Cape May Vacation

Hi All,

This is our first time renting a cottage in Camp May(on one of the State streets).  We're looking for suggestions on restaurants(best burger, best lobster roll, sea food), beaches with good wave action(it's not vacation until I wipe out once or twice on my boogie board) and the best way to get down there while avoiding traffic (maybe swing west and come back to GS Parkway after ____ ?).

Thanks,

RCH

Breakfast,  Lunch and Dinner .......The Mad Batter

Their philosophy is  " Life is uncertain...Have dessert  first"   My kind of people

Burgers.........The Ugly Mug..........Burgers of which to be proud  also meals and bar

For a beach with good wave action, go to the beach at the West end of Beach Ave.  The Groin ensures that there are nice waves.  If you get tired of that, go all the way to the East end of Beach Ave, very quite both in terms of people and waves.  

For food, so many choices.....seconding the Mad Batter and Ugly Mug

Blue Pig at Congress Hall has great new American food in a nice setting.  Pricey, yes but totally worth it.

Hot Dog Tommy's for solid hot dogs.

Dry Dock for inexpensive fried/fast food and ice cream that punches above its weight for the price

Godmothers for decent Italian food.

The Raw Bar at the Lobster house for fresh seafood.  I'm not a lobster person, but they do excellent blue crabs by the dozen.

The Akroteria makes good falafels and it's right on the beach, so can't go wrong there.

Zoe's makes fantastic sandwiches, and is also right on the beach, so you can't go wrong their either.

Further afield, I have two suggestions for really really good Mexican, like good enough and authentic enough that they'd do well anywhere.

El Pueblo Taqueria in North Cape May does really amazing tacos, you literally can't go wrong with whatever you fill them with.

Dos Amigos in Rio Grande does Tlayudas!  It's kind of like a giant open faced burrito from Oxaca and it is so good!

For getting there....leave really really early and hit the GSP hard.  If you get down before you can get into your rental, get breakfast and hang out along the boardwalk or check out the library.  

BTW if you have bikes, bring them(and good locks too).  Much much more convenient to ride around town than to drive or walk IMHO, and there are plenty of bike lanes along most of the busy roads(except Beach Ave *grumble*) and the side roads are very quiet.  Plus there are usually plenty of places to lock up.

Have a blast!

Getting there and back.... Rt.1 to Rt 130.  130 to 539, all the way to Tuckerton, where it intersects the Parkway. 

Be sure to take time to see the sunset flag ceremony at Sunset Beach. Whale excursion ships may have sightings of Humpbacks. They will tell you what is being observed.   Also check out the WW II lookout museum on the way to Sunset Beach.

Cool!

Komarovsky said:

For a beach with good wave action, go to the beach at the West end of Beach Ave.  

The beach Komarovsky refers to is called the Cove. You can see the surf conditions at the Cove on this beach cam:  http://thesurfersview.com/live...

My family's been hanging out at the Cove beach for a few weeks for the past 20 years, and I will tell you that it is a different beach each year depending on the effects of winter storms.  Still the most likely place to find surfers in Cape May, and usually if you get there right at 10 a.m. as the parking meters come into effect, you can find people who had been fishing pulling out of spots and snag a good parking spot.  

Also, search the archives for Cape May advice. This question comes up a lot, and there's been lots of lengthy informative posts in the past. 

I find if you hit the road on the GSP early (say 6:30-7am), there isn't much traffic even in the busy days of summer. Just camp out in the beach until your house is ready.

there are plenty of bike rental places if you dont have your own to bring.

best overall higher end restaurant is Peter Shields, Inn.  you may be close to it. (byob)

oots 

Lucky Bones is a great restaurant and always a highlight of our Cape May visits. Agree re Mad Batter and Blue Pig. I also love Uncle Bill's Pancake House because it has such a classic NJ shore feel.

Almost next door to the Pancake house on Beach Ave. (across Perry Street) is a truly excellent Greek/American place, George's Place, and down Beach just a little further is Y.B., which is owned by George's younger brother (y.b.) and also simply excellent.  Cape May really is a foodie's paradise!  

Be sure to book at least one MAC trolly tour (Mid-Atlantic Center for Arts & Humanities), walk to the top of the lighthouse (small fee), or visit the county zoo (donations accepted).

And we usually did the Washington Inn for a special dinner. Daughter loves the wineries.

I'm going for a few days in August so this thread is great.  Thanks!  Have not been there for about 10 years so looking forward. . .

The cape may county zoo is in cape may courthouse, by exit 11 on the GSP. On non-beach days in summer,it can get very crowded. 

Will second George's and his younger brother's place down the street Y. B. -really great. And get your custard at Kors brothers,orange creamsicle. Go see the sunset at sunset beach and there are movies on the beach I think Friday evenings. Personally not a fan of Mad Batter, but good atmosphere. Also Freda's is awesome for dinner and lunch, at the end of the mall. 

Will third George's. I think they have the best breakfast on Cape May. Good dinners and lunch too. The seafood at Tisha's is very good too. 

Komarovsky said:


Godmothers for decent Italian food.

A Ca Mia on the Mall for really good Italian!

finnegan said:

Almost next door to the Pancake house on Beach Ave. (across Perry Street) is a truly excellent Greek/American place, George's Place, and down Beach just a little further is Y.B., which is owned by George's younger brother (y.b.) and also simply excellent.  Cape May really is a foodie's paradise!  

They have a third place, a Tapas place in the indoor Mall on the outdoor Mall (You'll figure it out).

Oh Cold Spring Village - a historical village in West Cape May and now it has a beer garden. The zoo is good but gets really crazy crowded. There are vineyards and the bread woman on the way to sunset beach. The line for the bread is quite long though and she does run out quickly. 

Don't miss the BBQ places on Rt. 9, around Middle Township.