6 outdoor dining places in South Jersey for late-summer fun
Summer has less than a month left, so if you haven’t taken advantage of dining outdoors at a restaurant, now is the time.
Sure, the fall months can be nice as well in South Jersey (we’ll get to that before too long), but if you want to enjoy some good food and sprinkle in nice scenery outdoors while squeezing out the last bit of summer, we have you covered.
Here are six great options for outdoor dining:
Boathouse Restaurant and Marina Deck, Wildwood
The website boasts that the restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, steaks and sunsets.
It offers inside or outside deck seating and offers packages for weddings, banquets or luncheon and it’s right on the water.
Fresh flounder, fried shrimp, Maryland style crab cakes, fresh sea scallops, broiled filet of salmon, chicken parmesan, shrimp scampi and more are on the menu.
Open daily for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Dinner begins at 4 p.m. The restaurant does not take reservations.
The restaurant closes for the season on October 14 and reopens in April.
Go: 506 West Rio Grande, 609-729-5301; boathouseonline.net/
Café Le Jardin, Audubon
The French café and bistro, which occupies a space formerly occupied by Smoke BBQ, is a casual spin-off of the owners’ June BYOB French restaurant in Collingswood.
Christina Cusack grew up in Audubon and she and her husband, chef Rich Cusack, opened the restaurant on the corner of a busy street in town.
Its brunch and dinner menu offers items such as quiche Lorraine, lobster Benedict, crab cake sandwich, rabbit, duck, mussels, grilled lamb, and customers also have the option of eating outside in a garden-style area.
“I grew up in Audubon so I’ve always loved Audubon,” Christina Cusack said. “I feel like more businesses are starting to branch out to Audubon so I felt it was a great time.”
The restaurant is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Go: 34 W. Merchant Street, 856-617-4800; cafelejardinnj.com/
Carlucci’s Waterfront Grill, Mount Laurel
The outdoor space offers views of the Rancocas Creek as it sits right at the edge of the waterway.
The area offers heated seating in the winter months with heat lamps, a tent and lighting.
It’s often the site of wedding receptions and other special events. The outdoor setup makes for a comfortable, festive evening for restaurant-goers.
Go: 876 Centerton Road, 856-235-5737; carlucciswaterfront.com
Curtin’s Wharf, Burlington City
This boat-themed restaurant is right at Curtin Marina and is located on the Delaware River in Burlington City, with proximity to Route 130, Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The menu is varied with items such as ribeye steak, jerk pork chops, lobster ravioli, fried coconut shrimp, fish and chips, fried clam strips, chicken Parmesan and more.
Eating out on the deck offers beautiful views of the river as the boats come and go.
Curtin’s Wharf opens in mid-May and closes Labor Day. If you miss it this year, keep it in mind for next summer.
Go: 501 East Pearl Street; 609-386-4594; curtinsmarina.net
The Farm & Fisherman Tavern, Cherry Hill
A family-friendly tavern featuring seasonal cuisine.
Turkey Cubano, veggie burger, Buffalo shrimp tacos, tuna melt, beer-battered fish, caramelized cauliflower and much more are some of the foods you may experience on the lunch menu. The dinner menu may included pan-seared salmon, squash lasagna, grilled lamb chops, rigatoni Bolognese and more.
A comfortable outdoor seating area is available and is made up of mainly picnic tables.
Go: 1442 Route 70 East, 856-356-2282; fandftavern.com/
Pie Lady Cafe, Moorestown
While it’s a favorite around holiday time for its pies, Pie Lady Café is also a popular spot to sit outside and munch on breakfast and lunch items such as scones, muffins, quiche, banana French toast, breakfast burrito, pancakes, omelettes, avocado toast and more.
Located right along Main Street across the street from the historic Community House, Pie Lady Café really is in the center of this quaint town.
The café is currently open Thursday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Go: 9 East Main Street, 856-778-7437; pieladycafe.com
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: 6 great places for outdoor dining in South Jersey
