By the time we jumped back into the Lady, we were
frozen. It was a cool place to explore, though. It doesn't seem that this once majestic
old restaurant will be opening it's doors again anytime soon, though, if ever- if the
condemning signs posted around the place are any indication... how very unfortunate. I
wish we could have seen this majestic place in it's heyday...
Gene sent in these
memories about Peterson's Sunset Cabin, "This was a family style restaurant. It was
famous for its charcoal chicken among other very good dishes. Everything was served family
style. You walked into the bar area and behind was a huge room with row upon row of
tables. At the end of the room was a giant open BBQ pit where all the dishes were cooked.
You could watch your meal being cooked. They gave out balloons to the kids. It main
clientele were family and older couples. It was my mothers favorite place when it was
opened. I don't know when it closed but it has been several years."
Dave from California
sent in these fond recollection,
"We went to Petersons often during the 60s and early 70's. It was the kind
of place you dressed up to go to even if you were at the shore. My favorite dish was the
Lobster Newberg, it was served in these nifty little silver serving trays - wonder if any
of those are rusting inside somewhere? I remember going out and walking around the lake
while my parents and grandparents had coffee and desert... Petersons will always be one of
my favorite places, as a matter of fact I found your great site while trying to find out
if it was still in business... so sad its gone!"
Our visitor Todd wrote, "Shady... Like Dave, I too found
your site searching for Peterson's Sunset Cabin. In the mid 90's I was new to NJ. I was
wandering around looking for things lost when I stumbled on Peterson's. It was still
going, but looked like it was nearing the end. My wife and I liked the sound of a
"sunset cabin" and we stopped for dinner. We were seated in a ballroom. I
remember a large charcoal pit at the end of the room. There should have been a man in a
big chef's hat charbroiling steaks, but alas it was abandoned. There was an
organist! I almost didn't notice her: the organ was perched on the island in the
middle of the ancient looking bar. I remember the manager (owner?) talking to his only
other patrons, telling them how to run a restaurant. I'm sorry he wasn't able
to survive."
And Virtual Scoob Katia tells us, "I remember Peterson's
Sunset Cabin in Lakewood, YEARS ago, when it was in it's prime. It was a nice family
place, steaks, chicken, char-grilled...The area around the "Cabin" became a
prime example of neighborhood blight and decay and Lakewood was no longer a fashionable
place to visit. Add to the problems of a diminished attraction--there was a contamination
problem (petroleum leakage) blamed on a neighboring gas station. The owners of Peterson's
claimed there was a distinct smell of gas in the restaurant, although this wasn't
substantiated by a legal claim. The place just closed, forlorn and empty and it rots in
it's place, slowly and sadly. It has become a congregating place for the strange
multitudes who live in the wooded areas and wander by night on all the inroads and back
lots of Route 9 everywhere. That's the story!"
Thanks for sharing your memories with us,
you guys. I was surprised to gear that Peterson's was around so long ago! It is really sad
that such a nice place, with so many good memories for so many people, is empty and
abandoned now. Our friend Trish also remembers seeing the old Sunset Cabin when it was
open. Although she never had the chance to dine there before it was closed down, she told
me that the parking lot was packed every time she passed it and she always wanted to go
there, as it seemed like a really neat place. As I showed her my pictures, we both
commented how sad it was that it was closed. Trish also remembered hearing that there was
some sort of "gas" leak or contamination that forced the restaurant to close.
This rings true, as there is an abandoned gas station cordoned off with yellow tape just
across the train tracks, right next to Peterson's. Perhaps a gas leak of some sort caused
the closing of both places, and is the "life hazard" referred to on the posted
vacant notices all over the building??
Do you have any background information or stories to tell about this vacant
site?
Another Route 9
Roadside Find! For even more, check out Trippin' On 9
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