The Chatterbox: A Beacon for Generations in Ocean City

Well, you can't really miss this place, can you? In fact, thanks to the new Ninth Street Bridge, is a beacon from blocks away.

“When you crest that bridge, you can see the big pink building,” says owner Aimee Repici with more than a little pride. “I love it bright Pepto-Bismol pink.” Of course, the pink and teal neon sign helps attract attention, too.

Why pink? No real explanation given, except it's been that way since Jean Campbell established this Ocean City institution in 1937. A new owner painted it green in 1969 – an experiment to which townspeople apparently did not take too well. Neither the owner nor the color lasted too long.

“Everybody was up in arms because they hated that green. It was an ugly green,” says co-owner Marie Repici, Aimee's mother-in-law, who bought the restaurant with her late husband, Tom, in 1972. “We repainted it pink from Girl Scout green.” 

Even if it weren't pink, this building would be eye-catching; it was designed in the 1920s by Philadelphia architect Vivian Smith, an Ocean City native, and its Spanish Mission Revival style is similar to his other creations – The Flanders Hotel and Ocean City Music Pier.

Inside, The Chatterbox is just as colorful and friendly, with pink (of course), turquoise and teal being the primary colors. My 6-year-old companion enjoyed the twirly fish kites hanging from the ceiling. A beautiful mural depicts the restaurant from decades gone by. He also liked the “window in a cage” – actually it looks to be a cake case. Kids notice the darndest things, and this is a quirky place with lots to look at.

The Chatterbox bills itself as “Where the Town Meets” and on this Friday morning in July, you can believe it. Bikes are stacked up at the bike rack outside as vacationing families flock in to fuel up with French toast, omelets, steak and eggs – before heading out for a day on the beach.

“We really get a lot of families, we're very kid friendly,” says Aimee Repici, who met her husband here in 1978 when he was a cook and she was a waitress. He died of lung cancer in 2009.

The Chatterbox remains a family affair. Aimee lives just a couple of doors from the restaurant. She and Marie keep it running smoothly. Two of Aimee's four sons, Michael (creator of the famous Chatterbox Clam Chowder), 26, and Jon, 17, work in the kitchen. Tommy, 28, works for a beverage company and Matthew, 22, is headed to culinary school.

“I'm still enjoying working and being part of it,” says Marie Repici, who is lucky enough to live upstairs and winter in Belize. “My grandchildren will own it someday and I'm happy about that.”

Chatterbox fare is of the hearty variety – and reasonably priced. An invitation on the menu to “build an egg-cellant sandwich” for $1.99 caught my eye. My fried egg with bacon and American cheese on swirly rye toast was tasty; a side order of hash browns ($1.99) was enough to share with my buddy. They were crispy and good.

The day's blackboard special was a short stack of French toast stuffed with strawberry and pineapple for $5.99. Jr. French toast from the kids' menu ($5.99) was a generous portion and came with a link of sausage my companion liked so much we had to order more. Plus, he said the chocolate milk was cold and delicious.

Of course, combo breakfasts are always popular and Chatterbox offers something we haven't seen before – a Family Size meal that feeds four for $24.99 – with six scrambled eggs, 10 pancakes, six bacon or sausage and hash browns, plus includes coffee and juice.

New this year is a character breakfast Wednesday mornings throughout summer, with characters similar to Elmo, Dora and Snow White likely to make appearances, thanks to Kidz Creations, a business located on Asbury Avenue. Seatings are 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.; cost is $10 for kids and $12 for adults.

Of course, The Chatterbox is not just for breakfast, although you can get it until 5 p.m. Lunch and dinner are popular here too, with “Mike's Secret Recipe” clam chowder – described as a “little white, a little red makes it just right” – plus, salads, burgers, sandwiches, hoagies and wraps, seafood, steaks and chops and pasta. And there's a full ice cream menu, too, with scoops, sundaes, shakes, splits and floats.

Add all that to friendly staffers who seem to enjoy their jobs and you can see why The Chatterbox has been around for generations.

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WHERE: 9th Street and Central Avenue

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., breakfast served until 5 p.m.

GET IN TOUCH: 609-399-0113, www.chatterboxrestaurant.com

OTHER STUFF TO KNOW: Outside seating. Seating available for large parties, call ahead. Kids' menu. All credit cards accepted. Take-out available.

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