Ship Bottom Shellfish

Fabulous, fresh seafood! Mussels were beautifully prepped as well as the clams…read more The stuffed clams and crab cakes were delicious! Such a pleasure to prepare and serve to guests at my dinner party!

Bought some New England clam chowder twice now both times hardly any clams mostly potatoes you…read morecould do better at the gateway Both times I mentioned this to the workers there and the owner was in earshot and he just ignored it I don't know where these people are getting five star reviews from Just goes to show you that this is a tourist area and people are happy with anything even bad Coffee

Scallops and shrimp before we grilled!

Blue crabs

See all

Surf City Fishery

4.1(27 reviews)

0.4 mi

Surf City fishery offers a fine selection of fresh fish. The service is excellent…read more During the summer season, they also sell fresh Jersey corn and tomatoes.

Got day-boat scallops and stuffed clams today. Not disappointed!!…read more Everything was so fresh. The scallops were tender, and not gritty.the stuffed clams were seasoned perfectly and so didn't have fillers. Will definitely go back. Highly recommend. Did I mention that they are very nice, and kind.

See all

Salt Kitchen & Bar

3.9(176 reviews)

0.6 mi

The food, service and ambiance was all Outstanding!!!! Thank you for a fantastic birthday dinner!!!read more

Delicious food and amazing sunset views over the bay. The service was great and very inviting…read more Can't wait to make it one of our regular places to visit next season.

Burrata & Speck

See all

Watermelon Feta Salad

Topsail Steamer

4.7(29 reviews)

0.4 mi

Everything! Thank you! May be a little less spice. I wouldn't ad the whole packet next time. It…read morewill become a favorite with this household!

Wow! They do a great job with their steamer pots! I had never made a seafood boil, so I was…read morenervous. Topsail puts everything in the pot for you - cut and seasoned. I just had to add 2 cups of liquid (we used beer) and that was it! They give you paper for the table and you can just dump the whole thing on the paper and enjoy. The flavor was great and the seafood was delicious. Such a fun dinner! I highly recommend!

Shark Bite

See all

Crabby Jimbo Crabby Jimbo Bay Bucket (Low Tider)

Mud City Crab House

4.2(601 reviews)

3.0 mi

Excellent food and service they never disappoint!!…read more Seafood is always fresh and delicious

This is a seashore casual bar and restaurant specializing in fresh seafood. They're located on the…read moremainland side of Barnegat Bay, about 5 mins inland, and the menu is extensive. At lunch, my softshell crab sandwich was good. Kudos to them for having softshells during the very brief season. For the price, I wish there had been two crabs though. The one in my sandwich was very small and noticeably tough. Very tasty, though, on its toasted brioche bun. I removed one of the two fat tomato slices because i wanted to be able to taste the delicate crab, and ate the extra slice along with some of the excess lettuce as a salad. The side of cole slaw was delicious. My sister had the original crab cake sandwich which she loved, and my husband ordered a sautéed mahi sandwich with fries and a beer. He was very happy, and said that it was probably the best mahi he'd ever had. We arrived at about 2p.m. without a reservation to find the dining room packed, so we're happy to sit at a shared outdoor wooden picnic table next to the bar truck. It's that popular! Nothing fancy about this place except the prices and good quality seafood.

Summer salad!! Grilled watermelon, whipped feta cheese, lump crab meat, basil mint oil. INCREDIBLE!!!

See all

Sunset outside of Mud City Crab House

Mystic Lobster Roll

4.0(52 reviews)

0.6 mi

Mystic meat and lobster rolls is the go to butcher on LBI!! Ordered a whole pig to celebrate…read moreAmericas 250th and it was so easy to order and pick up! Not only are they amazing for large orders of meat they have great cuts of meats and fish. They also have the best Italian sub in New Jersey....

This was a cute spot to stop at on the strip. They have parking and a nice little dining area on…read morethe inside. They make fresh lobster rolls, with different flavors. My cousin and I stopped in to spit a sandwich. We got turkey, with bacon, lettuce, tomato and onions on it. It was a big sandwich for two people. They did not skimp out on the meat. We also got an order of fries, which they brought to the table as well. They were good and crispy.

Seating inside

Get your catering platters

See all

Newly renovated

The Arlington

3.6(477 reviews)

0.2 mi

Food never disappoints , service is always great . I love the wallpaper , the blowfish are cute . I…read morehad the short ribs with bok choy and kimchi superb

We loved the holiday, lodge's feel that this restaurant has, and the food is delicious too! We sat…read morein the bar area, and the bartenders were great! There was one guy playing guitar music, not too loud, which made the atmosphere cozy. They have a great cocktail list if you want to try something new. The wedge salad was large and had a twist- it had a different type of dressing, crispy onion on top, and traditional blue cheese crumbles. The cheese steak comes with thick-cut fries, and the crab cake main had coleslaw on the side, which was crisp and served with a light dressing. Looking forward to dining again soon.

Beautiful fireplace

Steamed Mussels

See all

Gin martini

Wally's

4.3(623 reviews)

1.3 mi

Highly recommend! Great food, great neighborhood, great service! Definitely a family spot! Don't…read moreforget to get the crumb cake! Our server was Eric! He went above and beyond! We'll be back Wally

- Another seemingly popular spot in LBI--we arrived around 6 PM on the Saturday before Labor Day,…read moreand there was no wait yet; we were seated right away in the shaded outdoor area in the back - The restaurant offers a variety of seating options: outdoors in the front with picnic umbrellas, two separate dining areas indoors, and another outdoor space in the back with shade sails and string lights overhead - Staff were warm and friendly; service was a bit slow--the soup came out quickly, but unfortunately, the mains took almost another half hour to arrive - Food was just okay overall: the award-winning Rhode Island Chowder was hearty, with plenty of chunky ingredients, but the flavor was overwhelmed by the heavy spices; the shrimp tacos had good flavor but were pretty plain overall; the Aloha burgers (which come as a pair) were tasty, with a good combination of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, but unfortunately, the patties were overcooked; the kids' mac and cheese and cheese quesadilla were also pretty average - Unfortunately, our experience here was also affected by swarming greenhead biting flies; on top of that, we had to fight off fruit flies as well; many of the other outdoor diners eventually asked to be moved indoors, so if you're planning to sit outside, you may want to keep the conditions in mind; the restaurant has battery-powered table-top fans to help deter the pests, but it did little to keep them away

December 2023

See all

Scallops with risotto

Dune 18

3.9(143 reviews)

0.1 mi

We had an amazing dinner at Dune tonight! Every dish was outstanding. I had the filet, another…read moreperson had the tuna, and we also enjoyed several of the chef's special appetizers--everything was absolutely delicious. A special thank you to our server, Kayla, who was friendly, attentive, and made our dining experience even better. It was an extremely hot day, so we were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was dining outside. The atmosphere was relaxing, the service was excellent, and the food was exceptional. In our opinion, this is some of the best food on Long Beach Island. We'll definitely be back! Sharing a few photos from our wonderful meal.

The owners of this place are boarder line Psycho's After…read morebringing to their attention that the $54 Pork chop was unbelievably salty !! We were berated and attacked for our comment We paid the bill and after the wife blew a fuse at us inside the restaurant The husband came racing in to the parking lot as we were leaving and jumped out yelling at us wanting to know what our issue was with the pork chop !! It was unbelievable-we have never encountered anything like this !! Stand clear of this over priced Craziness !!! Or definitely Do Not Complain or you WILL BE ATTACKED

Key lime pie

See all

Fried calamari

The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House

3.9(633 reviews)

3.0 mi

I can't resist the crabcakes! The iced tea was freshly…read morebrewed and the Service is magnificent. Wonderful beachy, and beyond and a band came to play while we were there. Oldies but GOODIES! I loved my meal and I look forward to coming back soon

A group of friends and I dined here for dinner on a Friday night. Even with a reservation, we had…read moreto wait a bit because it was packed! Service was good, and the food was tasty and came out quickly. A no frill type of restaurant! We shared the fried calamari, which was pretty good, and I loved the added jalapeño for an extra kick. I ordered the sesame yellowfin tuna, which was meaty, flavorful, and filling without leaving you feeling overly full afterward. My friends ordered the truffle chicken Milanese and karate chop. We all agreed the chicken Milanese was the standout--definitely our favorite of the night!

See more unrecommended reviews

Seared Half Lobster

See all

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

29 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Jessie M.

0

4

0

7 years ago

TOURIST TRAP!!!! Don't know how they get repeat business. Should be called Shi* Bottom Shellfish. Something was def bad and my husband payed for it in the bathroom. Used to be better when they were trying to make a name for themselves 10+ years ago, has gone way down hill through out the years and now they just mail it in for the visiting tourists. Spent about a hundred bucks on take out for 2 people! Their seafood bisque used to have real seafood in it but now it has a few of the little gross bay shrimp the size of pennies and they're not deveined. I could have had better fried shrimp from a drive through. They were over breaded and under cooked. We are literally a block from the restaurant so it's not like they stayed in a container long. Their crab cakes weren't anything special and the roasted chicken tasted like it was cooked last week. I usually don't write reviews but I was so annoyed because I spent an arm and a leg on garbage, everything was off and we were left with a stomach ache. Overpriced and underwhelmed with the food. Go to pinky's for a similar style of eating and get the best seafood on the island that won't leave you reaching for toilet paper read more

Hudson T.

0

2

0

9 years ago

Should be called Shi* Bottom Shellfish. Something was def bad and I payed for it in the bathroom. Used to be better when they were trying to make a name for themselves, has gone way down hill through out the years and now they just mail it in for the visiting tourists. Spent about a hundred bucks on take out for 2 people! Their seafood bisque used to have real seafood in it but now it has a few of the little gross bay shrimp the size of pennies and they're not deveined. I could have had better fried shrimp from a drive through. They were over breaded and under cooked. We are a block from the restaurant so it's not like they stayed in a container long. Their crab cakes weren't anything special and the roasted chicken tasted like it was cooked last week. I usually don't write reviews but I was so annoyed because I spent an arm and a leg on garbage, everything was off and I was left with a stomach ache. read more

Lauren S.

0

1

4

4 years ago

I can't stress how amazing this restaurant is! Me and my sister came in for dinner and had 10/10 service by Al and were greeted by everyone behind the counter, the staff is exceptional! We had stuffed artichoke hearts with crab meat, Tuna poke nachos and for entrées I had the jumbo lump crab cake and blackened tuna combo, my sister had the baked seafood combination and for dessert we had the toll house pie à la mode and I can't get over how good everything was and how I've been missing out on this place for the past 19 years! A must stop for lunch or dinner! read more

Alex T.

191

8

0

8 years ago

Only one bathroom, located outside on the side of the building. Waitress came twice to the table,once to take our order and once to drop off the check. The only other issue I had was there were SO MANY flies. There was an actual newspaper left at our table with a smooshed fly already on it. Im not a seafood lover either, so I got the fried chicken- food was decent. Overall did not like the place, hoping they fix the fly issue for new and returning customers. read more

Michael D.

0

1

0

7 years ago

My wife and I just moved down here and came in today for lunch and it was absolutely delish! I really have no complaints, when we walked in there was a little wait so we talked to the counter girls and they were very sweet and polite and we took their recommendation for the mud river crab cake sandwich and it was the best crab cake I ever had. Our waitress was so was very attentive and we had excellent service. We will definitely be back! read more

Talia D.

10

16

0

15 years ago

My boyfriend and I waited 2 hours to be seated! They misled us by telling us the wait would be shorter.. I understand sometimes things like this happen, but to make things worse, they served us our entrees cold. :( I was sooo looking forward to eating here, especially after our long wait- we were told it was worth it.. but it wasn't. Sadly, I wont be going back here again.. and really, don't recommend eating here. read more

betty l.

0

1

0

15 years ago

The best part of my vacation is ShipBottom shell fish....and I dream about this place from St. Louis, Mo. the crab cakes are the best in the world, Every dish is individually prepared and the quality is incredibly consistent, it is well worth the wait AND the key lime pie is to die for!!! read more

Lana Z.

0

15

7

3 years ago

The most disgusting place and service!!! If you want a cup of colored water instead of soup it's a place to go! If you want to be treated as a criminal taking a seat at the table with no sign it's reserved it's a place to go! Highly recommend not to waist your time and money! read more

Nicole A.

0

5

0

9 years ago

Definitely going back! Just like many other seafood restaurants, it is pricey but that is expected. The crab cakes were to die for! Anyone in the area who loves some seafood should give this place a try! read more

Courtney S.

0

5

0

9 years ago

Hands down best seafood on the island. You will normally have to wait for a table since the dining room is small and it is always full. However, it is definitely worth the wait!! read more

Steve V.

0

19

30

3 years ago

Old School Fish market and restaurant... Great service - Wait staff is so nice and they know the menu - Love to eat outside on the porch

Just D.

0

4

0

4 years ago

Food was delicious, the staff was super friendly and very attentive, and the prices were very reasonable. I definitely recommend.

Cheryl D.

24

2

0

5 years ago

Great food! Great service! Everyone was super friendly. Wait wasn't bad for table or for food. Excellent!

Sean K.

33

1

0

4 years ago

Top of the line good I come every year here.I love the clans so fresh and good.See you next year.

Morgann A.

163

1

0

5 years ago

Worth the wait! The most delicious crab cakes and the best service. 10/10 would recommend.

Glenn L.

0

3

2

4 years ago

Awesome place, the seafood is the freshest around. I recommend it to anyone and everyone

M G.

0

1

0

13 years ago

Expect to wait at lease one hour to get a table but once your in the food is great.

Judy M.

0

1

0

14 years ago

Back again! Still the best restaurant on lbi! Grilled swordfish was outstandingl

Mr. M.

0

18

0

5 years ago

Best Crab Cakes Anywhere. No matter what others say - its worth the wait.

Irma P.

36

13

0

10 years ago

Wonderful seafood! No wonder this place is so popular with the locals!

Ship Bottom Shellfish - seafood - Updated September 2026

Browse Nearby

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Coffee near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Restaurants near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Things to Do near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Cocktail Bars near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Desserts near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Parking near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Sushi near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Wineries near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Shopping near Ship Bottom Shellfish

BEST of Ship Bottom, New Jersey Dinner near Ship Bottom Shellfish

Best of Ship Bottom

Things to do in Ship Bottom

Browse Brands

Brands by name

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed Ship Bottom Shellfish also viewed

Harvey Cedars Shellfish

4.2

(170 reviews)

Biggest caesar salad of my entire freaking life. Can't say enough about how big this salad was…read more Huge. Dominated the table.

Excellent seafood and service in LBI. Everything is fresh and cooked to perfection. Can't miss with…read morethe entree options

Mud City Crab House

4.2

(601 reviews)

Excellent food and service they never disappoint!!…read more Seafood is always fresh and delicious

This is a seashore casual bar and restaurant specializing in fresh seafood. They're located on the…read moremainland side of Barnegat Bay, about 5 mins inland, and the menu is extensive. At lunch, my softshell crab sandwich was good. Kudos to them for having softshells during the very brief season. For the price, I wish there had been two crabs though. The one in my sandwich was very small and noticeably tough. Very tasty, though, on its toasted brioche bun. I removed one of the two fat tomato slices because i wanted to be able to taste the delicate crab, and ate the extra slice along with some of the excess lettuce as a salad. The side of cole slaw was delicious. My sister had the original crab cake sandwich which she loved, and my husband ordered a sautéed mahi sandwich with fries and a beer. He was very happy, and said that it was probably the best mahi he'd ever had. We arrived at about 2p.m. without a reservation to find the dining room packed, so we're happy to sit at a shared outdoor wooden picnic table next to the bar truck. It's that popular! Nothing fancy about this place except the prices and good quality seafood.

Howard's Seafood Restaurant

3.8

(201 reviews)

Howard's is the best, food is consistently delicious year after year! There is a reason this place…read morehas been around for 76 years and is an island staple.

Definitely won't be going back. Both the Lobster bisque & NE clam chowder were excellent with loads…read moreof lobster/clams in each serving. The salads should have been served chilled , not room temperature. Fried lobster dish was average and pricey. Would be better if broiled. My flounder w/crabmeat was burned on the bottom & dry. Also, a fly in the milk for my coffee. Overall, very disappointing. Service , by Maura , was efficient and attentive. Ambience was poor - very loud from patron's conversations. Decor is stark wood walls with local historical photos. Should have curtains/drapes or acoustic panels to absorb the noise.

Polly's Dock Clam House

3.6

(100 reviews)

Loved the baked clams here!! (Barely pictured since we ate them all so fast). Lobster roll however…read morewas pretty standard and bland, not really seasoned or flavorful. Needed salt.

Awesome dinner pretty busy lately. BYob. Customer service is the best. Clams and fish are fresh.read more

Stefano's

3.9

(219 reviews)

We dined here when they opened up for the season in May and now we were lucky enough to dine here…read moreright before they close for the season. The staff is so friendly and our server Luke was great. My hubby and I usually go for our anniversary each year, but since it was my birthday we figured why not? I can't wait for them to reopen in May and I will definitely miss their delicious food. If you're in the area, this is definitely a must try so add it to your list.

The prices are insane for a very limited menu. Go back to the old menu if you're going to charge…read morethat much. I thing for certain, I won't eat there again. 2 stars.

Parker's Garage & Oyster Saloon

3.9

(432 reviews)

Our server was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. Drinks were consistency refilled. Food was…read moreexcellent. Only downside is I've been wanting to eat at this restaurant for years and it is hard to get a reservation. We booked two weeks in advance the only times available were 4:30pm and 8pm.

Went to Mud City last year and loved, so our kids got us a $100 gift card to the restaurant group…read moreand we decided to try Parker's for a change and boy are glad we did. Made a reservation just before the sunset, seated promptly and received excellent service. The food (clam bucket, crab cake, fries and the leeks) were delicious!!! And the atmosphere was the chefs kiss!!! 10/10

Boulevard Clams

3.7

(127 reviews)

This is for takeout that was picked up…read more Flounder Sandwich - my usual go to is ship bottom shellfish which has been shaving on portion size and sides. Found Boulevard version with great breading/coating that was crisp and fries were nice and crisp. Salmon Sandwich - nice sized portion for the price. Good taste - would think about what kind of sauce you would recommend - like an aioli - was not quite sure what to eat with. Small thing - they could have remembered some ketchup in the bag for the fries. Totally my 2 cents - coming in, would put the clams front and center walking in. Instead, had a bunch of different things for takeout. It's your name sake. Also, the fish in the display was a little sparse. If you're using the online ordering, you have to submit your order to find out how long the wait til pickup is.

The lobster roll is minimalist perfection, New England style claw and tail meat on a buttered bun;…read moreand for a balanced diet get both the steamed Ipswich and the fried clam bellies; thanks, Maddie.

Buckalew's Restaurant & Tavern

3.1

(557 reviews)

Our party of five people had mixed reviews of our experience at Buckalew's…read more Best thing was the Buddha Bowl with added shrimp and the Kids Meal Noodle with Shrimp. We also got a huge 2 lb. steamed lobster ($60 for 2 pounds) that was messy to crack open even with it cut open. Hubbie loved the lobster but wifey was over it quickly with all the effort involved. Service was friendly but inconsistent. We had to ask for the sides that arrived late with our lobster meal. Water refills had to be asked for twice. Ambience was alright, nothing special. They do have a big aquarium with large fish which scared our toddler. Overall, an alright experience that turned out to be more functional eating than a LBI experience to remember.

Very good food, casual atmosphere with wood being the primary feature. Live music was very good,…read morenot too loud. Shrimp tacos were large and cane with fries or salad. Baby Baby back ribs were meaty and tasty but not fall off the bow. There pink version Lemon drop Martini was delicious! Hostess, bartenders and servers were all very friendly.

Station 117

3.3

(204 reviews)