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

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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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

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

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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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

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

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

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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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

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

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

Food was good and the staff was super. Caught a spectacular sunset. Definitely a good spot, love the marina. Better make reservations days ahead. Oh yeah, it's BYOB, so plan accordingly! 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

If you could give zero stars I would. Totally mismanaged ... "Give me 5 minutes we are clearing a table ..." ... 20 minutes later after seating 3 groups we walked out ... managing walk ins and reservations isn't that complicated !! read more

food was good,tables too small and dining experience crowded. what really upset me was there was no warning of 3% surcharge for using a credit card. restaurant should note this on check. very disappointing. read more

I'm giving this place a 3, which could easily have been a 4+. I've been here twice now. The first time was pretty good overall. But on the slow side. Very oddly, to use the restroom, you must leave the restaurant and enter through the parking lot. But we were willing to overlook this. Our second visit, undid any of the good from our first visit. We had a reservation and we're seated promptly. And then began a 24 minute wait until a server so much as acknowledged us, as I was standing to go inside to complain. Our drinks came pretty quickly and we placed our order. The food, as last time was good. Calamari were fresh and not chewy. Well seasoned and cooked. Entrees as well we're good, but I can't remember what I ate if that's any indication. Nothing special, but no complaints. Drink refills were non existent. Which our server also became as we began to wait again for our check. We could have walked out, had the valet being our car and probably been half way home before they even realized we'd left. I'll reluctantly give this a 3rd chance as so far the score is 1-1, but the last experience has definitely left a bad taste read more

We love this place! You can sit outside at the marina or inside at one of their two dining rooms. We love the new menu and new chef this year, too. Victoria is our favorite hostess and ask for Ryan as your waiter. Great young man! read more

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

Enjoyed a lovely meal on the water, it was a beautiful day!! We had the tuna tower with avocado and mango salsa which was delicious! Steamed clams, who's broth needed a little umf it was more just melted butter than a true broth that you want to dip bread into. Salmon and crab cake dish were well liked as were the burger and fried calamari, but the wings were over sauced and had rubbery skin. Thats really the only negative anyone had to say about the food. Overall a good meal with a nice waitress. The water view makes everything better! BTW this is BYOB which is great but when our waitress offered to make us sangria from our bottle of wine we were thrilled. She told us it would cost us the price of a dish of fruit which is $4..ok, why not? Well then that waitress left mid service and another took over and when we got our bill we were charged $15!!! It said 4 searra mists and 4 bowls of fruit.. of course we questioned this and the waitress said that the cashier did the charge. Look at the picture, its one of those small soda pitchers which apparently contained our entire bottle of wine plus 4 full sodas and 4 bowls of fruit?!?!? No way!! Unless they kept half our bottle of wine because they never bought it back to the table. Anyway, the waitress took care of it, but you might want to confirm the price with them if you go for the sangria. The chocolate bomb cake was devoured by our son, so I cant comment on the taste but he sure loved it! We will for sure be back!! read more

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We walked in for breakfast at 10:35 and they told us that they weren't seating for breakfast any longer and were closing till noon, for lunch. Weird to close for an hour and 25 min... And were not very friendly read more

I'm giving this a 3 since that's what the restaurant is rated though I didn't actually eat here. Picked it as a seafood restaurant to eat at our last night of vacation as it seemed like the best option on the island. I called at 4:30 on a Thursday for a 6 pm reservation and they were booked up and we could go at 5 or 8:30. We figured we'd give it a shot and walked in at 5:30 and even though there were tons of empty tables they said we'd have to wait until after 8. I get that they were busy but I wish they had tried to accommodate two adults and a child. They likely could have gotten us in and out. read more