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    The Bonfire Restaurant

    3.0 (566 reviews)
    PriceyBuffets, Seafood
    Closed 3:00 pm - 8:30 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    The Bonfire Restaurant Buffets Restaurant Photos

    THE BONFIRE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bonfire Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Meats including meatballs, roast beef, and sausage.
    Angela P.

    The pictures were taken during this past summer. This was my family's first time eating at this buffet. Although, we were stuffed, we didn't had many expectations with the place since it was quite overpriced. The place over all was a bit chaotic and decent. Some of the food was good and filling. However, it makes sense since it is the only buffet in the Ocean City area, that it's not the best food place in the city. I would not go there again since there are better buffets anywhere, but if I'm really craving a buffet near me, I'll just visit there again as the only option.

    Crablegs!
    Jill T.

    I know this places "ambiance" is outdated, for sure lol buttttt it's our absolute favorite place to eat when we come to Ocean City. The food is always fresh and delicious & even though they had to increase their pricing after Covid, I still think it's fairly reasonable for the amount that you get! My favorite thing on earth is their beautiful 3 pound plate of fresh Maryland crab legs. My family & I have been coming here for over 25 years & we will never stop coming to the Bonfire

    Greasy residue in my soda.

    After Embers discontinued All You Can Eat (AYCE), Bonfire is the last bona fide seafood AYCE in OC. The good: Everything was hot and I enjoyed most of the meal. The service was good and I tipped a full 20%. Yes they charge for snow crab legs which is expected due to the price and demand. They had a great special, $46 for 3 lbs not including the buffet, which is much lower than most of OC at $20-$27 per lb. If you have 3-5 people to share this is a deal! They should have advertised this online because people would flock there. The bad: Someone raided the soups and dug out every tiny bit of crab meat. I am not kidding. Either these were purees to begin with or they were slop after that person was done with them. There is a security guard for some reason who kept an eye on us in the line. The "brisket" was decent and the prime rib was fatty but OK. If serving brisket they need more BBQ, with types labeled. They ran out of ketchup near the fries and hush puppies. I told the employee and one hour later when I left, it was still empty. The ugly: The glasses were not clean and had a greasy residue (see picture). Does this represent the rest of the cleanliness of the kitchen? The bathrooms. Someone had C-diff and there's very little ventilation. If you have ever smelled it in a hospital, you know what it is and it sticks with you for days later. I tried both family bathrooms plus the men's room, all 3 had the putrid smell. There were no paper towels, only a hand dryer. Overall, try it for the experience but the owners need to put more pride into a 50+ year family business!

    Roseanne P.

    Visited the Bonfire Restaurant while in OCMD over the summer. We were looking for a good buffet spot similar to Philipp's Seafood that we had visited years before. Be warned, there will be a wait during the summer so I highly recommend making a reservation bc we were seated immediately. Good variety of hot foods, seafood, and dessert. Literally there is something for everyone and very family friendly! I loved the fresh donuts-- I literally went back for seconds! Must visit if you are looking for an all you can eat restaurant.

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    1 year ago

    The food was amazing, the service was great, and the environment was clean and chill.

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    Page 1 of 15

    Ask the Community - The Bonfire Restaurant

    Is it fancy like should I dress nice?

    It's nice, but not fancy. Shorts and a shirt is fine.

    Do they open on Thanksgiving?

    Yes- according to their website they are. I would call for reservations, pricing and hours.

    Is there a cheaper price if you do NOT eat any seafood?

    It is cheaper if you choose no Crab Legs for the entire party at your table. The Crab legs are costly. It is posted on their door a special rate, you could call them. If you go within an hour of opening they offer $3 off each adult.

    View All 7 Questions

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    On The Bay Seafood - Soup was 5/10 But I'm not a huge old bay or cheesy girl but my friend loved the clam chowder or crab chowder

    On The Bay Seafood

    4.2(918 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Great food and fantastic service. Go there as soon as we get to ocean city. Crabs are always…read moreheavy, and the spice on the crabs is out of this world. When in ocean city, one place you need to visit.

    We had plans to eat at another crab house today but they didn't open until 4pm and we wanted to eat…read moreat noon. We found On The Bay Seafood and decided to give it a try. Rob and Rose greeted and welcomed us. We ordered the Medium steamed Crabs, Crab Cake Sandwich, Crab Bisque, corn on the cob and Hush Puppies. Wow! What a treat so early in the season. The Bisque was excellent. It's not too spicy but they give you extra seasoning and spice to add according to your personal taste. The Crab Cake was just as advertised. No filler, fresh Crab, Eastern Shore style and delicious. The medium crabs were very good. Some establishments would be seeking them as Large. They were seasoned and steamed perfectly. Heavy and sweet. The sides; Corn on the Cob, steamed in the Husk was very good and the Hush Puppies were a perfect pairing. My apologies for lack of pictures, we ate most everything before I started taking pictures. Rob and Rose were very attentive. They told us their story and shared a scrap book of their off season home in New Mexico. They were in the process of training and orienting their summer staff while we enjoyed our meal. The attention to detail, customer first, quality service and passion for excellent food was on full display. The dining is beach rustic and perfect. There's a good amount of parking and it's easy to find them right along coastal highway. What initially seemed like a disappointment today turned into a wonderful discovery of a new favorite. On The Bay Seafood is a must try if you're at the shore this year.

    Photos
    On The Bay Seafood
    On The Bay Seafood - Aftermath

    Aftermath

    On The Bay Seafood - Outside

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    Outside

    Crab Alley - Calamari

    Crab Alley

    3.9(682 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    Crab Alley features a cool little dive bar on the 2nd floor with views down the commercial harbor…read morecanal in West Ocean City. We usually come to the Berlin, MD area twice per year and typically go to all the same places. We decided to switch it up and try something new this time, and we were very happy with our visit. The bartender was very friendly. He gave a lot of advice and recommendations on the menu. He was attentive and constantly made rounds making sure everybody was taken care of. My dad and I stuck with light beer that night. My mom ordered an Orange Crush, and it was one of her favorites all trip. The happy hour also looks great although we were a little late for that. We also ordered an array of finger foods to split amongst the three of us. Clams Casino, Calamari, Fries, and Flounder Fingers (wasn't on the menu -- the bartender suggested going with fresh flounder instead of the rockfish -- great recommendation). The Clams Casino, differently than any other I've ever had, had classic ingredients but were uniquely topped with provolone cheese. The Fried Calamari wasn't bad but a little too breaded for my preference -- still nothing to complain about. We definitely enjoyed the first night of our trip in Maryland and that was largely thanks to some time spent at Crab Alley. Everything from the feel of the bar, to the service we received, the friendliness of staff and fellow patrons, and the views overlooking the canal, gives us reason to be adding this establishment to our rotation of bars/restaurants when we're back in the area.

    They only had 1 server to start. She was amazing but it def wasn't fair to us waiting. The food was…read moreterrible. We sent back the "crab dip" because it was missing crab. The "fried oysters" were so dried out and I had to send them back to even be opened. The wings we ordered " Thai chili, well done" were still not done or flavorful. Entrees were also bland without season. It was a painful visit to say the least visiting from NJ. So far ocean city seafood is not good.

    Photos
    Crab Alley - Crab Alley Ambience

    Crab Alley Ambience

    Crab Alley - Fried oysters and crab cake

    Fried oysters and crab cake

    Crab Alley - Snow Crab Feast For 2 ($125)

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    Snow Crab Feast For 2 ($125)

    Captain Mac's Fish House & Seafood Market - Soft shell crab sandwich (with lettuce and tomato removed).

    Captain Mac's Fish House & Seafood Market

    4.4(401 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    If I could give six stars, I would! I had the best crab of my life today at Captain Mac's. Just the…read morenight before, we had a great crab dinner at another OC restaurant and gave them five stars--but this was on another level. We ordered steamed large crabs; it was juicy, and unbelievably sweet--you could taste the freshness. You break the claws and the juice literally drips out--so good. The oysters? Also insanely fresh. Just wow. The service was excellent as well. While it's not a full-service restaurant, the staff were incredibly friendly. They even welcomed my dog on the outdoor patio and brought him a bowl of ice water. The owner was kind and shared that everything is fresh, caught daily, and made to order--which explains the wait time for the steamed crabs and also what sets them apart from other places. I'll absolutely be back the next time I'm in the area and highly recommend it to anyone who truly appreciates top-quality seafood.

    I was so excited for fresh fish to order at the beach. The selection is endless, the type of fish…read moreoffered is plentiful, and the kids menu is great! The casual seating and plenty of shaded outdoor space is a huge draw too! It's such a nice casual counter service, perfect for a family dinner after a beach day. However, I felt like the portions are cheap and the flavor is severely lacking. I think they cook everything and then add seasoning after cooking instead of cooking with it. I was chocking on tons of dry seasoning. With the amount of seasoning, it also lacked salt, so even though it had tons of seasoning, it still seemed bland. It was unreal. I won't be returning, but for cracking crabs and having something else to order for the non crab people at the table, it a good choice. I would not choose this place for getting a fish dish.

    Photos
    Captain Mac's Fish House & Seafood Market - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Captain Mac's Fish House & Seafood Market - Stuffed Flounder

    Stuffed Flounder

    Captain Mac's Fish House & Seafood Market - Wine (solid pour!!) and beer while we waited for our food.

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    Wine (solid pour!!) and beer while we waited for our food.

    The Bonfire Restaurant - buffets - Updated May 2026

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