Elaine's Cape May

Elaine's Cape May has a charming look that suits the town, and the garden might be nice for a drink. My visit was disappointing, though. It took a long time for anyone to take our order, and the food came out lukewarm when we were hungry. I expected more given how popular the place seems, and I probably wouldn’t return for a full meal.

Even in the off season, this is a fun spot for classic American bar food. The outdoor bar and seating make for a cool setting, and all the wait staff were friendly. Our food came quickly, and the burger was tasty and just as described. My one small gripe is that it costs a bit much for ordinary bar food, though I get that prices are higher in a vacation town.

Elaine’s was packed on Saturday and looked great with its Halloween decorations. Both patios were busy, and the live music was fantastic. Unfortunately, the service was atrocious. Our server, a European woman, was possibly the worst waitress I’ve encountered in 50 years. It took two hours to get a second drink. The food took 90 minutes to arrive and was worse still. The chili was awful, with a half-inch layer of oil on top. Everything else was poor to mediocre. Such a shame.

After wanting to try this restaurant for years, I was excited to finally go on Easter. We left disappointed. The sign said to seat ourselves, so we did, but after several minutes no one brought menus. We had to take them from a dirty table. After at least ten minutes with nobody acknowledging us, my husband stopped a bus person to ask whether we had a server. We waited another five minutes while at least three different servers walked past us several times, then gave up and went elsewhere. I also don’t understand the rusty industrial look inside a historic building. It felt dark and unpleasant.