Rusty Nail — Restaurant in Cape May

The experience imo was not at all worth the price. My husband and I arrived early and went to see if there was anyway we could be seated early (if not we weren't worried about it we could go for a walk on the beach or sit at the bar and we said this to the hostess). The hostess was very short and seemed annoyed to even be asked any questions. We eventually went to the bar where the service was excellent with the bartenders ensuring drinks were kept full despite the crowded bar and the drinks are made strong. At the time of our reservation for our anniversary my husband went back up to the hostess stand where she continued to be very short with him. We were sat dead center of the room under the only nonworking fan. The table was covered in what I assume was water and my chair was soaked as well, but before we could ask for a napkin or something to dry them the person seating us had disappeared. When our server served us drinks he forgot straws and told us he would go grab them. A few minutes later we saw him taking orders from other tables so my husband went to the bar to see if we could get straws. When the server saw this he rushed over and told us he was just about to get them for us. Then when our appetizers were served we were given 2 napkins and no chance to ask for more before he rushed off. When our meals came the food was not as great a quality as food we would expect for the prices but it wasn't bad. We had to ask for napkins and silverware when our main dishes came out to which we got a stack of napkins and a single fork. When my husband asked for a corona he was given a corona light and when he mentioned it before ordering a second the server still brought him out a corona light again. We weren't asked how our meal was and our server seemed to not want to deal with us and the general impression from staff was one of disdain for having to deal with customers. I'm sure some may wonder why we didn't complain, but my husband and I don't like causing problems and we try to be understanding that they were busy as I have worked as a server in a busy restaurant and get that sometimes things just don't work out. That being said, the attitude of the staff in general was not what I would expect from a place that came so highly recommended and with such high costs. Apparently complaining loudly to anyone that would listen is the way to get decent service at this location which is just not mine or my husbands style, but we witnessed others behave this way throughout our meal. I would not recommend this location as the service is imo horrible and the food is merely decent. Overall a very disappointing experience to what looked to be a promising...

Love the atmosphere and location, at the beach in Cape May. We were fortunate enough to get ‘indoor’ (bar area with all windows open, the COVID dining experience) rather than the picnic tables in the former parking spots. The small umbrellas at these tables offered little shade, especially as the sun started setting.

Live music was great too (Camille Peruto). Great song choices, I could have stayed all night.

But, and I know we are in uncertain times, the owners need to read this. First, we used open table...they ‘canceled’ our reservation a few hours after we ate, presumably so that I can’t review them on the OT app.

Now, the waitress was not attentive at all—I mean, I eventually had to ask a manger to please send our server back. Oh, and that manger didn’t care. Our drinks were weak—like zero alcohol at all. And, the ‘strawberry margarita’ was really a regular margarita in spite of her confidence to the contrary. Then, when the drink was delivered, she said ‘here’s your daiquiri.’ (It was a margarita, not a daiquiri and not strawberry.) We had to send one of the kid’s meals back—the only word we could use to describe the pasta (yes, just pasta) was ‘strange.’ We had to ask for napkins, beg for ketchup, and practice patience. We were never offered any refills, even on the water.

Oddly, none of the management ever seemed to notice. The bill came, and we paid with a 22%-ish tip, because I am going to hope that the service was a reflection of under-staffing and/or pandemic stress. But, the staff needs to be better trained and more attentive, management needs to care, and even if times are tough basic customer service will still be important if you still expect folks to come spend money.

Oh, the waitress said they don’t have a drink menu but “we have a full bar.” I guess that is possible in 2020...so we ordered drinks from the Open Table drink menu.

In summary: two stars for location and the sea breeze and I’m adding a third because most of the...

Like a slow speed car accident, almost comical: This was probably one of the worst experiences I ever had at a restaurant in the last five years. First off recognition where it is due, the hot wings were tasty, the fries were a disappointment. The rest of the food was mediocre at best. The real issue was with the service, our server took approximately 20 to 30 minutes to bring drinks on a cold rainy Saturday. It certainly was not busy, so it’s not clear what the delay was. When the appetizers arrived, there were no small plates or napkins. They also brought the wrong fries and initially told us they were they correct order. Only after reviewing the menu did they admit they were not our initial order and brought the replacement. No big deal, but despite asking multiple additional servers and busboys, it took around 10 to 15 minutes to get napkins. Small plates never arrived. We asked for water which took approximately 10 to 15 minutes. It was just over an 1:15 minutes before our mains arrived which were all wrong, despite dietary restrictions, these dishes were served covered in cheese. Management didn’t seem to care about our problems. The server seemed bothered by requests for refill of our drinks. Speaking of the drinks they were incredibly inconsistent among the table. Some margaritas were over-sweet some seemed to be watered down or without significant alcohol. This varied on the second round of drinks as well, and there was no consistency. The service genuinely generated laughs at the table as they would clear one singular empty glass at a time. Our chicken bones from the appetizer stayed on the table for approximately 30 minutes without being cleared away. Many of the drink glasses never got cleared. Ultimately, one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. Would certainly never return and would strongly...