This establishment is lacking on many fronts, if you spend the time to objectively go through the existing reviews you will find common themes that ended up being spot on. Extremely overpriced Small portion sizes Poor quality food - Cooked incorrectly, served cold Slow service
456783
It was ok, no waitress service for a bit, the lady who was busing tables took our order, kept apologizing. Her name was Kathy very nice woman. Left her the tip because she did the job. After the waitress got off the phone she came to our table and said our order is in and it would be a few minutes, we waited another half an hour. Was told by someone they forgot to turn on the fry bins. Ok so I understand that, but now we are waiting on the waitress for our bill she can't be found. Asked Kathy to see about our bill, she got the waitress who just dropped off the bill and said pay at the register with Kathy. Hmmmm I think Kathy needs a raise!! She was pleasant and courteous. Probably won't visit this place again.
FU
Hygiene and sanitation do not exist in Carmen’s Lobster Pool ? I decided to leave a review after I witnessed MULTIPLE waitresses sticking their fingers in customers food. Apparently this is the way Carmen’s makes sure your meal is still hot ?The kitchen crew (95% of them) does NOT wash their hands at all. Not when they clock in, not during their shift, and never while cleaning at the end of the evening. They sweep and mop the floor, and then go straight to making your cheeseburger without washing hands in between.The owner is not afraid of using food items that fell on the floor. I would never do it to my customers knowing how dirty those floors are. One shrimp is not worth someone getting sick but the owners of Carmen’s would disagree. However, I believe they would actually deny this even happened at all.Finally, I also happened to watch the owner using a regular nasty restroom plunger to unclog their pasta machine. But I do wish to add that one of the workers spent his time scraping that machine and sanitizing it. He was disgusted by that situation even more than I was because some people apparently care about their customers.Last summer I even talked to the department of health about this place but they said someone has to get sick enough to end up in the hospital. So, just save the receipt in case you get sick shortly after dining here.
johnny_schenck
every year my extended family and i go ( 20+ people) here during the summer and the service is amazing. the seafood here is amazing along with all their other food. I remember coming here as a kid and having a great time playing in a sandbox they had. I recommend lobster, crab, and chicken parm.
J3860LIjeannes
Been going to Sea Isle for 30 years. First time there and we loved it. Food was fabulous. Service was super friendly and the environment definitely made you feel like you were on vacation
DIANE P
We intended to eat at Mike's, but got tired of driving around looking for a non-existent parking spot. So we pulled into Carmen's, because they have a parking lot. Valet parking is free. The young kid manning the lot was very friendly. We were seated at a picnic table by the water. There was a pleasant breeze & lots of boats docked in the marina. Delaney was our server. She overcharged us for an extra shrimp platter that we did not order. She did not ask us if we wanted dessert. We had to flag her down to ask for tartar sauce.The food was unimpressive. It's mostly tasteless frozen food that's deep fried.
jarykk
We arrived for dinner early, were seated immediately and loved every minute of it. The atmosphere was authentic and we had a seat by the water. The whole restaurant had a vibe like you were part of a large family. We ordered the stuffed flounder with baked potatoes and corn on the cob. Let me tell you, it was good!...and unlike so many other restaurants who manage to somehow screw up something so simple, the corn was cooked perfectly. The servers were friendly, prompt, and almost overly attentive at keeping our table clear. The deserts were absolutely amazing! We ended up visiting a second time during our vacation. That time, we didn't arrive so early and our servers had some trouble keeping our drinks filled and keeping the table clear, but at least the food was consistently excellent. Finally, I can't neglect to mention that we decided to park elsewhere on our second visit to avoid the whole valet parking situation. First of all, if valet parking is truly 'mandatory', the signs should make that clear. It was very confusing on our first visit and I ended up not waiting and parking myself, which led to an somewhat awkward discussion later with the attendant. Also, their obvious practice of keeping people's keys on top of the vehicle's tires and not locked up is unprofessional and didn't make me feel comfortable. I would completely understand putting someone in the parking lot to help direct folks to fill the lot efficiently, because it tight, but this situation, I felt, was too ridiculous and it is really the only detractor to this restaurant in my mind.
Jim M
our group of 10 recently ate there.. the food tasted great and was in nice size portions.. like all restaurants depending on the night they may be short staffed.. but the one that are there do hustle their backs off.. we will be back
robertgZ4512CZ
What a supreme surprise Breakfast is Great. Big menue. Excellent price for entire family. Best pancake's and Eggs like you ordered. Thick bacon. omlets+ size and delicious. Delightful and prompt service. Servers with great smiles and engaging. Great family experience.
939nickp
Okay, the salad and the blackened tuna were great. Atmosphere is always good,. But service was poor - needing to ask for napkins, water and several of our food items a couple of times. When it came time to pay the bill we put in a 15% gratuity for a group of 13 people. For a large bill that should be sufficient, until the cashier insisted that 18% should be applied using the excuse that they are short staffed. That type of tip should be stated up front and added to the bill so it is understood. The 18% was on top of the tax, so really it is a 19-20% tip. We left frustrated.
Very disappointed given the history of this landmark. It started with a 20 min wait for a table. Over an hour later we were finally seated. No water, no bread, no “your waiter/waitress will be right with you”, nothing. After 20 min we ended up asking who our wait staff was. ?? The bucket of white mussels were very good. Again, no bread for dipping and no one to ask for some. Finally got some water and were able to order entrees. I ordered the broiled scallop and flounder. I got over cooked shrimp and bland tiny lifeless fillets. (Previously Frozen is my guess) It was a one and done for us. Too many other places in town. It’s a shame but the best feature it has going for it is the BYOB. At least they couldn’t screw up the wine we brought and poured ourselves…
Lisa B
Wanted to take a friend to dinner on the water for seafood.....hit a home run - steamers to start were delicious in the garlic wine sauce. He had the soft shells and I had the Carmen special for one over angel hair - clams, mussels, scallops, lobster and crab in a white wine sauce. We both couldn't have been happier. And the wait staff were adorable, cousins and all great servers and so pleasant. What a refreshing experience during the craziness of the summer at the shore.
Ron G
Unfortunetly this was our first and last visit. We had our family here visiting from Texas and wanted a local seafood lunch. We were embarrassed, the food was not good at all, the Oysters were terrible and couldn't be finished. The only good item; the chicken wings one of our grandchildren had. The waitress was obviously inexperienced but she tried and did her best and to top it off, this wasn't an inexpensive lunch. The ambiance is great as it overlooks the water and the local boat slips, unfortunately the view does not overcome the bad food and poor service. Recently retired to the area I was hoping for better.
Experience779472
The Chilean Sea bass was distasteful, 3 separate pieces (different sizes and thickness) actually it was spoiled fish. The frozen vegetable medley was still partially frozen when served… The broiled seafood combo was beyond overcooked served with the same vegetable medley…the side of onion rings were soggy and appeared leftover from another portion not eaten…the baked potato was the only editable food served. So disappointing….ugh
BigBoyTrout
6 families, a total of 22 of us dined at Carmens. The food was good, the service good, but the checkout was a disaster. Each family tried to pay for their bill, but Carmens was not able to figure out how to settle the bill by family. We were sitting at 2 tables and they could not even prepare a bill for each table. I suggested that each family would total their own bill, pay with cash or a credit card, and add a gratuity. The cashier agreed, I did so for my family, and said I would brief each family on how to check out. Awkward, time consuming, but workable. The cashier thanked me, sent me on my way to talk to the families. I went to the tables and explained what to do, The families got out their cell phone calculators and went to work and then to pay. Carmens then refused to take the family payments, insisting on their policy of 1 credit card, saying they could not run more than 1 credit card. Dishonest to agree and then not be able to do so. They blamed it on their technology. I am in the hospitality business and the technology to allow for separate checks is very available, universal, almost next to nothing for 1 terminal. The nightmare continues as one family member put it on his credit card and hopes it all adds up, or at least close. Our LAST visit to Carmens. A hospitality industry embarrassment. Are they using old technology to make it harder for the IRS to know what they are doing.??
This establishment is lacking on many fronts, if you spend the time to objectively go through the existing reviews you will find common themes that ended up being spot on. Extremely overpriced Small portion sizes Poor quality food - Cooked incorrectly, served cold Slow service
It was ok, no waitress service for a bit, the lady who was busing tables took our order, kept apologizing. Her name was Kathy very nice woman. Left her the tip because she did the job. After the waitress got off the phone she came to our table and said our order is in and it would be a few minutes, we waited another half an hour. Was told by someone they forgot to turn on the fry bins. Ok so I understand that, but now we are waiting on the waitress for our bill she can't be found. Asked Kathy to see about our bill, she got the waitress who just dropped off the bill and said pay at the register with Kathy. Hmmmm I think Kathy needs a raise!! She was pleasant and courteous. Probably won't visit this place again.
Hygiene and sanitation do not exist in Carmen’s Lobster Pool ? I decided to leave a review after I witnessed MULTIPLE waitresses sticking their fingers in customers food. Apparently this is the way Carmen’s makes sure your meal is still hot ?The kitchen crew (95% of them) does NOT wash their hands at all. Not when they clock in, not during their shift, and never while cleaning at the end of the evening. They sweep and mop the floor, and then go straight to making your cheeseburger without washing hands in between.The owner is not afraid of using food items that fell on the floor. I would never do it to my customers knowing how dirty those floors are. One shrimp is not worth someone getting sick but the owners of Carmen’s would disagree. However, I believe they would actually deny this even happened at all.Finally, I also happened to watch the owner using a regular nasty restroom plunger to unclog their pasta machine. But I do wish to add that one of the workers spent his time scraping that machine and sanitizing it. He was disgusted by that situation even more than I was because some people apparently care about their customers.Last summer I even talked to the department of health about this place but they said someone has to get sick enough to end up in the hospital. So, just save the receipt in case you get sick shortly after dining here.
every year my extended family and i go ( 20+ people) here during the summer and the service is amazing. the seafood here is amazing along with all their other food. I remember coming here as a kid and having a great time playing in a sandbox they had. I recommend lobster, crab, and chicken parm.
Been going to Sea Isle for 30 years. First time there and we loved it. Food was fabulous. Service was super friendly and the environment definitely made you feel like you were on vacation
We intended to eat at Mike's, but got tired of driving around looking for a non-existent parking spot. So we pulled into Carmen's, because they have a parking lot. Valet parking is free. The young kid manning the lot was very friendly. We were seated at a picnic table by the water. There was a pleasant breeze & lots of boats docked in the marina. Delaney was our server. She overcharged us for an extra shrimp platter that we did not order. She did not ask us if we wanted dessert. We had to flag her down to ask for tartar sauce.The food was unimpressive. It's mostly tasteless frozen food that's deep fried.
We arrived for dinner early, were seated immediately and loved every minute of it. The atmosphere was authentic and we had a seat by the water. The whole restaurant had a vibe like you were part of a large family. We ordered the stuffed flounder with baked potatoes and corn on the cob. Let me tell you, it was good!...and unlike so many other restaurants who manage to somehow screw up something so simple, the corn was cooked perfectly. The servers were friendly, prompt, and almost overly attentive at keeping our table clear. The deserts were absolutely amazing! We ended up visiting a second time during our vacation. That time, we didn't arrive so early and our servers had some trouble keeping our drinks filled and keeping the table clear, but at least the food was consistently excellent. Finally, I can't neglect to mention that we decided to park elsewhere on our second visit to avoid the whole valet parking situation. First of all, if valet parking is truly 'mandatory', the signs should make that clear. It was very confusing on our first visit and I ended up not waiting and parking myself, which led to an somewhat awkward discussion later with the attendant. Also, their obvious practice of keeping people's keys on top of the vehicle's tires and not locked up is unprofessional and didn't make me feel comfortable. I would completely understand putting someone in the parking lot to help direct folks to fill the lot efficiently, because it tight, but this situation, I felt, was too ridiculous and it is really the only detractor to this restaurant in my mind.
our group of 10 recently ate there.. the food tasted great and was in nice size portions.. like all restaurants depending on the night they may be short staffed.. but the one that are there do hustle their backs off.. we will be back
What a supreme surprise Breakfast is Great. Big menue. Excellent price for entire family. Best pancake's and Eggs like you ordered. Thick bacon. omlets+ size and delicious. Delightful and prompt service. Servers with great smiles and engaging. Great family experience.
Okay, the salad and the blackened tuna were great. Atmosphere is always good,. But service was poor - needing to ask for napkins, water and several of our food items a couple of times. When it came time to pay the bill we put in a 15% gratuity for a group of 13 people. For a large bill that should be sufficient, until the cashier insisted that 18% should be applied using the excuse that they are short staffed. That type of tip should be stated up front and added to the bill so it is understood. The 18% was on top of the tax, so really it is a 19-20% tip. We left frustrated.
Restaurantji Recommends
Very disappointed given the history of this landmark. It started with a 20 min wait for a table. Over an hour later we were finally seated. No water, no bread, no “your waiter/waitress will be right with you”, nothing. After 20 min we ended up asking who our wait staff was. ?? The bucket of white mussels were very good. Again, no bread for dipping and no one to ask for some. Finally got some water and were able to order entrees. I ordered the broiled scallop and flounder. I got over cooked shrimp and bland tiny lifeless fillets. (Previously Frozen is my guess) It was a one and done for us. Too many other places in town. It’s a shame but the best feature it has going for it is the BYOB. At least they couldn’t screw up the wine we brought and poured ourselves…
Wanted to take a friend to dinner on the water for seafood.....hit a home run - steamers to start were delicious in the garlic wine sauce. He had the soft shells and I had the Carmen special for one over angel hair - clams, mussels, scallops, lobster and crab in a white wine sauce. We both couldn't have been happier. And the wait staff were adorable, cousins and all great servers and so pleasant. What a refreshing experience during the craziness of the summer at the shore.
Unfortunetly this was our first and last visit. We had our family here visiting from Texas and wanted a local seafood lunch. We were embarrassed, the food was not good at all, the Oysters were terrible and couldn't be finished. The only good item; the chicken wings one of our grandchildren had. The waitress was obviously inexperienced but she tried and did her best and to top it off, this wasn't an inexpensive lunch. The ambiance is great as it overlooks the water and the local boat slips, unfortunately the view does not overcome the bad food and poor service. Recently retired to the area I was hoping for better.
The Chilean Sea bass was distasteful, 3 separate pieces (different sizes and thickness) actually it was spoiled fish. The frozen vegetable medley was still partially frozen when served… The broiled seafood combo was beyond overcooked served with the same vegetable medley…the side of onion rings were soggy and appeared leftover from another portion not eaten…the baked potato was the only editable food served. So disappointing….ugh
6 families, a total of 22 of us dined at Carmens. The food was good, the service good, but the checkout was a disaster. Each family tried to pay for their bill, but Carmens was not able to figure out how to settle the bill by family. We were sitting at 2 tables and they could not even prepare a bill for each table. I suggested that each family would total their own bill, pay with cash or a credit card, and add a gratuity. The cashier agreed, I did so for my family, and said I would brief each family on how to check out. Awkward, time consuming, but workable. The cashier thanked me, sent me on my way to talk to the families. I went to the tables and explained what to do, The families got out their cell phone calculators and went to work and then to pay. Carmens then refused to take the family payments, insisting on their policy of 1 credit card, saying they could not run more than 1 credit card. Dishonest to agree and then not be able to do so. They blamed it on their technology. I am in the hospitality business and the technology to allow for separate checks is very available, universal, almost next to nothing for 1 terminal. The nightmare continues as one family member put it on his credit card and hopes it all adds up, or at least close. Our LAST visit to Carmens. A hospitality industry embarrassment. Are they using old technology to make it harder for the IRS to know what they are doing.??
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