Lighthouse Tavern & Restaurant

A stage coach stop in the late 1800’s, the Lighthouse Tavern & Restaurant continues to be a favorite watering-hole for locals and Jersey Shore visitors alike. Delicious daily lunch and diner specials add to a wide-ranging menu featuring all your tavern favorites from thick, juicy burgers and steaks to the best in fresh local seafood. On weekends try the popular raw bar from 4 to 6pm…serving the freshest shrimp, clams, oysters and crab clusters. The kitchen is open from 11am to midnight, 1am Friday and Saturday.

Multiple TVs surround the bar with sports action and NTN Poker games. Or you can relax with table dining for the whole family. Kids will love the family-friendly game room and adults enjoy old tavern favorites including billiards, darts and a full sized shuffleboard.

Be sure to check out our calendar for live entertainment and special events.

The Lighthouse Tavern & Restaurant is located at 397 US Highway 9
in Waretown, New Jersey.

For Directions and a map to the Lighthouse Tavern,
click on the this link to Google Maps:
Directions to Lighthouse Tavern

The Lighthouse Tavern and the land it sits on has been a part of Jersey Shore history since the 1800s.

On the 30th day of January in 1845, Ralph Chambers sold the land and premises to Elias Hulfish Chambers for $30 as recorded in the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office in book 0 4 of Deeds Folios 212 &c.

As the deed states, the property began at a white Oak Tree on the westerly side of the shore road and led from Waretown to Barnegat and ran first (1) north fifty two degrees and thirty minutes east, three chains and twelve links: thence (2) north thirty seven degrees and thirty minutes west, three chains and sixty one links: thence (3) south fifty two degrees and thirty minutes west, three chains and thirty links: thence (4) south forty one degrees thirty minutes east, three chains a sixty one links to the place of beginning. Containing one acre and sixteen hundredths of an acre strict measure.

Fifty-six years later, on August 26, 1901 the property was sold by Elias Hulfish Chambers and Louisa Chambers, his wife, for $1200 to Spencer L. Hiller of New York City.

Then, on a date uncertain, the property was sold by Spencer L. Hiller to Clarance R.Wells and wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Wells held the property for fourteen years and on March 1, 1909, they sold it to Ella Arends.

On June 3, 1923, Ella Arends and Adoloph Arends, her husband, sold the property to Fred Tabe of the City of Elizabeth.

Sometime in July 1925, Mr. Tabe sold the property for $1 dollar and other considerations to Thomas H. Lyons and his wife Nettie M. Lyons of the City of Newark and theyopened the “Lyon’s Inn.”

On April 21, 1927, Mr. and Mrs. Lyon’s sold the Inn for $1 and other considerations to Mary Demeter of the City of Bloomfield. Mrs. Demeter renamed the establishment the “Lion’s Inn” and operated it for 18 years.

On May 29, 1945 Mrs. Demeter and her husband, Louis Demeter, sold the Lion’s Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Phoebe Wagner of the Borough of Ocean Gate.

On September 5, 1946 Phoebe Wagner and John Wagner, her husband, sold the Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Dora Linnert of Ocean Township, Ocean County.

Then on May 2, 1955 Ms. Linert, who had since married and become Mrs. Paul Jozat, sold the Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Frank and Joseph Massare of Philadelphia.

On June 14, 1963, the Massare brothers sold the property to William B. and Emma Lott of Point Pleasant Borough.

Mr. and Mrs. Lott ran the Inn for nine years and on May 18, 1971 sold the property to Michael and Lucia Oleniak and John and Rosemarie Waskiw of Newark, NJ.

On January 27, 1972, the Oleniak’s and Waskiw’s ended their partnership when the Waskiw’s sold their interest to the Oleniak’s for $25,000. The establishment was then renamed, The Lighthouse Inn.

On July 1, 1982 the most recent chapter of the property’s history began when Michael Oleniak and Lucia Oleniak sold the Inn to Jim Keady and Sean Annito. Jim and Sean would rename the establishment, The Lighthouse Tavern. Jim and Sean manned the helm at the Lighthouse together until Sean’s retirement in 2004.

To this day, Jim Keady, now with the help of his wife, Kathy, continues to serve up great food, drinks, and entertainment to all who walk through the Lighthouse’s doors.