It's not an Ocean City family vacation without multiple trips to Kessel's! During our week at the shore, we visited Kessel's three times: takeout on our first night, ice cream mid-week, and an early dine-in dinner before heading home. As always, each of our three experiences this July were fantastic, with our last shining the most. We typically do take-out on night number one, and like in years past, the food is always ready on time and prepared as ordered. We ordered an array of items including Cheesesteaks, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Burgers, Grilled Cheese, Fries, and Onion Rings. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. The line stretched around the side of the building the night we stopped for ice cream, but it moved quickly. Staff efficiently took orders, prepared cones and sundaes, and kept the line moving despite the large crowd. While take-out is always great from Kessel's, I will always prefer dining in! You really can't beat the old-school diner vibes and decor, and the service is outstanding. Julia, our server, did an incredible job with our party of 7. She was highly attentive, frequently checked in, and really added to our experience. My Cheesesteak Hoagie with hot peppers may have been my favorite thing I've ordered from Kessel's to date, but it's hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. The burgers and wraps are also solid choices. I also ordered a fresh Peach Sundae and I highly recommend! Julia even made my sundae herself in addition to waiting tables, and it tasted every bit as good as it looked. Absolutely picture-worthy! Kessel's is a cash-only establishment, but for seven people--including sandwiches, burgers, wraps, multiple orders of fries, and a few desserts--the total was just over $100. That's an incredible value especially at the Jersey Shore. Kessel's will always be a staple of our family vacations and continues to be a highlight for our nieces. If you've yet to experience breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just an ice cream sundae from this adorable, little, retro-feeling diner, please pay them a visit. I think you'll be glad you did. read more

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The so-called Kessel's Korner wages war on man's senses from the very outset of one's foray into its hallowed halls. Be not afraid, for it is a necessary part of the process. It is normal to find oneself with a peculiar sense of being without time, and being within a coca-cola controlled dimension between ours and that of our forebears. It is crucial that you ignore any compunction to run screaming out the front door and onto the streets of Ocean City. I assure you, they are not there. What you see through those windows is an illusion to illicit comfort in your mortal mind. In actuality you have been removed to an extra-temporal imposition of Americana-kitsch. Once you have reconciled this fact and cleansed yourself of any unclean thoughts you may proceed to your booth, where you will order one cheeseburger and one strawberry milkshake. It is important that you order only these two items, as ordering any others will upset the delicate harmonics that weave our world with it. You will enjoy them. You will Pay. Only now will you be returned to our reality. It is an archaic anti-theft measure, but it is an effective one. You will leave. Be safe. read more

Off the boardwalk but worth visiting. Most reasonably priced place I found in OCNJ. Classic diner. Good amount of indoor seating. I loved everything I ordered but my wife disliked everything she ordered, so order carefully. I loved the home roasted beef wrap, large garden salad and blackberry/chocolate chip frozen yogurt. read more

We stopped in for a quick afternoon ice cream sundae. The offerings were wonderful and the choices delicious.

We had their breakfast, food came out super quick, everything was really yummy and the 50's vibe had a nice touch to it. Wait staff was super friendly, def recommend! read more

Kessel's Korner used to be a hidden gem. Now it tends to be quiet packed. A small diner with great breakfast/lunch options. My go to was the buffalo chicken cheesesteak, one of my favorite spots to get one. read more

Kessel's Korner just gets it right. I took one bite of the cheeseburger and it made me feel like a true American. Just a perfect, no BS burger. Fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, bun, everything works. Quality! The tomato actually stood out. You can tell they care. No top or bottom piece, just a perfect slice. The staff is awesome, the owner works his tail off, and the whole place has that classic summer feel no matter when you go. They honestly need a spot in Citizens Bank Park because this is exactly what I want to be eating during a game. Just a great, real spot. read more

Another perfect lunch at Kessel's. All three ~8 inch sandwiches we had were excellent and just the right size for lunch. Service is always the absolute best here; that never fails to be the case. read more

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Once again this corner jem is no secret anymore. Everyone knows about this gem and it still holds my 5* rating. If you haven't tried it you should. read more

Nice little place. Corner location with indoor and outdoor seating in a nice bike rack for those to ride there. Food is good and service is friendly. Fast casual atmosphere. Would be five stars but for the fact that they are cash only. With of course a fee based ATM in the building. It's becoming a cashless world and they need to get with the program. read more

Easy and convenient for locals. It's basically junk food for kids. Nothing to write home about.

Quick & friendly service. Amazing food for a great price! Will definitely be coming back :)

Kessels Korner is the best restraint for a nice Friday night on a hot summer day! ITS FOOD IS outstanding I definitely recommend the fries. All of the servers are so kind and I definitely recommend it here.The service is so fast you just blink and it's there! read more

Great food. Quick service. Good hospitality. Annoying they only take cash but food makes up for it. Home feel in the restaurant. read more

Kessel's Korner - Crispy Chicken Cesar Wrap. Pickles were very nice and fresh. 10/10 - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Tried Kessel's Korner for the first time and loved it - service was awesome and fairly quick considering how slammed they were. We had a large group and two toddlers and our server was attentive and delivered everything with a smile. The food was great - tasted fresh and really hit the spot after a day at the beach. And the ice cream afterward was fantastic - great selection of flavors and sundaes, and the milkshake was perfect - not too thick where it's impossible to drink! Great work! read more

Been coming to Kessel's for years when we come and visit family. The food never disappoints, the service is always spot on perfect and the SWEET TEA is beyond amazing! We always take some to go! We come during peak and off season, and the vibe is always the same with the owner always doing the cooking! read more

Kessel's Korner - Tuna Salad Platter - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

I stumbled upon this place while heading to the beach. I needed a quick bite and this seemed to be the closest spot with good reviews. Service is poor. The people working there aren't friendly unfortunately. The food is not bad. I got the egg salad sandwich on rye bread and it was good and filling. read more

The food is always fresh and delicious, I typically do a breakfast sandwich or omelette and have NEVER been disappointed. Other delights are their cheeseburger and at the top of the list is their peach sundae! The service is always prompt , great little place for a meal ! read more

The steak sandwich was very good and was surprisingly affordable. The staff was prompt and courteous. That makes this a great place to revisit. read more

Adorable place and pretty good food, but I think people like the ambiance more than anything - red decor, cute staff uniforms, and old fashioned vibes. My roast beef (store made) was fabulous! Joey liked his chicken salad hoagie, but said it was a bit dry (not enough mayo only reason). My daughter didn't like her burger - said "meh." My son LOVED his buffalo chicken cheese steak! Cash only, but I knew prior. Good prices. read more

Kessel's Korner - buffalo chicken cheese steak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Great old fashioned burger and ice cream joint. Great service, reasonable prices. Not fancy but clean. Great friendly atmosphere.

Very good cheesesteak! It's been awhile and I'm a huge fan of Cooper Sharp cheese now. Portion was great and Mr. Patroni was very nice.

Great service, great desserts, okay food. My family and I are local to the area and visit Kessel's often. For starters, the inside of the restaurant is absolutely adorable. It's red and white checkered pattern gives you a homey and classic feel. There's booths, tables, and a counter with stools for customers to sit at. The food itself there is just okay. Basic items like fries, grilled cheese, salads, burgers, tenders, etc. Nothing to write home about. However, the ice cream options make up for it. Kessel's has both an outside ice cream window and inside ordering options. They have a vast ice cream menu where they can prepare many different types of ice cream in many creative ways. I got the red and white ice cream sundae (attached picture) and it was great! A very large, shareable size and tasted very good. In the past I've ordered milkshakes, banana splits, and sundaes and have never been disappointed! All in all I recommend Kessel's if you're looking for a casual place to eat on the island or looking for a dessert stop! I will be going back! read more

Kessel's Korner - The red and white ice cream sundae I ordered. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

i did a take out. the cheesesteak's good but the crispy chicken sandwich is a little dry

The fresh peach sundaes are a don't kiss in ocean city!! They are only available when peaches are in season. We had a quick lunch - burger & fries read more

Kessel's is still our #1 after 14 years of coming to OCNJ in the summer. The vibe inside is fast-paced service and very diner-ish. There will be laughter and tears all around you because it's like a giant family went out to eat and you're part of it. It's just part of the experience! The waitresses cannot be nicer or sweeter or try harder. They work very hard and it shows! If you want to skip waiting for a table, eat at the counter like we do! You can watch all the guys in the back making the magic- and it's fun to watch! The Kessel's Special (hamburger with melted cheese and LTO) and fries (crinkle and sooooo good!) is our go-to, but we've also had many of the sandwiches and wraps and salads and all are great. You really can't go wrong! The ice cream is the best part- there's a window to order if you are too full after dinner and you walk back later like we always do, but if you have room after food do not skip! The flavors are always so good (last night I got salted caramel with chocolate covered pretzels) and they have great toppings. The fresh peach sundae is a fan fave as well as the Kessel's Kooler (soft serve whipped up with any toppings you choose). Kessel's we love you! Probably see you for lunch or dinner or ice cream (again) today. read more

Nice family owned burger and shake place near the beach. Had the cheeseburger and cheesesteak and both were very good. Plenty of servers to take your order. And the atmosphere had that 1950's feel. Prices were reasonable considering it was on the beach. read more

ChickenParm with Caramelized onions is the best sandwich I've had in a really long time. Best post beach dinner

Delicious food and friendly staff!! 10/10 would recommend. Cute inside as well. We also got some milkshakes to go which were delicious !!! read more

Kessel's Korner - Cheese steak with sweet peppers - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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Food was great, service was great, the atmosphere is charming but a limited menu and cash only with paper plates isn't always what you want.

Food was great and so was service Peach ice cream sundaes were as good as last year Lots of people waiting to eat glad we got their early read more

I fully understand it's Summer and they're busy. But I go to Kessel's year round specifically for their fresh ground, juicy hamburger. Awesome Roll, great fried onions, Jersey tomatoes (when available), crispy lettuce, tangy pickles and condiments of your choice. What a disappointment this visit...Dry ass burger that some hack cook decided to stab to death so there wasn't an ounce of flavor or juice left! A stalwart in the burger game falls to novice techniques. I will return but so disappointing. #hackcookssuck read more

Kessel's Korner - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

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This place is so fun it's got major vintage diner vibes inside, we stopped for ice cream but the food smelled so good I can't wait to go back and actually eat there! The one weird thing is you can't order ice cream inside you have to go to the window outside, but no one acknowledged us for quite a while so we went inside to try to order and rather than let us order they sent us back outside to the window. It is off season so I'm sure they have better service in the summer, and they weren't super rude about it either which is good. read more

This is the only place on the island that has kept prices the same without compromising on quality. Their prices are fair and the food always delivers, so I can't stop coming back. Kessel's is a great option for every meal and it has something for everyone. I hope this place keeps up the good work! read more

Food menu is a little slim, but OH the ice cream!! Our family loves taking walks in the neighborhood and Kessels for ice cream gets us moving! From a classic soft serve cone with sprinkles, to a mile high sundae and even a creative selection of ice cream sodas you can't go wrong! read more

Kessel's Korner - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

This was our go to place staying in OCNJ off season this year, and it did not disappoint! We had a variety of sandwiches, hoagies, cheesesteaks, burgers. All very good considering there isn't a lot very good to eat in OCNJ... I got a seat at the bar one day and saw them making the sandwiches. Quite a process to get all the meat\cheese\toppings into the sandwich, they use the edge of the knife to get everything into the roll. One nice touch...they scoop the inside out of their bread! Just on one side it seems, but it does allow for more fillings and less bread! I actually got one of their long rolls to go, and a few pats of butter. Very good, we will be back! read more

So I'm back in SJ in Strathmere and looked for a cheesesteak on Yelp. Saw Kessel's corner on Yelp with mostly good reviews. I ordered pick up and when I got there they didn't have my order(cheese steak wit), FF and a shake. Not a big deal so on the ride back to Strathmere had the krinkle fries which were good and the shake, also decent. When I opened the cheese steak I couldn't believe what I saw. Steakum, not chopped ribeye. So, I don't recommend this place at all for a cheese steak and probably wouldn't recommend for anything else if they are using such cheap meat and calling it a cheese steak. read more

Kessel's Korner - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Ocean City, New Jersey

Very basic, but good, sit-down dining, sandwich shoppe and ice cream parlor in OCNJ. It's a classic kind of old OCNJ place. Despite the fact that I've been coming to OCNJ for many years, I've only ever been to Kessels once before--for breakfast. This time it was for dinner on a dreary Memorial Day weekend day. The place was busy. I'm sure it would have been packed if it wasn't for the fact that it was a bad weather weekend. Basic burgers, sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and ice cream. Not at all a fancy menu, and not fine dining, but a pleasant family-type of experience. Also, not too expensive, considering you're in a beach resort. Servers were friendly. Cash only. read more

Tried this out for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. I was surprised that the cheesesteak is not chopped up but it was still delicious. I personally didn't care for the Mac and cheese bites but my bf liked them. Everything was pretty inexpensive also 2 large cheesesteaks and everything else for 37$ not to shabby. Will be back! read more

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Nice place for a quick bite to eat. They are cash only but have a ATM inside. The old school soda floats and various other dessert items make it worth a try! read more