How the stand started

One root beer recipe.
A whole lot of summers.

The short version

Built for the boardwalk, one mug at a time.

Stewart's Root Beer Seaside Heights started the way most good boardwalk stands do — with a recipe worth defending and a spot close enough to the water that customers still had sand on their feet. The root beer is brewed slow and dark, the mugs live in the freezer, and the menu stayed short on purpose: do a few things, do them the same way every single time.

Decades of Jersey Shore summers later, that's still the whole plan. Car hop trays, a walk-up window, and a booth if you'd rather sit. No shortcuts on the float, no matter how long the line gets on a Saturday night.

Diner booth interior with root beer floats on the table
Milestones

From walk-up window to boardwalk staple

Year One

The stand opens

A small walk-up window, one root beer recipe, and a hand-painted menu board facing the boardwalk.

Early Growth

Car hop service begins

Trays on the window, service to your car — the drive-in experience Stewart's stands became known for.

Boardwalk Era

Indoor booths added

A proper dining room goes in for rainy days and off-season regulars, without changing a single recipe.

Today

Still pouring the same float

Same frosted mugs, same slow-brewed root beer, now serving the grandkids of the people who first lined up.

What hasn't changed

The three rules of the stand

Brew it slow

Our root beer is never rushed — dark, slow-brewed, and always made in-house.

Freeze the mug

No float leaves the window in a warm glass. The freezer runs all day for a reason.

Keep the line moving

Boardwalk crowds don't wait well — our grill and window are built for speed without cutting corners.

Come see for yourself

Taste the recipe that hasn't changed.

Browse the menu