Any great restaurants in Atlantic City?

[Jeff L]

We will be in Atlantic City April 23rd and 24th attending an Elvis Costello concert at the Borgata. I haven't been to AC for quite a while and was hoping to learn of good and fairly affordable restaurants- seafood, italian, conntinental are good

Any help is appreciated!!

[hitmanoo]

This is way off topic, but if you get a chance at all, maybe before you go home, stop in at the White House for a sub. They make some of the finest in the country.

[richl2214]

Dock's Oyster House is the best place outside of the casinos. While you say "affordable" I don't know what that means to you. Dock's entrees are in the neighborhood of mid $20's but well worth the dough.

Excellent oyster selection and service is right up there. I always go there even if I am in the vicinity of AC.

[Jeff L]

Dock's Oyster House is the best place outside of the casinos.  While you say "affordable" I don't know what that means to you.  Dock's entrees are in the neighborhood of mid $20's but well worth the dough. 

Excellent oyster selection and service is right up there.  I always go there even if I am in the vicinity of AC.

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Thanks, can you tell me where it is in relation to the casino's?

[Curlz]

I'd love some suggestions near A.C. (within 20 mins) as well as in town...will be down there for a few days at the end of June and I'm guessing we won't stay in A.C. the entire time.

[richl2214]

Dock's Oyster House is the best place outside of the casinos.  While you say "affordable" I don't know what that means to you.  Dock's entrees are in the neighborhood of mid $20's but well worth the dough. 

Excellent oyster selection and service is right up there.  I always go there even if I am in the vicinity of AC.

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Thanks, can you tell me where it is in relation to the casino's?

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Dock's is right on Atlantic Avenue.

Here's the link with menu and prices. It really is a fantastic place and well worth the money.

Dock's Oyster House

[Jeff L]

Dock's is right on Atlantic Avenue.

Here's the link with menu and prices. It really is a fantastic place and well worth the money.

Dock's Oyster House

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[Rich Pawlak]

Chef Vola's. A most amazing and cult-favorite Italina place on a tiny alley near the Sands casino. No sign, no published phone number. BYOB. Very good Italina food, with a few wrinkles. Someone on this board should have the number, I'd bet. Zagat.com should have the number too.

Have the concierge at the Borgata make a reservation for you. Take any time available. Bring a good bottle of something. It's a wacky, and incredible, dining experience.

In the Borgata itself, NOW (Noodles of the World) isn't a bad place for a quick bite and some communal table eating is a hip atmosphere. Decent pad thai, as I recall.

[Jeff L]

Chef Vola's.  A most amazing and cult-favorite Italina place on a tiny alley near the Sands casino.  No sign, no published phone number.  BYOB. Very good Italina food, with a few wrinkles.  Someone on this board should have the number, I'd bet.  Zagat.com should have the number too.

Have the concierge at the Borgata make a reservation for you.  Take any time available.  Bring a good bottle of something.  It's a wacky, and incredible, dining experience.

In the Borgata itself, NOW (Noodles of the World) isn't a bad place for a quick bite and some communal table eating is a hip atmosphere.  Decent pad thai, as I recall.

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I just looked at the current Zagat guide for NJ shore and they rate the food 25 which is high praise indeed. FYI, Phone number is 609 345-2022

Also, we might be tempted to try Susanna Foo's new place in the Borgata...decisions, decisions!

[gourmand2]

Chef Vola's.  A most amazing and cult-favorite Italina place on a tiny alley near the Sands casino.  No sign, no published phone number.   BYOB. Very good Italina food, with a few wrinkles.  Someone on this board should have the number, I'd bet.  Zagat.com should have the number too.

Have the concierge at the Borgata make a reservation for you.  Take any time available.  Bring a good bottle of something.  It's a wacky, and incredible, dining experience.

In the Borgata itself, NOW (Noodles of the World) isn't a bad place for a quick bite and some communal table eating is a hip atmosphere.  Decent pad thai, as I recall.

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I just looked at the current Zagat guide for NJ shore and they rate the food 25 which is high praise indeed. FYI, Phone number is 609 345-2022

Also, we might be tempted to try Susanna Foo's new place in the Borgata...decisions, decisions!

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I would definitely recommend Chef Vola's if you've never been. It's quite an experience. You obviously found the phone#, which means you probably have the address. But if not, the address is 111 So. Albion Place. They are located off of Pacific Avenue, between Texas & California Sts.

Susanna Foo's is also wonderful and would've been my first reccomendation. However, you noted that you were looking for something "fairly reasonable", and I don't think that they fit into that category. If you are willing to spend a little extra, it's worth it.

[FoodieRD]

While you are in AC- why not eat where the locals go. I agree that Docks is a fabulous meal! I'm not a big fan of Volas- I find it that the food is overpowered by garlic and the place is a firetrap in a basement. I suggest trying some of the restaurants in Margate (down the road from AC, on the same island- 10-15 minutes- it is a summer resort town). We frequent Tomatoes for a great menu- everything from sushi to steak to interesting specials and drinks. Steve and Cookies is also a consistently good place which features seafood, steak and killer desserts. Dune restaurant on Atlantic Ave just reopened for the season- great oysters and other seafood and I believe BYO. Very limited seating so make a reservation. If you want more than a local spot, try THE newest place in AC- the Quarter at the Tropicana. It is an extension of the casino made to look like Old Havana. There are many places to go there including Cuba Libre- a cuban restaurant, PF Changs, The Palm Steakhouse, Red Square with its fabulous Vodka freezer and a dessert place called Brulee. There are also a couple of nightspots that feaure Jazz and an IMAX theater. Please check to see if they implemented the no jeans, sneaker, shorts.. dress code after 11:00pm before heading over there late.

[WestOrangeFrank]

As a beer guy, I'm a fan of Tun Tavern, across from the Sheraton. There's better food in the area, but Tun has nailed the hand crafted beer crowd.

[Curlz]

I'd love some suggestions near A.C. (within 20 mins) as well as in town...will be down there for a few days at the end of June and I'm guessing we won't stay in A.C. the entire time.

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Bumping this up as we're heading down at the end of this week...any recs in addition to those listed here--in or near A.C. (i.e., Margate) are greatly appreciated!

Curlz

[Rosie]

It's not near AC but if you are able to stop in the Highlands Doris & Ed's is excellent.

[robertruelan]

I second the Quarter at the Tropicana, but looking at your original post, I would recommend the "A Dam Good Crab Shack and Sports Bar" at the Quarter. Here's a writeup on it from AC Press newspaper:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/enterta...g/dining1.shtml

It's upstairs, near Cuba Libre, across from the Irish bar, Ri Ra. It's affordable and I can recommend the Po' boy Shrimp sandwich with their homemade potatoe chips. Decent beer selection (Flying Fish on tap and Mexican bottles) and I'm not a big raw bar fan, so I couldn't tell you if it's good or not. This way you can check out this cool addition to AC and eat 'sensibly' without too much wait or fuss. If your going to the other places in the Quarter (Cuba Libre, Carmines, Palm, etc..) it probably wouldn't hurt to reserve something (yes, even on a weekday!)

But, you still can't beat the Irish pub for food prices ($6 dinner specials) and beer prices. But, that's just me ;)

Doh!. I just realized your going to see Elvis... you lucky, lucky person ;) 'Oh.. Alison...' Great song.

Edited June 21, 2005 by robertruelan (log)

[jrichman]

Do they make cheesesteaks here??? If so, does anyone have a picture of the cheesesteak? Thanks!!!

This is way off topic, but if you get a chance at all, maybe before you go home, stop in at the White House for a sub.  They make some of the finest in the country.

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[FoodieRD]

Two new restaurant favorites of the season for the local crowd- both in Margate. First is Lobianco Coastal Cuisine at 8409 Ventnor Ave 609-822-0600- small place- BYO- great food- my favorite is their grilled Romaine with blue cheese and bacon- not your usual salad course and any of their entrees are a good choice. It is owned and run by a couple who put great care and effort into their food. Bill for two is about $90.

Next, south on Ventnor Ave is a small place (BYO also) called Dune that specializes in amazing seafood. I don't have their specific info at hand.

I made my reservations for these two places for July 4th weekend and will bring my out of town guests. If you want to go to either place on a summer weekend, you really need to call for a reservation.

I still suggest Tomatoes in Margate- it is always good (see my reply above).

You can PM me if you want anymore specific info on the area.

[robertruelan]

Do they make cheesesteaks here??? If so, does anyone have a picture of the cheesesteak?  Thanks!!!

This is way off topic, but if you get a chance at all, maybe before you go home, stop in at the White House for a sub.  They make some of the finest in the country.

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I'm assuming you mean the White House cheesesteaks, you can find pictures (as well as good food reviews) here:

http://www.hollyeats.com/WhiteHouseSubs.htm

[Curlz]

Back from a few days in A.C., which isn't necessarily my idea of a destination point, but since my folks were offered a time share for a song, we made it in to a mini-vacation for the family. Keeping in mind that we were down there with three kids (9, 6, 3+) from Fri-Sun, and weren't hitting the casinos, here's what we found:

Friday night we had an early dinner at Atlantic City Bar and Grill, which is on the corner of South Carolina and Pacific Avenues. They have their own parking lot, which was a partial requirement, as we couldn't go anywhere without 2 cars. Dinner was completely acceptable, but nothing drastically different from what we find in northern NJ...lots of Italian dishes as well as seafood. The mussels got rave reviews, and I'm told the Alaskan king crab was good too. My chicken francaise was tasty. Good spot for a beer and a bite, definitely a good place to go if you want a casual meal outside of the casinos.

Saturday's dinner was literally a case of "Well, the kids love Chinese...", and we found this one in the phone book: (New) Melaka Restaurant, a Malaysian place that also offers a Chinese menu. I can't lie...pulling up to it, I would have kept on going. NO decor (if anything, it was amusing), but the food was terrific, and judging by the clientele and the menu, they're doing some authentic Malaysian/South Asian cooking here!

We ordered a large bowl of wonton soup for the kids...the wonton may have been the most uninspired and doughy that I've ever had, but our complaints ended there. We had golden ribs (as it turns out, these were red, not golden), a dish of watercress in HOT sauce with shrimp paste, okra in a (not hot) sauce with shrimp and shrimp paste, a FABULOUS dish of chicken with mango and onions, and a sesame shrimp that had a terrific sauce. A find, indeed.

New Melaka Restaurant

28 South Tennessee Avenue

Atlantic City, NJ 08401

On Sunday night, we headed across the bridge to Brigantine, which is a typical NJ family shore town. Had a bite at Andre's Italian Restaurant/Pizza Palace (their name, not mine!), including a pizza with chopped tomatoes, rosemary and sesame seeds, which I found very interesting. The crust on the pizza was terrific, and the garlic bread addictive. Andre's also has a separate room with couches and comfy chairs for dessert and cappuccino, but we opted to hit the Rita's for gelati and a seat outside on the benches.

All in all, not a fantastic eating trip, but I thought I'd share our finds, since A.C.-area spots are few and far between.

[albie]

I haven't been, but one enthusiastic recommendation from people whose palate I trust is Girasole.

[CoolPapaBell]

White House Subs has the best sammiches on the planet.

[KatieLoeb]

Angelo's Fairmount Tavern is an oldie but goodie. A friend of mine had always raved about this place and I went once a few years ago. Fabulous pasta, some of the best mussels I've ever tried and huge portions. Service is always efficient and charming. This place is real old school Italian, but an excellent value and somewhat under the radar unless you're a local.

[Diner Girl]

White House Subs has the best sammiches on the planet.

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I couldn't agree more. And, the last time I was there, they had racks and racks of Tastykakes, too. Ah, the cravings.....

[Anonymouze]

White house subs were great when I had one a billion years ago... I'd also opt for the Deli (I hope it's still there?) In Taj Mahal there used to be another good Deli in one of the boardwalk casino's maybe Ballys? But I haven't been down there in like...forever.

[AlisonA]

Anyone know if either of the places at the Sands are good? I'll be there mid-October. If not we'll definitely head over to the quarter at Tropicana.

Thanks,

AlisonA