Knife and Fork Inn — Attraction in Atlantic City

Alot of times when a place has been in a location for a long time and everyone raves about the food and the customer service-it's a hard dispute to write a review. But Im a local, so really disappointed. So we entered the Knife and Fork  the hostess was very nice  and found us a table..making me aware I was lucky, they usually don't do walk-ins. Just did one in the Summer but okay. The water guy comes over says water? I said hello, he said oh hello and how are you🤦🏽‍♀️. We wait 15 minutes for the waitress. She comes over to take our order, no excitement or enthusiasm. The table that sat down after us not only got there food first, but she actually went up to there table 5 mins after they sat down. She delivers our food and never comes back to check on us. The waitress literally leaves us for 30 minutes after she cleared our appetizer plates and soup bowl and comes over after leaving us unattended and bought us dessert-we never had lunch. She never asked my grandson did he want refills. So he sat through most of lunch with an empty glass. A really nice lady showed up twice to ask was everything okay, but after a while I didnt see her either. After the dessert debacle (Sandy),she goes back I guess to order our main course, another 20 minutes pass and my grandson says lets go Mommom. We go to the front and I tell the girl just get me what I ate so I could pay for it and we are leaving. I explained that our waitress actually bought us dessert without serving us the food we ordered..she in turn went and got the nice lady, which by then I was literallly about to tear up, I explained that my grandson is a A student and I just wanted to take him for a nice lunch and we were ignored for most of the meal. She was very apologetic and wanted to give us our meal I said no and my grandson said okay. So we waited another 10 minutes for that. When we got in the car, my grandson went to eat it but it was so much oil he put it away. I offered to buy him some different lunch even though we were already off schedule for what we had planned, so he said just take me to Wawas. I had no idea he would dump the food in the trash- so there is no picture of it. He said after all that they didnt even give us the dessert.Then they wanna say Black folks don't tip and I'm a great tipper, but this warrants little to nothing. The lady charged me 22.00 and change for the soda soup and lobster egg rolls we ate and I still left a tip-4.00, but I didn't want to leave that. We missed the movie we planned on going to see Aquaman and we were late for our DXL fitting appt.- See my Grandson is a A student and just received the Varsity Scholar award, so I had a whole day planned for us. Knife and Fork I'm a local and won't bother to be back, while I am sure that means nothing to you, I won't recommend this place for anything anymore. The grease wasn't palpable, I took one bite of the Cid and spit it out, but I wanted you to see what you sent me with! I didn't eat my food either- definitely dumpster worthy. Very very...

It would be no exaggeration to say that we have dined at Knife and Fork at least 50 times. We live in the area for five months out of every year: We celebrate the arrival of summer there annually, host family there, and mark other special occasions often enough that we are recognized and greeted by long-time staff. It has always been my favorite restaurant on the island.

The food is consistently wonderful, the atmosphere unique and historic, and the service almost always lives up to the establishment’s reputation. Tonight our server was new to us, and probably new this year to the restaurant. There were two incidents that were exceptional enough — and disappointing enough — for me to take the time to write about it. Before I go on, I will note that our order was taken quickly and the food and check delivered at the appropriate pace. However, when we were seated and greeted and asked if we wanted something other than water, I placed my drink order quickly and the server turned to find my husband still looking at the wine list. He abruptly turned the drink menu around while my husband was still reading the wine side of the table card to show him the cocktails, then before my husband could say anything he said, “If you’re not ready I’ll go get her glass of wine and come back for your order.”

We dine out frequently all over the world, and both of us have been servers ourselves. Trust me when I tell you that my husband was not taking too long choosing a glass of wine from the five or six white wines listed. It was jarring enough that I worried that we would be rushed through our meal. We were not – but it did foreshadow what would come later.

After we’d finished our meal, we declined dessert and asked for the check. Our plates were cleared and the server left. A few minutes later he returned to the corner where we were seated at a banquette, with two clean wine glasses in hand. He nonchalantly set them down on the back of the banquette, directly over my left shoulder, then left. We instantly realized what he was doing — he was literally setting up the items to be placed on our table after our departure while we were still there. When he came back with the check my husband asked him what the glasses were for, and he smiled uncomfortably, then said it’s for the next table. I indicated my gratitude that he hadn’t also left a clean tablecloth and set ups next to me on the bench seat.

These are small things and first world problems, I realize, but they left a big impression of a fine restaurant in decline. The cuisine and environment were both still exceptional, but a big part of dining out – especially at a place like Knife and Fork — is the service that is provided. I would have been annoyed to have glassware put out awaiting my departure at a local diner … I certainly expected better from an iconic restaurant, and hope that tonight’s experience was an anomaly. Otherwise, I'll be looking for a new favorite...

The Knife & Fork's happy hour isn't just a happy hour--it's a AC shore ritual that draws you in like a hot table at a boardwalk casino, where regulars and first-timers storm for a chance to play, experience, and win the finest happiest hour around. Now, odds are not in your daily favor - only 22 or 23 coveted seats are available, getting your spot is no small feat. The doors may officially open at 4 p.m., but the line begins forming as early as 3 p.m., sometimes even earlier. You could try your luck by showing up ten minutes before opening, but why gamble with 50% off the crown jewel of the menu, the seafood tower!

Once you join the line, and suddenly you're not just waiting--you're participating, as well as counting - ensuring you made the cut! You chat with the eager strangers next to you, exchanging stories and tips as you inch closer to the door. The camaraderie is a teaser for what's inside, where the real action unfolds. Once the doors open, time shifts. The service moves with an effortless precision that makes the next three hours feel like a dream sequence of indulgence. Time moves at a pace that keeps you floating on a vibe of expertly crafted libations and the freshest seafood. The menu stars the seafood tower--a decadent arrangement that reads like an ode to oceanic luxury. Picture this: three briny oysters on the half shell, so fresh with zero grit; rich, buttery tuna tartare served with homemade chips that have just the right amount of crunch; three jumbo shrimp, perfectly chilled and snapping with each bite; delicate crabmeat cocktail that melts on your tongue; and, for the grand finale, half a lobster pre-cracked for your pleasure, presented with an array of sauces to elevate your senses further.

Meanwhile, conversations flow easily, lubricated by expertly mixed cocktails . We were drinking the "Luck Be a Lady," a pink swirl of tequila, hibiscus, grapefruit, and lime, and the refined "Dean Martini," gin-forward and elegantly garnished with a pearl onion that afternoon. As you savor & sip, you become friends with the strangers on either side of you, bound by the shared joy of happy hour. Behind you, those who didn't make the first and only seating hover, eyes darting toward your empty plates, ready to pounce on any sign that your time is up.

When the bill arrives, you almost can't believe it. You rub your eyes and smile--the prices are so reasonable, it feels like a dirty secret you've just stumbled upon. The Knife & Fork has mastered the art of the happy hour by turning those precious hours from 4 to 6 p.m. into a sanctuary of joy, community, and the finest seafood AC...