Highest-rated cheap eats in Ocean City by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Ocean City area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Ocean City?

Pete's Subs and Deli

1 / 29

#29. Pete's Subs and Deli

- Rating: 3.9/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 501 Zion Road Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Atlantic City Sub Shops

2 / 29

#28. Atlantic City Sub Shops

- Rating: 3.9/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6825 Tilton Road Produce Junction Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
- Categories: American, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Gilchrist Downbeach

3 / 29

#27. Gilchrist Downbeach

- Rating: 4.0/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9400 Atlantic Ave. Margate City, New Jersey
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Nick's Pizza

4 / 29

#26. Nick's Pizza

- Rating: 4.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2405 New Road Northfield, New Jersey
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Ocean Garden Kitchen

5 / 29

#25. Ocean Garden Kitchen

- Rating: 4.0/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 43 Bethel Road Somers Point, New Jersey
- Categories: Cantonese
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Ocean City

Bashful Banana Bakery & Cafe

6 / 29

#24. Bashful Banana Bakery & Cafe

- Rating: 4.0/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 944 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Bakeries, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Margate Dairy Bar & Burger

7 / 29

#23. Margate Dairy Bar & Burger

- Rating: 4.0/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9510 Ventnor Ave. Margate City, New Jersey
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Fractured Prune Donuts

8 / 29

#22. Fractured Prune Donuts

- Rating: 4.1/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1225 Asbury Ave. Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

3 Brothers Pizza

9 / 29

#21. 3 Brothers Pizza

- Rating: 4.1/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1030 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

McGowan's Food Market Deli & Grill

10 / 29

#20. McGowan's Food Market Deli & Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3900 Landis Ave. Sea Isle City, New Jersey
- Categories: Grocery, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Are home prices going down in Ocean City in 2026?

Monkey Bread

11 / 29

#19. Monkey Bread

- Rating: 4.2/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 972 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Bakeries, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Pizza Station

12 / 29

#18. Pizza Station

- Rating: 4.2/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 72 Tuckahoe Road Marmora, New Jersey
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Don Jose Rojo's Tacos

13 / 29

#17. Don Jose Rojo's Tacos

- Rating: 4.2/5 (192 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 601 Ocean Ave. Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Rose's Garden Grill

14 / 29

#16. Rose's Garden Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2605 New Road Northfield, New Jersey
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Red, White & Brew

15 / 29

#15. Red, White & Brew

- Rating: 4.2/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3602 Landis Ave. Sea Isle City, New Jersey
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Ventnor Coffee

16 / 29

#14. Ventnor Coffee

- Rating: 4.2/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 108 North Dorset Ave. Ventnor City, New Jersey
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

El Bohio Cafe & Restaurant

17 / 29

#13. El Bohio Cafe & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 128 North Main St. Pleasantville, New Jersey
- Categories: Dominican
- Read more on Yelp

Ready's Coffee Shop

18 / 29

#12. Ready's Coffee Shop

- Rating: 4.3/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 415 East 8th St. Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Brown's Restaurant

19 / 29

#11. Brown's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (298 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 110 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Donuts, American
- Read more on Yelp

Northfield Garden

20 / 29

#10. Northfield Garden

- Rating: 4.4/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2327 New Road Northfield, New Jersey
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Ocean City 7-day weather forecast

Opa Gyros & Crepes

21 / 29

#9. Opa Gyros & Crepes

- Rating: 4.4/5 (131 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 944 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Greek, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

Essl's Dugout

22 / 29

#8. Essl's Dugout

- Rating: 4.4/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7001 Black Horse Pike Pleasantville, New Jersey
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

A.C. Sandwiches

23 / 29

#7. A.C. Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.5/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3023 Atlantic Ave. Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Categories: Vietnamese, Coffee & Tea, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Roma Pizza

24 / 29

#6. Roma Pizza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 656 Boardwalk Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

LouDogs

25 / 29

#5. LouDogs

- Rating: 4.6/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3800 Boardwalk Sea Isle City, New Jersey
- Categories: Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Ocean City's 2025 housing market year in review

Gyros & Greens

26 / 29

#4. Gyros & Greens

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 28 East Maryland Ave. Somers Point, New Jersey
- Categories: Mediterranean, New American, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

Ichiban Sushi

27 / 29

#3. Ichiban Sushi

- Rating: 4.7/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1333 New Road Northfield, New Jersey
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Spanky & Son Subs & Deli

28 / 29

#2. Spanky & Son Subs & Deli

- Rating: 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3719 Porter Ave. Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Nauti Donuts

29 / 29

#1. Nauti Donuts

- Rating: 4.7/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2133 Asbury Ave. Ocean City, New Jersey
- Categories: Donuts, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.