About
Named after Fred. Built by his son.
Family-owned bar and kitchen on Somers Point Road. Open since 2020. Next door to the family auto shop, which has been here a lot longer.
The story
The short version
A bar named after the guy next door.
Fred Kneble has been fixing cars in Mays Landing for forty-five years, the last twenty-plus at 5473 Somers Point Road. He started in a two-bay garage at Routes 40 and 50 and built it into Kneble’s Auto Service Center next door.
Cooking and smoking meat was his hobby on weekends. In 2020, he and Nancy bought the building next to the shop, renovated the kitchen, and opened the doors as Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen. The “Freddy” is Fred. The “J” is his middle initial, like Homer J. Simpson.
Grant Kneble, their son, runs it day to day. The kitchen leans 20% BBQ, 80% scratch food that does not exist anywhere else around here. The bar runs a full whiskey program. The smoker fires almost every day. Sundays are family.
The building is a Mays Landing landmark. Inside there are thirteen televisions for Tuesday-night games and Sunday football, a draft beer list, a full wine list, and the bourbon shelf behind the bar. The goal has not changed since day one: the best food and the coldest drink in the neighborhood, in a room where strangers become regulars.
How we run it
How we run the place
Five things that come first.
Honestly, it comes down to one thing: we want to be a good neighborhood bar. A place that brings people together, builds a little camaraderie, and is there for folks when they need it. These five are how we try to live up to that.
Respect
For the room, the staff, the guests, the neighborhood. Earned, not assumed.
Accountability
When we drop the ball, we say so. When we get it right, we say so quietly.
Kaizen
Small, constant improvement. Every shift, every plate, every Tuesday.
Hospitality
You can feel it the second you walk in. It is the whole job.
Community
We are part of Mays Landing, not just parked in it. When the town needs a hand, we try to be there.
The Knebles
The Knebles
Two generations on the same block.
Owner, day to day
Grant Kneble
Freddy J’s was his idea, built on Fred’s recipes and Nancy’s eye for the room. Runs the bar, the floor, and the calendar. Background in digital marketing before the bar. Obsesses over the food without ever cooking it, knows the regulars by drink order.
Owner, the heart
Nancy Kneble
Responsible for the interior design and a lot of the vegetable dishes, like her namesake house salad and the brussels sprouts. Half of Fred and Nancy, and the energy at the door.
Owner, the smoker
Fred Kneble
The Freddy in Freddy J’s. Runs Kneble’s Auto next door. Tastes everything and is always good for a tweak that makes a dish better.
What folks say
"The wings on Thursday were amazing!! So we went back on the weekend and had ribs and brisket combos. Best BBQ around!!!!!"
"Their smoked food was excellent, and Ray, the bartender, made some awesome cocktails. đź‘Ť"
"We love coming here. It’s such a great place with great food but more importantly they have the best server. Our server..."
"This is my favorite local restaurant! Our server Hailea was so sweet and attentive. She was so kind throughout our visit. We’ve..."
Where to next
Dogs welcome
Dog-friendly patio
Patio dogs are part of the family. Water bowls on us.
Book the room
Private events
Back room up to 25, full venue up to 70. Birthdays, showers, work teams, more.
In the press
Media mentions
Press of Atlantic City, Philadelphia Inquirer, MGK, WMMR, and more.