More than a century ago, one of Beach Haven’s original hotels was erected on the corner property where Buckalew’s now stands. Built in 1874, the Bayview House stood on the edge of the marshes at the entrance to Mud Hen Creek. Boats ferrying supplies to the resort traveled through this waterway, tying up to the Bayview’s porch railings at the end of their journeys.
Bayview House was renamed the Beach Haven House in 1883 by its new owner, George Bates, whose daughter Lily, the local schoolteacher, taught Beach Haven’s children in the lobby until the new school on Third Street opened in 1884. In 1890, Henry Mulholland bought the hotel, and it continued to be most popular with the fishing crowd, who slumbered in the cots that lined the hallways of the upper floors for $1 a night.
Richard Lamb Sr., who became the proprietor in 1920, ran the hotel until his son Richard Jr. took over and shifted the establishment’s focus to food. On Buckalew’s present site, Richard Jr. built Lamb’s Bar and Restaurant. He kept the bar and restaurant open all winter and it gained a reputation for fresh seafood and stuffed pork chops.
The Buckalew family bought the place in 1949, running it much as it was – with the 1955 addition of the circular bar that filled the tavern room and had a platform in the center for entertainers, including Joni, who has played piano here for nearly fifty years. A favorite watering hole for the locals, Buckalew’s hosted the Beach Haven Life Guard’s Ball, the “society” event of the summer. Tom and Muncie Buckalew also made the place famous for “tomato pies” and soft shell crabs.
In 1995, Beach Haven native Jay Cranmer and his wife, Lyn, after perhaps one too many nights enjoying Buckalew’s breezy Jersey Shore atmosphere, became the next proprietors. After extensive renovations by James Tallent, a new chapter in the history of this storied site at the heart of Beach Haven had begun.
Buckalew’s General Manager, Executive Chef and Partner, Allan Menegus, another South Jersey native, culinary school graduate, and ardent fisherman, re-established Buckalew’s high standards for fresh seafood and great tomato pies, and also introduced many culinary delights of his own. In the kitchen he is assisted by Carlos, and Miguel and culinary school graduates Brian, Emil, Randall, Sous Chef Ernesto and Chef Vasile, who learned his skills on the continent prior to coming to the US. Annette Rutzler, Restaurant Mgr, and Marie Kelly, Gary Smith & Pete Wells Ass’t Managers, run the front of house and recruit, train and oversee the terrific servers & bartenders: Emily, Lisa, Holly, Michelle, Amanda, Siobhan, Caitlin, Kristin, Stacey, PJ, Carmen and Nicole. No business can run without someone who really understands the numbers and for us, that person is Judy Millar, Office Mgr.
Buckalew’s interior has been wonderfully enhanced with the original artwork photography, taken exclusively on Long BeachIsland, of Dave Gurtcheff. Dave’s portfolio can be seen at www.modernpictorials.com
