A Family Affair

Located right across from the Avalon police and fire station, Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. is a seafood deli that brings the best of take-and-bake seafood. The business is rooted in family tradition and has become a must-stop locale for locals and visitors alike.

The Vassalotti family’s connection with Capt’n Chucky’s began over two decades ago when they started buying seafood from the original Newtown Square, PA store. Every Friday night, John Vassalotti would bring home a variety of fish and crab cakes, which quickly became family favorites. Their Friday feasts became a tradition, and the owner eventually suggested the Vassolotti family open a branch at the beach. With a family home on 27th Street, Avalon was the perfect choice.

The business then grew into a true family affair, with John and his brother-in-law helping out, their mothers working the front counter, and their father handling the bookkeeping. The Vassalotti family brought their passion for fresh and delicious, easy-to-prepare food to Avalon. And they are here to stay.

Why Avalon? A Love for Family and Tradition

The Vassalotti family has deep roots in Avalon, with generations enjoying the town’s family-friendly atmosphere. Opening a Capt’n Chucky’s branch on the island was a natural fit. 

Their inspiration to open the store stemmed from their PA Friday night feasts with their family, and the Vassalottis wanted to bring these ready-to-warm seafood options to both locals and visitors to the shore looking for convenient, high-quality meals.

A unique aspect of Capt’n Chucky’s is the personal touch added by the Vassalotti family. Lois, John’s mother, makes all of the store’s desserts and pies, which are a hit with repeat customers and often quickly sell out. These homemade treats add an extra layer to a delicious dinner, and a more traditional touch to the store’s already massive list of offerings.

A Menu To Savor - Customer Favorites and Unique Offerings

Of course, Capt’n Chucky’s is best known for its variety of crab cakes, ensuring there’s something for every taste. From unbreaded and colossal crab cakes to spicy, gouda cheese, imperial, shrimp, and even lobster cakes, the selection is impressive. Beyond the cakes, the shrimp cocktail, always fresh with a great snap, paired with the homemade cocktail sauce, is a standout customer favorite.

What makes this locale stand out, is that all the crab cakes are pre-cooked, making it easy for customers to warm them up at their convenience. Simply mix and match your preferences for crab cakes and other delicious items, bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and feast.

‍I Heart 7 Mile’s Summer BBQ 

In chatting with Brittany Vassalotti about the delicious menu offerings, we had to try it for ourselves, and luckily just in time for some guests coming to town for the weekend. 

We started our backyard BBQ small, with just a few items to accompany our burgers and hot dogs: a crab cake, some wontons, and a salad. But once we realized the extent of Capt’n Chucky’s menu offerings, we quickly decided to turn our gathering into a full seafood extravaganza. We ditched the burgers and returned for a second trip to Capt’n Chucky’s to fill out the menu.

‍Appetizers

They have a full menu of soups - from the popular cream of crab soup to clam chowder, snapper, and bisque. But that’s not all, you can also pick from fresh shrimp cocktail, clams casino, baked crab dip, and more. 

Naturally, we couldn’t decide and ended up grabbing some wasabi crab spread and crackers, two Shrimp and Crab Spring Rolls, and two Marchiano’s Bakery stuffed breads - pepperoni and cheesesteak.

And that was just the cocktail hour!

‍Entrees

For dinner, we had a lot of tastes and preferences at the table, so we planned for variety. Each adult selected a crab cake and a side including cheddar twice-baked potatoes, broccoli salad,  and homemade coleslaw. The littles opted for homemade breaded chicken tenders and some lobster mac’n cheese. 

We went traditional with our dinner selections, but it should be mentioned that Capt’n Chucky’s has a full line of fish including chili lime tilapia, ahi tuna, lobster tails, scallops wrapped in bacon, and so much more.  

‍The Outcome

As someone who grew up at the shore, I consider myself a crab cake aficionado. I’m very picky about what stands up to my crab cake chart of perfection. Also, one should note, that I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to cooking.

Jumbo. Lump. Crab. **Chef’s Kiss**

The new Bang Bang Crabcake was lightly fried and had the perfect amount of spice to it.

The “Mega Colossal Crab Cake” is advertised correctly with giant lumps of crab - no filler was detected.

And the Imperial Breaded Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was just perfect.

Each item was packaged with clear directions and even the most hopeless of chefs can figure out how to turn the oven on and reheat, and that’s just what we did.

And we feasted. A little too much. We had no room left for one of Lois’ homemade pies - but that’s okay - we’ll grab that next time. 

‍5-Star 7 Mile Spotlight for Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. 

The Vassalotti family has a focus on carrying out Capt’n Chucky’s mission for years to come in Avalon - to serve the highest quality product at the lowest possible price. The family loves serving locals and visitors, and all involved take pride in turning customers into friends. This location is more than just a seafood deli, it’s homemade deliciousness built with family tradition and a love for Avalon’s community. Whether you’re a long-time resident or a first-time visitor, Capt’n Chucky’s is a must-visit destination for delicious, easy-to-prepare seafood meals. 

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