I really want this business to succeed b/c I live in brigantine. B/C of Poor Management, horrible food, lack of service, ambiance, and entertainment this place has underachieved. This is not in any way what you want in a shore bar. Except for the name. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU WANT GOOD FOOD. JUST OK FOR A BAR. read more

The bartender/waitress was awful. Never ask how food was or said thank you, just threw check down. The mussels were bad, I can eat about anything and it was can of tomato paste with some banana peppers - no taste at all, and very small portion and the Texas bread was soggy. Places has gone down hill! read more

The service here is amazing! We came in an hour before the dinner menu. The server informed us that he was unsure if we could order off the dinner menu. We have very limited diets. Happy overheard me say I couldn't eat anything and inquired about our diets. He happily took our order and made our food. We were also able to order off of the printed menu for my severe ASD son. Happy was very happy to accommodate our dietary needs and took a lot of pride in the food and it showed! The beet and kale salad was amazingly fresh and tasted phenomenal. The shaved brussel sprouts were perfect. The cocktails were wonderful. My daughter got a Caesar salad with shrimp and my son had grilled cheese and French fries. This meal and the service completely turned my day around. The live music was even perfect. I have already recommended it to three other couples/families. Thank you! read more

The Cove - New American Near Me - Brigantine, New Jersey

My family of 8 went on a Wednesday night during our vacation. We were seated right away and the restaurant was not crowded. Our drink order was taken quickly and we soon found out that they were out of several things on the drink special menu. Once our drinks were brought to table a Stella was brought unopened with out a glass (took 10minutes to get open and no glass ever brought). The drink special that my sister finally ordered was brought out wrong. We did soon realized our waitress was brand new so forgiveness on the service. Food ordered and came out quickly. My rare tuna was barely pink and had to be returned. The rest of the food was ok, very bland. The highlight of the meal were the Brussels sprouts and they were AMAZING! All in all a typical beach restaurant with just ok food. read more

BRIGANTINE LOCALS!!!! DO NOT EAT AT THIS PLACE!!!! Food & service is HORRIBLE!!! So many other places on the island to eat. One Star is being kind!!! I would love to meet the people who gave this place 5 stars! My guess the owner (Jack) wrote them! read more

Mark I used to be a big fan of The Cove, went there frequently since we bought a house here on the island. Last night we had reservations to for 4 for 7:45 but got there 15 minutes early. The manager told me there was no way I was being seated before 7:45. Now, there were no other reservations on the list and there were 4 tables open and set for guest. Don't get me wrong, I love the food but to treat me that way is unacceptable. He could have told us he was short handed and might not get served right away and let me be comfortable. read more

First time here. Had happy hour drinks that were 4.00 Drinks were good but bartender was not attentive or friendly. We were going to order food until we saw the cook shoving French fries in his mouth and scratching his face with the gloved hand he was making the food with. Nice place but probably won't return read more

Would like to give a half star just for being open. Worst bartenders I've ever seen. So attentive to themselves and their phones the customer is secondary. Heard the owner is basically absentee and the manager has no experience in restaurant/bar. It shows, whoever is hiring ???? Food is basic bar food ,somewhat overpriced . read more

Upon arrival , I love what they've done with the building! It has a new age industrial look to the inside. We walked through the bar to get to the restaurant seating the the back. The bar is large and looks as though it would be a great place to come back and enjoy in the evening. We dined in for lunch and had the BBQ rib burger which is actually pulled ribs on top of a burger patty- DELISH! I got it with a substitution of the parm. Cheese fries which were very tasty. My boyfriend got the original burger which was cooked to perfection and he substituted the onion rings which were fantastic! Keeping in mind that this is a brand new restaurant and staff, everything was very good. Suggestions would be including condiments on the table or given in dishes with the meal (I had to request ketchup for my fries), some wall decor would be visually appealing while dining (walls are still pretty bare), meal/ drink specials, having a specific standing place or little odd jobs for the staff that aren't busy. All in all we walked away with a good first impression and will definitely be back!!!! read more

The Cove - Menu - New American Near Me - Brigantine, New Jersey

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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cove! We had such a great customer experience and the beer selection was unbelievable! You have to check this place out, and ask for Lauren (red headed bartender) she's sooo funny, and very good at her job! read more

Went last week and they made us wait even with a reservation and the place was empty. I thought things would get better because the wait staff seemed like they were trying to accommodate but things only got worse. The wait for our meal was over an hour, food that was to be medium rare was burnt beyond belief. I kid you not. I ordered a philly cheese steak because NJ shore towns normally have THE BEST. This had a stale roll and absolutely no flavor. The manager there was less than pleasant. I went with a very respectful crowd that bent over backwards to give this place a chance to prove the bad start wrong but they couldn't do it. I will NEVER go back. read more

This review is for the bar Happy Hour: As soon as you walk in, you can tell from how the bar is constructed and designed that The Cove is a place that pays great attention to detail. This attention to detail is also reflected in how the staff attends to your drink and food orders. We were there for Happy Hour and sampled the smoked buffalo wings, the shrimp cocktail and the avocado fries that come with chipotle aioli. Our drinks came quickly and the food was prepared to near perfection. This is a great local place that Brigantine sorely needed. We will be returning! On a side note, there is also a restaurant section and wine, beer & liquor that can be purchased to take home. Ambiance- 5 (mix of galvanized corrugated metal that is framed with mahogany) Food - 4 (bar menu needs some tweaking) Beer - 4 (mix of domestics and crafts - 19 on draft) Service- 4.5 (prompt and friendly) read more

The Cove - Menu - New American Near Me - Brigantine, New Jersey

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Well..... if you want fast food caliber food served slow, and ridiculously overpriced then you gotta come here. Service was uncoordinated and slow, yet hardly anyone was there. Nice interior and bar( that's why it got 1 star). read more

I keep trying and hoping it will get better but it progressively gets worse. Overcoming the awful bar design, that I'm not sure who is responsible for..... they are under staffed, can't get an order right and just out and outright suck. Somebody please buy this place and turn it around. read more

Sat at the bar, bartenders were great! Ordered tuna tacos, they were Delish, but you get three very small tacos for $13 Had the bayou mussels, again tasty but not served with any bread to soak up that good sauce. Got to try the fried oysters, they were okay but again three small bites for $13 Bar was large, staff friendly, food tasty but they need to remember that they hired locals to serve locals and those food prices for the amount of food served doesn't reflect that read more

As year round residents we like to support the local businesses. We tried the Cove for the first time tonight and were greatly disappointed. The place was under attack with fruit flies which made an uncomfortable setting for eating mediocre and overpriced food. The menu was very limited and the staff of young inexperienced kids did nothing to enhance the first impression of this place. The decor was very boring in the dining room and it looked like the bar area was the place to go if you want to give this place a try. The food and beverage prices were comparable to the fine dining venues at he Borgata but without the quality and ambiance. We were hoping that this would be the place to go for fine dining in Brigantine based on the potential of this facility. Unfortunately it isn't even close to meeting our expectations. We won't be back anytime soon and neither will many of the other locals that shared similar experiences. read more

no stars at all should be given. I would like to give a negative star. Finally decided to try The Cove for Taco Tuesday. What a mistake that was. We sat at the bar, and it was not overly crowded but there was a decent crowd. I took a peek at the restaurant just for future reference (which as the evening went on I knew I would never need to refer back to). There was a very musty smell and only two tables occupied in the restaurant portion. First, it took about ten minutes to be acknowledged by a bartender. One of them waited on a couple guys that came in ten minutes after us before even coming over to us.. The other one was just shooting the breeze with two other customers at the bar. Finally she came to us and asked if we wanted menus - we said, no we are here for a beer and taco tuesday, so just 2 chicken tacos each (easy, right? not so much). After we placed our order, an angry man (looked like a party of 4) called out to the bartender "we are leaving, we have been sitting down at the corner of the bar trying to get you to wait on us for 20 minutes, this is ridiculous". And they all laughed and shrugged it off after he left. Instead, they should feel concerned, because a business cannot stay in business without customers. Fifty (50) minutes later we are still sitting there waiting for those tacos and asking the bartender if the food is coming soon. They kept telling us it is coming out. I finally got up and walked back to the kitchen to ask for a manger, but none was available. I wanted to leave and not wait for the food, but we waited. When the chicken tacos came out, I almost laughed. How can you not know how to make a decent chicken taco on Taco Tuesday? How can it take almost an hour to get a chicken taco? We told the bartender that they were terrible, and she responded that she can take it off the bill but only the one you didn't eat. I said no problem, after the first bite, I'm not eating any of it. My husband ate one and said it was so awful he couldn't eat the other. We asked to see the manager, and the bartender returned and said the tacos are off our bill. Real nice of the manager to come out and try to save the day and possibly get a return customer for the off season. So we left a tip and payment for the beer and headed to Primo for a slice of pizza. (PS the pizza was good!). Now that we finally had a night available to go to the Cove, we can honestly say that from now on when we say we are going to "The Cove", it will be the one that you drive your 4x4 on to, as we will never return to the wannabe restaurant called "The Cove". read more

Maybe it's the end of the summer or maybe I'm not a local, but service here to say the least sucks!!!! Arrived at the bar around 8:30pm on Saturday night. Grab a seat at the bar. Bartender grabbed our drink order asked if we wanted to eat and gave us menus. That was the last time we talked to him. He proceeded to walk by us numerous times never asked if we were ready. Bar was not crowded plenty of help. After about 20 minutes we decided to leave with no food. So we gave the restaurant side a try. Lol!!! Only two tables had people. Waiter said he'd be right with us. 5 minutes later we left after no interaction with anybody. Shame. read more

It's definitely a step up aesthetically from Mickey's Raw Bar, the bar and restaurant that used to be at this location, but I have to admit, I liked the food a whole lot better at Mickey's. Needless to say, this is a nice place to grab a drink and some eats on the island. Definitely brings some competition to The Cellar 32, and The Cove's bar is a lot more spacious and inviting. It's such a huge bar, I didn't even realize there was an entire separate dining area all the way in the back. The food here is just OK. Nothing here will blow you away, though I am a fan of the tuna tacos. I got served moldy bread here once, but hey, it happens. The burger is good, but again, nothing that screams for you to come here. The dining area is very large, but it seems like just a huge open space where tables are confusingly scattered and a little sad decor wise. Service is decent, as are their drinks, including their cosmo which is strong, but sadly, not that good. They also have a wide selection of packaged goods, including lots of wine! All in all, between the bar and the restaurant, I'd probably chose to come here specifically for drinks, packaged goods and maybe an app or two. I appreciate the nicer quality establishment that has come to Brigantine, but think they still have some kinks to work out. Bonus: they take OpenTable reservations which is worth a star alone in my book! read more

This is probably the toughest dining experience to review yet. I really really wanted to give this place more stars because the staff is so nice, but after our lunch there this past weekend I just can't. We found ourselves in a very busy AC with some time to kill, so decided to get away from AC for lunch in order to not fight the crowds. I literally chose the Cove at random because it looked easy to get to - which it was. I was taken aback when I walked in - it's a giant liquor store with a bar in the middle. I honestly almost asked the hubs if we could leave - but the man behind the bar was so nice we couldn't help but stay. I asked if they had actual tables and was invited to sit at the single table in the corner, or the bar. Football was on so the entire family hopped up on bar stools. I guess they close their dining area for the winter months? The bar is gorgeous, the whole décor of the place is really modern and the bathrooms were clean and very cool. We were the only patrons at the time (12:30 or so on a snowy Sunday) so we were shown the Game Day specials menu and the regular menu, and offered drinks right away. We opted for 2 lbs of boneless chicken wings as an appetizer. We were also informed the game day nachos were huge, so my daughter and I decided to share an order for lunch. My husband ordered the Italian sausage sub with fries and the other kid got the mac and cheese from the kids menu - which advertised a meal, ice cream and a small drink. From my seat, I watched the cook hand-bread our wings. I was so impressed that he didn't just grab a bag of pre-frozen wings and chuck them in the fryer. I commented to the family how excited I was to be in a place where they hand bread the wings to order. Unfortunately, it was at thathat the 5-star dining experience we were having started nose-diving to the 2-star rating I'm giving the Cove. The wings came and they were only ok. The sauce was a bit spicy for "mild" but not something to complain about. We all drained our drinks after just a few bites, and they sat empty for awhile which I found surprising because a) we were the only patrons at this time and b) we were being served by the man behind the bar. I found it surprising the bartender of all people would leave drinks empty for long periods of time. Speaking of drinks, while I was waiting for my own drink to be refilled, I took a huge swig of the kids milk he had ordered. It had definitely soured. I didn't complain because he didn't seem to mind drinking water, and I didn't want to get him a soda replacement. Plus, the guy was just too... nice Next to arrive to the table were our nachos. I was surprised because I thought (and I could be wrong) that they were described as being fully loaded with beef, cheese, guac, tomato, lettuce, yadda yadda. I thought there was at least 6 or 7 toppings listed on the menu. They were okay but certainly not fully loaded - cheese, bacon (on nachos?!?!) and sour cream were the only toppings 'loading' our nachos. At some point, a few more patrons and another employee entered so our drinks sat empty even longer. The new arrival was very nice to my son, joking around with him and just being very nice in general. A few minutes later, my husbands sandwich came. The fries were under cooked and the sandwich just wasn't that good. Last to be served was a very hot plate of mac and cheese for the little one. He ate about half the plate and seemed to enjoy it. I leaned over to try it and noticed a very nasty, balled up, thick black hair on one of the pasta shells. My toddler has very fine, light brown hair so it wasn't his - but the cook has thick black hair. Yum. At this point I felt really bad for the kid - he's too young to verbalize complaints, and had been served a hairy meal and sour milk. He spent the next 24 hours complaining of a poor tummy and has had some very smelly gas. The rest of us also suffered from some unfortunate digestive issues for the time following the meal here at the Cove. Between the digestive issues and nothing coming as described, I felt very bitter paying the $50 check for a beer, two apps, one sandwich and a kids meal. Icing on the "we got screwed" cake - they never offered the kid his advertised ice cream, AND charged us for his milk even though the menu DEFINITELY said it came with a small drink. Had I known we'd be charged $4 for a small glass of expired milk, I would have let the kid stick with water. We didn't notice this until after the credit card had been swiped, so at this point we opted to let it go and leave because we had run out of time to kill. If we were locals, we'd probably give this place another chance and be more vocal about our dissatisfaction so they could make things right. The place has a lot of potential. But we're not locals, and will probably never make the effort to give it another shot if we find ourselves back in AC. read more

our bartender / waitress Leslie perfected the jalapeño margarita and provided fast and friendly service! The smoked wings were delicious. Sampled a variety of wing sauces, all flavorful and unique in ingredients. Our favorite was the sriracha lime, which perfectly paired with my salt-rimmed margarita. We noshed on the filet tips, mahi tacos and freshly made coleslaw, which left us smiling & satisfied. read more

The Cove - jalapeño margarita - New American Near Me - Brigantine, New Jersey

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A great new casual place ---REALLY easy to get to via car or taxi from Borgata, Gold Nugget and Harrahs if you just want to get out of the casino for a bit (less five minute taxi ride - just over the bridge.) Also you can pick up some beer, wine etc as they have an extensive inventory in the cases surrunding the bar to help minimize liquor costs during your stay. Now on to the food....Really nice casual bar and restaurant... --We had oysters, (small selection but very good), mussels, burger and chicken sandwhich in the restaurant. Everything was good quality and well prepared. Service was very good--- event though The Cove was just opened a few days before--- they cleary know what the are doing but that is not surprising given the connection to Tun's Tavern. Other more substantial menu offerings looked appetizing as they went by and I saw lots of clean plates --- a good sign. -- A walk thru the bar on our way out showed it would be a great place to have a small meal and drinks with friends... they have some tables built into the bar on the right side as you walk in from the parking lot... I suspect they are going to be VERY popular. read more

Food was good. Was very loud in the restaurant because people were at the bar playing cornhole. The server was snippy. There was no hostess. We just wandered in and sat down. I would go back but not on cornhole night. read more

If I were to travel to the Sahara Desert and order a burger or chicken sandwich it might have more moisture in it! Also I probably could have mail ordered it to the Sahara desert faster! If I could give it no stars I would. They didn't even ask us how the food was which might have been smart on their part because they would have been taking it back. Don't waste your time go somewhere else! read more

Went to The Cove right after it opened and thought the food was a little pricey but good They need to add to the plain white decor and do something about the acoustics!!! Really loud in there. Our server couldn't hear us and we couldn't hear her. She wasn't very helpful with the menu either. I realize families are vacationing with little children but they should seat them away from the main dining room after 8pm. Our reservation was for 5:30 and the place was packed. Hope they have much success. read more

It was a terrible experience for our party of 9. Three different items that we tried to order from the menu were not available. Several items that we ordered were not as described on the menu. One of the servers spilled ketchup on my leg and shoe and there wasn't even an apology. The manager did not address any of our issues. This is a party of 9 that will not return to this restaurant. read more

Great new restaurant, Bar and Package good in Brigantine Beach. Chef Michael Williams has put together an amazing menu with food prepared fresh to order. It's a great addition to the island. Live music, unique "eat at bar" and friendly knowledgeable staff. read more

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My boyfriend and I came into the Cove on a Friday, absolutely packed! I didn't catch her name, but the bartender with the short hair was so friendly, welcoming, and apologetic (although not necessary) for such a crazy night. As locals we definitely will be back! especially because of her. Food was great 5/5!! read more

I have now had the opportunity to eat takeout from The Cove twice. The first time I had the Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich and the second time I had Pizza and Chicken Wings. The sandwich the first time and the Pizza were awesome. The wings were ok, overall I am satisfied with my first two experiences eating out from The Cove. read more

I want to give this place more chances but every time we go the service is severely understaffed and slow. Bar food is average to be expected. Always out of a lot of draft beers. read more

this is the second time the cove has told us theres no tables and no reservations... butttt the entire inside and outside were empty?????? like dead?? im not mad, just confused?? were a party of 4???? read more

The Cove - New American Near Me - Brigantine, New Jersey

Great cocktails and decent choices for craft beers. My boyfriend and I go about once a week now and we typically dine in the bar area. It's spacious and has a great feel to it. Their happy hour has extensive food and drink options. The servers are nothing less than exceptional. We have yet to meet a bartender/server we haven't enjoyed! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone that comes to Brig! read more

On a recent visit to Atlantic city, my friends & I thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine. The menu is amazing & the presentation was spectacular! Wonderful wait staff. Highly recommend!! read more

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Great little local bar. It is one of 3 local bars in the area. Nothing special its just that its open year around. They always have local friendly staff and the place isn't to expense. I don't go in here often but when I do they seem to treat me right. The food is average so if you looking to get out of the house for awhile this is a good place. read more

After all the hype about this place we went there one night for dinner, and have never been back since, the food was horrible, way over priced for what it was, they are in an amazing location and could be a huge asset to Brigantine but not at their current capacity. Shame. read more

I haven't even been able to try their food once because of how terrible their customer service is. We've called on four separate evenings now and have only gotten through twice. The first time we got through we were left on hold for 13 straight minutes before we had enough and hung up. The second time we were halfway through our order when we tried to order sushi, only to be informed they no longer take sushi orders on Friday's and Saturday's (why have a sushi option if you can't order it on the busiest takeout days?). We then hung up so we could figure out different items to order since part of our party was counting on the sushi that was arbitrarily declared unavailable. When we called back five minutes later, the poor girl who answered the phone was informed mid-order by her presumably incompetent boss that they were no longer taking takeout orders and had in fact stopped taking them well over an hour ago (at 6pm mind you, again sort of defeats the purpose of being a restaurant if you can't handle a normal Friday dinner rush). Won't bother attempting to order from this place anymore. The food hardly seems worth the hassle of trying to call just to be told they can't function as a normal restaurant. read more

We got poke bowls and we were very disappointed. Their description is great on the menu but the reality of the dish is weak. Very little flavor and the tuna was old. read more

Had a lunch on Monday following my brother in laws funeral service and the staff was amazing and very accommodating. Special thanks to Sal for going above and beyond!!! read more

We were excited to try this place after having it recommended to us by some locals. Both the food and service were poor. We started with the crab dip, which was tasty, and our salads were delicious (the wedge salad was HUGE!). The problems were with the entrees. We ordered stuffed shrimp, a shrimp po' boy and a bruschetta pizza. The stuffed shrimp were really tough/rubbery. They came with rice and green beans; the rice was crunchy: not fully cooked. The shrimp po' boy only had FOUR shrimp on it between both halves, and the bread was stale. The bruschetta pizza is supposed to have fresh basil and fresh garlic on it, in addition to the tomatoes, but neither basil or garlic could be seen or tasted (the manager told us later that it was there, we just couldn't see it...). The dough was pasty and bland. It was crazy -- all of our orders were off. I'm not sure what was going on in the kitchen, but it was a rough night. We brought the concerns to the attention of our server, who sent the manager over. We told him that there were some issues with our meals. After explaining them to him, he told us there was nothing he could do about the shrimp because they just get them from the sea, and if they come tough, they're just tough. Whaaaaat?!? (No -- they were tough because they were overcooked; shrimp aren't just inherently tough from the sea). Then he asked US what he's supposed to do about the other issues? We asked him what he could do, since HE was the manager, not us... it was just very odd and antagonistic. We rarely have issues when eating out. To have all our meals off and poor service from the manager made for an all around disappointing night. read more

My wife and I went for dinner on 10/1. The food and service was very good. The sushi was great. Quality of the rice was fantastic. My wife got the pulled pork and it was delicious. read more