301 Howard Street, Cape May, NJ 08204 | 609-884-8409 | info@chalfonte.com | Facebook Instagram Pinterest
The Magnolia Room serves delicious meals in season (May through September). Our veranda on a summer evening is the outstanding dinner location in Cape May!
October Hours: Dinner Thursday and Sunday (closed for private events Fridays and Saturdays). Breakfast Saturday and Sunday
Please check our social media channels for the latest updates on restaurant hours or call 609-884-8409 and select option 2.
While reservations are recommended for dinner, we do not require breakfast reservations at this time. Parties of 8 or more can call ahead for breakfast seating so that we can have a table ready for them upon arrival.
Above: Helen on the Chalfonte porch. Dot and Lucille in 2009.
The dining room’s southern flavor arrived by way of Miss Clementine Young and her daughter Helen Dickerson in the 1920's. Acclaimed for her skill as well as her spirit, the late Miss Helen Dickerson presided over the Magnolia Room kitchen for more than 60 years, serving “soul food with its Sunday clothes on.” Helen’s Southern fried chicken was featured on the Food Network show Tyler’s Ultimate and The Phil Donahue Show.
Helen lovingly worked side by side with her two daughters, Dot Burton & Lucille Thompson for more than 50 of those years. The sisters carried on the family legacy of culinary excellence after their mother's passing up until Dot’s passing in 2015 and Lucille’s retirement in 2020.
Their voices and laughter still echo throughout the kitchen as the chicken simmers and the handmade biscuits rise.
For almost a century, our restaurant patrons have enjoyed Helen, Dot and Lucille's recipes.
© 2025 The Chalfonte. All rights reserved. Site by Cape Publishing Accessibility Privacy Policy
