Rusty Nail

Name: Rusty Nail
Address: 205 Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ, United States, 08204
Telephone: (609) 884-0017
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 3.9

3.9 (46)

$30 and under

American

205 Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

7:00 PM

About this restaurant

Great for outdoor dining
Good for groups
Kid-friendly

Welcome to the Rusty Nail
“The Nail,” as it’s known by the locals, is the famed iconic surfer bar and restaurant that made a name for itself in the ‘70s. And it’s right here at the Beach Shack, just steps away from your room. From lifeguards and surfers to beautiful beach bunnies, they all gathered around the wood bar that was rumored to be the longest in all of Cape May. Now it’s your turn to join in the fun for breakfast, lunch, dinner or its famed happy hour. Kids’ meals are served on a souvenir Beach Shack Frisbee, giving you a fun after-dinner activity. Indoor spaces spill into outdoor seating, sand bar, fire pit and shuffleboard. Young, old and even four-legged friends are invited in from the beach for live entertainment and Rusty Nail’s beach blanket comfort food that can also be wrapped to go. The Rusty Nail was named one of Zagat's 10 Hottest Restaurants on the Jersey Shore, 2014.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Hours of operation
Daily 8:00 am–10:00 pm
Phone number
(609) 884-0017
Website
http://www.caperesorts.com/beach-shack/rusty-nail
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
205 Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204
Neighborhood
Cape May
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 46 people are saying

Rusty Nail reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

3.9

3.9 based on all time ratings

3.9Food
3.7Service
4.2Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

46 Reviews

LB
LisaB
New York City6 reviews
1.0
Dined on July 27, 2020
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Terrible food & service! . Would never recommend this place. The server made like he was doing us a favor ever time we asked him for something!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City1 review
4.0
Dined on July 26, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Hostess was disorganized, but seems because assigned too many tasks for one person (manning host desk, seating, monitoring table turnover, cleaning the tables, etc.) Behind schedule on reservations, prob because they took too many walk ins. Food was good. Service was average. A bit loud.
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KD
KellyD VIP
Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews
3.0
Dined on July 20, 2020
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Food was ok but way overpriced. There are other far better options available. We don’t plan to return.
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CM
CourtneyM
Philadelphia County2 reviews
4.0
Dined on July 9, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We love coming to the rusty nail while in Cape May. The hostess was rude & not friendly at all. Our server was great & food overall was okay.
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ES
ElizabethS VIP
Philadelphia County1 review
1.0
Dined on July 9, 2020
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
We made a lunch reservation several weeks in advance, only to show up and find the restaurant was closed. We received no notification from the restaurant or Open Table. Very disappointed.
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AD
AnnD VIP
New York City28 reviews
3.0
Dined on July 8, 2020
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Love the food at the Rusty Nail but the service was terrible. They also had outdoor seating in the back which looks beautiful we were not allowed to sit back there. The prices were good also
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Atlantic City / South Jersey Shore21 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 8, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We hit the Rusty Nail during our annual CM trip at least once. The food is great, freshly prepared ingredients - - - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is second to none (especially outside.) It’s conveniently located to where we stay but that might not help most. Like with most places, especially in peak CM season, the service has suffered dramatically due to staffing shortages. Definitely make reservations ahead of time as they easily sell out and walk-ins frequently get turned away at peak times. We still go because all the other restaurants have the same issue…and because we love the place and are trying to support them. Looking forward to this Summer ‘22!!
1 person found this helpful
b
bpc135798642
Philadelphia County10 reviews
3.0
Dined on July 5, 2020
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Great outdoor venue on the beach, with live music. We go every year, but very quiet this time due to social distancing. Food is very average bar fare, everything needs more flavor, prices a little too high for the quality. Gets lively later in the evening.
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S
Shopgirl VIP
Philadelphia County11 reviews
1.0
Dined on July 2, 2020
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
Was very disappointed in our experience here. Had been looking forward to going and had heard nice things, but were let down. Made a reservation in advance, but still didn’t get the seating we had asked for despite waiting an extra 45 mins past our reservation time with little to know explanation or apology. The way staff was spread way too thin, especially to juggle the Covid cleaning and duties associated with dining at this point. The food was sub par at best. Way overpriced food and drinks for what it is. Wouldn’t go back.
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TG
ToddG
Greater Boston1 review
1.0
Dined on June 27, 2020
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Had reservation was made to wait in line with people that did not have a reservation had to go up three times to say that now we were late for a reservation before they would even let us be seated furthermore we were staying at the hotel it was seated by the road instead of inside where the music was playing ridiculous
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FAQs

Rusty Nail is rated 3.9 stars by 46 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

7:00 PM

205 Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204

Additional information

Neighborhood
Cape May
Hours of operation
Daily 8:00 am–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.caperesorts.com/beach-shack/rusty-nail
Phone number
(609) 884-0017

Rusty Nail

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 46 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Rusty Nail restaurant rated?

Is Rusty Nail currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information