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Back Bay Ale House

4.0 (502 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Back Bay Ale House Photos

BACK BAY ALE HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Back Bay Ale House

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Crab cake
Svitlana S.

This is my 4th visit to Back Bay Ale House and it has yet to disappoint - truly one of Atlantic City's hidden gems, and one I'm selfishly hoping stays that way. I opted for outdoor seating on a perfect late evening, and it set the tone beautifully. There's something special about this spot - it sits away from the boardwalk's noise and chaos, offering a much more relaxed, genuine dining experience. I tend to gravitate toward the same order here, and for good reason. The crab cakes are outstanding - generous with the crab meat, full of flavor, and absolutely worth the price. I paired them with a Caesar salad, a solid combination. I also ordered the fried shrimp platter - the batter was spot-on, the portion was generous enough that we couldn't finish it, and, impressively, it held up well into the next morning. That's always a good sign. Don't skip the jar drinks. I went with the cucumber basil, and it was wonderfully refreshing - the kind of drink that just fits the vibe of the place perfectly. The service was prompt and on point. If you're in Atlantic City and looking for a break from the loud, touristy strip, Back Bay Ale House is where you want to be. One of my absolute favorites in AC - I'll keep coming back.

Salad
Russell J.

Great local beach bar in Gardner's Basin. We ordered a salad and fried shrimp. Both were great. The orange crush and mojito were great as well. A great spot overall!

Cod tacos
Alyssa M.

We decided to try something new in AC. We found Back Bay when visiting the marina. The vibes looked great being outside on the waterfront. I chose the Seafood Tacos with Cod and summer veggies. It was not that crowded but it took quite a while for the order. When I got the tacos I was bummed to learn the Cod tacos "beer battered" were something out of a bag. The pineapple coleslaw tasted like bland coleslaw. No flavor. The tacos were also very bland. I was super disappointed as this place could really put out good food. The waitress was friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is nice. I would not recommend for food - maybe just a good time and drinks.

April L.

We stopped in for steak specials on 1/23. This was my first time visiting BBAH. Our server was lovely and attentive. My review is based solely on the entrees. We both ordered the steak specials. One with cucumber salad the other with cole slaw. Although the steak was cooked to temperature it was not of good quality. It was hard to cut because there was so much marbled fat between the meat. Only the one steak was fatty the other was fine. The sides left little to be desired. The cucumber salad was soggy and had a bitter taste. The cole slaw had a sour taste and was inedible. Based on the other reviews, I guess this was just an off night. I just thought management would like to know about our experience. Reading the positive reviews was the reason we decided to dine here.

Fish tacos

Every time we're in AC we stop here for a meal and a great view. Shockingly this was my first time trying the fish tacos and they were good but not great. Fish was cooked perfectly but just an average tasting taco overall. Next time back I'll be ordering the burger which never disappoints.

Buffalo Wings
Brian M.

An endearing and authentic Ale House with great bay views and fun atmosphere. Great drink selections, and surprisingly quite tasty food. We had the wings, green bean fries, crab soup, po boy and crab cake. Wings were impressive, crispy and tender, and I couldn't get over how good the crab cake was.

Fish and Chips. Look closely. The two small pieces of fish are held up buy a mound of fries
Michelle H.

Service was great after they realized we were there. The amount of fish was extremely small compared to the deep fried coating. It was too much. And then adding the amount of fries makes it look like a lot. The crab chowder which was Deemed (The best in Atlantic City) makes me laugh because it's in a sweet cream sauce. Wrong wrong. It will be much better in a crab bisque. Not sweet!

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 .

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.

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

View from the porch bar

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2 months ago

Best crab cakes sandwich I ever had and pesto chicken pasta . Parking is free and service is amazing.

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2 months ago

Great service, delicious food, and gorgeous views! Lots of options for food and drinks ... perfect spot!

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2 months ago

Great food and great service. Jerk wings were a 10/10 and the view from the deck was gorgeous!!

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2 months ago

Charming, historic building paired with great views and delicious food and drinks. Service is always friendly and prompt. A true gem.

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2 months ago

great food, great service, amazing & friendly staff! definitely recommend ! The jerk wings were absolutely delicious and Made to perfectio.

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Ask the Community - Back Bay Ale House

Do they have a Happy Hour?

No, they do not, but they have Daily Specials. Those usually include 1 specially priced beer, a mason drink, and a spritz. Daily Specials often feature some food and/or food. Prices are super reasonable, even on the full menu. I highly recommend… 

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

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Barbera Seafood Market - Hair in food

Barbera Seafood Market

4.6(316 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$

You would never think to visit this place for food and may easily just walk past it without taking…read morea second look. You'd go in and hesitate since it doesn't look like a restaurant at all. Truly a hidden gem if you are looking for good and affordable eats that aren't overpriced. The staff is super friendly with lots of great looking fresh seafood for sale. The best part is the food comes out fresh, quick, and it's super affordable. They have a wide variety of fried seafood but their sea bass burgers are great. Only recommendation is to ask for more tartar sauce! I'd come back for more. Definitely make your way off the boardwalk to give it a try.

The kitchen is open Mon - Sat 10-5 at this cheap family run seafood market! Many choices of fried…read moreor sauteed seafood with veggies and slaw, with counter service takeout or eat in at stools in the small lobby. If the weather is better, a pocket park offers outside tables steps from the door. An outgoing young man was our cashier, and then busied himself preparing for closing when we came in late on a Saturday. I ordered a sauteed flounder fish platter which came with simple mixed vegetables and coleslaw. The fish was so moist and tender and swimming in a mildly seasoned lovely broth. The veggies were seasoned and buttery, simple and delicious . The cole slaw was homemade but unremarkable. $8.99 for this healthy meal. Sign me up! Spouse ordered the soft flour shell, fried shrimp tacos and boy were they huge! He asked for the slaw on the side so it wouldn't make the tacos soggy, and got two full-sized side orders of coleslaw with his two tacos. For $5 each. No frills just good food.

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Barbera Seafood Market - Storefront interior

Storefront interior

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 - Inside

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McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks

3.6(598 reviews)
0.7 mi
•$$$

bartender Jazmen in AC was absolutely incredible and is the reason my bf and I came back two nights…read morein a row. She is so accommodating, friendly and just awesome! Highly recommend this place and especially if this awesome girl is behind the bar! Big shoutout and thanks to Jazmen!!!!!

After spending an entire day inside the Harrah's Convention Center assisting people who had been…read morelistening to lectures on educational leadership, my colleagues and I required organic fuel. My stomach had begun filing formal grievances against my digestive system. Not wanting to figure out the logistics of transporting seven weary and hangry souls to another location, we walked over to McCormick & Schmick's, which sits on the opposite side of Harrah's Resort. One of our companions frequents this establishment with her husband. She possesses strict personal standards and does not distribute praise lightly. She informed the table that the Chilean Sea Bass was the finest in her human experience, and that the Sugar & Spice Cedar Roasted Salmon was nearly its equal. Despite this intelligence, I ordered a prix-fixe meal called The Voyage. I did this because it included a bowl of New England Clam Chowder while allowing me to pretend I was practicing fiscal discipline. The chowder was thick, creamy, and brimming with flavor, which is precisely how clam chowder ought to behave. It also had bacon. This alone improves its station in the pantheon of soup. For the main course, I asked our server, a capable man named Drew, to help me choose between the Crab Stuffed Shrimp and the Center-Cut Top Sirloin. Drew advised that the Sauce Au Poivre elevated the sirloin above its competition. I do not argue with experts. Drew was correct. The steak arrived at a proper medium-rare with a dark outer sear and an interior so soft that the provided steak knife felt almost aggressive. A butter knife could have handled the assignment. The remaining members at the table consumed a Filet Mignon, a Broiled Seafood Platter, Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, and an order of Black Mussels. I failed to inspect the other plates closely because I was entirely occupied with my own sirloin. Exquisite food can make people remarkably self-centered. When the dessert menu arrived, I discovered a warm Brown Butter Cake. I maintain a simple rule regarding butter cake: if it is listed on a menu, I will eat it. My waistline filed an appeal, but my mouth overruled the motion. The Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake and the Basque Style Cheesecake received similar reverence from my companions. My only microscopic grievance involved my Bulleit Old Fashioned, which arrived over crushed ice rather than a single large cube. Crushed ice melts too quickly and dilutes whiskey, which is a mild tragedy. Drew was serving us with such quiet grace that mentioning it, or worse, sending it back seemed uncivilized. Cocktail enthusiasts may simply wish to state their precise ice requirements when ordering. Drew anticipated our needs without lingering awkwardly at the edge of the table, the mark of a man who does his job with dignity and professionalism. McCormick & Schmick's gave us exactly what tired teachers require after a full day of conference sessions: proper protein, quiet surroundings, and a temporary escape from professional development.

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McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks

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Borgata Buffet - Buffet

Borgata Buffet

3.4(696 reviews)
0.8 mi
•$$$

Well, if you read my previous review about the Borgata this is an update. We decided to try it…read moreagain and were very pleasantly surprised. We booked a room in the MGM Tower. It was named the Restore room as it had an air purifier and small machine that made your room smell so clean. It was so incredibly clean, comfortable and quiet. The resort was super crowded but it did not compromise the service as everyone was so helpful and courteous. I would highly recommend the Borgata MGM Tower. As a side note, we did pay for this room vs the first time was a comp , not sure if that made the difference but either way a great stay! We definitely will be back!!

Very Disappointing -- Borgata Has Really Gone Downhill…read more I visited the Borgata buffet over Labor Day weekend with my family of four, and the total was close to $200. Unfortunately, for that price, I honestly felt that we would have been better off going to a regular restaurant with better tasting food. I hadn't been to the Borgata buffet in a very long time. I remember when it was around $30-$35 per person, and I had much better memories of the food. That's why it was especially disappointing to see how much it seems to have declined. There were a few highlights. The gelato was very good, and I will say the dessert section seems to have improved. The salmon was probably the standout savory dish. The platanos, waffles, pork ribs, and meatballs were also good. The General Tso's chicken was decent as well. Unfortunately, those positives were outweighed by the negatives. There wasn't even much of a fruit selection anymore, which was surprising for a buffet at this price point. The sushi rice wasn't prepared properly all mushy and the shrimp cocktail didn't taste particularly fresh. The seasoned shrimp was also far too salty. The seafood section was particularly disappointing. The clams were so salty that they were essentially inedible, and whoever seasoned the mussels simply did not get the seasoning right. These are not particularly complicated dishes, so it was surprising to see them executed so poorly. The fried foods were also hit or miss. Some batches looked cooked on the outside, but the shrimp inside were still undercooked and appeared almost raw. Some of the vegetables, such as the zucchini, were noticeably undercooked as well. The steak was very tough, while the prime rib was extremely bland and lacked flavor. The Chinese section, aside from the General Tso's chicken, was particularly disappointing. The pasta dishes, including the macaroni and cheese over cooked and tasteless w alfredo being was oddly sweet was extremely underwhelming. And honestly, this is what surprised me most about the entire experience. It's not as though the buffet has an enormous number of dishes that would make it impossible to maintain quality. The selection is relatively limited, and many of the individual dishes are not particularly difficult to prepare. Yet so many of them were either poorly seasoned, undercooked, overcooked, bland, or simply not executed well. When you have a smaller selection of dishes, you would expect those dishes to be done really well. Instead, it felt like there were only a handful of things that were actually worth eating. That is what made the experience so surprising and disappointing. Overall, a large majority of the food was simply not good enough to justify going to a buffet. At nearly $200 for four people, I expected significantly better quality and consistency. What made this experience even more disappointing is that this was my parents' first time staying at the Borgata. Unfortunately, the food experience was poor enough that it actually made them less interested in wanting to stay at the hotel again. When you're spending money on a casino resort, the dining experience is part of the overall experience--and a bad meal can definitely affect whether you want to return. Borgata used to be one of my favorite places to go in Atlantic City, so I really wanted to like it. But after this visit, I'm not sure I would choose it over newer properties like Hard Rock or Ocean Casino Resort. Those properties may be newer, but at this point, I think I'd rather spend my money there than return to this buffet. Overall: very disappointing, especially considering the price and what I remember Borgata being like in the past.

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Borgata Buffet
Borgata Buffet - Limited Selection of Sushi

Limited Selection of Sushi

Borgata Buffet

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King’s Pub

King’s Pub

4.7(74 reviews)
1.2 mi
•$$

whoever made my food needs a raise i'm not even playing around. the wings are the best around and…read morethe quesadilla was delicious order takeout, sit outside and bow at the feet of the line cook not to mention we got four drinks and all this food for $65 love yall

Wow! Stellar meal at this unassuming dive bar. Very rustic wood walls and bar, this place oozes…read moreauthenticity. The air conditioning is freezing so bring a sweater! Bartender, mature guy with a good attitude, waits tables too, and is pretty good at it. No nonsense service, we ordered a paloma and a beer with him right away. When he came back with drinks, we had our choices ready. I had an arugula salad with added grilled shrimp, split an order of buffalo wings and drooled over my husband's burger. The food here is excellent! It took awhile to get waters, but our dude got around to it eventually. The salad was cool and fresh but the olive oil and lemon dressing was pure oil. No worries, I used the ranch from the wings and all was good. I liked the shaved Parmesan and the fact that someone took the time to slice the tiny grape tomatoes, precious. Wings were crunchy and spicy in all the right places. The Squire Burger had huge pieces of maple bacon sticking out from two patties cheese and iceberg. The fries were perfect. The bun was fluffy and glistening on top. Beautiful. We were surprised at the small bill, but left very satisfied. Highly recommend!

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King’s Pub  - Bar at the Kings Pub

Bar at the Kings Pub

King’s Pub  - Apple Bourbon Wings and an Old Fashioned

Apple Bourbon Wings and an Old Fashioned

King’s Pub  - Paloma

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Paloma

Back Bay Ale House - seafood - Updated October 2026

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