Proposed Rooftop Restaurant, Bar Above the Boardwalk Will Get Hearing in Seaside Heights

Spicy Cantina (Credit: Spicy Cantina/Facebook & Google Maps)

A plan first floated about a year ago to build a rooftop restaurant and bar above an arcade and an existing single-story bar on the Seaside Heights boardwalk will be heard by the planning board later this month.

The proposal would represent an expansion of the existing Spicy Cantina restaurant with an all-new section overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the action on the boardwalk below. “Spicy’s,” as it is commonly known, is already developed as a two-story restaurant with a small outdoor row of tables on a balcony, but the new portion would serve as a large, expansive area for outdoor seating and service, complete with its own bar.

According to planning documents, the new outdoor venue would be constructed over top the Coin Castle arcade, which is located directly south of Spicy’s, and the Midway bar, which is located just to the south of Coin Castle. The three businesses – the existing arcade and two bars – are essentially developed as one building that spans the length of the boardwalk between Sumner and Webster avenues, backing up to Ocean Terrace in the rear.

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Spicy’s has long been known as one of the boardwalk’s most popular eateries and watering holes, occasionally hosting celebrity clientele ranging from members of the “Jersey Shore” cast to Kim Kardashian. It features a Mexican cantina restaurant and bar combined with a traditional boardwalk-style menu, as well as nightly entertainment.

Spicy Cantina (Credit: Spicy Cantina/Facebook)

The 18,239 square foot property is located in the Resort Recreational zone and will have to win votes from a supermajority of planning board members to gain approval. The most significant hurdle will be obtaining a use, or “D” variance, which represents the expansion of an existing, but non-conforming, use of a property in the zone. There are also several more routine “bulk” variances requiring a simple majority, including minimum rear yard setbacks of 0.2-feet and 1.37-feet where 10-feet is normally required, no side yard setback where 3-feet is required, and no off-street parking spaces to be provided – an existing condition that is not unusual when dealing with boardwalk businesses.

A hearing on the proposal is scheduled to be conducted at the Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 planning board meeting, which will be held at the borough’s municipal complex above the firehouse on Sherman Avenue.