These South Jersey bars and restaurants have transformed into holiday wonderlands

Sat, Apr 12, 25

These South Jersey bars and restaurants have transformed into holiday wonderlands

Written by John Russo, December 7th, 2024

On a blustery Thursday afternoon, tucked into a small space between a liquor store and a jewelry store, a little slice of holiday spirit awaited its first customers.

For the rest of December, Queen Jayne’s Lounge & Royal Drinkery in the Somers Point Plaza has transformed itself into the Frosted Crown. With warm lighting, a faux holiday setting on a giant TV and elegant wall decorations, the small speakeasy has drawn people looking for a mini holiday getaway within walking distance of Target and Big Lots.

“There is no better season of giving and splurging than that of the holidays,” said owner Michael Bray, who founded Passion Vines Wine & Spirit Company next door in 2008 and opened Queen Jayne’s in May 2023.

Holiday pop-ups and overlays have become a rising theme in South Jersey. This is the season where all of that holiday spirit tends to loosen our grip on the dollar. Families want themed outings where they can take photos for their Christmas cards, visit Santa Claus or drink mulled wine by a fire pit.

South Jersey features a variety of restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries and more that offer these types of experiences.

The Frosted Crown offers a small menu of food items and specialty holiday cocktails, like Grandma Got Rum Over (served in a rocks glass with a reindeer on it) or Noggin’ on Heaven’s Door, a boozy take on the classic holiday drink. It’s open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with happy hour specials from 4 to 6.

“To see their eyes and their reaction upon turning the corner (at the entrance) is what it’s all about,” Bray said. “During the season of fun and the holiday rush, it’s just nice to give some additional value while people are running around stressed, shopping and dealing with family stuff and all that good stuff.”

Renault’s Vintner Wonderland

Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City shows that good things can come out of a tough time.

Shortly after new owners Josh and Melanie McCallum opened in February 2020, the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being allowed to establish outdoor seating gave way to the McCallums thinking up a way to keep their entire staff working through the winter.

That’s how they birthed the Vintner Wonderland concept, which turns one of the state’s largest wineries into a small, provincial French town, a nod to its founder, Louis Renault. The story of Renault is one that CEO Josh McCallum loves telling, and his team helped him do so through Vintner Wonderland, which recognizes the season when grapes are ready to be turned into wine.

“It was a dream Melanie and I had when we bought Renault,” said McCallum, 49, of Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Vintner Wonderland is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 1 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday and will remain open through Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in mid-January. The village features many different spaces to rent, like the bubble igloo for $149, which seats up to six people, or the private fire pit for up to eight people for $99. Among McCallum’s favorites are the alpine chalets, which seat up to six people for $99. Food and beverages can be ordered from any of these locations.

Guests also can pay to go ice skating or ride around on Louie’s Barrel Train, which features individual cars made of old wine barrels.

There are plenty of free activities too, McCallum said. Admission is free to the village, which houses little shops and other activities. Kids can play in Santa’s Workshop or write letters to Santa, guests can visit Louie’s Lounge or use the photo booth with festive props. There is also a Festival of the Trees section, where each tree is decorated with prizes that guests can bid on, with proceeds supporting Faces 4 Autism.

“I love the way with families, it touches people’s hearts,” McCallum said. “Everything we do is trying to be over the top a little bit. Like, ‘Wow, that felt great!’”

Other places to check out

Jingle Bar, a six-week holiday pop-up at Harry’s Bar and Grille at the Montreal Beach Resort in Cape May. The bar features over-the-top Christmas décor, special holiday cocktails and dishes, music, special events and an appearance by Santa Claus. This is the second year Harry’s is doing the Jingle Bar overlay, following its debut in 2023. It had lines down Beach Avenue last year, according to a news release, so this year’s event started earlier and will end Jan. 4.

The Gingerbread Grille at Keenan’s Irish Pub in North Wildwood returned last month. It features festive seating, light displays and holiday-themed cocktails. The pub also has planned events on the weekends, including this weekend’s sold-out paint-n-sip and brunch with the Grinch.

The Irish Pub in Atlantic City is fully decorated with Christmas animatronics, including Finnegan the reindeer, a Christmas village and more. The pub is open seven days a week.

Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City is offering Ocean’s Holiday Village, located inside The Shops at The Row. The village features 10 vendors and operates from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 21. Guests also can visit the Jingle Bell Bar, which is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday and Friday and noon to 1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Christmas Island is open at LandShark Bar & Grill on the Boardwalk across from Resorts Casino Hotel. As an added bonus to their holiday menu, drinks are served in collectible ornament cups. Guests also can enjoy holiday décor and, hopefully, some Jimmy Buffett Christmas music.