Westcunk Axe Throwing
807 Baltic Ave., Unit C
westecunkaxe.com
609.246.7283
16 The Lucky Snake
801 Boardwalk
theluckysnake.com
609.487.4652
17 Cycles of Life
1117 Arctic Ave.
boardwalkbikeshop.thecyclesoflife.com
609.685.1044
18 Absecon Lighthouse
31 S. Rhode Island Ave.
abseconlighthouse.org
609.449.1360
19 Anchor Rock Club
247 S. New York Ave.
anchorrockclub.com
609.808.4990
