Carmen’s Seafood Restaurant
343 43rd Pl
Sea Isle City, NJ 08243
My family and I went for lunch and were fortunate to sit at a corner table. The restaurant sits over and beside an inlet to the bay where we could see boats going in and out of the docks. It was a pleasant sight as well to see the sea gulls fly by and, occasionally, into the restaurant which prompted the establishment to post the following sign.
The food was not as pleasant as the surroundings, however. I ordered Manhattan Clam Chowder with a half-dozen oysters on the half shell. The chowder was AWFUL. It was far too thick with too much tomato paste and other stuff I could not identify. There was meat in it, and it was not clams! I could only eat a couple of spoonfuls. My son-in-law ordered the crab chowder and it tasted the same as mine.
The 1/2 dozen Jumbo Oysters on the Half Shell were good but they had either sand or part of the shell in them which made them hard to eat – also a disappointment.
The children had grilled cheese sandwiches, their usual fare. No complaints there.
My nephew had a hamburger which he said was ‘pretty good’. Based on my meal and that of my family I will give Carmen’s Seafood Restaurant 2 and 1/2 plates.