Bahr’s Landing/Moby’s Lobster Dock, Atlantic Highlands
Steeped in local history, Bahr’s has been serving up fresh seafood in the Atlantic Highlands since 1917. Click here to read about their interesting history (it was founded by the son of a tall ship captain!) and see pictures of the restaurant through the years. Yummy lunch menu options include combo platters with various fried or broiled fish, scallops, oysters, beer battered fish and chips, Po’ Boy sandwiches, crab cakes and my favorite lobster rolls...plus much more! The dinner menu features classics like soft shell crabs, various fish, fried oysters, seafood pasta dishes, surf and turf and of course fresh lobsters. Don’t worry, there are options for land lubbers and the kids menu for kids under 12 includes a “kiddie cocktail” fish and chips, mac ‘n’ cheese, hot dogs, chicken fingers, burgers or even 1/8 lb steamed lobster! Plus, a dessert is included with the meal (Jello, ice cream or sherbert). The restaurant itself is family-friendly, but if you want the full outdoor, on the dock dining experience (great for kids) walk across the lot to Moby’s Lobster Dock (open May - October). You order and wait for your number to be called and eat at a picnic table. Menu options include fish sandwiches, burgers, lobster, crab cakes and much more! There is also chicken fingers and hot dogs for the kiddies who aren’t into seafood. Either place you choose, you will leave feeling satisfied and well-fed. 732-872-1245

Red’s Lobster Pot, Point Pleasant Beach
One spot I always hit with the family is Red’s! They have amazing lobster rolls and so much more. For summer, Red's is open seven days a week starting at noon and stay open until about 9pm or sometimes 10pm, depending upon the weather and how busy it is there. There is an interior restaurant that offers table service and an outdoor deck (open in warmer months). Outside you order and pick-up at the counter. It’s a perfect place to grab a quick bite after a day at the beach with the family. Plus, everything on their menu is available to-go, so you can do a beach picnic! The indoor restaurant lunch menu includes sandwiches including shrimp and lobster salad and fish and chips. You can also order off their dinner menu at lunch. The indoor dinner menu features a variety of sea fare like lobster ravioli NJ scallops provencale, lobster bisque, mussels marinara, broiled fish dishes, whole lobster and plenty of chicken and pasta dishes for the seafood-phobes. The kids menu offers chicken fingers, pasta, fish and more. The outdoor deck menu features favorites like fish tacos, shrimp burrito, peel and eat shrimp, grilled clams, fried day boat sea scallops, lobster rolls and so much more! They offer daily specials, so call ahead or walk in a check out their daily board. Whether you sit inside or out, you are sure to have a great summer seafood meal! After your meal, walk around the corner to the Manasquan Inlet and watch the fishing boats roll in. 732-295-6622

Mr. Shrimp, Belmar
Mr. Shrimp is great for families and larger groups, as it offers more than 100 seats in its dining room. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 10am - 9pm. They also offer a wide selection of retail seafood options, so you can take some fresh seafood to-go and prepare your own family feast. The market offers shrimp, fresh fish, shell fish and specialties like shrimp salad, lobster salad and crab cakes. Mr. Shrimp is well-known for their $6.99 lunch menu served daily from 11am - 3pm. The lunch menu includes shrimp Quesadilla, fish tacos, popcorn combo and other platters like fish fish an chips or broiled combo platters. Their extensive dinner menu includes chowders and shrimp cocktail, hot appetizers like clam strips and coconut shrimp, specialties like the clam pot (1 1/4 lb lobster, clams, shrimp, scallops and mussels with corn on the cob and potatoes), steamed lobster dinner and classics like soft shell crabs, various fresh fish, stuffed flounder, surf and turf and plenty of options for land lovers. They also offer wraps and sandwiches and sides. The kids menu is for kids 12 years and younger and includes fried shrimp, chicken fingers, hot dogs, fried flounder and pasta. Take the whole family along and enjoy! 732-681-7755

The Lobster House, Cape May
The view alone at the Lobster House is worth the drive, but luckily the food is fantastic, as well! The restaurant, which has been operating for more than four generations, overlooks the Cape May Harbor and is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, year round. The main restaurant is made up of five dining rooms and serves up family-friendly dining. During most months, you may also eat outdoors on the deck.From the deck, you and the family can watch the commercial fishing fleet unload fresh fish, which supplies much of the area. The Take Out Shop is open 11am - 7pm during the winter months and until 9pm in season. You may order and eat at the dockside tables or take it to-go. The dockside menu includes chowders, salads, sandwiches, fried seafood, combo seafood platters and a kids menu featuring flounder, shrimp or chicken fingers. A unique feature of the restaurant is the Schooner American, a 130 foot Grand Banks sailing vessel and outdoor cocktail lounge. You can order lunch and lighter fare during dinner hours and enjoy great views! The main restaurant is open from 11:30am - 3pm and 4:30pm - 10pm through December. The lunch menu offers options like crab fingers, steamed clams, oyster stew, salads, platters like crab cake or shrimp parmigiana or a variety of sandwiches. Dinner features many soup and appetizer options and platters like shrimp scampi, crabmeat au gratin, crab imperial and much more! Enjoy the view and the many places to sit and eat a delicious family-friendly meal on the dock in Cape May! 609-884-8296

Mud City Crab House, Manahawkin
The crab house has a location in Forked River and also owns Black Whale Bar and Fish House in Beach Haven and infamous Ship Bottom Shellfish also on LBI. The restaurant is open every day from 11am. They keep with shore family traditions and are extremely family-friendly. Their menu is very extensive and offers pretty much anything you could ask for seafood-wise. They offer lunch, dinner carry-out and everything is also available in the fish market so you can make your own backyard feast at home. There is sometimes a wait for a table, but you can sit on the patio and enjoy an appetizer while you overlook the wetlands. Their main menu includes appetizers like clams casino and chowders. Entrees featured include crab cakes, stuffed flounder, pasta, cioppino, scallops, seafood combo platters, fresh fish platters and more. The crab selection is vast including blue claws, Alaskan King, snow crabs, Maryland style crabs and dungeness crabs. Whole lobsters are available and a bunch of burger and sandwich options. The vast a la carte menu features fish and chips, fried shrimp, chicken fingers, steamed mussels and don’t forget side dishes like corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw and much more! Plus, there are many daily specials offered. There is so much available, that kids will find no problem ordering from the main menu. You can also order family sides for the table. Don’t forget to finish off your memorable family meal with a yummy dessert like a banana chimichanga or key lime pie! 609-978-3660