We had a great time talking with staff, atmosphere was nice and the food was edible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Hannah Chamberlain
My husband and I stopped in for dinner on our last night of vacation, with our baby. The servers were personable and kind. Yes they charge for refills but many restaurants on the boardwalks do, and the servers tell you when you order a refill to ensure it’s still okay. The food was very yummy, and again reasonable for eating on the boardwalk. We enjoyed our visit, and will return next summer when we come back! 💕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Saunter Berry
Plenty of other reviews have gone into the same details, or had horrible experiences. We didn't have a terrible time, the server was excellent, all the staff we interacted with were lovely. Even so far as when we mentioned that someone in our party has a shellfish allergy, they assured us that the kitchen would keep things separate (and did from what we could tell).
The trouble comes in simply with small things adding up to make the experience difficult. Limited payment options, cash only tips, teeny tiny side salads, only bottled water, expensive drinks, not all menu prices being clearly listed. Someone else said it best that when looking at the bill it just feels like the prices are designed to nickel and dime you, and make it harder to keep track of.
I certainly empathize that boardwalk prices are expensive, and I'm sure the cost of operating a tourist cafe is astronomical, but it felt like the cost-saving corner-cutting has crossed the line into harming the experience.
The food was good, but nothing blew us away, and having to consciously parse the menu for prices to make sure we didn't spend more here than anywhere else (we did anyway, 100$ for two appetizers and one dinner entree) just made us a little uneasy the whole time.
I really hope they can turn it around, because it seems like it's just gotten hard to stay open, and it's starting to show.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Bill Hughes
For the Labor Day weekend, we spent it in North Wildwood. In Monday afternoon, we headed up the coast and then decided on dinner in Ocean City. Our first time visiting this town. On the boardwalk, we met Adrienne who greeted us and sat us. Our spaghetti and meatballs 🍝 we ordered was very good, but the service we received from Adrienne was prompt. %hey accommodated us as we arrived an hour before dinner. We had a great time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
steve yarnall
Yummy tuna salad. Food arrived quickly. Tips are cash only.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
tastic
Ah yes, the Ocean City cafe where the ambiance whispers fine dining but the bill screams daylight robbery. First off, $3 for a root beer? I didn’t realize I was drinking liquid gold straight from the Fountain of Youth. For that price, I expected the waiter to pour it into a crystal goblet while reciting Shakespeare. Instead, I got… a paper cup. Then came the salads. Sixty dollars for three piles of lettuce. Unless those greens were hand-picked by Michelangelo himself, I’m not sure of what I just paid for. Maybe the lettuce went to private school? Maybe the croutons have a 401k? And the grand finale, I asked for five shrimp on my salad. No one mentioned it would cost me an extra ten dollars. Ten bucks! For five shrimp! Also, the shrimp had the consistency of rubber and tire. That’s two dollars per shrimp, which is funny because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen fresher ones in the bait shop down the street. So here’s the deal: if you want to experience the thrill of being charged like you’re dining in Manhattan while actually chewing through boardwalk lettuce, come on down. Otherwise, take your money literally anywhere else, preferably a place that tells you the price before you sell a kidney.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dat_Gamer 114
60 some dollars for three salads? I can go the woods and it's free. Adding shrimp cost ten extra dollars just for five mediocre peices.The owner has the audacity to say the boardwalk isn't cheap, when you can EASILY find a more filling, more tasty, and more cost effective establishment with just a little effort. The staff were nice, but unfortunately that doesn't make up for the money that was burned that night.
Donna W
Stopped in for lunch. Very welcoming and friendly staff, that even offered to make my husband a sandwich he was craving that was not listed on their menu. The restaurant - including the bathroom - is clean. A bit pricey but not more so than any other food establishment on the boardwalk. We each had a tasty Panini and were pleased with the fresh ingredients.
Jessica
Had dinner here last night and wasn't expecting a great meal, it being the boardwalk, but the spinach ravioli with sautéed shrimp was so so good. Our server Tom seemed to be a little busy but continued to make sure we were satisfied and was extremely polite and super friendly to our little one. Yes, it's pricey, but everything on the boardwalk is. Great food and service and we will be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Joe Haines
We had dinner there Tuesday evening there were 6 in our party,the service was excellent the food was fantastic. We even had dessert.. I must say we have walked past the diner many times,this was our first time dining there,we will definitely go back everybody enjoyed themselves i had the seafood fra diavlo,and trust me it was excellent and iam a picky eater lol thank you again to our server daniella,I hope I spelled the correctly. We will 100 percent be back!!
My boyfriend and I were looking for a nice place for lunch and neither of us had ever been here so we decided to give it a try. The staff was very nice, but what really stumped us was the prices. Yes I know we're on the boardwalk and things will be pricier, but when I decided to get the Mediterranean salad (with chicken) I was not expecting the $26 price point. On top of the fact that water is not free. My boyfriends burger cost less than my salad. And it tasted fine, but for that price it just didn't add up. Wish we had checked the reviews first.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Pam Brumbaugh
My husband and I had a wonderful breakfast at the Ocean Cafe. The staff was friendly, prompt and helpful. The food was outstanding! It was a delicious way to end our stay in Ocean City. Thank you Michael for the great service!
Kyla B
There are better places on the boardwalk. No tap water, I thought maybe they’d charge $1-$2 for bottled (since they have no tap)- $3.5!! This place is extremely overpriced for mediocre food. The way the owner is responding to reviews should say enough. DO NOT GO HERE! Waste of time and money.
P.S. I’m a black woman who came down to visit my boyfriend (white), and all I can say is the way I was treated before he arrived made me very uncomfortable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Colin Luderitz
I get that it’s OC but man this was overpriced. My girlfriend and I paid $50 for two pancakes, an unseasoned omelette, and home fries so burnt I couldn’t skewer them on my fork. Cash tips only in the year of our lord 2025 is ridiculous too. I could have made something much cheaper and much more delicious at home. Lesson learned.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Mattie Jane
This cafe was the biggest waste of money. My boyfriend decides to surprise me with a beach day trip and we were having a GREAT day. Time comes for dinner and we ofc decide to walk the boardwalk. After debating between a few places, we decided to have a sit down meal at Ocean Cafe. The menu looked good, and we were both really hungry so in the mood for a good dish. When we first got in there, we realized there was no AC, they had fans all over the place, and their floor was wet. Waitress comes to our table immediately and ask us what we would like to drink, (an important part here is we did not get to look at the menu yet) and starts reading us off drink options. She asked us if we would like lemonades to which we said yes, sounded great on a hot day. Didn’t give much thought to it. We put in an appetizer of the fried calamari, which to be honest, was very rubbery and fishy tasting, I’ve never had it like that before, was not good. we decide to look past it because we’ve already walked a long ways up and down the boardwalk a few times, so we put in meals. My boyfriend’s pasta he described as “edible”. There were tiny pieces of shells, broken up all throughout his pasta that made it not so pleasant. The sauce was very watery. I had the capellini ala vodka. Sauce and pasta was decent but the waitress asked me if I wanted to add a meat (note this price not on menu) I added shrimp. My shrimp was soooo soggy that I didn’t even eat them. We ask for the bill and our jaws dropped. $136 for a less than mediocre “meal”. Not only this, but the lemonade she suggested was $10 a cup. She did not mention that it wasn’t their lemonade, it was the business next door. At one point she asked my boyfriend for a “refill” but failed to mention it wasn’t free. $30 on some freaking lemonade is insane. It wasn’t fancy or anything, no special cup that would make it cost more, just a Coke glass size lemonade. She also over-charged us for “frozen” lemonades, when we only got regulars. She even said it to our faces upon me mentioning it, but went and ran the card for full price. So thanks Ocean Cafe for wasting my boyfriends vacation money on an unfair and massively over priced mediocre meal.
We had a great time talking with staff, atmosphere was nice and the food was edible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
My husband and I stopped in for dinner on our last night of vacation, with our baby. The servers were personable and kind. Yes they charge for refills but many restaurants on the boardwalks do, and the servers tell you when you order a refill to ensure it’s still okay. The food was very yummy, and again reasonable for eating on the boardwalk. We enjoyed our visit, and will return next summer when we come back! 💕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Plenty of other reviews have gone into the same details, or had horrible experiences. We didn't have a terrible time, the server was excellent, all the staff we interacted with were lovely. Even so far as when we mentioned that someone in our party has a shellfish allergy, they assured us that the kitchen would keep things separate (and did from what we could tell).
The trouble comes in simply with small things adding up to make the experience difficult. Limited payment options, cash only tips, teeny tiny side salads, only bottled water, expensive drinks, not all menu prices being clearly listed. Someone else said it best that when looking at the bill it just feels like the prices are designed to nickel and dime you, and make it harder to keep track of.
I certainly empathize that boardwalk prices are expensive, and I'm sure the cost of operating a tourist cafe is astronomical, but it felt like the cost-saving corner-cutting has crossed the line into harming the experience.
The food was good, but nothing blew us away, and having to consciously parse the menu for prices to make sure we didn't spend more here than anywhere else (we did anyway, 100$ for two appetizers and one dinner entree) just made us a little uneasy the whole time.
I really hope they can turn it around, because it seems like it's just gotten hard to stay open, and it's starting to show.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
For the Labor Day weekend, we spent it in North Wildwood. In Monday afternoon, we headed up the coast and then decided on dinner in Ocean City. Our first time visiting this town. On the boardwalk, we met Adrienne who greeted us and sat us. Our spaghetti and meatballs 🍝 we ordered was very good, but the service we received from Adrienne was prompt. %hey accommodated us as we arrived an hour before dinner.
We had a great time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yummy tuna salad. Food arrived quickly. Tips are cash only.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ah yes, the Ocean City cafe where the ambiance whispers fine dining but the bill screams daylight robbery. First off, $3 for a root beer? I didn’t realize I was drinking liquid gold straight from the Fountain of Youth. For that price, I expected the waiter to pour it into a crystal goblet while reciting Shakespeare. Instead, I got… a paper cup. Then came the salads. Sixty dollars for three piles of lettuce. Unless those greens were hand-picked by Michelangelo himself, I’m not sure of what I just paid for. Maybe the lettuce went to private school? Maybe the croutons have a 401k? And the grand finale, I asked for five shrimp on my salad. No one mentioned it would cost me an extra ten dollars. Ten bucks! For five shrimp! Also, the shrimp had the consistency of rubber and tire. That’s two dollars per shrimp, which is funny because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen fresher ones in the bait shop down the street. So here’s the deal: if you want to experience the thrill of being charged like you’re dining in Manhattan while actually chewing through boardwalk lettuce, come on down. Otherwise, take your money literally anywhere else, preferably a place that tells you the price before you sell a kidney.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
60 some dollars for three salads? I can go the woods and it's free. Adding shrimp cost ten extra dollars just for five mediocre peices.The owner has the audacity to say the boardwalk isn't cheap, when you can EASILY find a more filling, more tasty, and more cost effective establishment with just a little effort. The staff were nice, but unfortunately that doesn't make up for the money that was burned that night.
Stopped in for lunch. Very welcoming and friendly staff, that even offered to make my husband a sandwich he was craving that was not listed on their menu.
The restaurant - including the bathroom - is clean. A bit pricey but not more so than any other food establishment on the boardwalk. We each had a tasty Panini and were pleased with the fresh ingredients.
Had dinner here last night and wasn't expecting a great meal, it being the boardwalk, but the spinach ravioli with sautéed shrimp was so so good. Our server Tom seemed to be a little busy but continued to make sure we were satisfied and was extremely polite and super friendly to our little one. Yes, it's pricey, but everything on the boardwalk is. Great food and service and we will be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
We had dinner there Tuesday evening there were 6 in our party,the service was excellent the food was fantastic. We even had dessert.. I must say we have walked past the diner many times,this was our first time dining there,we will definitely go back everybody enjoyed themselves i had the seafood fra diavlo,and trust me it was excellent and iam a picky eater lol thank you again to our server daniella,I hope I spelled the correctly. We will 100 percent be back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
My boyfriend and I were looking for a nice place for lunch and neither of us had ever been here so we decided to give it a try. The staff was very nice, but what really stumped us was the prices. Yes I know we're on the boardwalk and things will be pricier, but when I decided to get the Mediterranean salad (with chicken) I was not expecting the $26 price point. On top of the fact that water is not free. My boyfriends burger cost less than my salad. And it tasted fine, but for that price it just didn't add up. Wish we had checked the reviews first.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
My husband and I had a wonderful breakfast at the Ocean Cafe. The staff was friendly, prompt and helpful. The food was outstanding! It was a delicious way to end our stay in Ocean City. Thank you Michael for the great service!
There are better places on the boardwalk. No tap water, I thought maybe they’d charge $1-$2 for bottled (since they have no tap)- $3.5!! This place is extremely overpriced for mediocre food. The way the owner is responding to reviews should say enough. DO NOT GO HERE! Waste of time and money.
P.S. I’m a black woman who came down to visit my boyfriend (white), and all I can say is the way I was treated before he arrived made me very uncomfortable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
I get that it’s OC but man this was overpriced. My girlfriend and I paid $50 for two pancakes, an unseasoned omelette, and home fries so burnt I couldn’t skewer them on my fork. Cash tips only in the year of our lord 2025 is ridiculous too. I could have made something much cheaper and much more delicious at home. Lesson learned.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
This cafe was the biggest waste of money. My boyfriend decides to surprise me with a beach day trip and we were having a GREAT day. Time comes for dinner and we ofc decide to walk the boardwalk. After debating between a few places, we decided to have a sit down meal at Ocean Cafe. The menu looked good, and we were both really hungry so in the mood for a good dish. When we first got in there, we realized there was no AC, they had fans all over the place, and their floor was wet. Waitress comes to our table immediately and ask us what we would like to drink, (an important part here is we did not get to look at the menu yet) and starts reading us off drink options. She asked us if we would like lemonades to which we said yes, sounded great on a hot day. Didn’t give much thought to it. We put in an appetizer of the fried calamari, which to be honest, was very rubbery and fishy tasting, I’ve never had it like that before, was not good. we decide to look past it because we’ve already walked a long ways up and down the boardwalk a few times, so we put in meals. My boyfriend’s pasta he described as “edible”. There were tiny pieces of shells, broken up all throughout his pasta that made it not so pleasant. The sauce was very watery. I had the capellini ala vodka. Sauce and pasta was decent but the waitress asked me if I wanted to add a meat (note this price not on menu) I added shrimp. My shrimp was soooo soggy that I didn’t even eat them. We ask for the bill and our jaws dropped. $136 for a less than mediocre “meal”. Not only this, but the lemonade she suggested was $10 a cup. She did not mention that it wasn’t their lemonade, it was the business next door. At one point she asked my boyfriend for a “refill” but failed to mention it wasn’t free. $30 on some freaking lemonade is insane. It wasn’t fancy or anything, no special cup that would make it cost more, just a Coke glass size lemonade. She also over-charged us for “frozen” lemonades, when we only got regulars. She even said it to our faces upon me mentioning it, but went and ran the card for full price. So thanks Ocean Cafe for wasting my boyfriends vacation money on an unfair and massively over priced mediocre meal.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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