Summer at the Jersey Shore isn’t complete without a paper cup of hot fries and a plate of powdered funnel cake. Every boardwalk town has its go-to stand, the one where the line stretches long even on a Tuesday night.
Some of these spots have been feeding beachgoers for decades, and locals swear by their orders. Here are nine boardwalk favorites across New Jersey where the fries and funnel cake keep people coming back all season long.
1. Curley’s Fries, Wildwood
Ask anyone who grew up spending summers in Wildwood where to get fries, and the answer comes back fast. Curley’s has been a fixture on the boardwalk for generations, and the crowds prove it.
The fries are cut fresh and served in buckets, which is exactly why families share them. You can load them up with salt and vinegar or grab ketchup on the side.
What sets Curley’s apart is the sheer size of the order. A bucket is meant to be passed around, and it usually is.
The stand sits right in the heart of the Wildwood boardwalk, making it an easy stop between rides and the beach.
2. Kohr Bros. and MidWay Steak House, Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights runs on boardwalk food, and the Casino Pier stretch is where you’ll find the busiest counters. MidWay Steak House is a long-running name here, known for its cheesesteaks and its fries.
People line up for the fries because they come piled high and hot, ready to eat while you walk. The location near the rides keeps foot traffic steady all summer.
Pair those fries with a funnel cake from one of the nearby stands and you’ve got the classic Seaside combination. The boardwalk here has bounced back and rebuilt over the years, and the food spots are a big part of what draws people back each season.
3. Manco and Manco Pizza and Boardwalk Stands, Ocean City
Ocean City bills itself as a family town, and its boardwalk food reflects that. While Manco and Manco Pizza gets most of the fame, the fry and funnel cake stands along the same stretch stay just as busy.
The funnel cakes here come out golden and dusted heavily with powdered sugar, the way boardwalk funnel cake is supposed to look. You can add toppings if you want, but plenty of people keep it simple.
Because Ocean City is a dry town, the focus stays entirely on the food and the beach. That makes the boardwalk snack stands the main event for many visitors, and the lines form early on warm evenings.
4. Boardwalk Fries and Sweet Treats, Point Pleasant Beach
Point Pleasant Beach keeps things classic along the Jenkinson’s boardwalk, where the snack stands sit close to the arcade and rides. Fries here are a natural grab after a walk down the sand.
Families tend to make a night of it, working their way from the games to the fry counter to a plate of funnel cake. The stands stay open late into the summer evenings.
I like this stretch because everything is close together, so nobody has to walk far for a treat. The mix of boardwalk food and the nearby aquarium makes it an easy place to spend a whole day with kids.
5. Sam’s Pizza and Boardwalk Fry Stands, Wildwood
Wildwood earns a second spot on this list for a simple reason: the boardwalk is enormous, and the food options never run out. Sam’s Pizza has anchored the boardwalk for decades, and the surrounding fry stands stay packed.
The wide boardwalk here means you can grab fries at one stand and funnel cake a block down without breaking stride. That variety is part of the appeal.
Wildwood’s boardwalk is one of the longest in the state, so the food scene has room to spread out. Whether you want a full meal or just a snack, the counters here keep the crowds moving.
6. Boardwalk Stands, Asbury Park
Asbury Park has reinvented itself over the years, blending its historic boardwalk with a newer food and music scene. The snack stands along the boardwalk still serve the classics people expect.
Fries and funnel cake share space here with a wider range of eats, which gives the boardwalk a slightly different feel from the Shore’s other towns. The setting near the historic pavilions adds to the appeal.
This is the kind of boardwalk I’d visit when I want the beach treats plus a little more to see. The mix of old architecture and new energy makes the walk itself worth the trip.
7. Boardwalk Fry Stands, Atlantic City
The Atlantic City boardwalk is one of the oldest and most famous in the country, and its food stands have fed visitors for well over a century. Fries and funnel cake remain some of the easiest grabs along the walk.
Because the boardwalk runs so long, you’ll find stands scattered from one end to the other. That makes it simple to snack while taking in the views of the ocean and the piers.
Atlantic City draws crowds year-round, and the boardwalk food is part of the reason people keep strolling. A cup of hot fries in hand is a fitting way to walk one of the country’s original boardwalks.
8. Boardwalk Stands, Cape May
Cape May trades a traditional boardwalk for its beachfront promenade, but the food follows the same rules. Fry and funnel cake stands line the walk near the beach and the town’s Victorian streets.
What makes Cape May different is the setting. You get the classic beach snacks with the backdrop of one of the oldest resort towns in the country.
I’d save this stop for a slower afternoon, when you want to pair a plate of funnel cake with a stroll through the historic district. The promenade keeps the treats close to the sand without the ride-and-arcade rush of other towns.
9. Boardwalk Stands, Belmar
Belmar keeps its boardwalk cleaner and simpler than some of the flashier Shore towns, and that appeals to a lot of families. The snack stands here stick to the essentials, fries and funnel cake included.
The boardwalk runs right along a wide, popular beach, so the food stands catch plenty of foot traffic all summer. Grabbing a treat after a day on the sand is second nature here.
Belmar rounds out this list as a reminder that you don’t need a giant amusement pier to serve great boardwalk food. Sometimes the beach, the walk, and a warm plate of funnel cake are all you need.
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