The Beach Cafe

Something for everyone in a wonderful, festive and congenial atmosphere. Attentive, well-trained staff greet and attend to you regardless of how busy the place gets (and it deservedly can get very busy at times). Consistent, carefully prepared entrees range from delicious turkey burgers and carefully prepared fish and chicken dishes to my husband's favorite comfort food: chopped steak, chicken pot pie, chili, linguine bolognese and iceberg lettuce wedges with bacon and blue cheese. We make a point of taking our out-of-town guests and family here, and have never been disappointed. Great outdoor dining (weather permitting) and VERY dog friendly. Cudos to the almost constantly on-site proprieter. If you need five-star gourmet food, well...maybe you should consider going elsewhere. However, if you want a great meal in a congenial atmosphere at a reasonable price, then I suggest you "go to the Beach", as we repeatedly do.

I was encouraged to return to the Beach Cafe since things had improved. Well, not the night I went there with three friends. Food (chicken parm, linguini with bolognese, spicy sausage, chopped beef) was mediocre. No one was heard saying, "Mmmm, this is good!" Service was lackadaisical.

When my mom comes to town for a visit, we always go to this neighborhood favorite for their salads, decadent gorgonzola bread and a glass of wine. It's a neighborhood favorite and very consistent.

The Beach Café is a neighborhood gem. I have been Beaching it off and on for almost 20 years, and I have always had a fine meal, served by charming staff (one of whom has be there almost as long as I’ve been a customer). Their menu offers something for everyone and will not disappoint. My recent favorite is their lobster roll, generous and perfectly seasoned, accompanied by crispy fries and a nice salad. A brunch favorite is the croque monsieur. The thin-crust pizzas are to die for, and the chicken caesar salad is always fresh and generously portioned. And half-priced bottles of wine on Friday nights . . . WINNING! The interior is warm and inviting, with fun banquettes along one wall and what seems to be an antique wooded bar of a bygone era. Even when crowded, the Beach is cozy. Sure, early in the evening the crowd can be on the older side, but if you’re not looking for a wild, raucous time, this is a plus. Even though I live in the neighborhood, I tend to avoid Second Avenue because of the subway construction, but I will make an exception for The Beach! I just hope they survive this long, intrusive construction project and emerge from behind all the scaffolding, etc. to see the light of day. It would be a sad day if this Beach were to erode, as have many of their neighbors on the Avenue.

the sweetie pie pizza sounded awesome. When it arrived burnt I was told that I 'should have expected that, as it is a thin crust pizza ' ? No I shouldn't - not when a personal size pizza costs $14. Way overpriced.

One of the top porterhouse steaks in the city, amazing cut of meat. Not to mention the Tuesday 2 for $50 special. Great relaxing vibe at the beach and amazing staff.

Maybe I ordered the wrong item on the menu or went at an off hour, but was not impressed. The turkey burger looked appalling and tasted like a frozen patty that was purchased at Food Emporium. The beers are minitaure. And, although there were only a few patrons at the time, our order still came out wrong. I will never go back.