A Back-Bay Seafood Meal in South Jersey

The road in is part of the outing. Marshland and wildlife-refuge surroundings replace the usual commercial shore strip, and the restaurant appears at the water in a rustic, shanty-like building with a pier alongside it. It has the appealingly unpolished look of a Jersey Shore place that has resisted being turned into something slick.

Once inside, the back bay is present from much of the dining area. Water, marsh and sky set the backdrop, with indoor tables, a patio and screened or enclosed outdoor spaces offering different versions of the same view. By evening, the open horizon gives sunset dinner an obvious advantage.

This is a relaxed place to come hungry, come with a few people, and spend a little time deciding what sounds good. A couple can make an easy date-night meal of oysters and cocktails; a family can go larger with sandwiches, platters and dessert; a group can put a few starters in the middle and work its way around the menu.

The building has the character of a genuine shore outpost rather than a restaurant trying to imitate one. Local and venue memorabilia cover the dining-room walls, including an old menu that gives the room another bit of history without turning it into a museum.

The screened porch is especially well suited to the setting. It keeps diners close to the water and catches the breeze while providing a little separation from the bugs that naturally come with marsh country. On busy evenings, it is also among the most sought-after seating choices.

Boats can tie up at the pier beside the restaurant, adding to the feeling that the water is not just scenery here. The overall mood has a touch of Louisiana waterfront informality, but the flat marshes, bayside light and casual shore style remain unmistakably South Jersey.

The seafood menu is broad enough that a meal can begin as simply as oysters on the half shell or a bowl of soup and move in almost any direction from there. Clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, crab, lobster and fish all have a place on the menu, along with fried oysters, steamers and crab cakes.

Crab bisque has been a hearty house favorite, substantial enough to register as more than a polite opening course. The bowl is known for plenty of crab, which is exactly what a shore-town crab bisque ought to deliver.

For a more exuberant starter, Oyster Creek Crabby Fries bring together claw crab meat, diced red onion, cheese sauce, Jersey Devil Sauce and Old Bay. It is not subtle, nor should it be. This is a fork-and-napkin order that gives a table something to pass around while everyone studies the rest of the offerings.

Soft-shell crab sandwiches are another good reminder that the kitchen does not treat seafood as a single category. Some dishes are neat and straightforward; others arrive as full-on shore-food projects.

Mussels have appeared in garlic sauce as well as a white sauce finished with chorizo and spinach. The latter brings a little richness and spice to the bowl, making it a useful choice for someone who wants seafood but not another fried platter.

Jersey Devil shrimp provides the menu's spicy side, served with its namesake sauce; one version comes with coleslaw. Scallops have shown up with angel hair pasta and crab, and also with onions and blue cheese, two preparations that take the shellfish in very different directions.

There are fuller seafood plates for dinner, including stuffed salmon, lobster dinners, fried seafood platters, snapper soup and salmon croquettes. The range is helpful when one person wants a classic fried basket while another is looking for a composed entrée.

Sushi broadens the choices further. A scallop-and-jalapeño roll and a spicy tuna entrée show that the restaurant is not limited to the old shore-standby formula of broiled, fried or steamed seafood.

A mixed table does not need to split up over dinner plans. Turf selections, burgers, light snacks and soups give non-seafood eaters room to order comfortably, while a surf-and-turf burger offers a middle route for someone who wants a little of both.

That flexibility makes lunch easy, too. You can keep it modest with soup, a snack or a seafood sandwich, or turn an afternoon stop into a longer waterfront meal. The setting does not demand a special occasion, though it accommodates one nicely.

Dessert can be an unhurried finish rather than an afterthought. Chocolate mousse and other freshly made desserts have been on offer, a pleasant excuse to stay put when the light over the bay is beginning to change.

The bar has cocktails, wine and other drinks, with spicy mango margaritas adding a bright, slightly fiery option to the list. A cold drink and a plate of oysters is a fine way to use the patio or screened waterfront room without committing to a giant dinner.

Sunset is the natural show here, with the marsh and open bay giving the sky plenty of room. The restaurant remains conversational and casual even when it gets lively, so an evening meal can be as low-key as a shared appetizer or as involved as a birthday dinner with a full table of entrées.

The tucked-away location is a benefit once you arrive, but it is not a prominent roadside stop. The approach runs through marsh country near public-access areas around the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge, where Barn Swallows may be active and turtles occasionally cross the road.

There is a large free private parking lot, a welcome convenience at a waterfront restaurant where arriving by boat is only one possibility. Inside, the choice of dining room, patio and screened or enclosed waterfront seating gives parties some flexibility.

Walk-in seating has been available, but popular periods can bring a wait, particularly for the screened outdoor area. Reservations can be useful if that waterfront table is the goal. Families, couples and larger groups all fit comfortably into the restaurant's easygoing rhythm.