Where To Stay At The Jersey Shore

With 22 hotel rooms and a 300-seat restaurant, Daddy O is one of Long Beach Island’s most chic, luxurious spots. And it’s tons of fun. Serving lunch, brunch and a rollicking happy hour, Daddy O is back at full steam after two COVID summers. “Over the winter, we did a refresh by adding new wallpaper, new furniture and new updates in the hotel,” says Pete Palladino, director of restaurant and hotel operations for Fearless Restaurants, which owns Daddy O. “We are ready for a great summer.”

What To Drink: “What do I want to drink on a summer vacation? Pretty much this,” says Michele Gargiulo, beverage manager for Daddy O and Fearless Restaurants. “We have more rums at Daddy O than other locations. We also have bourbon cocktails with fruit purée and sparkling wine that gives them a lightness. And, we have cool, refreshing wines.  Cold glasses of rosé or white wine are great on summer evenings.”

Beer Here: “We are trying to be East Coast-centric and the beer menu is reflective of that,” Gargiulo says. “At Daddy O, we’re trying to do local NJ beers like Cape May Brewing and Ship Bottom.”

Weekend Brunch Spot: Breakfast egg rolls, homemade sausage with sausage gravy, French toasts, churro waffles dusted in Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and dulce de leche with whipped cream are just a few of the highlights on Daddy O’s new brunch menu. Served on Saturdays and Sundays, the brunch menu displays the culinary creativity of Jeff Alberti, Daddy O’s executive chef. “It’s hard to choose one highlight of the brunch menu because I love them all,” he says.

Jersey Shore Seafood: Describing the cuisine as having a Hawaiian bent with a nod to surf culture, Alberti pointed to sushi and other seafood entrées as crowd favorites. “A lot of the fish is from right around the Jersey shore, which makes it super fresh and extra delicious,” Alberti says. “Tuna, mahi, clams, oysters and scallops are from this area. The golden tile fish is  from Barnegat Light. Sometimes they come in still twitching.”

If You Go: Reservations are a must. The hotel’s 22 rooms book fast, as does the restaurant. “We are a multigenerational place where large groups can gather,” Alberti says. “There’s a lot of pent up demand for that. We are ready to enjoy the summer and create new memories.”

Daddy O, 4401 Long Branch Blvd., Brant Beach, NJ. (609) 494-1300

Editorial Note: Main Line Tonight’s editorial staff stayed and dined at Daddy O courtesy of Fearless Restaurants.

Looking for other local staycations? Check out the Inn at Grace Winery, 15 Things To Do In Peddler’s Village and Six Things We Love In Haverford.

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