The Tuckahoe Inn of Beesley’s Point offers visitors a casual family dining atmosphere and breathtaking bayside views and is rooted in the rich history of Southern Jersey’s native people. Tuckahoe, literally meaning “where the deer are shy and hard to approach”, was the name of the Lenni-Lenape Indian nation native to the land where the Tuckahoe Inn now stands. The Tuckahoes hunted in the surrounding forests and meadows and fished in the surrounding waters, gathering large quantities of shellfish whose meat they dried and whose shells became “wampum”.
After the devastating death of their last great chief, King Nummy, in 1692, the Lenni-Lenape held a council and decided that the area had become too crowded with white men. That evening, the entire Indian nation packed up their possessions and left the land never to return. Yet their legacy endured in the namesake of the Tuckahoe River, a part of the Great Egg Harbor Bay System.
That same year saw the incorporation of Cape May County and with it, the operation of a county-run ferry between Beesley’s Point (then called Stites Point) and Somers Point. Sometime shortly after the ferry’s establishment, a way station was created at the current site of the restaurant. The first data indicating the existence of the “inn” dates back to 1736, and from that time forward there has always been a hostelry at the location. The owners and staff of Tuckahoe Inn hope that the restaurant’s rustic ambiance conveys to guests its sense of history, tradition, and hospitality.
Tuckahoe invites patrons to close the weekend with their satisfying Sunday breakfast all year-round. Sample their eggs made to order or unique Fritattas, or accept their invitation to build your very own omelet or Fritatta. Stick to the classics with the Tuckahoe’s tall or short stack of pancakes or slices of French Toast. Tuckahoe’s “Specialty Breakfasts” include options such as Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Creamed Chipped Beef, and Eggs Maryland.
Lunch and dinner are served 7 days a week at the Tuckahoe Inn and promise an assortment of fresh seafood appetizers including Steamed Clams, Oysters Rockefeller, Buffalo Shrimp or Shrimp Cocktail, and the famous Tuckahoe Clam Chowder. The Tuckahoe’s generous dinner entrees hail from both the land and the sea and include dishes such as Porterhouse Lambchops, Chicken Francaise, Salmon Wellington, and Stuffed Flounder.
The Tuckahoe Inn is also proud to offer Seafood Mondays all summer long featuring a choice of soup or salad, Fried or Broiled seafood combination dinner or Crab Cake entrée served with a potato or vegetable from 4 pm-close. Celebrate happy hour Tuckahoe style Monday through Friday from 4-6 with $3.50 house mixed drinks, $1 off house wines, and complimentary hot snacks. They also feature live entertainment all summer long with weekly performances by Ann Oswald and Bob Campbell.
Cherish the history of South Jersey’s native peoples and enjoy the hospitality of a friendly staff along the beautiful bayfront only at the Tuckahoe Inn. Reservations, call ahead, and walk-ins are all welcome.