Wally's — Restaurant in Surf City

Bummer of a breakfast, unfortunately. 🫤

Having previously viewed the menu in-person on Wednesday (when Wally's is closed) and again online, there seemed to be plenty of offerings to make mouths water. We made up our minds and could not wait to try the food the following morning!

Arriving early enough to have our choice of seating, we opted for the rear garden, as it provided al fresco dining without the busyness of being street-side. The atmosphere was pleasant and our server was first-rate attentive to our orders and needs (👍), even when the tables started filling up and the morning buzz was in the air. (Popular destinations should attract people, and Wally's seemed like no exception.) Our server was the highlight of an ultimately disappointing experience.

The Food (🙅‍♂️): This was the most disappointing aspect of the experience of Wally's.

🥞One member of our party ordered the Japanese-style souffle pancakes which typically are light, fluffy, and bouncy. These arrived thick, flat, and burnt, leaving little flavor or enjoyment outside of the blueberry compote with which they were served: A lot of sauce to mask a poor entree, unfortunately. The side of extra crispy bacon was provided, but far from crispy.

🥑🍞Another member of our party ordered the avocado toast, which was to come with coconut oil, lemon juice, Himalayan sea salt, and red pepper flakes. The bread upon which it was served was barely toasted (maybe setting "1" on a toaster), the avocado was plentiful, but there was no coconut oil, lemon juice for acidity, and only the sparsest hint of Himalayan sea salt on one corner of the toast. The red pepper flakes were dumped into the middle of each toast, with little thought given to the presentation. A side order of scrambled eggs was overcooked, and, again, the extra crispy bacon underwhelmed by being undercooked. The house-brewed cup of coffee had to be endured rather than enjoyed, and instead of feeling full, we felt disappointed.

The Ambiance (🪲): While dining in a garden should feel light and airy, even on a summer's day, it was overshadowed by the incessant amount of aphids and small green insects that crawled all over guests and the table and chairs. A fair portion of the meal was spent ensuring the little critters did not get into the food, in spite of them being all over patrons' clothes. Had the food been more enjoyable, this might have made the little guests merely a nuisance; however, coupled with poor meals, they created a sense of "I don't ever want to come back here."

Again, there were plenty of people and most seats filled by the time we left, so hopefully, there are others who truly enjoy this establishment. Perhaps our experience was atypical, but it has steered us away from Wally's in the future. This being a vacation destination, LBI has plenty of other offerings which can be explored and enjoyed by families in search of tastier food and a more pleasant dining...

First, the new renovations are great and we loved dinning outdoors. One of the best outdoor dining experiences on LBI. However the quality of food has really dropped from prior years. My friend and I stopped into Wally's for dinner and we each order the Ahi Tuna ($31/entree). We were both excited for our meal, but we were disappointed when it got to the table. We each received 4 slices of tuna that were approximately 3.5" X .5'" x .25" and couldn't have been anymore than 2 oz. of meat. For our sides, we received rice and stir fried red peppers and snap peas. Compared to other seafood restaurants on the island, this seemed way over priced. Two nights ago we ordered the Seared Tuna app from Ship Bottom Shellfish and the quality and portion were significantly better and at a lower price, plus it was served over seaweed salad. Additionally, I stopped in for breakfast to order a simple porkroll sandwich, but unfortunately received eggs benedict served on a bagel (bagel was stale). My breakfast for one was $20 (entree $16 and cup of coffee $3). From now on I will stick to Mustache Bills, Neptune Market, or the Local for breakfast. I don't mind paying a lot for food, but the quality needs to be maintained. Needless to say, the renovations are not enough to keep us coming back, we always loved Wally's for it's reasonable prices and delicious food, but will no longer be a go to for us or a recommendation for friends who...

Not too sure on this place and not sure I would return here. I get it, its one of the busiest places on the island and one of the larger restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating and ability to fit large groups and families. The staff is fast, friendly and accommodating and there are plenty of waitstaff and they are attentive. The menu is a collection of sandwiches, appetizers and entrees, mostly run of the mill stuff like burgers, chicken sandwiches and things like salmon, fish and chips, linguini and clams and also assorted appetizers like spinach and artichoke dips and pita chips and mozzarella sticks etc.

The reason unlike others I gave this legacy place such a low rating, is that the food was nothing special, mostly tasteless and some of the most average food I have tried in the 10 years I have visited LBI. There are plenty of other spots down here that offer much better cuisine at similar prices and may be smaller in space, but pack a serious punch when It comes to quality food. Lets face it, its hard to screw up a burger and fries or a Rueben sandwich, but the presentation here looked like something out of a bad diner in Queens. Sorry to say, but I am confused on why so many great reviews for such a mediocre place to eat...