Asbury Kitchen — Restaurant in Ocean City

I like what they are trying to do, and will give them another chance, but my first and recent visit was disappointing. Getting seated seemed a bit like a Chinese fire drill with three employees running around, scrambling to clear a small outdoor table where two diners just left, as we stood around waiting to seat to the empty table next to it by the front door which was a traffic jam. It was not crowded or busy but we had to move tables and chairs around to make room. We ordered tea and a coffee. The tea bags are brought out on a big basket about the same size of the table with a wide assortment of teas scattered about, many of which were not even labeled or identified as being herbal or caffeinated. It was just a weird scene. The coffee was weak and watery-a big disappointment for something which is so easy to do right and which should be so pleasant and satisfying. My friend's meal of eggs, toast, potatoes and fruit was fine--and of course, also next to impossible to get wrong. I ordered a tomato and arugula soup which was one of three soups of the day and nothing else. That was served before my friend's meal instead of at the same time. The soup was warm, not hot and very disappointing-a gelatinous thick mush of flavorless, orange goo. I sent it back after a spoonful. The waitress was pleasant and offered to get me any other entre' and brought a menu but naaah..I was not interested at that point. If tomato soup was that difficult I figured, why bother? I urged her and the chef to taste the soup. I want this local business where I live to succeed. There are many fine reviews, but I think they need to do better and get a few things figured out. Reviews are important and I try to be fair but I also think that every review should be responded to by the owners or managers, but especially when they are less than stellar reviews. I dont see responses to reviews here. I'm neither a difficult or demanding customer but as I did in my business, I had to perform at top notch for my customers all the time and it was a lot more complicated than making a good pot of tomato soup. Of course the soup was removed from the bill but if I were the owner I would have come out after tasting the soup, apologized and offered another entre' at no charge or somehow made up for the negative experience. Asbury Kitchen missed that opportunity, but maybe...

We had my mom’s 70th surprise birthday at Arlene’s recently and loved everything about it - especially Paul and Arlene themselves! They can fit up to 50 people and have a wide array of menu options to choose from. They host events after hours, and also cater offsite. Arlene’s was perfect for us bc my son has celiac and they are very careful with how they prepare their gluten free food, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about what he could eat.

From the moment I first reached out, Paul and Arlene were so patient, responsive and easy to work with. I was on a budget, and they worked with me to come up with a very nice menu to give our guests a great experience. They dim the lights and turn on string lights to give it a more intimate feel.

Our menu included a delicious eggplant appetizer, a gourmet cheese, fruit, meat, nuts and cracker tray, and veggies and hummus to start. Then we had Shrimp Arlene’s (big, perfectly cooked shrimp in a tomato spinach cream sauce), penne vodka and chicken parmesan as well as a spring mix salad bar.

After spending so much time with Paul and Arlene, I see why everyone raves about them. Not only is their food great, but they are two of the most genuinely kind and caring people! They make you feel like you’re a part of their family. With such a special occasion as my mom’s birthday, their hospitality really meant so much. Arlene managed that whole party effortlessly and was wonderful with my kids. All of our guests loved the food and experience. I will be forever grateful to Paul and Arlene for...

UPDATE: We got takeout yesterday and we're pretty disappointed. The Crabby Benedict had very little flavor and the hollandaise was so watery you couldn't even taste it. The Egg White Scramble looked like it had been cooked in a rush and also packed any kind of seasoning. I hope this is just an off-season anomaly.

Good breakfast spot. Went with gf - I got the Restaurant Week special (Breakfast Sandwich of my choice and a coffee for $5) she got the Salmon Omelette). The coffee was a bit weaker than I like and I chose poorly for the sandwich (I got the Beef Kielbasa which I thought would taste more like beef -- I thought it tasted like pork) but the eggs and cheese on my sandwich was delicious. The Kaiser role was too soft too.

I am giving this place 4 stars though because our server - a friendly lady in her late 30s or early 40s - was very nice and my gf's omelette was really good and stacked full of...