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    Back Bay Ale House

    3.9 (481 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Back Bay Ale House Photos

    BACK BAY ALE HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Back Bay Ale House

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    Reviews With Photos

    Back Bay Ale House patio
    Eric K.

    So, I promised myself not to give so many five-star reviews, but Back Bay Ale House in Atlantic City made me change my mind- the place is fantastic! It's located in a quiet little corner street near the aquarium and the tour docks. It's quiet, affordable and has free parking and great service. The patio outside is dog-friendly and kid-friendly. The food is what makes it a great place. The breading on the fish and the shrimp is light and crispy, the remoulade was amazing and so were the steak fries. And be sure to try one of their many signature cocktails served in a mason jar. Definitely worth it!

    Giseli C.

    What an amazing place !! Looks very humble but the food there is simply amazing.. Their frozen drinks are made from scratch and taste unbelievable, I had a strawberry daiquiri and a rum runner . The view is beautiful and service was great !!! Definitely recommend and plan on visiting again when I'm in town .

    Dip the lobster roll in the garlic shrimp butter! Amazing
    Jerome C.

    Love this place! Garlic shrimp was awesome and the lobster roll was delicious. I dipped the lobster roll in the left over butter and made it even better

    Patio
    Jennifer E.

    We went to eat on a Sunday evening. We were seated outside very quickly. Its on the marina and is a very pretty view. Our food was good! I got tacos that were so filled I couldn't finish them. My husband enjoyed his crab cakes. Our server didnt check on us often. Mostly the servers gathered at the host station chatting until someone came up. They are young and were very attentive. Probably just inexperienced. Over all it was a good meal.

    Randi P.

    Loved this place! We stopped in for a drink and a snack after taking a little cruise across the street. I loved the set up. The bar outside was so much fun. The best part was that there was a maybe 12-year-old boy who was the host and he was so informative and friendly. I even went back and tipped him because he deserved it. He was nicer and more helpful than most adults I encounter. We didn't eat inside, but went in to use the restroom and it was so cute. I loved all the levels and the inside bar was nice and the mini bar in front was even cuter. We only had fries and shrimp, but they were out of this world. My husband loves old bay seasoning and they were seasoned just right! The fries came out a little cold, and when I mentioned it to the bartender, he immediately took it away and brought us a fresh batch of fries and even topped it off with a little more. Fabulous customer service !

    Val G.

    So we were visiting a local place and ask a person working there, where is your favorite place to go locally. He led us to Back Bay Ale House. Although it was pretty full, we were seated very quickly. Our waitress was very accommodating. I asked for the Back Bay Sunset Ale or any red or brown ale and she came back with the fact that they ran out of the Sunset ale. Only to return a few minutes later and say they connected a new keg. Thank you because it was so good. We were going to order a shrimp and lobster roll but they were out so we tried the seafood sampler. It was very good, I enjoyed tasting the crab cakes. The shrimp was good as was the fish. We sat outside on a beautiful day and it is a very enjoyable ambiance. Lots of families and groups of friends.

    Outside Bar area
    Kenia D.

    Best Bar in AC!!! Loved having Aubrey as our sever!!! She makes the bestttt Margs!! Definitely will be back

    The Menu @ Back Bay Ale House
    Nik K.

    I researched to find a nice lunch option to visit while I was in the area on Thursday. I found this place. It has a nice outdoor patio, so I decided to give it a try. My partner and I arrived and were seated promptly. The place wasn't crowded on a Thursday @ 2:00 pm. That was great for us. I ordered the Bob Marley mason jar for a drink. We had the "Poutin Fries," for an appetizer then the shrimp tacos and cheeseburger by paradise for entrees. The poutine fries arrived first. The Korean BBQ beef was yummy. It paired well with the cheese on the steak fries. I do wish the fries contained some flavor as they were covered in ingredients, but not seasoned themselves. Next up, my shrimp tacos. They were just "ok." The three shrimp tacos contained shrimp that were fried and drizzled with an aioli. The shrimp were placed on a bed of coleslaw. There wasn't much flavor from the tacos. I can say the shrimp was cooked well. My partner said his burger was "just okay." I imagine it might have left much to be desired too. Overall, I would say we had a solid 3 star experience from this establishment. I would possibly return. However, I would skip any meal at Gilchrist as I saw one of the workers sneeze outside and then use his apron to wipe his face. That was utterly disgusting!!

    Buffalo tenders
    Rose D.

    Service great. Ambiance great. Food was good, but $16 for 8 skinny jerk wings (see pic) was embarrassing. $11 crab soup and $14 for buffalo tenders.

    Christopher C.

    A few weeks ago, the seven of us rolled in here looking mostly for some seafood and the chance to possibly sit outside and get a little view of the water. Let me start with one weird oddity. During this part of June, it was basically raining in some form every day yet when we got here, the host said they had no ability to seat 7 inside and also no ability to dry off any seats or tables for sitting outside from the shower that ended an hour prior. Alright, wet asses and arms it was. While many things were ordered I'm going to focus on me, yeah, me. The cream of crab soup is interesting. One in that it was served in a takeout container versus an actual bowl and while the broth definitely hits home on the creamy part, there wasn't much substance to the soup. More of a seasoned butter cream soup than anything else. The crab cake sandwich is spot on big time. Exactly as described on the menu. Not a lot of filler and it was done at the perfect temperature and consistency. The big gimmick here is the booze, most of which is served in mason jars. A+ for a neat and somewhat different idea but of note, the prices are not cheap and the drinks are heavily iced & weak. I'm not saying that you want to leave like Foreigner and have Double Vision, but if you're dropping $30 and you can't even get the warm and tinglees, it's kind of a rip off. Once our server got going, she was pretty good. She had the seven of us along with a few other tables outside and things were kept rolling along at a good pace. Two little things noteworthy that we experienced contrary to the menu: 1. The menu references that the check cannot be split more than four ways. We did it six ways and there was no problem. In fact, she offered and said it wasn't a biggie. 2. The 2 32-ounce mason jar per person limit is very, very arbitrary. As long as you're not juiced up and sloppy, a third is very much possible. It goes without saying that the outside ambiance here isn't bad. Nice views of the filth that is A.C. and there was a decent amount of boating activity as well from the Coast Guard plus the local fleet. The reality is that this place realistically is more three star rather than four but all things considered, you could do far worse for the price.

    Fredricka S.

    I'm a bit late reviewing Back Bay so shoutout to Yelp for reminding me! While visiting Atlantic City, my mom and I stopped in for our last meal before hopping on the plane the next morning. This restaurant sits on the beach, has onsite parking, 2 levels and offers indoor and outdoor seating! We opted to dine indoor and upstairs as it was chilly out. It was a bit tight in terms of space upstairs but it worked out as there was only 1 other family dining there. The food was just ok as it did not wow me! I had a pasta dish that contained so much sauce that the pasta, broccoli and shrimp were swimming in it! The food just didn't earn any bragging rights for me! However, this may be due to us coming within an hour of closing. The server, whose name escapes me, was kind but not overly friendly but again it could be due to the hour we stopped in. If I'm in the area again I may give them another try.

    Averrell H.

    This is a gem in the Atlantic city marina area. First off the place gives awesome beach vibes because it's on the water and there're boats going by all the time which is nice. It's very spacious and you can sit inside or out. The staff was amazing and had great food suggestions. My burger was phenomenal and was cooked just how I wanted it. Now for the best part. The drinks . They are the best biggest and strongest drinks around. If your a light weight get a smaller one but the ones in the mason jars are the best. You will not regret coming to this place.

    Connor H.

    It was ok. I expected a little better. Service was good. I just hoped for something a little more substantial.

    shrimp po'boy

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    1 month ago

    Great food, service and prices. Also nice location by the water. We went for lunch after a trip to the aquarium.

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    7 months ago

    Fries were good, fried shrimp were small but good, server was fun, hostess was a bummer.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Back Bay Ale House

    Are the old bay fries regular fries or steak fries?

    They are steak fries

    Do they have any soft shell crab items? Didn't see any on website, but they're seasonal so maybe they have a special?

    No they do not. Never seen on menu or special. Try Docks oyster house they have em right now on special I know for sure

    View All 6 Questions

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    Barbera Seafood Market - Hair in food

    Barbera Seafood Market

    4.6(306 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Ambiance is a seafood market, service is friendly and excellent. I had the seafood platter, the…read morecrab cake was delicious, and maybe a bit more bready than I would have expected. The fried flounder was the best I have ever had, with just enough spice. The fried clams were slightly fishy, but still delicious. The scallops and shrimps were good, but they are what I expected. I will be back!

    Came here to get some fried seafood while on a staycation to AC…read more Barbera Seafood Market has been around for close to 100 years. We have been to it plenty of times in our over 30 years of visiting AC and we have never been disappointed. The ambiance is cosy with nautical themed items decorating the walls. They have limited seating in the small establishment, with the best option being sitting at the counter at the window to people watch while enjoying your seafood items. We are always greeted by pleasant staff. They have daily specials and feature a seafood case filled with a variety of fresh seafood items that you can literally pick and they will prepare in store or you can choose to purchase to go. Our go to is the flounder and fish platter, which comes with house made slaw and fries, and either a side of fried clams or oysters. The platter also comes with a canned soda, which you get to pick the flavor choice from the beverage case. We always enjoy our food in store and are always luck enough to grab a few seats. The flounder and shrimp platter was fresh and crispy, with a light coating that did not take away from the delicate taste of the fish and shrimp. The slaw was fresh and an ok side. The fries were crispy and nothing was greasy. The oysters were fried well and when bitten, popped with a nice, fresh taste. And don't worry my MD folks, they have Old Bay to dust your food (which I really appreciate!). We suggest coming as soon as they open or call your order in ahead of time to avoid the long line that forms. All in all, our go to seafood spot when visiting AC.

    Photos
    Barbera Seafood Market - Inside

    Inside

    Barbera Seafood Market - One of the best sandwiches EVER! HOT AND FRESH FLOUNDER SANDWICH

    One of the best sandwiches EVER! HOT AND FRESH FLOUNDER SANDWICH

    Barbera Seafood Market

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    Gilchrist Restaurant - Fried bologna

    Gilchrist Restaurant

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Wish there were more stars! This place is terrific. It's inside the Trop, but also has an entrance…read moreoff of the street. There's a counter, booths, and tables. We sat at the counter. It was super busy. Host was great at getting everyone seated. Very well oiled machine. Didn't wait long even with the crowd. Okay - let's chat about service. Not sure who trained this staff but they need to create their own course in customer service. Every single person who worked there, regardless of their actual position was helping all customers. Seriously... never waited for anything and constantly asked if we needed anything. Such a treat! You can tell that they pour their hearts into this! Just a lovely experience. Now, the food! Welp, this is it. The pancakes are wonderful and thin. You can get them stuffed with various things. Just the perfect crunch and taste. No battery thick middle! Get these! Also got eggs, fried bologna (highly recommend), scrapple, and delicious Turkey sausage. There wasn't one thing that wasn't good. No notes. The coffee is superior as well. Even asked for a cup to go. Just delicious. This place is a whole package. Go out of your way to get here!! You will NOT be disappointed!!! The prices are absolutely reasonable for the quality and quantity. Would go again and again and again!!!

    This breakfast and lunch place in Chelsea section of the Tropicana is a little hidden jem…read more You can access it from outside or through the Tropicana. The prices are reasonable, the service friendly and the food comes out really fresh and fast. Good coffee and they even give you to go cups full if you want it. I got the short stack of French toast, my friend picked up scrambled eggs w/ bacon and a pancake with whipped butter. My hubby got a Taylor ham, egg and cheese omelet w/ rye toast, then made it a sandwich. My other friend ordered a western omelet w/ hash browns and rye toast. All that for $60. Good eats and prices.

    Photos
    Gilchrist Restaurant - Counter

    Counter

    Gilchrist Restaurant - Veggie omelette and famous blueberry pancake

    Veggie omelette and famous blueberry pancake

    Gilchrist Restaurant - Pretty view for byob

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    Pretty view for byob

    Borgata Buffet - Buffet

    Borgata Buffet

    3.4(686 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    We finally tried the Borgata Buffet and honestly I do not understand some of the bad reviews…read more Yes it is a casino buffet so the price is higher at around 43 per person, but there are definitely ways to get it comped or discounted, and for the quality you are getting it actually feels worth it. The variety is great and everything we tried tasted fresh and well made. Nothing felt like it had been sitting too long and the staff was constantly maintaining the stations. The service really stood out. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and very attentive without being overbearing. The staff working the buffet line were also all really nice and genuinely seemed happy to be there which makes such a difference. Food wise there were a lot of standouts. The chargrilled steak had a really nice flavor and the prime rib was super tender and juicy. The pastas were cooked perfectly and the sauces were light, bright, and flavorful instead of heavy. The mac and cheese is an absolute must. They use big shell noodles with a creamy cheese sauce and toasted breadcrumbs on top which gives it great texture. The collard greens were surprisingly one of our favorite things and we went back for seconds. So much flavor. The spiced shrimp is a hidden gem and definitely something we grabbed multiple times. The pizza was also surprisingly good. We tried the mushroom and spinach and it honestly tasted like something you would get from a really solid pizza spot not a buffet. The only thing I would say is the chicken parm is hit or miss depending on how fresh it is. If it has been sitting it can get a little soggy so I would try to grab it when a fresh tray comes out. Pro tip leave room for dessert. The dessert section is incredible. The gelato was rich and creamy especially the chocolate. The croissant cinnamon roll hybrid was flaky on the outside with a soft gooey center and the cookies and cream cheesecake was rich without being too heavy. I also really liked how the seating is set up. You can sit on either side of the buffet and choose between booths or tables which makes it feel a little less chaotic. This is definitely a spot we will keep coming back to when we are at Borgata.

    A pretty solid buffet considering there aren't many buffet options in the area!…read more Sushi - dry and tasted fake Seafood - all of their fishes were the highlight of the offerings! The carving station had a salmon larger than I've ever seen too. Also appreciate that they offer a spiced version of the cocktail shrimp. Meats - prime rib was very dry and overcooked but the grilled steak has really great taste Everything else is pretty standard for a buffet. Huge compliments on all of the sauces they offer to go along with your food (steak sauce, au jus, melted butter, etc.).

    Photos
    Borgata Buffet
    Borgata Buffet - Limited Selection of Sushi

    Limited Selection of Sushi

    Borgata Buffet

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    Betty's Seafood Shack - Clam chowder

    Betty's Seafood Shack

    4.4(69 reviews)
    6.2 mi

    Stopped by Betty's Bbq and chicken shack on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was pretty busy, but…read moreit didn't take long for our food to come out. I ordered the chicken Cesar wrap which came with a side and I also ordered a side of the Mac and cheese. The Cesar wrap was really good and had an equal part of chicken and salad mix. The dressing was perfect and did not have a soupy taste with all of the ingredients mixed together. My only wish is that the wrap was a little bit thicker as it fell apart very easily. The wrap is definitely enough for two people to share. I was able to have leftovers the next day and it was still tasty. The Mac and cheese tasted like a white cheddar mix. Overall not mad but needed a tad bit of seasoning for my liking. Overall good experience and friendly staff. I could see this place getting packed and the wait time a little longer depending on how busy they are.

    Delicious food. fast and easy to order. no reservations or waiters/ servers. It's all first come…read morefirst serve. everyone is super super friendly and kind. welcoming and accommodating. they do allow pets inside as well and our tofu was treated so kindly Lobster roll was the star and if you ever need proper assistance for what type of roll. Please butter only ! don't do your lobster a disgrace by ordering the cold mayo version ! Huge chunks of lobster buttered toasted bread and thickly cut fries to accompany. Simply delicious I would say skip the clam strips. personally though it was overly battered. despite that, it was delicious regardless. but if you were to order one thing. lobster roll is your to go. Clam chowder was your regular chowder. not too thick not too thin. lots of clam chunks compared to other place where there is more potatoes.

    Photos
    Betty's Seafood Shack - Inside the restaurant

    Inside the restaurant

    Betty's Seafood Shack
    Betty's Seafood Shack

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    Back Bay Ale House - seafood - Updated May 2026

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