Waterfront spot is NJ's best-kept secret

Most of our listeners will have to drive a bit to get to this place, but it definitely is worth the scenic ride. Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck is a new old place that is hidden in the middle of the pine barrens in Mullica Township.

When you drive down county roads that intersect Burlington, Atlantic and Camden Counties and then turn off Weekstown Road onto 7th Avenue, and it looks like you've maybe made a wrong turn down a dead end street, you're almost there. It may seem like the route to a secret hideaway because it once was a speakeasy in the 1920s. That's when it was called Sweetwater Casino.

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Throughout the ensuing years it was a famous out-of-the way restaurant and popular wedding venue that held a lot of great memories for so many people in the area.
That all went up in flames in 2009 when an early-morning fire destroyed the building.

Luckily in 2016 the Iles family bought the property, put up a huge tent, put out some picnic tables and spruced up the marina, and people flocked there like seagulls on a slice of boardwalk pizza. At the end of the 2019 season, the family built two brand-new modern buildings including a restaurant bar and facilities for the marina customers.

The place is a beautiful oasis on the banks of the Mullica River, which empties into the Great Bay and Atlantic City several miles downriver. It's a great location to venture to by boat or by car. The drinks and food are great and there just seem to be more friendly people there than I'm used to in Jersey.

Can't wait to go back!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.