Back Bay Ale House

The food and vibes were excellent here! We came here for dinner as a group of 9, and though they technically are able to accommodate large groups, we weren't seated until at least 40 minutes after requesting a table (they initially estimated 20 minutes). Additionally, food came out very slow and scattered. But the dishes were excellent and we didn't have any trouble once the food arrived! The atmosphere was also fantastic as we were out by the water and were able to watch the sun set as we dined. The photos in this post are not all the dishes, but I feel personally that the Seafood Sampler Platter could have had a little more on the plate. For the price that it was, I was expecting a little more. But it tasted great regardless. And the cucumber salad on the side was delicious! Would love to come back here another time, but with a much smaller group!

Eclectic menu, well executed. Cold beer, drinks and variety, drafts too. 100% terrific. We'll be back. This was our second time and we brought more people. Everyone was pleased. Hard working friendly staff. Tuna Tacos pictured large serving, delicious.

Back Bay Ale House is such a fun spot with a great view, perfect for a laid-back hangout. I loved the outdoor seating and the relaxed vibe. The drinks were boozy in the best way possible, especially the mason jar cocktails, which added a fun touch. We started with chips and dips, then shared a giant salad that hit the spot. Would definitely come back for the drinks, the view, and the chill atmosphere.

Our server was amazing, even though it's an Ale House the restaurant is friendly to those who do not partake in drinking. We got mock-tails, and could tell everything inside was fresh. The Mussels are the best I've had on the East Coast. I had their Crab cake as my main, moist and soft as it should be on the inside. We shared the Old Bay Fries and they were pretty much perfectly crisp and well seasoned. Again, our server was really awesome! Would definitely make this a regular spot when I visit Atlantic City again.

Chyanne was amazing. Attentive but not too over the top checking on us. Drinks are great! Food was good. Roll for shrimp po boy was hard and dry other than that, great lil place.

Nice little place. Our waitress was great. And our food was fresh & delicious. Looking fwd to going again this summer. BTW Happy hour is all day on Sundays... you welcome😉

Had a nice lunch here the other day. Crab cake sandwich was great. The restaurant had a nice view of the inlet. Also its right next to the aquarium, so it's a good place to bring the kids for a couple hours.

On a nice day, you can sit outside and watch the boats come in and out. The cream of cream soup was delicious. The bathroom for outside patrons needs updating.

So, I promised myself not to give so many five-star reviews, but Back Bay Ale House in Atlantic City made me change my mind- the place is fantastic! It's located in a quiet little corner street near the aquarium and the tour docks. It's quiet, affordable and has free parking and great service. The patio outside is dog-friendly and kid-friendly. The food is what makes it a great place. The breading on the fish and the shrimp is light and crispy, the remoulade was amazing and so were the steak fries. And be sure to try one of their many signature cocktails served in a mason jar. Definitely worth it!

What an amazing place !! Looks very humble but the food there is simply amazing.. Their frozen drinks are made from scratch and taste unbelievable, I had a strawberry daiquiri and a rum runner . The view is beautiful and service was great !!! Definitely recommend and plan on visiting again when I'm in town .

fish cod and chips good size portion size shrimp grilled appetizer ate outside patio little cool but plastic was down

Service was great after they realized we were there. The amount of fish was extremely small compared to the deep fried coating. It was too much. And then adding the amount of fries makes it look like a lot. The crab chowder which was Deemed (The best in Atlantic City) makes me laugh because it's in a sweet cream sauce. Wrong wrong. It will be much better in a crab bisque. Not sweet!

Best Bar in AC!!! Loved having Aubrey as our sever!!! She makes the bestttt Margs!! Definitely will be back

Beautiful views close to the newly reopened Atlantic City aquarium. The food and drinks were just ok and service was fair. Our server was sweet but we did not see enough of her ...

Service great. Ambiance great. Food was good, but $16 for 8 skinny jerk wings (see pic) was embarrassing. $11 crab soup and $14 for buffalo tenders.

This place does not like people of color. I was just there on Monday. We ordered food at 7:15. No food came people after us were getting food drinks and appetizers. They then came out and told us oh the kitchen is backed up. We apologize we will discount your order we didn't want to discount we wanted food so finally at 8:45 we left and they had the nerve to ask us if we wanted our food to go, they can take that food and place it where the sun don't shine. Everyone that came in after us got their food no problem people of color Well African-Americans do not go to this place. You are not welcome there.

Loved this place! We stopped in for a drink and a snack after taking a little cruise across the street. I loved the set up. The bar outside was so much fun. The best part was that there was a maybe 12-year-old boy who was the host and he was so informative and friendly. I even went back and tipped him because he deserved it. He was nicer and more helpful than most adults I encounter. We didn't eat inside, but went in to use the restroom and it was so cute. I loved all the levels and the inside bar was nice and the mini bar in front was even cuter. We only had fries and shrimp, but they were out of this world. My husband loves old bay seasoning and they were seasoned just right! The fries came out a little cold, and when I mentioned it to the bartender, he immediately took it away and brought us a fresh batch of fries and even topped it off with a little more. Fabulous customer service !

AUBREY HAS THE BEST MARG IN ATLANTIC CITY & THE BEST SERVICE I have been traveling here for work for the past six months and she has the best margarita and best customer service I've had in New Jersey since getting here!

So we were visiting a local place and ask a person working there, where is your favorite place to go locally. He led us to Back Bay Ale House. Although it was pretty full, we were seated very quickly. Our waitress was very accommodating. I asked for the Back Bay Sunset Ale or any red or brown ale and she came back with the fact that they ran out of the Sunset ale. Only to return a few minutes later and say they connected a new keg. Thank you because it was so good. We were going to order a shrimp and lobster roll but they were out so we tried the seafood sampler. It was very good, I enjoyed tasting the crab cakes. The shrimp was good as was the fish. We sat outside on a beautiful day and it is a very enjoyable ambiance. Lots of families and groups of friends.

I researched to find a nice lunch option to visit while I was in the area on Thursday. I found this place. It has a nice outdoor patio, so I decided to give it a try. My partner and I arrived and were seated promptly. The place wasn't crowded on a Thursday @ 2:00 pm. That was great for us. I ordered the Bob Marley mason jar for a drink. We had the "Poutin Fries," for an appetizer then the shrimp tacos and cheeseburger by paradise for entrees. The poutine fries arrived first. The Korean BBQ beef was yummy. It paired well with the cheese on the steak fries. I do wish the fries contained some flavor as they were covered in ingredients, but not seasoned themselves. Next up, my shrimp tacos. They were just "ok." The three shrimp tacos contained shrimp that were fried and drizzled with an aioli. The shrimp were placed on a bed of coleslaw. There wasn't much flavor from the tacos. I can say the shrimp was cooked well. My partner said his burger was "just okay." I imagine it might have left much to be desired too. Overall, I would say we had a solid 3 star experience from this establishment. I would possibly return. However, I would skip any meal at Gilchrist as I saw one of the workers sneeze outside and then use his apron to wipe his face. That was utterly disgusting!!

Amazing service. Rachel had awesome food recs and was very welcoming. We decided to come back for lunch the next day before we headed home. Will definitely be coming back next time we are back in AC.

I came here on a Sunday morning around brunch time and had a very pleasant experience. We were a party of 8 and greeted by a very friendly hostess and server. We ordered a bunch of items to share family style and have to say our favorite were the ahi nachos and the jerk wings. I also had a bloody mary that was quite strong so no complaints there. They had a decent sized menu for drinks and food so it was great for picky eaters. We sat outdoors as it was a nice day out and it was very spacious and clean. Definitely recommend if you're in the area.

I can't even give a one star so disappointed in the service my party of 6 came in placed our orders and sat for almost 2 hours while watching other customers come in after us and placing orders and receiving their food before us .. we couldn't take hearing sorry it's coming any longer we just left

This is a gem in the Atlantic city marina area. First off the place gives awesome beach vibes because it's on the water and there're boats going by all the time which is nice. It's very spacious and you can sit inside or out. The staff was amazing and had great food suggestions. My burger was phenomenal and was cooked just how I wanted it. Now for the best part. The drinks . They are the best biggest and strongest drinks around. If your a light weight get a smaller one but the ones in the mason jars are the best. You will not regret coming to this place.

I'm a bit late reviewing Back Bay so shoutout to Yelp for reminding me! While visiting Atlantic City, my mom and I stopped in for our last meal before hopping on the plane the next morning. This restaurant sits on the beach, has onsite parking, 2 levels and offers indoor and outdoor seating! We opted to dine indoor and upstairs as it was chilly out. It was a bit tight in terms of space upstairs but it worked out as there was only 1 other family dining there. The food was just ok as it did not wow me! I had a pasta dish that contained so much sauce that the pasta, broccoli and shrimp were swimming in it! The food just didn't earn any bragging rights for me! However, this may be due to us coming within an hour of closing. The server, whose name escapes me, was kind but not overly friendly but again it could be due to the hour we stopped in. If I'm in the area again I may give them another try.

It was ok. I expected a little better. Service was good. I just hoped for something a little more substantial.

This place is always busy at night so be sure to go early to get a seat/spot as they do not take reservations. Since it is summer, we were able to sit outside with a great sunset view by the water. Parking lot is available. The Bob Marley drink is amazing and wished I ordered in the larger size. They come in two sizes: 16oz for $11 or 25oz for $20. We ordered the seafood sampler basket and a shrimp po-boy. The basket comes with fries while the sandwiches comes with chips. Very light batter and good seafood but I think most people come for the drinks. My favorite would be the fried fish and the crab cake. Lots of crab meat and great portion size.

We were anchored out in Absecon Inlet for the night & went ashore to walk the dogs & grab some dinner. What a great spot! All the staff we engaged with were super friendly, professional and offered great recommendations. They even brought water & treats for the pups! We split the ahi tuna wanton nachos & cream of crab soup and were both pleasantly full. We enjoyed the soup so much we ordered two to go for lunch on the boat the following day. AND they gave my husband a 20% military discount! Very generous! Hoo yah America!!

Amazinggggggggg I went two days in a row the drinks and food amazing I had the seafood Cobb the first day I went and the crab cake sandwich the second time the service was great fast and just go here !!!!

Found this spot on Yelp while looking for good seafood options with a friend. Excited to find a place by the bay, we were seated quickly and ordered right away due to our hunger. We decided to share the wings as an appetizer, but it took quite a while (20-30 mins) for them to arrive. The waiter apologized and removed the app from the bill. The wings were tasty, with great flavor and crunch. However, the seafood alfredo tortellini was a letdown, bland and difficult to eat. The shrimp and lobster roll was average and seemed overpriced for the portion size. On the bright side, the fries were good. Overall, our experience was disappointing compared to the rave reviews. However, 2 stars for the waiter because he was very understanding and kind towards the whole encounter.

The food was okay, was excited for the "bulgogi fries poutine", literally just pulled brisket over fries... food taste like it was previously frozen. The staff were friendly.

When you go to a beach town you hope to find a place on the bay for a nice meal and scenery. Back Bay Ale House doesn't disappoint in the slightest. My wife and I have gone 4 times over the past 2 years. We brought our adult kids and they loved it as well. The food is very tasty and nice portions. I had the Caribbean Shrimp tacos on two occasions and they were delicious both times. My wife had the Cali Cobb salad and it was monsterous!! She also had the buffalo chicken. Every meal we've had was very good. They have a nice selection of mason jar drinks!! We always try to eat up on the balcony, view is a part of the experience in this old beach house!! This will definitely be a place I continue to visit. After dinner we always hang out over near the bay!! I would highly recommend this place!!

Good place to stop and grab a quick bite. Nice ambiance and waitress was great. I had the shrimp basket and it was normal frozen shrimp, a little pricey though. Overall a place a good place to try out and definitely a good place to stop for afternoon drinks.

This is a HH review only! The HH was amazing! We got a few apps and relaxed a bit it was unique and on the water. The views were perfect and the food amazing. It's literally 5 minutes from the casinos and I will be back. The employees were nice

ATLANTIC CITY: good times happen at Back Bay Ale House! The outdoor deck is open in the warmer months where leashed-dogs are allowed and you can "get that Key West feeling." It really did feel like Key West with a beautiful view of the marina, sunset, and a beachy decorated space. A big food menu with burgers, seafood, tacos, and a great beverage menu with their famous mason jar drinks and their own beers! We have been wanting to visit for years and it was worth the wait. We are adding Back Bay Ale House as a stop on every trip to Atlantic city going forward. Right next door is Gardner's Basin, a great spot to walk around and and do some shopping!

A few weeks ago, the seven of us rolled in here looking mostly for some seafood and the chance to possibly sit outside and get a little view of the water. Let me start with one weird oddity. During this part of June, it was basically raining in some form every day yet when we got here, the host said they had no ability to seat 7 inside and also no ability to dry off any seats or tables for sitting outside from the shower that ended an hour prior. Alright, wet asses and arms it was. While many things were ordered I'm going to focus on me, yeah, me. The cream of crab soup is interesting. One in that it was served in a takeout container versus an actual bowl and while the broth definitely hits home on the creamy part, there wasn't much substance to the soup. More of a seasoned butter cream soup than anything else. The crab cake sandwich is spot on big time. Exactly as described on the menu. Not a lot of filler and it was done at the perfect temperature and consistency. The big gimmick here is the booze, most of which is served in mason jars. A+ for a neat and somewhat different idea but of note, the prices are not cheap and the drinks are heavily iced & weak. I'm not saying that you want to leave like Foreigner and have Double Vision, but if you're dropping $30 and you can't even get the warm and tinglees, it's kind of a rip off. Once our server got going, she was pretty good. She had the seven of us along with a few other tables outside and things were kept rolling along at a good pace. Two little things noteworthy that we experienced contrary to the menu: 1. The menu references that the check cannot be split more than four ways. We did it six ways and there was no problem. In fact, she offered and said it wasn't a biggie. 2. The 2 32-ounce mason jar per person limit is very, very arbitrary. As long as you're not juiced up and sloppy, a third is very much possible. It goes without saying that the outside ambiance here isn't bad. Nice views of the filth that is A.C. and there was a decent amount of boating activity as well from the Coast Guard plus the local fleet. The reality is that this place realistically is more three star rather than four but all things considered, you could do far worse for the price.

The is a great spot to drink and enjoy the ocean/bay air. They have multiple spots to drink and eat outside. Obviously they have indoors as well. The food is great here. Drinks can be served in pretty big mason jars and they have a cool selection. This is a must go to place to drink during the day when in AC. It also over looks the Bay.

I loved the location, overlooking the bay. The restaurant was extremely casual, you can sit outside downstairs or upstairs. The service was right on, and the food was really good.

My husband and two young kids and I came here after playing mini golf in AC and we loved it!! So nice to be on the bay, at the marina. My kids loved it and service was quick and the food was GREAT. I had the fish and chips and my husband had the seafood sampler. They have a kids menu, it's just not printed up. But we can't wait to come back when we're on vacation in brigantine next year!

Extremely poor service Mundane food Overpriced Served wrong entree 6th diner did not get served until 20 minutes after every one else

Update. We came back this year and THE KOREAN BEEF CARIBBEAN TACOS are where it's at. Best taco I've ever had in my life. The staff is super nice and we definitely will be back.

Out of all the places in this forsaken place called Atlantic City, we were so happy to find Back Bay Ale House. We sat on the upper porch and had a beautiful view of the harbor. The service was friendly and fast and the food met our expectations. A real cut above the over priced plastic stuff served at the casinos. I would say we will be back except that we will probably never return to AC

Decided to check out this restaurant, it was right on. The water so the view was beautiful! I never been here before and the menu was overwhelming delicious so many great choices to choose from ! I chose to go with the shrimp and crab Mac and cheese , it was really delicious! I think I would of liked if the sauce was a bit thicker to really get that cheese sauce texture. The crab and shrimp tasted fresh . The price was a bit fair. I also got a margarita that tasted very good ! The service was good , the waiter was attentive, helpful and friendly. I'd come back if I was in the area.

We came here for lunch during restaurant week. They had a lunch menu for $15.21 for three courses. We've been here one time before for dinner and enjoyed it so we decided to come back. We gave our drink orders while we looked over the menu. I ordered the Bob Marley which was a large mason jar with sweet tea, lemonade, vodka, and fresh mint. It was pretty good. For our starters we got the Cream of crab soup, which was creamy and rich and the Ruby red easy peel shrimp. They are boiled in old bay and served with drawn butter. They taste just like lobster, delicious! For the main course I ordered the ribeye steak sandwich which is served with your choice of cheese and it's served on garlic bread. I ordered medium rare but I think it was definitely under cooked but it was still edible. It was kind of chewy and I don't think I would get this again. My hubby got the deep fried kielbasa sandwich smothered in sauerkraut, red onion, choice of cheese, a mustard beer aioli served on a sub roll. He really liked his sandwich and it looked delicious. For the dessert it was chefs choice which was chocolate cake and we both took it to go since we were full. I can't say how it was because I never ate mine. It was a nice lunch right across from the waterfront and a great bargain... I love restaurant week :)

Don't understand the hype to this place!!! Ok ok 3 stars just because I wanted to be generous, the drinks tasted just like it was juice, no alcohol. The waiter was nice. As for the food, disappointed. The Alfredo was very runny, the steak was over cooked. So angry writing this review. I not even going to bother writing anymore.

Service was quite slow, servers forgot to give us any utensils. By far the worst thing about this place is the food. The "red clam chowder" was watery and disgusting, and tasted very fishy. The server said the kitchen said it tasted like it always does which is...shameful for a seafood restaurant. The crab cakes were salty and dry. The shrimp on the po boy were well cooked, but it was served on a plain sub with hoagie veggies. Wasn't toasted, buttered, or anything. The food here is just laughably bad. I there's better eating in the city, stay away.

If you're there for lunch or an early dinner, you get seated in the hot sun. The table umbrellas, barely supply any shade. It's the same with the deck upstairs. They have plastic sun shades that were rolled up, but refused to lower them. The inside dining room, the only shaded, air condition room, is closed for the summer. Also, because they're by the bay, you get eaten alive by mosquitoes. The food and drinks are good, but what good is it, if you can't enjoy them. These are simple fixes, that the owner and management won't address.

Back Bay is a local tradition located in Gardiner's Basin. The vibe is Key West themed with large drinks and lots of seafood. Sunday evening the place was packed with an hour wait for a table outdoors. So I ventured in and found a seat at the inside bar. I ordered a Georgia Peach, which was a very quaffable and potent drink. Some portion of the cost went to a local charity. Due to the huge thing in the restaurant, I was unable to order food right away, but eventually ordered Buffalo shrimp and a crab cake sandwich. The former came with celery and blue cheese with a white-looking sauce on it, that had a kick to it. Tasted quite good. The crab cake was a disappointment. It needed a harder seer and more flavoring. The creole remoulade that accompanied was good. The kaiser roll would have been better if it had been toasted. Every place deserves a mulligan. The staff were super friendly. I think the longer they all work together they will become a well-oiled machine. I definitely would return for another Georgis peach and to try other items on the menu.

What a perfect place to enjoy lightly fried shrimp and a cold beer! We were taken care of Annilesea and she was spot on. Our food was delicious and we can't wait to visit again.

Let me start by saying the food was AMAZING!! I had the crab cakes and they were cooked amazingly well and tasted delicious!! Inside was decorated cute and felt like a genuine 'locals spot'. Service was good and quick- inside can be a bit crammed in the winter - but that's ok. The only reason this is not a five star review is because I was a bit disappointed in one of their specials. I ordered the dinner special- which came with an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. The first three were delicious- but my dessert (listed as 'chefs choice') was a cookie. Like a pre-packaged commercial cookie. It was a little disappointing to have spent $70 (the special and two drinks) and get a Famous Amos cookie. I'll absolutely be back but I probably won't get the special again.

Never had a bad meal here. The Guinness burger is the best burger I've ever had. Our most recent visit we sat on the upper deck as the sun was going down and the view was amazing. Our server was very attentive.

No complaints here! We were seated outside rather quickly. It was busy too. Everyone from the hostess to the servers were very friendly. They seemed to help each other out. We had the mussels marinara appetizer. If I could bottle the sauce, I would. There was chunks of tomatoes and garlic. Delicious. I had the tuna tacos with pineapple slaw as the side. It was good but lacked seasoning. The slaw was bland but the pineapple gave a boost to the flavor. The tacos had a lot of tuna but they weren't very flavorful. The jambalaya was good. I just had a bit of the shrimp and rice. A little kick to it. Decent sized portion. The drink selection was amazing. I had a frozen margarita. Love the mason jars and thick straws.

The service and outside area were decent, but the food was much to be desired. Their 'house specialty' cream of crab soup was subpar with anything you would be served in a restaurant in Maryland, greatly lacking crab, sherry and old bay...pretty much heavy cream and lots of butter...and its not cheap at $12.99 for 16 oz. However the most unforgiveable entree was the fish and chips. How can you serve seafood 10 feet from the water and use frozen cod? Two pre-frozen bricks of food-service grade cod and steak fries for $18.99? I won't be back.

Drinks and food are always amazing! Patrick is a wonderful server and made this latest experience even better than what we had remembered. We sat outside enjoying a beautiful evening. I had the crispy shrimp tacos and a sunset margarita while my husband had the tuna tacos, and a raspberry lemonade basin drink. Everything was delicious!

Super casual and fun place to grab lunch or dinner. And just a hop, skip, and a jump from the water. Their menu offers a little something for everyone. Everything from appetizers to salads to entrees, with vegetarian options as well. The staff couldn't be nicer and they're genuinely bummed when they have to tell you that the wait for a table is long. But stick it out because it's worth it. Please note that takeout is NOT available on the weekends. Happy Hour is daily from 3:00-5:00 (ending way too early) but Happy Hour is in effect all day on Sunday (hello, Sunday Funday)! Their mason jar drinks (Basin Masons) will put you on your tookus, hence you're only allowed two of the 32 ounce size. Handcrafted with love and fresh ingredients! The Bloody Mary and Blueberry Lemonade are my favorites. Outdoor tables are available, which makes for a great situation when dining a'la COVID-19. Social distancing is enforced here and all staff members are wearing masks. You can comfortably visit The Back Bay Ale house wind-blown, soaking wet from your wave-runner, missing a sandal, and looking like who-did-it-and-ran. It's all about summertime fun here!

Hard to find but worth the try! Excellent crab soup and seafood Cobb salad was enough for 2 or lunch tomoorrrow!!!! Highly recommend ! Can't wait to return when it's hot this summer

Went on Saturday and it was very busy. We were six female adults who wanted to chat and have a drink and eat good food. ACHIEVED! We were told a wait of 45 min but we were seated in under 10. Food was good and tasty with reasonable prices. The boat tour lets out here so it can be crowded when it docks. Our waitress (and actual bartender), Ty, was great. She made great drinks! Highly recommend the blueberry lemonade!!! Kudos to this establishment for an employee like TY!