- always a good meal st The Barge - comfort food with white tablecloths / waterfront view read more

The Barge - Manhattan - Seafood Near Me - Perth Amboy, New Jersey

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We came in as a group with our fresh caught stripers, and they just totally took care of us. The francaise was absolutely incredible, and the fra diavolo was delicious but probably a bit overpowering for the delicate fish. I couldn't wish for a more pleasant experience when you bring your catch to a restaurant. Superb! read more

Nice view of the water from our table. The salad starter wasn't anything special. The broiled scallops and scrod was nicely done and tartar sauce brought the flavor up a notch. The chef's masterpiece shrimp and feta was delicious, but the rice was just so-so as was the baked potato. This place with a little tweaking could be a solid 4 stars. I'd say they are a 3.6 and I'm rounding up because of the water view. read more

The Barge - Broiled scallops, scrod, and shrimp. - Seafood Near Me - Perth Amboy, New Jersey

I was there with my wife and her family expecting to have some lunch and celebrate with her mom turning 75 years young. The service wasn't bad as I've read other reviews expressed. Everyone was very friendly, polite and attentive to anything we asked for...BUTTTT, this is what turned almost everyone in our party off....was the food! OMG the food had no taste, the seasons was obviously forgotten or something. A couple in our group took a whole meal home to doctor it up. Smh! My plate was left with so much on it, the water asked if I wanted a take home container, and of course I said NO! When we go out and order seafood that consists of Lobster, Clams, Shrimp and Scallops. You're expecting it to be seasoned really good. I was spitting some of my food into a napkin because it was so horrible. This place is near the water with beautiful boats inside. So as I walked up to the door I thought this place was going to be really nice inside and expensive. This place looks old and nothing to look at and say wow! No money is being used to update the dining area. Our party of 13 said that it was our first time and our last time coming here! Don't waste your money, the food tastes like a kid made it. I should have went to a fast food restaurant and purchased a fish sandwich and called it a day lol. read more

We decided to travel to the under-rated Perth Amboy waterfront on our day off for a seafood dinner. At 4:30pm, we were the only diners (felt like a couple of 80-yr-olds!) with a few in the bar. Our waitress was very friendly. We started with bacon-wrapped scallops for $11, which were a bit undercooked and since it included six smallish scallops, was underwhelming. The early bird specials were very affordable - all in the $13 range - and most everything else was around $20 and up. I would have been happier with something in between; my budget couldn't justify $29 for twin lobsters, so I went with stuffed flounder, as did my dining companion. The early bird specials include salad, soup, and coffee, so they're a very good value. Our [optional] dessert was crème brûlée, which, like the rest of the meal, was okay, but not thrilling. Overall, quality was ok, service was decent and friendly, and very good value. read more

The Barge - Seafood Near Me - Perth Amboy, New Jersey

So disappointed. Such a beautiful location such nice space outside. Hope the owner does something about his/her staff. The staff seem to have a hard time running the place don't know why. We were there listening to the noise of ac instead of enjoying a nice background music. Also the staff had space outside and didn't let us sit there because they were rushing to close everything down. I don't know what kind of business doesn't want business? The food is not low priced by presentation and cooking is like at a bad diner. Huge cucumber with skin in the salad - felt I needed to cut it myself. The dressings are too oily. The crab cake presentation looks like soup. Crab cake had fish bone? Why? Cappuccino had no frost. Steak burned and cut to cook faster, why? I hate writing bad reviews but I hope the owner turns this place around. Seriously little touches, right hostess, a chef, better managed waiters, ambient or lively music, good marketing and this place is a gem with ton of business and profit. Again hope this helps. read more

Horrible service from the minute we walked in . Young female waitress looked us up and down and rolled her eyes. Of course we got her and told we couldn't order our meal when we order our appetizers. Then we finally order our meal after waiting forever and an hour goes by she comes back and ask if we want to order. Then when we said we already order an hour ago she said well I am only confirming it . We asked for our check and she had an attitude about it . If I could give them no stars, I would . read more

This is a decent location . Good for a party in the upstairs area . They definitely need more staff ,,, specifically a 2nd bartender or either a bar back or cocktail waitress would be ideal . Food is delicious , but more staff would improve everyone's experience . read more

I took a ride down to the waterfront and a lot of my friends were telling me how good this restaurant is, so I stopped in and gave it a try. I really liked the view that I had in the dining room. When I first entered they had Hand Sanitizer all over and Air Purifiers to clear the air. I ordered the Fried Calamari and it was perfectly cooked and there was enough for myself and my wife. Our waiter was very nice and the owner was very friendly as well. I do highly recommend giving this place a try and getting the Fried Calamari. 5 Star Review Defiantly! read more

Good food, great view. Quiet family atmosphere. Not as good as it once was. The view of the bay is great. read more

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Sorry but this place needs a lot of work. It has great potential to be amazing, but they need to put some effort into it. The food is mediocre at best. The décor is very, very dated. I think the only thing that keeps that place afloat is the older folks with their discount coupons and when the armory is too crowded. read more

Nice place. Had a great lunch there with my husband and kids. Food was fresh and good. Desserts are outstanding! Comfortable interior with a view. Cocktails looked good but we did't indulge. read more

Recently I attended a baby shower at this restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised. The location is on the water and the views are very nice. The lunch during the shower I attended was a buffet style and the food was very good. The service was also great. This is an excellent place to consider when having a private event. read more

If you like fresh seafood,not seafood covered with cream sauce or tomato sauce, there is no better place than the Barge! Scallops are always fresh and the clam chowder is delicious- btw, the steaks are excellent and the price point is on the mark-the view is pretty darn nice,too! read more

Have gone here for several family functions. Food and service has always been good. Will continue to enjoy eating here. read more

Great food, friendly staff. Beautiful view of the water. I highly recommend this restaurant

Took my mom here for the first time to treat her to dinner. We went to the front desk to check in for our reservation and two elderly women were having a conversation & completely ignoring us like we weren't even standing right in front of them. We left and went across the street to The Armory but they had an hour and a half wait, so we begrudgingly went back to The Barge. The elderly women were STILL continuing their conversation, then finally when one walked away, the one who was left sitting at the front desk acknowledged us, and had someone take us to our table. It was so loud in there that my mother and I couldn't hear each other speak, the restaurant is also small and cramped. We contemplated leaving for a while but then our waitress showed up before we could decide. Our waitress looked like she was 100 years old & on her last leg. Our food took forever to come out, my mom had the shrimp scampi, and I had the surf & turf. I asked for my filet mignon to be medium well yet it still had blood in it, and the few parts that were actually cooked were burnt. The filet mignon was also very difficult to cut through and it was so chewy. My mom said her shrimp scampi was drowned in butter & the rice was soggy. The portions were average, the waitress never came back to our table to ask if we wanted refills on our drinks, we had been done eating for quite some time and our waitress was nowhere in site. Finally, I flagged her down, when she came over to our table she could hardly stand up and she was leaning over the table with her elbows on it, at this point we just ordered our desserts to go. We left with the worst headaches ever because it was so loud in there. The patrons consisted of predominantly elderly people. Who knew elderly people could be so loud!? I also had a pretty bad stomach ache afterward. I tried my dessert (cheesecake) later on & it was bland & flavorless. I would rather stay home and starve than to go to this hole in the wall ever again, we would've been better off just going to McDonald's! read more

We wanted to be seated outside on a lovely spring afternoon You could see there were 5 empty tables, when we asked the server we were told he had to ask the owner The owner walked out and told us there was no outdoor seating available !! I hope those 5 empty tables stay empty read more

What a shame nice place but the service is horrible, our waitress was an angry old lady that hater her life we waited over an hour and still couldn't order an appetizer. Group of 8 and they didn't care even when I spoke to management so we all left . Walked out and we were not the only table that left. Never again don't wast your time read more

We were there about a week ago, and had a waiter who gave us the worst service I have ever had. When he wasn't being rude and fresh to us, he was ignoring us all night, and never brought me several things that I asked for including taking my drink order. On top of that, my prime rib was so full of grizzle that I could not eat it at all, and just left it on my plate. I actually asked the people at the adjoining table if anyone had a dog so I could give it to them. (Understandably, sometimes this can't be helped even in the best of restaurants). When the check came, I told the waiter that he didn't do one thing to make our dining experience enjoyable! We spoke to Alex the manager, before we left, and he asked us to come back and ask for him. We came back in a few days and he gave us a table with the most wonderful professional waiter named Lenwood. Our meals were fantastic and the service was exemplary. And to make up for the previous experience, Alex comped our meals. Our faith has been restored, and we will definitely return again when we find ourselves in Jersey, visiting Perth Amboy where I grew up. read more

A waterfront "Cheers" serving exceptional seafood. Their menu is filled with great dishes-it's hard to choose. The jumbo shrimp ala greque is my favorite (get it with pasta)...I also recommend the crab cakes with lobster sauce, or the full lobster dinner at a STEAL! It's also a great neighborhood bar to grab a drink and a really gold burger at, as an alternative to sit-down waterfront dining. Outside terrace is awesome in the nice weather too! read more

Good food but HORRIBLE SERVICE. We visit The Barge 2-3 times - year since the the food is typically good - however the service is consistently terrible. We have this experience EVERY time we visit The Barge . The main dining room is always cold and drafty and when we ask for relief the waitstaff always tersely answers that they have no control. When we sit in the Bar area, we find that the waitstaff is rushed and careless. Our wish for the Barge is that they improve their waitstaff but NOT at the expense of their food. We would certainly visit much more often than our current 2-3 times/ year of the service were improved read more

I had been to the Barge once before years ago. We used a Dining Deal to attend with my parents on a Saturday night; with a reservation we made. Upon being seated, we were quickly given water and bread, everyone enjoyed the sesame breadsticks. While it took a little while before our waiter came to our table, we were okay with perusing the menu and he answered the questions we had. The salads arrived and my parents had asked for creamy Italian dressing on the side. They must have been given the wrong dressing, because it was very spicy. I had ordered vinagette with mine, which I enjoyed. They requested the same dressing and very quicky got the vinagrette. I ordered the Barge special, which was flounder stuffed with crabmeat stuffing and a baked potato for my side; my husband ordered fried shrimp and scallops with home fries well done; my mom ordered the same with steak fries and my dad ordered the cioppino. We all enjoyed our food very much; it was very fresh and the quality and quantity was excellent. For dessert we were shown a dessert tray and decided to share a piece of chocolate cake; my husband asked for the pineapple sorbet in natural shell. We enjoyed the dessert as well. The only issue is that we had purchased from th local radio station a dining deal, $50 for $100 worth of food. The deal was not advertised to explain that you could only use one $25 certificate per table per visit. So we will have to go back, but the food was excellent, the view was nice and I am sure we will use the other 3 certificates in the next two years. read more

Food is expensive. Food is bland. The decor is oldddddd school. Location is great. Perth Amboy Waterfront is so so so under rated. I am sure if more people weren't so scared to go there this restaurant would improve greatly. I bet in the old days this place was a top spot! read more

The food - without fail - is BLAND. Missing something. Mediocre is the best way to put it, and for $20+ per plate, eating here is a fool's errand. Skip it. Don't put up with the shoddy service. Don't bother eating grease or stinky fish. It's foul. The few things that are done right: shrimp and clams and soups. Avoid: red meat, poultry, broiled or baked fish, fried fish, scallops (not fresh), and anything that can be undercooked. Yuck. read more

Unfortunately the food was terrible. The service? Lackluster. Portions were mediocre and the overall quality was disappointing. The softshell crab was nearly inedible, the steak was veiny and tough and underseasoned. Coleslaw was bad. The drinks were very good, and the chips and sourcrram were as well. but thats it. read more

I only recently started coming to the Barge. My bf was shocked I'd never been there before. First time we sat in the dining area for an early dinner. We had raw oysters and huge lobsters. We were both a little disappointed that they don't make mashed potatoes. The oysters were fresh, moderate salinity, and on the large side. The broiled lobsters were succulent and sweet. Red Sangria!! Very good. Since then, we tend to sit at the bar one Sunday a month. We always start with the raw oysters. The last time we were there (April 3, 2016) we each got a crock of French Onion Soup. I have to say, I think it's the best I've had. The bread may have been crusty baguette or maybe the usual bread with a few hard croutons. That bit of crunch really just set it apart from the typical FOS's I've had. Also, perfectly seasoned and the cheese was bubbled and browned to perfection. Let's see, the beau has had the rack of lamb which he adored. I've had the Rib-eye which was served up exactly as I ordered. Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail consistently as expected. The King Crab Legs, that involved minimal work at getting to the good stuff...sweet :) We've found that eating at the bar is a far better experience. Partly due to the fact neither of us have the patience to be seated. I love the bartenders there. They're on the ball, they make drink-drinks not watered down weak drinks. If you're a Jameson fan, they'll turn you on to Tullamore Dew. Say THAT over and over again! They're friendly and chatty. Speaking of chatty, that's the best part of sitting at the bar. There's almost always a handful or more of locals and regulars. I don't think we've ever left without having interesting or at least amusing conversations. If you're taking someone special on a date, then go to the dining area and get a table by the window so you can both enjoy the view. The Barge is also family-friendly and great for groups. read more

You would never think that this restaurant had such poor reviews based on the atmosphere surrounding the place. The waterfront across the street is simply beautiful and on the perfect summer Saturday night that I was there, we were even able to enjoy complementary fireworks from across the water. It's pretty sad to say though that I did enjoy my walk by the water more than the restaurant. The patio seating outside was nice, yes a bit cramped but that's also what you get when everyone else wants to eat outside as well. I honestly didn't appreciate the live music dj and "trivia game" going on for a busy Saturday night while we were trying to eat. I couldn't even hear my friend at all without having to repeat "what?" over and over again. The music was way too loud, it was impossible to have a normal conversation. I did enjoy our bread, crackers, and breadsticks. Our bowls of coleslaw were absolutely huge and were pretty good. I am pretty picky with cole slaw, you need the right amount of dressing and I do not like it when it's too watery. I'll compliment the red sangria. We had a pitcher and were pleased with the large pieces of fruit and overall taste. I ordered the stuffed lemon sole with crabmeat, shrimp, and scallops. It was ok. I was pretty bummed out with the little amount of shrimp I was given and bland taste of the fish. I felt like some of the stuffing was warmer than other parts. The edges of the fish were crispy but kept getting stuck in my teeth and were hard to eat. My friend enjoyed their meal though. They had stuffed flounder with crab. I am not sure I would come back here unless it was just to walk by the water and maybe stop for a drink or two at the bar on the other side. Just tone down the noise please. I don't know about you but I usually like to comfortably talk to the person I am dining with. read more

Terrible terrible food and service. We walked out. Hostess said no charge. Yeah ok charge for what?? Horrible food and worse service???!?

Just 3 stars for this visit on Sat. August 14,th. Had Resvs.for 5 at 7:00, and could not stay. The Restaurant was so Cold. AC on 0' our table was underneath the vent . And who wants cold food. They were very busy and could not accommodate us, and we were so looking forward to the food, as we've dined there before. The staff looked overworked and tired and they were older woman! Even with the room near the bar empty we could not get a table! Very Disappointed! So we left and went elsewhere witch will be my next review! read more

This restaurant has great food, great service, an awesome view. I would definitely come back!

Upon arriving to the barge for a quick lunch we were greeted by the friendly staff. We ordered a cappuccino and it was over filled and had no fluff or milk in it. As an app. We had 2 orders of oysters, not fresh or cold. Our entree came and sadly there was a big hair in the scallop so we didn't even taste it. I will not be returning, should've listened to my boyfriend and went to The Armory. : ( Leaving hungry and disappointed. read more

No. Yes we know it's covid and you're short staffed. But no, God no. Bad food, sad service, not even trying. Such a bummer from a childhood favorite. read more

Sometimes old fashioned eateries hang on way past the point of success...despite isolated sparks of life, bored servers, tired kitchen, worn-out digs take their toll. Just an observation after 5 of us made it thru to Perth Amboy for Sunday dinner. Only one of us was satisfied with the food. Too many negatives to list. Congrats for hanging in there since 1925, but the food, sad. read more

Good evening. First time husband and I at Berge, we waited to be seated and one of the waitress told us that the host is BSing!!! She sat us down and we waited for a while to be asked what we wanted to drink. We told our waitress we wanted the crab cakes as a meal and she said Nah Nah you don't want that!! I thought she was joking... Well she wasn't it. So, we went from a $19 to a $ 29!! Ok great she bumped the sales!! Dinner was ok, we waited for drinks... Overall food was ok, service was ok.. Would we come back NO... read more

Tried to get into The Armory but they had a 2hr wait so we sung into this place. Not impressed at all our waiter dont know his name bc you couldnt hear a word he said! The food was bland. Not impressed at all! My girls chix fingers and ffries was good! read more

Had a great time sitting outside with dance music. Food was ok. Normally my crab legs were better. I asked for steamed but got broiled. My friend had stuffed flounder and it was fantastic. read more

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So went Mothers day had reservations for 4 people at 5 surprisingly promptly got seated with great window bay view table. Server was very good and everything came out promptly for a holiday a little surprised but that's about all the good that can be said. They had a limited holiday menu which I understand but took items off the regular and just jacked the price. The food was ok at best but overpriced diner food nothing special. 2 desserts requested not available. Here comes the check, table of 4 now, nothing mentioned on the menu but 20 percent tip added and that was after tax! Well they pissed me off with that and srewed the server as i normally leave a 25 percent cash tip. So between the so so overpriced food, jacked holiday prices, and included tip, NEVER again read more

My GF and I had dinner here a couple of weeks ago and we both found it very disappointing. The total lack of professionalism by the entire staff is mind boggling. Our server was clueless and made no attempt to smile or be friendly in any way. We went there on a Friday evening and the place was almost empty and now I know why. The food was meh at best, I had Mahi and it was ok because Mahi is such a good tasting fish on its own but they prepare it in a way that was very underwhelming. My GF had chicken parm. and again it was very underwhelming with pretty crappy sauce. I was also looking for a place to have a private party in a couple of months so since we were already there I asked about their private room rental and buffet menu. I spoke to the hostess who could really care less about anything that goes on and asked if we could sea the room. She told us to go upstairs and have a look at it. When we got up there I was blown away at what a hole in the wall it was, the walls where dirty and beat up and the carpet was filthy and bunched up in spots and it smelled very musty. On top of all that there was a whole in the ceiling from a water leak that just had some tape over it. Why anyone would rent that room is a mystery to me, I wouldn't have a party in there if the room was free. The water front in Perth Amboy is kind of cool and this place does have something of a view and it was cool to see a ship pass by right across the street but they have taken what should be a thriving business and run it into ground. We will not be back to The Barge, think twice if you are considering spending your hard earned money here. read more

My girlfriend and I went there on Easter Sunday. It early in the afternoon, and we didn't have reservations. The staff politely invited us to sit in the back room (which was fine with us). It seemed as though after we ordered, our drinks and appetizers were brought out quickly. The food was hot and fresh and it was an overall beyond satisfactory experience. I'm grateful to the staff for excellent service! read more