Buddy's Crab House & Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Surf City

First off, we are locals and haven't been here in 3 years. This visit reminded us why we won't return.

Upon entering the building, we were greeted by an angry customer throwing their menus down at the hostess stand, saying we're done, we've waited over 30 minutes without any service. This should have been our warning to walk back out the door we just came in. However, the hostess seemed sweet and sat us immediately at a high top table outside (that's nearly all they have outside) with 2 babies. We made this work and waited for 2 minutes and got our appetizer in & kids meal ordered. This gave me hope that the experience was going to go smoothly. I was wrong. We waited about 30 minutes for our waitress to come back around to get our drink order (water & a crown & coke) and our meals. The bar order came out fast but I had to direct her to our table while she tried to deliver it elsewhere (not a big deal.) Next came the crab dip which was set down and we were told "be careful it's hot" hilarious, it was barely warm, the chips may have felt warm. (But it was still tasty.) Much later, we were told our kids' meal was coming any minute... then the cook was new & she's doing her best, but it wasn't ready yet. Finally, I had to ask for my water. Still no kids' meal, or our food.

By this point, the babies were restless, I could see all the tables around me with scowls on their faces & I exited to the bathroom to break up the scene for the babies. Upon returning, the food had arrived. Finally.

My chicken sandwich was good, the fries were cold but ok dosed in ranch. Husband's overpriced fish was overcooked and shriveled up on a plate with a tinny bowl of salad and an even smaller bowl of skeptical mac & cheese.

The check came, and the prices didn't reflect the menu. The on-site "manager" said she could do nothing, but then credited a small amount to our bill.

About 2 hours after eating, husband & I both felt unwell. The only thing we both ate was the crab dip, which has shrimp in it as well.

If you dare go here, have lots of free time & patience, only order crab dip...

Went with a group of 5 for lunch and all ordered a bunch of apps, food, and drinks. Service was not great, it’s usually a lot better, but that’s also typical with a beach restaurant so no big deal. We weren’t ready to immediately order when we sat down so our server offered us some waters for the table and we said okay. The main reason for my review is that just like a lot of other people here, I was also charged $10.00 for 5 tap waters on my bill. The person responding to comments is making it seem like they only charge if you ask for bottled water, but no one at my table asked for water at all, our server offered it, and it definitely was not bottled. So clearly the servers (or at least some of them) are charging people for tap water. Maybe it’s a way to hike up people’s bills for a bigger tip or maybe it’s just a mistake, but it obviously happens often and probably more than people realize because the P.O.S. that they use to take payment at the table doesn’t show the breakdown of your bill when you pay. I never would have known had I not randomly clicked into my text receipt just now (which normally I would never do that, I was trying to remember the name of one of the drinks we had.) My advice is to ask for a printed receipt at the table so that you can have them correct this at the table. I didn’t know when I was there, or I would have had them fix it then. I’ll be back and will still enjoy the food and drinks, but I do find this practice very disappointing and I think it’s really shady and gross. So enjoy but...

I recently visited Surf City with my guests and stopped by this establishment due to its ocean view and surfing atmosphere. Upon arrival, we noticed the bar area was empty, with some tables occupied in the back, but not in the front. We placed our drink orders, and mine arrived promptly, along with an appetizer. However, the rest of our party did not receive their drinks. After waiting for approximately 20 minutes, we decided to leave. We observed that our drinks were sitting at the bar, but our waitress failed to deliver them. When we approached her to request the check, she simply stated that our drinks were probably ready, without offering any apology. We reluctantly accepted the drinks, but upon tasting them, found them to be watery and unappetizing. As a result, we payed our bill and even in that moment this young lady she even said anything, we left the establishment without finishing our drinks. Although this restaurant has significant potential, I was disappointed to find that they use disposable cups, such as foam cups and plastic cups for our drinks. Furthermore, the appetizer we ordered was greasy and soggy. While some may attribute our experience to an off night or bad day, I firmly believe that this is unacceptable. If an establishment accepts a table, it is their responsibility to provide adequate service. If issues arise, such as forgetting to place an order, it is imperative that the staff communicates with management to rectify the situation, rather than allowing customers to leave feeling utterly...