This guide answers where we actually eat and what we do with the kids, in groups, with addresses and blocks from our door at 12th and Haven. Every place was open in 2026 when we checked; call ahead in the off-season.
On the boards
Pizza, custard, popcorn, taffy, rides, mini golf, and the arcade, between 9th and 14th on the boards, six to nine blocks from our door.
- Manco & Manco: Boardwalk pizza since 1956. 12th & Boardwalk, six blocks.
- Prep’s Pizzeria: The other pizza, since 1965. 10th & Boardwalk, eight blocks.
- Kohr Bros: Frozen custard. 1140 Boardwalk at 12th, six blocks.
- Johnson’s Popcorn: Copper-kettle caramel corn since 1940. 1368 Boardwalk at 14th, eight blocks.
- Shriver’s: Taffy and fudge since 1898. 852 Boardwalk at 9th, nine blocks.
- Playland’s Castaway Cove: 30-plus rides, free entry, pay per ride. 1020 Boardwalk, eight blocks. Summer evenings.
- Congo Falls: Three mini golf courses, one indoors. 1132 Boardwalk, six blocks. The rainy-day answer.
- JiLLy’s Arcade: 100-plus games, bucket fries, bike rentals. 1168 Boardwalk at 12th, six blocks.
- Family Nights and Mummers: Free shows on the boards, July and August, 7 to 9pm. In 2026, Family Nights Monday and Wednesday, string bands Tuesday and Thursday.
From the house: 12th Street runs straight to Manco’s, Kohr Bros, and JiLLy’s. Six blocks.
Mornings
Doughnuts, sticky buns, tomato pie, and pancakes, within four blocks except Brown’s and Uncle Bill’s, which are a bike ride.
- Fractured Prune: Hot doughnuts to order. 1225 Asbury at 12th, two blocks.
- Mallon’s Sticky Buns: Since 1988. 1340 Bay at 14th, four blocks. Cash only.
- Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery: Cream and cider doughnuts. 407A 14th Street, four blocks. Mornings, closed Mondays, cash only.
- Bennie’s Bread: Tomato pie and rolls since 1957. 1159 Asbury, two blocks.
- Brown’s: Donuts made in the window. 110 Boardwalk. Ride the boards before noon, bring cash.
- Uncle Bill’s Pancake House: Since 1962. 2112 Asbury at 21st.
From the house: Fractured Prune and Bennie’s are both at 12th and Asbury, two blocks east.
Downtown and around
Coffee, breakfast, the Music Pier, the farmers market, the state park, and the liquor stop before the bridge.
- Jon & Patty’s: Coffee bar and bistro. 637 Asbury. Our downtown lunch.
- Hooked on Breakfast: 916 Asbury at 9th, five blocks. Daily 6:30am to 2pm.
- Music Pier: Pops and summer concerts. 825 Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace.
- Farmers Market: Wednesdays 8am to 1pm at the Tabernacle, 6th & Asbury, June 3 to September 16 in 2026.
- Corson’s Inlet: State park at the south tip, 98 undeveloped acres. Free, dawn to dusk, no swimming.
- Circle Liquors: The BYO stop, at the Somers Point circle before the 9th Street bridge. Hours and the rest in our dry-town guide.
Newer places, and where we actually eat
Off the boards: Blue Cactus on Haven for tacos, Dead End Bakehouse on Bay for bagels, La Autentica on Asbury for birria, Chop Wave for a salad, and Bakeria 1010 for sourdough pizza.
- Blue Cactus Taco Shop: Cali-Mex tacos, bowls, La Colombe coffee. 928 Haven, three blocks up our own street. Call in the off-season (609-938-2427).
- Dead End Bakehouse: Boiled bagels. 1050 Bay at 11th, three blocks. Daily 7am to 2pm, year-round.
- La Autentica: Mexican grocery in front, birria tacos in back. 1018 Asbury, five blocks. Closed Sunday.
- Chop Wave: Salads and grain bowls. 1000 Asbury, five blocks. Daily 10am to 8pm.
- Bakeria 1010: Sourdough pizza and Italian pastry. 955 Asbury, five blocks. Call (609-600-7023).
- Alex’s Pizza: The Roxborough pizzeria’s boardwalk outpost. 1214 Boardwalk. Order the smash burger.
- Kyma: Greek frozen yogurt. 838B Asbury. Ask for the Beach Baklava.
- Capo Strada: Piadina and muffuletta. 501 E 9th. Friday to Sunday only.
- Barefoot Market: Scones and coffee. 214 West Ave. They sell out; go early.
- Hula: Hawaiian plates and poke. 940 Boardwalk. Seasonal; call after October.
Game day, and the drink question
Ocean City is dry, so there is no bar on the island. For an Eagles Sunday, cross the 9th Street bridge to Somers Point: Webster’s Tavern is our pick, Charlie’s Bar is the locals’. Restaurants on the island cannot allow BYOB; two members-only clubs are the exception.
- Webster’s Tavern, 18 MacArthur Blvd: our pick. Opened summer 2026 on the way to the bridge, 38 big screens.
- Charlie’s Bar, Shore Rd: the locals’ Eagles bar. Cash only. Josie Kelly’s at 908 and Gregory’s at 900 Shore Rd are on the same stretch.
- The Crab Trap, 2 Broadway: year-round seafood with a full bar at the foot of the bridge.
- On the island: The Betz Room on 9th Street and Dockside Kitchen on Bay Avenue sell BYOB memberships. No other restaurant can open your bottle. Details in our dry-town guide.
From the house: Somers Point is three blocks up Haven and across the causeway.
What is open in the off-season
Playland runs late March to early October and Wonderland Pier closed for good in 2024, but bikes ride the boards all day once summer rules lift, the Moorlyn Square Theatre is open, and Corson’s Inlet and the causeway walk are year-round.
- Boardwalk biking, all day: the 5am-to-noon rule is a summer rule. Rental shops are mostly seasonal; bring bikes.
- Moorlyn Square Theatre, 820 Boardwalk: the historic boardwalk movie house, listed Friday to Sunday 12:30 to 7pm.
- Route 52 causeway walk: a path over the bay with fishing piers. Best at sunset.
- Closed for the winter: Playland and the boardwalk food stands. Do not promise the kids the Wonderland Ferris wheel.
If you are still picking a week, our weeks and rates are on the weeks page.
Frequently asked questions
Which pizza on the Ocean City boardwalk, Manco or Prep's?
Manco & Manco at 12th, since 1956, is the thin, saucy one most people mean by Ocean City pizza. Prep's at 10th, since 1965, is the famous rival, cheesier, with an ice cream window. Our own second choice is Alex's at 1214 Boardwalk, the Roxborough pizzeria's shore outpost, and we like it more than Prep's.
Where can you watch an Eagles game in Ocean City NJ?
Not on the island; Ocean City is dry. Cross the 9th Street bridge to Somers Point: Webster's Tavern at 18 MacArthur Blvd is our pick, Charlie's Bar on Shore Road is the locals' pick. Or stream it at the house.
Can you bring your own bottle to a restaurant in Ocean City NJ?
No. Ocean City restaurants cannot allow BYOB: a 1984 ordinance banned it and voters kept the ban in a May 2012 referendum. The exception is a members-only dinner club, The Betz Room on 9th Street or Dockside Kitchen on Bay Avenue. Everyone else buys at Circle Liquors in Somers Point and drinks at the house.
Where do you get doughnuts near 12th Street in Ocean City?
Fractured Prune at 12th and Asbury dips hot doughnuts to order, two blocks from the house. Cathy's 14th Street Bakery does cream and cider doughnuts, mornings only, closed Mondays. Brown's at 1st and Boardwalk makes them in the window.
