Joe Pop's Shore Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Ship Bottom

Disappointing Experience – Would Not Recommend

During our recent visit to LBI, my husband and I decided to try this restaurant based on a recommendation. Unfortunately, it ended up being the most disappointing experience of our trip.

The atmosphere was fine—your average bar-style restaurant—but things quickly went downhill once we ordered. We started with a crab cake appetizer priced at $14. What we received was shockingly small—about the size of a quarter. We politely sent it back, feeling that it simply wasn’t worth the price.

What happened next was even more surprising: the owner personally approached us and, rather than showing concern or offering a solution, questioned our decision to return it. When we explained our reasoning, she told us to leave.

As patrons who were ready to spend well over $150 on drinks and dinner, we were stunned by how unprofessionally the situation was handled. For a restaurant owner, this is a huge misstep. There’s a way to handle customer feedback—this wasn’t it.

If you’re looking for great seafood on LBI, skip this place and go to The Shellfish. The food there is far superior, portions are generous, and the service is exceptional. We visited several excellent restaurants during our stay, but sadly, this one left a very negative impression.

Would not return...

My family has been coming to the legendary Joe Pop’s for (quite literally) generations! So I could not have been more thrilled when the owners accepted our inquiry to host our wedding welcome party - during one of the busiest weekends on the island, no less. While many of the island bar and restaurants refuse to host events in July, the owners at Joe Pop’s welcomed us with enthusiasm and open arms. Our guests had a blast drinking and dancing to the live band, and we were so impressed with the top notch menu offered by chef Paul and his team (seared tuna bites, coconut shrimp, chicken parm sliders, and more) - way beyond bar food)! The Joe Pop’s team is all about supporting the island community. They don’t just say it, they show it, by treating their patrons with respect, warmth and hospitality. I’m already a regular - and I can’t...

If you’re looking for a place to sit outside and have a drink with low expectations and a chill vibe, it’s okay.

But this is not the place to come for food or service. We knew that we took a risk ordering the Chicken Milanese, but also ordered the chipotle garlic wings figuring they would be a safe choice. Both the wings and Milanese had a very low grade taste to them, and we’re slightly gummy. We also order chicken taquitos, which had no taste.

We didn’t say anything to the wait staff because as it was the very young hostess was on her phone the whole time we were there and our server was just trying to keep up seeing as how he was the only server for the whole outdoor area.

Just a poor experience overall. Would not...