The Ultimate Guide to Regional Beach Food in America

Things are always a little better along the edges — pizza crusts, burnt ends, brownies. Or take beaches, Earth’s sun-drenched fringes, where we head each summer to indulge in the most underrated category of salty, golden, and crispy comfort cuisine that America has to offer: beach food.

While most every beach shack and boardwalk sells something from the deep fryer, regional variations abound. Water-view menus take their cues from what’s around them — both below the waves in the form of fresh, local seafood (conch in the Florida keys, razor clams in the Pacific Northwest), but also what’s nearby (Baja-inspired fish tacos in San Diego, Cajun-spiced crabs near the Texas Gulf’s Louisiana border). Not everything listed here is meant for eating right on the dunes, but locals can and do stroll up with sandy toes for a bite of fried alligator, a steamed crab, a bowl of chowder, a frozen custard.

Here, then, is a guide to the country’s vital salt-sprayed foodstuffs, a varied bunch that are as integral to their local shores as the tide itself.

Best summer food in New England

Summer in New England is the reward for surviving a winter full of blizzards and other bombogenesis weather events. The region boasts long coastlines with a variety of beaches, from rustic and rocky to sandy and spectacular, and New Englanders have earned every day spent on them. The special foods found in the Northeast are the cherry on top of those glorious days. Here are the best of them.

Lobster rolls

Lobster rolls should always be purchased in view of the water, preferably at a working wharf close to the beach — bonus points if you can spot the boat that hauled in the lobsters. There’s no shortage of classic lobster rolls, the iconic kind with plenty of freshly picked meat, a buttered and toasted split-top bun, and just a swipe of Hellmann’s. Five Islands Lobster Co., an hour’s drive from Popham Beach in Maine, gets kudos for its breathtaking setting, and Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar, by the Cape Cod National Seashore Park, is worthy of mention for its jumbo roll. Connecticut-style rolls swap the mayo for a drizzle of melted butter, and Abbott’s Lobster, in Noank, Connecticut, makes an excellent one.

Fried clams

Low tide is the time for clam digging on New England beaches, but you don’t have to work that hard. The region is loaded with places to enjoy the local bivalves, hot from the fryer. At the top of everyone’s list is the Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts, just 15 minutes from Crane Beach and housed in a building shaped like a pint of clams. A little further north, Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine, offers two styles of fried clams with house-made tartar sauce, and proximity to several beloved local beaches. To the south, Sea Swirl in Mystic, Connecticut, is the place to go.

Clam cakes and fritters

Mostly a southern New England specialty, clam cakes and fritters are for those who prefer more batter and less clam, which is not a bad thing. Made with light batter and finely chopped clams, both delicacies are deep-fried until golden and puffed. Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock in New London, Connecticut, has built a fine reputation for fritters, while in Rhode Island, Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House is the spot for clam cakes. It has two locations, both nearby some of the state’s finest beaches.

Crinkle-cut pier fries

Want fries with that lobster roll? Of course you do. They’re hot and salty — just like you after a day at the beach. For more than 60 years, Original Pier French Fries in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, has had a cult following addicted to this crinkle-cut perfection. Get a large box to share and head to the beach across the street. You can always go back for more — and maybe an order of the poutine.

Onion rings

The slightly more sophisticated sister to French fries, great onion rings are indeed beach fare across New England. Freshly cut slices that are lightly crumb-coated with lots of salt are the best kind — and the best friend to a lobster, clam, or burger. Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar on Cape Cod (also a lobster-roll favorite) does them right, as does Kream ’n Kone in West Dennis on Cape Cod, a summer tradition for vacationing families. With even more crunch per mouthful, thinly sliced onion strings are an addictive variation. Find them at the Maine Diner in Wells, up the road from Ogunquit Beach. — Karen Watterson

Best mid-Atlantic beach foods

Beaches in the Mid-Atlantic — a large swath that encompasses the coastlines of Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York — are more than just perches for sunbathing or watching the surf. You can do that here, too, but what makes this region distinct from all others is its storied boardwalk culture. Walking down one of these bustling elevated walkways is an essential part of any beach day, with views of the water as well as carnival rides, souvenir shops, people watching, and, of course, food.

Rippers

New Jerseyans know what it means to want “some rippers” on your way to or from the beach. A ripper is a hot dog that has been fried until it bursts, creating a “ripped” exterior and giving the casing a bit more chew than snap. Rutt’s Hut is the originator; it opened in 1928 in Clifton, New Jersey. Windmill hot dogs near Asbury Park is your classic hot dog and hamburger stand that makes its own pork and beef blend for its hot dogs.

Boardwalk fries

Thick cut and heavily salted, or seasoned with Old Bay and malt vinegar, these hardy fries are the ideal snack for strolling the boardwalk, and very different from the crinkle-cut version found up and down New England. Thrasher’s French Fries in Ocean City, Maryland, has served paper cups of fat fries with plenty of salt and vinegar since 1929; Curley’s Fries in Wildwood, New Jersey, has been selling big buckets of its crinkle cuts, hot and perfectly seasoned, since 1974.

Steamed blue crabs

No summer gathering in Maryland is complete without a picnic table covered in newspaper, lots of Natty Bohs, and a pile of steamed blue crabs. Around here, blue crab season lasts from April to November, and the summer months are peak time for eating them steamed with beer and a coating of Old Bay. Kentmorr Restaurant & Crab House in Stevensville, Maryland, is a bit off the beaten path, but has great views of the water. Jake’s Crab House on Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in New Jersey also serves blue crabs and overlooks Point Pleasant Beach.

Frozen custard

Throughout the East Coast, summertime signals the start of frozen custard season. Ice cream’s richer, more lucious cousin can be found at a number of chains throughout the region, but Wolfies in Northport, Long Island, specializes in gourmet frozen custard that comes in flavors like German chocolate cake, kiwi, pumpkin pie, and mango, and Kohr’s is a Jersey Shore legend. Open seasonally, Rita’s is as famous for its classic custard flavors, like chocolate, coffee, and orange cream, as it is its water ice.

Saltwater taffy

One of Atlantic City’s most famous inventions (and biggest misnomers), chewy saltwater taffy can be found at boardwalk shops all over the Mid-Atlantic — and nationwide. Legend has it that a severe storm hit Atlantic City in the 1880s and soaked a candy store. In the aftermath, the owner joked to customers that the store’s taffy was now “saltwater taffy,” and the name stuck. Today, Shriver’s in Ocean City and James Candy Company in Atlantic City are some of the region’s most popular taffy pullers — no actual saltwater involved. — Korsha Wilson

Best summer shore food in the Midwest

Beaches in the Upper Midwest are different from those in California and Florida. Substitute crashing waves for the gentle lapping of the lakeshore. Instead of a white sandy expanse with palm trees swaying, it’s a few hundred square feet of pebbly real estate backing into freshwater. Given the dreadful winters, Midwesterners take what they can get with their precious four months of above-average warmth — and they’ll do so with hard beverage in hand and the bounties of the region, battered and fried.

Fried smelt

Long a popular ice-fishing catch (as well as bait for sportfishing), freshwater smelts are two-bite vehicles for tartar sauce and a squeeze of lemon, and remain a popular choice at American Legion fish frys. After having their heads and tails lopped off, the smelts are dusted with flour or dipped in a light batter, then quickly deep-fried — the crisp coating is so light the iridescent silver skin still peeks through the lacy batter. One might argue fried smelts are the Buffalo wings of the Upper Midwest: served hot and crispy in baskets, boffo with cold beer, and ideal for mindless one-handed eating in large quantities. Any restaurant within a rock’s throw of a Great Lake will likely feature smelts on the menu — the Leland Lodge in Michigan’s stunning Leelanau Peninsula is as good as any.

Cheese curds

Where there’s a lake in Wisconsin (and there are 15,000 of ’em), somewhere nearby is a tavern, and you’ll almost certainly find fried cheese curds there. The idea of deep-fried cheese sounds heavy and indulgent, but an expertly fried curd is surprisingly light. The carbonation in the beer batter gives it an airy, smooth, golden shell, gently cocooning the squeaky curd nestled inside. Ranch or marinara are the ideal dipping sauces here, though pro-level cheese curd epicures will chase it down with a healthy swig of bloody mary. Dexter’s Pub in Madison is well known for its fish fry, but its white cheddar curds have also gained a loyal following.

Frog legs

Like the aforementioned smelts and curds, frog legs are another excuse for Midwesterners to use the fry-a-lator. Though they have fallen out of vogue, fried frog legs can still be found in shrimp houses and restaurants along the waterways snaking southeast Chicago and northwest Indiana. That the protein is frog isn’t as relevant as its role as a showcase of the cook’s seasoning choice and frying abilities. There’s not much finesse to cooking these: Frog legs are treated as drumettes, floured and fried, then slurped off the bone with gusto. Yes, it tastes like chicken. Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp, along the south branch of the Chicago River a few miles south of downtown Chicago, will fry you a paper bag of crispy frog legs with no muss or fuss.

Cherry pie

The fictitious town of Twin Peaks, Washington, isn’t the capital of cherry pies; that would be the very real region of Western Michigan and the picturesque lake towns around Traverse City. Cherry season here peaks in July and early August, and the most beloved — and American — of applications is cooking down the cherries with sugar, pouring them into a buttery pie crust, and baking the result. There may not be a finer representation than Grand Traverse Pie Company’s cherry crumb — so beloved, it’s the signature pie of the National Cherry Festival. Our suggestion: Pack a slice, bring two forks, and walk along Grand Traverse Bay around 9 p.m. (the sun sets late in this part of the country). It is the official sanctioned dish of summer lakeside sunsets. — Kevin Pang

Best summer coast food in the South

No matter how you define the South, the region boasts thousands of miles of varied shoreline, and each stretch has its own unique look, cuisine, and culture. From the Alabama gulf to the islands off of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and down to Florida, beachgoers can watch wild horses, go crabbing in the marsh, or kayak with dolphins — all while crunching on cornmeal-crusted oysters and fried alligator. Whether your personal coast vibe is revving jet skis or flopping on the sand, these specifically Southern favorites will keep you sated.

Fried alligator

You can spot fried alligator on menus from the bayou to Biscayne Bay, but DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen is the spot for breaded and fried tail meat. Tender and juicy, the alligator bites are served with a remoulade for dipping. Visitors can rest easy — alligators aren’t partial to salt water, and in terms of taste, the meat flavor is mild and accessible, and holds true to the cliche: “tastes like chicken.” At DeSotos, order a basket while watching waves from the Alabama gulf roll in.

Stone crabs

Stone crabs born in Southern U.S. waters are flown across the country, but we recommend cracking into their black-tipped claws much closer to the source. The season runs from mid-October to mid-May — coincidentally, the ideal, less-crowded time to experience Key West, where the crew at Half Shell Raw Bar can hook you up with a fresh catch, steamed then served on an icy platter with a side of drawn butter.

Conch fritters

Conch (pronounced konk) is central to Bahamian culture, so it’s no surprise that the mild-flavored sea snail is a beloved treat in South Florida, too. Find this versatile white meat in Caribbean restaurants, where the mollusk holds its own in ceviche, fritters, and patties, or tossed in pasta or salads. The Miami area is full of menus with conch, but indie chain Conch Heaven claims a loyal following. Go for its hot, puffy fritters, best enjoyed splashed with vinegary hot sauce.

Oysters, raw and Southern-fried

It’s too bad that meaty Apalachicola Bay oysters don’t exist in the quantities they used to (overfishing, access to water regional resources, and the BP oil spill are just some of the reasons the beds have dried up). Still, the Florida gulf remains a welcoming place to slurp half shells, if now from other regions. Sea Salt St. Pete offers a dozen daily varieties, including baked options like its Rockefeller, with crab meat, spinach doused in Pernod cream, and Parmesan. Hog Island Fish Camp in Dunedin serves a raw gulf selection and a Southern-fried version dredged in cornmeal. Further north in Savannah, Georgia, snag a bar seat at the Grey, where you’ll find raw local gems like Harris Necks. — Osayi Endolyn

Best beach food at the Gulf Coast

Beach cuisine along the Gulf Coast makes rightful use of what’s around it — from the water’s abundant resources, like plump Gulf oysters and shrimp, to the flavors of its neighbors, Mexico and New Orleans. The result? A seafood-driven snack culture with wafts of the South and Southwest drifting through like an ocean breeze.

Campechana

A tangy seafood cocktail originating from the Mexico’s coastal state of Campeche, campechana is the perfect complement to the sweltering summer beach weather along the Gulf Coast. Popularized in the mid-’80s when Jim Goode debuted his own version of the dish at Goode Company Seafood in Houston, campechana now features on menus from BLVD Seafood in Galveston to Cap‘n Roy’s on South Padre Island. Made of cooked gulf shrimp and locally caught lump blue crab steeped in a mixture of pico de gallo, clamato juice, and tomato salsa, the dish is typically served in a tall soda-fountain glass, topped with avocado, and accompanied by tortilla chips, obviously.

Ceviche

Ceviche requires seafood that’s superfresh — not a problem around the Gulf, where Mexico’s simple style of ceviche (as opposed to Peru’s or Colombia’s fancier versions) is a local beach-day favorite. Diced white fish, or sometimes shrimp or octopus, combines with diced tomatoes, diced white or red onions, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro, and gets quick-cured with a mix of lime juice, salt, and pepper. This all happens right in front of you at fast-casual Ceviche Ceviche on South Padre Island. More elaborate versions might include the addition of fresh fruit like mango, peach, or pineapple (Galveston’s Cajun Greek spruces its up with diced mango and tropical-fruit salsa), but it pretty much always comes with tortilla chips, and, ideally, a michelada.

Fish tacos

While the most famous fish tacos come from the Baja peninsula, the West Coast doesn’t have a monopoly on seafood-stuffed tortillas. They also get top billing on just about every Gulf Coast menu. Here, lumps of locally caught fishm like cobia, drum, or grouper, are often grilled or blackened (though you also find them battered and fried) and topped with everything from cream slaw to pickled red onion escabeche to pico de gallo. The swim-up bar version at Galveston’s San Luis Resort comes with pineapple poblano salsa, while the hungry-man’s version at Dirty Al’s on South Padre Island features an entire blackened fish fillet.

Chargrilled oysters

Oysters grow like weeds in the Gulf — one reason why many happy hour menus shuck and sling them for 50 cents a pop. But the Gulf oyster’s plump, fleshy constitution and mild salinity also make it an ideal vehicle for grilling. Variations can be found up and down the Gulf Coast, but the best and most iconic interpretation of this is found at a little shack called Gilhooley’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar in the coastal Texas town of San Leon, where the oysters are topped with with Parmesan, garlic butter, and Worcestershire sauce, then grilled over a wood fire. The result is silky and smoky and buttery and cheesy all at once.

Barbecue crabs

Invented in the 1940s at a place called Granger’s in the Southeastern Texas town of Sabine Pass along the Gulf Coast, “barbecue crab” is actually a misnomer — there’s no actual barbecuing involved. Instead, fresh blue crabs with their apron and carapace removed are dredged in a Cajun-like spice mix, deep fried, then served, piping hot, on platters piled high with as many as six or seven crustaceans. This hot, juicy mess is not as easy to find as it was in the ’40s and ’50s, but you can still dig into a heap of crabs at Sartin’s Seafood in Nederland and Floyds in Beaumont. Benno’s on the Beach in Galveston has a version too, but it opted to forgo the barbecue moniker. Here, they go by Cajun Crab. — Mai Pham

Best coast food on the West Coast

From the wide-open expanses of white sand in Southern California to the craggy cliff-lined coves of the north, the West Coast — or its public image, anyway — is largely defined by its beaches, where the weather allows for oceanfront picnics and bonfires year-round. And, as you’ll see here, the inspiration for its foods includes Hawai‘i, Mexico, and its own homegrown surf culture.

Corn dogs

Though the true origin of the corn dog was most likely at a Texas state fair around 1940, Angeleno Dave Barham is responsible for introducing the West Coast to the joy of cornbread-wrapped tubesteaks about six years later. Known for its colorful striped uniforms complete with fez-style hat, his now-iconic Hot Dog on a Stick is a franchised operation that runs all over the state. For a taste of the original, order the Nathan’s Famous all-beef option at the chain’s first location on Muscle Beach in Santa Monica. People also swear by the spicy Cajun corn dogs, dunked in a secret batter recipe at Surf City Grill on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Acai bowls

By and large, Californians have never been known to shun a health trend, and the Amazonian acai berry is rumored to be one of the most nutritious fruits on the planet. Originally from Brazil, acai bowls are built from a base of pureed, frozen acai berries that are then topped with all manner of supposed vitality boosters, from chia granola to bee pollen. Beachgoers can cool off with a bowl to go served in a huge plastic or paper cup, and dig in with toes deep in the sand. The version from Banzai Bowls in Orange County is a true-to-form classic bowl, while the rendition with raw acai at Judahlicious near Ocean Beach in San Francisco is pure hippie satisfaction.

Fish tacos

Typically made with battered and fried white fish (usually tilapia), shaved green cabbage, a thin mayo-like cream sauce, salsa, and a corn tortilla jacket, the traditional West Coast fish taco allegedly crept north from the Baja beach town of Ensenada. Today, one of the best stateside renditions can be found at Oscars Mexican Seafood in San Diego, where it comes piled high with fresh cilantro, tomato, and — unless you’re a purist — avocado.

Breakfast burritos

This spectacular beach-ready handheld creation encapsulates morning diner standards such as eggs, cheese, potatoes, sausage, and more in a flour tortilla — a manhole-sized wrapper which, ideally, becomes one with its warm, gooey fillings. The Point Market & Cafe, just steps from Santa Cruz’s Pleasure Point, has more than 16 varieties of breakfast burrito stuffed with everything from artichokes to soy chorizo. Meanwhile, Lily’s offers a dawn patrol surfer staple in Malibu, served with a side of its housemade salsa verde.

Bread bowls

Clam chowder is in no way a West Coast creation, yet you’ll still see it spilling over the brim of hollowed-out sourdough rolls in beach towns from San Diego to Monterey. The bread bowl, popularized by San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery on Fisherman’s Wharf, is as delicious as it is practical (so, very), but also tends to be the stuff of tourist traps. The version at Jalama Beach Store & Grill, right next to a campsite on Jalama Beach Park in the central coast city of Lompoc, is out to fool no one: the bowl is toasted for extra crunch before it’s filled with a New England-style clam chowder that took home the people’s choice award at Santa Barbara’s most recent Chowder Fest. — Carolyn Alburger

Best coast food in the Pacific Northwest

On the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, temperatures are too cold (both in the water and out), the winds are too strong, and the waters too rough for the kind of beach activities typical in more southern latitudes. Oregon and Washington beaches are for combing, kite-flying, kayaking, hiking, and surfing (wetsuit mandatory). Signature beach foods here are less about what you take to the beach, and more about what you can harvest while you’re there — from buttery razor clams buried in the sand to meaty Dungeness crabs scuttling along the ocean floor.

Razor clams

Winters on the Pacific Northwest coast are typically cold, rainy, and gray, but even then it’s not uncommon to find the beaches of southern Washington and northern Oregon packed like it was the Fourth of July. The crowds come to dig for razor clams, a generations-old ritual for families in the area. No place gets more into the clamming spirit than Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, which ends each season with a razor clam festival. The clams — which are commonly fried, sauteed, or used as the feature ingredient in chowders and fritters — make it onto seasonal menus of the peninsula’s surprisingly varied and ambitious restaurants, including Pickled Fish and the Depot Restaurant.

Salmon

There’s no Pacific Northwest creature more iconic than the salmon, which has been a dietary staple for the region’s bears, eagles, orcas, and beachgoers for more than a millennium. For an easy picnic, you can’t do much better than a hunk of tender smoked salmon — the kind you find at Pure Food Fish in Seattle’s Pike Place Market — perched on a cracker. For a source closer to the ocean, seek out the Take Home Fish Company, a one-man operation in Washington’s Neah Bay with the singular mission of smoking local salmon. From there, it’s a short hop to gorgeous Cape Flattery, the scenic, northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States, where you get some of the best picnic-table views on the Pacific coast. If you’re feeling more adventurous, take a salmon-fueled hike out to Shi Shi Beach, famous for its sea stacks — monolithic rock formations that line the shore.

Steamed and cleaned Dungeness crab

Dungeness crabs get their name from Dungeness Spit, a 6.8-mile sand strip jutting out along the Strait of Juan de Fuca in northern Washington, and are so important to the region’s aquaculture that they’ve been designated Oregon’s official state crustacean. Their season starts in mid-November through early December — which explains why they’re a local tradition at Christmas dinners — and continues through summer. You can catch your own (for a novel adventure, check out Portland-based Kayak Fishing Oregon), or head to Local Ocean in Newport on the Oregon coast, which doubles as fishmarket and top-flight waterfront restaurant serving crabcakes and crab po’ boys. Most fishmongers sell crabs cleaned, steamed, and ready to eat, making them a convenient beach food. Just bring your crackers.

Raw, local oysters

Aficionados like to speak of “merroir” — the underwater equivalent of terroir, which gives a distinctive character to oysters harvested throughout the Pacific Northwest. The bays and inlets of the Puget Sound and the coast make Washington particularly oyster-rich; the native variety, Olympia, is now outnumbered by Asian transplants, including the sweet, creamy Kumamoto. Taylor Shellfish Farms, the largest shellfish producer in North America, harvests from 20 sites, enabling it to offer a wide variety of flavors. It has a retail shop at its location along Chuckanut Drive between Seattle and Bellingham where you can slurp bivalves while gazing across the water to the San Juan Islands. For a more down-home experience, come ready to shuck your own at Nevør Shellfish Farm, which has picnic tables overlooking its oyster beds along Netarts Bay on the central Oregon coast. A half hour’s drive north, at Source Oyster and Wine Bar in Garibaldi on Tillamook Bay, you can get oysters grilled as well as raw. — Matthew Lombardi

Best beach food in Hawaii

Beach-eating happens in Hawai‘i almost by default. From sunset pa’u hana (after-work) picnics to post-surf snacks to weekend barbecues where family and friends crowd under pop-up shade tents, there are plenty of ways to chow down at the Hawaiian coast. Here are the essentials.

Poke

Poke — the cubed, raw fish salad — was born here, and even with its growing popularity outside of Hawai‘i, nowhere else is it so ingrained in the culture. It’s sold by the pound in supermarkets and eaten everywhere from the couch to the beach. Pick up some of the spicy lunatic or Hawaiian-style poke at Ahi Assassins Fish Co. in Honolulu or choose from about a dozen varieties at Suisan Fish Market, which sits right on the water at Hilo Bay.

Shave ice

Almost every place in the world with sweltering days has learned to lessen the heat with shave ice. A proper one in Hawai‘i is characterized by an extremely fine texture, almost velvety on the tongue, and a rainbow of colors and bright flavors. It’s a simple affair, often just the ice and syrup, and maybe a snowcap (drizzle of condensed milk) or smattering of mochi balls. Cool off after the beach at Waiola Shave Ice, an old-school favorite in Honolulu, Oahu, or the Local in the beachtown of Kailua, Oahu, featuring all-natural syrups made from local fruits.

Spam musubi

Spam musubi makes converts out of even the staunchest Spam haters. It’s essentially a fist-sized nigiri sushi topped with a slice of Spam and belted with nori. The secret is cooking the Spam until the outside caramelizes and then adding a swipe of sweetened soy sauce or a sprinkle of furikake for extra umami. Get it made to order at Waikiki’s Musubi Cafe Iyasume at the Aqua Pacific Monarch hotel, but even the Spam musubi at 7-Elevens across the islands is perfectly acceptable.

Teri chicken

On weekends, Hawai‘i beaches are filled with the smell of teriyaki sauce as people break out the grills and throw on teri chicken thighs (always thighs, never breasts), marinated in their own special sauce or just defrosted from a May’s Hawaii box. Those who would rather others do the cooking pick up a teri chicken plate lunch from the iconic Hawaiian diner chain Zippy’s (with locations on Oahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island), complete with two scoops of rice and mac salad, carb-heavy enough to fuel the most avid watermen and -women. — Martha Cheng

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Fact-checked by Pearly Huang.