The Hudson House Bar may be the oldest public house on Long Beach Island. It was around before the turn of the 20th Century, and was a Prohibition Era speakeasy. As L.B.I. continues to go more upscale, with swankier menus and flashier interiors, “The Hud” – as locals call it – refuses to change. A large number of beers are available on tap, there are your usual wells, there is no cocktail menu to speak of, and that’s just how this place should be.
Located down a side street, a block or so off a desolate portion of L.B.I.’s main avenue, the Hudson House’s sign is lit up by a single bulb. It is decidedly a dive bar. The lights are low, the music is loud, and there are no live bands or DJs. The bartenders serve quickly and pour heavily. It is the kind of place that Springsteen or John Francis Bongiovi Jr. would have actually stopped at for a drink after playing a show at a slightly fancier spot further down the strip.
The Hudson House is the kind of bar your mother warned you about. The place where your older brother went with his cooler friends. It’s the kind of establishment where drinking is for drinking, and that’s all that is needed. There’s a jukebox with a limited number of songs and a few bar games, but overall, The Hud keeps things simple. Saddle into a bar stool and order up something that doesn’t require shaking or a charming flower pedal.
When it comes to drinking on L.B.I., there is no place like The Hud, and its a must-stop for anyone looking to get a real taste of the Jersey Shore.
Find It Here:
19 E 13th St
Beach Haven, NJ 08008