The Woo Hoo 211 South Bay Avenue Beach Haven, NJ 08008

The Woo Hoo

211 South Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ  08008

(609) 492-5433

http://www.thewoohoo.com

https://thewoohoo.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-12:00am (Please check their website for changes in winter hours)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d7646259-Reviews-The_WooHoo-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Woo Hoo at 211 South Bay Avenue at Christmas time 2023.

If there is any excuse to visit the Jersey shore at any time of the year, the Woo Hoo is it. I came across this little beach drive in restaurant when visiting Beach Haven, New Jersey and it is the classic Jersey beach restaurant with good food, great prices and friendly service. It is the perfect place for a meal after a long day at the beach or on rainy night when you want to get out of the house.

The Woo Hoo in Beach Haven, NJ

There is no inside dining and there are lots of picnic tables around the restaurant to dine. There is a covering in case of bad weather. You order from the extensive menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches and nuggets and freshly made French Fries and onion rings.

When I was talking with the guy who took my order, he said that the owner only likes to use the best quality in everything he serves. Things he would eat himself when he goes out to dine. I thought that was a good philosophy and it shows in the quality of the food.

Another item the restaurant is known for is its homemade ice cream that is made right on premises. There are about twenty-five flavors to choose from and I can see by the wondering eyes on the menu it can be a tough decision for most customers. ($3.95 for one scoop/$4.95 for two scoops/$5.95 for three scoops). There are a selection of sundaes, floats and milk shakes to choose from on the menu.

The Woo Hoo’s Ice Cream menu

I settled on a Traditional Burger ($7.95), which is two nice sized hamburger patties with mayo, lettuce and tomatoes and small French fries and a Coke ($3.00 more from the burger cost for a combination meal). There are different burgers with a selection of toppings for an additional price including crab cakes and seafood and there is a veggie burger as well.

The burgers are rich and juicy and you can really taste the quality of the beef in every bite. The vegetable toppings are Jersey fresh and very good quality. You could tell they were good Jersey tomatoes on top by their sweetness. The French Fries are freshly cut every day and deep fried to perfection. With a little sea salt, you can really taste the fresh potatoes ($4.45). The burgers run in various sizes and toppings from $7.95-$18.95 for the Surf & Turf burger.

The burgers here are amazing!

I was so impressed by the food that after a long walk around the downtown that afternoon, I came back again for the homemade ice cream. I had a scoop of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a scoop of Strawberry Cheesecake ($3.95 for two scoops). It was so creamy and decadent.

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch was loaded with the sweet cereal and cinnamon in the ice cream. The Strawberry Cheesecake was studded with fresh strawberries in the creamy mixture. Both had a nice denseness to them and you could taste the fresh cream in the mixture.

On a recent trip, I had to try the Cinnamon Toast Crunch again with its mix of crunchy cereal and sweet cream. Another flavor with an unusual name was ‘Pillow Fight”, which was a combination of Marshmallow Ice Cream with a swirl in of crushed Oreo cookies and color sprinkles. I have never had such a delicious ice cream before as the marshmallows and the sweet cream married well together in taste and density of the ice cream and crushed Oreos added an extra layer of sweetness and appearance as you bit into it.

The Woo Hoo Sundae

There are other really nice things on the menu like crab cake sandwiches ($8.95), a mahi-mahi sandwich ($15.95) and something called Woo Hoo bowls ($9.95-$10.95) which are a combination of ingredients to create different complexities of flavors.

The one thing I have discovered about Woo Hoo is that they do close their kitchen at some point after Labor Day. It had been open last September but by the end of October, they were closed as they were when I visited in November of 2021. You have to call or check their website on the meals.

The Woo Hoo in the off season is open for ice cream and has ice cream cakes for the holidays.

The service could not be friendlier. The staff is very accommodating and will help you make a selection from the various choices. Not only that but the staff knows the island really well and can point things out for you to see.

Beach Haven Bay at sunset.

It was a nice meal to enjoy after walking on the beach or exploring the island.

Beach Haven, NJ is just beautiful

Uncle Bill’s Pancake House 261 Beach Avenue Cape May, NJ 08204

Uncle Bill’s Pancake House

261 Beach Avenue

Cape May, NJ  08204

(845) 884-7199

http://www.unclebillspancakehouse.com/

Open: March-January-6:30am-2:00pm

Branches: Avalon, Stone Harbor, Cape May, Two in Ocean City, Strathmere, North Cape May and Wildwood. Check the website above for more information.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46341-d393950-Reviews-Uncle_Bill_s_Pancake_House-Cape_May_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

261 Beach Avenue

I have been to Uncle Bill’s a few times for breakfast and breakfast here makes you want to visit the Jersey Shore towns more often. Uncle Bill’s is one of those restaurants that is a throwback to family vacations to the Jersey Shore in the 70’s and 80’s when families went for a week vacation and going out for breakfast was a real treat. It still is when you dine at their establishment.

It looks like 1970’s Jersey Shore

The Cape May restaurant was open later than usual into the Winter season being open after Christmas. It was very busy in Cape May this year as the weather was in the 50’s during and after Christmas in 2018. The restaurant has a real homey feel to it and their hosts make you feel so welcome when you enter that you feel like an honored guest. From their waiters to their bus boys they are so friendly and really want you you to enjoy your meal.

A very welcoming restaurant

I was seated promptly on my recent trip to Cape May and knew exactly what I wanted, the pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs ($10.25) with a side of orange juice ($2.75). The meal was delicious and the portion sizes were large. I got two scrambled eggs with three large pancakes on the side. It was a lot of food and I did not need lunch that afternoon.

The pancakes had that nice, caramelized outside from the clarified butter they were cooked in and were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The scrambled eggs were light and fluffy with the taste of the clarified butter cooked into them. It was more than enough for breakfast.

I also had gone to the restaurant back in September when I was visiting Cape May and had the special plate ($10.25) which was one scrambled egg, bacon on the side and three pancakes. Everything was so well prepared and the plate presentation was nice too. It just wasn’t thrown on the plate.

The pancakes and eggs here are wonderful

On my third trip back to the restaurant (because I enjoyed it so much), I had the pancakes again with two scrambled eggs and two pork sausage ($12.25) and everything was just as delicious. There has been a price increase in their food as of August of 2019 but only by a dollar or so but it is well worth it for the quality of the food and service.

I returned to Cape May again for Christmas in 2021 and had my traditional post-Christmas breakfast here and it surprised me how quiet the restaurant was the day after Christmas. Usually, the place is packed but I figured that most of the hotels were adding breakfast packages to their reservations and that’s why the place was so quiet.

The Uncle Bill’s logo on their restaurants

For breakfast this morning, I had the French Texas Toast with a side of scrambled eggs and sausage. Since they did not have a special on this, I had to order everything separately but the whole breakfast cost about the same at $14.95 for the whole meal when adding the hot tea and orange juice to it.

The French Texas Toast was loaded with cinnamon and dipped in an egg batter and sauteed until golden brown. It had a caramelized crust to it and a nice, sweet flavor. The eggs had the taste of the clarified butter that they were cooked in and they served the meal with the Pennsylvania Dutch pork sausage. It was one great ‘Jersey Shore’ breakfast.

Most everything on their menu runs between $8.75 to $12.25 making a nice meal for the family on a budget who enjoys a quality meal.

The service at the Cape May branch could not be nicer. The staff is always smiling not matter how busy they are and they make their customers feel relaxed. You can just sit back and enjoy your meal and I never felt rushed even when it came time for paying the bill. The menu is really reasonable for the amount of food you receive.

I have only been to the Cape May branch but I am sure the same standards apply to their other eight restaurants as well.

The sign that welcomes you at the Cape May restaurant

History of Uncle Bill’s Pancake House:

About us:

Established in 1962 in Stone Harbor, NJ, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House has become an annual tradition for many families visiting the Jersey Shore. Based on the principles of good quality food, great service and a clean family-friendly atmosphere, Uncle Bill’s serves up thousands of pancakes per day in the summer. We believe quality starts from the ground up, using only the finest ingredients and the freshest produce from local farmers. Breakfast is served all day with over 15 different types of pancakes, waffles, French Toast, fabulous omelettes, farm fresh eggs and meats. Several locations also serve lunch and dinner.

Uncle Bill’s staff and customers return year after year, a testament to our continued success as being the Best Breakfast at the Jersey Shore. Please visit one of our eight locations spanning the South Jersey shoreline. We would love to serve you on your next visit to the shore!

Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Cape May Christmas 2022

Disclaimer: This information on the company history and philosophy was taken directly from their website and I give them full credit for it.

Dining on a Shoestring in New York City and Beyond: Finding reasonable meals and snacks for around $20.00 and under

Blogger and Culinarian (and Firefighter) Justin Watrel of DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com

*Bloggers note: prices have changed since many of these posts were created and since COVID have gone up a few dollars but are still fairly priced.

Hello everyone! Welcome travelers to New York City and the surrounding suburbs!

My name is Justin Watrel and I created ‘Dining on a Shoestring in New York City’ (DiningonShoeStringinNYC.wordpress.com) as an extension to the blogs: ‘MywalkinManhattan’ (MywalkinManhattan.com) along with ‘VisitingaMuseum’ (VisitingaMuseum.com) and “LittleShoponMainStreet” (“LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com), in search of a delicious meal for $20.00 and under.

It is difficult in an area as expensive as Metropolitan New York but many restaurant owners are paving the way with small, innovative menus at a fair price.

Sweets Bakery in Chinatown, NY

I created this blog when I discovered all these wonderful small restaurants, bodegas and bakeries that were fantastic both in that the quality of their food and the prices that they cost. I also looked at atmosphere and cleanliness of the establishment. Most cost under $20.00 (USA) for their main food items and provide small places to sit down and eat.

Since the COVID pandemic though, many of the places mentioned on this blog have either closed up shop (I have noted the months and years they closed up) or the prices have risen, in some cases significantly so please be aware when you visit these restaurants. I have tried to revisit many of them since the pandemic and prices have gone up by three or four dollars. I still continue to look for restaurants in the $10.00-$20.00 range that are of high quality and fair portion sizes.

Here and there  I found these eating establishments tucked in corners of the City, hiding on side streets or across from the schools where they were populated by students looking for a quick bite. I also found them near public housing or near the hotels where people were looking for a quick meal or a reasonable snack.

NoHo Juice Bar & Deli in Greenwich Village/NoHo

The signs I looked for where they accepted EBT (Electric Benefits Transfer) cards or where I saw the doormen, construction workers and cabbies eating. They always find the most reasonable places to eat and this is a group that will not tolerate food that doesn’t taste good. They would be too vocal about it (As I found on several trips to the same establishment where people would be talking about why they keep coming back and how bad the local competition was around the corner).

With everyone on a budget, I thought this would cater nicely to the traveler or NYC resident, who is looking to save some money while enjoying a quick meal or a snack when in New York City. I have extended the blog to outside New York City to all the surrounding places I have traveled on my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”. So you will see places in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware now.

Blue Sky-Harlem Taste Deli/Grocery in East Harlem, NY “Home of the Chopped Cheese”

In the era of COVID, I am finding that many of these places are either changing hands or are closing permanently. Please call ahead or Google the establishments to see if they are still open. It has amazed me how many of these once vibrant businesses closed their doors due the lack of customers. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our industry.

Please share with me on the blog posts your insights on these establishments and let me know your recommendations. Please join me on the travels as I walk all the streets and avenues of Manhattan in my quest to walk every street of the Island of Manhattan in ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. In many cases, I have cross-referenced these reviews to my TripAdvisor reviews so you can get other people’s opinions as well.

Cheesy Pizza on Upper Broadway in the Upper Upper West Side

I hope you get a chance to travel to some of these locations and try these delicious and reasonable restaurants. Since the Pandemic some prices have gone up but for the most part all of these restaurants are still reasonable and under the now $20.00 limit that I put on them. There are still many on this list that are under $10.00 but that is getting harder to find.

Dining at Barcelona’s Restaurant & Bar in Garfield, NJ

So join me as I make my way around the City and to surrounding areas to find delicious food that can meet a limited budget.

Happy Dining!