Fish House

Located on Sunset Beach in Cape May, this is the only eatery in the area, and it's often crowded—expect a wait for a table. It’s a great spot to grab a bite and quench your thirst, but be prepared for typical beachside pricing, especially on drinks. Overall, the food is of good quality, though I wouldn't recommend the grilled swordfish—it’s poorly prepared and not worth the cost. On the bright side, the drink and food menu offers something for everyone.

Stopped by just before the dinner rush. Absolutely beautiful chill spot with incredible food. I had the cold lobster roll and it was one of the best I've ever had. I didn't stay for the sunset but it provides an amazing view of the beach. They don't take reservations and it fills up fast, the line was out the door when I left, but honestly, its totally worth the wait. The staff was great too.

A hidden gem at Sunset Beach, Cape May At first, I thought this place was crowded simply because it’s the only restaurant on Sunset Beach. But when I arrived around 5 PM, it was surprisingly not too busy. I wasn’t planning to eat here originally, just grabbing something quick before watching the sunset—but it turned out to be a fantastic decision. Sunset Beach itself is a must-visit in Cape May. It has a beautiful shoreline, a peaceful atmosphere, and even a sunken WWII ship visible from the beach—truly a unique and scenic spot. The restaurant’s ambience is excellent, with thoughtfully designed decor and great ocean views. There’s a relaxed coastal vibe, and they’ve done a great job making the space both casual and inviting. We ordered two summer-special cocktails: the Cape May Diamond and the Blackbird. Both were delicious and beautifully presented—perfect for a beachside evening. For food, we had: • Chili Garlic Shrimp • Goat House Salad • Cauliflower • Day Boat Scallops Surprisingly, every single dish was delicious. I honestly didn’t expect much—just something decent to eat while enjoying the sunset—but the flavors, freshness, and presentation really impressed me. This restaurant isn’t just surviving because it’s the only one around—it truly delivers. The service was friendly and attentive, and overall the experience was excellent. Prices were reasonable for a seasonal beach destination, especially considering the quality. If you’re in Cape May, don’t miss this place. It’s the perfect spot to unwind, eat well, and enjoy one of the best sunset views in New Jersey.

Location can’t be beat. Some unique menu and drink options. Surprisingly generous portions. Definitely a great place to take anyone visiting Cape May.

We had a fantastic experience at The Fish House in Cape May! The food was delicious, everyone at our table loved what they ordered. The location can’t be beat, right on the beach, which made it a perfect spot to grab dinner before watching the flag ceremony. I had the fried Chicken Avocado Sandwich, and it was awesome, huge, fresh, and packed with flavor. My wife got the fish fry (basically fish and chips), and she raved about it. The fries were crisp and really good. The kids ordered chicken tenders and fries, and they were thrilled to find out their meals came with ice cream, they cleaned their plates and their bowls! Great food, friendly service, unbeatable location. We’ll definitely be back.

this spot is a gem! you’re right next to the beach/ dunes/ bay, and every table is outdoor seating (but with a roof). local fried sea bass is outstanding, as is the blueberry lemon cheesecake. appreciated the Cape May IPA on draft; my only suggestion is to have a couple more craft brews on tap. Alicia is the sweetest server who accommodated my elderly mother very professionally. keep up the good work!

Plenty of parking across the street. It’s sorta on its own. A bit of a hike to get to if you’re coming from downtown Cape May but it’s pretty both the restaurant and the views. This day the limited bathrooms included an out of order men’s bathroom. Had to walk to the store across the street to use the bathroom. Service was pretty good. Drinks were great. It took a little long to get our lunch but the salad and the sandwiches were excellent. Some of the best fish sandwiches I’ve had. Only knock this day was they messed up the order of the family at the next table - 3 other tables received their orders before them (and they ordered first). Understandably not happy. Overall a great first try at this place. Will definitely go again.

While we did wait while for a table because of how busy it was, it was COMPLETELY worth it!!!! The atmosphere is unreal, the vibe is so chic beach, and you can’t beat the views. I ended up getting a drink that I normally wouldn’t get but was so yummy. I was excited for the Chicken Avocado Sandwich because it sounded so good, but WOW! It hit the spot and I wished I lived closer so I can get it again and again! So happy with my experience and hope to come again!

There has been so much controversy about this estate. Folks want the old burger shack back, etc. We had the best experience here! Drinks are wonderful and the food is good. And the sunsets are to die for! We will definitely be back in the spring when they reopen!

I'd heard great things about The Fish House and was excited to try it, but overall it was just okay. The menu felt a bit limited, although they do offer some gluten-free options, including GF bread. Our server was amazing--truly the best part of the experience. We ordered espresso martinis, which were good but a little small for $16. For food, we had the burger, snapper sandwich, and lobster roll. Everything was fine, just nothing particularly memorable. The views and indoor fireplace were beautiful and made for a nice atmosphere, but the food and value didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

To be honest I didn't even take enough photos of this place and the food because of how great of a time I was having! The place is beautiful and right along the beach so you get a breathtaking view of the sunset. This place is constantly busy and has a wait list, which makes sense because of how good the food and ambiance is, so get there early! It's worth the wait!!

Perfect spot to grab good seafood with an ocean view that's hard to beat. It's right on the beach, open-air, has a relaxed vibe that makes you want to stay a while, and you also get a straight shot view of the S.S. Atlantus in the ocean. We ordered the fried shrimp and day boat scallops, which were both excellent. The food was solid and fairly priced for being at a place right on the water, and our server Andres was great and on point with everything. If you're in Cape May, check it out, as whole place is bright, clean, and built for chill vibes and a good meal with a view.

They don't take reservations, so expect a wait most every day of the week,. Beautiful views, especially at sunset. We sat on the "patio" in the sand. Wonderful table. Service by Koko was very good. Cocktails are a good pour and reasonably priced. Food is great. The crabcake sandwich with coleslaw and fries is exceptionally delicious. Definitely recommend it. The fried shrimp is delicious and almost as good.

Every once in a while a new place opens that is a complete revelation. This used to be a beach snack shop, totally remade into a limited menu, family-oriented fine dining restaurant. The food is great--the best in Cape May! We had the fried fish dinner, crab cake sandwich, a salad, grilled cheese sandwich, potato fingerling appetizer, and shrimp appetizer. All fantastic. Even better than the food is the location. All seating is outside, with open views of the Cape May Point beach, the sunset, and the concrete ship. So beautiful and iconic. The service is fine, although the seating system is a little clunky. Breakfast is good here too. You definitely need to go!!

Back in the day, this used to be a burger & fries 'joint' but in recent years, it seems to have become a bit more eclectic - we decided to grab lunch here will after poking around on the beach for Cape May diamonds. Was quite busy, but there was an open table available & a good view of Sunset Beach was afforded. service was good & the food was surprisingly good, too (this area is a bit of a tourist trap ..but I still love it:) We subbed out our fries for salads which were quite fresh. Sandwiches were good, too - not a bad place to relax & get out of the sun for a bit. No worries about grabbing a bite here, while you're checking out the shops, mini-golf, ship, and of course engaging in some diamond®-hunting ;) Recommended!

Wow wow wow! We were expecting a wait but so glad there wasn't one due to visiting during off season and also going for lunch vs dinner. The views from this restaurant was an absolute dream. We ordered a few items off their snacks list, Shrimp, Scallop and Cauliflower and we enjoyed every morsel. The mint berry lemonade cocktail their take on a bramble and it probably could have been more muddled for stronger fruit flavor. Our server Andres was very sweet and they let us move from a table to the counter for the ocean view. 10/10!

This was the one spot that came highly recommended by two other people, so we knew that we needed to experience it. I'm so glad that we didn't get scared off by the very busy crowd we came upon with a 2.5 hour wait time... we honestly stayed because there are things that you can do to kill the time.. grab a drink (or two) from the bar, hang out on the beach, etc. Which is what we did for the hour and a half to two hour wait that seemed to fly by. The bartender was very friendly, and really knew how to handle a crowd under pressure. The Hugo Spritz's were well balanced and tasty.. The sunset.. wow. I've never seen anything like it, seriously. It was so magical, that it ended up being the highlight of our weekend trip. We were able to capture so many beautiful pics. Amazing. It seemed as though we were seated right at the tail end of it, which was perfect. Ala was our very friendly server... pleasant and efficient. The food was really tasty. We enjoyed our lobster rolls (served cold).. so buttery and rich.. perfectly seasoned. I haven't had many, but this one was memorable. The smoked fish dip that we ordered to share, was tasty enough. Different, but not bad. My mom's fried shrimp were really decent. Loved the very crispy, well seasoned French fries. My daughter inhaled her Sunset Burger and said it was delicious. We didn't have time for dessert, but the whole experience was really sweet. I would definitely make it my business to recommend Fish House to others and I look forward to stopping by again when I'm in the area.

Unfortunately, the Fish House doesn't take reservations, so on a Monday night in September, we ended up waiting about an hour. Fortunately, they were able to text us when our table was ready. We were supposed to be seated on the side patio but asked for a table on the sand next to one of the fire pits which kept us warm as it was somewhat windy. Fish House is all about the location. They're literally on the beach. However, the menu is small with no additional specials, and the food is just okay. We shared their goat cheese salad which was well seasoned and not stingy on the dressing. When the salad came out, I was told they had run out of Chardonnay so I substituted for a different wine which wasn't as good. Halfway through our salad, my husband was told they ran out of the wine he wanted. He had a hard time finding a substitute. I'm not sure how a restaurant runs out of wine? My cold lobster roll, with a salad rather than fries, was flavorful. However, my husband said his chicken avocado sandwich was hard to eat. It was piled high, which is good, but the bread was hard. He wasn't a fan. We decided to skip dessert for Kohr Brothers' pumpkin soft serve. Keep in mind, they charge a 2.5% credit card surcharge which we were not happy about.

My daughter and I have had this place in mind for awhile but wanted to wait for the busy summer season to be over. We just went there today and I have to say, the view is stunning. We sat at a high top table facing the beautiful beach view and it was lovely. My daughter had a burger/fries and I had the cheese board with charcuterie. We both thoroughly enjoyed the food and atmosphere and cannot wait to return.

On a busy Sunday during Labor Day weekend, I scored a parking spot out front (YAY!). Skipped the wait because I was solo so I was seated right away (YAY!!). Was seated at the counter overlooking the water like I requested (YAY!!!). My order was taken soon after I sat (YAY!!!!). Then, 5 bites into my delicious Chicken Milanese Salad, I encountered a long blond hair (insert cursing emoji here). I quickly called over my server & she said she was gonna void it off my check. I said, "Thanks," then left. My server, Anna, was nice and it was no fault of her own but I was so disgusted/embarrassed/panicked. As I was leaving the lady next to me said, "That's enough to ruin an appetite." She got that right!

classy spot with the best views in Cape May, NJ come for the sunset, views, cocktails, and a great meal I was here for lunch and had the black bass reuben food was excellent drinks were perfect, refreshing staff is super friendly enjoy

Wanted to check out this place for lunch since we've never been here before. The menu is simple but has some nice options. I opted for the chicken avocado sandwich which was good except the bread was very crunchy to bite into and with the breading on the chicken cutlet it was a little bit of a rough bite. I wish it was served on a softer bread. The inside components of the sandwich were great otherwise! You can tell they put the extra love in and bread their own cutlets in house. The sandwich came with a side a fries and I do think a different cut of fry would hold up a little better than the shoestring, I find they lose their integrity pretty quick. My boyfriend had the sunset burger and said he enjoyed it, especially the special sunset sauce. Our server was good and the outdoor dining was nice and had some good views of sunset beach. Overall, a nice addition to the area.

Food: First I got the Lobster roll. When I ordered it I didn't think it was going to look this good. The bun was toasted to perfection and the lobster was delicious. They worked together perfectly. I also got the Crab Cake Sandwich, which was also really good. I took the lettuce, tomato and onion off and I still loved it. The bun was really good too. Wasn't too big or small. It was amazing. Service: The hosts were very kind and all the workers made sure to say hi to my dog. The servers were kind as well. Ambiance: The environment was very cool. There's a beach background with a ship wreck in the water. It was from World War 1. There were cool flowers everywhere and nice tables with benches to sit on. There was some very calm music on. I felt like I was in Europe.

Overall, this is a great spot with spectacular views and an amazing vibe. Part of the restaurant (the outdoor seating) was closed due to an impending storm, so our wait was a bit longer than usual, but we didn't mind. We grabbed seats at the bar and ordered drinks while we waited, which were excellent. The drink menu seemed very similar (if not the same) as their sister restaurant, Port Harbor. I even ended up ordering the same drink here as I did there without realizing it at first! Appetizers were good overall. The standout was definitely the scallops -- so delicious! The chili oil shrimp, on the other hand, were just okay and a bit too charred for my taste. I wouldn't order those again. For entrees, we had a mix of burgers, the chicken avocado sandwich, and fried shrimp. I do wish there were a few more options, but everything we tried was solid. The fried shrimp were great, but the real winner was the chicken avocado sandwich, the chicken was perfectly cooked and so flavorful! In short, you come here for the food, views, and the overall vibe. It's definitely worth a visit!

Fish House is a beautiful restaurant in a picturesque setting. However, the food did not live up to expectations. We came at 1 p.m. on a Wednesday and they had already ran out of smoked fish dip for the day. How? That was a bummer. My husband and I each ordered lobster rolls. They were flavorless and the most unaesthetic lobster roll I have ever seen. The menu said there were chives, which were undetectable. The roll desperately needed lemon, salt, and the chives would have been nice. I asked the server about the chives. He went back to ask the chef. They were allegedly in the mayo. I found 1. Yes 1 singular chive buried in the mayo. In looking at other reviews and social media photos, the lobster roll dish looked different on multiple accounts. One photo, the roll was topped with chives. Another had a nice dipping sauce for the fries in addition to ketchup. I sense a lot of inconsistencies with the restaurant and hope they can work out their kinks. Beautiful setting but less than impressive service and food.

Decided to finally try Fish House after fishing. Cool little joint. I liked the old place with chowder and good burgers. First thing its end of October and chilly. How you gonna be on the beach with no chowder or soup?? Sunset was beautiful tonight. I got the turkey sandwich. BLAH with a capital B. So bland. Was supposed to have cranberry mayo. It was regular mayo....not much bacon...and it was so bland the bread gave off a funky taste. My wife got the chicken avocado sammie. It was delicious!! Im sure ill be back for a burger or something when it is slow as we are here all the time but if its packed...nah. Saw other food coming out that looked good. Servers were nice.

The ambience and view is beautiful. Went for lunch because it's a long wait for dinner (because of the sunset) The blueberry lemon cheesecake is absolutely delicious !

This place is gorgeous. With amazing views. Service is so so depending on the crowd. The menu is interesting. Some basic seaside bar items thrown in with some more upscale options. Almost $40 for a meat and cheese board was a little bit of a shock. If you're a drinker check the bar out. I noticed some more upscale pours hidden.

You think with the best sunset view in Cape May they might skimp on the food. But no! The food is great! Our server said she's never had a food complaint. Super place!

Disappointing seafood experience, though our server tried his best We visited Fish House at Sunset Beach and waited over 45 minutes to be seated. Once seated, things went downhill. When we asked if the flounder was fresh, we were told it was frozen. We then asked if the shrimp could be grilled instead of fried, but the kitchen said no since it was already pre-prepared. When the fried shrimp finally came out, it was over-breaded, clearly frozen, and very dry. I couldn't eat what was served. Our waiter noticed how disappointed we were, went back to the kitchen, and said, "let me see what I can do." In the end, he was able to have one of the dinners taken off the bill, which we appreciated. To be fair, our waiter was very nice and tried to accommodate us, but the kitchen policies and food quality were a real letdown. The location and views are beautiful, but unfortunately the experience did not live up to expectations.

Beautiful location at the southern tip of NJ with great view of DE Bay with the Cape May Lewis Ferry passing by. The outdoor bar/eating vide is excellent, the bar itself is small with decent but not memorable drinks. The food is good but in the end you are going for the vibes and views

Newer Resturant in cape may, the ambiance of the Resturant may be one of the best in the entire town area. It's a smaller restaurant and don't take reservations so expect a bit of a wait. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was also very good, the smoked fish dip was our least favorite dish it lacked flavor but the pita bread was good. Garlic shrimp appetizer was good and was a good size portion. Blacked Bass Ruben was delicious Fried Shrimp platter was also delicious. Crab cake side was fair.

Beautiful setting with great view of sunset beach and concrete ship. Huge upgrade from old beach burger joint. Tasty cocktails and food. Fried fish sandwich, day boat scallop app and cauliflower app were excellent. Even then new upscale burger was excellent. The only miss was the too soft, tasteless smoked fish spread/dip (don't bother). One other gotcha is the flies that come out around dusk... very pesky.

Smaller restaurant but very accommodating and cozy with heat lamps for cooler days. The Black Bass sandwich was exceptional. Recommend the sauce on side since the fish sandwich itself was so delicious on the freshly toasted marble rye bread. All of us were impressed overall with our food and service. Beautiful Bay views!

Came here for drinks and apps and had a nice time. Love that it's right on sunset beach so you can go frolick if you want after. My queen bee drink was yummy but the smoked fish dip was not so great, it just tasted like tuna to be honest. Didn't really say what fish but I've had better. I feel like it gets buzz for being an "Aesthetic" spot but the food that I had was lackluster

Enjoyed lunch w/my husband. Sat at a hightop w/a lovely view of sunset beach. We shared the cheese plate & had some drinks. The cheese plate is enormous - too much for 2 people. It could use some dijon mustard which we asked for. For us, the service was good but I watched 2 sets of couples walk out due to no one coming over to them. Wait staff does not seem to know which station is theirs or whose turn it is to take the next table. I did not see a manager. They need to get their act together - there's a lot of competition in town for restaurants.

Delicious food, incredible cocktails and friendly staff. What a great establishment. I've been twice now once at the bar and once at a table and both times service was excellent. We had one bartender I forget his name taller guy with dark hair super friendly and truly made our experience. We will be back!

The food and service is amazing! Max is a wonderful ambassador for this place. Typically a restaurant with an awesome location has mediocre food- not the Fish House The salmon was fantastic My son had the kids cheeseburger (double patty) and loved it! My other son had the garlic chili shrimp and said it's the best food and restaurant experience he's ever had in 9 years of coming to Cape May. I'm so happy about this new option away from town. My wife and I enjoyed margaritas and Hugo's Garden is a new summertime go-to drink. Thank you Max for your hospitality and service! I've been coming to sunset beach for almost 50 years and hope the fish house enjoys success longer than that Based on what they've done, I think they will. The ambiance and food and sunsets are spectacular and you can enjoy a drink and watch your kids play on the beach a few feet away Cheers to the Fish House!

An incredible place to to dine for couples and family alike. Excellent food, service and ambiance.

I spent a week from Oct13-19 in Cape May with a group of 7 women. We ate at different restaurants every day and voted on our favorite at the end of our week. It was unanimous that the fish house was the best of all the meals and service! Best waiter, Max, was attentive, fun and professional! Everyone loved their food and bonus was the sunset!

Finally got a chance to experience this place and it DID NOT disappoint! From the friendly staff to the incredible food...it was fantastic. The atmosphere is stunning...perfect vibe for the amazing view!!! Highly recommend!!

The BEST place! We came here because of reviews and wasn't wrong! GREAT cocktails, very nice staff - Francesca making the best Hugo and Clear Diamond! Very tasty lobster roll and chicken avocado sandwich! Everything was very clean, new, good looking

Have been visiting Cape May for 30 years. It's such a beautiful place! I must say the Fish House is one of my favorites. Great ambiance, food and drinks. One of the few places you can get a glass of Albariño. Can't wait for some Rioja to also be on n the menu. The staff is amazing!

We finally made it to the fish house on Saturday for lunch. Wife and I both had Chicken with avocado sandwich and it was awesome . Service was perfect with watchful waitress and overall a great value for my money. A must visit with great views!

We were seated at the side over-looking Sunset Beach for lunch. The ambiance was perfect, our drinks were refreshing and the meal was delicious. We were served by a wonderful young woman who was friendly, attentive and had a great sense of humor. This place will do very well this summer and makes Sunset Beach and nice little destination in Cape May.

I was informed the wait would be about 20-25 mins for a table for 3 which was fine. After waiting not even 5 minutes, I received a text stating our table was ready. That short wait time made my pregnant self super happy. The view was absolutely breathtaking and the food was beyond incredible! I will definitely be making a return visit to this restaurant the next time I am in the area.

Great outdoor seating and awesome ambiance. The breakfast menu was a bit boring but the dinner food is awesome!

Super cute ambiance and decor, delicious food with a view of the ocean! I got the bay scallop appetizer and it was delicious, would 100% get it again.

Totally mismanaged system of seating people. Place should take reservations. Was told it was a 2 hour wait. The countdown app they use will tell you you have 0 minutes left for your wait time when in reality you have anywhere from 30min - 1 hour left. When I asked the host about it she said "oh yeah the app we use always does that it doesn't work" - cool, so you're underestimating the amount of wait time to customers by a lot and your app is broken and you don't care. Great recipe for making a lot of hangry people. Ruined Saturday night dinner - will never go back here.

We had a great experience for lunch! The staff was so helpful and knowledgeable. The food was delicious and the view was amazing. It's an open air restaurant, but even with all the heat, the shaded porch and breeze felt great. They were able to accommodate me with a grilled chicken sandwich on gluten free bread and offered a salad instead of fries with no upcharge. We'll definitely go back again!

Great service, excellent food and beautiful view If you can grab a seat at the bar you don't have the time limit on table service

Service was good. Food was decent. You come for the view and it did not disappoint. I'd go back. Wish it was a little bigger.

Love it here... simple menu but very tasty. Sits on the beach for the best dinner sunsets. The restaurant is small and there are long waits to be seated... be patient.

We went for lunch, semi busy time. Luckily a table was open and we were sat right away. Even with it being busy the outside had quite a few seats. They also are good at moving folks in and out as we are we noticed people coming and going they have a nice area to wait and you get a view of the sunken ship and beach. So enough blah blah blah. We had Evan who was absolutely fabulous dealing with us my wife her sister and I got cheeseburger comes with fries great burger shoe string fries lots of them. Wife got crab cake sandwich came w fries and coleslaw I tried the coleslaw made a mental note get a side next time sister-in-law law had the goat cheese salad she loved it my wife had some and loved it too. We had the choco torte for dessert was pretty good but could have used some whipped cream or berries or berry sauce. It was great but not as good as rest of meal. Just to say it's beautiful setting the beach sunken cement ship. Great place we will be back. It was worth it. Wonderful experience recommend to all.

The restaurant being right on the water at sunset beach is the highlight of the restaurant. The menu items are very different. The appetizer we had was the smoked fish ( usually you think of white fish smoked).well when we were presented with soggy tuna which appeared to be straight out of a Starkist can and did not taste like it was smoked there was no need to order anything more. The wait time to be served our simple drink order was very long and being that it was not that crowded makes me not want to return again. The drink too was not very good either. I had high hopes it would be much better as it is a prime location.

My wife & I went down to Sunset Beach to do some shopping. We noticed The Fish House & decided to give it a try. The decor was cozy seaside & pleasant with light jazz music. The food was super. The scallops app was very tasty with the special sauce it was served with. All the food was high quality and well prepared. The Grilled Swordfish was outstanding. Sooo fresh & tasty. They have a nice variety of cocktails & decent selection of beers. The staff was friendly & attentive. The Fish House has now become one of our go to eateries in Cape May!

Great service, food was very good. You can't beat the view of sunset beach. Parking may seem problematic if it is your first time, but there is plenty of parking if you turn at the mini golf.