Fishin' Pier Grille — Restaurant in Avalon

We had high hopes for our visit, due to the positive google reviews, unfortunately, our experience left a lot to be desired.

To start on a good note, Sue the hostess was extremely friendly and gave us a warm welcome. Britney was the one who seated us. She mentioned it was “cash only,” and when I asked the rest of my party if they were okay with staying(as not everyone carries cash), she abruptly asked, “Are you staying or leaving?” and appeared visibly irritated. That first interaction set the tone for the rest of the visit.

I have celiac disease, so I asked Britney if the home fries were gluten-free. She said “yes.” I then asked if she could please inform the kitchen so they could wipe down the preparation area to avoid cross-contamination. She replied with a flat “no.” When I asked, “No? Why?” she explained, “It’s just one area to prepare the food,” but still made no effort to communicate the concern to the chef. While I understand there may be limitations in the kitchen setup, a little empathy or initiative to at least try would have been appreciated.

There were small service issues throughout—when my mom asked for a straw, Britney didn’t say anything, looked annoyed, and simply tossed them to us, which felt dismissive. One person in our group ordered an omelet that came out severely burnt— she said “it was the most burned omelet I have ever had in my life.” She only managed a couple of bites of it. All of our tables food was burnt and extremely oily. Not one person enjoyed the food.

At the end of the meal, after Brittney didn’t check back for a while I went to find her to get our check, I approached her, and she gave me a death stare and said, “I was going to bring this to you,” in a tone that came off as curt and unkind.

Suggestions for Improvement: • A bit more patience and warmth from the service staff would go a long way. • Even if there are limitations in the kitchen, showing concern for dietary needs (especially medically necessary ones) is critical. Simply passing along a message to the kitchen could help prevent someone from getting sick and shows compassion. • Communication is key—guests don’t expect perfection, but respectful and attentive interaction makes all the difference. • More attention to food quality and would greatly improve the overall experience.

We genuinely wanted to enjoy our meal here, and I hope this feedback can help the team grow and improve. We definitely will not be...

I’ll start with the positives: My family (both my immediate family and my in-laws) really like this place. My sister-in-law and brother raved about their omelettes, my husband’s family lives nearby and have taken us there once a year since I’ve known them. The food is good (nothing crazy good from my perspective, but good) and plentiful portions, good value, easy to please little kids. I’ve had positive experiences with the staff.

But I wouldn’t choose to go here, I only go because it’s a family tradition. They don’t make any food I can’t make myself, and their coffee is definitely worse than what I brew at home. It’s really crowded and always busy, and there’s a “NO YOU MAY NOT” motto at the place (in reference to questions about passing through the restaurant to access the private pier at the rear) that really seems to fit the whole attitude there. I’ve had no problem with the waitresses I’ve interacted with, but I’ve worked at multiple cafes and breakfast joints myself, and find the atmosphere here just a bit too sassy. There’s a big board of “stupid questions” they’ve been asked, and honestly most of them aren’t stupid. I’ve fielded many truly stupid questions, these aren’t that bad. So you feel like you can’t ask anything. Not a huge fan of the attitude of the establishment. I know some people will think that’s part of the charm, but for me it’s just obnoxious. I’d rather make my...

Didn’t really care for the general attitude and negativity at 7:30 a.m. I get it you don’t want people to walk through to go to the beach, but making the “No you may not” the slogan the employees wear on their backs and to have a board of stupid questions says a lot about what kind of people these people are. The service was fast and efficient, but no one was friendly or unfriendly. There were just there. The food was okay. Most diners will have better food. There’s absolutely nothing special at all except for the freshly squeezed orange juice, which isn’t offered at most breakfast places. We sat inside where it was dark and small. The outside seating area of 3 or 4 tables is lovely right on...