Amid all the entertainment options, bustling casinos, and beaches, Atlantic City offers a substantial selection of dining establishments. From casual breakfast to upscale fine dining, there are lots of great restaurants in Atlantic City to enjoy on your trip.
Every time we head to the shore, we make a point of trying out somewhere new, so we’ve visited lots of great spots. Here’s a look at some of our favorite places to eat in Atlantic City.
Angeline
James Beard award-winning chef Michael Symon is the force behind Angeline at the Borgata. Everything here is drawn from the chef’s past. The restaurant is named after his mother, and its signature dish—Mom’s lasagna, appropriately enough—uses her recipe.
From salumi and antipasti to handmade pastas, the menu is full of classic Italian dishes that hit the right notes. There are approachable meals like spaghetti and meatballs alongside regional dishes like ziti Norma, plus a selection of grilled meats and fish. There are also ample gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Do yourself a favor and get the garlic bread.
Cafe 2825
One of the smaller nice restaurants in Atlantic City, Café 2825 has pleased diners with Italian specialties for nearly 40 years. Family-owned and operated, it is designed to bring the dishes of New York’s Little Italy to the shore.
If you know what to order, dinner at this cozy spot can include a bit of well-orchestrated theater that will keep you full and mesmerized by the servers’ skill. A whole section of the menu is devoted to tableside experiences that are not to be missed, including burrata that’s made right in front of you and served family-style. We love the cacio e pepe made tableside in a cheese wheel. Baked clams, spaghetti carbonara, and the Sunday gravy are other winners.
Getting a reservation here can take some persistence. It’s best to call two weeks in advance and have a flexible schedule, if possible.
Dock’s Oyster House
Dock’s Oyster House has been a mainstay of the city for nearly 130 years and is one of the nicest places for dinner in Atlantic City. Every night, they serve up seafood towers brimming with shrimp and clams, a dozen kinds of oysters, fish, steaks, and more. They are particularly known for their seafood fry and crab au gratin, and the broiled lobster and filet mignon are always solid choices.
This upscale spot features live piano music and one of the most popular happy hours in the area. Diners can opt for the white table cloth main dining room or grab a seat at the bar (our preferred spot).
Always busy with tourists and locals, Dock’s books up early, so plan ahead for a weekend reservation. The complimentary parking lot of very helpful.
Old Homestead
A classic New York steakhouse, Old Homestead is known for being the best of the best. At its Atlantic City location in the Borgata, Old Homestead continues its 150-year history of serving the finest steaks around.
Service here is consistently good, and we’ve never had a bad meal. With jumbo lump crab cakes, crab-stuffed scallops, and a long list of entrées and steaks, what’s not to like? The signature 34-ounce Gotham rib steak is a standout, and there are hundreds of wines available so you can create your perfect pairing.
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill
When you put Englishman Gordon Ramsay’s name on a pub, expectations are high. Thankfully, his outpost in Caesars impresses.
Very few of the top places to eat in AC offer all-day dining, so Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill is unique. That means that you can have shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and other British-inspired dishes from noon till night. There are also lots of typical breakfast choices such as eggs Benedict and a croissant breakfast sandwich to enjoy among the UK-themed decor.
Girasole
Hand-crafted, cooked-to-order food is the name of the game at Girasole. Just off the boardwalk, this family-run restaurant offers fresh seafood, house made pasta, and more than 10 choices for pizza cooked in their stone oven in the dining room.
The atmosphere here is light and the color scheme is bright, echoing the name—”girasole” means sunflower in Italian. It’s a refreshing contrast to some of the casino restaurants, which can tend to be dark.
Start with the bread made in-house and some hot and sweet Italian sausage with broccoli rabe and cannellini beans, or go for the slow baked octopus with tomato and Gaeta olives. You can’t miss with a pizza, the seafood chitarra, or any of the satisfying meat dishes. Just make sure to leave room for the tiramisu.
Knife & Fork Inn
Steaks and seafood are the stars at Knife & Fork Inn, one of the oldest Atlantic City restaurants. Opened in 1912, this venerable spot is among the best places to go in Atlantic City. It has welcomed guests for over a century to sample its strong cocktails and upscale food offerings.
The extensive menu has a lot to choose from. Start with the French onion soup topped with lots of melted cheese or go for something among the raw bar or sustainable seafood selections. The steaks and chops are excellent choices and can be served Oscar style with crab, Bearnaise, and asparagus. When I saw the lobster thermidor come through the dining room, it was a head turner–it’s no wonder the dish is one of the classics here.
Chef Vola’s
If you love Italian food, Chef Vola’s is the place to go. Set in a residential home not far from the boardwalk, it isn’t easy to get a reservation, but the effort is worth it. Once you find the unmarked restaurant and its secret door, you have access to a world of deliciousness at this sought-after BYOB.
Portions are large at this intimate, 65-seat restaurant that has been city staple since 1921. The menu features Italian classics like linguine with clams and veal parmesan. Desserts are to die for, especially the chilled banana cream pie.
Back Bay Ale House
For great cocktails and burgers with a waterside view, head to Back Bay Ale House. Located in Gardner’s Basin, this casual spot has served solid pub food for nearly 20 years. It’s a perfect choice when you’re looking for a moderately-priced casual restaurant.
A great place for outdoor dining when the weather is good, the Ale House is known for its burgers, seafood, and Basin Mason drinks—served in a mason jar, of course. We almost always get the Guinness burger with Guinness BBQ sauce, cheddar, and an onion ring, and the crab cake sandwich and shrimp po’boy are also tasty.
With friendly service and a lively atmosphere, it feels like everyone here is a regular. Indoor dining is open year-round.
Tony’s Baltimore Grill
Another of the AC mainstays, Tony’s Baltimore Grill opened in 1927. It still serves some of the best Italian comfort food around to locals and visitors who feel like family. If you have the chance to listen to some conversations in the bar, it’s clear how many people have been regulars here for decades.
The whole place is infused with nostalgia but features plenty of modern updates to the interior. The fried shrimp platter and spaghetti and meatballs put Tony’s on the map, but today the top draw is the pizza, which ranges from traditional margarita to specialties like Buffalo chicken. My favorite is the TBG Special–cheese, mushroom, and sausage.
Tony’s prides itself on moderate prices all the time, which makes its daily happy hour from 4-6pm a truly stellar deal. It’s open 24 hours.
Pancho’s Mexican Taqueria
The super casual Pancho’s Mexican Taqueria is a delightfully unpretentious stop for a selection of quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, and more. The tortillas are made to order and filled with a choice of carnitas, goat, steak, or other proteins. We still have dreams about the al pastor tacos here. It’s a good value and delicious.
White House Sub Shop
The two-foot-long sub sandwiches from White House Sub Shop have been enjoyed by celebrities ranging from The Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Oprah. Founded in 1946, this iconic spot is Jersey Shore landmark.
White House is known for subs piled high with cold cuts and their signature hot pepper relish. There is almost always a line of people waiting for the best sandwiches Atlantic City has to offer, particularly on weekends, but it tends to move quickly. The main location is on Arctic Avenue, but a satellite location in the Hard Rock casino makes the sandwiches available right along the boardwalk.
Gilchrist
Gilchrist Restaurant is one of the best places for breakfast and lunch in the city. Try the hotcakes or one of the Hungry Man combos for a little bit of everything at breakfast. At lunch, the hot roast beef sandwich and the turkey BLT wrap are winners, though it’s hard to go wrong here. As a bonus, service is almost always quick and super friendly.
Amada
A cornerstone of the Ocean Resort, Amada restaurant from chef Jose Garces features all the tapas you could want to replenish your energy from a hard day of playing the slots or relaxing on the beach. With wrap-around windows, it has an airy feel that’s often missing from casino-based restaurants.
Long a staple in Old City Philly, Amada is Spanish restaurant with classics like tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelette) and ceviche. Their gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) reminds us of a century-old restaurant we love in Madrid. Meats from the grill, paella, and lots of cheeses and charcuterie complete the wide variety of offerings. For drinks, the sangria is great, and the list of Spanish wines is long.
Tony Boloney’s
For a whole pie, a quick slice, or a sub, Tony Boloney’s is an ideal quick-service restaurant outside of the busiest area of the city. They’ve been serving up unique creations for over a decade.
Experimental pizza choices range from the “lobsta” roll to burrata, which has a whole, decadent ball of burrata on every slice. Other creations include the Mex-corn husker, which combines roasted corn, chilis, cheese, and cilantro, and the Instagram-famous Taco Taco Taco Pizza. As the name implies, it is literally loaded with tacos. There are also 20 varieties of subs with creative toppings. It’s really hard to pick a favorite here, but I’m partial to Ohh Laa Laa, which is essentially French onion soup on a pizza