Seafood in the Pines

[Rooftree]

This link was just uploaded on the Web today.

The Scenic New Jersey Backroads Route That Leads To 4 Old-Fashioned Seafood Restaurants

Route 542 is a great scenic drive in New Jersey, taking you along some of the state's best small towns to hidden seafood gems.

www.onlyinyourstate.com

Here's a youtube video of two couples visiting the Allen's Clam Bar. My fishing buddy of 67 years had mentioned this place a couple times to me. But he goes there for the clams.

 

[enormiss]

Allen's clam bar is good, give it a try. Stop across the street 1st to BYO adult beverage.
Been to the Lower Bank but don't think I ever ate.
Sweetwater got too popular and expensive for me. Food is average, nice atmosphere.
Only been to Rocco's once, was good.

 

[bobpbx]

That drunken clams looks really good. Good enough to take a full dose of pepcid and head on down there.

 

[RednekF350]

Allen's is the shit. We love that place. They used to offer fried whole hard clams, not surf clam strips. The strips remain on the menu. I don't know why they stopped but they were awesome. I make them myself every time we go clamming.

Enormiss is spot on. Can't beat the BYOB cold ones from the liquor store across the street. In fact, the waitresses advise you to visit them before dinner. There have been a few times though, when we stop on the Harley after an extended visit to Pinelands Brewing and I will have to force down an iced tea so as to live to see another day.

I also agree with Enormiss on Sweetwater. Way too popular now and food is just average.

The best and freshest seafood to go and the friendliest down-to-earth folks on earth are to be found at River Road Clam House in Lower Bank. Their seafood is amazing and don't be afraid to buy their fresh frozen scallops. The fresh ones can't be kept very long so they freeze them in Zip-locs and they are every bit as good as fresh. Watch their Facebook page for the announcements on the freshies and all of their other seafood.

 

[stiltzkin]

Rocco's is great. They refinished the entire basement of the place a few years ago and built a very nice whiskey bar down there with a stage for live music, couches, shuffleboard, etc. I don't think many people know about it. It isn't really advertised and you might not even know about it if you were in the upstairs restaurant.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Many of the seasonal Wading Pines campers would go to Allen's. I've never been there, but have heard nothing but good things.

 

[bobpbx]

When I was hanging around with Gibby Giberson in the early 80's, he'd have me stop at Allen's for creamy oyster chowder, with those little crackers and all. I did not try it, but he always slurped it up at the counter.

 

[Pinesbucks]

I am likely gonna offend alot of people by saying this Allen's used to be our go to in the pines. However it is not the same. Menu has changed atmosphere has changed and the food definitely has changed. Bob I can't even remember the last time that oyster chowder was on the menu.

 

[bobpbx]

I am likely gonna offend alot of people by saying this Allen's used to be our go to in the pines. However it is not the same. Menu has changed atmosphere has changed and the food definitely has changed. Bob I can't even remember the last time that oyster chowder was on the menu.

I didn't know Oyster chowder was off the menu. I do recall in the late 80's and 90's? everyone lamenting about the disappearance of oysters. But even if expensive they should still offer them.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x89c2f2799efe8257%3A0xde5c881eb859c489!15sCgIYIQ&viewerState=lb&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi5jLCX5pL8AhUPMVkFHVSWBlIQzeMEegQIChAA

 

[bobpbx]

Here's an old menu. Maybe it was oyster stew he got, but it was definitly in a big bowl, and white-creamy.

Allen's Clam Bar

Allen's Clam Bar on Untappd

untappd.com

 

[Pinesbucks]

Yes Bob it was oyster stew. A friend of mine would go there just for that. Last few times I was in there it was not on the menu at all. In the 90s and early 2000s that place was the best hands down. Used to have the big oyster crackers on the table that's no more. Their horseradish and cocktail sauce used to be amazing now it's like watered down.

 

[ecampbell]

I can't find Trenton Oyster Crackers anymore. They were the best, hard as rocks.

 

[RednekF350]

I can't find Trenton Oyster Crackers anymore. They were the best, hard as rocks.

They were the best Ed. My father loved them and we always had OTC's in the house. We ate them plain as a snack and put them in my mother's or my grandmother's homemade oyster stews and clam chowders.
Apparently the originals have been gone for awhile but were picked by another company, Panorama Foods. I found this explanation on an Amazon review. It is not clear if Panorama is still involved. Westminster makes a small crispy type but nothing will ever beat a rock-hard OTC in the black and yellow bag.

Amazon.com

 

[ecampbell]

They were the best Ed. My father loved them and we always had OTC's in the house. We ate them plain as a snack and put them in my mother's or my grandmother's homemade oyster stews and clam chowders.
Apparently the originals have been gone for awhile but were picked by another company, Panorama Foods. I found this explanation on an Amazon review. It is not clear if Panorama is still involved. Westminster makes a small crispy type but nothing will ever beat a rock-hard OTC in the black and yellow bag.

Amazon.com

My father introduced me to them, he gave me so much and I never realized it at the time. He keeps on giving. He died in 1978. 

 

[noboat]

I can't find Trenton Oyster Crackers anymore. They were the best, hard as rocks.

I think Crabby's in mayslanding has them

 

[enormiss]

Homemade soup for dinner and my 20yo son asks what happened to oyster crackers
Allen's was probably the only place he had oyster "rocks"

 

[ecampbell]

I tried Westminister crackers from Amazon. Good, small, not hard and get soggy quickly. The box has 150 small bags.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025L1TZC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

[bobpbx]

I can't find Trenton Oyster Crackers anymore. They were the best, hard as rocks.

Do any of you have "Down Jersey" by Cornelius Weygandt? Written in 1940, I have a first edition. It is a wonderful book because Weygandt was a teacher of literature, English, and poetry. He has a unique way with writing that draws you in.

Anyway, I was looking something up last night in said book and I noticed he has a 4 page chapter titled "Trenton Oyster Crackers". It goes into the history (the Exton family in Trenton; at the time of his writing, they were making 4 tons per day).

Did you guys that like them hard realize they were stale? From the chapter:

"They crumble easily when fresh, but they can become almost as indestructible as hard tack if they are allowed to go stale. In this latter state only nutcracking teeth can dispose of them. Hard as they seem to the touch when they are fresh, you can easily crush them between thumb and forefinger. Not so fresh you find yourself bringing the thumb and forefinger of your other hand to their crushing. Kept still longer it will take all your strength to smash them up for the stew."

Okay, okay, I'll accept that you liked them better hard (as the girl said, it's got to be hard to be good). But did you really know they were simply stale?

 

[ecampbell]

I like my spiced wafers stale also.

 

[stiltzkin]

Do any of you have "Down Jersey" by Cornelius Weygandt? Written in 1940, I have a first edition. It is a wonderful book because Weygandt was a teacher of literature, English, and poetry. He has a unique way with writing that draws you in.

Yes, I am also fortunate enough to own a first edition now - Doug from the Old Bookshop of Bordentown was the hookup for that - a wonderful guy to talk to. For now it is still on my to-read list. I've really been expanding the Jersey bookshelf quite a bit over the past year.