This summer, I wanted to find a new beach we could try for a family vacation that wouldn’t be too far of a drive but would be a good place to visit with a family. I really enjoyed my recent trip to Spring Lake and Sea Girt, but couldn’t find anything for us to stay in on Airbnb.
Lavallette Beach
Just when I was ready to give up, I found a place for us to stay in Lavallette. It was walkable to the beach and since we went after Labor Day, we didn’t have to rent by the week to stay there. Upside to waiting!
We had the best day at the beach that Saturday. September weather is never a guarantee but we lucked out with a warm, sunny day. The kids both had a blast going into the water and spending time building sand castles. Q got really into looking for shells with his dad and L really warmed up to being on the beach in general in comparison to our prior trips with her.
Gringo’s Taco Shack
For lunch on Saturday, I knew we had to visit Gringo’s Taco Shack. It looked pretty simple from the front but the food is amazing. I think it was the best food we had on the trip! I asked the person working what we should get an went with his suggestion — an order of the crispy fish tacos and an order of the pulled pork tacos. If you are coming to the area, Gringo’s is your must visit!
Donuts Plus
Before we headed back on that Sunday, I ran to pick us up some donuts at Donuts Plus. I read a lot of people mentioning it was one of their annual must-visit spots so knew we had to give it a try.
It’s a simple cash only spot but where all baking is done on the premises. Love to see that. They are known for their jelly donuts, so make sure to get one of those. If they are out, ask nicely and they will likely fill some for you!
Lava Java
Although Donuts Plus has coffee, I couldn’t resist another visit to Lava Java. It’s such a fun local spot with decor that has tons of personality. If you’re a fan of flavored syrups, this spot has the most extensive list of them I’ve ever seen! They also had all the seasonal faves (hello, pumpkin.) I didn’t get any there but they also have a nice selection of baked goods to complete your breakfast in one stop if you prefer.
Other highlights
Saturday night, all I wanted was some good seafood. We put our name in at Crabs Claw Inn and thankfully it wasn’t too long of a wait. They had live music outside, which was a fun surprise!
The food was great. I especially loved the warm crab dip — something my mom used to always want to get when we went to the beach. The lobster roll was good as well — couldn’t pass up giving it a try. They also had very large hot dogs which the kids loved and an excellent margarita.
I ducked into some of the local stores while we were waiting for our table. My favorite spot was Salt House, a super cute gift store with shirts, sweatshirts and frames with the names of beaches along the Jersey Shore. Their sweatshirts aren’t inexpensive, but they feel like butter. Absolutely the softest!
All in all, it was a great first visit to Lavallette and I’m sure we will be back again soon!
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