Strollo’s Lighthouse has been serving its particular version of Italian ice since 1976 — but the recipe dates back to the ’30s when Tony Strollo drove a bus down the shore to peddle his lemon ice. Now, the lighthouse-shaped building and its several outposts combine a myriad of ice flavors with soft serve for a creamsicle-like creation. Long lines abound.

Open since 1928, Max’s and its quarter-pound footlong hot dogs are legendary. Made with beef and pork, the dogs are griddled until they rupture and are served on a comically smaller bun. Top as desired with hot peppers and a saucepan of sauerkraut that is passed around the counter. Know there is a bit of a hot dog debate in Long Branch, which is also home to the original Windmill. Diners can’t go wrong at either, but Max’s has a more personal touch, plus an updated look since summer 2018.

The Inkwell isn’t a standard Jersey Shore restaurant — it’s a bit of an artsy haven with open mic nights, poetry readings, improv, and other live performances. The coffee house stays open very late and there’s no alcohol, but it’s a convivial place where Jersey heroes Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hung around in the early days.

Arguably the restaurant that turned the Asbury dining scene around, Porta now serves hundreds of Neapolitan pies daily. The rest of the menu fills out with pasta, meatballs, and other Italian classics. Toward the end of the evening, the massive space becomes a nightclub.

It’s all about the thin-crust pizza at this pie institution open since 1961. Diners wait ... and wait ... at this no-frills spot, but it pays off in the form of crispy, charred, cracker-like crust and a balanced cheese-tomato topping. Make sure to order a size up, and try one with cherry peppers.

Dine on the dock where the seafood comes to shore while contemplating the impossible freshness of the fish at Red’s. New Jersey lobster is the focus here, so don’t stray from what’s best.

Kneel at this altar to the very specific New Jersey form of Italian-American cuisine. Whether it’s cold salads, antipasti, sub sandwiches, daily-changing hot entrees, or house-baked bread, Joe Leone’s has it.

This relative newcomer is quite gourmet for the Jersey Shore, and since its opening in 2014 has been making a name for itself through the quality of the food. Chef-owner Scott Giordano was leading the kitchen at highly regarded nearby Whispers for a decade before opening his own place, and it shows in a similar New American menu — dishes like grilled romaine salad and pistachio-crusted salmon — that feels a little more current.

No matter the location of the Kohr’s, the frozen custard is always on point. Stores are owned by various family members (dating back to 1919) who all use the same recipe, ingredients, and equipment, for the end result of a velvety, creamy soft serve. There’s also hard ice cream, but, come on.

Mustache Bill’s has an accolade that only three other Jersey Shore restaurants can claim: a highly regarded James Beard Award (and a Guy Fieri visit). This no-frills diner was named an America’s Classic in 2009 by the restaurant-celebrating organization for its “straight-from-the-heart cooking” of local seafood, pancakes, and hearty dinner platters. The restaurant manages to do 1,000 covers on a typical summer day, so it’s always packed.

Live music on the weekends is the time to go to Old Causeway (1201 East Bay Ave.) — named for the bridge it sits next to — but it gets packed, so go early for dinner and then head to the bar. Oysters and beef are coupled here in wood-fired steaks and burgers topped with fried bivalves, but the rest of the extensive menu is filled with American classics and lots of seafood. It’s always a good time, which the owners are well aware of — if diners drink too much, they can always hop on the restaurant-provided shuttle home.

Another longtime shore original (and James Beard America’s Classic), White House is a submarine shop that’s been on this location in Atlantic City since 1946. It’s a guaranteed publicity stop for Miss America contestants, but the real beauties here are the Italian heroes, which come in two sizes, the larger of which weighs in at three-and-a-half pounds. Bread is delivered five to six times a day from a nearby bakery, and the meats are made in Philadelphia. People have been known to ship the subs on ice to loved ones across the country.

It’s a red-sauce joint taken to the next level here, where fresh mozzarella and Caesar salad are made tableside and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese appears on the table the moment diners are seated, as well as olive and prosciutto breads. Reservation are hard to come by at this enormously popular spot, but are easier to snag at off times and during the week.

Boardwalk Empire comes to life inside this traditional American inn that started as a men’s club in 1912. Signature dish lobster Thermidor is indicative of dining here, with its old-school menu and luxe decor. And though this restaurant may be a blast from the past, it is easily keeping up with the times with a modern, award-winning wine list and sustainable menu.

Like so many other Shore spots, Steve & Cookie’s jumped through major hoops to rebuild post-Hurricane Sandy, but this Italian-leaning American restaurant reopened and is rocking once again. It’s the ideal date-night spot with its romantic, twinkle-lit entrance, charming local art-filled dining room, and — key — three full bars. The raw bar is a point of pride here, and the various pies are not to be missed.

Sure, there is all sorts of pub grub on the Charlie’s menu. But the wings are where it’s at at this sports bar — they’re an absolute must-order, topping many best-wings lists. A full meal can be made with some she-crab soup or Wes’ Favorite filet mignon sandwich, named for the longtime manager who died in 2017.

Brown’s is a full-on diner, but the real appeal is its neighboring doughnut stand. The tender doughnuts are small enough to have a few, and they come in just six flavors (plain, powdered, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, and honey).

A trip to the Jersey Shore simply would not be complete without a Wawa stop. The way-above-average convenience store dots the southern part of the state with dozens of locations to refuel both stomachs and cars. The subs here stand up against any shop around.

The southernmost tip of New Jersey can feel like the end of the world, albeit a gorgeous one with the option for steamed lobster and other seafood. There are a few ways to dine at Lobster House: the white-tableclothed restaurant, the more casual enclosed checkered patio, or the raw bar outside. But there’s fresh seafood at all three.