By Bruce Klauber
On the surface it would seem that Gilchrist’s, the Downbeach Deli and Dock’s Oyster House have little in common. After all, their menus and their specialties are poles apart. Gilchrist’s has long been known for its great breakfasts, Downbeach Deli is an authentic Jewish delicatessen, and Dock’s is a seafood house.
But what they do have in common is that they have been a part of the Atlantic City restaurant landscape for years, and the loyalty of their customers is legion. Why is this so? Because what they serve and what they have always served is consistently wonderful.
When it comes to restaurants, “best of” lists pop up with regularity on social media and elsewhere, and you never know what restaurants will be chosen. But when it comes to “Best Breakfasts at the Jersey Shore,” one thing is for certain: Gilchrist’s will be on there.
As the story goes, sometime in 1946 the Gilchrist Family opened a bait and tackle shop on Maryland Avenue. It didn’t take long before they started selling sandwiches to local fishermen. Eventually that morphed into the first Gilchrist Restaurant, which moved to the current location at Gardner’s Basin.
Under the leadership of Mike Barham and his mother, Denise Stamat, the family’s fourth generation, the word about Gilchrist’s quality, consistency and no-frills charm spread to the point where the family was able to open three more restaurants: In Margate within the Margate Towers, in Atlantic City within the Tropicana, and in Galloway on the White Horse Pike.
Some years back, a writer named Frank Gabriel neatly summed things up in a piece written for Atlantic City Weekly.
“I could sense instantly upon entering A.C.’s legendary Gilchrist Restaurant that this place would more than live up to advance billing,” Gabriel wrote. “With a locale few restaurants anywhere can match, the charming little shack sits at a dead end of Rhode Island Avenue in Atlantic City’s Gardner’s Basin.”
He went on to praise the food and service, especially the legendary blueberry “hotcakes” (not pancakes), and added, “I anticipate returning to this timeless Atlantic City treasure quite soon.”
Note: The Gilchrist restaurants are open for breakfast and lunch from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Margate’s Downbeach Deli has been open since 1982, and it’s one of those places that everyone in Atlantic City seems to know about. Jordan Posner of the Jewish Voice newspaper profiled this area institution in an article published this summer.
“It is unlikely that you will find someone down the shore who has not eaten at Downbeach Deli,” Posner reported. “Serving all the Jewish staples, from matzah ball soup to knishes, brisket, corned beef, and so much more, patrons of Downbeach Deli never leave hungry and are always treated like family.
“How did the restaurant go from being opened by a Jewish couple in 1982 to being purchased by an Irish-Catholic in 2016?” Posner asked. “That is the story of Robert Hammerschlag and Richard ‘Buddy’ Della Fave.”
Margate native Della Fave was a busboy at the deli around 1991 when he was 16 years old. The owner at the time, Rob Hammerschlag, saw something in the youngster and started giving him more and more responsibility. By the time he finished his first year in college, he learned the day-to-day operations and became almost indispensable. He bought the Downbeach Deli from Hammerschlag in 2016.
It’s clear that Della Fave loves the business, which is one reason it continues to thrive.
When Posner asked Della Fave to name his menu favorites, Della Fave replied, “Try the brisket; it is one of the best I’ve tasted. Our kasha and bow ties are delicious, and the matzah ball soup is fantastic.”
What Della Fave didn’t say is that Downbeach Deli is the best Jewish deli in the Atlantic City area, and likely the only Jewish deli in the Atlantic City area. Downbeach Deli is on 8 S. Essex Ave. in Margate City. Call 609-823-7310 or see Facebook for hours.
Along with Knife & Fork Inn, Dock’s Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in Atlantic City.
Founded in 1897 by Harry Dougherty, the first Dock’s had 60 seats and was not licensed to serve alcohol. In that configuration, it managed to do very well and there was really no reason to change until some 48 years later, when 20 more seats were added.
In 1960 Dock’s finally obtained a liquor license and at that point, the dining room was again expanded. A decade later, Dock’s added a bar. In 2001, the third and fourth generation of the Dougherty Family revamped the entire place and also added a raw bar. Even more space and more capacity were added in 2015.
Dock’s has outlasted all of its competitors, including the neighboring Abe’s Oyster House, which closed around 1990; and the famed Captain Starn’s and Hackney’s restaurants, which have been gone since the late 1970s.
Quality, consistency and what you might call a “subtle modernization,” are some of the reasons behind the continued success of Dock’s, as well as the other Dougherty restaurants (Knife & Fork, Linwood Country Club, and Dougherty’s Steakhouse & Raw Bar within Resorts).
Particularly noteworthy about Dock’s is the fact that, along with Knife & Fork and Steve & Cookie’s in Margate, Dock’s has become among the shore’s trendiest hot spots. And it’s mobbed every month of the year.
Gilchrist’s has been running for 78 years. Dock’s is 127 years old and Downbeach Deli has been open for 42 years. That’s 247 years of success combined. That says something for quality and loyalty.
