Jersey Shore Food Guide: The Best Food on the Ocean City Boardwalk

The Best Food on the Ocean City Boardwalk | Illustration by Melissa McFeeters

It’s easy to get sidetracked on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey: There are delicious smells wafting from every which way on every single block. But smells can be deceiving, and when you’re on the hunt for something delicious, you need some insider intel. Well, dear reader, you’ve come to the right place: We ate our way down the Ocean City boardwalk and back again in search of its most delectable flavors and tastiest treats. Below, the bites you absolutely don’t want to miss.  

The Best Food on the Ocean City Boardwalk

Apple Cider Doughnuts at Oves Restaurant 
There’s a reason people haul ass all the way here to 4th Street and the Boardwalk, where there’s nothing (literally nothing) to do or see. The warm, chewy, flaky doughnuts from Oves Restaurant boast a light, crusty exterior and a doughy interior and can best be described as just-out-of-the-oven pound cake mixed with a touch of Christmas. Find it: At 4th Street and the boardwalk.

Ice Cream at George’s Candies
The Baskin-Robbins-worthy array of flavors at George’s Candies sells out quickly, and with good reason: All the ice cream is homemade, all the mix-ins are authentic (the rum raisin is packed with plump and juicy raisins; the cookie dough has chunks of chocolate-chipped goodness), and the consistency is not too hard, not too melty. The best part: A kiddie cup is enough to sate any size craving. Find it: At 7th Street on the boardwalk.

Homemade Potato Chips at L.P.’s Pierogies Wings and Things
You can get the chips in a bowl or served on a skewer like a shish kebab, but either way, get them. Slightly chewier and wildly fresher than your average Herr’s, the chips at L.P.’s Pierogies Wings and Things come in plain or with Cajun, ranch or Old Bay seasoning. At under $4 for a substantial serving, they’re a culinary steal compared to the highway robbery of the Chickie’s and Pete’s crab fries a few blocks down. Find it: At 8th Street on the boardwalk.

Pizza at Manco & Manco Pizza
Yes, we know the owners were caught cheating on their taxes, which is shameful, but it doesn’t make their pizza any less scrumptious. It may seems ludicrous that so many people would stand in line for pizza whose tomato sauce is applied with a hose, but they do. And they should. Because one will endure all sorts of nonsense when the slices are this hot and this delish. Find it: At 8th Street, 9th Street and 12th Street on the boardwalk.

Banana Whip at Bashful Banana Bakery and Café
A totes staple of the skinny-tween set, this gloppy frozen concoction at the Bashful Banana Bakery and Café is 100 percent banana in the form of a Kohr Bros.-like custard. Accent it with healthy toppings such as granola or an all-fruit fudge sauce — which is better than it sounds. The Whip just might be the perfect intersection of boardwalk frozen treat and the pledge to keep your diet. Find it: On the boardwalk between 9th and 10th streets.

Crepes at Opa Gyros and Crepes
Crepes are a relative newcomer to our boardwalks (the new funnel cake, perhaps?), and nobody does them better than Opa Gyros and Crepes. There are more than 20 varieties, but the cheesecake version — a thin, hot pancake stuffed with cheesecake filling and fresh strawberries and bananas, then topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream — is the undisputed star. Grab a spoon so you can get every last morsel. Find it: On the boardwalk between 9th and 10th streets.

Also in our Best Shore Eats series:
• The Best Ice Cream Shops at the Jersey Shore
• 8 Doughnuts Worth Getting Out of Bed For
• Your Best Bets for Takeout and Delivery at the Jersey Shore
• The Best Jersey Shore Pizza, As Chosen By You

Published as “Best of the Boards” in Philadelphia magazine.