Exploring the Local Bounty in Ocean City, New Jersey
My grandparents stumbled upon Ocean City nearly 70 years ago, when my grandfather was assigned to an Air Force base in Cape May County. It’s a place my family has called a second home ever since; when my parents retired to the area in 2022, it became that much more a part of me. Whether you’re yearning for a day at the beach, an afternoon of shopping, or an evening stroll on the boardwalk, there’s no shortage of activities, eateries, and mom-and-pop shops for adults and children alike.
Ocean City’s dry policy (meaning no alcohol can be sold or sipped on public property) keeps the island family-friendly, but it’s just one bridge away from restaurants with scenic views and summer cocktails should you choose to sip and savor off the island.
It’s easy to spend a day relaxing among the waves, but from morning until night, there are endless other ways to be entertained—from the moment you enter through the 9th Street Bridge and see the entire city nestled between the bay and ocean (a more iconic view than the top of the Ferris wheel, if you ask me). Roll down your windows, breathe in that ocean air, and spend a day discovering why the city calls this “America’s Greatest Family Resort.”
clockwise, from top left: Ready’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant; Varsity Inn; Crunchik’n; Sack O’ Subs
8am Explore the local bounty
Local vendors showcase their best goods every Wednesday morning, June through September, at the bustling Ocean City Farmers’ Market. Arrive bright and early to avoid the crowds and explore dozens of entrepreneurs selling the freshest seafood, locally grown produce and flowers, and bread baked that morning. A weekly craft fair loaded with locally made goods and accessories sits just next door at 6th Street and Asbury Avenue and runs at the same time.
If you’re in a rush to get the best spot on the beach, finish up and grab a quick cup of joe at the Ocean City Coffee Company on Asbury or the boardwalk; otherwise, it’s time for breakfast.
9am Breakfast with a view—and doughnuts
Run; don’t walk (seriously, or you’ll have to wait) to the northernmost part of the boardwalk for doughnuts with an ocean view at Browns Restaurant. This sit-down, no-frills spot has been a staple for nearly 50 years and boasts a line that stretches down the boards if you don’t arrive right at 7am. The separate walk-up doughnut window offers signature doughnuts in just six varieties (vanilla, chocolate, plain, powdered, cinnamon, and honey). For the perfect sweet and savory balance, have a seat and order a pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich, then finish with a warm, honey-glazed doughnut.
If you’re headed toward Downtown Ocean City, step back in time for breakfast at Ready’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant or enjoy open-air breezes at Varsity Inn.
10am Soak up the soft sand
The most obvious part of enjoying Ocean City is its eight miles of gorgeous, soft-sand beaches, which USA Today named “Best Beach in the Northeast” in 2023. Many of the beaches have lifeguards daily, making it a safe place to bring children. For a livelier day filled with people-watching and easy access to lunch spots, set up camp with your beach chair and umbrella just steps below the boardwalk between 8th and 12th Streets. Once you’re hungry, it’s an easy stroll from here along the boardwalk for lunch, stopping for a slice at Manco & Manco Pizza, birria tacos at Taqueria Rendon, or Korean fried chicken at Crunchik’n.
For a quieter beach day away from the boards, head south to Corson’s Inlet State Park, which sits just past 59th Street. Before you go, pack the cooler full of sandwiches from Sack O’ Subs, the island’s signature sub shop. Don’t skip the tuna salad (I’m voting it best in New Jersey) or the Sack O’ Special, an Italian sub loaded with extra meat and cheese.
clockwise, from top left: Ocean City Coffee, Puccini, The Spotted Whale, The Islander
2pm Shop around
Ocean City has two major shopping destinations: the boardwalk and Downtown Asbury Avenue. If you’re sticking to the boards and want to commemorate the day with a new sweatshirt, stop into Shirt Shack for every piece of Ocean City-clad apparel you could want. For beachy trinkets and décor, check out Ocean Treasures—and if you want jewelry or trendy accessories and clothes, visit Payton Jewelry or The Islander.
Downtown Asbury Avenue is full of locally owned stores housing everything from hand soaps to clothing and artisanal treats. Stainton’s keeps it all in one spot, acting as an umbrella storefront with different sections where more than 100 local vendors display their goods (they have a smaller boardwalk location, too!). 7th Street Surf Shop is the ultimate beachwear store for laidback styles and accessories, and The Spotted Whale offers upscale décor and home goods.
5pm Beat the dinner crowd
Restaurants fill up fast at dinner hour, so early is the way to go. On the island, there are plenty of cuisines to satisfy any craving. Clancy’s By the Sea offers the city’s most notable oceanfront outdoor dining experience. Downtown has plenty of smaller, more casual dining spots—and the best Greek food around at Yianni’s Cafe—while the west side of town is home to Piccini, an Italian restaurant serving wood-fired pizza and massive pasta plates that you might recognize from Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
It’s not uncommon to travel off the island for dinner and drinks [see sidebar], but if you prefer to stay close to home, stop in to Topsail Steamer to pick up a seafood boil you can steam at home to go along with your corn from the farmers markets.
clockwise, from top left: Ocean City Music Pier, Kohr Bros Frozen Custard, Congo Falls Adventure Golf, Boardwalk at sunset, The Deauville Inn
ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOWS, BREATHE IN THAT OCEAN AIR, AND SPEND A DAY DISCOVERING WHY THE CITY CALLS THIS “AMERICA’S GREATEST FAMILY RESORT.”
7pm Showtime at the Ocean City Music Pier
You’ll be surprised at the talent the Ocean City Music Pier attracts. Every summer, well-known musicians, comedians, and other entertainers host performances at this nearly 100-year-old venue, situated at the center of the boardwalk and right over the ocean. Catch smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G in June, reggae legends The Wailers in July, and the iconic Beach Boys in August. Tickets can be purchased online at ocnj.us/boxoffice; note that show times vary.
9pm End the night with excitement
The Ocean City boardwalk comes alive when the sun goes down, with bright lights and plenty of fun activities. Congo Falls Adventure Golf, the area’s most well-known mini golf course, is the perfect spot for some friendly competition. But for the best view, pop into one of two amusement parks—Playland’s Castaway Cove or Gillian’s Wonderland Pier—for a bird’s-eye view of the boardwalk at the top of each Ferris wheel.
Most shops and restaurants stay open until at least 10pm, so cap off the night with an ice cream cone at Kohr Bros Frozen Custard. And before you head out, take home a culinary souvenir with caramel popcorn from Johnson’s Popcorn or some melt-in-your-mouth fudge from The Original Fudge Kitchen (no judgement if you eat it all on the drive back).
FOOD & DRINK
1 Ocean City Farmers’ Market
Ocean City Tabernacle
between 5th and 6th St.
609.399.6111
2 Ocean City Coffee Company
9th & Boardwalk
10th & Boardwalk
917 Asbury Ave.
oceancitycoffee.com
609.399.5533
3 Browns Restaurant
110 Boardwalk
609.391.0677
4 Ready’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant
415 E 8th St.
609.399.4418
5 Varsity Inn
605 E 8th St.
varsityinnocnj.com
609.399.1500
6 Manco & Manco Pizza
9th & Boardwalk | 12th & Boardwalk
mancospizza.com
609.399.2548 | 609.398.0720
7 Taqueria Rendon
1138 Boardwalk
taqueriarendonnj.com
609.938.0351
8 Crunchik’n
1136 Boardwalk
crunchikn.com/oceancity
609.938.1896
9 Sack O’ Subs
926 Asbury Ave. | 5500 Central Ave.
sackosubs.com
609.525.0460 | 609.525.0434
10 Clancy’s By the Sea
1244 Boardwalk
clancysrestaurantgroup.com
609.398.3344
11 Yianni’s Cafe
847 Asbury Ave.
yianniscafeoc.com
609.391.1113
12 Piccini
1260 West Ave.
picciniocnj.com
609.525.0767
13 Topsail Steamer
3363 West Ave.
609.399.7687
topsailsteamer.com
14 Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard
7th, 10th, 12th Sts. & Moorlyn
Terrace on the Boardwalk
kohrbros.com
15 Johnson’s Popcorn
6th, 8th, & 14th Sts.
on the Boardwalk
johnsonspopcorn.com
609.398.5404
16 The Original
Fudge Kitchen
800 Boardwalk
fudgekitchens.com
609.398.7457
SHOPPING
17 Shirt Shack
808 Boardwalk
609.398.5402
18 Ocean Treasures
966 Boardwalk
facebook.com/OceanTreasuresOCNJ
609.399.5549
19 Payton Jewelry
952 Boardwalk
payton.jewelry
609.938.1276
20 The Islander
920 Boardwalk
609.398.3069
facebook.com/TheIslanderOC
21 Stainton’s
810 Asbury Ave. | 1216
Boardwalk
staintons.com
609.545.8688
22 7th Street Surf Shop
(flagship location)
720 Asbury Ave.
7thstreetsurfshop.com
609.398.7070
23 The Spotted Whale
944 Asbury Ave.
spottedwhale.com
609.840.6667
CULTURE & ATTRACTIONS
24 Ocean City Music Pier
825 Boardwalk
609.399.6111
ocnj.us/music-pier
25 Congo Falls Adventure Golf
1132 Boardwalk
congofallsgolf.com
609.398.1211
26 1020 Boardwalk
1020 Boardwalk
oceancityfun.com
609.399.4751
27 Gillian’s Wonderland Pier
600 Boardwalk
gillians.com
609.399.7082
OFF ISLAND WINES & DINES
If you want to sip a seasonal cocktail or glass of wine with your meal, you’ll need to head just a few minutes outside of town. The 9th Street Bridge will bring you right to The Crab Trap in Somers Point, where the tables fill fast but the outdoor bar, Crabby Jack’s, is the perfect place to have a drink with bayfront views while you wait. Take the 34th Street Bridge over to Tuckahoe Inn, a bayfront restaurant in Beesley’s Point with an upscale indoor vibe or laid back outside area with live music. And over the Corson’s Inlet Bridge sits Deauville Inn in Strathmere, yet another bayfront spot with an upbeat atmosphere and outdoor deck right over the water.
The Crab Trap & Crabby Jack’s
2 Broadway, Somers Point
thecrabtrap.com | crabbyjacksnj.com
609.927.7377
Tuckahoe Inn
1 Harbor Rd., Beesley’s Point
tuckahoeinn.com
609.390.3322
Deauville Inn
201 Willard Rd., Strathmere
deauvilleinn.com
609.263.2080
