I feel a little bad writing this since it's clearly a local hotspot and probably dear to many who live here. But as someone who isn't from the area (more familiar with Stone Harbor/Cape May), I'm speaking strictly about the food and I'd say it was pretty average. The pancakes, bacon, and eggs just didn't hit the mark. The pancakes were heavy and tasted like they'd either soaked up too much oil or weren't fresh, and the eggs definitely weren't cooked medium-well as ordered (as you can see in the photo). Nothing was outright terrible, but nothing really stood out as good either. On the positive side, the staff and service were excellent, and the prices are very affordable. So if you're hungover or feeding a big family on a budget, this place makes sense. But if you're visiting from out of town and used to spots like Uncle Bill's, this won't really compare. Locals may know the best dishes to order here, but for me, the basics just weren't very good. read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

See all

I believe I will never eat another blueberry unless it's in a Gilchrist pancake. Best pancakes I've had in a long time and the blueberries make it complete. Did have the scrapple. Only ate half. Worried about that heart attack. Great place. read more

Very nice staff, menu variety, and they never make you feel unimportant or rushed They have great specials along with their amazing pancakes read more

My wife and I with a couple friends had breakfast at Gilhrist and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. Everything we ordered came out exactly like we asked. The waitress was attentive to refilling of drinks and she kept checking to see if we needed anything. We would eat there again. read more

Service was great those blueberry pancakes are the best you won't find them any better!!!

...without the pancakes though, this place is skippable. Just ate breakfast here, and I have to say that this location is EASILY the worst of the 3 I've been to. The pancakes are still amazing, but the service at this place was terrible, and the parking situation is less than ideal. The Misses, the little one and me pull up for some pancakes, and I go inside to see what's what. There's no one working the front, and an employee walked past me thrice before telling me to "just sit at anywhere that is set up." We sit, and a waitress makes it over and asks for drink orders. No hi, no name....all business. She brings the drinks over and takes the food order. Hungry man combo and a veggie omelette. She goes away and when she comes back, she drops off the food, (including a wrong order) and the check, annnnnnnnnd.......that was the last time we saw her. She never came back to check on us, never asked if we needed anything, or if everything was ok; she never even said bye. Just dropped the food off, and considered out table done. We had to ask a different waitress for butter, which wasn't given with my pancakes; the wrong pancakes mind you, and *I* just decided to eat my chocolate chip pancakes, (which I DID NOT ORDER), instead of track her down to get my correct order. At this location, the place was a little more modern, and spacious, but the parking situation was a problem, as the street parking is hard to come by. Gilchrist pancakes are seriously heavenly, but even they weren't enough to overcome the atrocious service. read more

Good basic brunch place. + My 2 favorites were the Spinach Omelette and Hot Chocolate. At most of brunch restaurants I get omelette with spinach, and this was one of the best I had. Lots of butter. + Each dish was cheaper compared to other brunch places, and the portions were just right (no leftovers). - They advertised their hot cakes (basically thin pancakes) as their best dishes, so we ordered one for the table. None of us thought it was super. - We wished their drink menu had more caffeinated beverages. It was limited to hot/ice coffee. read more

See all

I went very early for breakfast on a Thursday....during the off season. The place was basically empty. The service was amazing. The server was very fast and very friendly. She seemed to know the other 3 customers personally. It gave the place a nice homey feel to it. The pancakes were good but I don't think I like blueberries enough to order it again. The eggs were good. The bacon was thin and sad over cooked...too crunchy. They need to upgrade their bacon. read more

See all

Best pancakes around most everything is good one exception is the Bacon every time I ordered it I sent it back got something else.How do you make terrible bacon? Happened more then once.. Also the service is not that good. read more

It was Thanksgiving and the best possible place to have a birthday breakfast with the best pancakes in the whole world and a secret treat of scrapple fries run now you won't believe them. Trust me sprinkle some syrup on your plate and dip them. It was such a great time and the host is just a delight so is everyone fast yummy clean And friendly read more

This morning I arrived at Gilchrist with an empty stomach and I ateeee. I purchased the hungry man combo #2 and it was scrumptious. You can only purchase these delicate pancakes at Gilchrist. There's nothing quite like it! I love the eggs and bacon and grits too. When I was eating the restaurant was empty but still flowing with positive energy. Our food arrived instantly and served to perfection. The atmosphere was fun with a chill beach vibe blending perfectly with the food! read more

Had Brunch with a party of 6 at this place, and it was a pleasant experience. The food was not anything life changing or spectacular, but it was nice. The hot chocolate tasted a little like the powder that can be mixed with milk- so that wasn't that authentic of a taste. The lox omlette was great! The veggie omlette was probs the best though as it had many options. the food quantity was a lot which was good and worth the price point. Overall, it was a nice local place here near Atlantic City. Food took a longgg time to come out tho! We were so hungry we started getting a little hangry. read more

See all

Had a really nice "early mother's day" breakfast here with my parents this morning. I've been to other Gilchrist locations but the view from this one is one of a kind! We showed up at 10AM on a Sunday morning and as luck would have it, only had a 10 minute wait and ended up in one of the best seats in the house right on the water. The food was delicious as always (the blueberry pancakes!!) and service was attentive and smooth. When we left the wait was almost an hour long so get here early! read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - the view! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

See all

Came here suggested by our front desk hotel lobby clerk destiny. We tried to find our way in from outside and realized we never had to leave the building, was a place. Learned there were 4 gilchrists. We ordered our breakfast. Both very satisfied for the amount of food and price. The manager greeted us and give us some history on the restaurant and building. We would recommend this place to our friends and we'll be back again! read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - Greek omelet with home fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

Goals. This was our first time at this location which officially makes our goal complete of being able to say we have dined at all 5 locations of the Gilchrist chain. Yes, I said *5* *We were fortunate to be able to dine at the OG aka Original Gilchrist. This original location was previously on Maryland Ave in AC before it fell into the marina. This review will be about the Downbeach location, but also reflects the overall chain itself. First the location: Not easy to see passing by on the street unless your looking for it. Same side of the street as Lucy the elephant on the next block. So look for the elephant crossing sign and you know you are near. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the extremely friendly staff. In fact, we commented on how friendly and attentive the staff were here. Not that they are not at the other locations, just more laid back kinda friendly than their busier sister locations. The food was and is always good. It is consistent at all of their locations. The pancakes are the best. Eggs to order are amazing and fresh quality products are used for everything they make. What can you say when you have a knack for serving up the best breakfast in the area for decades? Everyone should know that by now. If you don't, what do you need? A sign? I already told you there is even an elephant leading the way, what more do you actually need?? Bring your appetite for their famously delicious pancakes and some friends. The staff is always friendly and extremely hard working. There is no doubt these folks like their job and are trained well. This just seems to be becoming an extremely rare find anymore in the service industry, so kudos to this family grown business for keeping it on the right track during their journey of success. Now that we have been to all of the locations we can say they all have a different vibe. As I mentioned earlier, The Downbeach location is a bit more laid back as it should be when your vacationing. The Cologne location is more of a quaint hometown country vibe. The Tropicana location has a cool contemporary diner vibe. Here is where there is an opportunity for a variety show of occasional entertainment with a cast of characters from the adjoining casino and downtown AC. A People watchers paradise. The original location will always be our favorite, but the memories can be enjoyed while sitting on the deck across the marina on N. Rhode Island Ave. The Gardner's Basin location is definitely our go-to location during the warmer months, as there no better way to enjoy your day than by the water enjoying the best pancakes in the realm. All of the locations get busy at peak times, but so worth the wait. So what are YOU waiting for??? A sign? I thought we already covered that! read more

See all

Not good service. Went here with an optimistic outlook considering all the great reviews. Despite that, our waitress asked us what we wanted in a very rude tone and was aggravated. Felt extremely rushed the entire time and menu wasn't even that special. Good prices, but mediocre breakfast read more

Short wait. It seemed crowded. Fantastic service. Seats were spaced out. Great breakfast.

I grew up in margate and my favorite part about coming home to visit Mom and Dad is getting my breakfast game on at gilchrist. The pancakes and omelettes are always on point! My very favorite thing though is the Thursday/Saturday special. The banana walnut French toast is a total game changer. It has three thick pieces of bread smothered with a nice healthy amount of walnuts, bananas, and real maple syrup. I wish it was available everyday. The servers are always pleasant and keep your coffee fresh. This place is no nonsense and they get your food to you fast which I love because I'm usually pretty hungry when I walk through the door. Will say this though for those of you new or visiting margate for the first time. Beware the parking situation in the summertime. It can get crazy! The street will be packed on a nice summer beach day. Gilchrist does not have its own parking lot (but almost nothing in margate does). read more

The best breakfast Amazing pancakes. Great staff. A few locations but our favorite is the Margate location.

Best breakfast for blueberry pancakes at the beach!! They have 3 locations. One on the water in the Backbay area of AC. Another in Chelsea section, of AC and this one in Downbeach area of Margate...near Lucy the Elephant! Excellent breakfast!! read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

See all

Best blueberry pancakes!! Found this place walking by stopped in- Service was great. Dogs allowed on patio! I am headed back next time I am at the shore!! read more

See all

Absolutely the best pancakes in South Jersey! The service is good, and I love that they have indoor and outdoor seating. There is limited parking in the immediate area during the summer so sometimes we park further down in Longport and just walk up. It's a really nice walk and you can even do on the beach which is beautiful. read more

Overall, I really like this place (probably best grits I've had outside of the South-I used to live in South Carolina). I probably prefer CJ's just a bit to here, although Gilchrist feels more civilized as the place is bigger. Gilchrist, as you may know, is known for the blueberry pancakes, which are phenomenal. The regular buttermilk pancakes are also quite good too. Other fruit pancakes are good but are a step down from the blueberry or plain. Having said that, I've had good luck with strawberry pancakes here in the past. Best Items: Blueberry pancakes, pancakes, eggs over medium, Spanish Omelet, Greek Omelet, Crab Omelet, Pork Roll breakfast sandwich, Reuben, Patty Melt (old school, but oh so fun!), Turkey BLT Wrap read more

Tried this place with my husband and my in-laws yesterday morning. It was very good! We were served very promptly, and really enjoyed the food. I had the short stack of French toast- it was great. My husband had one of the breakfast specials and enjoyed it- and my father in law had the peach pancakes, which he really liked. My mother in law loved the blueberry pancakes. The service was friendly. The only issue was that it took a while for us to be seated, but I guess I should have expected that on a holiday. This is a nice little place in a good location. We will definitely be back again. read more

Food is absolutely delicious their beeakfast is one of the best on the island. Their lunch is ok. The only reason I gave them 4 and not 5 stars is because of how much the food costs. I know that inflation is very high right now but there are other restraunts with cheaper prices definitely recommend this place read more

3 stars because my omelet was good. The toast was only toasted on one side. The fruit cup for $6.00 and overpriced but this place is SO dirty. When you walk in the front door the filth on the floor is enough to turn your stomach. It looked like a million mouse droppings. The windows and front door are so dirty but if you can get past the dirt you'll enjoy your meal. read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

See all

Very good breakfast in an area with few options! I had the hungry man special and it was delicious l. Got me eggs, pancakes and grits, although the grits were not very good. The pancakes (hot cakes) are not the best in the world as they claim, but they are unique and very good. If you're looking for breakfast in Margate, come here. read more

See all

Best breakfast on the island! Blueberry pancakes are the best! Great service as well!

Disgusting hair in my food! Yuck. They took care of this only after I said something.

Great hot cakes, great sausage links. I enjoyed the eggs. I thought the bacon was average at best. Very stringy, and I thought the home fries could of been so much better had they seasoned them. If the home fries were better I'd probably give 4 stars, but I'm sticking with 3 read more

Best blueberry hotcakes I have ever had. My friend concurred and my other friend said it was the best waffle she ever had. And the service was great even though we had a big group. read more

I almost don't want to write a good review so that more people don't know about it ;) In all seriousness, the breakfast here is as good as any of the other Gilchrists locations, which basically means it is awesome. I still have a warm spot for the one "offshore" in Cologne, but bottom line, coffee is good, pancakes are awesome, and in general it is a good experience. Nice that you have 2 options if you're in AC (one in Gardener's Basin with a water view, and this one). If you've been to the other locations, this one is much bigger. read more

Been to this restaurant several times, and every time I have optimistic expectations, however, each time I received grave service from a veteran staff member. Today I received dirty utensils, never received water upon initial request. I asked the staff person about their coffee, she was unapologetic, direct and had a little attitude about the only coffee they served was regular. Food was very hot and decent (except for the grits, not Southern style as customers raved about) but I would not return again due to their service/beside manner on several occasions. read more

Typical breakfast eatery at the shore. Got the omelette special. It was tasty. Home fries were not my favorite. Sat outside on a windy day. Good service. read more

Good place get takeout lunch here and it's always good, done quickly and friendly staff

Very pleasant outdoor breakfast a block from Lucy. Friendly staff also. Had a great omelette, generous portions and some good specials. read more

If you're craving pancakes, this is it. They are known for their blueberry pancakes but I got the apple cinnamon which was the special of the day. It was delicious. The pancakes here are thin. They are like in between a crepe and fluffy pancake in consistency. Even so, they are very good. read more

Gilchrist Downbeach - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Margate City, New Jersey

Blueberry hot cakes and home fries are great but the service is what makes this place even better. Their service is immaculate and it's really good prices too. read more

Gilcrest!! You did it again. Welcome to the beach side, so thankful you're here. We always stay near the pier, so it's a great leisurely walk to Tropicana to go to our favorite little restaurant. We haven't had a bad meal here ever and we love the vibe. The staff is great, location is wonderful. read more

First time being at this place. We walked it and it's kinda reminded me of a place is North Carolina. The staff was so sweet. I had the 2 eggs ham with potatoes and 2 blueberry pancakes. Absolutely delicious! And the food is all fresh! Pancakes were deliciously made. Nice and big! My husband had the turkey BLT club sandwich. He really enjoyed it. We are definitely coming back to this place! 5 stars!! read more

See all