ZenFoodster E.
Yelp
M & I have been driving ~1.5-2 hrs from NYC to Manahawkin NJ just for their fresh & reasonably-priced, no-nonsense seafood for the last ~12 yrs...YES, MCCH is that good! To this date - as I know of - this is the most Northern place on E Coast closest to NYC (without having to drive all the way down to MD) that has MD-style Live Blue Claw Crabs, MD-style Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes & Crab soup all done the MD way! Not only is their seafood always good & locally-sourced but their outdoor atmosphere is also another reason to make MCCH a dining destination.
Know before you go...MCCH prides themselves on using only the freshest & finest seafood. Therefore, their daily fish supply is constantly fluctuating. Always refer to their Daily Board to see their locally-sourced seafood options & what's available. And since it's a LBI community haunt, there's always a full house + longer waits...but definitely worth it, especially when you don't have kids!
Simply put your name on either the indoors or outdoors waitlist. Head outdoors to grab some of our fave cocktails - eg. refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonades, Moscow Mules, Honey Palmers or Mai Tais - from their cool Airstream Trailer-converted bar & settle back in one of the Adirondack loungers around either 1 of 2 fire pits to chillax under their shaded front patio. Waits are anywhere from 30 min - 2 hrs, but M & I don't mind them since they go by quickly & we truly enjoy their cocktails, live music (during weekends whenever we've gone during the summer) & the occasional breezes from the bay / ocean. The relaxing & lively outdoor atmosphere not only makes it a cool place to kick back w/ drinks but it also is our preferred dining area (before ~8pm...when the bugs come out to bite!).
Whether you sit inside or out...service is always friendly & attentive in both dining areas. However..before you order, you should know what you're getting...ask your server to show you the #1 (larger) vs #2 (smaller) Blue Claw Crabs to compare their sizes...which may vary depending on their daily haul. Order crabs by singles (we usually get 5-6 #1's). Then, have them steamed in 1 of 3 styles: Garlic, MD-style w/ Old Bay seasoning OR MY WAY: plainly steamed w/o Old Bay & dipped in (BYOB) Chiangkang Black Vinegar (a Chinese Shanghainese-style way of eating steamed crabs)!
Along w/ the Blue Claws, I also order OUR OTHER FAVES... depending on our appetite: MUST-TRY MD-Style Crab & NE Clam Chowders chocked full of fresh crabmeat & clams, respectively, + the MD-style Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes (2) w/ little filler + fresh Jumbo lump crabmeat OR the Broiled Seafood Combo w/ 1 Jumbo Crab Cake, Filet of Flounder (or Grouper..really, any choice of their fish), Shrimp & Scallops OR the Blackened local Flounder or Grouper, which are fresh, tasty & not too oily. All fish can either be blackened, baked or char-broiled & topped w/ 1 of their homemade sauces. And all entrées come w/ 2 sides. So, we almost always order fresh corn on the cob (when in season July~early Sept), Coleslaw, Potato Salad and / or a House Salad w/ their homemade Ranch, Balsamic Vinegar or Oriental Sesame dressings. Depending on who's in the kitchen that day, the soups, potato salad & coleslaw can sometimes slightly differ but are usually very good. For eg., I love my Clam Chowder w/ less cheese & bacon but sometimes it has more & can taste smokier (because of cheese + bacon) & I love my Coleslaw + Potato Salad w/ less mayo but sometimes it has little more. In addition to all of the above, the "House Specialty" Cioppino is also a MUST-TRY. There is a generous amount of shrimp, clams, crab, mussels & fish in a spicy & unctuous red sauce served over linguini.
M & I have our many FAVES here, but IMHO, if you're a seafood purist like I am & love no-nonsense fresh seafood, you can't go wrong w/ anything you order here & will love it as much as we do! Other fresh seafood items that we've tried on their menu: 1.5 lbs Steamed Ipswich Clams in a bucket (or local Top Neck Clams); Extra Large U-Peels (1/2 lb of Shrimp boiled in crab spices), Fried Oysters (w/ my home-brought Japanese Tonkatsu sauce), (1 jumbo leg) Alaskan King Crab (from a Cali supplier) which is pretty decent except meat was brinier vs sweeter; Dungeness Crab, local fried scallops, tuna & Mahi Mahi (seasonal), PEI mussels, Calamari, Oysters, snow crab, live Lobsters, Jumbo Caribbean Pink Shrimp & Atlantic Cod.
As noted above, MCCH's supply of seafood is based on availability & what's freshest of the season. The resto is closed ~Nov-Jan & there are NO live Blue, Soft Shell & Dungeness Crabs off-season mos (eg. Oct, Nov, Mar & Apr).
For a free ride on their Mud Shuttle (within a 5 mi radius), call (609) 713-0451 for pick-up to & from MCCH & sister resto Old Causeway next door (thru Labor Day). MCCH's sister restos are:
-Parker's Garage
-Bird & Betty's
-Black Whale Bar & Grill
-Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House
-Ship Bottom Shellfish