We always come away with the same experience every time we try Yellowfin - the food is fantastic, no question about it. Despite another review, I actually think the food is NYC-quality. They have a solid range of unique menu items, tons of flavor, well-cooked and good portion size. Genuinely no complaints on the food quality, but unfortunately that's where it ends. The food is just beyond overpriced. I understand LBI is pricey, and this place is BYOB so they have to make money somehow, but the paella special (w/ a half lobster) was "idk $70-75 I think" according to the waiter. If you can't justify $50+ on a seafood dish, the MP is your flag that is going to be well over $50 (i.e $52 halibut??). As an NYC resident who enjoys fine dining, I can genuinely say I've never seen ANY fish dish get near $50. More importantly, the waiter got super pushy with us challenging us twice when we decided to grab a bunch of appetizers and a few mains, rather than a main for each of us. After this, he was basically none existent the rest of the meal, which was still over $300 for 4. We had to flag down others to get things like new silverware between courses or dessert. Overall, food is great, so if you want a good meal don't care about mediocre service at best and overpaying, then give it a shot. read more

Excellent food and wonderful hostess! We had the fried green tomatoes and braised short rib appetizer and tuna and Halibut entree. Even though we had more than enough to eat , felt the need to try the tiramisu which was also very good. We will definitely be back! read more

Definitely make a reservation! Dining room is a little tight but nice ambiance. It is BYOB. Great menu. Service was excellent. Scallops were a little salty but overall we had a really good experience. Hard to get a reservation during the summer season but totally worth visit in the off season! read more

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Food and service were excellent! The restaurant is cozy and inviting. We will definitely be back! read more

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Hard to believe that YF has been in existence for 25 years and I never had dinner here. Finally last night I went. Myself and the rest of my group were blown away by the quality of the food and the impeccable attentive service. Yes it's pricey but so worth it. The presentation of the food was over the top. The appetizers we ordered were outstanding. Try the short ribs over mash appetizer and the lemongrass dumplings. The coconut cream pie w bananas was to die for! by far this is one the best restaurants on LBI. One important thing worth mentioning we were never rushed to finish and depart YF. Cannot wait to go back. read more

Fabulous upscale food and ambience. Good service and great hostess/manager. Favorites include their fried green tomatoes, tuna main course. read more

Been coming to Yellowfin for 25 years. Best cuisine on LBI. Gina and here crew provide great service in a stylish setting. BYOB no problem bring your choice of spirits and Jackie will whip up a great cocktail. read more

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My wife and I love this cozy little restaurant in Long Beach Island. The menu is short and straightforward. All the dishes made are top notch quality. Very dim lighted romantic restaurant for that couple on the away trip looking for a quiet time. Make sure you call before going as the restaurant is not open all year round. They always have impressive specials. The halibut is out of this world. read more

Yellowfin - New American Near Me - Surf City, New Jersey

Excellent in all ways. Very welcoming to arrivals and efficient seating, wait staff is well informed and helpful, food is excellent and timing of courses well choreographed. A please. Non rushed evening of excellent dining. Highly recommend. read more

Food is exceptional our servers have always been wonderful. Brian , Richard and hostess Jackie.

Great food. Great service. On the expensive side. Tight quarters. Amazing duck dish!!! read more

Had dinner with friends in 7/7/22 at the outdoor dining. Excellent service! This is a BYOB restaurant. It's small so no wonder it is probably the most difficult restaurant to get a reservation but totally worth the trip and time to go! We started with the fried tomato and lobster appetizer. Absolutely fantastic, a must try! The main course was the cod with boo choy over sticky rice with a miso sauce. This was one of the evening's special. Again, excellent! Probably the best restaurant on the Island. Highly recommend this restaurant to everyone however it is extremely difficult to get a reservation so make them early!!! read more

Had dinner here tonight outside. Food was amazing!!! Compliments to the Chef!! Unfortunately the wait staff was another story. If you don't want to work here please don't, but i please be courteous to the customers if you do. We kept having to go inside to get them to serve us. They were just sitting in a circle inside laughing and talking and seemed annoyed most of the time. When i asked for to-go bags when we left one finally came out but waved me away while he went to check on his car. The service was seriously a 2 out of 10 but the food was a 10 out of 10. read more

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The best restaurant on the island! The best menu, and food. Somewhat tight seating but great service. The place is buzzing!

Food was good, service was excellent, but portions were very small and WAY too expensive for LBI. I had scallops (one of the specials), got 4 small scallops served with corn and a little lobster, $65. Really??!! They were tasty and well prepared but I hate places that try to be fancy and upscale and are basically a ripoff. Many other better, cheaper and more fun places to eat in LBI. Not recommended and definitely not going back. read more

Great food and service. Probably, one of, if not the best restaurant on LBI. its expensive but in line with everything else on the island.

We've lived in the area our whole lives and finally discovered Yellowfin! The food was OUTSTANDING! If you go, you HAVE to try the Tuna Pizza. You won't regret it! read more

After dining on LBI for 5+ years and trying every high end restaurant on the island this by far surpasses the rest. The quality of the food is incredible. The service is excellent. If you are looking for fine dining and a good meal this place will not leave you disappointed. You can tell this is a family owned business that truly values their customers. read more

Loved the tuna, lobster salad special and the halibut. Brian is a great server. Will be back 2X in August.

Food and service was excellent. The restaurant is small, definitely make reservations. I absolutely recommend you try Yellowfin, you won't be disappointed. BYOB read more

The food was outstanding! I love going there on date night and leaving the kids at home. The service was wonderful. Every time we go we try the specials and they are delicious. The owner does a fantastic job year after year making it our favorite restaurant on LBI! read more

Great and innovative cuisine, but the portions were small and prices extremely high. I get that they are a byo and have to make their $$ with food in the absence of alcoholic beverages, but still. read more

Been going there since 1998 there is no other restaurant that compares on LBI. Yellowfin has the best food on the island no matter what you order its the best. Actor Ray Romano was eating also the same time I was dinning in July 2023. read more

Great food. The chef always keeps it interesting. And the staff is very friendly and goes the extra mile to please.

Beware!!! Restaurant is not following covid-19 regulations!!! Tables are about 2 feet apart!!! read more

Came here with my family on the recommendation of a friend and I was not disappointed. I knew that it had to be good while we were waiting for our table and spotted LBI regular Ray Romano with his family at a nearby table. We ordered the halibut, scallop, and ahi tuna dishes and everyone was beyond satisfied. I had the scallops and my only complaint was that the portion size wasn't bigger as I was hungry at the end of the meal. Additionally, there was no dessert available on the evening that we went because there had been a power outage the night before due to a tropical storm. Not their fault but it's disappointing to leave a restaurant after a great meal feeling hungry and because based on how good our entrees were, I'm sure dessert would have been equally delicious. Will absolutely be coming back to Yellowfin any time I'm back on the island. read more

Went here for first time. Busy place for a reason the food was incredible! The apps were amazing and my Salmon enter was awesome. Desserts were great too and you can bring your own drinks, so it is not expensive if you factor that in. This place is about quality not volume, if you want tons of food go to the Golden Colon. I'll be back soon! read more

Have gone here a couple times, they never disappoint. From the time you are met at the door by their friendly hostess till the time you leave, you are treated with great service. Food is outstanding and always on point I've never had a bad meal there. One of the top restaurants on LBI read more

I believe they've lost their edge. The Halibut was overcooked, the value and atmosphere just doesn't warrant the highest priced restaurant on LBI. The decor certainly doesn't warrant it; their sound system played Disney cartoon movie hits all night! it what I expect from a restaurant that charges upwards of $100 a plate. Time to move on. read more

had dinner here on july 4th weekend ... havent been to LBI in years! was like walking into cheers! NOORRRRRM! food tasted better than i remember .. staff was just as good if not better than than the last time .. it was pretty impressive to see how well YELLOWFIN has adapted to the new corrupt regulations! .. as if the restaurant biz isnt hard enough , throw in spacing people out , sanitizing , etc! they did a great job!! well played YF .. well played .. until we meet again .. keep on keepin on .. good luck , and thank you for a great weekend ..(we ate there every night on our 3 day trip!) read more

Amazing! Simply amazing, and incredible too. I've only had the fortune of visiting Yellowfin once, but regulars will attest to the consistently great food, service, and atmosphere of the restaurant. We were a group of 5 and visited sometime in mid-June for dinner, when LBI was starting to come to life for the summer season. The restaurant was crowded (and it isn't very large), so make sure you get a reservation beforehand. Food: We ordered some appetizers, including a sushi roll, tuna tartar, and a couple of other items not listed on their menu. I had a tough time choosing an entree - they all looked so amazing. But since it was my first time visiting, I opted to order the restaurant's namesake, the seared yellowfin tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes, bok choy, and miso vinaigrette. I tasted a little bit of the duck dish as well, and it was pretty good, considering I don't even like duck. A great experience all around, suitable for groups, families, and friends. Oh, and for your reference, it's BYOB! read more

My husband and I went here for our 1 year anniversary and we both couldn't be more disappointed! To start off the place is tiny so your on top of the next table hearing everyone's conversation. We also had two waiters (which was strange) the one waiter Gabriel was very rude, he came to the table and stared at me blatantly ignoring my husband it was very uncomfortable and unprofessional. We asked him for more of certain things like humus and wine and the check and he never brought them, we had to get the other waiter for everything. Horrible service for such a small place. Besides the service, the food was mediocre at best! For appetizer we got the braised short ribs over truffle mashed potatoes and the tuna tartare. The short ribs were fatty and the mashed potatoes tasted like they were from a box with absolutely no truffle flavor. The tuna tartare was a thin strip of tuna covered with avocado and very greasy chips. For our entrées we both got specials, cowboy steak and paella. The steak was INEDIBLE! It was all fat and grizzle, the restaurant should be ashamed to serve that. (See picture) the steak came with lobster Mac & cheese that was ALL roux with no cheese tasted. The paella had one shrimp, one scallop, one tiny piece of fish that tasted very fishy, muscles, clams and squid. Topped with 1/2 lobster that was so over-cooked and dry it was stuck in the Shell I couldn't even get it out. This dish was also $50! When the bill finally came we were shocked that it was $180 for 2 people especially when we brought our own drinks! To top off the horrible experience we both had stomach aches all night! There are so many other good restaurants in LBI to dine at, don't waist your time or money. After seeing other similar reviews, I wish we read the reviews before we went. read more

Yellowfin - New American Near Me - Surf City, New Jersey

We are blessed to spend a week each Fall on LBI, and we console ourselves as the week draws to an end by dining at our favorite restaurant -- Yellow Fin. The food is superb, but a bit pricey. The fact that it's BYOB helps keep the cost under control. On our visit last night we had three different dinners -- the Filet Mignon, the salmon, and the day boat scallops. All excellent choices and perfectly prepared. I find it comforting that the wait staff remains unchanged year after year. Randy and Ryan made the night perfect. read more

Yellowfin - Filet Mignon - New American Near Me - Surf City, New Jersey

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At NYC prices, you would expect better service. We brought a bottle of wine and while the first glass was poured by our waiter, he really never came back to the table. We had to literally walk in the back where the wine was maintained in their ice buckets to retrieve our bottle of wine at the completion of our dinner. Food was just ok, $70 for a so-so paella special that gives you a lobster tail cut in half is ridiculous. Tuna pizza was incredibly very light on the tuna. We were really looking forward to eating at Yellow Fin and it was a major disappointment: read more

When we first moved to beach haven west dear friends gifted us with a gift certificate to yellow fin. They claimed it was the best seafood on the island. I will go one step further, this little gem of a Restaurant can go toe to toe with any seafood restaurant anywhere. The only reason I didn't give them six stars is because 5 is the max. Outstanding read more

Yellowfin is the best restaurant on LBI - hands down. It may be a bit price, but not markedly different than the competition. Also - this is a BYO, so it ends up more affordable in the end. The space is grate, the staff is friendly and the food is unbelievable. I've had most of the menu and have been impressed with every dish. read more

One of the worst restaurant experiences of my life (and I've been to many a restaurant). Had a reservation - were told it would be about a 15 minute wait which turned into an hour. Sat down to find out they're out of almost everything on the menu and the waiter proceeds to tell us that it's not just us - they've been out of most things since 8:00. Are you out of your mind? You make us wait an hour knowing you're out of most of the menu and never say anything? They could care less. This was the absolute worst service I've ever had - rude, extremely unprofessional and very immature. I can't fathom how these people can actually get away with running a restaurant, specifically the hostess who has no business running the front of the house. They need a major staff overhaul or they will be out of business very soon. read more

We ate there recently and the food was amazing. Unfortunately the hostess was not wearing a mask and was constantly walking past all the tables. When asked if she can put one on, we were told she doesn't want to. This is against all regulations as she is a restaurant employee so she must wear a mask. As guests, we are able to take ours off once we are seated. If you are looking for a place where all employees wear a mask, look for somewhere else. read more

Everyone has an "off day." Based on the other reviews here, I'm assuming (and hoping) our abysmal dining experience at Yellowfin was a rarity. But, here's how our comedy of errors unfolded. We made a 9pm reservation, showed up promptly. No tables were ready just yet, so we were told to wait outside... in the parking lot. Odd, but ok. After her cigarette break, our hostess brought out two glasses and offered to open our wine (BYOB). About halfway through our first glass, we witnessed someone back their SUV into another patron's car. Apparently the parking lot is as cramped as the restaurant's interior. The hostess came out, but no one did anything about it in the restaurant. So there's that. Fast-forward 45 minutes and we were finally seated with a half-empty bottle of wine. A wait might make sense if we just showed up without a reservation. But nope. 45 minutes, in a parking lot, with a reservation. Needless to say, there was no wine left when we finally got our dinner. Perhaps we should've bought two bottles of wine... One to tailgate with and one to drink at dinner. Finally inside, the acoustics in this place were horrible. I've had an easier time chatting with people at a football game than with my boyfriend directly across from me. Seriously. The noise level in this place is comical. Perhaps this review should be in ALL CAPS SO YOU CAN HEAR IT. They have a small menu, half of which was recited to us by our waiter. Would've loved to know what he said. We got our food and it was pretty good, but nothing outrageous that we haven't seen or tasted before. Then again, they could've prepared the best meal ever, but by this time, our patience for such disorganized chaos had worn thin and we probably wouldn't have noticed. I feel bad for the chefs. Then, the bill arrived and somehow amounted to $300. Three hundred dollars after one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert. No booze. Working in the travel/tourism industry, we regularly experience some of the best restaurants in North America, and a true 5-star experience makes you feel like $300 is a bargain. This just felt like robbery. Bottom line: Yellowfin is overpriced and underwhelming. It's too big for its britches because it is the only game in town and it knows it. I just feel bad for the chefs, whose dishes are unfortunately overshadowed by it's poor ambiance (in the parking lot and inside the restaurant) and cavalier frontline staff. Again, I hate to leave a negative review, but I would hate to think of people on their once-a-year vacation getting taken advantage of even more. read more

It wasn't in December it was a year ago in August...nice try...still not coming back.