Dropping Anchor at the Anchorage
Looking for legendary sandwiches and a mocktail with a bay view? Here's why The Anchorage in Somers Point is a must-stop!
During a South Jersey Summer, many of us locals are smart enough to stay away from the islands. There’s no parking anyway! But, every now and again we get out early and head to some legendary local hot spots. I have praised the local HERO Campaign on last week’s blog and all over social media. Their website, 2025herotini.org, allows patrons to make a donation to vote for the best mocktail in town. The Anchorage was listed and I had to test it out. This is going to be a Herotini summer!
We rocked on down to Anchorage in Somers Point. This bar and restaurant sits right across the street from the bay. The best part? They have a great large parking lot, so you don’t have to go crazy looking for parking. It wasn’t blistering hot so we opted to sit on the deck, and listen to the traffic below as jet skis and boats pulled into the nearby dock. This is what it’s all about.
A Bayfront Classic: History on the Anchorage
The Anchorage was built in 1874 as the Trenton Hotel that catered to seasonal visitors visiting Somers Point, making it the oldest continuously operated business in Somers Point. With a rich history throughout the 1900s, the Anchorage was advertised as a hotel for hunters and fishers in 1905, then hosted the first public mass on the bar of their ballroom in 1910, and then became known as a gambling tavern by prohibition rum runners, colonial smugglers, and revolutionary militia.
My family members were frequent fliers at the Anchorage in the ‘70s. Before Tony Marts and other Bay Ave hot spots, according to the Anchorage’s website, they “became famous for serving seven beers for a dollar and the “7 for 1” T-shirts are now collector’s items. My father wore his Anchorage shirts until they faded and fell apart.
The Anchorage has been serving good food and cold drinks for over a century, and it’s still busy every day.
The Mocktail
On the Hero Campaign site, the Anchorage is listed to have the “Red October” herotini. However, it wasn’t advertised or listed at the restaurant. I asked the waitress who spoke to the bartender and they were out of ingredients to make the mocktail. Boooooo. But! Thankfully, they did have mocktails on their menu– HURRAY! Plus, the bartender was more than happy to whip up anything I was in the mood for. I am sad the Anchorage didn’t commit to the cause this year, but I am excited to see them still offering mocktails. There were 2 options- an orange crush or a Grapefruit crush. While we were in Ocean City, Maryland, the orange crush was sold all over the place, but not many places advertised a mocktail version, so I never had an opportunity to try it. Today was the day!! We got one of each and my husband and I shared them. We both agree the orange crush was the most superior, but both were a refreshing beverage to enjoy while feeling that seashore breeze.
The Food
Time to eat! We started off the meal with some mozzarella sticks and artichoke cheesy crab dip. The mozz sticks are beer battered and deep fried, but the batter becomes so thin and crispy that it merely serves as a vehicle to bring these amazing ooey gooey melty cheesy sticks into your mouth. The marinara sauce has a tinge of sweetness, which is a wonderful addition to this savory cheese. The cheese has to be either homemade, because it’s some of the freshest I’ve ever had. I may even dream about this cheese later… The artichoke dip came out with sliced bread. Cue the Oprah commercial: I. Love. Bread. The bread slices were warm and thin, which was perfect for piling on the lumps of cheese covered artichoke and crab. Delicious!
If you are a local reader, you may have heard the whispers of the monstrosity that is called the Anchorage Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. These things are the size of a monster truck!! Ok, I’m exaggerating, but they are laughably large, and it’s no joke! The Kaiser roll that holds the massive fried and sauced chicken breast looks like the little hat Mr. Potato Head wears in Toy Story. It’s really good. Like really really good. How do you even approach this sandwich? You need to take your fork and knife and cut away at the chicken hanging off the bun. Once you’ve eaten all that chicken, you can attempt to take a big mouth bite, before ultimately surrendering and asking for a to-go box. Also!! They have the good fries. You know that ones I’m talking about, they’re like beer battered themselves. The crispy, crunchy, golden fries that have the perfect crunch and pillowy potato centers. The sandwich comes with a side of blue cheese or ranch, and we all know RANCH is the superior condiment! No I will not elaborate, okay I will, though the buttermilk ranch soothes the buffalo sting, the hints of dill on those fries send you into a flavor town orbit! What does blue cheese bring to the table? Bubbling over moldy cheese. No thank you. I know my household will disagree with me, but too bad! Weird moldy cheese lovers.
My mom had their roast beef sandwich with a side of au jus. It was the perfect roast beef sandwich. The meat was piled high and au jus packed in even more flavor. Another sandwich that is so filling it had to also go in a to-go box.
The Verdict
The Anchorage is another local spot that probably doesn’t need my glowing review. Over a century in business, they know what they’re doing. Their bar is always full, and the food is constantly flowing out of the kitchen. I am excited to see mocktails are on the menu even if they didn’t knowingly participate in the Hero Campaign Herotini Mocktail challenge this year. We still had a great time on the deck with the sun and breeze. The food hit the spot and the fresh juices on the Orange and Grapefruit Crush Mocktails turned this party from an ordinary meal to a summer deck party.
Final Sober Party Score: 9.5 out of 10!
Until Next Time,
The Sober Party Girl
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