Backstreet Cafe, Cape May, NJ: A Restaurant Review
Backstreet Cafe: Restaurant Highlights
Fare: Contemporary American
Price: Moderate
Food Quality: Very Good. Uses fresh local ingredients. The bread and desserts are made in house and served fresh each day.
Service: "homey" and friendly.
Ambiance/Decor: Unpretentious, bare bones amenities. The tables are covered with a clear plexiglass covering, stainless steel cutlery, and linen napkins.
Overall Rating: 2 stars
Note: Four star Rating System from 1/2 star = poor to Four stars = Best in Class
Value: Excellent
Noise Level: Moderate
Dress: Very casual
Recommended For: Budget conscious diners who enjoy well prepared Contemporary American food without all the fine dining amenities
Not Recommended For: Diners who prefer upscale fine dining with all the trimmings and amenities.
Recommended dishes: When available, The Flounder with Colossal Crab, The Crab Imperial with baked colossal crab in a white cream sauce; and The Lollipop Lamb Chops with rack of lamb encrusted with a Dijon mustard sauce and seasoned bread crumbs.
Liquor: BYOB
Restaurant Review
In a Jersey Shore destination with plenty of fine dining restaurants, the Backstreet Cafe is an alternative and a favorite amongst locals and frequently visited tourists who come here for good food with reasonable prices in an unpretentious atmosphere.
The restaurant offers food that can be considered "fine dining quality" but lacks the amenities and trimmings that a fine dining restaurant offers.
Located on a backstreet in West Cape May, this small cafe has a "homey" ambiance with walls adorned with artwork.
Owner-chef Theresa Mc Glade is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in NY. She features well prepared dishes using fresh local ingredients.
The bread and desserts are made in house and served fresh each day.
The standard menu selections are limited and to get the top menu items, order from the chalkboard of daily specials. In addition to the standard menu, they also offer an attractively priced pre-fix menu.
The service is "homey" and friendly.
Do not expect the upscale trimmings and amenities normally found at a fine dining restaurant. The tables are covered with a clear plexiglass covering, stainless steel cutlery, and linen napkins.
Coffee is served in a variety of non-matching promotional mugs such as Disney World, etc. accompanied by diner style packaged half & half creamers.
Reservations are highly recommended during the busy summer season.
The Backstreet Cafe has seasonal hours. They are open Wednesday through Sunday at 5:00pm for dinner during the summer.
The Backstreet Cafe has free on-site parking available.
(Updated: May 2023)
How Do We Review (analyze) Restaurants?
New Jersey Leisure Guide strives to provide analytic restaurant reviews.
The methodology used is research, analysis driven --- as opposed to that of a single restaurant critic or a social media platform, viewer comment posting board.
