The Deauville Inn, Strathmere, NJ: A Restaurant Review

The Deauville Inn
201 Willard Rd
Strathmere, NJ
(609) 263-2080
Website

The Deauville Inn: Restaurant Highlights

Restaurant Review

Located on the bay side of Corson's Inlet with scenic waterfront and sunset views, the Deauville Inn is destined to becoming a premier dining/resort themed destination

The Deauville Inn is a casual yet upscale restaurant with 1920s and '30s nostalgia and a good choice for diners to enjoy a bite to eat with friends and family, soak up some sun on the beach, or enjoy a sunset with your significant other over a glass of champagne.

Under new ownership by Strathmere resident Dr. Tim Fox, and partner Dr. Robyn Kjar, together they have teamed up to restore the Deauville Inn with a multi-million dollar renovation. After having made major improvements to the buildings, decor, and a revamped menu, they launched their new improvements during the summer of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.

The makeover includes both the exterior and interior of the building, including recreating parts of the Deauville Inn's storied past, back to the 1920s & 30s, as well as adding upgrades to create a more contemporary upscale vibe.

The Deauville was popular during the 1920s and '30s, operating as a speakeasy and illicit casino during Prohibition. It attracted many the era's famous entertainers including Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker, and Jimmy Durante.

 During its peak  summer season, the restaurant can accommodate seating for 450 when all of their dining areas are in operation including The Pub, The Main Dining Room, The Sunset Deck/Outdoor Patio, The Sand Bar, and The Lawn.

The interior has a casual rustic vibe with dark distressed wood flooring, dark brown 1930's era tin ceilings, ceiling fans, dark wood tables, a stone fireplace, and an attractive bar area renamed "The Pub" has rustic walls with stone and mahogany trimmings, and large screen TVs. It is a great place to watch Philly sports.

The outdoor patio with an overhead canopy, and tented walls overlooks the bay. It includes a new 40-foot-long bar where customers will be seated for drinks and meals.  A recently installed over head heating system will extend "outdoor style" dining year-round, weather permitting.

The Sand Bar will be open during the summer months with a bar and a casual style menu that will cater to beach goers. Their adjacent Lawn area is ideal for functions such as weddings and private parties

The weather-beaten boat docks will be replaced this winter with a massive upgrade to EZ Docks to accommodate seasonal docking with a marina style ambiance.

The expansion and renovations continue with the goal to become an upscale, family-oriented dining destination with a resort style vibe during the summer months.

As of the date of this review, the Deauville Inn offers a variety of dining options. The main dining area features a menu with more high-end selections, while the outdoor dining area and the summer operated Sand Bar offers an a more affordable menu with more comfort food selections.

The ownership has recently brought in an operations team with impressive credentials, beginning with the hiring of Adam Modder, Vice President of Operations.
Adam comes to the Deauville Inn with extensive hospitality operations management experience. Prior to coming to the Deauville Inn, Adam was the Vice President of Operations at Taffer Dynamics, a consulting firm under the direction of Jon Taffer, the Executive Producer & Host of Paramount Network’s “Bar Rescue.” Adam’s previous experience also includes several operations management positions in Las Vegas; the Blush Boutique Nightclub in the Wynn, the Hyde Bellagio Nightclub, and the Hakkasan Nightclub.

Adam has just recently teamed up with Executive Chef Anthony Ricciardi, who in the weeks before this review, joined The Deauville Inn to run the kitchen.

Executive Chef Anthony Ricciardi also comes with excellent credentials. Chef Ricciardi received his formal culinary education at Atlantic Cape Community College. He later honed his culinary skills rising as the Executive Sous Chef at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City working with Chef Luke Palladino, and later at The Love Restaurant in Philadelphia. Prior to coming to the Deauville Inn, Chef Ricciardi served as Executive Chef at the luxurious Sinatra in the Encore Casino in Boston.

Chef Ricciardi features a well-executed, artfully presented menu prepared with local, farm-to-table produce, and wild caught seafood. You will not find farm raised dishes such as fried tilapia on the menu. The seafood menu is supplemented with shipped in products including scallops from Boston that are known for their superior quality

In addition to their seafood menu, they offer a large variety of well-prepared meats, pastas, salads, sandwiches, and other comfort food items.

While still in the early stages of upgrading the menu, Chef Ricciardi will be introducing additional, high end dishes as he becomes more firmly implanted with the kitchen and the staff.

They are child friendly with a kids menu.

The Deauville Inn has live music on Friday & Saturday evenings.

The Deauville Inn is open year-round, seven/days/ week 11am-10pm. During the seasonal summer months, the hours are extended to 7am - 10pm, to include breakfast.
Happy Hour - Monday - Friday 4pm - 6pm

They are open Thanksgiving, serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Reservations can be made at their website.

With the addition of Chef Ricciardi, our classification of this upscale restaurant has been upgraded to " Chef-Inspired Casual Dining"

*Description of Restaurant Classification - Chef-Inspired Casual Dining:

• The current trend of upscale, high quality food focused restaurants.
• They are chef driven by chefs with impressive credentials including formal culinary education and skills honed at award winning restaurants.
• Serves an approachable, more casual menu with creative food preparation.
• Uses higher quality food ingredients such as imported items not available in the supermarket, with emphasis on local seasonal farm-to-table produce, wild caught seafood, & meats without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
• Chic, trendy ambiance with a casual atmosphere and a casual dress code.
• The wait staff is professional, knowledgeable, and attentive.
• Can be BYOB or have an alcohol menu with a variety of wines, specialty cocktails, and beers.
• Patrons are of all generations with medium to high incomes.
  

The most popular upscale restaurants in New Jersey, classified into three categories, include Chef-Inspired Fine Dining, Chef-Inspired Casual Dining, and Contemporary Casual.

learn more about the three types of casual upscale restaurants and how reviews are created.

(updated: November, 2020)