The wife and I will be going on a 4 night vacation to Wildwood, NJ; we’ve never been there before. We love to eat and drink, and will also be going to Atlantic City to gamble a little. I’m looking for some recommendations on restaurants and hotels in the Widwood area. Also, any other suggestions on vacationing along the Jersey Shore will be much appreciated. Thank you!!
Vacation in Wildwood, NJ
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Don't go to Wildwood. It's called "Childwood" for a reason. If you MUST go to the NJ Shore, try Avalon, Cape May, Sea Isle City, or Ocean City. I am assuming you know that NJ beach towns require a beach tag. Here is some information for you
www.jerseyfamilyfun.com
New Jersey Beaches and Beach Tag Information 2022
Comprehensive list of New Jersey Beaches by region/county. Details include NJ beach tag prices, badges policies, hours for lifeguards, if they have a boardwalk, and more.
www.jerseyfamilyfun.com
I have a place in Wildwood CREST - much different than in Wildwood proper. Not sure you will find really nice Hotels in Wildwood - I would look at Cape May - nice quiet town and very walkable with many good restaurants - I am actually going to Oyster Bay in Cape May Saturday. Stone Harbor and Avalon are nice - a little more stuffy and snooty but they also have some nice restaurants there. Not many hotels though - a few in Stone Harbor. Beaches there are small and you have to pay which is the same in Cape May.
My gf and I stayed at the ICONA in Cape May two summers ago. Great property for couples.
There is another ICONA in Wildwood Crest that is beachfront. There is a shuttle between the two properties. We preferred the relative quiet of Cape May so stayed there and got our beach time in at the Wildwood Crest property.
There is another ICONA in Wildwood Crest that is beachfront. There is a shuttle between the two properties. We preferred the relative quiet of Cape May so stayed there and got our beach time in at the Wildwood Crest property.
As far as restaurants there are a ton all over.The lobster house in cape may and the crab trap in sommers point are two good places to eat.
Nice bar at both places.
Nice bar at both places.
I'm curious, what in your mind is the attraction to Wildwood? When I was 18-24 it was the place my friends and I wanted to be, but most of us grow out of those things. My wife and I love Cape May and Stone Harbor. If you must do the Wildwood area, consider Wildwood Crest or North Wildwood; both are much preferable
Agree with those advising Wildwood Crest/Diamond Beach. The Crest is dry, but you can find bars and other liquor serving establishments very close by. Friend of mine swears by The Grand: https://www.experiencethegrand.com/. We usually stay at one of the old post-war motels; nothing fancy but reasonable and basically right on the beach.
Ravioli House in Wildwood is a spot my family enjoys for dinner.
Ravioli House in Wildwood is a spot my family enjoys for dinner.
Every shore town is a little different, ethnically and economically, and there are lots of nuances about their atmosphere which makes them unique. The Victorian town of Cape May, frequented by many French Canadians, is a national treasure. If you can’t stay there, be sure to visit. The Wildwoods are a bit down market compared to other NJ shore towns. It’s where the Philly kids go, so you sort of get what you pay for. The Crest however is better than Wildwood proper which IMHO is a bit sleazy but I believe the beaches are nice and very wide.
The Peter Shields Inn in Cape May is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. You will need to make reservations and it’s BYOB for wine. It’s very high end with a live pianist. You should dress nicely if going there.
The Washington Inn in Cape May is also very good with a classy atmosphere.
The Ugly Mug is a great pub also located in Cape May.
Further north in Sea isle, I like Odonnels Pour House which is great food in an Irish Pub type atmosphere.
There are a few wineries in the area that have tastings and the Cape May zoo is a nice trip if you have kids. You can drive to Cape May Point where the bay and ocean meet at the southern tip of NJ and look for Cape May diamonds (smooth glass) on the beach and visit the lighthouse. Also take the Cape May ferry over to Lewes Delaware and have lunch and then return. It’s a nice one hour boat ride. You can also do whale and dolphin watching cruises from the Cape May marina or go out in a fishing boat if that’s your inclination
Also offshore there is the Tuckahoe Inn, near Marmora, which has bay front dining with an outdoor patio with live music. It’s very popular and I’m not sure if they take reservations.
Ocean City probably has the best boardwalk among the shore towns. Stop in Shrivers for their salt water taffy and pick up some gifts to take home. Manco and Manco pizza, Johnson’s Carmel popcorn, and Kohl’s soft serve ice cream are all popular along the boards. And if your into mini golf, you’ll find several fun places to play.
Have fun.
The Peter Shields Inn in Cape May is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. You will need to make reservations and it’s BYOB for wine. It’s very high end with a live pianist. You should dress nicely if going there.
The Washington Inn in Cape May is also very good with a classy atmosphere.
The Ugly Mug is a great pub also located in Cape May.
Further north in Sea isle, I like Odonnels Pour House which is great food in an Irish Pub type atmosphere.
There are a few wineries in the area that have tastings and the Cape May zoo is a nice trip if you have kids. You can drive to Cape May Point where the bay and ocean meet at the southern tip of NJ and look for Cape May diamonds (smooth glass) on the beach and visit the lighthouse. Also take the Cape May ferry over to Lewes Delaware and have lunch and then return. It’s a nice one hour boat ride. You can also do whale and dolphin watching cruises from the Cape May marina or go out in a fishing boat if that’s your inclination
Also offshore there is the Tuckahoe Inn, near Marmora, which has bay front dining with an outdoor patio with live music. It’s very popular and I’m not sure if they take reservations.
Ocean City probably has the best boardwalk among the shore towns. Stop in Shrivers for their salt water taffy and pick up some gifts to take home. Manco and Manco pizza, Johnson’s Carmel popcorn, and Kohl’s soft serve ice cream are all popular along the boards. And if your into mini golf, you’ll find several fun places to play.
Have fun.
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Just remember to WATCH THE TRAMCAR PLEASE
Their bayside bar and restaurant Crabby Jacks is fantastic.
Rather than staying at a hotel, you might want to check out Airbnb.com and Vrbo.com as an alternative for lodging in that area. You can view a myriad of private properties that rent daily/weekly/monthly for rates that fit your budget. Many times you'll find places to stay that are nicer, cheaper, and more convenient than a hotel.
Can't help much with places to dine despite my being primarily domiciled in NJ. If you were heading to the East end/South shore of LI where I spend much of my summer, then I could be of major assistance but not for the Jersey shore area. The other posters know better than I.
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I would agree with all of these recommendations and also add Union Park and the Mad Batter for good restaurants. A visit to Cape May Brewing is also fun and they have some great brews there. In Willdwood, we ate at Beech Creek Oyster Bar & Grill.
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Wildwood does have some nice places to eat outside with water views. The Warf and Beach Creek are good for that. Other places include Mudhen Brewery is really good and they have a large outdoor area which they are currently expanding - Good Night Irenes and the Surfing Pig are also pretty good - nice thing about Wildwood is there are a number of places you can eat and drink outside. Just don't go during Senior Week - Jim Breuer did a hilarious routine on his stay in Wildwood with his family a number of years ago - you can view it on youtube.
Great question! I’m not wedded to Wildwood or any place in particular. I picked it because it wasn’t a dry town. I never realized that many NJ towns were dry towns. Maybe you or others can give me some info on the towns that are dry towns? And what it actually means for a town to be dry?
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I've been going there for years and enjoy it. We go to Wildwood Crest which is a dry beach town, very quiet and very family friendly. You can also take the wife over to Cape May which is five minutes down the road and eat at the Lobster House. Very nice restaurant overlooking the bay with an outdoor bar area. We've stayed at the Adventurer which is a nice Hotel and very close to the Boardwalk. I also liked the Crab House. The problem is since we didn't go last year, and I'm old I literally feel like I can't remember the names of restaurants we go to which is scary. Anyway, best wishes.
Which of you posters regularly vacation in Cape May, New Jersey? Cape May is where I typically go to enjoy the beach and vacation with friends and family. Are there any specific watering holes that you all gather at? I like Rusty Nail, Cabanas, and Harrys on Beach Avenue, and Ugly Mug and Delaneys on the Mall.
I will never make plans to visit Cape May or Wildwood (Dewey and Rehoboth are my stomping grounds), but this is a fun thread.
Every time I am in Cape May it seems the "old timers" seem to be at the Ugly Mug - Cabanas seems to get a younger crowd.
Loved going to Wildwood in the 70’s. Shamrock, Courtroom, Bongo Room, Play Pen In Wildwood Crest. Bruce Willis was a bartender at the Bongo Room or Shamrock. Even then he had charisma. He must have been like 20. Sometimes then we’d drive up to the Dunes in Sommers Point for fun til dawn. Good times.
I think Ocean City is the only dry town. But Somers Point offshore there is full of good bars. There are lots of restaurants and sports bars there.
Wildwood is the last of the beach towns trying to turn around. Still a lot of run down type places if I recall. Would take the kids and stay in a shitty motel that charged a lot. Mostly because of the rides on the boardwalk. Still may have gang related activities going on(i know some people that work in law enforcement in South Jersey but haven't talked to them in quite some time). If you already booked, Cape May is a short drive away with lots of nice restaurants and bars. There is a decent bar in North Wildwood called the #1 Tavern, beware of the Tully Nut!! They do have very good wings from what I recall.
Do not take your significant other to a place called the Firehouse. This is where the guys who fish a lot end up and it aint pretty after a while.
Do not take your significant other to a place called the Firehouse. This is where the guys who fish a lot end up and it aint pretty after a while.
Cape May is not a dry town. I spent many a night in the Ugly Mug. I bought beer at a liquor store a short walk from where we were staying in Cape May. There are many bars and restaurants on that mall thingy they have. I would suggest Cape May over Childwood anytime. I have always avoided Wildwood(except for senior week and couple summers after).
A lot of restaurants in Avalon and Cape May are BYOB, which is fine with me. I can bring my wife's and my favorite wines, pay a small corkage, and the restaurant doesn't incur the burden of a liquor license for only about 8 months of business. However, there are a number of regular restaurants and bars in that area that offer alcohol.
We did AirBNB in Avalon in 2019, and it was great. Quite a few good places to eat in Avalon, and the town is very walkable, as is next door Stone Harbor. Very clean and uncrowded beaches, and our AirBNB was right around the corner from Brady's Hoagies, which is very good.
Lol. Nothing, but I used to fish a lot as well and spent a lot of rained out tournament days and late evenings after fishing at the Firehouse. It can get really ugly in there with all that pent up testosterone.
However, I may have to take that back. Looking at the online reviews it seems like a decent dive bar now with good food. It has been about 15 years since the last time I have been there. So maybe not as bad as I remember but I still would never take my better half there.
A great big thank you to everyone that responded. You all gave me some great information and advice that will help us both. I really had the wrong impression of “dry” town from reading all of these posts.
I definitely will take the strong suggestions of reserving a hotel/motel outside of Wildwood. If I were 20yrs. old; I may have just ignored everyone’s advice. But I haven’t seen 20 in several decades, LOL. Too bad, right!!
I definitely will take the strong suggestions of reserving a hotel/motel outside of Wildwood. If I were 20yrs. old; I may have just ignored everyone’s advice. But I haven’t seen 20 in several decades, LOL. Too bad, right!!
And here I was hoping the Ugly Mug was a coffee place. Where does one go for a good vanilla latte DOWN. THE. SHORE.
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I would narrow other options down to Ocean City, Sea isle, Avalon, and Stone Harbor. OC is truly dry. There are numerous hotel options in these towns. OC has a great boardwalk and closet to AC. There are bars and restaurants that aren't dry right across the bridges in Somers Point and Moramora. Avalon and Stone Harbor are the priciest of the group.
Found this....
Cape May Point is a dry town, one of three municipalities in Cape May County where alcohol cannot be sold.[23][24] Cape May Point, Ocean City and Wildwood Crest are Cape May County's only remaining dry municipalities.[25]
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