The Garden State is home to plenty of Jersey Fresh produce that restaurants use daily, but the Jersey shore’s prime location also means fresh-caught seafood! Check out our list of the best seafood restaurants on the Jersey shore!
The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House
This Manahawkin restaurant has world famous crab cakes and plenty of hand-shucked oysters. The family that owns this restaurant also runs Mud City Crab House, Ship Bottom Shellfish, Mud City Crab Cake Co., and the Black Whale Bar and Fish House, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to seafood. There’s a daily happy hour and live music on the weekends. Enjoy their raw bar with fresh oysters
Try unique dinner creations like the Jersey Devils (deviled eggs, fried oyster, and sriracha), Roasted Cauliflower Gratin (with smoked gouda and peppers), Fried Blue Olives (stuffed with bleu cheese and glazed with balsamic), The Black Eye (steak covered in jumbo lump crab and gorgonzola cream sauce with peppers), Shrimp & Grits (with diced tomatoes and applewood bacon sauce over white cheddar jalepeno grits, toast, and fried green tomatoes), Sesame Yellowfin Tuna (with avocado, pineapple soy glaze, and cole slaw), Pretzel Salmon, or Karate Chop (pork chop with pineapple soy glaze).
For brunch, taste the Stuffed French Toast (with Nutella, strawberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup), Carnitas Breakfast Wrap (pulled pork, peppers, potatoes, eggs, cheese, salsa, chipotle mayo, and lettuce), Mud City Benedict (crab cake, bacon, avocado, eggs, and hollandaise on toast), or Meatloaf Sliders (buttermilk biscuits, meatloaf, egg, arugula, cheese, and garlic mayo). If you have room for dessert, try the Apple Cranberry Cobbler, Chocolate Bourbon Pot de Creme, or Cherry Cheesecake Milkshake.
Oceanos Oyster Bar and Seafood Grill
This Fair Lawn restaurant cooks fresh, delicious seafood Greek-style. Peter Panteleakis, the owner, bakes the restaurant’s bread himself early in the morning and also works with the kitchen staff. He talks to each guest personally to make sure they’re satisfied with their food and atmosphere.
His son, Nikos, works as the bartender as well as the line manager to make sure dishes are perfect before they leave the kitchen. To them, you, the guest, are also family, and should be treated as such with the best dining experience possible.
Every morning, the father and son wake up at 1:00 a.m. (yes, in the morning) to get first dibs on the freshest catch at the Fulton Fish Market, where they’re known as Mr. Whale and Little Whale.
Try the Zucchini and Eggplant Chips (with tzatziki dip), Mussels Lyonnaise (in dijon, garlic, white wine broth), Nicoise Salad (tuna, anchovies, potatoes, capers, green beans, shallots, olives, egg, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette), Seafood Jumbulaya (shrimp, scallops, baby clams, and mussels with rice), or Swordfish Kebab (with onions, peppers, and arborio pilaf).
For dessert, the restaurant follows Greek tradition with options like Galaktobouriko (custard with filo dough and honey), Tartufo (chocolate and vanilla ice cream truffle with a cherry and almond center), or their ultimate splurge, Vesuvius (five layers of chocolate cake and one of cheesecake).
Oyster Creek Inn
This Leeds Point Restaurant is located right along the water, perfect for dining with a view! Its famous boat bar is open every day for a delicious lunch, and the sushi bar and crab room are also big hits. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, serving Zagat-rated food, and winner of 7 Best of the Press medals, including Outdoor Dining (Gold), Local Restaurant, Clam Bar, Crabs, Crab Cake, Seafood, and Lobster, this place is immensely popular and insanely good! There’s entertainment every week and Reggae music every Wednesday, so the atmosphere is definitely fun.
Try the Snapper Turtle Soup, Eastern Shore Pasta (with crab, littleneck clams, tomatoes, and asparagus), or Bill’s Original Seafood Pie (crab, shrimp, and scallops in creamy bisque) for dinner. For a real treat, try the Jersey Devil Shrimp (with hot sauce over cole slaw), Clams Mexicali (stuffed with chorizo, peppers, and cheese) Stuffed Salmon (stuffed with brie and crab, topped with asparagus, over wild rice), or Spicy Yellowfin Tuna (with Cajun seasoning, topped with shrimp and onions in beer butter sauce, over wild rice), all featured on the Food Network!
Interesting rolls at the sushi bar include the Alaskan King Crab (with carrots, asparagus, and avocado), Caribbean Crab Stuffed Tuna (with Tobiko), Blackened Scallop (with mango chutney), Jerk Shrimp (with roasted tomatoes, avocado, and Tobiko), or Sushi Bombs (tuna or salmon rolled in wonton with spicy cream cheese and sweet chili sauce). And of course, the desserts are to die for!
We can only cover so many great seafood restaurants before we get too hungry to write. This was our top 3 best seafood restaurants on the Jersey shore, but we know there are plenty more. Let us know your favorite in the comments!