The best Jersey Shore restaurants with outdoor seating and waterfront views

The best kind of beach day ends with dinner and drinks outside — seated at a table on a roomy dock, deck, patio, sand bar, or rooftop with waterfront views that demand to be photographed.

Down the Shore, many restaurants prioritize al fresco dining, with locals and visitors looking to eat and drink outside.

Feeling a light breeze as you crack open fresh crabs and watch a cotton candy-colored sunset over the bay never gets old. Neither does sipping an ice-cold beer and breathing in ocean air from a seat at a beach bar.

From Long Beach Island to Cape May, you’ll find a lot of waterfront spots that are deeply casual, in addition to a few fancier places where you can pair a nice glass of champagne with fresh, local oysters.

No matter what kind of vibe you’re in the mood for, these restaurants stand out for their optimal outdoor space and waterfront views.

The Deauville Inn has been a fixture on Corson’s Inlet in Strathmere since 1881 when it first opened as the Whelen Hotel. The name change came in the 1920s as the Deauville Inn thrived during Prohibition — it was even rumored to be home to an illicit casino. New ownership took over in 2019 and completely gutted the space, which was once known for its cheap beer, hot wings, and white plastic chairs. The renovation features a sleek new interior (dark hardwood floors, copper ceilings, a refurbished stone fireplace, and a pub bar), a massive outdoor patio and green canopy equipped with lots of tables, and a 50-foot bar promising unrivaled views of the bay. The menu matches the atmosphere: Crowd favorites include the Deauville platter with four clams, four oysters, four colossal shrimp, and marinated mussels. Next to the patio is a laid-back sand bar area with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and a full-service bar on an elevated deck that’s got drinks like the popular lemon crush (Skyy blood orange vodka, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and club soda) or the 32-ounce rum bucket (a dangerous mix of four types of rum and fruit juice).

📍 201 Willard Rd., Strathmere, 📞 609-263-2080, 🌐 deauvilleinn.com, 📷 @deauvilleinn, 🎫 Reservations? Yes: Indoor only

The Surfing Pig serves up smoked barbecue along with a variety of seafood and bold boozy drinks on its big outdoor deck on the bay. The family-owned-and-operated restaurant slow-smokes its meats and also makes a homemade sweet-and-tangy Klepto BBQ sauce. There’s more here than lunch and dinner; it also serves up breakfast skillets (piled high with eggs, cheese, potatoes, and a variety of meats or veggies) and the Chum Bucket Bloody Mary, which comes dusted with Old Bay and topped with shrimp and crab.

📍 231 W. 10th Ave., North Wildwood, 📞 609-522-0900, 🌐 thesurfingpig.com, 📷 @thesurfingpig

Above the Surfing Pig sits another restaurant, the Swine. It’s a casual fine dining spot for coastal cuisine and waterfront views by reservation only. Order the pork belly and caramelized scallop appetizer to start, and then dive into the crab-crusted Alaskan halibut. The smoked old-fashioned with orange bitters is a favorite.

📍 231 W. 10th Ave., North Wildwood, 📞 609-297-5238, 🌐 theswine.bar, 📷 @theswinebar, 🎫 Reservations? Yes

You can arrive by foot or by boat to this giant beer garden on Barnegat Bay in Long Beach Island. It’s a great spot to bring the kids (of the human and canine variety), chill out, and play lawn games like giant Jenga, bean bag toss, and connect six. Picnic tables with umbrellas line the border of the massive spot, and there’s more seating under a big central tent if you prefer the shade. Wash down a lobster roll, cheeseburger sliders, or crispy, golden-fried coconut shrimp with about 15 local beers on tap.

📍 2304 E. Bay Ave., Manahawkin, 📞 609-494-1371, 🌐 theboatyardnj.com, 📷 @theboatyardnj

At Two Mile Landing, you’ll find over 500 feet of waterfront dining at two restaurants — Two Mile Restaurant and the Crab House — that both have large outdoor decks filled with tables right on the bay in Wildwood Crest. Two Mile Restaurant is the spot for more refined seafood entrees like a double crab risotto and surf and turf (an 8-ounce filet and cold-water lobster tail). The Crab House is the spot if you’re looking to put in some work and pick at Maryland-style blue crabs at a paper-covered picnic table. The latter’s all-you-can-eat blue claws special features locally caught medium-size blue claws steamed in the house crab spice, plus fries and an ear of corn.

📍 1 Fish Dock Rd., Wildwood Crest, 📞 609-522-1341, 🌐 twomilelanding.com, 📷 @two_mile_landing

Aptly named, this BYOB is one of the best waterfront restaurants to admire a Shore sunset. It’s on the much (much) quieter end of this busy beach town — far away from the crowds in their early 20s bouncing from one crowded, sticky bar to the next — and has a relaxing, laid-back ambiance. Sunset Pier has an extensive menu of kid-friendly American classics, including chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and grilled cheese, in addition to fresh seafood, and the popular clam chowder or crab cakes. Grab a table on the dock, and don’t forget to bring a bottle of wine. There’s also a juice bar at the restaurant with smoothies, juices, and acai bowls.

📍 86th Street and the Bay, Sea Isle City, 📞 609-263-5200, 🌐 sunsetpiersic.com, 📷 @sunsetpiersic

There aren’t many rooftop bars down the Shore like Harry’s, with plenty of elevated deck seating, unobstructed views of the ocean, and live music. It’s known for many things — outdoor space, local oysters, frozen cocktails — but it might be best known for its clam chowder, which won the Cape May Chili & Chowder Cook-Off.

📍 1025 Beach Ave., Cape May, 📞 609-884-2779, 🌐 harryscapemay.com, 📷 @harryscapemay

Tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and shrimp nigiri always tastes better with a sunset view. The outdoor seating on the dock is small — it fits 12 to 15 people — but it offers a comfortable spot to dig into sushi like the sunshine roll (salmon avocado roll, topped with tuna, salmon, avocado, and mango sweet chile sauce) by the water. If you dine inside, the big windows will get you that view, too.

📍 9709 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, 📞 609-830-3237, 🌐 facebook.com/waterlilystoneharbor

Ventura’s Greenhouse is right on the beach in Margate next to one of the Shore town’s most quirky and famous tourist attractions: Lucy the Elephant. Stop at the recently renovated sand bar — also known as the Beach Bar — out back before heading home from the beach to cool down with a draft beer or a cocktail on the rocks. “Sunday Fundays” feature music from local DJs. Alternative plan: Head up to the outdoor covered deck or rooftop bar for no-frills Shore shack fare (burgers, pizza, and fried crab cake sandwiches), attentive service, colorful string lights, and awesome views of the ocean (or of Lucy). The Dining Room offers a fine dining experience with specialty cocktails, pasta, steaks, and crab cakes.

📍 106 S. Benson Ave., Margate City, 📞 609-822-0140, 🌐 venturasgreenhouse.com, 📷 @venturas_greenhouse

A popular beachfront resort in Avalon since 1967, the Windrift was acquired in late March 2021 by ICONA Resorts, a luxury resort group that now owns and operates the largest oceanfront resorts in Avalon and Stone Harbor. Level 2 at the Windrift offers unmatched ocean views and sufficient outdoor deck seating. If you can’t get a table there, see if there’s room on the sundeck one floor up. Enjoy great views alongside sushi (like spicy tuna and shrimp tempura), decadent lobster bisque, and pizzas. If the outdoor tables are all taken, don’t fret. The view is still pretty spectacular from the inside, thanks to the huge ocean-facing windows behind the sleek bar. The cocktail menu has a few creative takes on classics that hit the mark, like the Misunderstood Mule, a Moscow mule made with watermelon juice. Levels 2 and 3 will be open on Memorial Day, before officially opening for the season in mid-June.

📍 105 80th St., Avalon, 📞 800-453-7438, 🌐 windrifthotel.com, 📷 @iconawindrift

Munch on nachos loaded with black beans, queso, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, and crema or a slow-cooked barbacoa quesadilla on the open patio as you take in the ocean breeze. The small deck at this neighborhood cantina has picnic tables and high tops for kids to eat and chill after spending the day at Island Water Sports next door. Buckets is a favorite for good margaritas and live music on the weekends. Sip on one with in-house jalapeño-infused tequila or corazón reposado tequila as you kick back at the picnic tables with the stellar views of the bay.

📍 9631 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, 📞 609-961-3015, 🌐 bucketsstoneharbor.com, 📷 @bucketsstoneharbor

Find a seat on the two-bar deck. The covered patio offers an intimate dining experience, but the high top tables keep things casual. With umbrellas and palm trees around, you’ll feel at ease as you take in views of the water. Oysters are the star with a variety of dishes to choose from, including oysters Rockefeller. Entrees like seafood alla vodka and grilled salmon topped with spicy strawberry barbecue sauce are good choices, too. Pick a drink from the extensive martini menu, including the fruity Hawaiitini and the Pineapple Upside Down martini (coconut rum, vanilla vodka, Liqueur 43, pineapple juice).

📍 500 W. Hand Ave., Wildwood, 📞 609-522-1062, 🌐 beachcreeknj.com, 📷 @beachcreek

Steven White contributed reporting to this article.