Restaurant in Atlantic City, United States
Atlantic City's clearest sandwich call.
White House is Atlantic City's most credentialed sandwich counter, with three consecutive years on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list and a 4.6 rating from over 4,600 Google reviews. Walk-in only, fast service, and genuinely local in feel. If you want a low-cost meal in Atlantic City that's backed by real recognition, this is the answer.
If you're weighing a sandwich stop in Atlantic City, White House is the clearest answer in the city. This isn't a comparison between equals: where most boardwalk and casino-strip options lean on convenience over craft, White House has earned consecutive recognition on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list — ranked #388 in 2024 and #439 in 2025, with a Recommended entry in 2023. A 4.6 rating across 4,612 Google reviews is the kind of sustained consensus that's hard to fake. If you're coming to Atlantic City and sandwiches are the move, this is where to go.
White House has been a fixture at 2301 Arctic Ave long enough that Atlantic City regulars treat it less like a discovery and more like a standing appointment. The energy here is counter-service casual — the kind of room where orders come fast, the crowd is local-heavy, and nobody is lingering over a second glass of wine. For a first-timer, that atmosphere can feel abrupt. For a regular, it's exactly the point: you know what you want, you order it, and the food delivers.
The OAD Cheap Eats recognition is the relevant credential to understand the positioning. OAD's list covers the full breadth of North America and skews toward places with genuine local followings rather than tourist-facing operations. Consecutive appearances across three years , improving from Recommended to #388 to #439 , indicate a place that has maintained quality through the full post-pandemic stretch, which is not a given in a hospitality market as volatile as Atlantic City's.
If you've already been once and ordered whatever was most familiar, the second visit is where White House pays off more deliberately. The format is sandwiches, and the OAD recognition suggests there's enough range in the menu to reward repeat visits rather than treating it as a one-and-done. On a first visit, most people default to the most popular option. On a second, the smarter move is to ask what regulars order , the counter staff at places with this kind of local following usually have a direct answer. A third visit, if you're in Atlantic City often enough, is worth timing earlier in the day: high-traffic sandwich counters tend to peak mid-lunch and the quality of execution holds better when the kitchen isn't under maximum pressure.
For comparison's sake: Pane Bianco in Phoenix and Alidoro in New York City operate in a similar register , sandwich-focused, counter-service, strong local reputation , and both reward regulars who work through the menu systematically rather than anchoring on one order.
White House does not require advance reservations. Booking difficulty is easy, which means the decision is really about timing rather than access. Walk in, order at the counter, and expect a short wait during peak lunch hours. There is no formal dress code , this is a sandwich counter, and the room reflects that. Solo diners are well-served by the format: counter seating and quick service make it one of the more comfortable solo stops in Atlantic City, with no awkward table dynamics to manage.
| Venue | Cuisine | Booking | Price Tier | Key Credential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White House | Sandwiches | Walk-in | Cheap Eats | OAD Cheap Eats #388 (2024) |
| Tony's Baltimore Grill | Pizza / Italian | Walk-in | Budget | Long-standing local institution |
| Dock's Oyster House | Seafood | Reservations recommended | Mid-range | Atlantic City dining anchor |
| Knife and Fork Inn | American / Steakhouse | Book ahead | Higher end | Historic property, full-service dining |
For a broader picture of where White House sits in the city's dining options, see our full Atlantic City restaurants guide. If you're planning a longer trip, our Atlantic City hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the trip-planning stack.
Within Atlantic City's dining options, White House operates in a different register than Dock's Oyster House or Knife and Fork Inn , those are sit-down meals with full-service expectations and correspondingly higher price points. If you want a proper dinner with tablecloths and a wine list, White House is not the answer. If you want a fast, credentialed, low-cost meal that Atlantic City locals actually eat, White House is the cleaner choice.
Tony's Baltimore Grill is the closest peer in terms of format and price positioning , both are walk-in, both are budget-tier, both have genuine local followings. The distinction is cuisine: Tony's runs pizza and Italian, White House runs sandwiches. If you want a quick, no-fuss meal in Atlantic City, the choice between them is purely about what you're in the mood for, not about quality or price tier. For a single trip with limited meals, White House gets the edge on national recognition , three straight years on the OAD Cheap Eats list is a harder credential to earn than longevity alone.
If you're benchmarking against the city's higher-end options, Dock's Oyster House is the better sit-down choice for seafood, and Knife and Fork Inn suits a special-occasion dinner. But neither competes with White House on value or accessibility, and neither requires you to plan around a reservation window.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| White House | Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #439 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #388 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended (2023) | — | |
| Dock's Oyster House | — | ||
| Knife and Fork Inn | — | ||
| Tony's Baltimore Grill | — |
A quick look at how White House measures up.
Yes, and it's one of the easier solo calls in Atlantic City. No reservation is needed, the format is counter-friendly, and the Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats ranking (#388 in 2024, #439 in 2025) reflects consistent quality that holds up for a single visit with no group to coordinate. Walk in, order, eat.
Not really — White House is a sandwich shop on Arctic Ave, not a sit-down destination. For a special occasion in Atlantic City, Dock's Oyster House or Knife and Fork Inn are the better fit. White House earns its place as a pre- or post-occasion stop, not the centerpiece.
No booking required. White House takes walk-ins, so the planning question is timing, not reservations. Expect potential waits during peak beach-season weekends; arriving off-peak or mid-week is the practical move.
Whatever you showed up to Atlantic City in. White House is a sandwich counter at 2301 Arctic Ave — there is no dress expectation beyond basic appropriateness. Come as you are.
Tony's Baltimore Grill is the closest comparison in format and price — a casual, no-fuss Atlantic City institution. If you want a full sit-down meal, Dock's Oyster House and Knife and Fork Inn operate in a different register entirely, with table service and higher price points. For sandwiches specifically, White House is the OAD-ranked option in the city.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
