The Best Restaurants On Long Beach Island 2024

"After inching your way onto the island along with the summer Friday traffic, few restaurants could entice you back off. But one of them is La Cabañita. There’s not much atmosphere surrounding the lovely little stone building across from a strip mall, but you’ll find plenty inside, where the dining room is centered around a faux tree gleaming with twinkly lights and pink flowers that trail across the ceiling. Underneath, always-filled tables are piled with plates of Mexican dishes like al pastor or lengua tacos on handmade corn tortillas, or alambres—steaming skillets heaped with sauteed peppers and all the meats. On a breezy night, ask for a table on the stone patio and start with an order of shrimp ceviche, which comes in a bowl big enough to feed a family of four." - alison kessler, regan stephens, matt tervooren, tonya russell