Steve and Cookie's by the Bay

“This is one of my favorite spots, and honestly, it's probably a good thing it's not down the street from me. I come to AC for business three or four times a year and bring clients here on back-to-back days. It's a genuine escape from the casino air and the chaos. In all my visits, there has never been a bad experience. Not once. Every meal is SO fresh, and I don't change my order often because I spend the time between visits dreaming about it. For appetizers: the Thai Brussels sprouts (in season, as you'd expect from a farm-to-table kitchen), lamb chops, lobster mac, and butter poached clams are all must-orders. And the oysters? Don't get me started. The absolute best I've ever had, always clean and always perfect. As an oyster person, you know the risk you take. Here, there is none. My usual entree rotates between the crab meat tomato pasta and the seafood pan roast. If you're a seafood person, get the pan roast immediately. Perfectly seared scallops, two shrimp, lobster tail, and colossal crab over lemony, buttery rice. We talk it up so much at the table that everyone ends up ordering it, and no one has ever been disappointed. Then there's the peanut butter pie. As a lifelong dessert person, this is top three of my life. I always order extra slices to bring home so my people up north can understand what I've been raving about. If you're in AC, do yourself a favor and make the 20-minute drive west. You won't regret it.”

“went here for a birthday dinner and had a wonderful time. the food and drinks were perfect as well as the atmosphere. our waiter Hector was phenomenal and was very personable. Definitely want to come back and try more dishes! love that almost all the food is local to the area”

“Steve & Cookies never disappoints. We had an outstanding dinner—everything from the atmosphere to the service was spot on. The halibut was perfectly cooked, flaky, and full of flavor, and the pan-seared seafood dish was absolutely incredible—fresh, beautifully prepared, and bursting with taste. You can truly tell they care about quality and consistency here. A Margate classic for a reason, and always a place we’re happy to come back to. Highly recommend!”

“Had our anniversary dinner here. Overall, phenomenal experience. The atmosphere is intimate and decorated beautifully for the holidays. Our waiter Rob was fast, friendly and knowledgeable. We had cocktails, the soup of the day and the hummus platter to start. All were delicious. My husband had the stuffed porkchop and potatoes and I had the the crabcake meal for our entrées. Both very good. We didn't have dessert but there were quite a few options. The other diners were all kind and everyone was dressed nice. Would definitely recommend to others and will be back.”

“The oysters were excellent, and the seasonal blueberry cake was wonderful — definitely worth a visit for the food. The dining room, however, had an upscale, fairly homogenous crowd, unlike the more diverse atmospheres we’re used to in cities like NYC, LA, or many places in Europe. It left the space feeling somewhat exclusionary to me. Fantastic cuisine, but the overall vibe would keep me from returning.”