This 18-mile long island at the Jersey Shore is packed full of amazing food. Find great places to eat, any time of day, in LBI’s six distinct boroughs. This Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide will help you choose the best places to feed your family!

Long Beach Island Restaurants for Every Meal

Day or night, you will find a restaurant to satisfy your cravings. Here are our top picks:

A Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide TO BREAKFAST

Jayson’s Pancake House in Ship Bottom has been the island’s default heading-back-home family breakfast joint for nearly 37 years. Located near the entrance to the Causeway, it’s easy to make one last stop for food before you leave the island. During peak summer,  season they are open daily from 7:30 am – 2 pm. While their pancakes are legendary for taste, they are also known for their massive portion sizes. Come hungry! Important Note: Be prepared to pay cash at this mom and pop pancake house.

Uncle Will’s in Beach Haven has been filling hungry bellies with their American favorite breakfasts since 1965. Through a transition of new ownership, they started also serving dinner in 2007, which became equally as popular. Besides world famous pancakes, Uncle Will’s also has daily crepe specials. Fun fact: They’re open for breakfast all year.

A Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide TO LUNCH

The Chicken or the Egg in Beach Haven has been a very popular spot, especially among the young people, since opening in 1991. Visit CHEGG, as called by the locals, for great food, a family-friendly and casual vibe, and breakfast anytime of the day. Try their wings in one of 17 different sauce flavors. If you’re up for the challenge, indulge in their Ludicrous Wings Challenge like Adam Richman from Man vs. Food did. Insider’s tip: Avoid the line and download their NoWait App for speedy service.

Woodies Drive- In located in Ship Bottom has the best burgers in LBI, 42 different burgers fresh and grilled over an open flame. If you’re not in the mood for deliciously old-school burgers and fries, try their Philly Cheese Steaks, crab cakes, or fried seafood baskets. With casual indoor and outdoor seating, this is a great place to bring your family after a morning at the beach. Save room for an ice cream sundae or milkshake.

A Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide TO DINNER

Sand Dollar Restaurant is one spot that you can’t miss! If you’re ever spending the night in LBI, make sure you go eat some dinner at Sand Dollar Restaurant, located right on the beachfront at Spray Beach Hotel. Both the atmosphere and the menu are perfectly suited for a relaxing meal, just as you deserve. Beach town vacations are never complete with savory seafood dishes, live music in the open air, and a cold glass of peach long island iced tea.

Black Whale Bar & Fish House on the bay side of Beach Haven is just the place for delicious seafood, premier Angus cut steaks, and excellent cocktails. The atmosphere caters to large and small groups, girls or guys night out, and happy and hungry families. Everyone is here for great service, fun, and satisfying plates of food. Black Whale Bar & Fish House is famous for the weekly rotating fresh fish menu. Guests may pick their own lobster or Dungeness crab from the in-house live tank. Fun fact: Visit their sister location, Ship Bottom Shellfish Kitchen & Market, for equally delicious fresh seafood.

Raimondo’s in Ship Bottom is a fine dining restaurant that has been serving excellent  Italian cuisine for the last 20 years. You generally won’t find a basic chicken or eggplant parm listed on their menu. They pride themselves in the creative use of local fish and produce. All fruits and vegetables used come from regional farms and local growers. Their seafood dishes feature catches from Barnegat Light area at the north end of Long Beach Island. They are open all year-round and are BYOB. Insider’s tip: If you have something in mind that is not on the menu, make a special request. If they have the ingredients, they are likely to gladly whip it up for you.

Taste these Long Beach Island Favorites

Classic LBI Foodie Favorites

Much of the Jersey Shore is known for their boardwalk favorite foods like salt-water taffy, fudge, and caramel popcorn. These are all things you can easily find on Long Beach Island, too. However, longtime local foodie favorites include fresh and well-prepared seafood (all of it), Italian food, and award-winning chowder. Going to the Long Beach Island Chowder Fest is a must if you visit in the fall.

New Flavors to Sample

There has been a growing demand for New York style pop-in coffee and bagel shops across Long Beach Island. More and more of these chill little caffes have been opening up so locals and tourists can stop by on their way to the beach for a freshly brewed cup of joe and a breakfast sandwich, pastry, or donut. BestofLBI.buzz’s recommended coffee joints are Shore Good Donuts in Ship Bottom and How You Brewin’ in Surf City.

Something else that is especially new and cool to Long Beach Island is its first local nano brewery. Some local guys from Ship Bottom took their love of craft beers and their deep roots in the island, and were inspired to open Ship Bottom Brewery. Ship Bottom Brewery’s beer line up includes lagers, ales, stouts, and special reserves and seasonal brews. Some of their brews are specifically named for places and iconic things in Long Beach Island, such as the Old Shack that collapsed in Hurricane Sandy. The Brewery is open all year round for tours, events, and, of course, tastings and purchasing.

100% Family Friendly: Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide

The best food at the Jersey Shore comes from the Long Beach Island restaurants! The seafood is always fresh out of the local waters, the fruits and veggies are straight from the local farms, and the chefs know what they’re doing.

Best of all, Long Beach Island restaurants are family-friendly. There’s no need to fuss with combing the kids’ hair before going out for a meal. LBI has an unspoken rule that life in the summer should be relaxing and easy, so most of the restaurants are dress code casual, menu versatile, volume tolerable, and take-out optional. No matter what kind of day you and your kids are having, these restaurants will make mealtimes more enjoyable for all of you.

Support Small Businesses

All the featured places in this guide are independently owned and operated by Long Beach Island business people and their families. Besides providing great food and dining, these local businesses give excellent customer service and share insider tips for making the most of your vacation. You will feel the authenticity of the local people in LBI, because they care about their community and they want you and your family to have a great time so you’ll come back next year. You’ll meet plenty of helpful, friendly people while vacationing in Long Beach Island.

Plan your Meals with the Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide

Whatever you choose, you and your family won’t leave the island hungry. Go out and experience the dining environments, and try one or two from this Long Beach Island Restaurant Guide. Have any other recommendations? Leave a comment below with your favorite spots and menu items.