Caroline's By The Bay — Restaurant in Somers Point

We are visiting from out of the area and stopped here due to it being easy to get to from the main island and seeming like a good menu for a hot day. We were told the food was behind by about 40 minutes due to the kitchen being overwhelmed. We said that was no problem as we were in no rush. It was a hot Friday night, we knew it would be busy.

We were seated inside which had a live band playing in a VERY SMALL SPACE. The band was so loud it was impossible to talk to anyone next to you. Maybe outside dining is better but the inside space is overbearing, crowded, and with a live band that was not very impressive...something that ruined the whole experience from the start. My husband had to write down his order on his phone to show the waitress because she couldn't even hear when she leaned in to ask to take his order.

The service was extremely slow and disorganized it seemed. After about 45 minutes we finally got waters and our drinks from the bar. It took about 2.5 hours to get our food and we had little to no check in from the waitress. When the food came out, they had mixed up somethings which we were able to sort out ourselves and one dish seemed lost but they did find in the kitchen after a few moments. We were rushing to get out by the end and just trying to find out waitress to pay the bill; we noticed she actually had an outside station so..no idea why they gave her an inside table all the way away from her others.

My mother-in laws margarita had absolutely no tequila in it. I actually thought she ordered a mocktail when I took a sip of the speciality pineapple margarita she ordered. She said she had 2 and both tasted like the margaritas mix.....I ordered 3 tacos which were 6 dollars each. Came with no kind of sides at all. I was still starved and ended up at Wawa after because I didn't even want to look at dessert options because of the noise. Upon leaving..we saw a taco food truck in the parking lot next to the back kitchen door so we are thinking that all the tacos are via the food truck which made my husband and I even more annoyed. We paid for a nice sit down dinner and they were supplying the tacos from a food truck out back which we couldprob just walk up to and get food in 15 mins? I am hoping that is not the case but it was pretty damning.

This ranked up at one of the worst experiences we...

We live in Phila and have been to this place many times over the years when visiting the Shore over the summer. There seems to be regular/annual changes in ownership resulting in a hit or miss situation for food and more importantly service.

Last week we stopped in last Friday night for our 1st visit of the season. There was music (a fairly good band), the food was good ( Greek pizza, a sandwich , and some appetizers), and best of all the management went out of it's way to find us seats and make sure we stayed. They appeared to be older European gentlemen who seemed interested in their business. We ate well, had a few drinks, danced, and overall a pleasant nite and a fair value. A 4.5 star rating for what it was.

Decided to go back on Sunday. NOT SO GOOD!. We felt like a burden to the the employees. We were ignored, they spent their time in a different room where the music was (our young male server), very inexperienced, two other waitresses were busy on their phones and sat at the table in front of us talking, extreme noise from the bar area that disrupted enjoying the music, etc. Very bad. NO management whatsoever. Appeared that the young help had taken over the place.

Paid $26.00 for a sea food pizza that tasted like old bay spice and served with the cheapest paper plate I have ever seen. Had to ask for condiments. It could have been OK but was served COLD??? As I think about the cold pizza,the more than CHEAP paper plates,the waitresses sitting at the table in front of us talking and on their phones, our waiter in the next room listing to the music but in our eyesight,and talking to friends, it was insulting!

Drinks were very expensive both nights for what they were ($9.00ea for vodka on the rocks in the dining room, away from the music.

Bottom line, 1 good night but will never go back on a Sunday. Must have been the owners day off . Sunday was less than a 1 star day while Friday...

I stopped by Caroline’s By The Bay in Somers Point for a casual dinner and ended up having one of those “unexpectedly great” nights where everything just sort of clicks.

Let’s start with the tacos. These things were seriously good. Fresh, flavorful, and packed to the brim. So packed, in fact, that I spent a good part of the meal trying to figure out how to eat them without wearing them. Spoiler alert: I failed. There is no elegant way to eat these tacos, and honestly, that just adds to the charm. Messy? Absolutely. Worth it? Every bite.

The drinks were solid too. I had an orange crush, and it definitely stood out. Probably one of the best I have had in a while. I would not go as far as to say it changed my life, but it made me happy enough to forget about the salsa I dropped on my shirt. That counts for something.

The service was great. Our server checked in just enough to make sure we were good without hovering. You know that perfect balance where you feel taken care of but also left alone to enjoy your food and company? They nailed that.

Now, let’s talk about the atmosphere. We sat outside and there was live music playing while a breeze rolled off the bay. It was one of those perfect early evening scenes that made me question why I do not live closer to the water. The music was just loud enough to enjoy without making you shout across the table. The vibe was relaxed and easy, like a beach day without the sand.

Look, I am not going to pretend this is a once in a lifetime dining experience. Caroline’s is not trying to be that. But it is fun, it is tasty, it is breezy, and it is a great spot to unwind with friends and enjoy some really good food.

Would I go back? For sure. But next time, I am bringing extra napkins. And probably a backup shirt. Those tacos...