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    Rusty Nail Bar & Grill

    3.0 (597 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Bars
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Rusty Nail Bar & Grill Photos

    RUSTY NAIL BAR & GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Rusty Nail Bar & Grill

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chris C.

    Watching the Kentucky Derby with friends at the Rusty Nail, great local spot down on the beach in Cape May!

    Margaret S.

    A great place for people of all ages. Food is excellent, staff are great. Outside seating area has firepits for those chilly evenings, so you can sit comfortably and listen to live music. Visiting Cape May NJ? Then this is a must visit place.

    Marque out front.
    Neil B.

    Date of Visit: Aug. 2, 2025 This again was another stop on my road trip during my stay in Cape May, what a nice town. I was actually wanting to go to a place on the other island that served Blue Crabs, I really wanted those. However where I was staying didn't have many parking spots and was afraid I wouldn't have one when I came back so I forgo the crabs for now. After having a grand breakfast to start the day and so-so slices of pizza it was time for dinner. I had stopped in here earlier in the day to have a beer and was able to check the menu, all looked good. Earlier I sat at the outside bar, for dinner I decided to sit at the inside bar which over looked the outside area. This place is set up for everyone from solo travelers like my self to couples and families. The families mostly sat out side in the sand (beach) area. As I looked over the menu I settled on the bacon wrapped scallops and a summer salad. I did make the mistake by not ordering one of the local beers, dang. The scallops and salad arrived and looked great. I needed something light and somewhat healthy since I have been eating on the road the past couple of days. The scallops were done right and the salad fresh and crisp. Unlike the pizza I had earlier that day. If your in the area and looking for a place to eat with your family or solo you may want to give it a try. Peace.

    Baja Grilled Mahi Tacos
    Dan M.

    This was across the street from the beach with lots of seating. There was a bar both inside and outside along with lots of tables in the sand. There was also a fire pit with seating available. The menu had a range of different choices while the service was appreciated. For appetizers, the strawberry hot wings ($19) and local oysters ($21) were ordered. The wings came with a strawberry dipping sauce. I never saw something like this, so I had to order. There were about eleven or so good size wings with plenty of sauce. The cook on the wings was okay. I would have preferred them to be cooked longer. The strawberry sauce was tasty. It had a very slight kick to it, but nothing ridiculous. It balanced the sweetness from the strawberry aspect. There were a half-dozen oysters with a mignonette. These were fresh and tasty while the traditional mignonette enhanced the oysters. For an entrée, the Baja grilled mahi tacos ($25) were ordered. There were two tacos with a mango marinade on the mahi, shaved lettuce, pineapple salsa, avocado crema, and chipotle aioli. Each taco was stuffed with an ideal piece of mahi. The mahi had a nice cook but lacked a little seasoning. The other parts of the taco made up for that. The avocado crema and the chipotle aioli made for an appealing combination of flavors too. Will I go back? Yes.

    Mahi tacos
    Stephanie L.

    Spacious restaurant with bar & grill type food. The outdoor seating area includes picnic tables and Adirondack chairs on the sand. There are also a couple fire pits outside with seating for the colder months. I sat outside and enjoyed the end of the sunset. Zucchini sticks for app was surprisingly good. Per server recommendation, I tried the rusty wrap which contained fried flounder, and also got the mahi tacos. Between the two I liked the wrap better! There was live music when I came which was a nice addition.

    Mac n cheese appetizer
    Nicole G.

    Every September my friends and I come here. We love Chef Jimmy's food! The fried shrimp are our favorite. We were shocked that they were removed from the menu but shrimp cocktail remained. The butterfly shrimp are well seasoned and fried to a golden brown color. They come with cocktail sauce and homemade horseradish sauce. I like the ambiance so I stayed and ordered the nachos and salsa. The chips were stale and salsa lacked flavor. We were craving our second favorite. The Mac and cheese balls are well seasoned, good crunch and filled with cheese. The cheese pull is video worthy. We need the fried shrimp back on the menu.

    Chicken Nachos
    Barron N.

    Very disappointing dinner experience. Under staffed and not prepared for summer time customers. Food came out so slow, shrimp cocktail and chicken wings took 50 minutes to arrive at the table. Shrimp cocktail the ice was melting and came out in half ice and water. Wings were smothered in BBQ sauce. Dinner also was underwhelming and expensive at least that came out a bit quicker. Overall disappointing and won't be back for food. This place should just focus on bar, music, smaller menu if they can't handle the summer time heat.

    Kids Mac and cheese
    Faye K.

    This place is so neat! Love the beach vibe with the sand area but live music is super loud! The sandbox is fun for the kids but because of the loud live music, we couldn't really sit by the sand. But we were able to enjoy the sand area after the kids were done eating and it was fun! I got the beach plum farm pull pork sandwich and it was delicious! The kids meal came on a frisbee which is super neat! The kids were playing with the frisbee after dinner! I highly recommend! The servers and the hostess were super friendly as well and I appreciated the huge bathroom!!

    Menu
    Matt R.

    The bevy of three star reviews scream "shore tourist trap!" I'm going to agree with this rating but what makes this place tolerable is the happy hour deals. Buffalo chicken dip was solid at the happy hour price point as well as the beer and margarita specials!

    a dog on the beach
    Mel M.

    CAPE MAY: The Beach Shack & Rusty Nail Rusty Nail is a must see while visiting the area! Well-known since the 1970's as a locals favorite where lifeguards and beachgoers would enjoy a meal and great vibes at the end of the day, leashed dogs are allowed to join you at the outdoor space. The outdoor space is unique as there is outdoor bar seating and also seating in the sand in adirondack chairs, tables with umbrellas, firepits, and an ocean breeze. You can order anything from the bar for self service or choose to be waited on. In addition to American food, there is also a doggie menu with treats, chicken/veggies, burger, and a hot dog! The adjoining hotel, Beach Shack, also has dog friendly rooms!

    BBQ Grilled Salmon
    Victoria M.

    The seafood here was delicious. I absolutely loved the Crab-Stuffed Flounder. The cocktails were great as well!

    Menu
    Lori F.

    Fun casual plaice - good for all. 10 min wait on a Sunday eve in high season - not bad. Beautiful evening with the sun and sand all around the outside tables. Service was friendly! Best appetizers: hot wings, shrimp cocktail and tempura zucchini sticks.

    Outdoor area with sand and fire pits at the Rusty Nail
    Andrew C.

    The Rusty Nail manages to thread the needle between casual lounge (inside) and full on beach party (outside) and totally nails the carefree summer vibe. That it does so in a totally dialed, organized and professional manner is probably why this place had a 45 minute wait when we showed up for dinner at 7:30 on a Sunday (yes, Sunday) night in August. Yep, the place was packed, with lots of families, plenty of kids and a whirlwind of activity. There was no way we were gonna snag a spot in the wide-open sand-filled outdoor area with fire pits and beach chairs, so we just sat at the indoor bar/lounge area, where our totally slammed but unflustered waitress took care of us without so much as batting an eye. My Whisky Sour was spot on, as was my buddy's Pain Killer, and our meals came out quickly, with speedy servers to run out the goods. Broiled Flounder? Excellent. Mahi Mahi tacos? Delightful, if a bit rubbery. But you get good portions at decent prices, and there's even live music to serenade you while you chow down (the band played outside). It's just a great Florida surf meets the Caribbean vibe (especially outside), but tad more refined, with great service and attention to detail; you can see why it's a popular spot. Apparently it's seasonal though, and the party shuts down sometime in October. (Caveat: Parking anywhere in Cape May is a challenge these days, so good luck with the ubiquitous ParkMobile app.)

    Mango cart

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    25 days ago

    The foods really good if u go there will be good food the service is good u get ur food fast

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    9 months ago

    Came for breakfast. Best avocado toast I've ever had! Great coffee ( no Bloody Mary). Server was A++++.

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    7 months ago

    This place is great, especially if you're traveling with your dog in the offseason. Good food and service, too. Very nice vibe

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    Rusty Nail Bar & Grill Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Rusty Nail Bar & Grill

    Are there any vegan options?

    Are they open year round?

    No. Check their web site but seem to only be open May - October.

    Do they always have live music even during the off season? If not, do they have one of those jukeboxes that people can play music from?

    Music is normally in summer but they do close the garage doors for music to be played inside. Not sure if I've seen a juke box but you can check their website for live entertainment in off season.

    View All 4 Questions

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    The worse possible service ever! TO THE OWNER: Please…read moreremind all waitstaff to ask customers about any allergies before serving food, to ensure their safety and prevent any potential harm. I ordered the harvest salad with candied walnuts. I have no idea what candied walnuts are, so I wish the waiter asked if I had any allergies because they can SOMETIMES contain cinnamon in it and I am allergic to cinnamon. When the salad came out I started to eat the salad and noticed my throat starting to feel funny. I didn't mix the salad well so I just ate the arugula with the sauce and the chicken. Half way through I noticed there were walnuts and I took a bite of it and my throat immediately started to swell and I can feel my face and tongue getting itchy. Thank god I have my allergy medications on me, but what if the next person this happens to doesn't... We immediately told the server about my cinnamon allergy and the waiter looked at me like I was joking because I ate half of it and then asked me "So you're done with that?" and I said, "Yes I can't eat it anymore, I'm allergic to it and it's contaminated with everything else. I felt my throat starting to close up, but I am okay because I have my allergy medicine. " He asked if I wanted anything else and I said no just a hot tea to help with inflammation. I appreciate that the server was trying to help us out, but he still came back with the bill and said the owner is still going to charge me because it says candied walnuts on the menu, implying that it's my fault...I really expected this place to have better service, but looking at past reviews I can see how this place has overpriced underrated food and terrible service. They don't care about their customers and certainly just focused on making money. Hopefully after today they include that their candied walnuts have cinnamon in it! Or at the very least ask the customers if they have any allergies beforehand

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    Rusty Nail Bar & Grill - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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