We just had a great meal at Freda's Cafe. The owner of the B&B we are staying in recommended it, as did some of the guests we met this evening. So, off we went. It is located at the northern end of the Washington Street Mall, and has a large plate glass window that overlooks the street. There are about 12 or so tables that are fairly close together, and although it was slow when we entered, there were only 2 tables free when we left. So, I would make reservations. It is also BYOB. There was a standard menu, and an additions menu. While the regular menu listed prices of each dish, the additions menu had no prices (which we found strange). The waitress told a table near us that the entrees on the additions menu were in the $26 - $32 range. The menu itself is not terribly large, but had all of the major areas represented (seafood, meat, pasta, etc.) We skipped appetizers. Each entree comes with a smallish salad that was nicely arranged. There are only 2 dressing choices: Russian and a miso-soy-sesame. I had the former, which was quite good, and my wife and son had the latter, which they raved about (my son pouring it over his salad and then dipping his bread into what was left). The bread was a bit disappointing in texture and taste (very bland). I had the crab cakes, which were served with a mango sauce over mashed potatoes along with a side of sauteed green beans. The crab cakes were outstanding. Lots of crab meat, very little grease. The mango sauce was addictive, and worked well with the crab cakes. The potatoes were also very, very good. My wife had Chilean sea bass which was cooked with a honey BBQ glaze and served with purple sticky rice and a mushroom tempura topping. While she thought that there was far too much sauce, the sauce was tasty (these guys know how to make sauces) and the fish cooked perfectly. While the sticky rice was indeed purple, it did not have the taste or texture of true sticky rice. My son had the rack of lamb, which was served with a choice of starch (he chose garlic mashed potatoes). There were eight small chops, and he quickly went to work devouring 4 of them. While the entree looks small, it is bigger than it looks and he was not able to finish it all. He did comment that the lamb itself was a bit peppery (perhaps due to a rub). We did not have dessert as we were going to wander the mall after dinner. All in all, it was a very good meal and a great start to our vacation. read more

Don't book at 8:30 (last booking) or you will have to wait for about 40-45 minutes to be seated. They don't know how to run bookings. Service is not particularly good. We were somewhat rushed despite waiting a while to be seated. Since we were the last customers we could feel the smell of detergents. Does not mix very nicely with food. Food wise: it's good but not as good as expected. The appetizers were disappointing the lobster tempura looked more like traditional American deep fried than to tempura. The entrees were nice but the sauce of my crab cakes was too sweat. We had to wait to get the sweet potatoes that were supposed to go with one of the entrees. In brief good but not astounding. Pricey too. $100 without wine and tip. Double espresso for $8! By the way prices are not put on the menu for the seasonal dishes. Conclusion: avoid read more

Went here today during my week of vacation down the shore & it was by far my best meal of the week. I got the special, Korean BBQ pulled pork with sweet potato fries and it was delicious! Had a hard time deciding what to order (because everything sounded so good), but I loved my meal! My co-diners ordered a bowl of Manhattan Clam Chowder soup (it was huge!) and a Kobe burger with blue cheese and mushrooms. Everyone enjoyed their meal so much, we ordered dessert! $10 for bread pudding, but so worth it. Highly recommended - can't wait till I'm back in the area, so I can visit again! read more

Stopped in for lunch at the tail end of Cape May's season, and it was actually a bit jumping. What a cute little place! Although, if I had my druthers, I'd change the wall paper. But I digress... Their menu is great with some inventive sandwich options. I ordered the "Danielle is Awesome" and it hit the spot. It was good and had a sort of homemade feel about it, like grandma just made it for you in her old country kitchen. Their specials sounded really good too. Check it out! read more

After a nice drive down the shore we were starving. My Yelpers didn't let me down when they steered us to lunch at Freda's. We walk into a Mayberryesque little dining room and are instantly welcomed by Cal, our water, server and bus boy. The lunch menu is simple and diverse. I chose the fried oyster sandwich and my lovely bride decided on the ships passing, smoked salmon cream cheese, cucumbers, dill and capers on a toasted bagel. Both these sandwiches were so different and both hit it out of the park. My fried oysters were juice you crunchy and flavorful kicked with fresh tomato and bacon. Deb's was just as amazing. The smoked salmon was amazing and the capers and dill sent it off to new heights. If you ever find yourself in Cape May don't pass this little gem up read more

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Since we make it a point to try every restaurant in Cape May and we're running out of new restaurants, we decided to revisit Freda's Cafe, a restaurant we haven't visited in a while. The decor hasn't changed much (seashore Victorian?), but overall the food was delicious. In particular, we loved that the entrees came with salads although they were small and quite chilled. The ginger-sesame-soy dressing was tasty! The stuffed salmon entree was also delicious and so was the NY strip steak. Portions were generous. One thing we thought was odd, though, was that we were given 2 menus although neither menu seemed to feature specials. One menu had no prices listed by the entrees. We thought the prices were high especially for a BYOB ($36 salmon, $38 steak). For all we know, the prices could change nightly depending on the night. Not sure why this is the practice here. read more

We started with a fried calamari with a tangy marinara. Then we had the slow-roasted duck with orange and mixed berry glaze, and the seared fish duo of arctic char + halibut with a wonderful lime-caper sauce. Everything was extremely delicious and well- presented. The only imperfection was that the fish was cooked for maybe 30 seconds too long. Still delicious but got a tiny bit firmer than I prefer. I would highly recommend Freda's for a pleasant, lovingly-prepared meal served by friendly, helpful staff! read more

Stopped in for lunch, James our waiter who usually works dinner was working lunch recommend the Fried Oyster sandwich & the Crab Cake sandwich were just on point. Cute atmosphere, bathroom around the side of the building from the main dinning area. read more

Was recommended to Freda by local business owner for lunch but was sooo disappointed. We were visiting with one other couple celebrating a 60th bday weekend. The "blackened Chilean sea bass sandwich was served on stale brioche and had more fried onion rings than (too spicy) fish with a pile of romaine and "special (mayo) sauce. The salmon on salmon salad was salty. The Thai chicken salad with vinegarette came with a thick green curry sauce to overlay a red pepper curry sauce -huh?! And the shrimp facaicia open faced sandwich w broccoli was all about thick melted cheese that would have played well in a college cafeteria. Oh - and did I mention we waited 50 mins to be served with just 6 people in the place? Let's hope it was just a bad day... read more

Always delicious and fresh. If you visit cape may make sure this is one of your stops. You will not be sorry! read more

Freda's Cafe - Shrimp po boy - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

We had the soups for an app.French onion was delicious. I had the fillet and it was done perfectly. I could almost cut it with my fork. My wife's shrimp and scallops pesto was Very good as well. read more

I can't believe we just went here for the first time in all the years we've spent in cape may/ wildwood area, and we've been missing out! Food was delicious and can't beat BYO. Most of the restaurants around here are priced similar, so if you're going to pay for it, it should be great and this was great. Place is small so make sure you call ahead. Seating is tight so expect to be back to back with other diners. Red snapper and ahi tuna were very good. Desserts sounded amazing but we were too full. Well definately be back! read more

one star, if even. terrible service. Amanda, the waitress. She took our order, but never actually served us food. If you can't handle an extra table, don't take it. We got in at 645pm and didn't even get bread until 740pm. appetizers were delicious and warm. But if you ask us about our 40 dollar entrees, one was warm and one was cold. We had to wait over 15 minutes for the bathroom key (the only one they have!) twice. We were ready to leave, and leave a 10% tip. But, when our waitress came, we told her one dinner was cold and we didn't appreciate the service. Unlike a normal server, who would apologize and say i'm sorry for the inconvenience, Amanda continuously argued with us and tried to make excuses for everything that happened. When we told her we didn't appreciate her making excuses, her response was, "You have been rude all night." We, up until this point, accepted the poor service with a chip on the shoulder. We understand that they are understaffed and sometimes unable to cope. But, her telling us that we were rude was completely unprofessional and an embarrassment to an establishment we have been eating at for years. This business has lost a patron who has been eating here for 10 years. It wasn't the food, which was delicious, although cold at points due to poor service. Although the service industry is short-staffed across the country, if employees like this are allowed to continue to work, Freda's will have a horrible name until they go out of business. read more

In Cape May before it "opens" for the season, on a Monday night, there aren't necessarily that many options for dinner. We wandered in to Freda's because a). it was open; b). it was having a good buy-an-appetizer/dessert, get-a-free-entree-per-couple special. We ended up lucking out with one of the last tables for a walk-in for the evening (the place is TINY), and lucky we were - this place is great. Though they had some great-sounding specials (that seemed really popular at other tables) we all ordered the menu fare - seafood garlic pasta for mom; blackened sea bass with fried onion, red bean paste, and sauteed greens for dad; crab cakes with garlic mashed potatoes for me. Parents were very happy with their meals (and the sea bass was good, though I didn't try the pasta), and my crab cakes were divine - great chunks of crab, capers, and a sweet-tropical sauce that's not overwhelming. For dessert we had a toffee rum cake (AMAZEBALLS) and a flourless chocolate velvet cake (good for what it is, but not my taste). We sadly didn't bring wine, but that was our mistake; other than that it was a fantastic dining experience. The couple at the table next door were locals, and regulars at Freda's - they assured us it was the best food on Cape May, and I believe it. read more

Always charming, Freda's never disappoints. Pan-fried oysters were a succulent but light appetizer, if a bit heavy on the remoulade. Salmon with shrimp, crab and spinach was tasty and rich in all of the right ways (unless you also want dessert). Service was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. A warm oasis on a cold rainy fall night. read more

Delicious! Service was great- she welcomed me with my 2.5 y.o. toddler and brought out things he liked like extra cucumbers from the salad. We had an incredible melt-in-your-mouth fish special (halibut) and sweet potato crusted scallops... also wonderful! I wanted to try a unique dessert but my plain joe husband wanted a comfort desert and that for him is flan. It was good, but not the best I've had. Perhaps something unique with the flan to add something unique or some increased pizazz. I really recommend everyone do a dinner at this adorable small Victorian-style elegant "hole-in-the-wall" Also, make reservations. read more

Mid-May, 2011: Little loaf of bread, small green salad, grilled chicken breast (whole, i.e., two halves) with artichoke hearts and tarragon sauce, rice florentine, and green beans. Water to drink. As other reviewers mentioned, space is tight. Good service. read more

We were on the hunt for seafood so the menu didn't impress when we first walked in - but we're glad we stayed! The daily specials turned out where the seafood items were listed, and the Jamaican seafood chowder was absolutely delicious, full of lumps of crab, fish, scallop, and a great base! The fried oyster sandwich was amazingly flavorful and juicy as well, and the soft-shell crab sandwich was good. Will be back, especially now that I've been informed by other Yelp reviews that this is a BYOB place, I am definitely coming with wine next time! read more

Sunday noon lunch option #1 was closed, so we found Freda's, inspected the menu outside, and made our way in. Only a few tables were occupied, but that changed soon after our seating. Yes, it is small-ish inside, and the decor is acceptable if not unimaginative, lacking in any specific theme. Theme, schmeme; the menu was impressive. Lots of originality including many deli-ish creations, but with more flair. We both settled on the same: foccacia bread with pesto sauce, tomato, crab, and cheese baked on top...kind of an open-faced creation, for $9.95. This turned out to be an excellent choice, and I had to force myself to be polite, savor, and not hoark it down as my gullet requested. It was fantastic...the perfect lunch to cap off a weekend at the shore. The wait staff was good, effective, friendly; the music, quiet, background jazz; the volume very reasonable, especially for the size (maybe the tall ceilings absorbed it). It was a very nice lunch, and has made me wonder just how good this place might be for dinner. Apparently, they also have a deli attached to the rear of the building that serves up some excellent take out meats and cheeses. I'd give this place a definite nod and would surely return.. read more

Our third restaurant in the Cape and it is just as fantastic! The wait staff is attentive and helpful. The team of chef and pastry chef obviously a happy team! Lump crab cakes swimming in mango sauce is a peefect balance of sweet and salt. In heaven! read more

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We got up early Saturday morning to drive to Delaware. GPS ended up directing us to Cape May where we needed to catch the ferry across the water. Since we hadn't made reservations for the ferry and didn't want to wait four hours until the next available reservation or drive 90 miles to a bridge to Delaware, we opted to stay in Cape May instead. We ended up at Freda's for lunch on the recommendation of Yelp. We were instantly charmed by the cute country-esque decor, but almost walked out when we didn't see any seafood on the menu. This was a bit confusing to us as I found Freda's initially by searching for nearby seafood restaurants on Yelp. When the waitress told us the specials, we figured it out, all the seafood items are daily specials and thus not on the regular menu! Jamaican seafood chowder was divine, I really want to figure out how to make that broth! It was also chock full of seafood pieces - scallop, fish, and crab. Loved the chowder so much, I seriously contemplated getting more to take back with me to NYC. Soft shell crab sandwich was nicely battered and crunchy. Fried oyster sandwich was divine - perfectly fried yet juicy oysters and good bread, I would eat that again in a heartbeat! Even the cole slaw was good and I don't really like cole slaw. If I'm back in Cape May, I'm definitely contemplating a stop here for sure. read more

Enjoyed eating at this restaurant. We have a 12 year old and they did not tell us they have a children's menu. Said it was for 10 and under. They ended up giving us the linguini without the vegetables... for $28!! We had to ask them to please drop the price, which they did. But my daughter would have preferred a hamburger or the macaroni and cheese which the kids next to us were eating. Please add an extra dollar to the price range for this restaurant. A dish of macaroni is close to $30 and all other entrees are $36+. All the restaurants in Cape May are pricey. Food was good and fresh. They do seafood very well. Service was good. read more

Hands-down, the best place I ate in Cape May NJ. Freda's was recommended by our hotel front desk lady, never got her name, as her favorite. While walking around Cape May my husband and I passed by, took a peek in the window while lunch was being served and I immediately dismissed it. It looked like a place to grab a quick burger or a chicken salad, yeah I judged by the external appearance. We decided to have our last dinner there anyway, see what the big deal is. Seriously, the best food. The room is very very small, I think they might be able to seat no more than 20 people, yet there were three waitresses and a hostess/ bus girl. Service was excellent as was the meal. My only gripe, and I have with all the places we ate dinner, "What the hell with not trimming the tips of green beans" read more

Crabmeat Remick appetizer exquisite..entrée crab cakes were the best I have ever eaten:-) my wife had the spare ribs..deliciously prepared. . Whipped sweet potatoes were deliciously consumed by both of us. Both our entrées were easily shared..and still had some for a doggie bag :-)...will return indeed! read more

Freda's Cafe - Spare Ribs Deluxe - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

We had a Tuesday 6:15 reservation. We were seated right on time. The place filled up quickly. Our server was amazing. She was like the bionic server. She described the specials from memory, not off a piece of paper. That's a sign of a great server. Now for the food...I had the Japanese Suzuki with broccoli rabb, sweet potato's topped by a delicious crab cake. Delicately covered with a lemon caper sauce. It was mostly likely one of the best dishes I have in my entire life. Every element of this plate was cooked to perfection and served in a timely manner. IF you are a foodie, then this is a place you should definitely visit. Other plates at our table were the mussels appy, Beef wellington and the desert was an outstanding cheese cake ! read more

Freda's Cafe - Pan seared Japanese Suzuki with sweet potato, broccoli raab, crab cake in a lemon caper sauce. DELICIOUS !! #food #cape May #NJ - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

Excellent food. One of my favorite restaurants in Cape May. The duck is delicious, and so is the beef Wellington. The desserts are divine!

This evening Freda's Cafe provided this diner with two generous and scrumptious crabcakes enhanced by a delicious mango sauce over garlic mashed potatoes and string beans...prefaced by a salad of mixed greens with a dollop of tasty Russian dressing and fresh yeasty bread...it was truly one of those meals you can't stop eating even when you are full - it's that good. One caveat, the place is tiny and fills up quickly so be sure to make reservations. Have been here several times now and have never had a less-than-stellar culinary experience. My dining companions both ordered the filet mignon and while prepared perfectly, thought I was wise not to have ordered it as it was accompanied by a peppery gravy/sauce, so while I love a good filet, I do not like "hot" foods and am just as happy I did not order. If you'd like some wine to accompany the meal though, you'll need to pick up a bottle of wine on your own as they do not offer on premises. Usually I do not like small, cramped spaces but for Freda's Cafe, I'll gladly make an exception...Five yums up in a circle!!! read more

A cozy restaurant with great food, Freda's is a must if you come to Cape May. The mussels special appetizer with garlic, fresh herbs, and mozzarella was incredible! Save some bread to soak up the fantastic juices. The pork loin dinner with shrimp and crab was tender and full of flavor. The meal is rounded out with nice sides and a generous salad. Freda's can only accommodate around 30 people at once, so you must make reservations on the weekend. But be aware that the hostess doesn't manage guests and reservations well....so be on time and expect to wait. read more

The place was a nice find the server was friendly and the food was tasty we will definitely come back here next time in Cape May. read more

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A.MA.ZING. Had the best scallops ever. Coconut sweet potato crusted scallops. Crust was scrumptious and scallop inside was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious. Also recommend the crab lump cake entree. Soooo good you just want to keep going back for more. read more

Freda's Cafe - Coconut sweet potato crusted scallops - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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The place is typical of Cape May. Comfortable friendly service with a smile. The food came out seamlessly and with the perfect amount of time between courses. The food is really well done. I ordered a Japanese style pan seared tuna. I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, it was very good. Dessert may be the star of the show, we had a pound cake with ice cream, caramel sauce and pralines. Excellent. The place is small and you will be close to your neighbors. It is byob which I like. read more

Love Freda's. Eclectic cuisine. Catherine is a great waitress. Always get a fish dish when we are her. read more

Freda's Cafe - Crab cakes Marcus - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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Decided to try this place based on reviews. It was delicious!! The place itself is very quaint and it was full to capacity on a Friday night at 8:15. The website says that it closes at 9:30 but they weren't turning walk-ins away at 9:15. Everyone who worked there was very nice. The waiter recommended the Spring Rolls which were to die for! The crab cakes were so good.. Mostly lump crab and a delicious mango sauce. The pork tenderloin was so moist and savory. The presentations of the dishes were incredible! I would definitely go back!!! Give It a try... You won't be disappointed! Right around the corner from Washington. read more

Freda's Cafe - Pork Tenderloin - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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We got lucky with a 6:00 pm walk in on a Saturday in high season. Kitschy decor with only a dozen or so tables. The menu has nice variety, but the seafood specials seem to be the stars. We shared an appetizer of spring rolls stuffed with marscapone and seafood. I had the Barramundi special with generous chunks of lobster. My mother had the crab cakes, which were also amazingly meaty with just enough binders for flavor. A bit on the pricy side for a BYO with no drinks (just over $100 for 2 after tip) but delicious and great quality! Cassandra was friendly, helpful & efficient - we never lacked for service. read more

Freda's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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We had planned to go to Oyster Bay for dinner but found out they were closed on Mondays. We ended up going to Freda's after picking up a bottle of wine and were so happy we did! The atmosphere that looked so friendly but casual in the daylight had transformed to a romantic candlelit ambiance. I ordered the steak and shrimp and my wife ordered the crab cakes. The filet (ordered medium) was easily the most buttery and tender I've ever had, and even though the dish only came with two shrimp they were also some of the best cooked I've eaten. My wife's crab cakes had very large chunks of crab and were excellently cooked with plenty of creamy mashed potatoes and passionately ("100 Foot Journey" reference) firm asparagus along-side. Plus the entrees came with fresh salads and a fluffy bread loaf to start. Overall our food was wonderful, the atmosphere was romantic, and the service was charming and attentive. We will definitely be back! read more

This place is a solid 3 star restaurant, but tonight the staff reduced it to 2. My wife and I had dinner this evening and the food was good overall. The issue we have is with the staff. There was a large table near us with a few very well behaved children. After they left, I overheard their server making fun of their last table, questioning why anyone would take kids there, in a very obnoxious way. You're in cape may, one of the most family friendly towns and beach in NJ and you have a kids menu. How dare you. My wife and I, who own a house here, will go elsewhere next time. read more

Freda's Cafe is my favorite spot in Cape May. Me and my girlfriend Elizabeth ate lunch here today. The french fries that come with the Kobe burger are to die for Be sure to get some of Carols sweet desserts as well!! read more

Freda's Cafe - Kobe burger and fries - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

The reviews were good but we were disappointed. Tried the New England clam chowder, crab sandwich and portabella sandwich. Very large portions. read more

Great service and great food. One of the best place for dinner at cape may read more

Freda's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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Ate lunch here on a Monday while road tripping through NJ/DE area in early Oct (off season). If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. Although there were people about town we were the only diners in Freda's, which we thought was ominous. Thankfully our first impression was incorrect. The lunch menu (mostly sandwiches) was extensive (1 page double sided, plus a lunch specials page along with several additional daily specials that the server told us about), with several interesting offerings. Food was fresh and tasty, but took a little longer to prepare than we would have expected (given we were the only ones there). Service was friendly, tho also a little slow (perhaps not reading the non-verbal cues very well). Fresh flowers on each table was a nice touch. For a quaint sandwich shop in a small town, Freda's was pleasant and enjoyable. read more

Freda's Cafe - Focaccia with crab and pesto - Cafes Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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