Cafe 2825 — Restaurant in Atlantic City

Touted as one of AC's premier off-strip Italian restaurants, the bar was set high.  We waited over 2 weeks for our scheduled reservation. I went in knowing what I was destined to spend and set my standards accordingly. We arrived uncharacteristically early for our dinner reservation but were told our table was available.  We sat at a 2-top against the wall and were virtually atop 2 other tables (I could literally reach my arm out and put it on the shoulder of 3 other patrons from my seated position).

We ordered cocktails and wine with an appetizer and a table side mozzarella to start.  The drinks came quick and to our liking.  As for the Zucchini Flower Appetizer--this "fried" dish came drowning in liquid rendering its exterior mush.  The presentation was haphazard with a steak knife and a lemon wedge thrown across the top of the dish.  At the pricepoint of $16, I was underwhelmed when it came to both the taste and appearance. On to the table side mozzarella...I am well versed in the art that is mozzarella. Its a delicate cheese that deserves such a presentation.  That being said, my table side demo could not be conducted "table side" due to the lack of room.  Our cheese afficianado set up shop over my shoulder, giving my $35 mozzarella show to the table behind me (a luxury they did not pay for).  Once complete, he appeared from over my shoulder with our 4 slices of mozzarella.  Add to this the small dish of prosciutto we were talked into by our server (another $16) and at $51, I was again dissatisfied. We were determined to try pasta on this trip and so we ordered the tableside pasta prepared in the cheese wheel.  Having seen this done elsewhere with great pinoche, I had high hopes.  Sadly the presentation was performed in an alley over my shoulder, not table side, and for that I deducted points.  On taste however, we found it delicate and savory with a wonderful blend of old world flavors.  Finally, the main course--a veal parm and Maple Bourbon porkchop for us (we also added potato croquettes to share).  The veal parm was LARGE and not overcooked. The Porkchop was well cooked though I ended up not being a fan of the maple bourbon glaze.  It was pungent and acidic (..as one might expect. I just didnt much care for the taste--but thats my fault, not the chefs).  The potato croquettes were essentially deep fried mashed potato balls and were listed as a special on the menu but I found nothing remarkably special about them. Perhaps if they were included with an entree I could let it slide but on an ala carte menu at $14 for 4 mini croquettes, I cant in good conscience say it was worth it.

In all, after a 20% tip (because the server was thoughtful and attentive AND because we had utilized 2 table side preparers)  we paid our tab of nearly $400 and left feeling underwhelmed. It felt as though the prices were high for the sake of exclusivity, not because of an added value or experience. I could justify that price tag if some of the more glaring issues could be addressed but with so many dining options in A.C., I might sooner take my...

I think that Cafe 2825 is way overrated on all the review sites. Been to many Italian restaurants and this one was nothing to stand out. They had a nie wine bar and that was about it.

We visited for a friends birthday along with our kid, 9, 2, and 2. On the phone we were told that Cafe 2825 was child friendly and this was not the case when we arrived. No highchairs and only one booster seat. Luckily we had a corner seat and was able to keep the kids entertained in the corner.

The server was just ok and we were approached by who we think was the owner of Cafe 2825 but he never formerly introduced himself. He asked a bunch of questions about have we been there before, why we were in, and some other questions that were just honestly a bit over the top and annoying.

The children has chicken tenders which were very good and homemade and also had a penne pasta bowl which was just ok.

The bread on the table with the oil was a nice starter, and the house pinot gris was good too. We started with calamari appetizer which was clearly frozen and out of a bag and were not good at all.

For dinner my wife had penne pasta too which looked different than my sons, which was odd, I had the white clam sauce with pasta which I thought was very good but nothing that stood out, so did my friend, and the other entree was a special ordered shrimp parm -- which was also good but nothing to rave about. The did four butterflied individual shrimp that were each parm style.

Again all the food was ok -- but nothing that I would have to run back for or recommend to others. Dessert was pretty good which was an Italian cheesecake that we were told was made in house with a bit of a lemon zing to it -- and nothing done for the birthday girl either not even a song,

As mention in the first part of the review I think many of the reviews are just over rated and I would look elsewhere -- especially when...

Disappointed with our visit to Cafe 2825. After calling over 200 times and scheduling weeks in advance, you'd think our experience would have been better.

Our reservation was at 6:30 on the Patio, but we weren't seated until 7:00. Instead of the spacious and lively patio, we were stuffed into a corner at the front of the restaurant in the "main dining room." I literally sat behind a wall.

Fortunately, our food was quite good. We started the evening with fresh tableside mozzarella, which is always a treat. We also tried the stuffed artichoke with crabmeat and lemon - pretty average and I would not get it again. For our entrees, we got cavatelli with sausage and broccoli rabe in garlic and oil, and the mafalda in pork ragu with warm ricotta. Both were very good.

Our night ended with a scare during dessert. We had the strawberry and raspberry cheesecake, as well as the cappuccino "crunch" gelato. Prior to ordering, I informed our waiter of a deadly peanut / tree nut allergy, which was met with lukewarm acknowledgement and assurance that the "crunch" was simply graham cracker. When the gelato came this was certainly not the case, and no one seemed to know - or care - what was in it despite my persistent requests for information. Finally, they offered to bring me something else - hard chocolate shell with vanilla and chocolate ice cream. This, I was assured, was nut-free. After digging in less than halfway, I found what appeared to be shaved almonds in the ice cream. I quickly flagged down our waiter and asked for the check.

In total, we spent a little over $100 per person. My advice? Save your money and try your luck at...