this place was a hidden gem for sure, will definitely be stopping by every trip i'm down from now on. chicken marsala with crabmeat and the chicken marsalena were delicious, salad was delicious and so was the bread! service was excellent too, everyone was kind. loved outdoor seating it was beautiful and especially with a noisy little one read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Chicken & Crabmeat Marsala - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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1st time and what a great experience. The service was amazing our waitress Michele treated us like family . The food was absolutely fantastic the portions were big. When in ocean city make this a stop for a amazing meal read more

Long time NJ shore second home resident but first time visitor to Cousin's. Why did I wait so long? What a phenomenal experience-the food, the atmospher, the waitress and their staff all made us feel like we were the only people that mattered. Michelle was fantastic as our waitress and host. We will be back...often. read more

For an Italian restaurant they only serve one type of pasta...linguine. Also the shrimp scampi came with wet and soggy chicken and it's not your typical scampi sauce but more of a Marsala sauce and it's drowning in it probably to cover up the nastiness. I only got three pieces of shrimp. Will not go back! read more

We went to Cousins twice during our recent OCNJ vacation. Both times we were met with friendly and attentive service. Their seafood and Italian appetizers and entrees are all delicious, particularly their stuffed shells and Cousins seafood special with red sauce. They take reservations, and are competitively priced. read more

I must say the staff was unsettling. I felt unappetized after i saw the manager treating her workers rudely and horrible. Food was great though read more

To whom this may concern, My dining experience at cousins was not as expected. My family has been talking this place up for years and when I went, I was extremely dissapointed. The food was not the issue. the service was 1/5. My server did not return to my table and was very very hectic which took away from the quality of my meal. I will not be returning as I saw this server act the same way with other tables. The ambiance was frantic and negative. read more

Nice resturant, but I had some trouble with the manager, she took a while with service and seemed somewhat rude to her employees.

"Shhh... Best kept secret in Ocean City!" This was printed on the back of the shirts the servers wore and it is spot on! We had dinner reservations for 10 on a Sunday evening in July. Our table was ready when we arrived. There were guests sitting both on the screened in patio and inside, but I'm surprised it wasn't more crowded being in the middle of Summer. Since OC is a dry town, Cousin's is not BYO. It would have been nice to have a glass of wine with dinner but the entire experience was exceptional from the service to the food. We started with 3 appetizer samplers to split between the table. Each order came with 2 of the following: crab stuffed mushrooms, clams casino, and clams Las Vegas (clams topped with lump crab, the consensus favorite!!). After ordering our entrees our server brought out a large salad bowl for the table with a generous amount of salad topped with their famous honey Dijon vinaigrette. One of the best salad dressings I've ever had! They bottle and sell their dressing for guests to purchase. As our entrees started coming out we could not believe the portion sizes. I had mussels in red and the whole dish was delicious. Mounds of mussels overtop of an almost never ending bed of linguine (which their menu says is imported). The bread served with dinner was great to use to dip in the gravy. My fiancé and her mom ordered clams in white over linguine which they also loved. My fiancés sister had the Cousin's Special in white served with shrimp, scallops, crab, and clams over linguine. I wasn't able to get pictures of anyone else's meals as they were all on the other end of the table but everyone enjoyed their dinners. Everybody but me had leftovers to take home. I overindulged but it was worth it. This was my first time at Cousin's and my fiancé's family's first time back in years. We were all so pleased with our experience that I'm sure we'll be back next summer while we're on vacation in Ocean City. read more

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The service is always very slow, but the food is so good that we come back every year anyway. I've traveled around Italy and the best bruschetta I've ever had is the bruschetta here. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Bruschetta - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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This was a great find. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in. It is well off the beaten path, which frankly, is my cup of tea. I'm short, but the ceilings are pretty low. It's a pretty cozy space as it is a former living room that was converted decades ago. The service was attentive and pleasant. The waitress made sure to ask the chef multiple times about how my husband's dairy allergy could be accommodated. One thing I wasn't expecting was a big bowl of salad being brought out with dressing already on it, as you are usually asked what dressing you prefer. But this was the house special dressing and people actually stop in to buy a bottle of it. I'd describe it as an Italian style vinaigrette and it was delicious as was the bread from Cape May and the imported Italian olive oil. My husband ordered mango salmon with mixed vegetables and I had stuffed shells. Both were great and we plan to return. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Mango Salmon and stuffed shells - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Definitely a hidden gem on the island. Located in the bottom floor of a house on Asbury Avenue but much farther north away from all of the other shops and restaurants. My girlfriend, 8-year-old son and I went here for dinner last weekend on Sunday night and really enjoyed it. It was our first time here. Weird vibe with the low ceilings and crowded space but the food was good and the staff very friendly. The house salad that came with our food was kind of sad with lettuce drowning in dressing and a few token tomatoes and cucumbers. But our entrees were very good, if a little pricey. I got the shrimp and crabmeat scampi ($35) and my girlfriend got the Cousins Special ($37). I definitely recommend them both. My son got the linguini with red sauce and a single meatball from the kids menu ($10). The sauce and meatball were pretty flavorless, in my opinion. The food took a little over an hour to come out, but our waitress was extremely friendly and apologetic (I heard several staff apologizing to other tables for the wait as well), and we were in no rush, so not a big deal. Overall I'm glad we came, and we'll be back! read more

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Really wanted it to be great. First sign it wasn't going to be: Sat night in July, place was half empty at 6:30pm. Second, loaf of bread was hard to tear and chew (yes I have all my teeth). Spicy calamari- way too salty. I always wonder if chefs ever taste their creations before serving. Salad served family style. Overdressed for sure! Crispy eggplant ricotta w/linguini was a 6. Pasta sauce is too acidy and needs a little sugar to balance. Sadly, we won't be coming back. read more

Good vibes inside- nothing amazing nothing bad Large portion sizes and friendly atmosphere read more

Wow, I am not sure where to start. I placed an online order while on vacation in OC because my daughter was cranky and didn't want to bring a screaming kid to dinner. My mother went in for me to pick up the food. she came back to my car with food in hand and told me the lady was extremely rude! on their online ordering, you can add beverages at the very top. The brunette waitress told my mom that they don't do beverages to go. When we asked for utensils, she said this was a fine dining restaurant and do not do take out. please tell me why you can place orders online if they don't do take out. My mom was so upset and taken back, she didn't want to make any more of a scene this waitress was causing by her attitude. By the time we got back to our hotel, I received a phone call telling me we forgot our soup.... we didn't forget... they did... and wouldn't give me a refund over the phone. now I have to go tomorrow for my refund in person. ** also they have a big service fee for ordering online... even though "they don't do online ordering". wow. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE ********* on a side note, they forgot my daughters meatball in the kids meal, and the food is very mediocre at best especially for the price. Some find dining... ??? read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Burnt edges. Mediocre taste - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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I'm visiting from out of town and came here with family members. We had a reservation for five at 7 PM and when we got there, they said our table was not ready. We sat outside which was fine. Also, we ordered drinks and the server came back and said that we would have to wait because they didn't have any clean glasses. I get it I guess they had several big parties for us. But it's still not right to expect this from a restaurant you go and pay a service for. I'd like to add that patio floor was not clean. There were food pieces under our table. As far as the food, it was just OK. I ordered a bruschetta appetizer and I don't know why they call this bruschetta because it was just small pieces bread that looked like they came out of a bag from the supermarket with pico de gallo on the top. For what they charge for it, they should be ashamed of themselves. It lacked all the classic bruschetta ingredients. The main entres were just OK. They certainly give you big portions but when the dishes lack flavor it doesn't matter how much of it you get. Also, I ordered an iced tea, and I told the waiter that it did not taste like iced tea and that it had a peculiar taste, so he brought me water instead, but the least he could've done is taken it off the bill which he neglected to do. It's disappointing that my family members took us here for a nice going away dinner but I was not impressed at all. I will definitely not be dining at this establishment when I come and visit Ocean City in the future, even if my family members suggested it. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Chicken Marselena - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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This is our first time going to cousins restaurant this year during our trip to Ocean City. The food is definitely excellent, it's a small restaurant with very low ceilings however, it has a very nice cozy feel. The wait staff is excellent cheery and fun. We've ordered the veal Parmesan, the seafood platter, stuffed shells, and everything was delicious. One of the best dishes was the side plate of linguini with garlic and oil. The food was so fresh and fragrant. It made us go back a second time in one week. I highly recommend this place! read more

Over priced ! Run by kids ! Food was horrible ! My pasta was so over cooked it was a big mush . My seafood still had sand in it . Stay away from this place . read more

Extremely friendly staff and amazing food. They have a separate gluten free menu if you require that, but they were also able to make me a dish from the main menu with gluten free pasta substituted. The crab meat pasta and pasta riviera were amazing. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Crab meat pasta with gluten free penne. - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Food is very good and reasonably priced. Friendly waitress. Restaurant has been open for a long time and always decent food and service.

This restaurant has been around for years and it is still as good as I remember/. We got takeout but have eaten inside before and it is small but still great spot to dine in. The food hit the spot for everyone in our party and all gave rave reviews. Big portions and great sauce. I had the eggplant ricotta and it was delicious. My husband and son split a chicken and shrimp dish that both loved! Other family members enjoyed the ribeye, mozz and tomato app, calamari and other dishes. Will definitely order from this restaurant again. read more

We were looking for a place for takeout and saw a menu in our rental. The restaurant was cute and clean and had both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff was very friendly and seemed organized. I was impressed and hoped All the way home that the food would be good because I wanted to go back and dine in. I was not disappointed! I had the Cousins special and it was delicious. My daughter had the crab cakes and Caesar salad. I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to trying more of their food. read more

Big fan - local gem. They are considered a club so BYOB is allowed (rare for ocean city). Very large portions. Folks I was with got the rib eye special and it looked great. I had the Cousins Special (pasta in a red sauce with crab meat, scallops and shrimp. The salad and bread are very good. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

We had a great experience here. The food tasted amazing. We were a group of 13 and they were so great to us. My niece has a peanut allergy and they really made her feel comfortable. We will definitely return when we come back to Ocean City. read more

We have been coming here for years. It's one of our favorites. The food is always amazing and the service is great! Definitely family friendly. read more

Heard great things but was so disappointed in the food and service. We ordered the mozzarella appetizer. It did not come out when our entrees arrived. I asked the waitress to cancel it, but instead she brought it out anyway. It did not look appetizing, so we didn't eat it. Then she tried to convince us to take it home, since she noticed we didn't eat it. At the point I should have out my foot down and reminded her I asked for it be cancelled when it didn't arrive before the entrees, but I just wanted to get out of there because she was just inches away from me. We took a few pieces of cheese and our desserts to go and left. I do agree with other helpers that the complimentary salad was good. Unfortunately everything went south from there. The entrees were chicken parm and linguine and clams. Didn't finish them and didn't take the leftovers. Chicken parm was mediocre, linguine and clams was gritty. The desserts we took home were also below average. Apple pie was edible but bread pudding was atrocious. Won't be returning or recommending. read more

I don't want to leave a bad review so I will try not to. This place has everything you might look for in a restaurant. Good menu selections, friendly staff, local neighborhood spot, etc. . But it just misses, the food here is not good tasting from our experience at last night's dinner. There were 4 of us that ate. We ordered 3 different appetizers, and 4 entrees. Appetizers were ok at best, if I had to choose the clams casino were good. As for the entrees only one would stand out as ok. As other reviews had stated also it was the white sauce dish, seafood and chicken over pasta. DO NOT ORDER anything with the red sauce, too thick and had a funny taste to it, no jokes here. My entree came out, Veal Parm w/linguini, looked good. However, I had to remove all of the water from the bottom of my plate, a "faux pas" in the food world. The hostess saw me doing this and instead of bringing the plate back to fix this she brought me some paper towels to assist, ha very funny but I appreciated it. Again, because of the red sauce I couldn't eat it. The owner kept insisted that I wrap it to take home but I didn't want it nor did I take it. She tried to make a joke but at this point I'm still hungry and I'm going to leave. Avoid the owner if you can, she has a way about her you wont like, trust me. Desserts not good; apple pie probably from Shop Rite, bread pudding not good, and chocolate torte from the freezer. I think the menu items are well priced, meaning it's not a cheap restaurant. And at these prices the product should reflect a better quality let alone the taste of the food being better as well. The waitress, who was awesome and only her third day, brought us boxes to wrap our food up. We didn't want to be rude so we wrapped it but threw it out soon after when we left. I am in the food business, I own a food corporation and serve hundreds of thousands of meals per year, also A classically trained chef (French/Swiss). I never look for a 5 star meal but would like to eat a good tasting dinner with my family. Going out should be a treat not a task of leaving a review still looking for answers of what happened with dinner last night. Maybe their kitchen had an off night, maybe a new cook that should make a better red sauce, who knows but we wont be back nor can we recommend this restaurant to dine at. Rich read more

Cousin's is an unassuming little restaurant underneath a building just off a corner, next to a Mexican restaurant.. walking in, it does not look like much. But don't let appearances fool you. When you are sat they bring you fresh "Atlantic City Italian Bread." I don't know if this recipe or method of baking differs from normal table Italian bread, but it was excellent. We ordered chicken tortellini (alfredo), chicken parm, and the kids pizza. Our food was very good, overall - no complaints that mean anything. My wife said the alfredo sauce wasn't as good as my homemade sauce, but I make mine thick with lots of cheese - this wasn't that, but it was good. My chicken parm was good, but not outstanding... too much breading if I had to criticize - but that's just the way they made it, nothing wrong with that. The red sauce was very good! Several people here on Yelp have complained about it - I guess you have to like real sauce to appreciate this, but it was full of flavor, body, and texture. Truly enjoyable -- especially with the bread! My son didn't love his pizza, and I did not try it, so I can't really comment on it other than it looked fine. The meals all start with a big bowl of salad with a homemade honey mustard dressing which was good, too. My only real complaint would be the service was not great. We felt ignored, had to almost tackle people to get more drinks and bread, and the food took forever to come out - I had to ask, and was told we were two tables away from being ready... then magically, the food came out. Who knows? But the food was hot and fresh, so it had not been sitting. Overall, I would say that this place is worthy of a visit, and you will not be disappointed... just keep in mind that it is likely not a quick meal. read more

No. No. No. No. The prices are WRONG. They are $12 more than stated on website and online. The shrimp and crab linguini was terrible...it was like soup with no crab. The salad had way too much dressing on it when served to our table. We all did not enjoy our meals (we all had the shrimp and crab linguini). It was $145 for 4 dinners. No drinks. Not coming back. Still hungry. Also, our utensils were collected after the salad, then thrown back on our table in a pile before dinner (the same utensils!!) Disappointed. read more

We arrived at Cousin's very close to their closing time of 8:00 and were a little worried that they may not be able to seat us. However, as soon as we got there, they moved some chairs around to fit us at a table. I ordered the seafood riviera, while both my dad and brother ordered the cousin's special with the white sauce. Our meals came with a house salad (served family style) and fresh bread. Just from tasting the salad we knew it would be a good meal. The lettuce and other vegetables were fresh and crisp and the house dressing was super tasty. The bread came out warm and soft, tasting great. As all the other parties left and it got later in the night, our table became dark and our waitress asked if we wanted to move to a bigger table under the lights. She then kindly helped us move our things. My seafood riviera was delicious. The flavors blended excellently and both the shrimp and scallops were cooked perfectly. My dad and brother also enjoyed their dishes and were not disappointed. Despite it being well past their closing time, our waitress and the service as a whole continued to make us feel welcome. We also ordered dessert. I got the cheesecake and my dad and brother both got the key lime pie. All of our desserts were delicious! I usually am not a fan of whipped cream, but the whipped cream at Cousin's is great! This was our last meal of our vacation and we were very glad to have ended it on a high note. We will definitely be back to Cousin's! read more

Cousin's Restaurant - seafood riviera - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

This is our go to date night spot on the island. Great Italian food and seafood that is always prepared well. Try the grilled peppers and provolone appetizer! It's seasoned well and the sharp cheese makes the dish pop! I find for the best service we go early or late. It feels like they are trying to flip tables when we done around 6. I don't like to be rushed, if I'm still eating don't ask if you can clear anything... Prices are expensive enough I can chew my food before swallowing. If you dine at 6, you'll have to ask for water or drink refills. I get it, there aren't a lot of tables, but service is fine outside of the dinner hour, so I know they are capable of it. read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

We had dinner as a family last night. There were 10 of us. We were seated immediately. Service was wonderful (John was very attentive and friendly). Salad was very good. Chicken and shrimp scampi was bland. There were 2 chicken tenders and 4 shrimp. That's pretty scarce for a 25.99 meal. The family thought the stuffed shells were good. Chicken parm was good but sauce was a bit bland. Overall good atmosphere. Prices unfortunately don't really match the food unless you are good with taking home a box of pasta for $20 or more. read more

We have eaten here twice on our 2 week vacation in Ocean City. The first night was amazing, our boys had steak and a breaded chicken cutlet that was both amazing. My husband and I both had white based pastas, he has the cousins special and I had a California pasta and they were both delicious. The salad they served before was excellent as well and we were thrilled that we were here another week to return. The second dinner we came with our kids and another couple. The boys had the same amazing meal and we all ordered red based meals, veal Parm and stuffed shells. I couldn't believe it was the same restaurant, the sauce was not of the same caliber, it was sweet and thick and just not good. I would actually give them 5 stars for the first experience and 2 for the second. I would definitely recommend cousins but I would just advice to go with the white seafood sauces. Update - it's a new year and we went back again for a very sad dinner. Sad that a small place in a beach town that can only hold a few outdoor tables was empty on a Friday night in the summer. With places finally opening up after COVID 19 I expected to see the tables full and takeout busy because I stuck to my previous recommendations and went white sauces all the way and the food was excellent! Please give them a shot, we all need to support our small businesses, especially during this time!! I'm giving them one more star and will be coming back! read more

Ahhh Cousins!!! A family tradition for us for years now. And it does not disappoint! The ceilings aren't tall, but the portions and the flavor are for sure!!! Located in the Gardens section of OCNJ, Cousins treats you like family. Our server (Donna) brought out fresh seeded bread and the huge house salad for our party of 7. The house dressing (a homemade honey dijon) is a wonderful compliment to the salad as well. I went with the Linguini with red clam sauce. The pasta was fresh, and the clams were bountiful. The sauce was tasty as well. Also nice was that we all got to order off the Twilight Specials menu (4:30 - 5:30), so that meant we all got to pick free dessert as well. I chose the Apple Pie, which came out warm and was topped with whipped cream! A very nice finale to a wonderful dining experience. Cousins may be one of the best kept secrets in OCNJ. But I'll say, we'll keep having family "reunions" every summer with our Cousins! Enjoy!!! read more

We got into town late on Saturday and were lucky to get a table. Had seafood (scallops, clam, crab and shrimp) over linguine in a white wine sauce. The sauce was thickened a bit too much but everything tasted great. Would try again. read more

We just left and are already talking about going back. My wife and I made a reservation for inside, but got there about 20 minutes prior to reservation, got our table with no problem whatsoever. Multiple servers greeted us and our server, Keylee was sweet as pie, answered all our questions, and had no issue talking to us. Refreshing to say the least. We ordered off the Twilight menu which is supposedly smaller portions, find that hard to believe, and and the appetizer sampler which was delicious. The salad came in a family style bowl which I loved because you can take as much or as little as you want. Bread was fresh and warm. Appetizers were awesome as I stated. I got the veal parm and my wife got the pasta with clams. Both were delicious...veal was tender and not overly breaded over pasta and was something I would order again. The pasta with clams had enough clams to let you know they were there, but not fishy and overly done. Didn't know that the twilight special also comes with dessert, so took home bread pudding and apple pie for later. I would definitely go back and would absolutely recommend going. read more

We had such an enjoyable meal here! Our waitress Amy was awesome!!! So nice and friendly she made for a perfect experience so go with the delicious meal!!! My boyfriend and I both had the broiled salmon and it was delicious!!! We both loved our meals and every meal comes with salad (with delicious house dressing) and crusty bread from Atlantic City! I would highly recommend stopping by whenever you're in OCNJ! read more

Cousin's Restaurant - Broiled salmon - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Wow! What a great dining experience. Our party of 5 was looking for a place to eat on a busy Memorial Day weekend in Ocean City. While many of the trendy spots had waits of an hour or more, we were able to get a table almost immediately. We noted while scanning the menu prior to arrival that the prices were a bit on the high side, but "beggars can't be choosers". Another party came in right after us and left after seeing the menu prices. (Big Mistake!) The food was worth every cent! Our party started with a few appetizers. Fried Mozzarella, Fried Calamari, and Roasted Peppers with provolone. The Roasted Peppers with provolone is a starter not to missed. The sharp provolone on a crostini when topped with the warm roasted peppers were a great start to the meal. I could'a skipped an entree and ordered more of that starter. We also shared the Fried Calamari, I am usually not a huge fan of Calamari, however, I couldn't stop eating this version. Very well done and the marinara for dipping was also above average. The Fried Mozzarella was also enhanced by their version of marinara. The House Salad and with house dressing was also enjoyed by everyone in the party, and served family style. A good Italian bread was also provided to the table. As far as Entrees, one member of our party ordered the Pasta & Crabmeat. This dish came with so much lump crab, that any concern about the price of the dish was blown away. The pasta was outstanding and I was jealous that I did not order it as my main. I highly recommend. Another entree was the Cousin's special witch was a combination of seafood over pasta. It looked very much like the Pasta and Crabmeat in presentation and volume of seafood. The dish was also very much worth the price. My teenage daughter raved about the chicken tortellini entree. It looked very good and she said it was the best dish of the weekend.(We ate out every meal). My wife and I both had the Ribeye, which was on special for the evening. The dish was well prepared with garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. Overall, if you like good food and expect the quality to match the price. Please try Cousins! I can't wait to go back so I can order the Pasta and Crabmeat! read more

Listen, I really did think about not reviewing this place, because I don't want other people to find it. Got there, and was seated right away. The atmosphere was friendly and the servers were all working hard. The food..... Outstanding! Family style salad with plenty of bread to start off with. Great bread, great salad! The servers were very attentive through the whole meal. The entrees were huge! I mean, I'm Italian, and if I'm saying this is a big plate of food...trust me. And the flavors...everything was on point!! I had the Crispy Eggplant Ricotta...it's 8am the next day, and I'm still talking about it! Everyone was very satisfied with their meals, it's a winner!! Check this place out, you won't be sorry, but don't tell your friends! read more

We've had a big family dinner here once a year for the last 6 years (minus 2020). The food is consistently excellent. I recommend Cousin's special red, which is my single favorite dish in all of Ocean City. I also appreciate the all-you-can-eat salad and bread that accompanies the meal. Only negative: The restaurant feels really claustrophobic. That was even true pre-COVID. I know there isn't much that can be done about the low ceiling, and I appreciate needing to squeeze in as many customers as possible, but I can imagine some COVID-anxious folks not feeling comfortable if eating inside. read more