Tavern On The Bay

3.3

193 reviews

$30 and under

Seafood

Top tags:

Tavern on the Bay is a contemporary shore restaurant located right on the bay in Somers Point, just minutes from Atlantic City.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

1 Oct 2023

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Seafood, Steak, Italian
Hours of Operation
Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
Phone number
(609) 926-3500
Website
https://tavernonthebaysomerspoint.com/
Dress Code
Casual Dress

Location
800 Bay Ave, Somers Point, NJ 08244-2308
Area
Somers Point
Parking Details
Private Lot

Popular dishes

What 193 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.3

3.3 based on recent ratings

3.3Food
3.5Service
4Ambience
3Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

Atlantic City / South Jersey Shore
Great for scenic views
Atlantic City
Great for scenic views

193 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on 22 September 2023
overall1food1service1ambience4
The host who sat us was rude, and did not check our reservation. He seated us at the worst table in the restaurant next to a column and said we have a full house tonight. He walked away, and that was the end of that. The food was mediocre at best - the linguine with clams was basically 12 clams, which were very good, floating in what tasted like the water from the pasta pot. No flavor at all. No garlic no white wine and parsley. My husband had the pompadoro sauce which came out with less than a quarter of a cup on the pasta. The server never came back to check on us. I did not inquire why we had left so much food on our plates. We will not be going back.
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AlexaM
New York Area
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on 16 September 2023
overall2food2service3ambience3
outdoor chairs were falling apart. took nearly an hour to get our apps with warning from the waiter that “the kitchen was really backed up” so much so that we weren’t even asked for dinner orders until over a half hour in. another table asked for more bread after waiting a similarly long time for food and were told there would be an extra charge. other tables were heard complaining of missing food. drinks were good. I would come sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere with a drink, but not worth waiting an hour for food.
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MA
MARTINIANYONE
Philadelphia
113 reviews
vip
4.0
113 reviews
Dined on 15 September 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
We went in September so off-season but during season all the places around here are crowded. We sat indoors and the view is great. Hugh windows give you a really nice view. There is an inside and outside bar and eating area.The server was very good and friendly. The drink menu was limited and the food was good. They have bands there on weekends so it must be a hopping place. All the staff are nice
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SW
SusanW
Philadelphia
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 15 September 2023
overall3food2service4ambience4
Server tracey was very good. View and venue were very pretty. Food, chef and purveyor/quality could use some help. Expensive for the quality of food. Place was dead on A friday night. Competition in the area much busier. Hesitate to return or recommend.
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k
kimr
Philadelphia
13 reviews
3.0
13 reviews
Dined on 4 September 2023
overall3food4service5ambience3
Bar tender felt it necessary to tell us his life story, including how he was out on an injury and asked back early, way too much information from my liking. Outside was beautiful and our waiter was excellent a little pricey
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Charlotte
2 reviews
vip
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on 3 September 2023
overall2food5service1ambience2
The time on ordering to food on the table was extremely long and the server said multiple times that the food was on its’ way.
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VM
VirginiaM
Philadelphia
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 3 September 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was wonderful. Looking at water was scenic!
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DG
DrGFORE
Atlantic City
15 reviews
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on 3 September 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely wonderful family dinner! The view in the bay room was exquisite and the food was superior. Truly the best calamari and scallops we’ve ever had! The salmon was cooked perfectly and had such good flavor, as well as the crab cakes. We highly recommend this restaurant!
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JO
JayO
Philadelphia
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on 1 September 2023
overall2food3service3ambience4
Very disappointed. Everything we asked about such as "Can we get Salmon on the Caesar Salad?"They had Salmon on the menu and Caesar Salad. The waiter came back and said the chef will not do this. This happened multiple times. One of us asked if a dish could be in the white sauce versus the red. We were told yes. When the food came out the waiter apologized and said they were out of the white sauce. I am sure this was related to the chef again. We did ask to speak to the manager who was very upset and apologetic. He took two meals off the bill and offered a free drink for any or all of the four of us. None of us wanted a drink (Vibe was killed). At the end one of us had three regular (not long island iced teas). We were charged for all three although offered free alcoholic drinks. After a discussion the waiter took two this off. All in all very sad to say we will not be back and we were so excited to go to eat here. It really reminds you of a restaurant needing an intervention like "Restaurant Impossible".
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MR
MaryR
Philadelphia
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 1 September 2023
overall3food2service4ambience5
Portion size was small and our pasta bowls were full of sand
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JW
JohnW
Philadelphia
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on 28 August 2023
overall2food2service3ambience2
Overall experience was poor. Our waiter Will was fine but service extremely slow. They were out of a couple menu items by 6 pm. They announced a special and then told us they were out of it.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 27 August 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service and live music made it a wonderful night out on a Sunday.
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DD
DurkDiggler215
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 21 August 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Sean was amazing, attentive, and helpful. Great views and atmosphere. Easy to get a table. Thomas was helpful and nice. Can’t wait to go back.
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L
Larry
Greater Boston
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on 21 August 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
We ended up eating inside rather than outside. Had a table with a nice view. Tavern on the Bay is one of the few restaurants in the Ocean City area that takes OpenTable reservations. This is important because during high season most of the restaurants have an hour or longer wait and this can be a problem with kids.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
28 reviews
3.0
28 reviews
Dined on 19 August 2023
overall3food4service3ambience4
We went here because we could get a last minute reservation on a Saturday in August at the shore. They were only about 10 minutes behind on reservations which isn't bad for their peak season. We sat on the deck which was beautiful. We were waited on by Willis who was very kind and accommodating despite the kitchen and bar being short staffed. Food was good drinks were strong. I would definitely dine again in the off season.
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DD
DawnD
New York Area
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on 18 August 2023
overall2food1service2ambience3
Beautiful view but the food was terrible and the wait staff was slow and seemed flustered. The place could be great they just need a new chef and new waiters and waitresses. The host was great.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 18 August 2023
overall2food2service1ambience4
Great scenery for outdoor dining. Food wasn’t bad, just didn’t seem worth the price. Biggest concern was the waitress, who seemed to disappear at times and forgot to bring drinks to the table. By the time we had wrapped up eating until our check was given to us and paid for, about 30 mins elapsed.
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c
csg2880
New York Area
5 reviews
1.0
5 reviews
Dined on 14 August 2023
overall1food1service1ambience1
The process of making a reservation was easy, but that is 100% where the good stopped. We had a new waiter, and while not all of the issues with this meal were his fault, some of them were. The Pink Lemonade drink was good. The calamari appetizer said it came with marinara, but was brought to the table with a ramekin of cocktail sauce. We had to ask for plates. The crab cake (no plural as advertised on the menu) came with flavorless and cold mashed potatoes and cold string beans. The sauce for the crab cakes was a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup, not the remulade sauce advertised on the menu. It was also brought out without the lemons and the sauce. The linguini and clams was just okay. While the pasta was cooked okay, the clams were a bit tough and the whole dish was salty. The manager, I assume, did come when we complained to the waiter and did discount the bill. My guess is the “restaurant and liquor license for sale sign” out front is an indicator that this place has seriously gone down hill.
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KD
KerryD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 August 2023
overall5food4service4ambience5
Excellent host who helped to organize a small birthday celebration for a 17 year old. The view of the bay is beautiful. The food overall was very tasty and classic yet original fare (truffle fries for instance); could have used some seasonings at the table (no pepper on the table but available if you ask). Service pleasant and polite. We'll go again!
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DN
DennisN
Washington DC
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 10 August 2023
overall3food3service2ambience4
Host was a bit rude and staff was flustered because it had rained. They seemed like they didn’t know what to do. Ordered drinks at the bar. Bartender didn’t even offer a drink menu or app menu. Disappointed will not return
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CS
CharlesS
Atlantic City
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 9 August 2023
overall4food3service5ambience4
Need better sides with the entrees maybe more vegetables or different choices
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SL
SteveL
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 7 August 2023
overall2food4service2ambience5
Service seems understaffed and correspondingly slow, but great once you get someone’s attention. The food is good and the location awesome, and our server Sean made up for the initial delay.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
London
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 6 August 2023
overall1food1service1ambience4
We had a reservation for 4 people at 7 pm to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Although we were seated promptly and given menus, not one waiter or waitress came to our table (not even to take our drink order or even to acknowledge us). We advised the host, who said he would send over the manager. The manager never came to our table; and after waiting at the table for 30 minutes after we were seated, we left. It was the worst restaurant experience we ever had.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 6 August 2023
overall1food2service1ambience4
First off, I want to make it crystal clear that our waiter was NOT the cause of our terrible experience…He was stretched super thin as he was managing tables inside and outside and bar tending…They were so under staffed for a Sunday evening…We had to wait an hour and a half before we even had bread brought out to our table…My son ordered a steak medium rare and it came back well done…He reluctantly sent it back for another steak…After a 1/2 hour wait, the steak came out raw and purple in color…At this point we asked to speak to the manager…The manager immediately told my son that he doesn’t know anything about steak and that both of his steaks were medium rare and he knows because he was a chef in a previous live…His arrogance was off the charts! Will NEVER go back and will share our experience with our friends and family and advise them to avoid this restaurant at all cost!
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JD
JoDe
Baltimore
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 5 August 2023
overall3food2service3ambience4
Food items did not come out as displayed on the menu / menu says crab cakes - only 1 crab cake on plate. Menu says twin lobster tails / only 1 lobster tail served. Spoke to manager - he could have cared less.
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KS
KristenS
New York Area
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 30 July 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Food was very good despite other reviews! Service excellent. Attentive & fun. Beautiful setting!
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PT
PissedTourist
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 30 July 2023
overall2food3service3ambience2
Rest assured, it's definitely a tavern on the bay. But that's where the positives stop. I ordered mussels, and received approximately as many as the dish cost. This was followed by a crab cake, which was just okay, and a filet, which was flavorless and overcooked. I asked for Pittsburgh rare, and in the chef's failure to accommodate this request, I got something closer to medium than rare. The waiter suggested a "yum-yum" sauce for my fries, which he never delivered. When settling the check, I noticed I was charged for 4 iced teas. It's annoying enough to be charged twice for a bag of leaves dipped in hot water, but my date noted after the fact that she'd ordered only one to my two. So, in review, subpar food and an ineffectual ambiance amounting to a $100+ meal barely worth the cost of printing the menus = I will never eat here again.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 24 July 2023
overall1food1service1ambience4
Half of the menu was t available, the other half they could make the complete dish without substituting items
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Caleb was awesome! View was spectacular! Food was great!! I would definitely come again.
1 person found this helpful
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
3 reviews
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on 19 July 2023
overall1food1service3ambience1
The waitress was the best part of the meal, not sure I need to say more than that. The manager seated us ( I can't believe he was the manager) and did a terrible job on our drink order, still not sure what my daughter was drinking. He finally passed us off to a waitress who did her best to make our night better but it was a lost cause with over and under seasoned food, a veggie of the day that was frozen green beans and scallops served with bbq sauce to dip them in. When we saw the for sale sign, we should have ran.
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TG
TheresaG
Philadelphia
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on 19 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Will be happy to return! Food, service and view…. all wonderful!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Western NC
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on 16 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We absolutely loved our dinner at Tavern on the Bay! The food was outstanding I had a delightful shrimp cocktail and my wife had the clams. Both were out of this world, the homemade cocktail sauce was delicious. The sauce on the clams was so delicious we had to scoop it all up with some bread before sending the empty plate back! Our daughter had the kids pasta with some grilled shrimp (her favorite dish) and even got a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the end included with her meal. An awesome touch. For dinner I had the broiled Jersey scallops and my wife had the Maryland crab cake. Both served with yummy mashed potatoes and green beans. Both melted in our mouths. Our server, Caleb was amazing and had some help from a teammate whose name I believe was Stephanie. They were both so friendly and welcoming as was the host when we first walked in. Despite a mostly full restaurant the whole staff made us feel like we were the only ones there. A perfect family dinner on a Sunday night. And live music to boot! The view is amazing! Beautiful panoramic view of the bay and the bridge onto the island. We also loved the little beach, pier and playground next to the restaurant for a little after dinner romp with our daughter. We will absolutely be back to Tavern on the Bay on our next visit down to Ocean City. This restaurant is an absolute gem of the ocean.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Atlantic City
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 14 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Such a great restaurant! Very beautiful view of the bay and delicious food.
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SD
SueD
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 13 July 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Enjoyed our experience! Everyone was so nice. It was a little warm inside.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Fort Lauderdale
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 13 July 2023
overall1food1service1ambience5
The location is beautiful, and we’ve come to this restaurant each summer when we visit the shore. Unfortunately, the waitress was really poorly prepared around menu items. We went with our kids. There was a shrimp dish that came with veggies and I asked if the shrimp was breaded and could it be. She said no, sorry (which meant my 9 year old didn’t want it and ordered the flatbread instead.) So I ordered the shrimp instead. It came out, it was breaded and fried, and the veg on the side looked like pre-frozen store bought French fries aka “fresh veggie?”. So…it was actually the kids meal my kid was asking for….He ate that, the flatbread was also basic which went uneaten, the server took no responsibility for the confusion or the mistake and I ate when I got home. We won’t be going back.
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HD
HyeDoc
Philadelphia
44 reviews
3.0
44 reviews
Dined on 8 July 2023
overall3food3service3ambience4
This was the second time we went there. The ambience is very nice, overlooking the bay, but the food is just okay. And it takes a while for it to come out
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SN
SteveN
San Francisco
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on 8 July 2023
overall4food3service5ambience5
Excellent ambience and view; very good and enthusiastic service. Food good. Spacious bar and restaurant areas. Everyone involved in the restaurant seemed determined to provide an enjoyable experience. The place in up for sale so don't know if this is having an impact on the personnel.
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AG
AliG
Atlantic City
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 5 July 2023
overall1food1service1ambience2
I truly have never left any review but this was so bad I had to warn people. Drinks took 40 minutes soup took and hour and was inedible. Was also told by the manager that “each bowl of soup is made individually … laughable. Go to McDonald’s
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BA
BeaA
Philadelphia
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 5 July 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
Went there for a friends birthday. The server was nice and very attentive but struggled carrying the drinks over to us a bit. The food was good but smaller pasta portions then we expected. Overall the experience was fabulous and we had a great time. The drinks tasted good but the portions again a bit smaller than expected for the price. Would go back again for special occasions.
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GA
GregA
New York Area
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on 2 July 2023
overall2food3service1ambience3
Very slow service waited 1 hour between appetizers and dinner. Never saw the waitress unless serving the food
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FAQs

Tavern On The Bay is rated 3.3 stars by 193 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

1 Oct 2023

19:00

Booked 5 times today

800 Bay Ave, Somers Point, NJ 08244-2308

Additional information

Area
Somers Point
Hours of Operation
Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
Cuisines
Seafood, Steak, Italian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Parking Details
Private Lot

Website
https://tavernonthebaysomerspoint.com/
Phone number
(609) 926-3500

Tavern On The Bay

Make a booking

Additional information

Maryland Crab Cakes

Shrimp Cocktail

Lobster Bisque

Appetizers

Clams on the HalfUS$14.00

Oysters on the HalfUS$15.00

Shrimp CocktailUS$16.00

Sauteed MussselsUS$16.00

Spinach DipUS$16.00

Bacon Wrapped ScallopsUS$17.00

Fried CalamariUS$14.00

Salads

Classic CaesarUS$16.00

Buffalo Mozzarella Tomato SaladUS$18.00

Lobster BisqueUS$12.00

Pastas

Frutti di Mar Over LinguineUS$29.00

Linguine Clam Sauce (Red or White)US$25.00

Seafood

Maryland Crab CakesUS$32.00

Stuffed ShrimpUS$34.00

Pan Seared Seasoned Atlantic SalmonUS$26.00

Sea Scallops OreganataUS$29.00

Twin 8oz. Lobster Tails Broiled

Meats & Poultry

Grilled 16oz. RibeyeUS$39.00

Filet Mignon 8oz.US$36.00

Grilled Chicken Marinated in Olive OilUS$23.00

Chefs SpecialUS$51.00

Signature Sandwiches

Angus Bacon BurgerUS$16.00

Grilled Chicken BurgerUS$16.00

Fish and ChipsUS$20.00

Desserts

Deep Dish Apple PieUS$9.00

N.Y.CheesecakeUS$9.00

Chocolate BrownieUS$9.00

SorbetUS$9.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

FAQs

How is Tavern On The Bay restaurant rated?

Is Tavern On The Bay currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information