Top 10 Long Beach Island Foods
10. Oysters
The number 10 spot goes to the oyster! These eat-while-alive bivalves are harvested from marine and brackish water environments. They can be eaten raw (my favorite) or cooked. Visually, these shellfish are known for their irregular shells and pearl-like translucent shell interiors. Their flavor can be from sweet to salty, from fruity to creamy, and everything in between.
In Long Beach Island, most local oysters grow right next door in the Barnegat Bay. Some varieties one might find are:
Swan Point
Sloop Point
Rose Cove
Sugar Shack
Parker's Pearl
Ask your local oyster shucker about each variety's unique flavor profile.
Some local organizations dedicate their efforts to the conservation of the Barnegat Bay and its shellfish. For more information, visit Reclam the Bay.
While in Long Beach Island, visit different oyster bars, eat locally sourced shellfish, and try to pick up on what flavors you taste with each variety. Pair with an ice-cold beer or some white wine so you can slurp your shellfish with sophistication.
9. Hamburgers
Number nine goes to the United State's national dish, the hamburger! This American sandwich is typically known as a ground beef patty placed between a sliced bun, along with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and sauces. There are endless burger varieties, with toppings ranging from avocado to fried eggs to peanut butter (weird).
When in Long Beach Island, you shouldn't have to look too hard to find a good burger. They are served at almost every restaurant and are a must for casual backyard barbecues.
My favorite burger on the island is easily at the Holiday Snack Bar on Centre Street in Beach Haven.
8. Scallops
Another bivalve has made it to the list! Like the oyster, the scallop's eating meat is its primary muscle, or its adductor muscle, and is what's served on your dinner plate.
Cooked scallops are often described as having a texture similar to crab meat but firmer (SPOILER ALERT: We'll get to crabs later). When cooked properly, they shouldn't be chewy or tough; rather, they should be soft, with easy teeth-sinkability. They have a sweet buttery flavor that brings many travelers to the Island between April and July.
You can find scallops plated and prepared in many different ways, but my advice is to keep it simple. You can't go wrong with melted butter or a light sauce drizzle to really appreciate its natural flavor.
7. Elephant Ears
Could elephant ears be more than just fried dough sprinkled with sugar?
I think so.
LBI enthusiasts would say they can’t have a complete summer experience without making a crumbly mess on their t-shirts with this light and flaky bakery must.
They got their name because they are giant and irregular, resembling an “elephant ear.”
These boardwalk-like foods are usually associated with fun childhood memories, carnival rides, and warm breezy nights walking along the shore.
Most bakeries on the Island should have these. You should definitely go elephant ear hopping.
6. Fudge
OH, FUDGE! Oh, wait…. this is a good thing.
This rich, decadent candy is made by heating a combination of milk, butter, and sugar to the soft-ball stage temperature of candy making.
This now melted, creamy sugar syrup is stirred while it cools, giving the candy its uniquely smooth fudge-like texture.
Other ingredients can be added to the milk-butter-sugar mixture too! The most classic varieties include chocolate, nuts, and fruits.
Country Kettle Fudge in Bay Village is hands down the quintessential fudge stop on the Island. Though, with a good amount of candy stores, there's plenty of fudge to go around.
I tried a clam-flavored fudge once. I do not recommend it. =)
5. Lobster
This shellfish lives on the seafloor and is renowned for their sweet, juicy, and succulent meat, with generous portions coming from their tails and claws.
Many dinner restaurants on the island will have lobster on the menu, served in a bunch of ways. From whole to a soup to a sandwich.
My favorite way to enjoy these bottom-dwellers is boiled or grilled in the backyard with friends and family with some vats of melted butter and a few brew-ha-has.
4. Donuts
Number four. The doughnut.
A doughnut, or donut, is another example of an LBI deep-fried dough treat. These can be naked, or topped or filled with icing, glaze, sprinkles, sugar, or really anything else that the mind can imagine. One can enjoy these with breakfast, for a mid-day snack or for dessert after dinner….. or for dinner - Oops.
I would stick to the Island's bakeries and specific doughnut shops for these sweet bites.
My personal favorite on the Island are from Ferrara's Bakery, right on Long Beach Boulevard. Their apple fritters are A1, bar-none top five donuts I've ever had.
3. Crabs
The crab of choice here is the New Jersey blue crab. With a significant presence in the State's culinary and economic world, the blue crab is incredibly important (especially if it's seasoned with a bit of old bay…. oh bay bay).
This crustacean is a fun and messy way to enjoy a meal. Its white meat is slightly sweet and slightly salty. It's tender yet flaky. Almost like a shelled underwater pie crust… not really.
One can enjoy blue crabs a few different ways at different times of the year:
When they shed their old shell for new growth during their molting season in May, one might find "soft-shell crab" on the menu. These are great because the freshly developed shell is soft enough where you actually eat it. This gives your meal extra crab flavor with a pleasant texture.
For a more DIY eating experience, you can find these fresh anywhere from April through early winter. Just get ready for some shell cracking, followed by some shell slurping.
You can also find blue crabs in dishes, already de-shelled. This is nice if you don't want to make a mess.
If you see soft-shell crab on the menu later in the summer, it's ok, but just know the crabs were frozen during their molting season in May.
2. Ice Cream
Ahhh…. Ice cream at the Jersey shore. A well-deserved food for the number two spot. For those of you that haven't experienced this sweet summertime dairy-based sensation, you are truly missing out.
"Ice cream" can refer to a few different frozen treats, including but not limited to:
Frozen Yogurt
Custard
Sorbet
Gelato
One can enjoy ice cream numerous ways:
1. In a cone (pictured above)
2. In a cup
...or if it's warm enough
3. Off your fingers, because it's melting quicker than you can eat it!
Flavors and toppings are also endless, so you'll have to do some experimenting as you ice cream hop. Here are a few examples of the gazillions of flavors there are to choose from:
Vanilla
Chocolate
Rum raisin (my favorite)
Coconut
Caramel Fudge Swirl
Mint Chocolate Chip
When in Long Beach Island, you will pass many ice cream "parlors" as you drive to either end.
My friends and I seem to always end up back at the Custard Hut on Long Beach Boulevard. Wet walnuts.
1. Clam Chowder
Clam chowder, or locally known as “chowda” easily took the number one spot. Although it's the king of LBI cuisine, you can't go wrong with any clam dish. Clams are a tremendous part of Long Beach Island culture and history.
Clam chowder comes in many styles, but we're going to focus on its New England variation for today. New England clam chowder can also be referred to as "white clam chowder” and usually includes ingredients like milk, butter, salt pork, potatoes, onion, and of course….. clams. Crackers are traditionally served on the side for crushing into the soup.
Its most common counterpart, Manhattan clam chowder, or "red clam chowder," is tomato-based.
This thicker-than-most soup is so essential to the diners of LBI that there is an event held annually called "ChowdaFest" that celebrates the dish's importance and deliciousness.
Reclam the Bay is doing a lot of work for locally sourced Barnegat Bay clams. Make sure to check them out!
Chances are, you will most likely see this soup on the menu wherever you go for dinner. Chances are, you should probably get it.