I have been going to Ocean City, New Jersey every summer since kindergarten. Over the years I have spent in OCNJ, I have discovered some well-known and not so well-known places native to this wonderful beach town. So, I am going to introduce you to my favorites!
Ocean City Coffee Co.
Locations: 917 Asbury Avenue, 928 Boardwalk, 1066 Boardwalk
There are two of these coffee shops in Ocean City and you have to visit at least one of them. I prefer the one between 9th and 10th & Asbury. It has plenty of sit-down space inside and outside. It is so cute and artsy, honestly, inside. Not to mention, the coffee is amazing! They have a lot of different flavors that I love to get in my iced coffee; my favorites that I have tried are white chocolate and Cinnabon. I really want to try other flavors, one of those being coconut! They also have great teas and pastries.
Manco & Manco
Locations: 8th & Boardwalk, 9th & Boardwalk, and 12th & Boardwalk
Now called Manco & Manco, though those who have been going to OCNJ for years now will always know it as Mack & Manco, this pizza place is the best. There is an option to sit at the counter or at the tables, after waiting to be seated of course, and behind the counter, you can see the pizzas being made out in the open. The chefs construct the pizzas with ease, and this always-busy pizza shop puts their cheese on first, followed by a big swirl of their delicious sauce. The crust is fairly thin, and the pizza is insanely good. Definitely the best pizza I have had in America. Though it is pricy because it is such a tourist attraction, you have to get Mack & Manco at least the first time you visit Ocean City. With various locations throughout the boardwalk, you cannot miss it.
Peace of Wood
Location: 1112 Asbury Avenue
This place is awesome. It is definitely a hidden gem of OCNJ. I have walked by it while strolling on Asbury Avenue, and I finally went in a couple weeks ago. It is extremely artsy and the owners, who are actually a couple, go by the motto of providing good vibes. They sell wall art, jewelry, various other decorations, surfboards, skateboards, and more. Kristina, one of the owners, also offers tutoring, homework assistance, craft and painting sessions, and more. Kristina also paints all of the art for sale in the shop. The name has to mean, since the art is painted on pieces of wood. Marshall, the other owner, thought of the idea one day, encouraging Kristina to use pieces of reclaimed wood as a canvass for her art. The art is beautiful, as you can see from the pictures. My friends and I got to sign the back wall, where people have written their names, quotes, and compliments on the shop and the vibes they promote and provide. This place is definitely one of my favorite spots at the shore.
Browns/Ove’s
Locations: Browns: 110 Boardwalk; Oves: 4th & Boardwalk
Practically right next to each other, since there are no shops on the boardwalk streets in between them, these two famous cider doughnut places are spectacular. I do not go to them a lot, but I know that their doughnuts are delicious. The lines are always so long for a reason! I think I prefer Browns, but the opinion seems pretty split amongst the masses. These doughnut shops reside at the lower number end of the boardwalk, so it is a great family or friends experience to bike down the entire boardwalk and then stop for some hot cider doughnuts!
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House
Locations: 2112 Asbury Avenue & 4001 West Avenue
One of my favorite breakfast places ever. I always get their chocolate chip pancakes, which literally need no syrup, in my opinion, because of how much chocolate they contain. This place’s pancakes are insanely good, and I know people that love all their other breakfast foods, too. My suggestion is to rise early and head on down the Uncle Bill’s, unless you are okay with a little, or something a very long, bit of a wait. My family goes together once a summer and it is one of my favorite traditions we have.
Johnson’s Popcorn
Location: 1360 Boardwalk
Two words to describe this popcorn are: extremely addictive. I LOVE Johnson’s Popcorn. Once you start eating this caramel popcorn it will take an army to stop you from eating all of it. It comes in a dangerous form—a giant bucket. You just have to try it.
Fudge Kitchen
Location: 800 Boardwalk
Best fudge I have ever had! You can watch the workers make the fudge and sample the fudge for free! They have many different kinds, some quite unique. My favorites are plain vanilla fudge, the peanut butter fudge, and the chocolate chip fudge.
Fractured Prune
Locations: 1225 Asbury Avenue & 3339 West Avenue
These doughnuts are both a fun experience and delicious! You can choose one of their signature combinations or create your own! My favorite is the lemonade doughnut. They have different flavors of glaze, such as lemon, mocha, cherry, chocolate, vanilla, honey, caramel, mint, maple, berry, and many more! The topping choices include sprinkles, cinnamon-sugar, oreo, chocolate chips, sea salt, bacon, coconut, M&M’s, and more! They even feature regular breakfast sandwiches and more importantly, breakfast sandwiches made on a doughnut!
Kohr Bro(ther)s
Locations: Wonderland Pier (on Boardwalk), 664 Boardwalk, 820 Boardwalk, 986 Boardwalk, and 1140 Boardwalk
I usually prefer regular ice cream over soft serve—but this place is an exception! Kohr Bros’ ice cream is truly amazing and the long lines truly move quickly. My go-to order is peanut butter ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, in a cup. They also serve chocolate, vanilla, mint, and orange sherbert, along with the peanut butter. The swirls that are offered at chocolate&vanilla, chocolate&peanut butter, mint&chocolate, and vanilla&orange sherbert. They offer regular cones, waffle cones, and chocolate dip waffle cones. The combination possibilities become even more endless, since you can get rainbow sprinkles, chocolate jimmies, or even have your ice cream dipped in chocolate! This ice cream place is truly a crowd favorite. It is all over the boardwalk; you can barely walk a couple minutes without passing one of them! A tip is that the ones on the corners of the boardwalk streets have all the flavors, while the ones in the middle tend to just have the more classic flavors.
I hope this helped anyone looking for something to do or places to go to in Ocean City, New Jersey! These were mainly food places, but who doesn't like food and hanging out while eating food and drinking coffee?! Happy summer :-)
