OCEAN CITY – Although, I have to admit, I was not able to finish all of them. For almost two hours, joined by an old friend and a new friend from Germany made right on the boardwalk, I tried five of the approximately ten stands on the Ocean City boardwalk that sell funnel cake. Admittedly, this approximation was made while in a funnel cake food coma.
While the Ocean City Boardwalk boasts a number of dessert outlets, including spots for banana whip, dole whip, monkey bread, the ever-famous fudge, saltwater taffy, and Kohr Bro’s soft serve, it is easy to overlook the classic carnival snacks. Think fried oreos, popcorn, and cotton candy that make the boardwalk feel homely and nostalgic.
Of these carnival treats, one of the most recognizable and iconic is funnel cake. It’s simple, easy to make, and easily ‘accessorizable’ with different syrups and powdered sugar. However, the boardwalk’s funnel cake is often swept aside, overshadowed by the sparkle and glamour of banana whip and monkey bread. Even Yelp can’t give you an accurate ranking of funnel cake destinations on the boardwalk.
So, Do The Shore and it’s unlikely trio of a reporter, a beach tagger, and an international German soccer player who had never tried funnel cake before set out on a quest to rescue funnel cake from this sad existence and let it relieve its glory days. We believe, after careful examination, that we have created the perfect guide to funnel cake for any visitor to the boardwalk.
5. Hangry Bites


Located next to the now defunct Wonderland Pier, Hangry Bites was the funnel cake we were most excited about. When we walked up to order, a plethora of cute puffin and Boba drink plushies met us, followed by the realization that this place was offering different flavors of funnel cake. Wow. This was exciting.
The flavors included Strawberry Cream, Crumbled Oreo, and Dulce de Leche. Nutella, caramel, and peanut butter sauce were also offered as additional toppings. We decided to go with the Strawberry Cream, excited by the prospect of fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and vanilla frosting.
Alas, the restaurant was out of fresh strawberries, and they subbed them for strawberry syrup. We received our crown-looking funnel cake with no whipped cream and a pool of grease at the bottom. Unfortunately, the strawberry syrup tasted very artificial and when mixed with the heaviness of the grease was not a good combo. The upside of this funnel cake was its doughiness. Unlike many funnel cakes, the dough was not hollow, and there was a light crisp surrounding full strands of dough. However, this was not enough to make us forget the grease. However, it would definitely be worth trying the other flavors.
4. Promenade Food Court

Located right outside of the OC Waterpark, the Promenade Food Court offered a pretty solid funnel cake. It was crispy, with some pieces of dough hollow and others with some real substance. The rounded ends of the dough trips in particular were good, with a nice crisp and above average doughiness. There was a healthy amount of powdered sugar in the middle of the dough, helping make up for the too hollow or too crispy strands.
3. Frenchy’s Fresh Cut Fries


With a healthy amount of sugar clothing its doughy body, Frenchy’s funnel cake was a solid B+. Many of the pieces were light and fluffy, outnumbering the pieces that were flaky and just a bit too crunchy. Unfortunately, those crunchy and overburnt pieces were noticeable when eating.
All in all though, Frenchy’s funnel cake is a good treat after a round of some haunted golf next door, and Frenchy will always have my heart after they drew a little <3 next to my name on the plate they used to serve and cover the funnel cake.
2. Tater’s Famous Fresh Cut Fries

Also located near the former site of Wonderland Pier, Tater’s served up a delicious funnel cake. This one was drizzled with chocolate syrup and was showered in powdered sugar. This added sweetness made the funnel cake pretty close to perfect. There was a nice, satisfying crunch on almost every piece. Some strands were slightly. flaky and hollow, with little to no dough inside, but the chocolate and sugar more than made up for this.
1. Curly’s Fries

Located in the heart of the monkey bread, banana whip, and Kohr Bro’s dessert empire, Curly’s Fries’ funnel cake is fighting a losing battle. However, this funnel cake would sweep all of them in a direct one-on-one battle. It was fluffy and doughy, with just the lightest crisp that could satisfy your taste buds. There was the perfect amount of sugar; not too much, but also not too little that make the funnel cake depressing. Easy to break apart, stretchy dough that felt like a cloud to the tongue… who knew Curly could do funnel cake just as good as their lemonade and fries?
So, next time that you’re in Ocean City, instead of that banana fruit dole whip with all-fruit fudge sauce and fat free whipped cream, why not take a trip down memory lane and taste one of the greasy, powdery, doughy joys of your childhood? If anything, make sure you eat at least one funnel cake this summer, and if you do, let us know about it!
Luke is an editorial intern working at Do the Shore and the Cape May County Herald for the summer. He is an English Major at Princeton. Contact Luke, at Lgrippo@cmcherald.com