Sea Isle City, a vacation destination on the Southern New Jersey shore, has several bars that offer visitors a wide range of nightlife experiences, from dancing before a live band with a large crowd to lounging on the bay with a cocktail.
On the south end of Sea Isle is Busch's Seafood Restaurant and Bar, a local institution since 1882. Some guests come to Busch's bar after dining on the restaurant's famous she-crab soup and seafood entrees. Many come simply to enjoy the authentic 1960s retro-cool feel of Busch's bar area. Although all ages convene here to enjoy libations ranging from Bud Lite to Manhattans, the establishment caters to an older crowd with its Saturday night "oldies" dance party.
Busch's Seafood Restaurant and Bar
8700 Landis Ave.
Sea Isle City, NJ
609-263-8626
buschsseafood.com
Further in the heart of town is the Ocean Drive Bar, known to locals as the "O.D." The O.D. offers live music every night from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day. The bar draws a younger crowd on most evenings, yet some of the frequently-booked bands, such as Secret Service, appeal to people in their 40s. The O.D. is popular for its happy hours, like the Saturday "No Shower Happy Hour," which welcomes patrons to come straight from the beach. The bar also opens several times during the "off" months, including New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day, as well as during Sea Isle's "Polar Bear Plunge" in February.
The Ocean Drive Bar
3915 Landis Ave.
Sea Isle City, NJ 08243
609-263-1000
theod.com
A block away from the O.D. is the Dead Dog Saloon. The mellow Dead Dog Saloon features live acoustic music. In addition to cocktails, the bar has eight different drafts beers, ales and stouts on tap, including Guiness and Sam Adams. The Dead Dog Saloon boasts a massive, 82-inch television, perfect for watching the local baseball favorites, the Philadelphia Phillies. It offers traditional bar fare, as well as fried calamari and pot stickers.
The Dead Dog Saloon
39th & Landis Ave.
Sea Isle City, NJ 08243
609-263-7600
seaislenightlife.com/dead_dog_saloon/index.htm
Some of the Sea Isle area's most unique bars can be found a few miles north on the island in the tiny town of Strathmere. Twisties Tavern, with its paneled walls, has changed little since it opened in 1940. Beers on tap range from nearby Pennsylvania's Yeungling Lager to Blue Moon. Twisties' menu offers the usual bar bites with some tasty shore twists, such as the crab cake, the local catch of the day and a seafood pizza. Twisties closes for the season in early October and reopens for Memorial Day weekend.
Twisties Tavern
232 South Bayview Dr.
Strathmere, NJ 08248
609-263-2200
twistiestavern.com
Also in Strathmere, the Deauville Inn and its outdoor Beach Bar sit right on the bay overlooking the bridge that stretches northward to Ocean City. Next to the inn is the small, walk-up bar. Patrons can drink their beverages in lounge chairs that sit in the sand. The beautiful bay view more than compensates for the bar's restroom, which is little more than a trailer with holes in the floor. The Deauville's outdoor area features a barbecue that cooks up hot dogs and hamburgers. The Deauville is open year-round, seven days a week, from May 1 to September 30.
The Deauville Inn and Beach Bar
201 Willard Rd.
Strathmere, NJ 08248
609-263-2080
deauvilleinn.com
