Let’s try an experiment, shall we?. Bet you can’t say the following without cracking a smile:
The WooHoo.
Knew it.
Known for being a Long Beach Island destination for homemade ice cream in flavors common and not so common since it opened in 2016, The WooHoo also offers a casual menu of burgers, hot dogs and other sandwiches that are available soon after the calendar turns to May.
There’s a sign hanging in the front that states the only thing that’s frozen is the ice cream. The food selections are not expansive, but what is available is prepared fresh every day. The only exception is the hot dogs, which actually at one time were made in-house but costs eventually outweighed the benefits. The food preparation and ice cream-making is quite the family affair, with Shaun Kilroy handling the kitchen while his wife, Megan, is in charge of making the ice cream and any baking. Shaun’s mother Donna also pitches in with prep work in the kitchen.
Now, when you’re eating by the seaside you want big flavors with flashy names, right? Tucking into a double-pattied burger called the Woo Hottie, the attempt is to blow out your speakers with chopped jalapenos, Sriracha mayonnaise and ghost pepper Cheddar cheese. And, yes, there was quite a kick, yet the quality of the homemade patties stood up, refused to be part of some parlor trick and created a surprising balance. Other burger items included the Triple “B” (bacon and barbecue sauce) as well as the Crabzilla burger, a burger and a crab cake topped with bacon and Gorgonzola.
The Woo Hottie burger
But sometimes, it’s the simplest sounding items on the menu that can provide the most genuine joy. At The WooHoo, it’s the hand-cut fries. Perfectly seasoned with just a little crunch, they were gobbled up before we realized that a picture hadn’t yet been taken (a 21st-century faux pas, no doubt). We were pretty sure—no, convinced—that the fries were cooked in lard. Nope, just canola oil and salt was the reply we got. Upon further questioning, it was revealed they have their own method of preparing the fries, which was not divulged. The sweet potato fries were also sampled and enjoyed.
Sweet potato fries
There was some disappointment with the crab cake sandwich. While filled little else except meat, the crab-y patty was soft and needed a crust to really be something special.
Service is friendly and quite casual at The WooHoo. Even if you are eating at one of the outdoor tables (all the dining is outdoor), your entire order is brought out to you in a paper bag. Some of you might not appreciate your food being served in this manner, but others may get a kick out of the lack of pretense.
After all, the place is named The WooHoo, and you can’t help but smile.
The WooHoo, 211 South Bay Avenue in Beach Haven. 609-492-5433; thewoohoo.com. Currently open Friday through Sunday. Food menu is available from May through October. Ice cream is available from Easter to December.