Lucky Bones Back Water Grille

This restaurant came highly recommended by the locals in Cape May and it was obvious by the packed house that this is definitely a favourite spot….7:30 pm on a Wednesday and we snagged the last table. It’s important to note that we don’t eat fish or seafood, which this place is known for. We were given house made bread with seasoned oil to start which was good. Our beef dishes were good but not exceptional - smash burger and the filet mignon sandwich. The meat was well done, cooked longer than we prefer so wasn’t a favourite. Fries were not well done as we’d requested, otherwise they’d have been perfect as they are hand cut in house. Server Bonnie was absolutely lovely, providing great, attentive service. Be sure to ask about their daily specials. Note that there is only one washroom available in the restaurant, otherwise you need to go outside and down a few stairs to use the additional two outdoor facilities. Plenty of free parking, definitely a must try when in Cape May!

Some dishes coming out of the kitchen looked amazing. We only ordered the “famous muscles” & a pizza.🍕 The pizza was absolutely delicious! Muscles were ok, I personally would not order again but they were definitely different. A little too much (chunky) tomatoes & the Gorgonzola cheese… just made it overkill (in my opinion). I will most definitely go back, for pizza (and try something else for appetizers). Pizza 🍕pictured is a clam, pizza🧄. Definitely different full of deliciousness 😊 Atmosphere was busy on a Monday night, service was fantastic!

Nice place just over the bridge into town of Cape May. Hard to decide what to eat because quite a few things on the menu sounded wonderful. I chose a juicy grilled chicken BLT with added cooper sharp and my husband had the filet tip cheese steak which he really enjoyed. Our appetizers where wings and bacon wrapped scallops with a radish/beet dip. My husband and I added this place to our list of places we must return to, to try more things on the menu.

Delicious food from burgers to more elaborate dishes. We had the crab-topped salmon special ($36) and grilled salmon ($28), it was excellent. The special was enough of a portion for 2 people. The drinks were nicely prepared with a beach-like presentation - about $12/each. While it's not inexpensive, the quality the food was excellent.

This was our visit to Lucky Bones. On a Thursday evening, it was not busy at 5PM, but it was almost full by the time we left. We were pleased with the ambiance of the spacious dining room. There were many good choices on the menu. I loved the crab and shrimp cake sandwich. My husband enjoyed his filet tips cheese steak. Our plates overflowed with French fries. The best part, however, was the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich!

Was there on 7/14/24 we had Megan for our server she was fantastic and food was great! Definitely coming back

Clams were tender... true little necks. Broth was amazing. Had the smash burger... two patties, high fat content, which, let's face it, makes them taste great. House made pickles were so good. Great burger. Friendly, attentive service.

It's pretty good shore food, maybe not worth a long wait if you go during a busy time, but satisfying food.

First time here for breakfast. Interesting and extensive menu. My wife had an omelette which she thought was the best she has had in Cape May. I had an innovative take on French toast - banana inside brioche , deep fried, covered with cinnamon sugar served with very tasty raspberry sauce. Excellent, can't wait to return. Service was excellent as always. Place is older and a bit rustic, but pleasant and clean.

Very fun spot with a huge collection of beers. Props to Shannon, the hostess, for being super friendly and chatty. We came here two nights in a row - the first for beers and the second for lobster bisque. The bisque was just okay IMO. But the hospitality, overall vibes, and service were fabulous here.

First time at Lucky Bones. Always hard not to turn left and go to the lobster house but this time we wanted to try Lucky bones. Had a 6:30pm reservation for the dining room, but for some reason, even though there were some open tables, they sat us in the bar. We let it go and figured it would be an interesting atmosphere. Service was very slow. After about 15 minutes of being seated and still waiting for somebody to come by and say hello, I believe the supervisor of the waitresses came by and said she was going to help out. Terry was very nice, attentive, and professional. it was very nice of her to step in when she saw there was an issue. Lots of interesting cocktails and all were at very reasonable prices. The bourbon honey was a huge hit with my wife. Complementary "fresh baked" focaccia bread with dipping sauce, starts you off. Unfortunately, our "fresh baked" came out of the refrigerator and not the oven because it was cold in the middle and barely warm on the top. It was still good though. Directly out of the oven would've been fantastic. Lots of specials, and I had the scallops wrapped and bacon to start which were accompanied by homemade horseradish beet sauce. The scouts were OK, the bacon was exceptional, and I really really couldn't taste the horseradish in the beet sauce. I probably wouldn't order them again. For our entrées, my wife had the margarita pizza which she enjoyed and took most home. She was not a huge fan of the marinara, but she said overall the pizza was pretty good. Lots of basil, but not much mozzarella on it in my opinion. I had the fried oyster platter, which was excellent. The oysters were plump and perfectly cooked and the accompany. French fries were really good. I would definitely recommend the fried oysters if available.

The TLDR here is that Lucky Bones Backwater Grille is bar-none, one of the best meals I've had in a long time. It's a casual restaurant that isn't stuffy and the service and atmosphere are welcoming and hospitable. I walked in for lunch and despite the parking lot being packed, I was able to grab a table immediately and was greeted by the most welcoming hostess and server. My server was so attentive and made sure that our water glasses and my soda was never empty. The food came out promptly and it was all just divine from start to finish. I had the bacon-wrapped scallops to start (the scallops were huge and cooked to perfection). I also got the Cape May Vineyard Clams in linguine (the clams were spotlessly clean, no shell or grit, the sauce was so light and delicious, not overwhelmingly heavy at all) with tons of clams to boot. The crab cakes entree (lovely patties, with the most moist crab meat and filling) was served with the most cheesy polenta and some green beans on the side. The whole meal was honestly one of the most memorable, well-prepared, delicious and comforting seafood meals that I've had in such a long time. All I wanted to do was bring my parents back ASAP so they could experience such a lovely meal with me. Everything from start to finish from service, atmosphere, quality of ingredients and prep (seafood is tricky, let's be honest, not all kitchens/teams are created equal to handle these proteins), portion size of dishes, and menu offerings, I could wax and wane poetic about this forever. 18/10 for a meal that I will remember for a long time.

Worth the wait! Recommend by a friend we stopped in last night for some great food! The wait was about an hour but the service was perfect. The ambiance is great and the decor is really nice! Food was delicious!! Sangria white was absolutely amazing as well! My son loved the Mac and cheese and the ice cream sandwich! Pork chop was great as well as the seafood pasta! Not disappointed!

Good meal, great service & easy parking. We met up with family for a nice afternoon meal in Cape May. I secured reservations thru the app Resy, which was easy to use. Our meals of burgers and fries were very good. I wanted to try a dessert and the server recommended the ice cream cookie sandwich as a good one to split (it was!). Really enjoyed my glass of Cape May IPA, love the local choices on the menu. I really like the big parking lot next to a boat launch which is always entertaining.

First timer here and loved the service, atmosphere, and variety of drinks. My friend and I started with the brussel sprouts appetizer which was delicious. My friend ordered the salmon and loved it. I habitually order wrong and went with a special that night, the mango chicken over rice. It was awful and wrongfully priced at $32. There was an overwhelming amount of mango and too much juice/broth/sauce. The chicken which I thought would be a breast, was actually chicken tenderloins if that makes sense. The chicken was dry. I ended up just eating the chicken, a few pieces of mango and the peppers. I suggest the cook never make this dish again. Sorry for the negativity but everything else was wonderful!

Really a great choice for dining while in beautiful Cape May. We had reservations which is a must even on a weeknight in the off season. Greeted warmly and escorted to our table. We had just come from a wine tasting at a local winery so no cocktails or wine. Our server was delightful and obviously experienced. I had a salad with blue cheese and it was solid. My Grilled Cuban Spiced Pork Chop was magnificent. Came with whipped sweet potatoes, green beans and a red wine sauce. Other 3 diners equally pleased with their choices.

My go to bar in Cape May. Great food, quality service, solid cocktails, and great beer list. Definitely something on the menu for everyone. Plenty of parking.

Thanks to Yelp we were able to find a place that had pizza and mac & cheese! I opted for the Sophia pizza And mywife ordered the Margherita pizza. My pizza was one of the thinnest I've ever had. I felt like if I dropped a slice it would shatter like glass. Putting shrimp and scallops on a pizza is definitely a new experience for me, but I liked it. Each pie is more of a personal pie and can be consumed by one person. Jack, our server, was very honest and helpful. When the kitchen accidentally gave my pizza to another party, he was very open about it, and shared about the delay in service time. My wife liked her Margherita pizza but wasn't enthralled by it. Beware...The traffic coming in from the Cape May Bridge was rather heavy. The restaurant is in the middle of a merge and during busy times, it take a while to get there via the adjacent bridge.

Visited Cape May for our Anniversary & this place was recommended. It is exactly what you'd expect from a shore bar style restaurant. It's a Marina Bar. The service was quick, very friendly, & knowledgeable about the specials. Has its own lot, & is kinda awkward to get to depending on which direction you're traveling. We only had one specialty drink, which was the Mermaid Water. Very good. Not too strong, not too sweet. For food we had Brick Oven Creamy Spinach Dip, New England Crab Chowder, Rolling Bones Smashed Burger, Half Rack Slow-Cooked Ribs. It was all very good, & more than enough to satisfy. It is worth noting that the fries that come with the Burger are also worth their own spotlight, sooo good. Too often the side of fries with an entree are just there. These were actually worth it. The complimentary bread was good too. Would have been better warm, but they serve it at room temperature with a pesto oil. Job well done! I'd come back next time I'm here, which probably won't be soon. Cape May is 2 1/2 hours from our House, lol.

Haven't been here in close to 50 years. The service was still excellent, the wait staff, especially Matthew, were incredible. If you want a delicious breakfast, lunch or supper, this will fit that bill AND do it nicely!!

A really nice restaurant, managed to get a table on the spot during Sunday lunch hours. Have their own parking lot. The interior of the restaurant is very nice. I liked their one sheet two sided menu, its not overcrowded with hundreds of items. Every section is clearly marked. We got the zucchini fritta for appetizers. Very nicely cooked. The sauce on the side complimented the fritta. For entree I got the crab & shrimp sandwich. The paddy was little smaller than I expected. The lettuce was sort of old and dark. I felt having some sort of sauce or aioli would have made the burger a lot better. But I liked the sandwich in general. The brioche bun was not too thick, just about perfect size to hold everything together. Side of fries were okay. Our server was very nice. At the end of the lunch we got couple of beer holder foams from the restaurant for father's day. Very thoughtful and kind gesture from the restaurant.

Stopped in for a quick lunch and fell in love with this place. Had the rocket salad with shrimp ant the lobster bisque. Both were excellent. The owner/manager stopped by to check on us. Great experience and will be back!

Rain, our server, provided the best "last meal out" service. She was personable and provided recommendations that were true to form. Glad to have some strong AC after biking Revolution Rail is some hot, humid weather. We all loved our food. Nothing could have been better. Special bionic was the semi-spicey pickles. Loved the unexpected surprises. Arrived at Noon on a Thursday and it really started to fill in after.

Service and food is consistently great. For anyone who is GF they are truly amazing how they handle food prep. GF menu, orange napkins to ensure staff knows and I've never had issues here. I've eaten here with family and friends more times than I can count and all food is excellent. It's truly a wonderful place to eat. They also take reservations on their website.

"You take two bodies and you twirl them into one Their hearts and their bones And they won't come undone Hearts and bones" (Paul Simon) A charitable organization I belong to held our Mid Winter Eastern Regional meeting in Cape May, and Lucky Bones was the site of our Saturday night dinner. Our numbers kept increasing and by the time all was said and done we had 30 people. Lucky Bones did a magnificent job rearranging their dining room and tweaking the time for our reservations so we could enjoy a fantastic dinner as one group. Now that wasn't easy, because even thought it isn't yet tourist season in Cape May, Lucky Bones was packed to the rafters. We were seated to plates of warm complimentary bread and dipping oils. I went into the cocktail menu and pulled out a "Mermaid Water", a blueish greenish aquamarine beauty made of Captain Morgan spiced rum, Sandy Cay coconut rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and lime. Yeah... you're right. It was wonderful. Most of us went for appetizers, and I had a cup of their $5.95 Manhattan Clam Chowder. After all, this is New Jersey and they serve none of that Elmer's glue-like mucilage commonly known as New England Clam Chowder. The Manhattan Chowder was fantastic- loaded with flavor, potatoes and big chunks of clam. A table mate ordered the calamari and I mooched a ring or two and loved it- nice and crispy and pretty much perfect. I chose the Scottish Salmon ($26.95) and I loved it. It was a big portion of nicely cooked and very moist fish served with a mustard shallot cream sauce. The sides were herbed polenta and green beans. It was delicious. Our team of servers did an awesome job taking care of our big group, really--- they were amazing. Thank you Lucky Bones for a fantastic dining experience.

Dinner was fantastic the ambience was just right for a shore restaurant. The staff were friendly and attentive, the bread course was just I needed after a long day of travel as I waited for our appetizer. The appetizer was their muscles which were recommended and they did not fail. I will definitely go again when I'm in town.

do not order the Chicken BLT the bacon was burnt the chicken was tough the tomatoes had no taste & the roll was hard only good thing about this 6/21/24 visit is Sharon the waitress was very good , didn't feel like complaining to her so I waited till we got our check then mentioned the not so good sandwich after I told the bacon was burnt she said I should have said something it wasn't her fault & I still tipped her well. Sincerely Phil M from Florida ps pretty sure we won't go back here visiting family from PA.

Nice inside, we were seated very quickly. Their service is very good and our waitress was great. We waited a bit long for the food and it was kind of cold by the time it came out. The seafood was very fresh. The mussels were good but I'm not a fan of Gorgonzola cheese, but it was well cooked. The calamari and spinach dip was ok. Their bread pudding with vanilla ice cream was my favorite though. It came fresh and hot, it was very good. Would come back for just this.

Atmosphere of the restaurant was very nice. Great location and plenty of parking. Should have been called "Salty Bones". Everything was so salty. Fries were coated with both fine table salt AND sea salt. Mahi sandwich was salty and chewy. Dips for the fish/scallops were not good. Service was OK, our waitress was nice and the bus boy came too soon to ask if the dish's were finished. Would not go back.

I'm surprised this place doesn't have 5 stars. Everything we ordered were very good. I'd say this is the best restaurant we've eaten at on this trip. - The calamari was perfectly tender. - Beet salad was very good - could have used a little less dressing but delicious. - Kids pasta - simple butter pasta but how can you go wrong with homemade pasta?!? - whole sea bass (special) was just beyond amazing. Fries were too salty but my parents practically ate every single thing on the plate. - seafood garganelli pasta was also made from the same homemade pasta as the kids. Great flavor and plenty of seafood (shrimp, scallops, crab meat). - broiled local scallops (special) super fresh. - Lil's Chill cocktail was very refreshing. Definitely coming back here.

Another stellar meal. Crab imperial stellar. Steve the manager is the bomb. We come here often. Always fresh. Service crew is great

Lucky bones is always a great choice to go if you're not sure where to go. It has a bar atmosphere restaurant type field and you can eat at the bar or at a table. They have brick oven pizza and I think they just updated the menu. I haven't been in a while, but ever since they open, their food has been amazing.

We've come here throughout our years of visiting Cape May. It was a decent choice but not our favorite. We hadn't been there in quite some time and decided to give them a try again last night. Wow! They've changed their menu and the chef and the food was phenomenal. I absolutely loved the mahi mahi dish with mashed potatoes. Yum. My friend had the shrimp and crab cake sandwich. So delicious. They have brick oven pizza which we split too. Overall, we loved our meals and can't wait to go back.

Amazing find. Crowd sourced the local gluten free community and they recommended Lucky Bones. They marked my place setting with an orange napkin to signify an allergy, the waiter was friendly and patient while exposing options, and there were many. He also advised they were expanding which would include a separate fryer for gluten Free items. So exciting g when we return next summer.

This was a casual restaurant with a big menu. Upon entering try to get a table to the right. It's a nicer dining area and quieter. The left was very loud and more chaotic. Our server was sweet and attentive. The food was good. One of us got fish and chips the other scallops and a salad. The fish was flaky, tender and not over fried. The scallops were fresh and cooked to perfection. You can get something simple like pizza or a burger, or you can get a full entree.

Amazing dinner we had with very good choices of food. We had specials and they were outstanding. Service was great too!

We visit Lucky Bones a few times a year and was a bit disappointed this weekend. The server never gave us bread The burger was just ok Nachos with chicken cost me $23 and it was so salty that I couldn't eat it. Tossed 75% off it out Calamari was chewy. Just disappointed all the way around :( I'm very sad I got extra Black Friday gifts cards to spend

Overpriced for what it is. I ordered baby back ribs for $40 and received $10 pre packaged ShopRite ribs and fries. The kids Mac n cheese is box Mac n cheese.

Lucky bones was amazing and they gave us extra cheese ice cream with a side of brain healing broccoli

Worth waiting 25 minutes for, but not a 5 star place to me. I enjoyed my crab sandwich, but I feel like the fries were a drop soggy. Not a dealbreaker for me though! Busy for a place in Cape May in late December!

Whenever we go to Cape May,NJ this is a must go everytime we are there. The mussels with red sauce fresh basil and Gorgonzola cheese is the best we have ever had! Paired with the Harvest Pizza that has roasted butternut squash and cream drizzle. I am in heaven with that combo!

Best mac and cheese I've ever had. Hands down. Crab and shrimp cake was also a solid 10 out of 10!

So good. Never disappoints. It's a triple treat. Great food, great service and great atmosphere. It's always our first stop in Cape May. The food is consistently good. If you try something that you love, it will be just as good every time you come.

Great spot to visit in Cape May. When they have the Mahi sandwich just get it. Love this place.

Great food, great service, wonderful ambience! Highly recommended, but definitely make a reservation if going on a weekend. It gets very crowded. Have been there numerous times for lunch, but recently have gotten dinner there! The scallops are delicious as are the Crab & Shrimp cakes, both served with polenta and a veggie. Every time we've gone, the food has been hot and appetizingly presented!

Food was poor, service robotic, and price steep. Start with bread with olive oil and spice mix --- just flavorless. Clam chowder was bland - neither Manhattan nor New England -- not sure origins or intentions, spinach dip flavorless and overbaked --- probably sitting under a heat lamp much of the day. I had the fish and chips --- the fish was great, the batter soggy and limp. Mountain of fries - actually good. Wife had some pasta combination with scallops and shrimp in parmesan cream sauce - feel bad for the shrimp and scallops who sacrificed themselves for this - admittedly there were plenty of them so at least they left this world with their friends. Son had beef sandwich -- little to no flavor and for "filet" seemed rather tough - questionable cut - and rather small considering the asking price. Server - rehearsed and rushed - "in and out" clearly the goal. Frankly, I don't understand the ratings for this place. 2-stars - and I'm being generous with the last star. Place was packed --- if you have been coming here for years, you know what to expect. If you came for good food as we did, you will be disappointed.

Service was great, I was seated in 30-45 minutes with a table of 6. The environment was loud and friendly environment with many families coming out all over to dine here. We ordered the spinach dip and the lucky bone mussels as appetizers, they were both lovely but I found the spinach dip to be oversalted and the mussels overcooked. As for the meal themselves, I enjoyed my prime rib. It was perfectly cooked and it worked well with the green beans and the baked potato. Had to doggy bag. As for the famous pork chop, the pork was cooked very well, however, I found the sauce to be underwhelming and lacked flavor.

A popular spot in the general Cape May area. I've been here twice for lunch. Good selection of craft beers. Decent selection of various bar foods. Burgers are executed well and tasty. All pizzas were surprisingly good, especially the Harvest Pie. Bathroom situation is tricky, limited indoor bathrooms but they keep their outdoor trailer restrooms even in the Winter. Both servers were friendly and efficient and meals were good. Sometimes long wait times but they try to seat you as quickly as possible.

We visited Lucky Bones on a very busy Friday night in April. We were a party of 9...6 adults and 3 children. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Our server, Bonnie, was attentive, friendly, and made great recommendations. We loved the seashore atmosphere, the excellent food and beverages, but most importantly, the overall warmth and friendliness of the entire staff. It was a great experience and look forward to revisiting!

We really liked the place, food, wait staff, prices and said so to the manager. My wife and I were visiting Cape May from Cape Cod. We are familiar with the resort style eateries. Lucky Bones was a welcome surprise. We had a dozen oysters, fish and chips and the fried oyster dinner. Meals we love and know well what to expect. All smiles. After dinner we spoke with the manager for a bit who talked about the restaurant's commitment to fresh quality food.

This place was awesome, our waitress was great. The food was amazing and they had so many great cocktails. You can tell everything was fresh and made to order. Super cute set up and you can tell the restaurant knows what they are doing. Definitely come visit and try this place out when in the Cape May area.

Lucky bones is a great "fancy/casual" spot in Cape May! Come here for the great food (especially the pizza with whole roasted garlic cloves) and a local craft beer and you're sure to have a good night (or lunch!). Service is slower and more laid back but no complaints about that when you're having a relaxing weekend at the shore!

We've been trying to have a meal here for years, but the timing has never worked out. The wait time can be extremely long, so you need to be strategic as to when you go. This year the stars aligned and we were able to grab "linner"--meal between lunch and dinner. It was worth the multiple attempts! The food was fantastic and the service was really great! We ordered three items that we shared--the mussels, the clams, and the Lili (loaded) fries (sorry if I'm misremembering the name), along with a couple of beers. All three items were delicious, but the mussels were the star! I've had mussels at many, many places over the years and these have been the best. Even just the sauce was outrageously good and perfect for dipping bread in! I would go back in a heartbeat, but to avoid a long wait, I would take the time to plan accordingly. Thank you to Lucky Bones for contributing to our wonderful annual trip to Cape May.

We came here on our last day of vacation and the service was really good and ambiance was classic seashore. I think I expected more from this place food wise , since it's affiliated with the Washington Inn. For appetizers, we ordered fried calamari and fried zucchini. The calamari could use one or two minutes more in the fryer and the marinara dipping sauce was void of any seasoning. The fried zucchini was perfectly cooked and crispy, but just like the calamari, it was bland. They had a very good selection of domestic and imported beers. The Rolling Bones smashburger wasn't anything special, because of the lack of seasoning...again! I would've given five stars, but the chef needs to liven up the food with seasoning. The star of this restaurant is the bread pudding! If it wasn't for dessert, I'd give them three stars.

Weird place. Strange decor, odd layout, puzzling menu. Like an overpriced diner or bar/pub food with a smattering of menu options that lacked identity or cohesion. Brought out bread that was meh. Chowder: ok. Crab and shrimp cakes: unexpectedly spicy but ok. Nice server. Overpriced. Wound up wishing we'd gone for a slice or a whopper.

Stopped in on Sunday evening after a day on the beach. It was very crowded but I was glad that our beach attire was ok to wear here! There was a wait for a table but there were seats at the bar so we sat there. Our bartender/waitress was great! I believe her name was Tammy. I had a Cesar salad and my boyfriend got the burger. He said the burger was really good!

Lucky Bones is the absolute best place I've gone out to eat with Celiac Disease. Not only do they have an amazing choice for those of us who can't eat gluten, including crab cakes and lobster bisque, they start you out and give you an orange napkin under your drink and tell you not to eat anything that isn't served to you on an orange plate. The are so very careful you feel safe eating with no concerns at all. Then there are the amazingly delicious options. Can't recommend it enough. So grateful for this place.

This is a run do not walk restaurants if you are GF! I can tell you that the simple fact that they give you an orange napkin and every dish for the person comes on an orange dish makes this place special!! I had the special mussel pasta. First it breaks the rules, gorgonzola in the pasta "oh no cheese on fish" well let's definitely say "Oh yes!!" I asked for mine to be spicy and they delivered. On top of gluten free pasta in the sauce they gave me a gf bun to dip! Come on 18 yrs and this is the first place to be so thoughtful. Plus a gluten free menu and dessert. This place is a must stop if you are in the Wildwood / Cape May area!