When you think hideaway you usually think of a little out of the way place—and some of our hideaways fit that definition. But some are hiding in plain sight. We include them here because unless you’re a local you might pass them by. They’re generally unassuming places whose exteriors give scant evidence of the culinary delights within.
ATHENIAN GARDEN 619 S New York Rd (Route 9), Galloway, NJ 08205 609 748-1818 Hours: Every day 10:00 am – 10:30 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $20 – $35 To the locals “New York Road” is simply Route 9. Athenian Garden is just a few miles out of town but it’s a world away from the bustle of Atlantic City. I love Greek food but this is the first Greek restaurant I’ve ever been to that claims to make its own pita bread. It’s delicious, hot and buttery. Start with the avgolemono. It’s a lemony Greek chicken and rice soup. Then you can choose from a variety of Greek favorites that include kebabs, mousaka and pastichio to name just a few. For dessert try the galaktoboureko: custard in phyllo dough drizzled with honey.
LITTLE SAIGON 2801 Arctic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609 347-9119 Hours: Monday – Saturday 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm, except Tuesday, when they’re closed. Sunday 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $12 – $30 Little Saigon really is little. It seats less than 40 people at a time. With food this good and a dining room so small it’s best to make reservations for dinner. If you’ve never had Vietnamese cuisine you’re in for a treat. It bears a passing resemblance to Chinese but it’s much lighter, without the heavy sweet sauces of many Chinese dishes. The spring rolls aren’t fried like their Chinese counterparts and the rice comes in variety of forms including white, whole, vermicelli (noodles) and “broken.” There are more than a dozen vegetarian dishes on the menu.
RAMA THAI 3003 English Creek Ave, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey 08234 609 677-1004 Hours: Lunch Tuesday – Saturday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm Dinner Tuesday – Thursday 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday 4:30-10:30pm; Sunday 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Closed Monday. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $20 – $30 It’s located in a shopping mall (English Creek) about 10 miles out of town so how good can it be? Try fantastic. If you like traditional dishes like pad thai and chicken satay, you’ll love Rama Thai’s interpretations of them but have you ever had a papaya salad? Try it. It’s great. The silk clad waitstaff offers impeccable service as lilting Thai music plays in the background. For dessert try the mango with sweet rice.
EMMA’S ROTISSERIE 581 Ocean Heights Avenue, Somers Point, NJ 08221 609 601-0069 Hours: Every day 11:00 am – 9 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10 – $30 Be warned if you try to find this joint on Google Maps. The locals say it’s in Somers Point but Google says it’s in Linwood. Either way it’s just a short hope from AC and you’ll find delicious chicken and ribs when you get here. The menu is a bit cutesy but it comes with subtitles. (Round-ups are appetizers; sidewinders are side dishes.) The chicken is not only delicious, it’s claimed to be free range and free of antibiotics and steroids. They call it BBQ but this is BBQ with a Southwestern flair.
DINO’S SUB & PIZZA SHOP 8016 Ventnor Avenue, Margate, NJ 08402 609 822-6602 Hours: Every day 10:00 am – 11:30 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10 – $15 It’s just a modest pizza parlor but Dino’s tuna hoagie is so good that fans speculate on what the addictive secret ingredient must be. Locals rave about the other hoagies and the cheesesteaks too. But the coolest thing about Dino’s is they’ll deliver to you right on the beach!
EAST BAY CRAB & GRILLE 6701 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 609 272-7721 Hours: Lunch Monday – Saturday 11:30 am – 4:30 pm. Dinner Monday – Thursday 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm Friday – Saturday 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $20 – $40 Located little more than a mile from where the Garden State Parkway meets the Atlantic City Expressway, East Bay Crab & Grille is felt by many (including South Jersey Magazine) to be the best seafood house in Atlantic City. That’s pretty impressive for a place that’s not even on the island. This is one hideaway that’s not hard to find, though. Just look for the 50 foot wide inflatable crab on the roof. East Bay’s “Bread Dippin’ Cilantro Salsa” is so popular that Good Housekeeping published the recipe with owner Chuck Armstrong’s permission. It’s all about the seafood, of course but they also make a great prime rib.
STEVE & COOKIES BY THE BAY 9700 Amherst Avenue, Margate, NJ 08402 609 823-1163 Hours: Sunday – Thursday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Friday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $40 – $100+ There are a lot of clues that dinner at Steve & Cookies is going to be special. In the winter you’ll likely detect the aroma of one of their two fireplaces as soon as you open the door. Every night you’ll hear great live jazz in the piano room. And if you choose the Verandah you’ll be able gaze out through 11 foot tall picture windows out to the inland waterway as you dine. Steve & Cookies is truly a feast for the senses (not to mention an assault on the wallet). If the music is too loud for you, dine in the Oyster Bar. It serves the full menu plus bar-only items like a sliced filet sandwich on Tuscan garlic toast. Other favorites include bouillabaisse and twin lobster tails.
CAVO CREPE CAFÉ 122 North Michigan Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609 340-1300 Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm Friday – Saturday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner: $12 – $20 This attractive, bright, new creperie is hard to miss so I guess I’ll call it a hideaway by noting that it opened only a few months ago. It’s part of the The Walk, the new indoor/outdoor outlet mall that features more than 60 stores and restaurants. The menu features savory crepes that include turkey club, Philly steak and a vegetarian crepe called a perevoli made from tomato, basil, mozzarella and balsamic glaze. There are also paninis and a selection of luscious dessert crepes. If you come in morning try a breakfast crepe.
LOBIANCO COASTAL CUISINE 8409 Ventnor Avenue, Margate City, NJ 08402 609-822-0600 Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 5:30 pm – ? pm in the summer season. Thursday – Saturday in the off season. It’s best to call ahead around the beginning and end of the summer season. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $30 – $50 Maytag blue isn’t a laundry detergent, it’s a cheese made by Maytag Dairy Farms of Newton, Iowa (and they do spell it “blue” not “bleu”). It tops the bosc pear salad with roasted beets salad at LoBianco. The word “eclectic” may be clichéd but any restaurant that has that salad and braised short ribs with yakitori glaze on the same menu has earned the right to that title. This lovely, family-owned BYOB is small so reservations are recommended in the summer.
CORBIN'S SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT Harbour Pointe Square, 201 Melrose Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609 348-8200 Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Friday – Saturday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm. Closed Monday. Shorter hours in the winter. It’s best to call ahead around the beginning and end of the summer season. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $11 – $20 Ed Corbin cooks true hardcore soul food: chicken, ribs, pig’s feet and fried flounder with sides like yams, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes. Located at the very north end of town a block from the Absecon Inlet, this BYOB’s motto is “Whatever you do, make sure you do some of it right here at Corbin’s!” On Friday nights you might find DJ Dorian-G spinning “the sounds of sweet vintage soul, disco and funk.” Although it’s a modest down home kind of place they do take reservations and you can even call in your song requests on dance night.
The Top List of Delicious Hideaways - Atlantic City, NJ