Quick Bite: Channel Marker Cafe

Channel Marker Café
Lavallette
3245 Route 35 South
732-793-7559

Open: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily

Price: $$ BYO

Style: This casual eatery, open year-round, is especially popular in warm weather, when guests can dine outside. The interior has no frills, but the waterfront window views compensate.

The Scoop: The café is dockside at Ocean Beach marina; both are owned by Lou Mercatanti. Many patrons arrive by boat when weather is favorable.

The Menu: Breakfast offers the standards, plus more fanciful choices such as the Captain: French toast coated in crushed Cap’n Crunch and topped with whipped cream. For lunch and dinner, the mainstays are burgers, wraps, sandwiches and salads. The fried-flounder sandwich uses local fish. The tenderloin French dip sandwich (pictured) tops filet mignon with sautéed onions and melted Provolone. Dinner entrées include fish and chips, seafood pot pie, lobster and crab mac and cheese, and fresh fish in a choice of preparations. The Caribbean grilled salmon, topped with a heap of fresh mango salsa, is particularly tasty.

Heads Up: The café has been rebuilt since it was destroyed by Sandy. Its menu has been re-vamped, too, with more dinner entrées.