United States

15 Best Restaurants in Ocean City, NJ

Luisa Kho

Oct 8, 2022 • 12 min read

Vlad G / shutterstock.com

Ocean City is a coastal city in New Jersey's Cape May County.

Native Americans used to live in this area, and fishing was one of their sources of food.

According to the US Census Bureau, Ocean City is composed of 6.72 square miles of land and 4.84 square miles of water.

It's famous for its amusement parks like Wonderland Amusement Park and Playland's Castaway Cove.

The city is also dotted with beaches, restaurants, shops, and other attractions that showcase its gorgeous coastline.

Aside from beach activities, you and your friends can also try sports such as golf, tennis, and hiking at the Crook Horn Creek Nature Trail, where a majestic view of the bay will welcome you at the summit.

Ocean City is also where you can taste some of the freshest seafood you could ever dream of.

Its sunshine, soft sands, and crashing waves will take all your problems away.

This city is indeed one of the top tourist destinations in the country.

Now that you know some of the most exciting things to do in this city, dive in and explore the best restaurants in Ocean City, New Jersey:

Jon & Patty’s Coffee Bar & Bistro

Jon & Patty's Coffee Bar & Bistro is located on Asbury Avenue.

It was opened in 2008 by Jon & Patty Talese and expanded in 2016 to include an eating area on the restaurant's second floor.

This restaurant offers healthy, fresh, and affordable food selections.

Jon & Patty's Coffee Bar & Bistro promises to serve meals prepared in a "home-cooked" style.

You will never run out of options, from breakfast sandwiches and egg platters to avocado toast and pancakes.

They also serve oatmeal, tacos, fruit smoothie bowls, sides of bacon, sausage, pork roll, scrapple, and fries.

Aside from these, Jon & Patty's Coffee Bar & Bistro is also home to one of the biggest coffee selections in the region.

The Cuban coffee, lattes, iced coffees, and tea bar are a perfect match for whatever food you plan to order.

Yianni's Cafe

If you're into both American and Greek dishes, Yianni's Cafe on Asbury Avenue is the perfect place for you.

The interior will make you feel like you're in a different country.

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available at this restaurant.

Yianni's Cafe has a patio where you can peacefully enjoy a fresh fruit salad bowl, freshly squeezed fruit juices, smoothies, waffles, pancakes, or French toast.

You shouldn't miss their omelets, bacon, smoked salmon, crab cakes, bagels, lox, and cheese platter.

Piccini

Piccini was brought to Ocean City by Janet and Tony in 2018 and can be easily located on West Avenue.

After its former owner decided to sell the restaurant, Janet and Tony didn't hesitate to continue its legacy of serving a wide variety of Italian staples.

Piccini is best known for its traditional white and red pizza, cheeseburger pie, spicy eggplant, and crabmeat ravioli.

You can also try out their signature Ciabatta sandwiches, salads, seafood, pasta, and chicken.

Piccini won't disappoint you with its fresh mussels, scallops, jumbo shrimp, and crabmeat.

Your kids will also enjoy their kid's menu, including spaghetti, penne pasta, cheese ravioli, chicken tenders, fries, and chicken parmesan.

Dishes that were cooked to order are also available here at Piccini.

Augie's Omelette and Waffle House

Augie's Omelette and Waffle House on East 9th Street has been serving mouth-watering and satisfying breakfast and lunch since 1989.

This is where you can find all your breakfast favorites, like omelets, Belgian waffles, toast, and hotcakes.

You can also try Augie's Omelette and Waffle House's homemade chipped beef.

Its lunch options, such as chicken, 8oz burgers, salads, soups, and wraps, are also famous among its customers.

Vegetarian and vegan options are also available, so you can bring your non-meat eater friends and family.

Augie's Omelette and Waffle House is accessible to kids and persons with disabilities.

Varsity Inn

Varsity Inn is located on East 8th Street.

It was built in 1905.

Before becoming a restaurant, the building where it currently sits was a Methodist retreat, schoolhouse, and private residence.

Varsity Inn is where you can find the famous baked Jersey tomato soup served with tomato chunks and topped with cheese and garlic croutons.

The campus-inspired restaurant also offers gluten-free and vegetarian dishes.

Its famous menu options include a healthy morn omelet, Hersey devil omelet, cinnamon crunch French toast, and Philadelphia cheesecake stuffed French toast.

The fries, salads, waffles, turkey, and chicken dishes are also must-haves at Varsity Inn.

Browns Restaurant

Browns Restaurant in Boardwalk was established in 1976 by Marjorie and Harmon Brown.

It is now owned and run by their son Jim and his wife Melissa.

Locals and tourists flock to this restaurant for homemade donuts made straight from a donut machine.

You can watch your donut being made, and they will serve it fresh and warm.

Browns Restaurant's famous donuts include powdered, cinnamon, chocolate, plain, vanilla, and honey flavors.

Aside from donuts, you may also try out their fries, toast, eggs, hams, sausages, hotcakes, English muffins, cold sandwiches, salads, and hoagies.

Milkshakes, fruit juices, soft drinks, and teas are also available at Browns Restaurant.

Voltaco's Italian Foods

Voltaco's Italian Foods on West Avenue lives true to its name of serving flavorful Italian specialties.

It has been serving the Jersey shore since 1954.

Italian staples such as pizzas and pasta are available at Voltaco's Italian Foods.

You can try ordering their Voltaco's Pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, white pizza, taco pizza, and more.

Voltaco's Italian Foods also has breakfast sandwiches and cold subs and sandwiches.

If you're planning to dine out with the whole family or group of friends, you may order their family trays, which include choices of lasagnas, salad platters, and more.

Sunrise Café

Located on Asbury Avenue, Sunrise Café was opened in 2013.

It is a small cafe that offers classic breakfast options perfect for fueling you for a long and exciting day at the beach.

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are included in their menu.

Aside from breakfast options, the cafe also offers boneless tenders, nachos, empanadas, shrimps, and homemade bruschetta.

You can also try their cobb, taco, garden house, and buffalo chicken salads.

Their tacos and quesadillas are also to die for.

After loading up with carbs and protein, why not indulge yourself with some dessert?

Sunrise Café has cheesecake, chocolate cake, and ice creams that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Your children will surely enjoy their chicken fingers, fries, hamburgers, chips, and grilled cheese.

Ike's Famous Crabcakes

Ike's Famous Crabcakes is a beachside restaurant on Ocean City's Boardwalk.

As you can tell from its name, this is home to delicious crab cakes and other seafood dishes.

You can start with their exciting appetizers, such as tuna bites, grilles shrimps, crab balls, calamari, and shrimp cocktail.

The restaurant also has homemade sauces that will bring more flavor to your food.

Soups, salads, tacos, and sandwiches are also offered here.

Make sure not to miss out Ike's Famous Crab cakes' grilled crab cakes, jumbo shrimps, yellowfin tuna steaks, grilled scallops, and even fried chicken!

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is a family-owned Mexican restaurant on West Avenue.

The dishes offered in this restaurant are inspired by authentic Mexican cuisine.

Cinco De Mayo was founded by Roberto and Rosa Marroquin in 2010.

Once inside, you'll be embraced with real Mexican feels not just because of its food but also due to its interior design.

From quesadillas, tostadas, torta cubana, burritos, fajitas, tacos, and mariscos, this place is truly a have for Mexican food lovers.

Cinco De Mayo also has vegetarian burritos, sopes, nachos, and tortadas.

Beverages like sangria, iced teas, and soft drinks are also available.

Island Grill Seafood & Steakhouse

Island Grill Seafood & Steakhouse is a family-owned and operated restaurant on Atlantic Avenue.

This place offers buckets of servings of your favorite dishes like shrimp, chicken, flounder, and skewers.

It's also home to a famously pulled pork tray with a three-pound smoked pulled pork served with Hawaiian King's bread, BBQ sauce, and butter.

Salmon, grilled chicken, island rice, and sauteed mixed vegetables can also be ordered in tray size.

Some of its best and most loved dishes are cheese quesadillas, hot dogs, jumbo burgers, and fried shrimp.

Island Grill Seafood & Steakhouse has healthier options such as baked salmon and grilled chicken breast.

Preps Pizzeria & Dairy Bar

Preps Pizzeria & Dairy Bar can be easily located on Ocean City's Boardwalk.

It has been the favorite pizza place of locals and tourists Since 1965.

The restaurant offers exciting specialty pizzas and white pizzas.

You can also try out their Sicilian pizza, Gluten-free pie, and pepperoni bread.

Preps Pizzeria & Dairy Bar doesn't only offer pizzas but also salads, hot sandwiches, wraps, fries, and chicken tenders.

Make sure to try their ice creams, milkshakes, banana splits, brownie bowl, and ice cream soda.

Cousin's Restaurant & Catering

Cousin's Restaurant & Catering on Asbury Avenue promises to serve mouth-watering and made-from-scratch dishes.

You can either dine in or order from their wide variety of soups, salads, pasta, steaks, seafood, and gluten-free dishes.

The other specialties include homemade meatballs, seasoned rice, Italian bread, sauteed vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes, and homemade bread pudding.

You can bring your children and let them choose from Cousin's Restaurant & Catering's kids' menu that includes chicken tenders, cheese pizza, linguine with meatballs, and stuffed shells.

Del's Grill

Del's Grill on Ocean City's Boardwalk started as a small sandwich shop in Audubon, established in 1954.

It was moved into its current location in 1965.

At Del's Grill, you can order classic steaks, burgers, homemade crab cakes, and seafood platters.

Its interior is filled with ocean-themed decorations like surfboards, bikes, photographs, and others.

You can try Del's Grill's affordable yet high-quality mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, buffalo tenders, onion rings, and crunchy coconut shrimp.

The Chatterbox OC

The Chatterbox OC is a vegetarian-friendly restaurant on East 9th Street.

Since it started its operations in 1937, this restaurant never failed to serve classic American food and drinks that everyone loves.

The Chatterbox OC's decades in the industry guarantee high-quality food, such as sandwiches, salads, wraps, and burgers.

Eggs Benedict, pork roll, different kinds of bacon, potatoes, hash browns, mixed fruits, and scrapple are some of its customers' favorites.

Its standard drinks options are espresso, cappuccino, latte, Americano, iced coffee, la Colombie coffee, milk, hot chocolate, and fruit juices.

The Chatterbox OC is also well known for its satisfying milkshakes.

Its flavors vary from red velvet, vanilla, caramel, strawberry, bubblegum, cotton candy, and more.

Ice cream sandwiches and floats are also available here.

Final Thoughts

Good food is a factor for a more enjoyable vacation.

Lucky enough, Ocean City is filled with restaurant options for adults, children, vegetarians, vegans, and even those on a diet.

Make sure to add this city to your bucket list, and be sure not to miss out on the best restaurants in Ocean City, New Jersey.

💌

Spotted a mistake, have some feedback, or just want to chat with our editorial team? Click here to get in touch.

✍️

Find out more about Travel Lens and read our editorial guidelines here.