C-View Inn

Originally opened in the late 1800s as the Harbor House, this oldest current tavern in Cape May, NJ became the C-View Inn in 1917 & purchased by current owner Gregg Coffey in 2007. This little seaside pub serves all kinds of bar fare, including these personal size Irish bar pies that are on par with some of the worst brands of frozen pizza, like a hybrid of Ellio’s, Mama Celeste & Tombstone. Despite the great value at $8 & change, this is pretty abysmal pizza; you truly get what you pay for. Thick, heavy, doughy, cheesy & filling for its size, this is the complete opposite of a tight, thin-crust bar pie. Soft & mushy, the dough doesn’t have an ounce of crisp to go along with a cracker-flavored undercarriage & very lightly crisped crust with a bland cardboard-like taste. Atop the dough is a pile of whole milk mozzarella cheese smothering & suffocating the surface. Super thick, rich, heavy & moderately melty, the cheese blankets & engulfs the entire pie. An orange-tinged combination of tomato paste & grease, the sauce is mildly sweet, slightly salty & underseasoned, lacking flavor & distinction. Dull & pedestrian, the sauce falls right in line with the other lackluster ingredients. Overall, this is a cool little seaside tavern on the Jersey Shore with lots of history, cold beers, good wings & quality seafood; but do not come here for their pizza. Maybe their pies go better with alcohol but this atrociously disappointing Irish pizza with horrific taste & texture is not worth seeking out & probably shouldn’t even be on the menu. This may be considered a hidden gem by some, just not for pizza.