Big-Time Barbecue

FOOD & DRINK > RESTAURANT REVIEWS

If you’re serious about sampling a roadside barbecue joint done the right way,  check out Back Bay Bar-B-Que in Somers Point.

By Frank Gabriel  

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jul. 18, 2012

Adding another cool element to the appeal of Back Bay’s sprawling confines was the purchase of a genuine paddlewheel boat two years ago. Known as the Belle Miracle Anne, this 125-ton vessel, built in 1925, sits docked behind the restaurant. She originally worked as a passenger ferry on the Mississippi for decades before ending up in West Atlantic City, where Dagit, a competitive boating enthusiast, discovered her. Open for touring by customers at present, she may one day become an auxiliary dining space. 

Calling this restaurant venture “a labor of love” but adding “it’s exhausting,” Dagit describes patrons as “a very eclectic crowd.” He even allows that the eatery is dog-friendly, provided pets are leashed and well-behaved, to accommodate visitors to nearby Dog Beach in E.H.T. Key personnel at Back Bay include cooks Sergio and Sal Gonzalez, butcher/cook John “Grumpy” Finneran, waitress Valerie Milburn and several members of the Dagit family. 

Prior to closing, it is worthy of mention that in addition to all his other hats, Len Dagit also serves as the head of W2BU — an organization that manages Wildwood’s annual Beach Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Now entering its 20th year, the massive event — with over 100 fields erected on the wide sands — contributed nearly $30,000 to various charities in 2011 and will take place the weekend of July 28-29.

Back Bay Bar-B-Que 

Address: 135 Somers Point-Longport Blvd., Somers Point. 

Hours: Wed.-Sun., 11am-9pm. Phone: 788-4853 

Prev| Page: 1 2