Sweetwater Casino on Fire!

[RednekF350]

Just heard on Action News a few minutes ago (6:05 a.m.) that the Sweetwater Casino is on fire.
They just showed an aerial view and it looks pretty bad.
I hope they save Gabe's piano!!

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I was wondering why the water plane has been circling for the last hour or so. Looks like I'm out of the job.:cry: R.I.P. Sweetwater Casino.

 

[this_is_nascar]

From what they just showed on Channel-6, it's totally gone, burnt to the ground.

 

[MuckSavage]

Fox News said the same at 07:30......looks like a total loss! Very very sad. How my gonna get my horseradish cheese fix? That sounds selfish....sorry! A beautiful place in a wonderful setting. I hope the rebuild & continue to prosper, however, it won't be the same.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I just got a phone call from Guy about this.

Terrible news!

 

[this_is_nascar]

Do they have a cause yet? I wonder if it was accidental or some p*ssed-off customer.

 

[long-a-coming]

Just saw a report on NBC. Cause of the fire unknown right now. They showed the building completely engulfed and before they said it was the Sweetwater I got this sick feeling. This is horrible!

 

[Jerseyman]

This is a very sad day for all of us who celebrated a birthday, an anniversary, or other occasion at the casino down through the years. My memories take me back to dining on some fine seafood or Prime Rib numerous times as I watched the Mullica River flow by the window. The “Lines in the Pines” booksigning event will never be the same, but I am sure Linda will find another venue and we will make the best of it with a certain level of sorrow.

Requiescit in pace, Sweetwater Casino. You will be missed!

With a heavy heart,
Jerseyman

 

[RednekF350]

This is a very sad day for all of us who celebrated a birthday, an anniversary, or other occasion at the casino down through the years. My memories take me back to dining on some fine seafood or Prime Rib numerous times as I watched the Mullica River flow by the window.

Requiescit in pace, Sweetwater Casino. You will be missed!

With a heavy heart,
Jerseyman

The herpers would have loved the place too.
It one of the few places that used to have frog legs on the menu.
They used to toss them on the seafood combo platters years ago. Not sure if they still did.
If ever anything tasted like chicken, it is frog legs.
It is a shame to see the place go.
Hopefully somebody will rebuild it sooner rather than later.
If it sits too long, they will lose the ability to rebuild without having to respect current rules for buffering to the river, nitrate dilution for the septic and all the other regulatory nightmares that NJ promulgates so well.

 

[jmaul]

AC Press Story

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/194588.html

Sad indeed. The story mentions a possibility of a lightning strike. Tough to tell right now.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

The story mentions a possibility of a lightning strike.

That was my first guess. there was a wicked storm brewing early in the morning. I'm going for a paddle now to snap some shots of the site.

 

[woodjin]

Just caught all of this on the 10'0clock news (I get home late). Such a shame.

 

[Jerseyman]

The herpers would have loved the place too.
It one of the few places that used to have frog legs on the menu.
They used to toss them on the seafood combo platters years ago. Not sure if they still did. If ever anything tasted like chicken, it is frog legs.

Scott:

Right you are! Sweetwater Casino was the very first place I ever consumed frogs leg and you are correct—they do, indeed, taste like chicken.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[GermanG]

Count me in as well as someone having their first taste of frog legs there. As a hunter, who constantly is asked to describe what the game I shoot tastes like, I really hate to use the overused "tastes like chicken" description, but it really is true in this case!

Both my wife and I were especially bummed out by the loss of Sweetwater. We've eaten there many times but have wanted to go by boat ever since we got our boat a few years ago. Too late now. In the short 24 years that I've lived in Ocean County, it seems I've seen so many historic landmarks go. The Forked River House, Clayton's Log Cabin, The New Gretna House, and now Sweetwater Casino. And most of what is being built today is sterile, generic construction, totally lacking in any character.

 

[james ungehajer]

I have been going to Sweetwater since the late 70's, i will have to definitely say that it was a major influence on my love of the Pine Barrens, of course the Rev.Beck is what started me on my journeys.

My ex brother in law introduced me to the place with my first wife in 1977, the seafood dinners, the ambience and the area brought me back numerous times, the few places left that i go to are Allens in New Gretna, and the Oyster Creek Inn at Leeds Point.

Numerous times i have been to Leeds Point by boat which was right across the bay from my dock at Captain Mikes Marina on Great Bay Boulevard, i made the trip to Sweetwater by boat only twice from my marina, it was a scenic and historic one hour ride from my dock, you would go through the cut outs, nice short cuts, Collins Cove at the Parkway, Swan Bay, Log Bay, Oak Island, Lower Bank, Green Bank, Crowleys Landing, then finally arrive at the Casino.

In closing, the good ole days, the memories will never cease.

Jim

 

[maxwellandson]

It's very sad, My wife and I went on our first date there so many years ago.
We both feel a great loss in our lives now. If they rebuild it will still never be the same to us.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I wonder if the Pinelands Commission will let them rebuild.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I wonder if the Pinelands Commission will let them rebuild.

Can they legally prevent them?

 

[Ben Ruset]

Can they legally prevent them?

Sure. Why not?

I am sure that since the building pre-dated the PC, that they'd surely give any rebuilding project extra special scrutiny.

 

[BEHR655]

I wonder if the Pinelands Commission will let them rebuild.

Besides the restaurant and Gabe's Granny, is there any other reason to go to Sweetwater? LOL