STRATHMERE — Working from home takes on a new meaning at Twisties Tavern on the Bay, a waterfront bar and restaurant with an apartment above overlooking the bay in a quaint island community.
Listing agent Burt Wilkins said it’s a “rare opportunity to own an established bayfront restaurant.”
Twisties is located at 236 S. Bayview Drive in the Strathmere section of Upper Township, which is sandwiched between Ocean City to the north and Sea Isle City to the south along the Atlantic Ocean.
Twisties, the latest incarnation of the popular restaurant, long has been known for its service, food and drinks, and breathtaking bay views with stunning sunsets.
The Strathmere tradition for 96 years has a rich history.
“All it takes is a drive by this popular bayfront tavern to realize that you’ve come across a bit of nostalgia,” reads a history of the business.
According to its website, the red-shingled building, sitting lengthwise from Bayview Drive to Strathmere Bay, looks almost exactly as it did during Prohibition when Harold Charleston was running the operations. He was assisted by his wife, Gert, and the establishment was known as The Strathmere Inn Café.
“Its windows were covered, as was the custom for speakeasies in those days. Legend has it that Twisties operated as a speakeasy from 1929 to 1933,” it states.
It is rumored that gangster Al Capone once visited and that Gert Charleston let his wife borrow a dress to go fishing.
The incident inspired the couple to start collecting fish. Soon, the walls were covered with barracuda, sailfish, moray eels and grouper, each mounted on its own wooden plaque.
The Charlestons also were responsible for acquiring the numerous coconut heads that sit in soffits today high above the bar. Each head, carved by the Seminole tribe, is unique and was brought back from Florida by the Charlestons during their annual winter visits.
The establishment changed hands in the 1950s. The new owners, Jimmy and Rose Twist, were Philadelphia natives who transplanted themselves into the quiet, beautiful surroundings of Strathmere, according to the website.
They operated a full-scale restaurant with Rose doing most of the cooking and Jimmy tending bar. The bayside café attracted locals and tourists alike with all Italian foods cooked to order.
The tavern once again changed hands in the early 1970s. Local real estate agent Marty Riordan purchased the tavern and renamed it the Bayview Inn.
By then, according to the website, the Bayview Inn had become a nostalgic place to visit for old-timers and a “must see” place for baby boomers who had heard about the popular red building on the bay.
In 2000, Riordan’s son Gary and his wife Denise took over operations of the much-loved tavern. They appropriately renamed it Twisties Tavern on the Bay, an homage to the previous owners.
The paneled walls, the coconut heads, the mounted fish and the hardwood bar remain. The jukebox still has the old tunes with some new ones mixed in.
“It continues to be a relaxed place to visit, where people from all different professions come together to socialize and enjoy fantastic food and drinks and take in amazing sunsets,” Wilkins said.
The tavern underwent a major renovation in 2010, enhancing its charm while preserving its history, including the mahogany bar dating back to 1929.
The restaurant offers seating for 98 indoors and 25 on the deck, where guests can take in the waterfront views and bay breeze. The lower terrace can accommodate seating for an additional 50 guests.
Visitors arrive by car, bicycle or boat — five slips are available for those who prefer to dock and dine.
According to information from the agent, Twisties has earned the title of the #1 local restaurant and bar on Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp, “drawing visitors from all over who come to enjoy the fantastic food, handcrafted drinks and unforgettable sunsets over the bay.”
The menu offers a variety of dishes, from fresh seafood and burgers to creative small plates and specialty drinks.
The turn-key operation includes a fully equipped commercial kitchen, a dedicated wait station and a totally equipped bar providing ample space for the staff to work efficiently.
The restaurant and bar are equipped with acoustic soundproofing panels to make for a more pleasant dining experience.
The property also features a second-floor residence accessible via a private entrance. The home boasts a spacious open living area adjoining a large private deck with panoramic bay and sunset views, an upscale kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, a comfortable bedroom, upscale bathroom and laundry.
The entire building has a fire-suppression and central fire/alarm system.
Wilkins said the sellers have done a lot of work to the property. A major renovation in 2010 included expanding the kitchen, installing a new foundation and bulkhead — years before Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012.
“They were ahead of their time and did not have any damage,” Wilkins said.
Upper Township is a bedroom community with access to beach towns including Ocean City and Sea Isle City, as well as its own island, Strathmere, and a beach and county park on Great Egg Harbor Bay.
The township also has several historic buildings and sites, including a marker at the beach that celebrates the story of sisters Rebecca Stillwell Willetts and Sarah Stillwell, who according to legend played their part in the Revolutionary War by firing a cannon at approaching longboats filled with British soldiers intent on pillaging the village’s stores. The marker is part of the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.
It has highly regarded primary, elementary and middle schools and is a sending district to Ocean City High School, known for its academics and athletics as well as oceanfront playing field.
Many of the student athletes live in the township, where abundant recreation programs prepare them for the demands of high school sports in the Cape-Atlantic League.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff