ABSECON – If you’re looking for an out-of-the way place to enjoy breakfast or lunch, Up the Creek is about as out of the way as you can get.

Mary De Luca opened the eatery a little more than a month ago, and locals and fishermen are finding their way to the quiet spot overlooking Absecon Creek.

Owner Mary DeLuca of Absecon has 30 years’ experience working in restaurants throughout Atlantic County – from coffee shops to fancy hotels – and from Atlantic City to Mays Landing. But her dream was to open a place of her own, and when the building became available, she bought it.

The building overlooking Absecon Creek formerly housed the Back Bay Café. It’s not fancy, but it has a great view, and according to DeLuca it is like a social club.

“Everyone knows everybody,” said DeLuca.

Patty Fish – that’s her real name – is the café’s main cook, and Dana Boucher is the waitress.

“I do everything else and work wherever I’m needed,” DeLuca said.

This is her first business, and she is going solo. Her husband, Joe, helps by peeling potatoes and filling in as needed, helping wherever he can, but the business is hers. DeLuca said she wanted to work for herself.

The Back Bay Café was only operating sporadically before it closed due to an illness in the owner’s family. DeLuca is hopeful that her following from other ventures will help her build it into a viable business again.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and breakfast is served all day. Lunch begins at 11 a.m., but they will make sandwiches earlier by request. Fishermen are finding it a good place to grab a sandwich to take out on the boat.  

“We do accommodate the fishermen,” said Boucher. “If they call ahead of time, we’ll have their food ready for them as early as 5 a.m. so they can take their lunch out on the boat with them.”

DeLuca was born and raised in Absecon.  She attended the H. Ashton Marsh Elementary School, Emma C. Attales Middle School and is a graduate of Holy Spirit High School. As a child she worked as a clammer going out at low tide to pull up the mesh baskets. 

“I jumped in the water and lifted the baskets until the water drained,” she said. “The baskets were filled with clams. I was too small to use a rake. I still love the bay, and I love to fish.”  She met her husband 27 years ago when she was a waitress at the Black Cat in Absecon. They’ve been together ever since giving each other support and working as a team.

“We plan to offer homemade soups beginning in the fall, and right now we’ve added fresh fruit to the menu for the summer season. Every weekday there is a special, and prices vary according to what is offered,” said DeLuca, adding that she will try to accommodate any dietary needs customers may have.

To find the restaurant, take Shore Road to Lisbon Avenue and make a sharp right. Another right a short distance down the road will lead you to a sign for Up the Creek Marina, where you can turn left into the parking lot. The sign on the wood-sided building simply says “Café.”

Photos by T.S. EVANS