Water Star Grille

I’ve been meaning to write a review forever! My husband and I have lunch at the outside bar almost every weekend - the view is great and the food is good but it’s the service that brings us back - best bartenders ever - I’m looking at you Christian, Kristen and Tommy! It’s a guaranteed fun time and how often can you say that about a place?? Honestly if none of them are at the helm, we move on, sad to say. Thank you for all the wonderful afternoons over the years and for working so hard!!

Service and atmosphere is amazing. However the seafood quality has gone downhill. Ordered the mussels had to send them back. My wife couldn’t even eat the calamari and it looked low quality. Given what they are charging we’d expect more. I’ve been going to Stone Harbor for almost two decades. The Reeds has changed the entire neighborhood and set a higher standard. It’s unfortunate that is not the same for the food.

With high hopes and a fairly loose expectation of what makes a good experience, we came in here for dinner knowing that it was supposed to be some of the best food in the area- and has a reasonable focus on quality and sustainability - which of course matters to me. But… a comedy of errors took away 2 stars from this otherwise lovely place. Getting seated wasn’t a problem, there’s plenty of space, and flexible indoor dining when the outdoors is rainy or inhospitable. After being seated, they ran out of menus and it took about 12 minutes to even get water. Lots of staff running around but not enough waiting on tables apparently? Very odd. It was a Friday and 2/3 full but that’s still a note and a strike against. After fixing that, appetizers came out conspicuously fast, making me worry it wasn’t even prepared fresh. Drinks were ok. Pricing across the board is fairly sky high so your expectations should be as well… but temper them. It’s tricky to find the winners here. Oddly enough, the lobster was excellent - even in taste and texture and not at all “oceanic”. The caprese had lush flavorful heirloom tomatoes too… but sadly that’s where the “winning” ends. Especially with the tomatoes. We found a tomato with the label still on 2 pieces in one of the entees, and when noting this to staff, the item was still charged at full price. If staff aren’t even taking stickers off the tomatoes in the kitchen… what other shortcuts are they taking? :/ The least you can do in that situation is refund the item. Other members of the party noted that the restaurant / hotel in general has no facilities for mothers with infants in the bathrooms. This greatly distressed other diners, they noted, and is that even a thing you’re allowed not to have? Curious. The flatbread was unimpressive, the pasta was pretty over cooked, the salmon felt underwhelming in flavor and plating, and the overall presentation of everything seemed lacking. Even the colorful ceramic vases on the tables didn’t have anything in them just making them awkward to have taking up space on the tables. They delivered a burned, very bland looking grilled cheese to one of our party, and we decided to entirely skip dessert to avoid further issues. View from the dining area is lovely though. They’re really flying blind here and you should probably dine elsewhere honestly. Too much weight being pulled by the hotel attached to this place and the view. Full of issues I’d expect at a place half this price. You have to nail the basics if you want to charge people $50-100 a person for food: like cleaning your food, providing good service, and offering adequate facilities. Upgrades due. 3.0 at best for now.

Food was tremendous. View spectacular. Service mixed bag. We had a great meal but make sure to really clarify that you want your appetizer FIRST. And the MAIN COURSE. Tell them to Wait for your main. Somehow everything came at once. (Except my wife’s) so I sent my main back only to watch it sit on the outdoor kitchen shelf. When it was simply returned to me, I asked for a new one. Took a long time to get our drinks as well. Wife liked summer sunset cocktail. I enjoyed Mai tai (not pictured) all round tables are wobbly! Be warned!

My family and I stayed at the Reeds this past weekend, and we had the most wonderful kick-off to a great weekend at the Water Star Grille. We decided to sit at the bar and grab a drink while other family members arrived from their long drives, and we had the absolute best service from our bartender, Kristen. Kristen's positivity and enthusiasm really stood out, and her fabulous bartending skills were evident in the delicious drinks she made for us. We recommend the Saxtini and the Strawberry Lemonade Martini! We were initially unsure about which appetizer to order because of a shellfish allergy in the family, but Kristen had helpful suggestions that steered us in the direction of a very delicious order of nachos with lobster on the side. We highly recommend pre-dinner drinks and appetizers at the Water Star Grille's bar area, and be sure to ask for Kristen!

Sat at the bar. Was at least 5 minutes before we were acknowledged and another 5 minutes before we were served. Wouldn’t have mattered if it was busy but there were only 6 other people at the bar. The first drink we ordered- a mudslide - she told us they didn’t do frozen drinks. We said we didn’t want it frozen. She said she didn’t have the proper ingredients so we ordered something else. As we were finishing up with our drinks, a new group of people arrived and ordered espresso martinis. The other bartender promptly made them. I asked if they had Bailey’s. They sure did. It’s unfortunate the first bartender told us that they didn’t have the ingredients. Last year we were here and the bartenders were amazing. Clam chowder was delicious. Located right on the water - it’s a beautiful spot.

Had a good dining experience at the Water Star Grille. The prices are high — but this makes sense because of the view and outdoor ambiance. The lobster nachos I ordered were flavorful, filling, and well-portioned. We had a great view of the sunset without a reservation needed. I’d recommend.

Service was horrible, food was cold. The view is awesome. I would go again for a really expensive cocktail and the view but don't order any of the food.

Dearest Gentle reader, a spectacular view was in order for a very special lunch desired by one of mine tiny members of the household. I was not warmly welcomed by a hostess beginning with the letter B. As she sat my table down, I had a simple request and was told by this young lady to ask someone else or to do it myself. Cold is an understatement. However, I will say this... very quickly after, a gentleman by the name of Martin was very swift and accommodating which made that cold treating quickly forgotten. Our waitress Shannon was a delight as well while giving us some splendid recommendations in which we did not regret. I thank these two lovely people for making the experience better afterwards. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown (critic)

Went to Water Star Grille for our anniversary dinner. The views on the back patio are phenomenal! Even with cloudy weather, it was a gorgeous restaurant. We ordered the calamari which was so yummy. Love the chili sauce on the side! Dinner was the bbq salon which is also amazing. The only disappointment was my drink. The display didn't seem worth $19, it was yummy other than the price.

Spectacular day on the water down at Cape May, beautiful! Stopped by boat for some drinks and apps, bartender was great! Martinis and Lobster nachos. Nothing wrong with that!

The atmosphere + vibes was a 10/10. The food was ok but worth it for the views. The service was good too!

My four friends and I were just at their outside bar and had a very negative experience with one of the bartenders. We are all 21 and 22, and was refused service at the bar because the bartender rudely told us that one of the IDs holograms was weird without explanation of whose it was or why. We were treated disrespectfully and we have never had problems at other bars or scanners before so this upset us. We totally understand carding us because we look young but it was the demeanor and attitude that had us very upset. He gave us no explanation as to why we got rejected or let us explain or communicate

Friendly staff! Walked in and was greeted so nicely. We were a large group that showed up staggered and I was escorted to my table. Front of the house was great. Cocktail was delicious, server was knowledgeable . Then a app was forgotten, not a big deal at all. We had a 5:30 reservations to avoid the dinner rush and to get the kids fed early. Well that never happened. 4 entrees came out after waiting for over an hour, my salad along with 4 others came out with the check at 8pm. "We have a free flowing kitchen" was explained. Kids meals came out last after the kids had to leave to go to bed. My wedge salad had to taste, and it's hard to mess up a salad with bleu cheese. It was so disappointing and super expensive. Won't be going back, the manager did come over after we asked and had an excuse. No big deal, just avoid going here if you are hungry, thirsty or want to eat within a 3 hour window. No photos to add because I got my food boxed to go along with 6 other meals because it took so long. When we got home to eat it, it was not good.

Looking at the previous reviews for the Water Star Grill I am pretty surprised! I had a wonderful experience here for a Monday morning after Fourth of July brunch! We were a group of 4 walking around Stone Harbor around 10:30am. As most people know that come to the area, it can be difficult to find a place where you're seated right away, especially the week of July 4th! We arrived to the Water Star Grill at the back of the Reeds Hotel and we were greeted by a warm and welcoming hostess. She asked if we preferred to sit in the shade or sun and accommodated accordingly and immediately. Our waitress greeted us at the table shortly after we sat down to get our drink order. Our drinks came out in a timely manner. We had two people in our party with nut allergies, myself being one of them, and they were highly accommodating to this. The food came out after the food in again a timely fashion. Our waitress was attentive and polite, greeting us with a smile even when the restaurant was quite busy. The food was delicious and warm. I enjoyed the Santa Fe skillet which was delicious. Perfect mix of spice and flavor with the potato casserole being a unique addition to the dish. Everyone I was with also enjoyed their meals, the American breakfast, the country omelette and the eggs Benedict. We all split the brioche French toast, which I would highly recommend for a sweet treat! The view of the bay was such a nice added bonus and perfect spot for brunch. I would absolutely return here!

Excellent bar experience but the restaurant was laughably horrible. We waited over an hour for a table. We had no reservations and there were open tables but they were holding them for customers who had reservations pre-Covid and might show. There were open tables that we could have sat in earlier, but the staff was so comatose that nothing was happening efficiently. Had a good time at the bar and the bartender does a good Cosmo. When they finally seated us after an hour the food came out staggered. This was weird for the three of us who were trying to eat dinner together. They said it was a free flowing kitchen which I guess works for a tapas restaurant but not here. I ordered the chicken with mashed potatoes and a cauliflower/broccoli hybrid vegetable. Not only did it come 10 minutes after my parents had been served, but it was disgusting. I don't think I've used the word in a review before. Gummy potatoes and microwaved vegetables. We sent it back but in no one was that apologetic. All in all we spent an obscene amount of time at a restaurant with terrible service and bad food. The views weren't worth it.

Great food, good service, hefty beverages. Perfect way to kick off vacation... start with the shrimp cocktail- they were huge and delish! Def go at lunchtime, better service and less crowded.

Took six people to dinner. What a disaster. The restaurant brought half of our sides with the first of three salads. The other salads were nowhere in site. Then the time comes for entrees and one of us got our entree fifteen minutes before anyone else. That was followed by four more entrees then another then minutes later one more entree and ten minutes after that the final entree showed up. When the manager asked how everything was I accurately recounted the nonsensical delivery of the food, too which he said, "we intended for it to be that way, it's a free flow kitchen". The arrogance and the stupidity. "Free flow" I guess that what's you call it when your kitchen can't figure out the difference between an appetizer and an entree. What a joke. Go somewhere else.....anywhere else in fact. Useful Funny Cool

I feel bad when I write a bad review. I know that someone owns this place but sometimes that someone deserves to go out of business. Capitalism should do its trick here but because of the view I think it might not. We've been tricked twice now! A happy customer tells 3 people; an unhappy customer tells 10 people... 15 minutes just to get water once we sat. Asked two people for the awning to be put down 3 feet because it was 90 degrees. Was told no by the waitress. Asked for the manager who told me 'no' then I explained how we could be accommodated. He agreed. Waitress showed up 20 minutes after we'd been sat (5 mins after water). Ordered our food and 1 glass of wine. We asked about the Tuna Ceviche. Our waitress made a gross face and said 'dont get it, its not good.' Hilarious the staff even thinks the food is bad. Thats when you know you're in for a real good time. Booster seat was broken waited 5/7 minutes for someone to come over. Never happened. Went looking for them myself. Second one was broken...then went and got the 3rd. It worked. Had to ask for water from the waitress on her 2nd trip to the table. She came back 4 minutes later and didnt have it. Had to ask again. Food came.... Then 5 minutes later the 1st and only glass of wine came... Do yourself a favor and save your money. Macks Pizza on like 82nd and Ocean is amazing, fast, efficient. This place needs new management. I also hear Icona has great service and the Avalon Brew pub is great.

The outside bar is a lot of fun. Great to watch the sunset as well as watching the beautiful people. But the food not so great. Had lobster nachos that were $35. They were awful!! The food is just OK so don't go for the food go to the bar for the atmosphere and sunsets.

Great view, nice seating arrangements and bar overlooking the bay! The menu is limited and looked too gourmet for us.

Went to the Reeds twice during our time in Stone Harbor. The view is great. The drinks are average and they are expensive. The food was very average. Especially for the price. Out of 16 people everyone felt it was not worth the money. The only reason to go here is for the view. There are much better food options in Stone Harbor !

This joint is getting a 3 star rating based heavily on the fact that it's on the water. Patios overlooking the water always positively impacts my score...I guess you could call it my Yelp character flaw. Anyways the actual dining experience wasn't bad but also wasn't great either. The food itself was all over the board & lacked consistency. The guacamole with lumps of crab were a nice touch and surprisingly went well together. But on the flip side, I ordered the short rib cheesesteak for my mains & it was dryer than BYU's campus. Also the meat to bread ratio was way off. When I think of a cheesesteak, I think of mounds of meat between a soft bun...not a slice of beef jerky between a toasted everything bagel. On top of having subpar food, we had so so service. Like a lot of places, they were understaffed probably due to COVID. We had plates sitting on the table from our apps, when we were eating our entrees which was less than ideal. Also a side note about this place was that the seagulls were aggressive & swarming above. One of them must've thought I was Odell Beckham Jr. because it pooped on me. It got on my mask so I had to get a new one in town...all around just a crappy situation. Overall, the kitchen needs an overhaul here because the rest of my party was dissatisfied with their meals as well but all were satisfied with the ambiance/view. This spot is great for drinks and small apps but buyer beware of coming here for a full fledged meal.

Ok let's be real- I've been here once or twice before with mediocre eats, HOWEVER, the lobster nachos arrived and changed my mind IN A BIG WAY. The meat! The guac! Game changer. Highly recommend.

If I could give it a zero I would. We walked in and asked the hostess about the other restaurant that we heard was in the hotel since we never been there before. She answers us in a nasty manner. Then we o Proceeded to ask her if we can see a menu and she hands us this card that we had no clue what to do with it. After that we were done and decided to go eat in a place where we were treated with respect. First impressions are very important and from reading other reviews I think management should train their employees on how to treat customers

It pains me to give this place one star. The food is poor at best. The crab and guacamole dip is a plate of chips with a tiny scoop of guacamole and a sprinkle of crab on top, not even mixed in, not even jumbo lump crab for $24. Carly our waitress was rude, could not answer a basic question about the menu (nor did she offer to find out the answer) and did not come back to check on us during our meal. The grilled shrimp I ordered on my Caesar salad wasn't actually grilled shrimp; it was cold shrimp cocktail which had such a bad taste I was afraid it would give me food poisoning so I didn't eat it. After having such a horrible meal I looked on yelp, curios to see the reviews, and I realized I should have read them first. It's no surprise this place barely gets two stars.

Sister and husband said best meal ever. Said it was worthy of a 45 min drive which made me skeptical. Yet it did live up to expectations. I can't say it was my best meal ever but I would go out of my way to return. The shared plate approach makes going in groups better but go with people that share same taste. ORDER -tuna nachos (recommended by waiter) -pasta bolognese (brother in laws favorite) -Asian chicken salad -mezze plate (recommended by waiter) -old bay fries -monogany wings -chicken Alfredo flatbread (sisters favorite) -hibiscus margarita -blackberry bourbon mixed drink (forget name) -s'mores dessert GOOD -atmosphere. Right on water -everything has good flavor and presentation -shareable allows trying many things -waiter brought free wings which were on of my favorites -brought out food quick -good location in shopping district of stone harbor -valet parking -turf flooring nice on feet -surprisingly comfortable chairs -nice bar for after meal or before on waterfront BAD -guy walked thru location without shirt -toilet exploded -slow bussing, no crumb cleanup -negative aspects of shared plate (have to agree, not good for small parties) -could have more menu items with steak -no reservations but not a problem for us BOTTOM LINE Great place to go with large group, great food and atmosphere. Recommended even if a little out of the way.

Fantastic location with outdoor bar and seating on the bay. The bar service has a good crowd with pleasant staff keeping up. Unfortunately that was the best part of our experience. We sat for dinner and it's all downhill from there. Consistently poor service, missing on all the basics such as timing, keeping up with water or drinks, or following up on food orders. Also long periods of absence in between. The sharing menu is a good concept but only if it can be executed. Ordered (6) items and forgot the last (2) items completely. We continue to give them a second chance and they ALWAYS come up short.

Let me start by saying I hate writing 1 Star reviews! FREE FLOW KITCHEN at the Water Star Grille! When we arrived we were told the kitchen operates as a free flow operation. The waitress explained that it means when the food is done being prepared it is immediately brought out and the items will be served to the table. We had no problem with the concept but the execution was horrendous to say the least. We were a party of 6 for dinner. The dinner salad arrived. 10 minutes later an order of scallops arrived. 5 minutes later the second order of scallops along with the flounder arrived. 4 people were now served. They started eating. The other two guests waited... and waited... and waited. Everyone was done eating and the salmon and chicken dishes still hadn't been served. 50... yes 50 minutes later I told the server to 86/cancel the salmon which hadn't arrived yet. A few minutes later she arrived with the salmon and chicken! Because I canceled the salmon it was served but taken off the check. BTW the hot salmon was served COLD! Twice, I had asked to speak with the manager. No one could find him/her. One would think that when a problem arises the manager would be right on top of things, especially because of the exorbitant prices they charge for what was mediocre food at best. Everything was priced almost twice what it should be considering the preparation and menu selection. For example, salmon was served with potatoes & corn! Double starches! Corn or the potatoes, one should have been a green veggie! Drink prices are ridiculous! The setting is pretty but as the sun sets it is right in your eyes and they don't have an adequate number of umbrellas to offer shade. In summary, the server's are good but the kitchen is not ready for prime time. Free flow or not, food should come out in a somewhat reasonable sequence close to the table order. Management is not attentive to client needs and problems and could not be found. Perhaps he/she was in the back of the house screwing things up? Paying about $70 a head one would expect more. Based on our experience, I would avoid this place.

My family came here and was extremely disappointed with the menu for gluten free options. For such an upscale restaurant you would expect there to be more options for people with food allergies. The swordfish was the only thing on the menu that we could order. It was only ok. Really nice staff and beautiful scenery. We would love to go back but can't really eat anything there so probably won't be back anytime soon. Second time at the Water Star Grille and it was still bad. The restaurant is beautiful and the atmosphere is perfect but the food is just not good. My family loves the Asian chicken salad but I have a gluten allergy so I can only get a few things on the menu. The salmon was probably some of the worst I've had and the vegetables were gross. The rice was only ok. Pretty disappointing again. I would love it if they changed up their menu for next year.

We loved it, Wonderful atmosphere and great food. Service was pretty good. The bartender wasn't overly charming but did his job. At least they show up for work!

Ate there last night. Not only is everything way over priced and I am far from cheap the lobster nachos were $30 and the chips were stale. Make the view match the menu and food coming out of the kitchen. Service was good however

Had drinks and some appetizers at the bar. The bartenders were friendly and the view was great. We did not like the margarita flatbread. The sauce was bitter and it was served/cooked with whole cherry tomatoes which added to the bitterness. The lobster Cobb salad was decent.

Andrew is an amazing server! He made us feel so welcome and at home. His smile is contagious, he took all of our requests seriously and with the utmost urgency, and he clearly prioritizes his work. It's a Friday and will be back tomorrow for dinner as well, because of his great service and infectious energy. I hope my son grows up to be just like him!

Party of four headed out to brunch last Monday You can't beat the view in stone harbor from the Grill Our lunches were delicious and I didn't get to snap any photos of our food Highly recommend and will return Wait staff was super pleasant as well Also I never give 5 stars the first time I dine at a restaurant because I want to leave room for my next review...

Horrible customer service. I called two days prior for reservations for our 20th anniversary. I was told they don't take reservations anymore and seating wouldn't be a problem as they didn't have any reservations for our night a Tuesday. We artived at 7pm and were told they had no tables until 9:30 pm because they had so many reservations! I live in SH, typical as to why locals hate this over priced restaurant with mediocre food.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Brought my friend there to celebrate her birthday, little girls night in the town, why not have dinner waterside? To start our waiter had ZERO personality. His name was Namecio. Absolutely TERRIBLE. We ordered the shrimp Cobb salad... the first time it came to the table it had NO SHRIMP! (After numerous attempts of waving him down or calling his name as he walked passed his table not even looking at us) he finally took the salad back for them to place 3 shrimp on it this time there was a hair in the salad. Instead of trying for another 15 minutes to wave down Namecio, we flagged down another waiter and just told him forget about it. We did not even want to attempt a third salad. Namecio NEVER apologized. NEVER mentioned it to us UNTIL I asked if he heard and his response, "yeah it's off the bill".... WHERES THE CUSTOMER SERVICE?? WHERES THE APOLOGY?! Horrible customer service. Bland food. The crab guacamole. The chips were stale, the guac was alright. (For $24 Chipotle's guac beats this both in price and flavor) the ONLY thing that was alright was the drinks. WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND!! I even asked for this to be brought up to someone higher up since nothing was done and the clueless hostess could not even direct me in the way to speak to anyone. RIDICULOUS. Talk about flavor. Their food has ZERO flavor. I've never had a buffalo chicken flat bread that did not even taste the slightest like buffalo sauce. It was chicken cheese and bread. Not worth the price.

My family and I went here for dinner last night - their patio area is beautiful and impeccably decorated. This is a great place if you are looking for a picturesque evening at the beach as there are beautiful views of the sunset & you can even bring your boat right up to the dock! The service was amazing and far superior to other restaurants in the area. As a New York City girl I am accustomed to a certain level of service and I was absolutely blown away by both our waiter (Chris) and the manager (Nigel), thanks again to you both! The concept of the restaurant is to share plates, portions are large, so we ordered a variety of choices to share. One plate was better than the next and the service continued to be superb throughout the meal (checked in on us at the appropriate times / did not disappear when we were ready for the check). Overall would definitely recommend this place and would say it is a place that cannot be passed by on your vacation down the shore! Food we ordered: -Wagyu Beef Slides: excellent, didn't even need ketchup -mezze plate: great hummus accompanied by warm /fresh pita and cucumbers, cherry peppers. Great to share - Asian chicken salad: very good flavors and a large portion great for sharing with the family. - side of asparagus: amazingly fresh and grilled to perfection

$25 for crab guacamole and literally it was an ice cream scooper amount sprinkled with a few shavings of crabs. Give it a little bit of effort for that money. We decided to not eat dinner there since the apps were disappointing. Positive: beautiful space and views.

Service: non-existent. Incredibly overwhelmed, very unattentive, and incredible lack of awareness for the needs of our group. Food: unimpressive & well under the price-point in terms of expectations & final results. Atmosphere: nice setup outback, but SQUEEZING that many tables into a confined area greatly kills any intimacy & atmosphere that may be offered whatsoever. Anything the Reeds has done thus far has an attempted "bougie-esque" approach, but with a chain-grade result in terms of service & execution. Save yourself the money & pay your patronage to one of the smaller, non-overdeveloped businesses in Stone Harbor that aren't posh, you'll be more pleased with the results & help prevent over-expansion. Edit: Just spend a few minutes to scroll through their other various reviews & feedback and you'll see their focus is primarily paid to positive feedback rather than addressing the negative.

While the scenery is gorgeous and the bar area is nice, dinner service was not pleasant. They have a free flowing service, so food comes out as it's ready. Food came out cold, wrong, or not at all. The server was very nice and eager to help, but the food runners were bringing food to wrong tables, and the we were told numerous times the kitchen staff was overwhelmed, which I completely understand, it happens. But with the free flowing service it just didn't make sense the order the food came out in. Eventually someone asked to see a manager cause we were there for over 2 hours and hadn't received meals and didn't want to bother waiting. Personally for me, the prices you pay are not worth the experience. Save your money and go somewhere else!

service was horrible... stay away .. too many other nice restaurants to spend your hard earned money at. management terrible no where to be found....

We have been dining here since The Reeds opened. It's one of our "go to" places when we have guests down, because of its many options for all day dining, cocktails, etc. The food has always been very enjoyable and something to look forward to. However, we have have been extremely disappointed this year with the quality of the food.....something that should have been nothing but elevated considering the state our country is in right now. I wish I had taken a picture of the poor excuse for the Tomato/Mozzarella salad x2......compared to the picture I took last year, like night and day. I talked one of our guests into getting it for her dinner, as I was, and was mortified when it arrived. We do live in the "Garden State" where Jersey tomatoes are at the height of their deliciousness at this time of year. There is no excuse for this type of unfortunate execution....can't blame COVID for that! Flatbreads are good and are great to share, Shrimp Cobb Salad has also taken a downhill spiral since last year. The main entrees are OK, nothing to write home about for the upscale prices you pay. The menu is basically the same from the beginning of the summer till the end....they switch up the flatbreads now and then. To have a menu where all you do is cook the same food day after day, night after night.....it should be spot on ALL the time. If an ingredient or a component to a certain dish is not up the the high standard you pride yourself on....omit it from the menu for the night, week, etc. "Boutique Hotel" guests and restaurant patrons should not have to settle for anything less. Service has been consistent....we are a hard please in that department because we are in that business as well. ( a shout out to Tim Carter who we have enjoyed this summer, when we visit....even behind the mask, you get that smile with his personality and friendliness to please;). We will certainly be back, no doubt, but maybe not starving. They have it all in the view dept., setting, venue, etc. and because we walk from home, its a win/win for us. However, with the less than acceptable ratings they are getting for food....many people will be one and done. I am going to include my picture of "2019's Tomato Mozzarella Salad".........hopefully in 2021, it will be as mouthwatering as it once was. Until then, we will be shopping the SH Farmers Market and doing our own version of a summer favorite.

This review is from early Summer 2021 - finally got around to posting it. I want to like the Reeds, I really do....yet nearly every single time I decide to give them another shot, I come away disappointed. Let's get the positives out of the way first - the staff are without question top rate. From the bartenders to the servers to everyone we've encountered, they are all genuinely friendly, awesome people who do their job well. I should also note this review is for the dining only, I have never stayed in the rooms or had any experience with hotel staff. Now, on to the food and beverage part of the review. The Reed's has a signature drink, the Sax martini - a typical pineapple infused vodka martini. It's nothing original that hasn't been done before but it is quite good. Unfortunately, they rarely have them available because they continuously RUN OUT! This has been going on for at least 2 seasons and they frequently run out (for the first time) in the first couple weeks of summer! The lead time to get more is often weeks! It's insane and a complete failure of inventory management - MAKE MORE PRODUCT, it's not hard!!! The food menu is where things really fall apart. The kitchen operates on a "bring dishes out as they are done" principle, which means you never know what is going to arrive in what order. To me, that's a cute way of saying "we can't manage a kitchen properly", but I'll let this go, it's far from the most important distraction. Let's start with pricing - it's obscene. I am not even close to being a cheap guy - the things I willingly spend money on would likely be shocking - but this place takes it to another level. Shrimp cocktail - THREE shrimp for $24. THREE! $24! Want six shrimp so that, I don't know, you and your dinner partner can each have a couple? That'll be the bargain price of $48. They aren't even close to being colossal shrimp as the menu states! Obscene pricing and false description!! For salad, you can get a nice chuck of iceberg lettuce for $24 and wash it down with a Saxtini (if they have any!) for a cool $19! I won't even complain about the drink prices though because the drinks are great (when they have them) and the view is amazing, and let's face it, without the view no-one would be coming here AT ALL. I got the 16oz prime NY strip last time I was there. Horrible. One of the most unmemorable pieces of steak I've ever had and, to me at least, I'm not even convinced it was a strip steak. Seemed like a low grade cut of some sort - hard to describe but a definite 4 out of ten at best. Price? $68. Insane for this subpar "steak". I could have had a measurably better piece of steak at a random chain restaurant. The lobster Mac and cheese, at an astounding $62 was an abomination. Dull, flavorless and not much lobster - another sad disappointment. They used to have a scallop and risotto dish which, while overpriced for what it was, was actually quite good. Naturally they took it off the menu. I could go on about other specific items but the overall theme is wildly overpriced and extremely mediocre food combined with a fantastic view of the bay. If that sounds like your cup of tea, slide on into the Reeds. My advice, eat elsewhere (there are plenty of fantastic restaurants in town), and take your savings and try and score a Saxtini (before they run out!) while watching the sunset....

We came with our family of 7 on our annual beach trip. We were very excited for some great food and time away. We had some great food but much of our time was taken away by Carly. She may be the worst waitress in the history of waitresses. When we got there, the restaurant was empty. They had the audacity to tell us that they weren't sure if our table, which we reserved two weeks prior, was ready yet. When we finally sat down we waited and waited. After waiting for several minutes, I got up and got a pitcher of water that I saw on another empty table to serve ourselves. At that point someone finally came over and assisted us. After that our waitress, Carly, made one of her few appearances at our table. Fortunately when she showed up we knew what we wanted to drink because this was one of the few times we saw her all night. When she took our drink orders we forced her to take our appetizer order before she tried to run away. We also put the kid's meals in then. The kid's meals came out insanely fast and then all the bar drinks came (which were mostly screwed up). We had to remind Carly a second time for the kid's apple juice. The two screwed up drinks tasted like I was smoking a cigarette. I have never had a smoky tequila but their bees knees tasted like everyone at the bar put their cigarettes out in my drink. Carly disagreed that the drinks were wrong although she did take them back. The second round of drinks we ordered also came out wrong but they were close enough and she runs away from your table faster than Usain Bolt ran in Beijing in 2008. After being their for an hour, someone came to our table to ask how everything was. We said unfortunately we did not yet have the opportunity to order so we couldn't answer that question. Carly finally reappeared from her hiatus to take our order. Once we ordered, we did get our food pretty quickly. The food was actually incredible and I would have given the restaurant five stars if it wasn't for Carly. Once we were done, we again had to wait for Carly to come with the check. Once we got the check, which had multiple errors on it, she disappeared on us again. The US government had an easier time tracking down Bin Laden than we did tracking down Carly. I had to get up and track down the manager to get it corrected. Once she fixed it, we again had to wait for Carly to disappear with our credit cards. My recommendation for this restaurant is to get rid of Carly as quickly as possible. She is without a doubt costing them business. I would go back but I would specifically request not to have Carly as a waitress.

awful management sucked waiters weren't around stay away!!! been here twice couldn't find the manager service sucked

Second time here. First time was last year, post season and was disappointed with the food, leaving a 2 star review. Last time service was great though, so thought it only fair to update it. This year, we had the same server was was still great, and actually better this year. Gentleman from Savannah, GA. Very friendly, funny and helpful. The food this time was significantly better. We obviously avoided what we didn't like last year and tried new things. The Calamari, wagyu sliders and oysters were really good. The sliders were delicious. The entrees were also quite good. My scallops were perfect. Last year I attributed the food quality might be down to timing, seems that may have been the case because it was much better this year. Would definitely recommend. Especially if you are looking for a more upscale dining experience on the island.

The ambience is outstanding. A beautiful sunset. We would have benefitted from propane heaters, as it was chilly the evening we were there. Our server Darren was excellent. The food was very mediocre. Some portions were overly large (pork tenderloin) others were average size.

It's hard to say I would give less than 1 star, but our experience here was absolutely disappointing. Miserable staff, dirty glasses, food delivered to the wrong table when there were only two choices. Kind of insane for any establishment but even more so at a place with fine dining prices. Very disappointing. Avoid this place at all costs.

So I love this place ! But .... I brought my daughter and nephew here to have a nice lunch with a view . We ordered sangria and the crab guacamole ($24) not that I care about price ! It came out and no one brought us plates . We asked one of the food runners if we could have some plates and she rolled her eyes and said "yep" with a sigh ! The guacamole was brown and flavorless ( I have had it before and it didn't taste like this one ) the waiter brought us out lime and salt ( the salt shaker was completely clogged. So needless to say we got the check $103 w/ tip ! And went somewhere else for lunch !! So disappointed . Hope you can remedy this ! I want to come back .

They need to train their servers to smile and make the customer satisfied. And get rid of your bartenders - they don't know how to make a Manhattan

Food was amazing. Waiter was extremely slow and came to our table maybe once. Food came out fast though and was very good but waiter was extremely slow.

If you're not vegetarian and are okay with paying very high prices (at least 25 or so percent of which, in my estimation, actually goes toward the very attractive bayside real estate and its decor and view), go, expect good enough to very good food (small plate menu), a full house, and questionable service that suffers from it and therefore demands your attention. And add a star or two depending upon your priorities. If you are vegetarian, I'll (re)start by noting that nothing so horrible happened here last night, but we all know that often the most difficult thing about avoiding meat (once one establishes oneself as having done so) is the attitudes of others, and restaurant staff are of course in positions to sway an entire evening in an enjoyable or frustrating direction. In this case, both the menu (and thus the chef and/or owner) and our waitress skewed ours toward the latter, and when paying the aforementioned prices, the resulting disappointment is only intensified. As there are no(!) vegetarian entrees available (which we knew going in), my only option was to order a selection with the meat removed. Now of course this did not yield a corresponding price reduction so I enjoyed a $29 linguini dish, minus its shrimp. That a standard dinner menu might not offer a vegetarian entree is bad enough; for a sharing menu not to do so is outrageous, and can easily be construed as deliberately hostile. And the too common practice of charging for food not served is flat out exploitation. Further, I'm not at all required to assume that a member of a wait staff understands the needs of a vegetarian--especially in a venue that is again, so unwelcoming to them (this following, btw, an attempt to patronize another restaurant wherein a group of 5 young employees congregated at the reception desk collectively advised me of my one option of a Caesar salad sans chicken as my entrée--not one of them realizing that a bowl of lettuce and croutons does not constitute an entrée nor that a Caesar salad without chicken added is still not vegetarian...). A waiter or waitress is, however, required to listen to my questions and concerns and respond with a professional and polite manner. Though the exchange was brief and not in any way extreme, needless to say this wasn't my experience. But this lack of prioritizing the guest was reinforced first after waiting about 45 minutes from the time our dinner was cleared to the arrival of our ice cream and sorbet and again when I asked our waitress (whom I had to have another employee bring to our table by which time the dessert was melting) if I was served the peach version of the latter that I ordered. As it was dark pink and tasted mostly of berry and sugar (and there was a raspberry version available as well), with barely a hint of peach flavor (and of course a sorbet is traditionally flavor intensive), I assumed I was given the wrong one, and it was clear I was not happy with it. But rather than address my dissatisfaction, similar to our earlier interaction, her goal was to simply assure me that I was wrong. Afterwards the waitress dropped off the check and said thank you for your patience--the first time she acknowledged her neglect (unless you count the expletive she uttered while passing our table and seeing our desserts, long past ordering, were still not served)--which might have meant something had she broken her stride and given us a chance to respond to her words. Between the attitudes of both the owner or chef who designed the menu and to a lesser extent the employee who put her own and the venue's interests before the guests', this was yet another unfortunate example of how vegetarians' experiences can so often highlight when and how businesses care only about their clientele en masse, and not as individuals. It's unfortunate for all sorts of reasons.

"I've got nothing" Yes, this view is nice and the interior is quite upscale for this town. The bar isn't all about heaven's waiting room....maybe not my scene. But for the restaurant, from start to finish this place *****. The guacamole was the w****t I have ever had. well I could go on and on..... But My mom said that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I really don't even want to waste my time writing about this place.

Came here on a Sunday night for dinner. The view and ambiance are great. However, that's about where it ended. The service was incredibly slow all evening, from placing our order to getting our check. We started with the calamari, which was good. For dinner, I got the crab cakes with fries and slaw. The crab cakes were bland and mushy, even though they were blackened. Disappointingly, I mostly ate fries. Though, the Asian salad seemed to be good. So stick to the simple appetizers for your best bet and to save yourself from the overpriced entrees.

The food and view are amazing (5 stars!!) Service on the other hand is abysmal. It was as though we had offended our server. We did have the obligatory, how is everything visit, but then that was it. Never asked if we'd like another drink, filled our water, nothing. It seemed like he was avoiding us. We ordered dessert, which took forever to come out when I had mentioned that we thought he forgot about us, he responded with "it takes a while to make this one". Well, we had been there for a few 'whiles'. When we asked for our check, he already had it in his apron (of course). We get it, we won't be back (maybe we can get take out). And we hope that you get it, we tipped what we did because ignored us. We want so much more from Water Star Grill service - high end everything at the Reeds, service should match.

Nice atmosphere, on the bay. Very expensive, typical for a beach town. Ordered the guacamole with crab....only word is awful. It was a mound of green stuff with zero taste, zero seasonings and I doubt there was avocado, the small spattering of crab on top didn't even help. If your going to charge $$$ then please make something edible. While sitting at the bar I noticed the staff "rinsing" the bar glasses, I believe they should be washed/sanitized...no wonder my beer had no head (yuk) The dishwasher repairman showed up while we were there, TG Apologies to the mgr & staff for a harsh review but i am being truthful. The 2 stars are because the bartender was pleasant, otherwise it would have only been one star.