Kelsey & Kim's Southern Cafe — Restaurant in Atlantic City

The good, the bad, and the ugly of this establishment. Good : atmosphere was nice. However the live band was extremely too loud for the size of the building for a restaurant and it was hard to talk and communicate with others along with the waiter.

Bad: waiter was hard to find along with the fact that he went to take the order on a group of people before he came to our table that was sitting and waiting even tho he was genuine enough to tell us he will be with us in 1 moment.

Food price per portion was a little on the extreme side as it looks like they try to cut cost on what they were serving. I mean a strip of salmon with 2 shrimps and some noddles for $33 is a bit much. I feel like they could have offered more considering it does come with any sides. Along with the catfish and shrimp that has 1 whole catfish cut in half into 2 pieces of catfish as a platter and 2 shrimps sliced in half to make it look full on the plate. Don’t get me wrong the flavor was amazing. However you can tell they are cutting the cost and maximizing the profit. I get it. It’s business however it’s clearly obvious.

Ugly: I was shocked when I seen the Cajun salmon and shrimp pasta and requested a return for something else because 2 of us ordered the same items at the table and our portions was noticeably different. The server chuckled after looking at it as he can see what I seen. A lady came to the table as I shown her the 2 plates and she sent it to the cook and came back telling me they weight the salmon and it’s all 8 ounces. I asked her to return the food and I would like to get something else. She left and came back telling me I can’t return it because it was already prepared. I have never been to a restaurant where I cannot return what I don’t like. She directly told me I can’t return it and I can leave it but they will have to charge me for ordering it. I’m going to be honest and say of everything else I mentioned especially having patience with the waiter, that was the tip of the iceberg for me knowing your basically telling me I’m stuck with the food and it’s nothing I can do. It’s not like I’m just canceling the order and don’t want nothing. I was returning it to get something else to replace what I didn’t want. Again the flavor of the food was great however I can’t respect the establishment as it’s seems money hungry instead of pleasing...

Good luck getting in and Kelsey’s , you should be ashamed of yourselves. How can you have a sticker on the very front of your establishment claiming to be a “proud owned black business” and treat the people who you know damn well keep your over priced soulless food assess in business? Are you kidding me me? Proud owned black business? If you’re such a proud owned black business then why would even 1 black person have an experience like mine? I’ll tell you why, you…don’t…care. You don’t care how you treat people as long as they keep paying. Just get a new sticker that says “proud green loving business” or “proud to take your money and give bad service/demeaning memories business.”

You have a sticker on the front of your business that says “proud owned black business” Just in case it is not clear, I am proud, also black and I will never return to your business. Let me know when you fire your restaurant manager who uses her body to physically block people from getting into your restaurant where you so proudly boast your black business.

Let me know when your restaurant manager who berates people speaking in a level and calm tone and informs them if they don’t comply to her wishes she will call the police on your potential proud black customers.

Let me know when you fire your restaurant manager who perhaps doesn’t realize that the threatening to call the police on other black people who have committed no misconduct, offense or crime is what led to the incarceration of the Exonerated 5, the killing of Emmet till, Tamir Rice, Trevon Martin and many others who sadly will never have a chance to patronize your proud black business.

Do me another favor, let me know if your restaurant manager or if you for that matter have any recollection of a time in US history when black people had to ride the back of the bus, were not allowed to eat at lunch counters or were valued as more than 3/5ths a person? Do you know this happened? Maybe you don’t but my experience with your black business has stirred that history up in me and I am sharing it with you fyi.

Wow, your proud black business is something else. Keep hope alive brothers and sisters and if you value yourself and your money, do not patronized Kelsey’s Atlantic City. Their business is taking your money and they are...

Kelsey’s Atlantic City- When supporting the black business goes wrong!

My birthday is April 21st, and we reside in Philadelphia, PA. Kelsey’s was formerly my favorite restaurant, so much so that they are booked for April, so my husband made a reservation a month early. We traveled from Philadelphia and rented a hotel room, all to enjoy the evening at their establishment. I initially ordered the braised short ribs, but I was told they were out of them; I then asked for red snapper and was told they were out of that as well. I had fried pork chops the last time we were there (December 2024), so I decided to go with that. When the plate got to the table, I noticed immediately that they did not look like the ones I had last time, but I brushed it off as every cook is different. It was a large portion, so I boxed what I wasn’t going to eat and started in on what I was. When I sliced into the pork chop, I noticed that the batter was falling off; it was challenging to cut and red inside. I immediately stopped eating it and let the waiter know what was happening; he took the plate, and when he returned, he said the chef decided it was not undercooked. I immediately asked to speak with the manager. The manager came to the table already unpleasant; when asked, she identified as Allie. I again explained the situation and presented the uneaten food, and even decided I would still support the restaurant and asked to have the fried fish instead. I was told that their policy was that the chef had the final say on if the food was ill-prepared and that the only option was to re-cook the item I already had. Needless to say, my pallet no longer wished for that food choice, and we all know the danger of undercooked pork. I asked for the name of the cook; she said, “Kelsey,” with the attitude of “Yeah, he’s the owner, so there is nothing you can do.” So, we ended up paying for food I had not eaten; I left it on the table and did not get even as much as an apology. This business will no longer get my support. Dear Kelsey’s AC, you have no idea who is walking into your establishment or their reason for visiting and how that visit can be a positive to your business; in this case, you will never know. You should do better.

P.S. Our waiter was Keith, and he was...