Bird and Betty's — Restaurant in Beach Haven

I went to BAB this past weekend for the first time ever with my best friends. It was a fun night, live band was great! S/O EMPIRE! However, my service experience was terrible. Understandably so, the bar was packed. Took 20 minutes to get a bartender’s attention and complete a drink order. My friends and I were exchanging drink rounds when it came to my turn. The bartender lost my debit card and gave me the wrong one with my receipt. Somehow he disappeared after dropping the check and I was unable to get his attention again no matter what I yelled or waved in his face. I was face to face with a bar back who completely ignored my existence. After holding on to a stranger’s debit card for another 15 minutes, I finally got the attention of another, more rude, bartender who simply claimed “wasn’t me” and therefore was not helping the situation. His argument consisted of “Was it me? Was it specifically me who lost the card? No? Okay, then it’s not my problem”. Midnight on a Saturday night, hot night big crowd, I understand the mood is unhappy. But as a patron whose card was lost at the hands of the bar and told the bar would “need to be cleared” in order to find it, I was even more frustrated.

He could have helped to find the one responsible, he could have taken down my personal information to let me know if anything was found, he could’ve just said “sorry about that”. But instead he “tried not to be a jerk” (I cleaned that line up) and basically told me to stand around the bar all night waiting until no one else needed to be helped. I decided to just hand back the stranger’s card I had been holding and call the next day.

As soon as the bar opened the following day, I called. Waited through the automated system. Selected “2” on the line to speak to a hostess. Waited again as the phone rang and then was met with an automated voicemail response about reservations and sent back to the main menu. I called again 15 minutes later and had the same interaction. I called again two hours later and had the same interaction. Finally, before I physically walked back into the bar at dinner time, I called once more and achieved the voicemail again.

The hostesses were the kindest of all staff. They helped to look through all of the cards left in the past and searched for it by name and color. They even went to each bar and checked for lost cards. My card had not been found. Luckily, I froze it while being treated disrespectfully and but being told I wasn’t.

Today I have to go to the bank and order a new debit card, hoping I don’t have to wait 3-5 business days and they don’t charge me a replacement fee.

If I could go back to that night, I would NOT have tipped the bartender. My biggest regret was signing the bill before checking the card in the little black book. I learned something from this experience (always use cash) and I’m writing this review so BAB may learn...

I am absolutely disgusted by your establishment. I tried to get in contact with the owner SEVERAL times and had no luck. After my mother wrote a review I figured it would get resolved but I guess the ignorance and unprofessionalism of the owner prevailed our complaints. I was at this establishment this week with my three Spanish friends. I am white. They are Spanish. Every single person upstairs at the bar, did NOT have a mask on. Sitting, standing, dancing—-no masks. Besides workers. There was a group of older white individuals dancing and drinking right next to us without their masks on. The only people that were continuously questioned about masks, ids, and placement of where we were sitting were my friends. I completely understand that this pandemic is VERY serious so we were very surprised to find every single person upstairs without a mask. And YES, it was well over 150 unmasked people. Besides workers and bouncers. Even after having to get two forms of ID checked TWICE by both bouncers and bartenders, we understood and we were fine. My family has been coming to Long Beach Island since before I was born and the way we were treated was rude, selective, and completely uncalled for. I will never return to this establishment. Every single family I know that goes to LBI will hear about this and as an individual who has spent over 10 years in the service industry, this is completely unacceptable. There are SO MANYYYYY better bars and restaurants on the ocean and the bay—to be completely honest, you should 100% be shut down and I will follow up with ABC about your establishment because you were absolutely not following the guidelines and my friends have never felt so uncomfortable and unaccepted. I was truly embarrassed by your staff’s behavior and just because people are checking to make sure YOU are doing your job and YOU are following the rules, DOESN’T mean you should be running around trying to avoid fines. Be better. Do better. Again, every single person, family, and new coming LBI guest will hear about this and I hope you are replaced by the next best bar by the following summer. I have a feeling you will get exactly what...

Bird & Betty’s – Long Beach Island, NJ

During a recent visit to Long Beach Island, my girlfriend’s brother treated us to dinner at Bird & Betty’s. His top recommendation was the meatball appetizer—and it did not disappoint. The dish featured a few generously sized meatballs served in a rich, meaty ragu sauce. While the meatballs themselves were excellent, the addition of two pieces of garlic bread elevated the experience. It was clear they knew exactly what they were doing—giving you just enough bread to savor every drop of that sauce.

We also tried the mozzarella appetizer, which was unlike any presentation I’ve seen before. Rather than traditional sticks or balls, it was a single, approximately five-inch-wide circle of fried mozzarella topped with sautéed onions, peppers, and tomatoes. The combination of crispy exterior, melted cheese, and fresh toppings made for a memorable starter. I cut it into pieces so we could share, and it was a definite hit at the table.

The atmosphere at Bird & Betty’s is part of the charm. The restaurant has two levels—upstairs offers an open-air patio with bar service and tables, perfect for watching the sunset, while indoors features a small performance space that could host an intimate concert, along with a wraparound porch. The vibe is lively, with great music and a crowd that clearly enjoys being there.

We enjoyed drinks for about an hour before our meal and ultimately ordered three separate meatball appetizers so each of us could fully enjoy our own, along with one order of the fried mozzarella to share. Arriving at 6 p.m. on a Friday night, we faced a 45-minute wait for a table for three, which wasn’t surprising given how packed the place was. Reservations are available, and I highly recommend making them if you want to avoid a wait.

In short, Bird & Betty’s delivers both in atmosphere and flavor. The food was creative yet comforting, the energy was contagious, and the sunset view from the upstairs patio...