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Coral Reef Cafe, Ocean City, MD

Coral Reef Cafe

3.4
3.4
26 Reviews
$30 and under
American
A new look for 2021! Our entire property is nearing the end of a extensive renovation. We are waiting to serve you and create new memories. Allow our professional, knowledgeable staff make your dining experience and visit to Ocean City memorable. The menu features local favorites as well as continuing to stay up with the current trends, inspired by traditional and modern food methods

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 1 time today

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Caribbean
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am All Day Dining Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (410) 289-6388
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Ocean City
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 26 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.4
3.4 based on recent ratings
  • 3.7Food
  • 3.7Service
  • 2.6Ambience
  • 2.8Value

NoiseModerate

26 Reviews
  1. Tayler

    New York Area

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 23, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    My family and I made reservation for our Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the food was horrible. I ordered blackend scallops . I ask the server how big were the scallops and he made a circle with his fingers (half quarter) so I ordered them. When the scallops made it to the table, they were the size of nickels. The scallops cost 34 dollars and they were not blackened. The scallops had so much salt on them they were not edible. My husbands food was swimming in oil. My sons burger had no flavor. The pictures on line do not belong to them.

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  2. PamelaF

    Baltimore

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 23, 2023

    overall3food4service4ambience2
    We had Thanksgiving dinner in the Coral Reef RESTAURANT on 11/23; very pleased with the service and the food was good (except for the fried oysters--nothing like what we make/eat in Southern Maryland!). On Tues. 11/21 we ate in the Coral Reef CAFE; while the food was decent the atmosphere was awful!! How did you get away with having a cafe combined with the indoor pool?? No check from the OC health department? Chlorine smell, kids running around getting the dining area floor wet, hazardous for diners and staff, and very noisy!! Would recommend if the diner is eating the RESTAURANT.

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  3. LarryD

    Pittsburgh

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Very good... didn't know it was next to the indoor pool... but still a great dinner gor us

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 7, 2023

    overall1food4service2ambience1
    This restaurant is literally in the same room as the hotel indoor pool which you cannot tell from the pictures. It’s misleading and a very weird atmosphere. Smelled like chlorine at brunch which was awful.

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  5. SteveT

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 1, 2023

    overall3food2service5ambience3
    Coral Reef Cafe came up with a pretty decent rating among restaurants in the southern 1/3 of Ocean City, MD. I've tried a number of good OC restaurants and was optimistic. It is located in a hotel, basically in the lobby. Part of the dining room was in the swimming pool area. That was fine with me as long as the food was good. It was not. I had baby back ribs. $28 or so. They were like leather with bones and slathered with sauce. My wife had salmon, which was better than the ribs, slathered with butter. We both had double sides of green beans, which may or may not have come out of a can and drenched with butter. The waitress was sweet and did a good job. But the food is a hard pass, even if it wasn't way over priced.

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  6. SueS

    Philadelphia

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on September 20, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    We had a very good meal. The waiter was very attentive and friendly. My only disappointment was that we had to eat in the bar area because the dining room was having a private party.

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  7. LowFreqGuy

    Baltimore

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience3
    We didn’t know this restaurant was located inside a hotel when we made the reservation through Open Table. When we arrived, we found it to be inside of Holiday Inn. The dining area is indoors, adjacent to the fenced off pool and swim area. Not a terribly high end experience, but the food was really good. If you are sensitive to the smell of pool water or chemicals, you may find another venue to be a better fit for you.

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  8. HalRappaport

    New York Area

    47 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on August 16, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience1
    We went for breakfast. This was a typical Holiday Inn restaurant that is billed as something more. It's a hotel restaurant by their indoor pool. The service was VERY slow. The order was incorrect and the food was just fair.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    12 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on July 25, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience2
    Our waiter was great, I think his name Josh. Josh was awesome. Here is where it gets crazy, they were extremely under staffed and a cook quit right in the middle of orders being put in. Wait was long, and the bartender had to jump in and start cooking, crazy right? Welp, if it wasn’t for the bartender we would’ve gotten any food. I think it was a little pricey for finger food, not much to write home about it that justifies our bill being $165. Hopefully they get their staffing issue resolved. The location is in one of the bigger hotels in OC.

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  10. SandiP

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Food was excellent. Server was attentive and sweet. Had the back room to ourselves. Party of 6.

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  11. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall2food3service4ambience2
    Located in the Holiday Inn. What turned me off was the sticky floor throughout the lobby and restaurant which made me feel they don’t value cleanliness.

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  12. Jacqueline

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 15, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    The food was good unfortunately. The steak had to be returned because there was a larger amount of fat on the meat so they cooked a new steak. Service was very good and the chef came out and apologized. We would definitely go back for dinner.

    1 person found this helpful

  13. MrsCoop

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our waiter was super sweet and food was great! I

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  14. MarkR

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 28, 2022

    overall1food1service5ambience3
    We were informed that there was a management change! It appears to have affected the food... I was looking forward to the crab soup as it was my favorite and has been for the years we have visited the restaurant. I couldn't even finish it as to was so salty and spicy. My wife's crab cake sandwich was terrible as the orange dressing on the sandwich had to be scraped off with a knife and the Cesar salad had croutons so hard she would have broken a tooth trying to eat one. She tried to cut one with a knife but it wouldn't even cut... Sorry to say that the experience was only saved by the excellent wait staff. Colby was the bright light in this experience as the rest was VERY dimmed. Sorry for the bad review, but honesty is the best policy, RIGHT!!!

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  15. OpenTable Diner

    Tampa

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Lunch as fantastic and the drinks were delicious. Staff was extremely courteous and always checking if we needed anything else.

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  16. NikiM

    Jacksonville

    50 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    50 reviews

    Dined on August 10, 2022

    overall3food4service3ambience2
    Food was good. Service was slow, and restaurant was not busy. Environment was quiet. Price we paid, was not reflective of our experience.

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  17. KimE

    Philadelphia

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    Food and service were excellent! A bit pricey but we loved the food!

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  18. KatinaB

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2022

    overall2food2service2ambience3
    Expensive and the food wasn’t worth the price. The cafe side is the actual hotel pool room separated by a clear plexiglass wall… so you can see people in the pool and they can see you. Our food sat in the kitchen and was not delivered fresh because my daughter’s pasta sauce had dried up.

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  19. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 4, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    The food is great and the place is beautiful. The only complaint is that it is LOUD. It’s hard to hear one another while in the restaurant.

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  20. Todd

    Washington DC

    8 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on July 3, 2022

    overall1food1service2ambience1
    Our food was not tasty, not worth the price tag

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  21. DaveG

    Chicago

    16 reviews

    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on June 25, 2022

    overall4food3service5ambience3
    Very nice, but surprised “room” shared with indoor pool. Thus, casual setting, but service & food Very Good!

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  22. DavidB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Although a little on the expensive side, it’s a great place to eat and the food is well worth the cost. It’s definitely upscale quality in all aspects. The servers were both personable and knowledgeable and they also get a five star from me. I definitely recommend it!

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  23. Seesee

    Washington DC

    12 reviews

    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2022

    overall3food2service3ambience3
    The experience was okay. A couple of disappointments (1) the waiter forgot to put in my appetizer (2) I ordered the crab cake and it was horrible. As a Marylander, I know crab cakes and this wasn’t it. It had an unusual seasoning in it giving it a weird taste. A couple of bites and I was done, I couldn’t eat it. Lastly, it was closing time and as we were receiving/paying the check, the cleaning staff rolled a bucket to our table and proceeded to mop around our feet. It was quit an unpleasant experience.

    1 person found this helpful

  24. OpenTable Diner

    Baltimore

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service, a bit too noisy. Food is awesome! Pool inside the restaurant?!

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  25. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 26, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Me and my friend had dinner tonight at the Coral Reef. Carlos was our waiter and he was very attentive. Very interesting setting with the pool under the same roof. Great experience overall!

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  26. FireChief3419

    Baltimore

    18 reviews

    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Ambiance was great. Service was fantastic. Drinks were average.

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Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Sealed or wrapped utensils used
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
  • Physical distancing

    • Extra space between tables
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Coral Reef Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (410) 289-6388.

Coral Reef Cafe is rated 3.4 stars by 26 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 1 time today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Coral Reef Cafe

1701 Atlantic Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842-6594

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Ocean City
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am All Day Dining Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Caribbean
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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