Mud City Crab House — Restaurant in Stafford Township

There aren't a lot of legit sit-down eating options in this area, but I had a good feeling about this one in the day leading up to our visit. I saw several vehicles with bumper stickers for Mud City, and our taciturn Uber driver to the restaurant brightened up the minute we pulled into the parking lot, exclaiming, "This is my favorite place in the area." It's clearly very popular amongst tourists and locals, and I can understand why.

I came here with my top-tier chums on the 4th of July for dinner around 4:30pm. (That was partially because we wanted to have plenty of time to get back to our Airbnb for fireworks, but also because we have the sleeping schedules of 90-year-olds. No shame.) Despite the slightly off hour, Mud City was hopping both inside and out, and we had a short wait of less than 10 minutes before we were seated. If memory serves, we were told the wait was roughly 20 or 25 minutes, but it was dramatically shorter than that - love a solid overestimate. While we waited, we grabbed drinks at the makeshift Airstream bar outside - super cool setup. There's also a decent-sized firepit right next to the Airstream that would have been a perfect place to hang out for a while if it wasn't occupied the entire time we were there. Solid viewpoint of the nearby marshlands as well (we were right by the causeway that goes onto LBI), which will always remind me of Dawson's Creek.

I got the Honey Palmer, which was basically a boozy Arnold Palmer. Very much a Shore drink; you're not getting edgy mixology or anything like that, but it's a sweeter, refreshing beverage. Definitely hit the spot.

We secured a table close to the entrance and right near an obligatory lobster tank. Morally, I didn't see a choice here - I went with the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake entree, touted as the best in NJ. Delicious and I think safe to say the best crab cakes I've ever had. With my texture-based palate, I tend to shy away from the crab cakes that have crunchy shizzle in them like celery, so having ones like this that have tons of crab and a bit of breading is perfect for me. It came with both tartar and cocktail sauce (which I thought was a subtle flex as well - usually it's one or the other and my preferred cocktail sauce is on the backburner), but honestly didn't need either. The only downside was that it was so filling I barely went after my sides, corn and a baked potato, respectively.

One of my chums got an a la carte crabcake as well. She wasn't quite as over the moon about it as I was. What was strange though about that situation was that her crabcake came on an extremely small plate - there was literally no room to move the food around on said plate, and it was awkward to cut up and consume. I would definitely serve that on a medium-sized plate, even if you don't really have any accompanying sides to fill it up - odd optic.

The service was okay, but ultimately uneven. Our waitress was around more often at the beginning of the meal and was professional/efficient, but as the experience went on was harder and harder to track down. We weren't in a hurry - shore time is slow time - but some of the waits were very noticeable and caused delays in ordering, getting the check, etc. But again, if you're staring impatiently at your watch on vacation, you're not doing this right.

One of the better places we ended up at, and would definitely go back to at the very least hang out at the edgy fire pit. And the crabcakes...

Update to our previously submitted 5 star review on this place we have gone to over the past 10 years.

Please read

This year, we have been very busy and finally went there yesterday, October 3rd, 2024

Our experience this time was not good due to a series of things that occurred that shouldn't, which made me decide to go from a 5 star to a 1 star.

Here's our experience

I ordered my usual #1 crabs versus #2, which are smaller. My wife ordered the battered fantail shrimp, and our friends ordered the broiled seafood combo.

When the food arrived my wifes shrimp was overcooked and batter was burnt, my crabs were very small, barely #2 size, Our friends' food was okay.

Again, remember we have eaten at this place at least 30 times over the past years, so we felt we knew what to expect.

So my wife sent back her shrimp and ordered her usual battered dip fish dish.

I didn't start to eat the crabs because i felt they sent me the wrong one. so my wife said ask the waitress.

So when the waitress came back with my wifes fish, I asked her if they sent me the wrong Crabs #2 by mistake? Instead of checking, she immediately responded no thier #1 and said it depends on which day 2 are considered 1? and walked away. One would expect her to be a little more involved or ask if i wanted something else other than to just walk away.

Note My wifes fish dish was came overfried and a smaller portion than she usually got, but she decided to just eat it

When the waitress came back I decided to send my crabs back and asked if the place changed hands? she responded no it didn't. I figured she would ask now if I wanted something else, but no " just took back the crabs and walked away."

She eventually came back and asked if I wanted something else, now I was visually set back with her service or lak of, and said no. One would think she would now try to make my experience better or at least have a manager come to the table, but no she just walked away again.

My friends and wife finished eating, the waitress came back and asked if there's anything else, so I confronted her about her service and asked why she didn't at least ask to get a manager involved, she didn't really respond so we said no just bring the bill.

Ok, now one would think she would get a manager now, but no, she just came back with the bill and walked away again .

So we paid the bill, didn't tip her, but did tip the bartender separately, and while walking out the door a manager stopped me and said apparently I wasn't happy with the size of the crabs, I said to the manager now you get involved as we are leaving? I stressed my displeasure with the waitress and food say jokingly the crabs couldn't be even be a #3 "I know there's no such thing as a #3" The manager said nothing to make our experience better only adding to our bad experience by apparently in a attempt to belittle me say no such thing...

This restaurant exceeded all expectations! The food was absolutely outstanding, and the service was just as impressive. A special thank you to Marissa and Ryan, the bartenders who took care of us—they were attentive, personable, and truly enhanced our dining experience. Our food came out quickly, beautifully prepared, and packed with flavor.

Reservations are highly recommended, as this restaurant is always full—and for good reason. If you do arrive without one, be prepared to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, yet they do offer a bar cart on the patio where you can enjoy a drink while waiting. We were fortunate to find two seats at the cozy four-stool bar, which made the experience feel even more special.

One of the things that impressed me most was learning about the restaurant itself. The owners operate several successful establishments across Long Beach Island and maintain an exceptional retention rate with their staff—a testament to the culture they’ve built. They’ve also had the same executive chef for over twenty years, which speaks volumes about consistency and quality.

Now, the food:

Baked Garlic Clams – A must-try for garlic lovers. Perfectly balanced, flavorful, and made even better when enjoyed with the crusty bread to soak up the garlic butter.

New England Clam Chowder – Creamy, hearty, and seasoned to perfection. Each bite was packed with flavor.

Jalapeño Slammers – My husband ordered these, and even though I’m not typically a fan of spicy foods, he insisted I try one because they were that good. To my surprise, they weren’t spicy at all—in fact, even with my very sensitive palate, I found them to be incredibly flavorful. Juicy, well-balanced, and absolutely delicious, this appetizer is sure to please!

Cioppino for Two – Generous beyond belief, with a plentiful variety of fresh seafood. I requested it in a white wine garlic butter sauce with lemon instead of the traditional red sauce, and it was phenomenal. The portion was so large that it easily became three more meals at home. This dish is perfect for anyone looking to experience multiple different types of seafood and not break the bank at the same time!

During our week-long stay, we tried four different seafood restaurants, and this one stood out by far as our favorite. Between the flawless food, welcoming atmosphere, and outstanding staff, it has earned a permanent spot in our yearly LBI vacation tradition.

If I could give this restaurant ten stars, I would. Bravo to the entire team—you’ve truly mastered both the kitchen and front-of-house experience. We cannot wait to return next...