Vol. 4, No. 10, October 2007
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Chickie’s & Pete’s
Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab House and Sports Bar 6055 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Twp., NJ 08234 609-272-1930
The famous Philadelphia sports bar has now come to the shore, giving locals a home-team spot in Egg Harbor Township.
“Everybody is an Eagles fan down here,” says founder and owner Pete Ciarrocchi. “When you come to Chickie’s & Pete’s, you get football, music and fight songs. It’s an in-game experience.”
The full-service sports bar opened in late March, in the space formerly occupied by Damon’s Grill. The fifth restaurant in the Chickie’s & Pete’s chain combines new design elements with the best of the chain’s signature features. The restaurant features a circular staircase and the trademark two-story liquor wall.
The interior has been completely redone to cater to the sports fanatic. With more than 25 televisions, including a gigantic screen over the central bar and four screens encompassing the back wall of the dining area, it’s an ideal spot to watch the games. Neon signs, beer specials and more than 3,000 empty beer cans adorn the walls, along with Eagles and Phillies paraphernalia and autographed pictures.
With a more than a 30-year history in Philadelphia, Chickie’s & Pete’s is first and foremost an Eagles bar during football season. While music is played during sports events—from NASCAR to hockey—Eagles games are the only ones that are accompanied by play-by-play audio. To keep the bar patrons in the game, a DJ plays music during commercials and the fight song after every Eagles extra point.
But if there is anything to distract you from the game, it’s the liquor wall, with its sliding wooden ladder behind the main bar. The “liquor ladder” allows the bartender to reach the top-shelf spirits on display.
“You can actually see the product,” says Ciarrocchi. “It’s like a liquor store, but here you can try it, instead of having to buy the whole bottle.”
One of the unique features of the Egg Harbor location is its outside bar area. Open year-round, the outdoor bar is outfitted with overhead heating and a fireplace to keep patrons warm. While the finishing touches are still being added, the outdoor area is an ideal place for someone to eat, drink and have a smoke while watching the game.
Nothing goes better with sports than beer and food, which is why Chickie’s & Pete’s offers top-notch finger foods. Most famous for its crab fries, the restaurant has a selection of wings, mussels and pizza as game-time choices. If things get messy, four sinks resembling crab pots are located throughout the restaurant for a quick cleanup while chowing down on the hand-held treats.
As an added attraction during football season, Eagles players visit the bar every Monday for a live ESPN Radio broadcast on 1450 AM. Either linebacker Chris Gocong or Omar Gaither hosts a live show while signing autographs. Other teammates are expected to tag along each week as guests on the show.
Ciarrocchi explains, “This area doesn’t get players, so it’s great, especially for the young kids to come in and get autographs.”
Chickie’s & Pete’s in Egg Harbor Township is open daily from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m., with free on-site parking and daily happy-hour specials from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Reservations can be made for parties of six or larger, and various packaged goods and food items are available for takeout. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.chickiesandpetes.com.
