Visitors flock to the Jersey Shore every summer ready to fill up on fresh, delectable seafood. Fishing is a thriving industry here and LBI’s Viking Village is famous for their great catches. To find the best seafood restaurants in Long Beach Island, listen to the locals and visitors who return each year. You’ll soon be ordering up the best seafood you’ve ever tasted in your life!

Locals Name the Best Seafood Restaurants In Long Beach Island

The standard advice when you’re visiting a new place is to “go where the locals go.” This is the difference between choosing tourist-specific places that are generic and overpriced versus getting the full experience of the place you’re travelling to. If you want to eat at the best seafood restaurants in Long Beach Island, you can’t go wrong with the local recommendations.

Ship Bottom Shellfish

Ship Bottom Shellfish is a local favorite. There is a fish market right on site with fresh catches for you to purchase and cook up at home. Some orders are especially good for “take out” if you’d like to have a picnic on the beach. Ship Bottom Shellfish is also popular with the online community, enjoying high ratings from Tripadvisor for their casual seafood dining. Diners rave about the double lobster tails and buckets of mussels. It’s a family owned and kid friendly place, but the dining area is not huge so make sure you line up early. Ship Bottom Shellfish is open for lunch and dinner. Fresh shellfish is served up American style with corn on the cob, French fries, and coleslaw.

Black Whale Bar & Fish House

Black Whale Bar & Fish House draws summertime vacationers and LBI newbies thanks to their great online ratings, but this place is popular with the locals, too. Patrons rave about the great crab cakes and mussels. Happy hour is not to be missed for awesome drinks and clams plus other fabulous bar food. The top two most highly suggested dinner entrees is the catch of the day and the superbly prepared lobster. This highly rated seafood restaurant opens at 3:00 p.m. so you can easily beat the crowds by enjoying a late lunch/early dinner.

Bisque Restaurant

Bisque Restaurant has many tantalizing items on their menu, and every mouthwatering bite is bursting with freshness. Locals recommend the Coconut Macadamia-Crusted Halibut. The Lobster Bisque is always a favorite. Their delectable seafood menu offers fine white tablecloth dining on the shore in an unpretentious atmosphere. Bisque has earned Tripadvisor’s Certificate of Excellence as an LBI Favorite.

Casual Dining: Best Seafood Restaurants in Long Beach Island

Laid-back atmosphere and amazing fresh seafood makes for a perfect combination for summer vacationers. This is the reason so many people are attracted to the Jersey Shore for vacation. Long Beach Island offers the chill environment and the incredible seafood, all over the island. Find the perfect spot to take your family for lunch or dinner, where there’s a great menu for adults and kid-friendly options, too.

Spray Beach Hotel Restaurant

Spray Beach Hotel Restaurant is the island’s best-kept secret as far as seafood goes! No one ever thinks much of the restaurants inside of hotels except for the guests who stay there, but Spray Beach offers a restaurant that has become a destination of its own. Previously known as Spray Beach Restaurant, the Sand Dollar Restaurant is locally famous but has recently been rebranded. Check out their website and see the new vibe! The food is outstanding and for a seafood restaurant, the environment couldn’t be more family friendly. The roomy dining areas are great for families and summertime celebrations. There is a casual dining room inside (flip flops required) or you can eat outdoors at the beachfront pavilion where shoes are optional.

• Spray Beach Hotel Restaurant is highly rated on Tripadvisor for their seafood cuisine. Besides the scrumptious locally sourced seafood, local fresh produce is also a big part of the menu. Not to be missed are their famous crab legs!
• According to Facebook reviews, loyal guests return here year after year with their families.

Pinky Shrimp’s Seafood Company

Pinky Shrimp’s has a lot more to offer than their fun name! This causal place is basically a seafood shack with picnic tables outside for onsite eating, and they also offer takeout. It’s a popular place and the lines can be long so order ahead if you’re in a rush.

• Pinky Shrimp’s gets Tripadvisor’s Certificate of Excellence. Patrons love the freshness of the seafood and the large portion sizes in well-prepared dishes.
• Facebook fans give Pinky’s high marks for the best authentic local fresh seafood on the island.

The Beach House Restaurant

The Beach House Restaurant gets the max amount of stars from fans on Google fans and Yelp. They have a casual and pleasant indoor dining with very attentive waiters. You can choose outdoor dining or order takeout. Fresh local seafood is served, often combined with pastas.  

• Frequent customers of this restaurant love the bacon wrapped scallops and stuffed shrimp with yummy sauce.

• Patrons appreciate that salads are included in the dinner price and you can bring your own bottle to compliment their exceptional quality seafood.

Romantic Dinner: Best Seafood Restaurants in LBI

Planning to go out for a romantic dinner date in LBI? We asked around and looked online to confirm what we heard about these seafood places. We’ve narrowed down the list to feature three of the best seafood restaurants in Long Beach Island for a date night. If you want to take your date to a nice place for seafood where it’s quiet enough to talk, choose one of these spots:

Carmens Italian Seafood: Best Seafood Restaurants in Long Beach Island

Carmens is an unassuming small restaurant (seating for 100) that enjoys excellent reviews for their local fresh seafood entrees, salads and divine desserts served on white linen. Guests rave about the cuisine and friendly service but also enjoy the attention to details by the chef who accommodates special requests. Bring your own favorite bottle of wine to celebrate a romantic seafood dinner.

• Google Reviews treats Carmens with high ratings for their food and service
• Trip Advisor awarded Carmen’s with their Certificate of Excellence.

Yellowfin American Seafood: Best Seafood Restaurants in LBI

Yellowfin is a great place for a succulent seafood dinner. The lobster menu is a favorite. Be sure to make your reservation in advance and bring your own bottle of wine.

• Reviewers on Trip Advisor used descriptive adjectives like Intimate, Over the Top, Amazing and Luscious to describe their dining experience at Yellowfin. More than one happy diner mentioned the tuna pizza appetizer.
• Yelp shows consistently high food ratings.

Howard’s Seafood Restaurant: Top Seafood Restaurants on LBI

Howard’s Seafood Restaurant is a classy restaurant with a lot of history on LBI going back sixty years. Arrive early to get a window seat with a view and you might even get a 10% discount. Their gorgeous dining room is a perfect date night setting. Bring your own bottle or enjoy a selection from Working Dog Winery.

• Facebook reviews show Howard’s in a very favorable light. Diners praise the French Fried Lobster, Lobster Bisque, New England Clam Chowder and friendly service.

Remember Where to Find the Best Seafood Restaurants in LBI

Locating the best seafood restaurants in Long Beach Island are like finding treasure on the map. Nothing beats fresh local seafood. Once you’ve tried a few of the restaurants on this list, pick your favorite and mark it with an “X” so you remember to go back each time you visit LBI!