Once you take Channel Marker for what it's worth, the experience becomes a whole lot better. This is a dockside eatery with great views - meant to be a casual spot for you to enjoy some food while you watch the sunset. It doesn't promise to be an elite experience, and it is a very popular spot especially in the summer. It gets slammed and a reservation is recommended! I've been to Channel Marker a few times within the past summer, both positive experiences - although, they were slammed last night and the kitchen was backed up, so we ended up waiting a while for our entrees. We were not in a rush so we didn't mind. Channel Marker is known for their crabcakes, and whether you get the appetizer or the entree, they are definitely a must. They're giant and use little to no filler in the recipe - and when the menu says 'colossal,' they mean it. One crabcake is honestly enough for a full entree! I actually like the flavors / accoutrement better on the single appetizer crabcake as opposed to those with the entree. I've also had the salmon, which was a giant and well-seasoned piece of fish - however, I was not into the sides that it came with. In fact, I find the side dishes to be weirdly insulting to the delicious piece of salmon that this place serves. It comes with lump crab bruscetta, and I really do think it's a waste of crab. I hope they consider changing the sides for the salmon in the future - it's such a nice piece of fish, the crab salad overshadows the salmon entirely. (Also, the ratatouille salad was fine but not to my taste.) Also, the roasted potatoes / garlic linguine are killer. (I would rather have a side of those roasted potatoes with my salmon than the salad they were serving!) One thing is for certain - every time we come here, the food is extremely fresh and hot. In addition, the staff busts their butts here. The place is easily overwhelmed because it's small, and the waitresses do their best. Shout out to Dominique, who we've had a couple of times now! Each time she was pleasant, informative, and accommodating. read more

Service is horrible. We had no apps and it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get our meals and one meal had to go back twice. We stayed out of there for four years and it looks like we won't be going back for another four or not at all. Get your act together already. read more

Food was below average at best and certainly not worth the prices charged. Outside of the salads, which were plentiful and tasty the entrees were truly forgettable. Big prices for dishes that mostly got dumped in the trash. Shrimp had iodine flavor and was undercooked. Pastas were not worth eating (low quality). Service was mixed. Waitress was welcoming and friendly but Entrees were served before the appetizers were cleared. Overall a disappointment. Not to return. read more

I have never had such bad service as we received at the Channel Marker this evening. We will never return. We had reservations for 3 for 6 pm. We ordered appys at 615, they arrived 6:18. Surprised,we were told they were someone else's order. We waited and waited for service. Tables came, ordered, paid and left. No service for us! We waited patiently. The server brought incorrect food. No drink orders, no water. One hour after, the server came with 2 of our 3 orders. There was no one in the restaurant. The third order appeared. We packed it to go. I chose this restaurant to treat my son and daughter-in Law. I've never been so embarrassed! Shame on you!! We packed dinner to go and left. What a sad experience! We will not return and will be sure to share our experience w our neighbors and friends. This is one local restaurant not worth the time to visit. read more

We booked this restaurant for our wedding reception mid July. In this capacity, they were nothing short of amazing. ALL of our guests commented on how good the food was, and the varied selection of it to choose from. Almost all of the appetizers were all gone (sad bride who only got a handful of them ;), and there wasn't much food left overall because people kept going back for more. They were great to work with, in creating the menu, along with being accommodating on all our different food requests (i.e. guests with food allergies, vegetarians, vegans etc..). It was excellent tasting food for everyone. They had plenty of servers on hand who cleared everything promptly, took care of doling out the cake slices after we cut it, and no one had a single complaint. The valet parking was also very helpful. We had a beautiful night weather wise with a gorgeous sunset which made for amazing pictures. While on a regular night for dinner here, there could be some mishaps as others have stated in their reviews, but for a special event I couldn't recommend a better place! Thank you to Mark, Tara, and Jennifer who made our evening a wonderful one to remember. read more

Trying to make a reservation. No one answered the phone Ordered steak and it was not cooked as per what I ordered. As for service not very friendly read more

I now see why this place has a 2.9 star rating. What an absolute horror show we experienced while we were there. Service was slow and just not welcoming. The food was mediocre at best and I think I'm being generous there very overpriced for what you get the shrimp had a weird flavor maybe like it was bad. The only thing I could say that was good with somebody at our table ordered a salad and they seem to enjoy it other than that I would save your money. There are much better places to eat in the area read more

What a wonderful location right on the dock...perfect for a sunset dinner. This unassuming little place at Ocean Beach III, on Barnegat Bay, offers valet parking, white tablecloths, professional service and fine dining. Who would have thought?! But yes the menu offers an updated smart American menu. However, it's really not a place to bring small children...a mistake we made with a 2 and 4 year old kids. Sunset can be stunning but careful with a hot day! It can get brutal. Overall, I highly recommend but save it for date night or a special occasion! read more

Tried to book their room for a birthday party but it was not available. They were able to accommodate our party of 19 in their dining room. What a spectacular job was pulled off! The whole dinner went smoothly. The food was excellent. The staff were so polite even though they were really hustling. My wife's birthday surprise was a great event! Please do yourself a favor and visit Chanel Maker! read more

The best!! Great food and location. Staff very friendly and accommodating. You won't be disappointed

This place is a very nice restaurant with a great bay view. I had made reservations outside and was told of it rained they would be canceled. When we got there is was drizzling a little bit it wasn't horrible the outside some tables are only partially covered. So consider that when making a reservation. Leslie our waitress was extreme friendly and helpful with our decisions. We got the calamari to start which I never photographed. Everyone said it was great too. For dinner we got 2 Zuppa di pecse, the channel marker risotto and the linguini and clams. For dessert we got the pistachio cheese cake, the regular cheesecake and this chocolate and vanilla sponge cake with cherries. Everything was excellent and came out quickly too And I forgot it's BYOB!!! read more

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Service was very good. Young wait staff was pleasant and attentive to our needs. To the food...ugh. We ordered 3 apps that were below average, the mussels being the "best" of the bunch. My entree was the rigatoni bolognese which could have fed an army but lacked and zest, meaningful flavor, and was actually pretty bad. The bread was so bad, like it was picked up from the local 7-11. Ambiance on the water was very nice however. But the food missed the mark by a mile. read more

we got there and they asked if we had a reservation (not knowing we needed one) so they said as long as you don't stay too long we can squeeze you in. Being grateful they took us outside to the end of the boardwalk patio where a HUGE industrial fan was blowing bc it smelt like a Porta John like someone's cavity was rotting! and to add insult to injury the table was missing foot making the table on a complete slant. we told the waiter and he stuck a NAPKIN. we could barley eat it was so bad it was in clothes when we got home. $185 bill later AND it's a byob they didn't give me a bucket ice to put my wine in. DIS.GUS.TING. read more

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Rating: 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4. First off, the view and the ambience are wonderful here. With reservations at 7 pm, we were able to see the sunset from our table. We did opt to sit inside since the forecast called for rain on and off, but definitely try to sit outside if you can. For apps, we got calamari, meatballs, and their "popular" crab cakes. The crab cakes were just okay, but the meatballs and the calamari were good. The meatballs came with a heaping side of ricotta. Entrees were a range of pastas and fish dishes, all of which were good but not phenomenal. Our service was great! Our waitress was Michelle and she was energetic and friendly. read more

Channel Marker Cafe - Dinner menu summer 2023 - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Their website does not show that you can make reservations (It showed that it would be closed on the day I wanted to go. I called to check 2 hours before the usual opening time and left a message saying that I was looking for a table for 3 around 7 pm. No one called me back, so at 5:30, I called again. The guy who answered indicated that they took reservations by phone only (no such mention on their website), but that they were completely booked for that night. No apology. No "thanks for pointing out that there was nothing on the website. Downright rude. read more

Had a baby shower last year at the Channel Marker Cafe. Wonderful food and beautiful bay views. read more

Channel Marker Cafe - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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We sat outside at Channel Marker, but the smell was so bad we couldn't even eat our food. The staff didn't know the cause, but we believe it was coming from the restaurant's grease traps. It was overwhelming and definitely not worth the visit. read more

Food is good not great. Nice location if the weather cooperates and you can dine outside. Service is very slow and disorganized.

We ate at the Channel Marker twice this summer. Once on Wednesday for in July and also for breakfast on the following Sunday. It's a popular spot due to it being on the water and having a great view. I would say you would go for the views and wouldn't go for the food but it was quite decent so it's definitely worth a visit. For dinner, we got there at 5:45 (we had an event at 7) and we told all the outdoor tables were reserved (even though they were mostly empty when we came in, but we took their word for it) and had to sit inside. I noticed that another yelper complained that they weren't seated cause they were told they didn't have a reservation and yet the tables were empty, but since the same thing happened to us, we can attest that the hostess is not a liar. I ordered the linguine and clams while my friend ordered the crab sandwich with French fries. She really liked hers, and I liked mine once I added a lot of salt (damn taste buds). We returned over the weekend for breakfast. I had heard that the outdoor tables fill up quickly and reservations are not accepted for breakfast so we went early, even before they officially opened, I think it as around 8:30? Can't remember, but it took about a half hour before the tables filled up. For the yelper that gave a negative review that the hours weren't updated for the fall and wanted to go eat breakfast on the weekend...I think this was unwarranted. This is a beach town. Most places right now are short staffed and most always close after Labor Day Weekend regardless of staff issues or not.. Cut them some slack, so what the website wasn't updated. Anyway, I ordered the Nutella French toast and my friend had the egg sandwich, again, she really liked hers. I liked mine but it really was a lot of Nutella with a side of French toast. Still, worth visiting. read more

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What a nice gem literally by the water were boats are docked. We were a party of 4 with reservations (on 6/27). Its BYOB so of course we brought a couple of bottles. We ordered apps for the table: Calamari and Shrimp cocktail with crab. Entrees: Ahi tuna, Scallops, Crab Cakes. We even ordered dessert. Everything was excellent. From the service, to the food and of course the view was awesome. Thanks for making our experience memorable for us out of towners from the city of brotherly love. read more

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Best lobster roll and lobster bisque EVER! Also recommend the Mahi Tacos with homemade remoulade sauce. Impressive selection of fresh fish to buy. A hidden gem read more

Channel Marker Cafe - Great selection of fresh seafood - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Made reservation was not told it was for outside.. when we arrived an elderly person in our group was not satisfied with the location. Staff was very accommodating to set up and move us to side of building. Which was much better and later they turned on the outdoor heater which was really nice. Service was excellent waitress and staff great.. food was very good..will be back read more

Ok so I have to start off by saying, I was really disappointed ONLY bc all of the pictures from "a year ago" had menu items that weren't available. That being said, I uploaded a hunch of pics from this summer (2022) and I have to say, EVERYTHING WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The mussels were delicious---adding all that fresh arugula was great! We got the Zorba Salad with Caesar dressing and it was great! We also shared a jumbo crab cake---let me say, this was ALL LUMP CRAB MEAT-- no bread crumbs. We also got the charred octopus and it was fantastic! I'm so glad I didn't get dinner bc the appetizers were huge! My husband got the pork porterhouse and he said it was pretty good. This is a hidden gem right on the bay, gorgeous views and a byob! read more

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Went to dinner here sat down and waited over 1 hour for 2 dishes of pasta. No bread or water was ever served. Waiter was in a real FOUL mood as well. Food finally arrived and it was very bland but that wasn't the issue. Staff was extremely rude, one of the girls did try and apologize for our waiter said he was "having a bad day". So I guess he was able to ruin our experience there. Will not be returning and will tell friends to avoid like the plauge. Mangement should be aware of who is representing their restaurant because they will sink it into the ground with poor attitudes towards the people giving them money. read more

Went to dinner with my family there, for my birthday food was not OK person that waited on the table did not remove dishes asked us to move dishes so he could put dishes down. Food was oily, wet risotto was disgusting. I don't know how they called risotto when I was sitting in the oil, just not what it used to be and they want to charge you exorbitant prices and give you inferior service and food. place sucks never go back. read more

Nope, done! Expected a good FATHER'S DAY meal, my son's first. Ordered two NY Strip Steaks, sent one back it was so tough. Neither looked like any strip steak I'd ever seen. Got too popular and the food went down hill! Won't go back! read more

They must have a new chef or they are using inferior ingredients. The food is not nearly as good as last year. The pork chop was all fat and the fish was just so so. Not a very good dining experience. Skip this one. read more

Hard to leave a review when the last two times you went, they aren't open. Their website shows breakfast Saturday and Sunday 9-12.... I know it's off season so I decided to check their Instagram to make sure that's still the case, Instagram from 3 days again says come see us this weekend! Sat/sun 9-3 and 5-9. Decided hmmmm it's September, let me call but no answer which is often the case when I've called. Take the trip out there by boat and walk in at 11:20. Low and behold, breakfast ends at 11 and lunch begins at 12. In today's media world, it's pretty inexcusable to not have up-to -date information on things such as change in hours. Of course, the hostess was not so friendly and completely unapologetic but they've never been known for the friendliest staff read more

Channel Marker Cafe - Hours - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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I called the restaurant to put my name on the list. The young lady at the desk said she could not do that but ensured me if I would come by I would be seated and served in a timely manner. I showed up 15 minutes later with my family and was told that they were no longer serving breakfast. I explained the situation to the manager and was basically told too bad. I asked politely to be made aware of the possibility that this may happen in the future and he told me no. This place is absolute garbage, I have had multiple bad experiences because it's the only restaurant that I can get to by boat within a reasonable distance to my house. I would give it less than 1 star if I coul read more

Menu looked great online but unfortunately was unable to try anything. We arrived at 5:30 PM to an empty restaurant with maybe 8 total tables seated. While waiting for the hostess to come up to the stand, I saw the list of reservations, only totaling 7 tables for the next hour. We asked the hostess if we could be seated as a table of 5 at 5:30 in an empty restaurant and were turned away and told to go to their other restaurant that "takes walk ins". Absolutely no where on the website does it say reservation only. Totally fine to operate that way but then make in known to the public if you plan on turning away a table way before the dinner rush for seemingly no reason. Do yourself a favor and try literally any other restaurant with nicer staff without their noses in the air read more

Don't get the 3 star rating! This place is 5 out of 5 ambiance is great inside or outside. Service was very attentive and generous. Food was very good crab cakes were the absolute best. If you haven't gone go! read more

Omg no air conditioning!! Everyone complaining!! Food was ok server was very nice but how can you operate a business in 95 degree weather? I hope people read this !! today will be 100 degrees read more

We really like this place. Unlike many restaurants at the jersey shore, this one DOES take reservations. Which for us is really important. We have a lot of friends and family visit us during the summer season and we are usually a big group. So reservations are important. The menu is compact, but most of the items are really good. Portions are big. Some of my favorites are the crab cakes, the Mediterranean assorted platter and the linguine and clam sauce. It gets a little noisy sometimes because there is no carpet or drapes to absorb the sound. Most of the wait staff is really good. Sometimes we get a younger waiter/waitress who is not as seasoned, but still okay. The view is beautiful. Try and dine here so that you can catch the sunset. It's really a spectacular view. We definitely recommend this place. read more

Channel Marker Cafe - American Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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So...haven't been in a while but eating with 3 others and every dish was really good. People are so nice there. This is off season and was so happy it was open. Will definitely go back. Off season dinner you miss the beautiful water views but everything else was great! read more

We had an 8pm reservation. Checked in with the hostess and was told our table was being cleaned. 30 minutes later we were seated and due to impending weather our table Was changed. We ordered appetizers which were promptly delivered. We waited for our entrees for 40 minutes (no waitress in sight) . When the entrees were finally delivered the waitress never came back to check to see if the food was adequate. The bus person came to clear the plates and the waitress appears to drop the check. No coffee/dessert was offered. When we asked we were told it was past our 2 hour seating! REALLY???? It was no fault of ours. So much for spending close to $500 on dinner for 8 people and getting a complete meal! So disappointed!!! Food was okay but not worth the cost or the lack of customer service! read more

Such a cute spot with a nice view of the marina. Breakfast is delicious, we got egg sandwiches and the Nutella French toast. Staff is so sweet and helpful also. Perfect spot for a family to go to. read more

We had a 7:15 reservation, got apps quickly but our dinner did not come out until 9:30. Food was good but not worth the wait.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! my poor little one never got his dinner, we waited an hour for three salads and a grilled cheese, then we were told that we had to move our boat and still had never received our dinner. Everyone around us that came after got their food. So angry. Then the manager wouldn't compensate until I put up a stink. Ended up leaving with NO FOOD. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!!! Now it's 8pm and my 1 year old still hasn't eaten. read more

Disappointed about the lack of service and professionalism Read this review before going here. We waited a while for a table ( even though there were many many empty tables!) After the hostess sat us down she explained the stove was broken and she wasn't sure how long it would take to fix. During this time while we waited there was no interaction with the wait staff where we could place our orders in addition they did not seem to care. No one offered us any bread or other cold items as we waited. In addition, two members of our party ordered "wraps" and were informed later that they were "out of wraps". We waited approx 45 min until we were informed the stove was repaired. Upon completion of our meal there was no apology or compensation offered for the inconvenience. We would have left and gone somewhere else but we walked from our Lavallette House and this place is not around anything else. read more

Can't tell you how the food was. We went in to get a table and as soon as we walked in the blond haired hostess had a disgusted look on her face. We said we would like a table and she asked for our name We said we did not have a reservation. She smirks and says we don't take walkins. I asked when we needed to call for a table for the next few days and she says we are booked until Sunday. Lots of empty tables there too. Won't be getting my business read more