As you can see from my prior reviews including my last review in 2014 this is one of my top three restaurants in Sea Isle City. This is also one of the oldest restaurants, which was founded in 1901 and is now celebrating 150 years of business. My family of three arrived around 5:30 PM on Saturday without a reservation. We were seated at a table for four in the center of the restaurant overlooking the artificial tree and front entrance. It was a windy chilly day, because they left the front door open for customers to enter. I started with and enjoyed my two Maker's Mark Manhattans. I also enjoyed my blackened ahi tuna with seasoned rice, black beans, BBQ sauce and beurre blanc for $32. My tuna was excellent. I also enjoyed the beurre blanc sauce with my tuna. I ended my dinner with a double espresso and a shot of Sambucca. We will continue to return here. read more

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Four of us dined here tonight and chose to sit outside, which unfortunately turned into a really disappointing experience. The gnats were extremely bad--so much so that they were landing on our food and getting into our drinks. One of the staff members did bring citronella candles to the tables, which we appreciated, but it didn't make a difference. We ended up spending over $200 and barely ate half of our meals because of the conditions. While the food itself was good, it was hard to enjoy anything with bugs constantly swarming. Even our server acknowledged how bad it was and mentioned the gnats before quickly heading back inside. What was most surprising was that no one offered to move us indoors or adjust the bill, despite multiple tables clearly dealing with the same issue. A simple acknowledgment or accommodation would have gone a long way. It's disappointing because the food was good from the few bites we had, but the overall experience makes it hard to justify returning. read more

Braca Cafe in SeaIsawesome great staff, food is fantastic, a fun, overall wonderful dining experience!

We were there last night for appetizers and drinks and honestly, we couldn't have been more disappointed. This used to be our favorite place to go for the most Amazing drinks and now.. the food has taken a serious nose dive. My favorite has always been the Artichoke Dip but the 'chips' they serve with it now are so awful, it takes away from the amazing flavor that it USED TO HAVE. Now they only put the stalks in the dip and it's seriously inedible. To add insult to injury, they don't even acknowledge when their customers are unhappy. Please save yourself Big Bucks and choose another establishment. read more

Amazing place all the time is delicious foods, drink is amazing. Is a very nice place for going.

We arrived with a party of 12 (6 adults, 6 children from 1 to 13) at a very busy time. The staff went over and above to accommodate us with tables close by each other. The wait staff was incredibly attentive and the service was very prompt. The varied food order ( everyone ordered something different) arrived quickly and without any errors. We especially enjoyed the Lobster and Shrimp Roll and the Ahi Tuba Nachos from the shareables menu. Kim, the owner, checker in with us before, during and after the meal to make sure that we were pleased. That attention is evident throughout this restaurant and a large reason why it's so successful. If you're anywhere near Sea Isle City this establishment should be at the very top of your list of restaurants. read more

One of our favorite go to restaurants in sea isle, great food and varied menu, extremely friendly service and very nice atmosphere

We came here for happy hour and everything was great. The ambiance was lovely (dimly lit, piano music, etc.) and the apps were delicious. The bar wasn't busy and the service was wonderful. This was my first experience here and I look forward to returning for dinner sometime! read more

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We had dinner there last night. From apps to dessert everything was excellent. Service was wonderful. Everything you would want for a delicious relaxing dinner. read more

Quickly sat our party of 5, drinks were quick. The piano man played the entire time we were there. Food was good, company was great. read more

Braca Cafe - Double crab cake entree. These are creamy, with some large lump, rest smaller crab. Washed it all down with a Jersey Devil. - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Great Mediterranean style food and service very good. Cons Surcharge for using CC. We transfered the cost from the servers tips and told her why her tip was lower. Not a good policy for surcharge. Budget retired folks I know no longer go here for meals Policy stinks, Food Great read more

What an amazing night! Everything was perfect from the service to the food/ cocktails and ambiance. We sat outside and listened to the free concert at the pavilion. We will definitely be back soon!! read more

Braca Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Service and ambiance are great. It's a beautiful open-air restaurant with a piano player. Drinks are fantastic, and soups are excellent. Calamari was also very good. Sadly, dinners missed the mark. Poke bowl came with uncooked rice and no sauce, mussels came on top of plain pasta, sauce at bottom tasted like water, shrimp and salmon came with no shrimp and we were told it was chopped up in the bruscetta topping but couldn't find any. The best meal was the duck, but it came out warmish, instead of hot. We were there at 6, before the restaurant was full. read more

Trying to make a reservation for this dinner was extremely difficult. The online system was blocking out all kinds of times, but when we went to the restaurant, it was empty. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were seated by a window, and the sun was beating through. We had to close the blinds ourselves. It was about 100° outside and shortly after sitting, the staff was instructed to come in and open all of the windows by the manager. I'm sure this is a nice affect on a night that isn't scorching hot without a breeze, but this wasn't one of those nights. It made sitting there unbearable and we had to request that they shut the windows again, which they did. However, it took a while for the room to recover. They didn't have any gluten free drink options available on the menu and a member of our party cannot have gluten. I can't understand why a restaurant these days would not carry some sort of seltzer drink. The server was very nice. They don't offer bread or crackers to the table while you wait on your food like they used to. The food was OK. In my opinion, this place was much better 15-20 years ago. read more

Great garden party atmosphere! Love the fire towers! House wine was good quality! Food was ok. read more

Braca Cafe - a man cooking in a brick oven - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

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Went to eat at Barca's last night. Loved the setup for social distancing. Each table was separated by a partition and had a fluffy plant in front of it. Making it very private and giving ambiance to otherwise just sitting on a random sidewalk. We had the coastal dip as a starter. The pita that cake with it was perfectly fried and not greasy at all. The dip was great as well with huge chunks of lobster, shrimp and crab. Could have been a little thicker but tasted nonetheless. I had a special for dinner which was mussels, clams and Chrip over linguini with a white sauce. It was sooo good. I finished all of it. read more

Braca Cafe - Linguini special - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

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Not the same since renovations occurred. We've been here twice (last 2 summers) since Braca's renovations occurred and unfortunately we'll not be back. Service was comical chaos from start to finish and the food was overpriced for being above adequate. There are many excellent restaurants in Sea Isle that take pride in providing their patrons with a quality dining experience, unfortunately this is not one. read more

We have eaten her about a dozen times, but something has changed. I know we did not have a reservation but they sat us at a very small table in the back that felt like it was jammed in with someone next to me sorting silverware very loud over my shoulder . Behind my wife was a person playing a piano so loud you could not think even the waitress could not hear us. It was a joke. They sat the people next us with a bunch of French fries on the floor with them stepping on them and a dirty table. Now for the food the Cesar salad was good, but the margarita pizza we shared was totally burnt on the top and bottom. We waited for plates to eat off of but they never came so we used the bread plates. We decided we had enough, paid and left. read more

Came here for cocktails and sat at the bar inside. Tried the famous jersey devil, a warned-about frozen drink with 151 vodka and mango purée. Wow- it was refreshing and dangerous all at the same time! Our waiter Mike, looking like a young James Spader, was friendly and efficient. We ordered a serving of steamers (clams) and a serving of tuna. He warned us there were only two servings of steamers left after that and we ordered another. Note there are two bars- one inside and one outside. We were supposed to meet friends but they were at the outside bar! read more

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Had unpleasant meals for dinner. Drinks were very good. Salad very fresh. I had the fish with truffle fries. My meal was very soggy. The breading was mushy and very salty. My husband had the scallops with Alfredo sauce and it was so salty he couldn't eat the pasta. We informed the waiter of our displeasure when he arrived 10 to 15 minutes after our meal was served. We explained the problems with our meals. I showed him how soggy the fish was. He apologized but did not send over a manager. He brought over our check and there was only a free espresso offered. I asked him why and he stated that we had eaten too much of the food. I ate one of 4 fish tenders and my husband ate 2 of the scallops. 80% of the meal was returned. I am very disappointed as we have always had great meals and service at this restaurant. Sorry Bracas. DO BETTER. read more

Our waiter Liam was phenomenal! We had a table of 7 and he guided us through the menu. We had the large upside down pizza, chicken Alfredo, the burger, linguine and clams, mussels, and several desserts. Liam was so friendly and helpful. It's been a while since we've had a stand-out waiter! Thank you Liam and Henri's staff! read more

Braca Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Filet mignon was not good at all. Mashed potatoes were like smelly and rotten tasting but I think that was just the Parmesan. Everyone else at my table though was eh about their food. The waiter was super handsome and nice though. read more

Braca Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Came in on 9/25 around 645pm. We were seated immediately at a window table for two. The place was not crowded. Server Anne arrived and took our orders. She was cheerful and efficient. We noticed that servers were also bussing their own tables. Not a good set up but perhaps it was off season so less staff on duty. We ordered a pair of salads and the house specialty scallops and chicken parm. We also ordered a bottle of red, a ripasso. Bread was brought out with an olive oil mixture for dipping. The bread was ok but not great. The oil mixture was quite good not overly garlicky. The salads were unremarkable. I never had a Caesar salad with olives and tomatoes. The lettuce was limp. I asked if the Caesar had anchovies and was told they could add them for $4. This type of salad typically comes with anchovies and I should get a credit for not having anchovies. Our mains were pretty good. My scallops were toasty and the penne was great with a creamy red sauce. My wife enjoyed her chicken but she said the red sauce was bland. One suggestion is to try the half plate orders. We got the full orders and they were too much. We had leftovers. The wine was very good a '15 valpolicella, ($39), which went very well with the food. I had an espresso to finish. It came way too fast which was suspicious. In my opinion it was not espresso but regular coffee in a small cup. I looked for the espresso machine upon leaving but could not see one. We would characterize it as typical Italian in a beach town. We say: food "b-", service "a", ambiance "c", value "b-". Mark & Nancy. read more

We had a reservation for 6 pm and all the food turned out really good! Lovely atmosphere read more

Braca Cafe - a piece of dessert on a plate - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

I have been this place many times however I was there Thursday evening and saw the renovations for the first time. I love it! The food was great and our waitress was new to the job but handled things like a pro. The taco special was excellent! Keep raising the bar Barca's! read more

I was in this establishment night of July 5th, had reservation with my family, seated and ordered food 9:15pm , after about half an hour waitress came back and said kitchen is closed while everyone around us is getting served and waitress disappeared. Owner/manager came in and had really no reason and offered us gift card for next visit which we denied and will not go there again or suggest to others anyway. I Wish I was able to give them NO STAR! read more

Came here with a large group on a Saturday night during the off-season (mid-late September), and there was quite the wait. I got the scallops penne, and the scallops were good, but the penne was COLD. Ew. The service was also very rushed and kind of rude. The server took away my pasta dish (I had finished the scallops) without asking me if I was done. Normally I'd be pissed about losing 3/4 of a plate of pasta, but given that it was cold and gross, I honestly preferred it being out of sight, out of mind. read more

Braca Cafe - Scallops Penne - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

We have dined at Braca several times each summer for the last few years. We always enjoy the delicious meals and atmosphere, and ability to make a reservation. We appreciate the option of indoor and outdoor seating. The service is always top notch. Last week I had the Fluke special. I've never had that type of fish before but knew I could trust that it would likely be fabulous at Braca. It was. Much gratitude to our server, Cecelia, who found my daughter's purse (with her out of state license; no way to contact her) and secured it in the office. My daughter did not even realize it was missing until the next day. Cecelia had informed the rest of the serving team so when we returned to Braca it was there with all contents undisturbed. We are grateful we did not need to cancel credit cards etc because of Cecelia's and her co-workers' honesty. read more

Drinks good! Food Great! Service Good ! Then you get the check and they charge a 4% fee on their own gift card. They must not make enough $$ in July. Don't buy your friends a gift card to thank them for your stay at their house read more

The best thing about this place is the outside seating. The bar is clean the bartenders are friendly and fast. The food is where they sadly suffer. We had three appetizers. The shrimp cocktail, the bacon wrapped scallops and the meatballs. The meatballs were good. The scallops were tasteless at best. But the shrimp were the absolute worst with a texture I could only compare to dried caulk. It's a place at the shore and I understand it's a busy time but you have to get the seafood right. They did take the shrimp of of our bill. Hopefully it was an off night. read more

This place bites. What happened? We dined here maybe a dozen time last year and each time- awesome meal, awesome service, awesome experience. 2 times this year and we're done. Super slow service. They brought my wife the wrong meal and made ZERO attempt to bring her the correct meal in a timely manner. Wound up taking it to go. Portion size? My veal parmigiana was a pittance. You shouldn't leave an Italian restaurant hungry. Manager says they brought me the wrong meal too. SMH. They comped us our entire meal, but that's of little consequence. It's all BS. They probably don't care because of their location. But I care. I'm out. ---------/----------/-----------/-------------/ time this year and I don't know. They changed their menu. Prices up, portion size down (way down), service was let's say, inexperienced. I had to go to wawa after for a hot dog. This used to be my happy place, not anymore though the wife still likes it which means I gotta go back. ----/-----/-/---------- Classic Italian and seafood a stones throw from the beach. I like the fact that many of their entrees offer half portions; great for smaller appetites or if you want to sample some excellent appetizers. We had Clams Casino, Blackened Scallops with Penne and Red Cream Sauce, and Veal Parm. Everything was perfectly prepared including their hand crafted cocktails. Braca also has an outdoor bar called Henri's that share the cocktail and appetizer menu with Baca. Also an excellent spot to relax and have fun. Back to Braca. Great (but busy) ambience and excellent service. We enjoyed every aspect of our experience. read more

4/19/2019 - This was our first time at Brace, and we will return. The server was nice, the food was brought out promptly and was delicious, and the portions were great. We all had a different specialC and you can tell the chefs know what they are doing! Overall great experience! read more

Braca Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Braca, where everything will be "just fine" but nothing will be great. Marsala sauce was bland and the chicken not thin nor tender. Margarita was meh. read more

Great food and great service to go along with the great atmosphere . Was lucky enough to get a seat at the bar on a Friday night after work. Will be a regular read more

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My wife and I have been regulars for over a dozen years. Food and service was always good to excellent. 90% of the time we'd eat at the bar. However, 2019 has not been a good year for Bracas. Both food and service have declined to fair or poor at best. Maybe spread to thin these days with their successful outdoor bar (Henri's) which has a decent but different / limited menu? Sad to see our "go to" place now gone. read more

Bracca's used to be good. Prices were always slightly more than what the food quality and quantity earned, but you were paying for location and a nice dining experience when there used to be fewer sit down restaurants in SIC. The service used to be tasty and service personable and good; they knew the local loyals and also treated vacationers well, too. Now--the prices are ridiculous, the service always sucks, and the staff are snotty and condescending. Most importantly, the food is "meh" now. I've legit had better tasting food at "Steve's Grilled Cheese and Quesadillas" across the street for 1/4 of the price, and the staff at Steve's is always super nice and accommodating. It might sound strange to compare a predominantly quick-sit place to a supposedly "upscale" place, but it's pretty telling when I know I can get better food and service from that quick-sit place than Bracca's. At the end of the day, if your food and your service aren't that good, I don't care about whether or not the place is "upscale." I also don't care how many years this restaurant has existed in this location. Bracca's is trying to rest on its laurels and basically markets themselves as such--but you can't rest on your laurels forever and continue to not deliver on the dining experience for the prices they charge. I think the only reason this place is still in business is because of renters wanting a date night out and they don't know any better. It's time for this place to either seriously overhaul its food and the way it does business of it thinks it deserves the current price points or close shop and allow one of the many hungry (pun!) new chefs/restauranteurs to actually make good use of this space and provide great food and a great dining experience at a great location to SIC locals and visitors. I implore renters to go elsewhere. There are several better places who deserve your business and hard earned money--you just have to look a little bit harder. Do yourself a favor and ask a local or a realtor who doesn't get "perks" for recommending Bracca's. read more

New menu items and weekly specials made for an even better experience than usual. Braca never disappoints and we had the chance to order some of the new items and they were fantastic! Outside dining was very comfortable and the staff is always great. Can't wait to go back!! read more

The restaurant is not open inside because of remodeling and they were shut done for a long time because of Covid and winter which is nuts to be closed now but they are. The service (outdoor) I soooooo slow which is shocking because there are way less tables. We waited at least 10 minutes for drinks. The food was good but the service ruined it for us read more

D E L I C I O U S!!! Fine dining in a casual atmosphere. A bit pricey but well worth the money! I had 8oz spinalas cut Steak. Garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini medley,. We also had pesto chicken, lobster tail, crab cake and ravioli. All were wonderful. Service was good efficient and not invasive. read more

Each season we have at least one dinner at the Braca Café. This year was no exception. We were cheerfully greeted by Kim at the reception desk. Not to be confused with Kim Gibson, the owner who had the night off. I am sorry we didn't get to see him that night. The service from Ann our server was super. We ordered the mussels fra Diavolo and the crispy shrimp. Mussels were delicious. The crispy shrimp were new for us. We normally get the fried calamari. We gobbled up the shrimp in a few seconds. My lovely bride ordered blackened scallops over penne pasta. I had a taste it was super. My Dad ordered the crab cakes. He didn't share a taste with us, wonder why. I had the chicken parmesan, one of my favorites. It came with a side order of penne. The chicken was moist and tender. I am often puzzled by the reviews I read on Yelp. It seems like more people post a review when something goes wrong. We travel a great deal and eat out often. I rarely write about experiences unless they are really bad. My new plan is to write more good reviews. Bottom line, we all had a great evening, and have no plans of taking the Braca Café off our dining list read more