Embers Restaurant
2305 Philadelphia Ave, Ocean City, MD, 21842
Embers Restaurant Menu
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Address :
2305 Philadelphia Ave
Ocean City, MD, 21842 - Phone (410) 289-3322
- Website https://embers.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Laurie B.
Amazing fresh seafood of all kinds! Service was awesome, they refilled our drinks as they got low, continued to take our crab shells every time they half filled. Wonderful customer service, food cooked perfectly. We deff recommend Embers! A little pricey but that's to be expected with seafood!
(4)Haley G.
I visit here every year- the buffet is amazing. GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO
(5)Melissa S.
Surprisingly enjoyable dinner for a buffet. I'll say to get your money's worth on this location you need to like snow crab, clams, mussels or shrimp. Otherwise it's just a mediocre buffet. But we enjoyed eating clams and snow crab to our hearts content. The service was outstanding for a buffet and the waitress did a great job of emptying our shells "bucket." Everything other than your seafood of choice is "ok", but the seafood quality makes up for it. I'd say it's absolutely worth the price. And my 1.5 year old was free so that was a bonus!
(4)Holly H.
This was our first time in and we were pleasantly surprised. I'm usually not a buffet goer...they skeeve me out a little, but the little one wanted crab so away we went. Service: Our server Tiffany was AMAZING! Never needed to ask for anything. Glasses were always full, plates cleared as soon as we were done and she was SO friendly!! She really made the experience that much better. Appearance: for a buffet style place, the digs were very classy looking. The dining area was clean, well lit and our view was nice. Food: giant selection and well done I thought. My daughter and I love snow crabs so that about all we had. They were well done, not over seasoned or over steamed. Very tender and sweet. We did several laps around all the other dishes which were always being filled and everything looked good. There was a wide variety of things to offer the non-seafood eaters as well as the shellfish lovers. The deserts were a little basic but that's to be expected for this style of dining. Carving station was impressive. Bar: lots of seating and plenty to choose from. It was well laid out and staff was friendly Price point: fair for what we are I thought. Adults were $34.99 (we got there for early bird which was a bonus, so it was only $30.99) and they have great pricing for the kiddos. Over all we were very pleased and will be back next season!
(5)Joe S.
Typical all u can eat seafood place. Most of the food was cold or there wasn't any to be found. Wait staff was friendly, but didn't pay $30.99 a person to have someone bring me water. We arrived around 330pm to make it a lunch/dinner. Was expecting the food to fresh, but most was dried out. My 8 year old didn't like the spaghetti or the pizza, especially since she could live on those two foods. :). If you can catch when they are bringing out the fresh food then some of it wasn't bad. I never saw the fried shrimp come back out, and I waited for it twice. Some of The crab legs were a little small for being snow crabs, but they were good. I think once the dinner rush really hits, they can't keep up and things sit empty. Desert bar looked good. Had soft serve ice cream which they had toppings for. Family of 4, 3 adults and one child. No alcohol. Bill was $117.00.
(2)Steve K.
Unlimited snow crabs.. Gave 2 each time but can go back as much as you like!! The cooked mussels and clams were delicious The only downfall was the raw oyster bar seemed to be forgotten about?? Was not refilled and wasn't as fresh as I expected. But other than that, the overall food was good and our server Kirsten was very attentive to our needs! The seating area has a glass wall on one side that shows the bay.
(4)Gerald H.
WENT HERE IS WEEKEND WHILE ON VACATION WITH THE BROSEPHS. Ordered the AYCE buffet and lived the dream after a day of drinking. First and foremost I enjoy higher end AYCE buffets(not Ponderosas and Ryans slop). I had been to The Bonfire before and really enjoyed it so we decided to give this a go. ATMOSPHERE: Your typical all you can eat buffet setting- multiple buffet carts with seafood, pizza, salad, a carving station, and homestyle food like mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, meats and dessert options aplenty. A HUGE PLUS WAS HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET SEATED: which was about 3 minutes - incredible for a Saturday night at 6. FOOD: Here are the items I tried/ate- Mac and cheese, pizza, flounder, crab imperial, crab dip, steak, Caesar salad, crabs, chicken tenders, clams, pound cake, chocolate mousse. First, everything was GOOD- max and cheese was great, pizza was average, seafood was good except for the crab dip which was old and terrible. I would say that the food was good, the options and the experience was good, but there wasn't anything that really set it apart from the usual in OC. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED BUT OTHWR PLACES MAY BE BETTER - WITH A WAIT.
(3)Mona R.
When visiting OC, I always go to an AUCE. The usual is Bonfire, Phillips, and/or Embers. My last visit here was on 7/4 and I have to compliment their selection on this day. Their snow crabs were meaty, fresh, and servers didn't mind giving you many clusters at a time. Other seafood locations want to give you 2 at a time usually, haha. I was impressed with the quality that evening. With AUCE restaurants it can be hit or miss. Our server was very nice and attentive. We walked in about 7 pm and were seated at a table for 4 within 5 minutes. After this visit, I'll choose Embers now above the other locations I usually go to.
(5)David P.
On a recent trip to Ocean City, my friends and I (we were a group of 6 adults and 2 kids) stopped by Ember's for dinner one night. We were told there was a 15 minute wait but we were seated almost right away. Our waitress Maddie was really friendly and sweet! That is probably the best part of this review. Embers offers a all you can eat buffet with a wide variety of food. There is always a line for the crab legs, but that is because they are probably the best item offered in the buffet. I had a few other items from the buffet and they were ok. There was definitely nothing that I thought was amazing. Definitely stay away from the oysters. They did not taste fresh at all. They actually tasted like they had been frozen. This place is definitely overpriced for the quality of food that they have. I am not too sure I will back when I visit Ocean City again next year.
(2)Chrisnmegan G.
Thanks Steve with out your review we would have never came glad we did and you were right the crab legs were outstanding Super good food,price was normal for peak season in OCMD our group of 5 was only $133.00 including drinks our waitress Kristen was AWESOME we never had to ask for drinks she had them refilled before they were 1/2 gone.and had our empty plates cleared before we had to ask all and all our experience was superb great job Kristen and great job to all the staff there.
(5)Brian L.
I came here in November of 2014. Had a great experience in the off season. Decided to come last night with a few friends and unfortunately was a little disappointed. It's advertised as a prime rib and crab buffet...it's just about average at both. The prime rib was a little bit mushy and lacked the beef texture. The crab legs were a tad rubbery - still good with a little butter. Other foods were mediocre - clams and mussels were gritty, pastas were pretty average. My favorite items were actually the fried shrimp and the fried chicken. Service was quick and attentive which is always a plus. For $35 not including tax and tip, I don't know if I'd come back again.
(3)Miliardo P.
Sigh! My review was going to be completely different before I read a post someone left yesterday. So let me just get this out the way now... if you're religion doesn't allow you to eat chicken, pork, and seafood......DON'T GO TO A SEAFOOD BUFFET!!!!!! Also its not the establishments responsibility to charge you less if you don't eat some of their food, at a buffet if you sit down you pay the price, if you can't afford it DON'T GO Ok now back to my regularly scheduled review! Food was tasty, and yeah the place might be a bit pricey but if you come with an appetite you'll definitely get your money's worth. Tremendously friendly servers, do yourself a favor and have Marcell as your server, he's knowledgeable about all the food and surrounding entertainment options. This place is worth the time and money. Then go mini golfing afterwards to work off some of the food
(4)Dana S.
So we went early - a little after 3pm on a Tuesday night. Being that early I would have expected stuff to be fresh, not dried out. The mussels were dry, the fish was already dry - not impressive - even the salad was already soggy (Caesar). My 8 year old wasn't impressed with much either, and she's not that picky of an eater. Her favorite thing was honestly corn on the cob! She didn't eat the pizza, it was old, she liked some of the basic fried seafood and of course I think most kids like the self serve ice cream. The 15yr old liked the crab legs, but as I wasn't impressed with the mussels - either was she, and it's her favorite. The raw oysters were good and fresh - they were also the grittiest oysters I have ever had so I stopped after 6. Wait staff was attentive and friendly so they saved it.
(3)Jeff B.
If you are in the mood for all you can eat buffet this is the place. I usually do the snow crab legs. They do not skimp and have plenty. Nice mix of all other kinds of food. $34.99 per person for adults.
(3)Danielle H.
It's a great place to eat if you are steady on your feet ..... The food here was great. The clams were delicious and I probably ate $33 worth of just those. It's pricey but we enjoyed it and felt it was worth it. They make oversized adult beverages which are both yummy and fun. There was one significant downside. The floors in this place are frighteningly slippery. My husband actually fell once. I came close several times. It's as if people have spilled so much butter on the floors over the years that it just doesn't come off anymore. And it's not just near the buffet. It's the WHOLE restaurant. DO NOT WEAR HEELS!!
(3)Manny M.
We made sure we got their right as they opened so we could have decently fresh seafood buffet. It was actually pretty good. Your not going to get your momma's fresh home made seafood here but with a buffet what do you expect? They actually had alot of non seafood choices as well like meats, mashed potatos and pasta. Our waiter was cool and we all definitely enjoyed the orange crushes. Check this place out!
(4)Julie H.
I enjoyed The Embers. Is it the best seafood you'll ever have? Probably not, but it is good. The restaurant offers a beautiful view, a clean atmosphere and ample seating. The seafood is fresh and well seasoned. The buffet offers a variety of dishes for those who love seafood and for those who don't. The price of the buffet is a little much, but it does offer plenty of variety. I must remark that the bar could use a lesson or two on making drinks. I ordered a Mai Tai and got something along the lines of a Bahama Mama...o.k.
(4)Zack H.
This is a review two years in the making. My grandma has a tradition of going to this buffet with us every year. Locals say it is the best buffet in Ocean City, and who am I to argue? The specialty here is (of course) seafood. Their crab legs are delectable. They also serve crab cakes here - because, after all, this is Maryland. For those who aren't seafood-loving diners, one can also order made-to-order prime rib, as well as steak and homemade fried chicken. The quality of the food ranges from amazing (prime rib) to awful (the majority of their desserts). I would recommend to the owner to improve consistency. Finally, service was not great, but manageable. Definitely 3 stars.
(3)Lance D.
I didn't even bother reading any of the reviews for Embers, was referred to by the clerk at Summer Beach Condos. I'm here to tell ya, anyone who didn't rate this a shining 5 star is a food hater. THIS PLACE IS AWESOME, FLAT OUT! Best seafood buffet I've ever been to, including Vegas. Everything was excellent.
(5)J V.
I searched and searched the reviews on here for a good seafood buffet. My family had dined at the Embers years ago, and I wasn't sure if it would still be the same. We arrived around 6:30pm with a coupon from one of the visitors guides for $4 off the buffet. We also had called ahead for a reservation, which was appreciated considering there was a wait after we arrived. The servers have this down to a science. They were consistently picking up our shell bowls and providing refills of water and soda. Metal crackers were provided as well as a nice stack of napkins at the end of the table. Is this the best seafood I had in OCMD? Nope. Were the crab legs delicious? Absolutely! I had about 5 plates of 2 or 3 clusters. The littleneck clams were buttery and delicious. I tend to prefer the larger clams, but these were just fine. When reviewing the other items on the buffet, I think it's important to note that this place isn't going to be fine dining. You have to adjust your expectations a bit. The fried chicken was good, the clam strips were crunchy and golden, and the sweet and sour chicken was surprising delicious. The spicy crab soup had small strands of crab, but I only wanted a small taste anyway. We didn't really venture away from the seafood and some sampling of other items, but what we did have was alright. They didn't have any parmesan cheese near the pasta, which would have been nice. The pizza was horrible, but the cheese and pepperoni pieces on top were ok. But I didn't come here for pizza. We did not sample the raw bar, but we did see quite a few people enjoying it. The ice cream didn't have a very creamy consistency, but we were going out for dessert later. The only big complaint I have is the temperature of the plates. They were so hot that you needed a napkin to hold them as you walked around the buffet. I can understand keeping the plates warm to keep the food warmer, but a child who picked up a plate could have easily been burned. Would we come back? Yes! It satisfied what I was looking for. Good crab legs and clams that are all you can eat. The service was good, too.
(4)Travis C.
First thing to remember is your in ocean city so it's always overpriced, second it's a buffet. If you like crab legs as my wife and daughter do you'll love it if not you'll think it's an overpriced buffet.
(3)Alexandra J.
Went here for Fourth of July weekend with my family, food was great and the service was even better. Ask for Dana she was great! So fun and helpful and on top of her game 100% of the time! The manager Heather wasn't very pleasant and could use a little training on hospitality but everything else was wonderful.
(4)Samantha K.
Staff was very friendly however, the cost of the buffet is severely overpriced for the mediocre, luke-warm food they served. The only reason I went here was for the crab legs. Crab legs were mainly water logged, but were very good once dipped in the (fairly hot) butter. I'm glad I used this opportunity to fill up on crab legs while there instead of getting a little bit of everything. The food seems to be better during season when it's very busy. Oh & once the staff brought out a fresh batch of crab legs, they tasted very good. The only thing I did not like was the legs did not "crack" well & instead were soft & flexible. Also, the air conditioning certainly did not help with the food temperature issue. The restaurant was very cold to the point where customers were complaining & asking to be sat at a different location of the restaurant which happened to be the one I was already sitting in with my boyfriend. I'm frequently cold anywhere indoors despite the 80 degree weather outside, so I always bring a hoodie & wore mine the entire time. Even my boyfriend said he was a little cold & that means he place is very cold considering my boyfriend is a bigger & hairy guy who enjoys the air conditioning at a constant 68 degrees. This place had to have had their air conditioning at 60-65 degrees (Fahrenheit of course).
(3)Sal S.
Place sucks its hot in the main room and food is horrible . Not worth $30. That's with the 4 dollar coupon . Would not go back again .
(1)Gina K.
The food was good . We went on 6/17. I'm giving it 2 stars because the server dropped a bowl of old bay seasoning on my 8 month old son . She was in such a rush maybe if she would have slowed down just a little bit my son wouldn't have smelled like a fish.
(2)Candy M.
The seafood are all fresh.. I love seafood so much. They deserve five stars! So many people... I will come again when I come to OC next time! My friends and I all have a great time there last night! So bravo!
(5)Ava W.
An annual OCMD family vacation must include seafood, so why not a buffet where you can get an array of seafood? We've tried Phillips and Hall's, so we were up for some place different. Ember's was a pretty good choice. On a Thursday night, it was a little over half filled. The dining area is HUGE (with a beautiful view), so half's not bad. The buffet had an impressive selection of items, most of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The only thing I didn't like was the tilapia with some kind of mango salsa. The crab legs were really good and a nice size. The catfish was also fantastic. What wasn't fantastic? The price. I know, I know....it's a SEAFOOD buffet. What do I expect to pay? Well, I just wasn't mentally prepared for $34. I was hating on my Mom who got a 1/2 price senior discount. For once, I wished I was old. (er.) SN: I hope she doesn't ever read this. Lastly, our server who was super friendly and attentive with drink refills and clearing plates made a boo boo. He had no problem when asked to split the bill using two cards. However, he must've gotten sidetracked between our table and the swipe machine because he put the whole bill on one card. He apologized for his forgetfulness, but it kind of left a bad taste after such a nice meal. Oh well, mistakes do happen and we left full and satisfied.
(4)Nicole G.
The crab legs were good and I think my boyfriend and I ate our money's worth in those alone. As for the rest of the food it was pretty mediocre, some of it was cold despite the fact that we showed up when they opened. They had a ton of people crammed into one dining area with a couple other rooms completely empty. Also, bring a sweatshirt. It was barely 70 out and raining and they had the air cranked up so high I was shivering the whole time.
(3)Amani A.
I got food allergies from this place they cross contaminate the food! After leaving 15 minutes, took me about 30 minutes to eat a salad and crab legs
(1)Lynne E.
Being from out of town as well as it being our 25th anniversary our choice of restaurants was tough. We chose Embers & I'm glad we did! The food was good, plenty of variety & the staff was constantly bringing out fresh food. But the best part was our server Diego, he made our Embers experience very memorable. Very attentive & even brought us out a special cake as a surprise for our special day. I would definitely go here again!!!
(4)Phida S.
I give 5 stars to the staff! But the food isn't worth 34$ per person. There isn't big clams/crawfish and very few options. Those are the things I look for the most at a seafood buffet. This place did not have that much seafood. I'd eat here if it was 12-15$ per person
(2)Kimberly W.
Best place for a seafood buffet with great customer service! Great look on the inside and the bathrooms were clean! Busy night and still our server Shelby was courteous and kind to our party of 11!
(5)Alexander K.
If you want an all you can eat buffet, this is the place to go. You walk into a battle field of hungery tourists laying waste to crab legs and any molisk of your liking. They have just about everything; Chinese food to prime rib. My fiancé and I went here purely for the crab legs and they were great! We did try other food, but the only note worthy "side dish" to our crab legs is the crab meat chowder. They advertised oyster and clams on the half shell, though when I saw them I was turned off faster than you can say food poisoning. Maybe if they shucked them fresh, rather let them sit on ice for an unknown amount of time. If you wanna spin the porcelain roulette wheel, by all means. There was a review saying that the plates are hot. I thought it was crazy talk at first, however, they is hot! I had to use a napkin to hold it, but if that's the price I pay for being a glutton, I paid it gladly. The service here was friendly and speedy. They kept our drinks filled and had our plates cleared by the time we were back for another snack down. Though a little pricy, I would go again and bring friends. My fiancé and I can eat, so we totally ate our $34.99 worth in food. I think this is a great place to go if you are in the mood for an all you can eat crab leg feast.
(3)Kat B.
Several years ago, I ate at embers and had one of the best crab bread bowl appetizers I've ever had. Returning to ocean city, I called to ask if it was still available and could be ordered for carry out, as we were quite a long drive away. I was told yes and that I didn't need to order it in advance. When I got to the restaurant I was told the appetizer was no longer available. I would not have been so angry if they had taken the time to check since I took the time to call and then drive there.
(1)Heather R.
Crab legs are amazing!!!!! Great food, a great staff, we really like our waiter Joe G very nice guy. Good food but a little pricey.
(4)Eric L.
My family dining here on a recent Saturday night. It was quite busy, but they did a great job of keeping the food refreshed, especially the prime rib and crab legs. The service was decent, she kept our drinks refilled and promptly took away the empty plates. The food here is inconsistent. Some items were quite good including the Maryland crap soup, crab legs and the prime rib. Others such as the pizza and chicken marsala were unforgivable. The food was kind of 'old school', very starchy and similar to what you would find in a 1980's buffet. My advice would be to take your time, try a small portion of several items and get a feel for what is good.
(3)Jill I.
I would give this place a negative amount stars if Yelp would only let me. Worst $35 I ever spent. The place is dark and depressing, and the quality of food was crap. The hush puppies were incredibly dry, the crabs rubbery. The prime rib looked like somebody had literally chewed it up first and then spit it back out onto your plate. I can't even remember what else I ate because I've been actively trying to suppress the memory of ever patronizing this dismal establishment. Now, buffets aren't normally my thing, let alone a seafood buffet, seeing as I think those two words should never rightfully be put together. However, I was in OCMD with a bachelorette party and was pretty much dragged here by the group of girls who, for some reason, thought this place was legit. As if that all weren't reason enough to come within 100 feet of this place ever again, I came down with a lovely bout of food poisoning. Everything I ate was launched from my stomach and intestines in quite a few horrifying ways for the better part of my Friday night. So, yea, come here if you're trying to lose weight while eating all you want. You won't be able to keep anything down from here for more than hour anyway. There, something worthy of the 1 star Yelp forces me give. :(
(1)Diana C.
Food was great! Service leaves a lot to be desired. We planned to have a few cocktails with dinner but couldn't get our server to check on us, let alone offer another drink. We ended up going to the bar after dinner where we waited several minutes before being acknowledged. A majority of the staff was hanging out at the end of the bar eating and discretely drinking with what we assumed were regulars or staff with the day off. Please note our visit was in February so business levels are no excuse for such poor service.
(2)Alyce T.
We decided to try a buffet while on vacation. We had gone to others in the past but decided to try Embers this time. Big mistake. Quality of food was poor - you could tell most of it had been sitting out for a while and some was even cold. Our server was horrendous and I wish I could remember her name because I would tell you to avoid her (and her terrible attitude) at all costs. She walked out and the first thing she said was that they gave them cheap pens that suck...nice first impression. Then she introduced the server that was training and shadowing her. I felt sorry for that poor girl...they should have had her training with someone else. The trainee was very nice and was the only one who kept coning by to check on us. They were giving a $5.00 off discount the night we went but our bill still ended up being over $70. We attempted to give the trainee the tip since she was the only one that did any work and the only one who smiled but the server promptly ripped that out of her hands. We will definitely not be returning as we can get bad food and poor service at a variety of other places.
(1)Judy W.
first off i would like to say that we found embers to be pricey. 2nd while eating the wait staff were standing there goofing off while waiting to clear plates from tables. music was very loud. The food was not the best quality for $33.95 and somet food were not even labeled to know what u were being offered.
(2)Lewis P.
I've been to many buffets around the country, seafood, chinese, country etc. but Embers hasto be the worst ever. Not only is the price too high, the food is terrible. The crab legs had little to no meat and the steamed shrimp was overdone and rubbery. The carving station was just ok, the fried butterfly shrimp was lacking not only taste but shrimp as well. The crab imperial was very pasty as was the crab dip. I must say the best thing I had was the oyster& ham soup, outstanding!! However the service was friendly and above average for a buffet. This is my first restauranr review but I felt the need to warn others about this below average place. Sorry!
(1)Mike M.
Remember people its a buffet, not a 4 star a la carte dining experience. For me its the best buffet in oc, good selection of seafood and non seafood items, everything is hot, crab legs always available and good service for a buffet.
(4)Tisha S.
it was pretty good. lots of choices and seafood, but nothing more than what i have seen in other seafood places...
(3)Ralph L.
Food was ok. For the price i expected more variety of food besides the common crab legs. The oysters were little slivers of meat in a shell and the ice cream was tasteless cheap soft cone drool. If you have the 33$ or a coupon for a cheaper rate then go for it. I have to say though the service was good. But there was one person eating left and we were sitting there chatting and one of the servers was trying to scoot us along. LOL
(2)Mike P.
The last time I was at Embers before this recent one was 15 years ago, while I have changed quite a bit, this place hasn't at all in my mind. When we came into ocean city with a group of 10 of us, I had one thing set in my mine. The car drove in with was going to Embers, this was a particularly lucid plan since I drove, but everyone agreed that this was the place to go. So first and for most, this is going to cost you about 35 (bare minimum, low tip and coupon) up to maybe 60 if you're a bit of a boozy floozy. Seating is generally 32.99 a plate, but they were running a special for 5 dollars off when we went. Fountain drinks are also like 3 bucks. Now to my favorite part, the food. It's basically a giant seafood buffet, with some non seafood items. Like a prime ribs, ham, and roast beef carving station. A salad bar, which I didn't actually frequent, Hush puppies , other seafood items, and finally Snow crab legs. You might say to yourself, I got to buffets with snow crab legs and they are meh, and they run out super fast. Not here, they always have 2 trays of them. A person serves you them and will give you as many as you want on your plate. I think 2 is normal or you can get three at once, after that it becomes unwieldy after four. But they won't stop you; a guy in front of me acted as if it was last call and got 7 of those bad boys piled high. I think I had about 18 halves, it surprising how many snow crab legs you can eat when you don't eat anything else, and that your large enough to also consume a 72oz steak if duty called. They have butter and other sides for the legs but you really don't need them, maybe some lemon would have been nice but I may have messed with my crab eating mojo. They had an assortment of other fresh things like raw oysters and clams. I tried them but I tend to not get them unless I'm in New Orleans because they're just better down there. They also had a dessert bar with a fair amount of things. One thing I don't know if they have is kids prices, I wouldn't take a child here unless they did, it's too pricy at adult prices. There is no way they could possibly come close to the cost. Even some adults have problems eating that much. The next time I'm in ocean city I will be coming here again, I just hope it's not another 15 years.
(5)Rich B.
Bottom line is if you dont go for seafood dont go to these things. I was looking forward to doing some damage with crab legs and raw bar but the clams and oysters did not look good at all. (Sorry not taking one for the team) the steamed ahrimp were ok. (Im old bayed out already) The crab legs were good some alitt)e watery. But the prepared food was horrible... bland fried ahrimp fish fried oysters....up to you...but Im done with these places......until the kids drag me to one again
(3)Chuck H.
Very disappointed. The best thing about this place is the friendly service. The food is just not very good.
(1)Allyson K.
Awful. Seafood was ok. Ambience is terrible. Cafeteria decor and no sort of organization whatsoever.
(1)Tracy W.
Service is good. But food not to great. The selection isn't great not a lot to chose from.
(3)Elizabeth O.
Oh. My. Gawd. Trying to decide on an AYCE buffet with a family of six adults is a pain. I read and re-read every review for every buffet in OCMD trying to decide whether we wanted to have the most variety, the biggest crab legs, the cleanest restaurant. I mean, ideally, we wanted all of it but based on the reviews I was reading this didn't seem plausible. Finally, crunch time had arrived and everyone decided that since I am the big Yelper and I read/write reviews constantly that I should be the decision maker. Fine. Okay. Let's just go on over to Embers... they seem the least scary. Did I mention I have an aversion to buffets? I don't care for them. I worked in a buffet restaurant as a teen and ever since then have a hard time with the idea. Well, we made a reservation for six people at 6:30 p.m. We arrived at the restaurant and thank god we made a reservation because it was PACKED. Every table was full and the lines at the buffet sometimes stretched 15-20 people long. Being busy was a GOOD THING!!! Since the restaurant was so busy, the staff had to replenish all of the dishes constantly. This meant that the food was always fresh from the oven/warmer. The food was actually very good. The crab legs were perfect. Not too squishy or salty. Our server was VERY attentive which was impressive for a buffet. There weren't any crab forks but we asked for some and our server managed to find three spare crab forks. I don't know why they don't keep these readily available, but three was enough for us to share. I must say that the most impressive part of the dining experience was when my brother dropped his fork on the ground and before he even had time to react, a server/busser was handing him a new one. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that the server/busser saw the fork drop and happened to have a spare but still... it was like a movie. The variety of the buffet was great. Surf and turf in the best way possible. I learned something about myself too. I always thought I liked all mollusks. Mussels, clams, oysters, etc. always sounded good to me but I rarely knew what I was eating when I was eating mollusks. Well, thanks to the many varieties at this buffet, I was able to try them side-by-side. It turns out that I don't actually like mussels, most clams or oysters. I really only like clams that have been marinating in a garlic butter sauce but that's about it. Who knew I could learn something about myself by eating at a buffet? There may be other AYCE seafood buffets in OCMD that would have been suitable but we didn't go to those. We came to Embers and we left feeling full and happy. This will definitely be my go-to AYCE buffet in OCMD from now on. No more researching!!
(5)Stephanie P.
We went with the hope of having all you can eat crab legs and shrimp, expecting somewhat of a typical buffet atmosphere but hoping that for $33.99, the quality would be at least better than terrible. Instead we got soggy crabs that were so watered out that you could barely get the crabs out of the legs and when you held them up water would literally drip out and the shrimp didn't taste like meat because they were so drenched. The restaurant didn't feel very clean and the bathrooms weren't kept up either. The service was pleasant but not worth a $100 check for two for less than acceptable food. We will never go back.
(1)Ghana K.
centered my anniversary around coming 2 this restaurant so my husband could experience. I had read some reviews and could not believe it but 2 each their own. I had been twice and had a good experience and gr8 tasting food both times. I can't remember the female server from my 1st visit but Brad was my server the 2nd time and he was amazeballs so that I will ask 4 him the next time. went on a Sunday evening around 8, they closed like 9:30, in mid sept so no crowd, really nice, sat outside by the water, had the stuffed shrimp, delish. Brad you are a rock star, thx 4 being a gr8 server!!!
(5)Cassie W.
I thought this buffet would be bigger. I'm not a huge seafood person, but I do like my crab legs! It was nice to have all you can eat. The crab legs were hard to get out of the shell due to them sitting in water. They were still delicious! The other food, however, was something left to be desired. There wasnt anything that any other buffet didn't have. We used a coupon and it still was as $28 per person. At that price, it wasnt worth it. The building was great, but they tried to stuff as many tables in as they could. So we were bumping into the people behind us as we were stAnding up. The waiter was very nice. He kept coming back to the table and emptying our bowls and offering more drinks. Was the food good? Meh. Was the waiter nice? Very much! Would I go back? Probably not.
(2)Joanne P.
Food was not great, but they added $26 for tip for our family of 6 to have a BUFFET and the service definitely was NOT worth $26.
(2)Caroline H.
Expensive and foods were lousy. It was our 1st time here and i expected to see a variety of sea foods but the choices are similar to eat all you can that you can only pay for about $19.
(1)Mary T.
Annual family vacation always includes a seafood buffet...so we decided to try Embers. None of us within our party of 8 were thrilled. The buffet is very very small with few selections. It's crowded, literally had to wait for waiters and waitresses to hand out cups, glasses etc before you could walk through the small aisle ways. Our service was ok..took about 20 minutes To get drinks and when we asked for a Refill it took even longer. One of the staff who put fresh food on the buffet bumped into me 3 times while holding a scorching hot pan. I've eaten at Phillips & Bonfire- save your time & money and go to one of those & keep driving past Embers. I will never go again. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Allen G.
This is the best seafood buffet we've been to in OC. The crab legs are wonderful and they never seem to run out. My kids really liked the place and the hush puppies are tasty little things. It is a bit pricey but you can play mini golf after you eat because they have a beautiful course on site, but bring cash for the golf they don't take plastic. Loved the hole experience see you next year.
(5)Dereck S.
Best Buffet in OCMD. they have everything you can want. Buffet is around $30 a person but they have options there that you don't see often. Good to try not good to make it a go to place
(3)Samantha W.
I came here a couple years ago when I was at Ocean City and I wasn't a fan then ... I'm not sure why I came back. I think people come here for the snow crab legs, but the batch that I got was old and scary looking. Given, I saw people with better quality crab legs later on, so I think it was just that particular batch. However, that doesn't excuse the quality of all the other food. I didn't really find many things that I wanted to eat and those things that I did like were all fried foods - fried scallops, clams and shrimp. I stuck to the steamed shrimp, too. I also wasn't happy about the $32 price tag that came attached to this mediocre meal. For $25, I could've excused the quality of the food. Also, our waiter took forever to bring out our WATERS, but he was on top of everything else for the rest of the night. Disclaimer: I'm not a picky eater and know what to expect when I go to buffets, yet I still did not enjoy this one. Be forewarned!
(1)Erica N.
If you're looking for a variety of seafood this not the place. There was limited amounts of medium rare prime rib. The raw bar only included oysters. Seafoo was limited to clams, oysters, Alaskan crab, and peel-and-eat shrimp.
(2)Isaac T.
Pricey at $33 a person, come hungry. They had excellent fruit salad, and Caesar salad . I'm not a huge seafood person so I can't rate them on that. I usually find the best Caesar salads at seafood restaurants and they are no exception. Overall a great place to eat just make sure you are hungry enough o make it worth the $$$
(4)Ericka J.
No complaints. The waitress was always at our table seeing if we needed refills on drinks and clearing our dirty dishes away. The food was great and was kept full at all times. Early bird special is $27 a piece and fresh. This will be another one we will come back to time and time again on our visit to great Ocean City, Md !
(5)Nichole M.
Not good. Crab legs were overlooked and rubbery. Mac n cheese was good. It didn't smell great in there.
(2)Donna G.
Took my daughter and grandson for dinner tonight. We went around 6:00 and were seated immediately. The restaurant is like a banquet hall. Lots of tables, no real restaurant feel. My grandson is a picky eater but he enjoyed some fried shrimp and corn on the cob. He also had fun cracking out crab legs. Q There is a lot of fried food but so much more! The oysters on the half shell, steamed clams, shrimp Alfredo pasta, CRAB LEGS, shrimp steamed, Tilapia, salmon, and some salad stuff although I avoided that! Very good, hot and lots of choice Give it a try!!
(4)Rose L.
Decent offerings at this seafood buffet. Crab legs are fresh and clams are tasty. Mussels were dry but they had a lot of different items to sample from. Found this to be fresher than rusty rudder and tastier than halls. With a try. Bidets are pricey so get coupons! Service us good and the restaurant large so lots of seating. Worth a try if you like buffets. They do not have crabs there but they do have other seafood dishes.
(3)Amy G.
We arrived as a party of 10 on Saturday night of OC Bike Week. Knowing it's tough to fit a group our size anywhere in OC that weekend, we arrived around 6pm. Much to our surprise, we were seated right away. I was happy to have crab legs to my heart's delight.. I definitely ate my money's worth! My husband enjoyed the prime rib although he would have preferred additional au jus with it. The raw oysters were delicious. Steamed Clams were yum-o too! Everyone at our table had their fill and then found room for dessert (some of us 2 or 3!). I felt like i was at someone's wedding, with the big round table we had, but it facilitated discussions better than a long rectangular table.. so we were pleased. We left with our checkbooks a fair bit lighter, and our bellies a lot fuller. We'll likely be back, only when we can ensure that we'll have a large appetite!
(4)Noelle V.
My new favorite buffet in OCMD. Great service -- nice bay view -- Great atmosphere -- great food. We found a $5 off coupon in the Visitors Guide savings book. It works at all times as well for every adult in your group. I loved it, and this will definitely be my go to buffet in OC.
(4)Jennifer W.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this seafood buffet. I've been going here since I was a child. I haven't gone in several years but tried it again this summer and was not disappointed. We did not have to wait to get seated, the server was excellent. Try the prime rib when you're there. They have a fresh carving station. They cut us a huge chunk and dunked it in a big pot of au ju and omg. It melts in your mouth. We easily were there for 2 hours just eating crabs, clams, and prime rib. One tip I have is to get a local magazine. Our hotel supplied them. The magazines always have coupons for $10 off and they allow you to use one per guest!
(5)Marlee W.
Came with my friends for some crab legs. The price was a bit expensive but by far the best crab legs I have ever tasted in my entire life. All the other food was mediocre but the crab legs were definitely worth the money.
(5)Kevin T.
This place was very good. We got seated in less than 5 minutes and our waitress was very accomodating and friendly. We sat in the newly renovated section of the restaurant so it was overall a great, clean atmosphere. There is a lot to choose from so if you are a picky eater, I am almost positive you will find something you like! Dinner was pricey though. For 1 person including tip, it will cost you about $40-50. I think they should charge less for the buffet and upcharge for those who choose to eat crabs and the other seafood with their meal. Definitely the splurge dinner of my trip. Overall, a good place to eat. 3 stars only because of their prices.
(3)Jennifer M.
Seems like all the Ocean City, MD "AYCE" seafood buffets have less than 3 star reviews. But when you travel with equally seafood-loving friends, you're bound to try it anyway. We settled for Ember's because it was faster seating time than the places nearby. I only went to eat two things: cocktail shrimp and snow crab legs. You enter into a main dining hall that looks like it couldn't have cost more than $1,000 to furnish. But who cares, I'm there for FOOD right? We realized quickly almost all waitstaff at any place in OC were new, as MDW was right around the corner. But, the waitress walked past us several times and we had to call her over for our drink order so we can go eat! Pretty much didn't see her the rest of the time, until she came to refill our water glasses with sprite... Ugh. Finally, the food- absolutely the poorest quality seafood I've ever seen or tasted. The shrimp and crab were both SO overcooked. The shrimp were extremely tough and crab legs were impossible to open and get any meat out. I thought the cocktail sauce was so overpowering purposely to hide the lack of flavor. By the end of the meal, totally not worth whatever money we'd spent on it and our stomachs were pretty achy afterward. Now two days later I'm writing this with what seems to be food poisoning symptoms. Do yourself the favor, if you like good quality seafood, pay the same for a nice fillable meal down the block!!
(1)Eric B.
This place had a great look to it from the outside, once inside it still had the vibe. My group was offered a menu even though we planned on destroying the buffet bar. Everything on the buffet was excellent. Tried to eat some dessert but we were to stuffed. Everyone got their monies worth out of this place. If you leave hungry then it is your own fault.
(4)Joni A.
The place was very nice. When we entered we were practically led right to our seats. The service was comforting, and the atmosphere was happy. Most of the people I saw had a smile on their faces, and were always willing to follow your requests. I came to Embers with my family, and we all enjoyed ourselves. The food was overall, very nice. There was a variety of everything, from Cesar salad, to chocolate mouse cake. The main thing people come for is the crab legs, and I can see why. Of course sometimes the crab was a little cold, but it happens I guess. most of the dishes were tasty, so if you're the kind of person who wont eat just anything, you'll be able to enjoy yourself over at least a few dishes at Embers.
(3)Adam W.
Food is Okay at best. Crab legs were very skimpy and roast beef is sliced paper thin . Service was actually good. Not a big fan of buffets.
(3)Jared F.
As many other reviewers said, I'm giving this an average rating. The price is slightly steep, or so it seemed but then again you are in the middle of the central tourist area and many of the local coupon books have some sort of coupon for Embers. The food was all OK and as expected, our waiter was very polite and helped make our meal enjoyable by keeping our drinks filled and the plates off our table. I probably wouldn't go if I was paying for more than one other person, at $30 a head, it adds up but it is a seafood and a casual dining experience that I didn't have any complaints about.
(3)Jean B.
Average all u can eat. Have a picky eater who is 14 and server gave us a hard time wanting to charge for an adult meal, when all she would eat was the pizza and a few nuggets. I went out for an enjoyable meal and received rude service that ruined the experience. Also wanted blue crab and heard somewhere that they served it. I asked staff manning the buffet if they served blue crab and was told to ask wait staff. Got the impression blue crab would be delivered by server. When the waiter finally came by she informed us that they don't serve blue crab. "That's next door" Kind of misleading on the signage out front. Probably would have walked out if I knew going in that there was no blue crab. Then when we got the bill they charged us for 4 adults and 1 vegetarian when I clearly had a 10 year old and a 12 year old that didn't eat much of anything and should have been charged the child rate. She did fix the check after being very rude. Will never go there again...even if it were the only restraunt in town.
(1)Heckle J.
Greeted warmly and promptly seated. Wait service professional and anticipated our needs w/o overbearance. Food on buffet was plentiful, fresh and delicious. Crab legs were Canadian (not Alaskan) but the grade was acceptable. Special Thur./Fri. off season value at 19.95 per person (normally 32.95) No more Bonfire for us (rude staff and they hand out the crab legs now)
(4)Alex J.
Very nice place! They claim they can seat 1000, and I wouldn't doubt it one bit. They have 3 different LARGE rooms. One of the rooms is very modern, open, and right on an inlet from the bay. The food was pretty good. You have to come here for the CRAB LEGS. They are good crab legs, and (obviously) BOTTOMLESS! You go to other places to buy 4 legs, and spend $20. If you like crab, this is the place to go. The other food was alright. With the exception of pollack and Tilapia, the other seafood was all fried, and most of it itself was fried breading. Their shrimp was really good as well! If you don't like seafood, this place will still suit your taste. They have anything from fresh grilled steak tips to chicken Marsala, to linguini fettuccine. They also have good for kids, like Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and French fries. Our waiter was very nice, and down to earth. He also had a sense if humor, which is always a bonus. Dessert was OK, but just seemed like cheap, pre-packaged cakes that you would get from BJs or something. They do, however, have a soft-serve ice cream machine, which is good for the kids! Overall, an OK place. IF YOU LIKE CRAB LEGS, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG for $33 a person. The interior was very nice, and the waiters/waitresses are nice and on their toes to help. Otherwise, it was nothing more than your average hometown buffet
(3)Kimberly P.
Seafood buffet!! Great options. However, the way the staff treats customers need to be improved greatly! I am not sure why they have a person standing the dining room looking mean and menacing with his arms folded. Not a good look!
(3)A S.
Better than I thought. Carving station for prime rib and ham. Had the macaroni and cheese and was good for a buffet place. Crab legs decent size. Even the corn bread was okay. Dessert so so but going to place like your not going for the dessert. I recommend this place. Forgot to take a picture
(4)David R.
As far as OC buffets go, Embers is definitely on the better side, but at price, since they run a bit higher than many of the other OC buffets.
(3)Wayne H.
This buffet can be described as mediocre at best. They had many traditional buffet dishes...chicken (dry)...fish (bland), my son had the pizza (said it was ok). As far as the shrimp they were dry with too much seafood seasoning and the crab legs needed more seasoning. All in all @ $30 a pop, we were disappointed.
(2)Ma-e M.
Yap, it's definitely expensive. I'm guessing this is the average buffet price in the area. Embers dining are divided into 2 worlds - contemporary and country designs. Some of the food, particularly seafood pasta was surprisingly good. I knocked down about 20 snow crab legs, not just by myself but with the help of my partner who did not eat the crabs but cracked and opened the shells for me to eat the meat. This is the way to go to the buffet - get some help with your fellow diner and your belly is on its way to heaven.
(3)Steve M.
Decent for a buffet, but exytremely overpriced. For $32.95 per person, I expected something that would be several cuts above the average Chinese buffet. I was wrong. I was attracted by the Prime Rib and seafood buffet. I like Prime Rib., my wife likes seafood, and my teenagers will eat almost anything. I made my family dress in something other than tee-shirts and flip-flops, thinking that this buffet might be a little bit nicer than most others in the less than $20 range. We waited for a table for about ten minutes, which was okay, and met our friendly waitress. We joined the buffet line. Lots of medley-casserole type dishes (seafood combo, etc.), mac and cheese, pepper steak, sweet and sour chicken, etc. Steamer clams in butter broth, which were the highlight of the evening. Raw bar with cherry stones and oysters on the half (good), steamed peel and eat shrimp (tough) and junk food like pizza and chicken nuggets for the fussy young ones. At the carving station, the Prime Rib was nearly raw, and I like it rare. It was tasty but still very underdone. They had a steamship round of roast beef that was overcooked (it was grey), and a Virginia ham as well. Overall, the food is okay and the atmosphere is okay, but I think it's very overpriced for what it is and I do not think it was a good value for the money. I will not return.
(2)Brian H.
Tourist trap! Drive further down along the boardwalk. After being ripped off, we saw many other seafood restaurants and wish we would have tried them. Most food was luke warm and not very tasty and we got to hear dishes crashing together throughout the meal because when they clear the tables, they bring them to a cleaning station within the eating area. Be sure to open your wallet wide too as the buffet is around $35.00 each person. I can eat at $8.00 buffets with the same results. Not worth it at all.
(1)Kolakrit K.
The food are not bad Unfortunately my friend found some small worm in oyster and it's still alive!!!!!!!!!!! And their manager told me that it's normal to see some it on oyster But honestly I think ... It's not normally It should be their responsibility to keep food clean and neat So disappoint
(1)Ted P.
I came in from Virginia to attend a car show. I found food to be good, not great. But what do anyone expect from a buffet style resturant. :-). The Alaskan crab legs was very good.
(3)Robin M.
I was first drawn to Embers by its website; it looked very well put together and classy. I could also tell that it was a "nightlife" type of buffet as well so it was a little noisy, but that just added to the fresh/modern/welcoming ambiance. I mean, i wasnt looking for a peaceful candle-lit romantic dinner arena. All the food was pretty amazing and there was a huge selection! The crabs just kept coming. I mighta got about 5 plates... and it was like the meat just slid right out of the shell with no effort. Yes, it was very pricey, but you think about all you are getting for a seafood buffet... any restaurant you go to and you plan to order Snow Crabs as well as a full meal with dessert, you should plan to spend well over $30. One draw back was the overall cleanliness. It wasnt that i found hair or bandages in my food or had dirty silverware/plates, it was more little pieces of food on the floor that may have dropped when someone was walking around or the butter station was just messy or the dessert station was not presented in an appealing way. The wait staff were always dropping things and breaking glasses. They just didn't seem too on top of their jobs. We also came at like 8:45 and they were closing up the food at 9:30. So maybe it was just the end of the day type thing. But with all that said, i would definitely go back!
(4)Brandon Z.
I usually go here every year, and the food on the buffet is always really good. It was no exception this year for most of the food, but again the Crab Legs were pretty bad. I have a feeling that they may be buying cheaper product and passing it off as the good stuff. They were very small, you had to beg to get more of them from the guy passing them out, and when you tried to open them water/liquid would just pour out of the shells, leaving very little meat to pry out of the legs. Still, I'll give it 4 stars, as the Crab Emperial is delicious, the pizza is great, and a lot of the other random items are pretty good on the buffet.
(4)Damon D.
Honestly for $30 per person I expected more. Large selection of food but most of it was just okay...nothing wow. $95 for a family of four was just a little too much. Took forever to get bill and took forever to get drinks. If you are in OC look for somewhere else first.
(2)S S.
Great seafood buffet! We ate there on Sat of Labor Day weekend. Three seafood lovers and one non. We all loved our food. Crab legs were excellent as well as the clams, mussels, shrimp and prime rib. Also very impressed they were extremely accomodating to my dairy allergy. Asked for one dozen steamed clams and mussels not in butter and got at least three times that. Highly recommend if you love seafood.
(4)Grant F.
We had a great time with very good food. The snow crabs were great, along with the prime rib and crab soup. Something for everyone with the extremely large selection of food. Great service!
(4)Alicia K.
We just had a great dinner here over Columbus Day weekend. Short review -- great food, excellent, attentive service -- buffet was fantastic, if pricey at $32 per person -- but we got our money's worth of crab legs and shell fish. We arrived tired and hungry at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. The staff was very accommodating of our request to sit near the buffet so my 88-year-old mother would not have to walk through a crowded dining room. We got our drink orders right away, and the waitress, Tiffany, encouraged us to start helping ourselves to the buffet since the last call for the buffet was going to be at 9:15 pm. Off we went to load our plates with seafood and other Eastern Shore treats -- the salmon with capers in lemony cream sauce; delicious, tender tiny clams; Cajun seasoned fried oysters; savory crab imperial, tilapia in sweet red pepper sauce; steamed mussels and clams with butter; hand carved prime ribs; delectable Maryland fried chicken. After plowing through the first plate of food, we went back for the crab legs, only to find the buffet was out of them. Tiffany to the rescue! As soon as we let her know about the lack of crab legs on the buffet, she runs to the back and brings out a huge tray heaped high with steaming hot, fresh crab legs. It was clearly going to take the four of us a long time to consume them. "No problem," said Tiffany, "Take your time." Then she kept checking back with us for drink refills, clearing shells away, extra napkins and melted butter, etc. even as it was clear that the dining room was closing down. Kudos to Tiffany to continue to serve us with top attention right up to the end when she brought us a load of much-needed handi-wipes after getting through that huge platter of crabs. We will return to The Embers -- and make a point to get there earlier so we have more time to check out the other buffet items we missed.
(4)Katie D.
Staff was very attentive. Food was as expected for a seafood buffet. Would return again.
(4)Ken M.
Not bad for the promotion of 19.95, if that was always the price, I would have given it 3-stars.. But, alas tis is not the case. It was "ok", Crab was "ok" ribs were "ok", wait staff was good, food selection was "ok" everything screamed average.. nothing outstanding, nothing that will make you go out of your way to get to it. @ 29.95, I would go there for that. Coins is better.. And these are not MD Blue Claw crabs, these are your standard Snow Crab type sections.. Gimmie Blue Claw Crab, and I am paying the 29.95, no questions asked.. for standard King Crab/Snow Crab.. nah, I will pass at the 29-buck price.
(2)Jon P.
Buffet food was eeh! Best part of the buffet were the oysters, so I ate about 40. The crablegs were dry and lacked flavor. If the buffet was maybe $15 bucks i'd say it was ok but at $30 something bucks it just wasnt worth it.
(2)Ron B.
Use to go every time we visited Ocean City but no longer do. It seems a wedding party was more important then the rest of their customers on one occasion. Poor slow waitress with an attitude because we asked her to tend to us a little quicker and remove/clean away the table was another. Got food poisoning from the Imperial crab that was validated by a doctors blood test. Management was extremely nasty and rude about that. Had to threaten lawsuit just to get them to pay medical bills and refund on the dinner. AVOID EMBERS AT ALL COST. There are many other locations buffet style in Ocean City. Suggest going to one of them and not here. If you do go to Embers.... let's just say you were warned.
(1)Ivan R.
Whoever says that this food is good obviously never has good seafood before, the food is just below mediocre crab legs were disgusting and basically everything else was dry and lacking flavor, very disappointing
(1)Phillip F.
The only reason I gave it one star is because no stars isn't an option. I have eaten the exact same quality food at $7 chinese buffets. No lie! Somehow tho I managed to eat 2 plates of food only because I felt like I need to eat my money's worth........ BAAAADDDD mistake!!! I felt nauseous for about 2 hours after. Not only was the food greasy and tasteless at this overpriced "golden corral" ripoff, but everyone was packed together in one little section when there was plenty of seating elsewhere. When I asked to move to one of the more spacious areas the hostess seemed like it was a HUGE deal. The waitress was very nice though and I tipped her well. Other than the nice waitress the $33 worth of diarrhea was not worth my time. DON"T DO IT!!!!!!!!!
(1)Kelly P.
Service here was very good. Ambiance was a bit loud and over crowded especially during prime dining hours ~ you will wait for a table. Also, I think because its a buffet people tend to lose control of their kids, I'm not sure why they let them run around. There isn't a view, no windows except in the lobby. There are coupons out there! The food was very good compared to other buffetts in the area. Its still a buffett but the food was replenished nicely and it was kept very hot. Plenty of seafood. Dessert bar was sad and our family really enjoys desserts. Its a bit pricey for what you get.
(2)Pacha P.
Embers used to be a pretty good place, lots of selections. They still have a lot to choose from, but the quality seems to have gone downhill. When we went last summer, their crab soup was 'bleh,' the meats in various dishes were tough. Hopefully it was just a "one year thing," and the quality will be back up this summer?
(3)Samantha S.
I was hesitant about coming here during my Senior Week trip, but all of my friends wanted to go, so off we went. Reservations definitely help here - it's always crowded. I was in a party of 20 - so they put us in a private room, which was nice. They have tons of fun drinks - pina coladas in coconut cups and giant margaritas. The buffet has an insane amount of options, even for a vegetarian like me. I was totally full - they have salads, pizza, mac and cheese, pastas, chicken parm, potatoes, vegetables, lots of seafood - something for everyone! I didn't try many desserts because I was so full, but they looked good enough. A fun time!
(4)Kate D.
Was in OCMD for the evening and was craving a seafood buffet. Decided to give Embers a try... Atmosphere: It's a huge restaurant that had a few different rooms. All were a bit crowded and NOISY. This is a very family friendly place with many children running around, screaming, crying, etc. The decor is pretty nice for a buffet place. I was there around 4:30 on a Saturday. There is NO view at all. Staff: The hostess stand was a little disorganized. Otherwise the staff was prompt and polite. Drinks: They do not have any draft beer! They DO have crazy expensive sugary cocktails that come in huge glasses. Food: I had the buffet. Almost everything I tried was disappointing. The mac and cheese looked neon yellow, the Caesar salad looked wilted and mushy. The fish was dry and all the fried fare was so-so. The peel and eat shrimp was chewy and the snow crab legs were somewhat rubbery and had some sort of eggs or something all over the outside (little oval black things). Furthermore, the melted butter tasted weird. My favorites were the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream, the seafood medley and the onion rings. I will NOT go back here.
(2)A. C.
(06/19/2010) Because we are gluttons for punishment, we try out a different All You Can Eat (AUCE) buffet place everytime we're in the O.C. one thing to remember, you are in Ocean City, this is THE tourist mecca for the Land of Pleasant Living. Caveats upfront: all AUCE buffets in O.C. are mediocre compared to actual restaurants elsewhere. Given that, Embers is probaby one of the better buffets to choose from. Large selection and variety, lots of seafood, quality is above average (compared to others in the AUCE cohort). Crab imperial seemed like the "best" thing on the buffet. Prime rib was medium rare, fatty and salty, not bad. I think the $29.95 price is worth the "quality"; if you want a dare, try the cheaper buffets elsewhere, there's reason the price is lower (dishes were literally poured from giant #10 cans in the kitchen). One-stop entertainment, buffet and mini-golf next door.
(3)Max M.
Would you like to know about embers restaurant? Well let me to tell you. Would you like to throw up after your meal? Or rent out the whole place and not be let in after leaving for a half hour? Actually you should definitely check out this fine establishment if being manhandled by the help tickles your fancy. But wait... It gets better. Apparently the drinking age there isn't 21 because of you are 21 you will not be given a wristband because they "ran out" but if you complain enough magically more wristbands appear! Wow embers what a cool trick! I didnt know magic was part of the deal when we paid to rent out a place until 2am but weren't allowed to be in there at 1130 . So in closing, if all of this sounds good to you definitely stop by embers. Oh and don't forget to ask for heather.
(1)Tara M.
This is at best just an avrage buffet restaurant. The crabs and shrimp tend to be dried out. I'm thinking they probably put too many in and leaving them in the steamers and warmers too long. I'm not saying that I wouldn't visit here again, I'm saying it's not the best but it also is not the worst either.
(3)Stephanie I.
Not a good choice for a meal. Selections on the buffet were limited. They did have crab legs but they were nothing to get excited about. And the price was very high. For that price you would have expected more. We will not return nor will we recommend to anyone else.
(1)Jessica P.
Not being much of a buffet person I went in to the meal with low expectations. Its typical of most buffets. Impersonal service and below average food.
(2)William F.
When I travel to Ocean City, one of the first restaurants I plan to visit is The Embers. The AYCE seafood and prime rib buffet is absolutely scruptious.... it includes Prime Rib, Top Round of Beef and Ham.... Seafood selections include Snow Crab Legs, Steamed Clams, Seafood Primavera, Crab Imperial, Salmon With dill butter, Tuna, Fried Scallops, Seafood Creole, Cod with Spinach, Fried Shrimp, Fried Clam Strips and Crab Au Gratin which is awesome. There are many other meat and vegetable selections plus a great raw bar.... if these selections don't trip your trigger, then peruse their expansive a la carte menu. Their staff is friendly and attentive. Great place to eat!!!!
(5)J G.
I took the wife and kids here last weekend and thought it was pretty much average. I'm not a big crab leg fan, but eat them occasionally and they seemed good. The kids loved them. The crab imperial was the best of the meal I thought and the St. Louis ribs were decent. The prime rib was very good although pretty fatty (even for Prime Rib). The wait staff seemed average too. All in all, my kids loved it, wife liked it and I thought it was ok. We did go off season and therefore got what seems like a good deal, $19.99 per Adult and $9.99 per kid at the buffet on a Sat night. The price on the menu said $29.99 per Adult and $12.99 per child (under 12). If I had paid that, I'd be pretty upset.
(3)Matt W.
The price was over priced for the quality of food. We expected more because the way the restaurant looked but that was not the case. The crab legs were salty and old. Would not go back.
(1)Jen H.
We tried the Ember's our first night in OC. The prices were high, the food mediocre. My husband had a lot of snow crab legs, but I didn't think they were all that delish. Instead of the buffet I had a spinach salad with cranberries and blue cheese. The blue cheese was nowhere to be found, so I asked for some and the waitress said, oh there was a little on there, I saw it. Why was she arguing with me?Don't bother.
(2)Ron M.
$29.99 for the Buffet. This is quite an investment for a family of four, considering the other options available. All I can say is I am glad I got there before 4pm and saved the whooping $5 bucks for the early bird, I still left feeling a bit ripped. The snow crab legs were fresh and about as good as you can get on any buffet. All of the other seafood goes down hill from there. The peel and eat shrimp were probably 36-40 per pound. I generally expect 21-23 per pound and already peeled and cleaned when I pay upwards of 20 bucks for a buffet. The fried shrimp were even smaller, the scallops clearly frozen and not one decent fish offering that wasn't all sauced up or over done. They had a carving station and the pizza was a hit with the kids but I believe a fair price for this buffet would be $17.99, or $12.99 sans crab legs. If you look around you can find some decent buffets in town cheaper, my advise would be to look around first.
(2)Sally f.
Not so great. I was vacationing in ocean city MD and this place put a huge downer on it. from the outside it looked so enticing, nice facade and huge crowds. i figured it must be great. turns out it's the worst seafood buffet i have ever been to. to make matters worse i got sick after. blah.
(1)Chris M.
I'm not quite sure what everyone else is complaining about, but I thought this place was great! The selection and quality of the food was excellent and the pizza was among the top 5 I've ever had. We enjoyed it to the extent that we contemplating making a trip "down the ocean" just to eat there again for New Year's Eve. I thought the price was reasonable considering all that you get. The only potential negatives were the Crab Soup (too much garlic, no other spice to it) and the crowds, but that's Ocean City in July for you.
(5)Melissa S.
Surprisingly enjoyable dinner for a buffet. I'll say to get your money's worth on this location you need to like snow crab, clams, mussels or shrimp. Otherwise it's just a mediocre buffet. But we enjoyed eating clams and snow crab to our hearts content. The service was outstanding for a buffet and the waitress did a great job of emptying our shells "bucket." Everything other than your seafood of choice is "ok", but the seafood quality makes up for it. I'd say it's absolutely worth the price. And my 1.5 year old was free so that was a bonus!
(4)Holly H.
This was our first time in and we were pleasantly surprised. I'm usually not a buffet goer...they skeeve me out a little, but the little one wanted crab so away we went. Service: Our server Tiffany was AMAZING! Never needed to ask for anything. Glasses were always full, plates cleared as soon as we were done and she was SO friendly!! She really made the experience that much better. Appearance: for a buffet style place, the digs were very classy looking. The dining area was clean, well lit and our view was nice. Food: giant selection and well done I thought. My daughter and I love snow crabs so that about all we had. They were well done, not over seasoned or over steamed. Very tender and sweet. We did several laps around all the other dishes which were always being filled and everything looked good. There was a wide variety of things to offer the non-seafood eaters as well as the shellfish lovers. The deserts were a little basic but that's to be expected for this style of dining. Carving station was impressive. Bar: lots of seating and plenty to choose from. It was well laid out and staff was friendly Price point: fair for what we are I thought. Adults were $34.99 (we got there for early bird which was a bonus, so it was only $30.99) and they have great pricing for the kiddos. Over all we were very pleased and will be back next season!
(5)Joe S.
Typical all u can eat seafood place. Most of the food was cold or there wasn't any to be found. Wait staff was friendly, but didn't pay $30.99 a person to have someone bring me water. We arrived around 330pm to make it a lunch/dinner. Was expecting the food to fresh, but most was dried out. My 8 year old didn't like the spaghetti or the pizza, especially since she could live on those two foods. :). If you can catch when they are bringing out the fresh food then some of it wasn't bad. I never saw the fried shrimp come back out, and I waited for it twice. Some of The crab legs were a little small for being snow crabs, but they were good. I think once the dinner rush really hits, they can't keep up and things sit empty. Desert bar looked good. Had soft serve ice cream which they had toppings for. Family of 4, 3 adults and one child. No alcohol. Bill was $117.00.
(2)Steve K.
Unlimited snow crabs.. Gave 2 each time but can go back as much as you like!! The cooked mussels and clams were delicious The only downfall was the raw oyster bar seemed to be forgotten about?? Was not refilled and wasn't as fresh as I expected. But other than that, the overall food was good and our server Kirsten was very attentive to our needs! The seating area has a glass wall on one side that shows the bay.
(4)Gerald H.
WENT HERE IS WEEKEND WHILE ON VACATION WITH THE BROSEPHS. Ordered the AYCE buffet and lived the dream after a day of drinking. First and foremost I enjoy higher end AYCE buffets(not Ponderosas and Ryans slop). I had been to The Bonfire before and really enjoyed it so we decided to give this a go. ATMOSPHERE: Your typical all you can eat buffet setting- multiple buffet carts with seafood, pizza, salad, a carving station, and homestyle food like mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, meats and dessert options aplenty. A HUGE PLUS WAS HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET SEATED: which was about 3 minutes - incredible for a Saturday night at 6. FOOD: Here are the items I tried/ate- Mac and cheese, pizza, flounder, crab imperial, crab dip, steak, Caesar salad, crabs, chicken tenders, clams, pound cake, chocolate mousse. First, everything was GOOD- max and cheese was great, pizza was average, seafood was good except for the crab dip which was old and terrible. I would say that the food was good, the options and the experience was good, but there wasn't anything that really set it apart from the usual in OC. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED BUT OTHWR PLACES MAY BE BETTER - WITH A WAIT.
(3)Mona R.
When visiting OC, I always go to an AUCE. The usual is Bonfire, Phillips, and/or Embers. My last visit here was on 7/4 and I have to compliment their selection on this day. Their snow crabs were meaty, fresh, and servers didn't mind giving you many clusters at a time. Other seafood locations want to give you 2 at a time usually, haha. I was impressed with the quality that evening. With AUCE restaurants it can be hit or miss. Our server was very nice and attentive. We walked in about 7 pm and were seated at a table for 4 within 5 minutes. After this visit, I'll choose Embers now above the other locations I usually go to.
(5)David P.
On a recent trip to Ocean City, my friends and I (we were a group of 6 adults and 2 kids) stopped by Ember's for dinner one night. We were told there was a 15 minute wait but we were seated almost right away. Our waitress Maddie was really friendly and sweet! That is probably the best part of this review. Embers offers a all you can eat buffet with a wide variety of food. There is always a line for the crab legs, but that is because they are probably the best item offered in the buffet. I had a few other items from the buffet and they were ok. There was definitely nothing that I thought was amazing. Definitely stay away from the oysters. They did not taste fresh at all. They actually tasted like they had been frozen. This place is definitely overpriced for the quality of food that they have. I am not too sure I will back when I visit Ocean City again next year.
(2)Chrisnmegan G.
Thanks Steve with out your review we would have never came glad we did and you were right the crab legs were outstanding Super good food,price was normal for peak season in OCMD our group of 5 was only $133.00 including drinks our waitress Kristen was AWESOME we never had to ask for drinks she had them refilled before they were 1/2 gone.and had our empty plates cleared before we had to ask all and all our experience was superb great job Kristen and great job to all the staff there.
(5)Brian L.
I came here in November of 2014. Had a great experience in the off season. Decided to come last night with a few friends and unfortunately was a little disappointed. It's advertised as a prime rib and crab buffet...it's just about average at both. The prime rib was a little bit mushy and lacked the beef texture. The crab legs were a tad rubbery - still good with a little butter. Other foods were mediocre - clams and mussels were gritty, pastas were pretty average. My favorite items were actually the fried shrimp and the fried chicken. Service was quick and attentive which is always a plus. For $35 not including tax and tip, I don't know if I'd come back again.
(3)Miliardo P.
Sigh! My review was going to be completely different before I read a post someone left yesterday. So let me just get this out the way now... if you're religion doesn't allow you to eat chicken, pork, and seafood......DON'T GO TO A SEAFOOD BUFFET!!!!!! Also its not the establishments responsibility to charge you less if you don't eat some of their food, at a buffet if you sit down you pay the price, if you can't afford it DON'T GO Ok now back to my regularly scheduled review! Food was tasty, and yeah the place might be a bit pricey but if you come with an appetite you'll definitely get your money's worth. Tremendously friendly servers, do yourself a favor and have Marcell as your server, he's knowledgeable about all the food and surrounding entertainment options. This place is worth the time and money. Then go mini golfing afterwards to work off some of the food
(4)Dana S.
So we went early - a little after 3pm on a Tuesday night. Being that early I would have expected stuff to be fresh, not dried out. The mussels were dry, the fish was already dry - not impressive - even the salad was already soggy (Caesar). My 8 year old wasn't impressed with much either, and she's not that picky of an eater. Her favorite thing was honestly corn on the cob! She didn't eat the pizza, it was old, she liked some of the basic fried seafood and of course I think most kids like the self serve ice cream. The 15yr old liked the crab legs, but as I wasn't impressed with the mussels - either was she, and it's her favorite. The raw oysters were good and fresh - they were also the grittiest oysters I have ever had so I stopped after 6. Wait staff was attentive and friendly so they saved it.
(3)Jeff B.
If you are in the mood for all you can eat buffet this is the place. I usually do the snow crab legs. They do not skimp and have plenty. Nice mix of all other kinds of food. $34.99 per person for adults.
(3)Danielle H.
It's a great place to eat if you are steady on your feet ..... The food here was great. The clams were delicious and I probably ate $33 worth of just those. It's pricey but we enjoyed it and felt it was worth it. They make oversized adult beverages which are both yummy and fun. There was one significant downside. The floors in this place are frighteningly slippery. My husband actually fell once. I came close several times. It's as if people have spilled so much butter on the floors over the years that it just doesn't come off anymore. And it's not just near the buffet. It's the WHOLE restaurant. DO NOT WEAR HEELS!!
(3)Manny M.
We made sure we got their right as they opened so we could have decently fresh seafood buffet. It was actually pretty good. Your not going to get your momma's fresh home made seafood here but with a buffet what do you expect? They actually had alot of non seafood choices as well like meats, mashed potatos and pasta. Our waiter was cool and we all definitely enjoyed the orange crushes. Check this place out!
(4)Julie H.
I enjoyed The Embers. Is it the best seafood you'll ever have? Probably not, but it is good. The restaurant offers a beautiful view, a clean atmosphere and ample seating. The seafood is fresh and well seasoned. The buffet offers a variety of dishes for those who love seafood and for those who don't. The price of the buffet is a little much, but it does offer plenty of variety. I must remark that the bar could use a lesson or two on making drinks. I ordered a Mai Tai and got something along the lines of a Bahama Mama...o.k.
(4)Zack H.
This is a review two years in the making. My grandma has a tradition of going to this buffet with us every year. Locals say it is the best buffet in Ocean City, and who am I to argue? The specialty here is (of course) seafood. Their crab legs are delectable. They also serve crab cakes here - because, after all, this is Maryland. For those who aren't seafood-loving diners, one can also order made-to-order prime rib, as well as steak and homemade fried chicken. The quality of the food ranges from amazing (prime rib) to awful (the majority of their desserts). I would recommend to the owner to improve consistency. Finally, service was not great, but manageable. Definitely 3 stars.
(3)Laurie B.
Amazing fresh seafood of all kinds! Service was awesome, they refilled our drinks as they got low, continued to take our crab shells every time they half filled. Wonderful customer service, food cooked perfectly. We deff recommend Embers! A little pricey but that's to be expected with seafood!
(4)Haley G.
I visit here every year- the buffet is amazing. GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO
(5)Lance D.
I didn't even bother reading any of the reviews for Embers, was referred to by the clerk at Summer Beach Condos. I'm here to tell ya, anyone who didn't rate this a shining 5 star is a food hater. THIS PLACE IS AWESOME, FLAT OUT! Best seafood buffet I've ever been to, including Vegas. Everything was excellent.
(5)J V.
I searched and searched the reviews on here for a good seafood buffet. My family had dined at the Embers years ago, and I wasn't sure if it would still be the same. We arrived around 6:30pm with a coupon from one of the visitors guides for $4 off the buffet. We also had called ahead for a reservation, which was appreciated considering there was a wait after we arrived. The servers have this down to a science. They were consistently picking up our shell bowls and providing refills of water and soda. Metal crackers were provided as well as a nice stack of napkins at the end of the table. Is this the best seafood I had in OCMD? Nope. Were the crab legs delicious? Absolutely! I had about 5 plates of 2 or 3 clusters. The littleneck clams were buttery and delicious. I tend to prefer the larger clams, but these were just fine. When reviewing the other items on the buffet, I think it's important to note that this place isn't going to be fine dining. You have to adjust your expectations a bit. The fried chicken was good, the clam strips were crunchy and golden, and the sweet and sour chicken was surprising delicious. The spicy crab soup had small strands of crab, but I only wanted a small taste anyway. We didn't really venture away from the seafood and some sampling of other items, but what we did have was alright. They didn't have any parmesan cheese near the pasta, which would have been nice. The pizza was horrible, but the cheese and pepperoni pieces on top were ok. But I didn't come here for pizza. We did not sample the raw bar, but we did see quite a few people enjoying it. The ice cream didn't have a very creamy consistency, but we were going out for dessert later. The only big complaint I have is the temperature of the plates. They were so hot that you needed a napkin to hold them as you walked around the buffet. I can understand keeping the plates warm to keep the food warmer, but a child who picked up a plate could have easily been burned. Would we come back? Yes! It satisfied what I was looking for. Good crab legs and clams that are all you can eat. The service was good, too.
(4)Travis C.
First thing to remember is your in ocean city so it's always overpriced, second it's a buffet. If you like crab legs as my wife and daughter do you'll love it if not you'll think it's an overpriced buffet.
(3)Alexandra J.
Went here for Fourth of July weekend with my family, food was great and the service was even better. Ask for Dana she was great! So fun and helpful and on top of her game 100% of the time! The manager Heather wasn't very pleasant and could use a little training on hospitality but everything else was wonderful.
(4)Samantha K.
Staff was very friendly however, the cost of the buffet is severely overpriced for the mediocre, luke-warm food they served. The only reason I went here was for the crab legs. Crab legs were mainly water logged, but were very good once dipped in the (fairly hot) butter. I'm glad I used this opportunity to fill up on crab legs while there instead of getting a little bit of everything. The food seems to be better during season when it's very busy. Oh & once the staff brought out a fresh batch of crab legs, they tasted very good. The only thing I did not like was the legs did not "crack" well & instead were soft & flexible. Also, the air conditioning certainly did not help with the food temperature issue. The restaurant was very cold to the point where customers were complaining & asking to be sat at a different location of the restaurant which happened to be the one I was already sitting in with my boyfriend. I'm frequently cold anywhere indoors despite the 80 degree weather outside, so I always bring a hoodie & wore mine the entire time. Even my boyfriend said he was a little cold & that means he place is very cold considering my boyfriend is a bigger & hairy guy who enjoys the air conditioning at a constant 68 degrees. This place had to have had their air conditioning at 60-65 degrees (Fahrenheit of course).
(3)Sal S.
Place sucks its hot in the main room and food is horrible . Not worth $30. That's with the 4 dollar coupon . Would not go back again .
(1)Gina K.
The food was good . We went on 6/17. I'm giving it 2 stars because the server dropped a bowl of old bay seasoning on my 8 month old son . She was in such a rush maybe if she would have slowed down just a little bit my son wouldn't have smelled like a fish.
(2)Candy M.
The seafood are all fresh.. I love seafood so much. They deserve five stars! So many people... I will come again when I come to OC next time! My friends and I all have a great time there last night! So bravo!
(5)Lewis P.
I've been to many buffets around the country, seafood, chinese, country etc. but Embers hasto be the worst ever. Not only is the price too high, the food is terrible. The crab legs had little to no meat and the steamed shrimp was overdone and rubbery. The carving station was just ok, the fried butterfly shrimp was lacking not only taste but shrimp as well. The crab imperial was very pasty as was the crab dip. I must say the best thing I had was the oyster& ham soup, outstanding!! However the service was friendly and above average for a buffet. This is my first restauranr review but I felt the need to warn others about this below average place. Sorry!
(1)Mike M.
Remember people its a buffet, not a 4 star a la carte dining experience. For me its the best buffet in oc, good selection of seafood and non seafood items, everything is hot, crab legs always available and good service for a buffet.
(4)Ava W.
An annual OCMD family vacation must include seafood, so why not a buffet where you can get an array of seafood? We've tried Phillips and Hall's, so we were up for some place different. Ember's was a pretty good choice. On a Thursday night, it was a little over half filled. The dining area is HUGE (with a beautiful view), so half's not bad. The buffet had an impressive selection of items, most of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The only thing I didn't like was the tilapia with some kind of mango salsa. The crab legs were really good and a nice size. The catfish was also fantastic. What wasn't fantastic? The price. I know, I know....it's a SEAFOOD buffet. What do I expect to pay? Well, I just wasn't mentally prepared for $34. I was hating on my Mom who got a 1/2 price senior discount. For once, I wished I was old. (er.) SN: I hope she doesn't ever read this. Lastly, our server who was super friendly and attentive with drink refills and clearing plates made a boo boo. He had no problem when asked to split the bill using two cards. However, he must've gotten sidetracked between our table and the swipe machine because he put the whole bill on one card. He apologized for his forgetfulness, but it kind of left a bad taste after such a nice meal. Oh well, mistakes do happen and we left full and satisfied.
(4)Nicole G.
The crab legs were good and I think my boyfriend and I ate our money's worth in those alone. As for the rest of the food it was pretty mediocre, some of it was cold despite the fact that we showed up when they opened. They had a ton of people crammed into one dining area with a couple other rooms completely empty. Also, bring a sweatshirt. It was barely 70 out and raining and they had the air cranked up so high I was shivering the whole time.
(3)Amani A.
I got food allergies from this place they cross contaminate the food! After leaving 15 minutes, took me about 30 minutes to eat a salad and crab legs
(1)Lynne E.
Being from out of town as well as it being our 25th anniversary our choice of restaurants was tough. We chose Embers & I'm glad we did! The food was good, plenty of variety & the staff was constantly bringing out fresh food. But the best part was our server Diego, he made our Embers experience very memorable. Very attentive & even brought us out a special cake as a surprise for our special day. I would definitely go here again!!!
(4)Phida S.
I give 5 stars to the staff! But the food isn't worth 34$ per person. There isn't big clams/crawfish and very few options. Those are the things I look for the most at a seafood buffet. This place did not have that much seafood. I'd eat here if it was 12-15$ per person
(2)Kimberly W.
Best place for a seafood buffet with great customer service! Great look on the inside and the bathrooms were clean! Busy night and still our server Shelby was courteous and kind to our party of 11!
(5)Alexander K.
If you want an all you can eat buffet, this is the place to go. You walk into a battle field of hungery tourists laying waste to crab legs and any molisk of your liking. They have just about everything; Chinese food to prime rib. My fiancé and I went here purely for the crab legs and they were great! We did try other food, but the only note worthy "side dish" to our crab legs is the crab meat chowder. They advertised oyster and clams on the half shell, though when I saw them I was turned off faster than you can say food poisoning. Maybe if they shucked them fresh, rather let them sit on ice for an unknown amount of time. If you wanna spin the porcelain roulette wheel, by all means. There was a review saying that the plates are hot. I thought it was crazy talk at first, however, they is hot! I had to use a napkin to hold it, but if that's the price I pay for being a glutton, I paid it gladly. The service here was friendly and speedy. They kept our drinks filled and had our plates cleared by the time we were back for another snack down. Though a little pricy, I would go again and bring friends. My fiancé and I can eat, so we totally ate our $34.99 worth in food. I think this is a great place to go if you are in the mood for an all you can eat crab leg feast.
(3)Kat B.
Several years ago, I ate at embers and had one of the best crab bread bowl appetizers I've ever had. Returning to ocean city, I called to ask if it was still available and could be ordered for carry out, as we were quite a long drive away. I was told yes and that I didn't need to order it in advance. When I got to the restaurant I was told the appetizer was no longer available. I would not have been so angry if they had taken the time to check since I took the time to call and then drive there.
(1)Heather R.
Crab legs are amazing!!!!! Great food, a great staff, we really like our waiter Joe G very nice guy. Good food but a little pricey.
(4)Eric L.
My family dining here on a recent Saturday night. It was quite busy, but they did a great job of keeping the food refreshed, especially the prime rib and crab legs. The service was decent, she kept our drinks refilled and promptly took away the empty plates. The food here is inconsistent. Some items were quite good including the Maryland crap soup, crab legs and the prime rib. Others such as the pizza and chicken marsala were unforgivable. The food was kind of 'old school', very starchy and similar to what you would find in a 1980's buffet. My advice would be to take your time, try a small portion of several items and get a feel for what is good.
(3)Tisha S.
it was pretty good. lots of choices and seafood, but nothing more than what i have seen in other seafood places...
(3)Jill I.
I would give this place a negative amount stars if Yelp would only let me. Worst $35 I ever spent. The place is dark and depressing, and the quality of food was crap. The hush puppies were incredibly dry, the crabs rubbery. The prime rib looked like somebody had literally chewed it up first and then spit it back out onto your plate. I can't even remember what else I ate because I've been actively trying to suppress the memory of ever patronizing this dismal establishment. Now, buffets aren't normally my thing, let alone a seafood buffet, seeing as I think those two words should never rightfully be put together. However, I was in OCMD with a bachelorette party and was pretty much dragged here by the group of girls who, for some reason, thought this place was legit. As if that all weren't reason enough to come within 100 feet of this place ever again, I came down with a lovely bout of food poisoning. Everything I ate was launched from my stomach and intestines in quite a few horrifying ways for the better part of my Friday night. So, yea, come here if you're trying to lose weight while eating all you want. You won't be able to keep anything down from here for more than hour anyway. There, something worthy of the 1 star Yelp forces me give. :(
(1)Diana C.
Food was great! Service leaves a lot to be desired. We planned to have a few cocktails with dinner but couldn't get our server to check on us, let alone offer another drink. We ended up going to the bar after dinner where we waited several minutes before being acknowledged. A majority of the staff was hanging out at the end of the bar eating and discretely drinking with what we assumed were regulars or staff with the day off. Please note our visit was in February so business levels are no excuse for such poor service.
(2)Alyce T.
We decided to try a buffet while on vacation. We had gone to others in the past but decided to try Embers this time. Big mistake. Quality of food was poor - you could tell most of it had been sitting out for a while and some was even cold. Our server was horrendous and I wish I could remember her name because I would tell you to avoid her (and her terrible attitude) at all costs. She walked out and the first thing she said was that they gave them cheap pens that suck...nice first impression. Then she introduced the server that was training and shadowing her. I felt sorry for that poor girl...they should have had her training with someone else. The trainee was very nice and was the only one who kept coning by to check on us. They were giving a $5.00 off discount the night we went but our bill still ended up being over $70. We attempted to give the trainee the tip since she was the only one that did any work and the only one who smiled but the server promptly ripped that out of her hands. We will definitely not be returning as we can get bad food and poor service at a variety of other places.
(1)Judy W.
first off i would like to say that we found embers to be pricey. 2nd while eating the wait staff were standing there goofing off while waiting to clear plates from tables. music was very loud. The food was not the best quality for $33.95 and somet food were not even labeled to know what u were being offered.
(2)Mike P.
The last time I was at Embers before this recent one was 15 years ago, while I have changed quite a bit, this place hasn't at all in my mind. When we came into ocean city with a group of 10 of us, I had one thing set in my mine. The car drove in with was going to Embers, this was a particularly lucid plan since I drove, but everyone agreed that this was the place to go. So first and for most, this is going to cost you about 35 (bare minimum, low tip and coupon) up to maybe 60 if you're a bit of a boozy floozy. Seating is generally 32.99 a plate, but they were running a special for 5 dollars off when we went. Fountain drinks are also like 3 bucks. Now to my favorite part, the food. It's basically a giant seafood buffet, with some non seafood items. Like a prime ribs, ham, and roast beef carving station. A salad bar, which I didn't actually frequent, Hush puppies , other seafood items, and finally Snow crab legs. You might say to yourself, I got to buffets with snow crab legs and they are meh, and they run out super fast. Not here, they always have 2 trays of them. A person serves you them and will give you as many as you want on your plate. I think 2 is normal or you can get three at once, after that it becomes unwieldy after four. But they won't stop you; a guy in front of me acted as if it was last call and got 7 of those bad boys piled high. I think I had about 18 halves, it surprising how many snow crab legs you can eat when you don't eat anything else, and that your large enough to also consume a 72oz steak if duty called. They have butter and other sides for the legs but you really don't need them, maybe some lemon would have been nice but I may have messed with my crab eating mojo. They had an assortment of other fresh things like raw oysters and clams. I tried them but I tend to not get them unless I'm in New Orleans because they're just better down there. They also had a dessert bar with a fair amount of things. One thing I don't know if they have is kids prices, I wouldn't take a child here unless they did, it's too pricy at adult prices. There is no way they could possibly come close to the cost. Even some adults have problems eating that much. The next time I'm in ocean city I will be coming here again, I just hope it's not another 15 years.
(5)Rich B.
Bottom line is if you dont go for seafood dont go to these things. I was looking forward to doing some damage with crab legs and raw bar but the clams and oysters did not look good at all. (Sorry not taking one for the team) the steamed ahrimp were ok. (Im old bayed out already) The crab legs were good some alitt)e watery. But the prepared food was horrible... bland fried ahrimp fish fried oysters....up to you...but Im done with these places......until the kids drag me to one again
(3)Chuck H.
Very disappointed. The best thing about this place is the friendly service. The food is just not very good.
(1)Allyson K.
Awful. Seafood was ok. Ambience is terrible. Cafeteria decor and no sort of organization whatsoever.
(1)Tracy W.
Service is good. But food not to great. The selection isn't great not a lot to chose from.
(3)Elizabeth O.
Oh. My. Gawd. Trying to decide on an AYCE buffet with a family of six adults is a pain. I read and re-read every review for every buffet in OCMD trying to decide whether we wanted to have the most variety, the biggest crab legs, the cleanest restaurant. I mean, ideally, we wanted all of it but based on the reviews I was reading this didn't seem plausible. Finally, crunch time had arrived and everyone decided that since I am the big Yelper and I read/write reviews constantly that I should be the decision maker. Fine. Okay. Let's just go on over to Embers... they seem the least scary. Did I mention I have an aversion to buffets? I don't care for them. I worked in a buffet restaurant as a teen and ever since then have a hard time with the idea. Well, we made a reservation for six people at 6:30 p.m. We arrived at the restaurant and thank god we made a reservation because it was PACKED. Every table was full and the lines at the buffet sometimes stretched 15-20 people long. Being busy was a GOOD THING!!! Since the restaurant was so busy, the staff had to replenish all of the dishes constantly. This meant that the food was always fresh from the oven/warmer. The food was actually very good. The crab legs were perfect. Not too squishy or salty. Our server was VERY attentive which was impressive for a buffet. There weren't any crab forks but we asked for some and our server managed to find three spare crab forks. I don't know why they don't keep these readily available, but three was enough for us to share. I must say that the most impressive part of the dining experience was when my brother dropped his fork on the ground and before he even had time to react, a server/busser was handing him a new one. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that the server/busser saw the fork drop and happened to have a spare but still... it was like a movie. The variety of the buffet was great. Surf and turf in the best way possible. I learned something about myself too. I always thought I liked all mollusks. Mussels, clams, oysters, etc. always sounded good to me but I rarely knew what I was eating when I was eating mollusks. Well, thanks to the many varieties at this buffet, I was able to try them side-by-side. It turns out that I don't actually like mussels, most clams or oysters. I really only like clams that have been marinating in a garlic butter sauce but that's about it. Who knew I could learn something about myself by eating at a buffet? There may be other AYCE seafood buffets in OCMD that would have been suitable but we didn't go to those. We came to Embers and we left feeling full and happy. This will definitely be my go-to AYCE buffet in OCMD from now on. No more researching!!
(5)Stephanie P.
We went with the hope of having all you can eat crab legs and shrimp, expecting somewhat of a typical buffet atmosphere but hoping that for $33.99, the quality would be at least better than terrible. Instead we got soggy crabs that were so watered out that you could barely get the crabs out of the legs and when you held them up water would literally drip out and the shrimp didn't taste like meat because they were so drenched. The restaurant didn't feel very clean and the bathrooms weren't kept up either. The service was pleasant but not worth a $100 check for two for less than acceptable food. We will never go back.
(1)Ralph L.
Food was ok. For the price i expected more variety of food besides the common crab legs. The oysters were little slivers of meat in a shell and the ice cream was tasteless cheap soft cone drool. If you have the 33$ or a coupon for a cheaper rate then go for it. I have to say though the service was good. But there was one person eating left and we were sitting there chatting and one of the servers was trying to scoot us along. LOL
(2)Ghana K.
centered my anniversary around coming 2 this restaurant so my husband could experience. I had read some reviews and could not believe it but 2 each their own. I had been twice and had a good experience and gr8 tasting food both times. I can't remember the female server from my 1st visit but Brad was my server the 2nd time and he was amazeballs so that I will ask 4 him the next time. went on a Sunday evening around 8, they closed like 9:30, in mid sept so no crowd, really nice, sat outside by the water, had the stuffed shrimp, delish. Brad you are a rock star, thx 4 being a gr8 server!!!
(5)Cassie W.
I thought this buffet would be bigger. I'm not a huge seafood person, but I do like my crab legs! It was nice to have all you can eat. The crab legs were hard to get out of the shell due to them sitting in water. They were still delicious! The other food, however, was something left to be desired. There wasnt anything that any other buffet didn't have. We used a coupon and it still was as $28 per person. At that price, it wasnt worth it. The building was great, but they tried to stuff as many tables in as they could. So we were bumping into the people behind us as we were stAnding up. The waiter was very nice. He kept coming back to the table and emptying our bowls and offering more drinks. Was the food good? Meh. Was the waiter nice? Very much! Would I go back? Probably not.
(2)Joanne P.
Food was not great, but they added $26 for tip for our family of 6 to have a BUFFET and the service definitely was NOT worth $26.
(2)Caroline H.
Expensive and foods were lousy. It was our 1st time here and i expected to see a variety of sea foods but the choices are similar to eat all you can that you can only pay for about $19.
(1)Mary T.
Annual family vacation always includes a seafood buffet...so we decided to try Embers. None of us within our party of 8 were thrilled. The buffet is very very small with few selections. It's crowded, literally had to wait for waiters and waitresses to hand out cups, glasses etc before you could walk through the small aisle ways. Our service was ok..took about 20 minutes To get drinks and when we asked for a Refill it took even longer. One of the staff who put fresh food on the buffet bumped into me 3 times while holding a scorching hot pan. I've eaten at Phillips & Bonfire- save your time & money and go to one of those & keep driving past Embers. I will never go again. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Samantha W.
I came here a couple years ago when I was at Ocean City and I wasn't a fan then ... I'm not sure why I came back. I think people come here for the snow crab legs, but the batch that I got was old and scary looking. Given, I saw people with better quality crab legs later on, so I think it was just that particular batch. However, that doesn't excuse the quality of all the other food. I didn't really find many things that I wanted to eat and those things that I did like were all fried foods - fried scallops, clams and shrimp. I stuck to the steamed shrimp, too. I also wasn't happy about the $32 price tag that came attached to this mediocre meal. For $25, I could've excused the quality of the food. Also, our waiter took forever to bring out our WATERS, but he was on top of everything else for the rest of the night. Disclaimer: I'm not a picky eater and know what to expect when I go to buffets, yet I still did not enjoy this one. Be forewarned!
(1)Erica N.
If you're looking for a variety of seafood this not the place. There was limited amounts of medium rare prime rib. The raw bar only included oysters. Seafoo was limited to clams, oysters, Alaskan crab, and peel-and-eat shrimp.
(2)Isaac T.
Pricey at $33 a person, come hungry. They had excellent fruit salad, and Caesar salad . I'm not a huge seafood person so I can't rate them on that. I usually find the best Caesar salads at seafood restaurants and they are no exception. Overall a great place to eat just make sure you are hungry enough o make it worth the $$$
(4)Ericka J.
No complaints. The waitress was always at our table seeing if we needed refills on drinks and clearing our dirty dishes away. The food was great and was kept full at all times. Early bird special is $27 a piece and fresh. This will be another one we will come back to time and time again on our visit to great Ocean City, Md !
(5)Nichole M.
Not good. Crab legs were overlooked and rubbery. Mac n cheese was good. It didn't smell great in there.
(2)Donna G.
Took my daughter and grandson for dinner tonight. We went around 6:00 and were seated immediately. The restaurant is like a banquet hall. Lots of tables, no real restaurant feel. My grandson is a picky eater but he enjoyed some fried shrimp and corn on the cob. He also had fun cracking out crab legs. Q There is a lot of fried food but so much more! The oysters on the half shell, steamed clams, shrimp Alfredo pasta, CRAB LEGS, shrimp steamed, Tilapia, salmon, and some salad stuff although I avoided that! Very good, hot and lots of choice Give it a try!!
(4)Rose L.
Decent offerings at this seafood buffet. Crab legs are fresh and clams are tasty. Mussels were dry but they had a lot of different items to sample from. Found this to be fresher than rusty rudder and tastier than halls. With a try. Bidets are pricey so get coupons! Service us good and the restaurant large so lots of seating. Worth a try if you like buffets. They do not have crabs there but they do have other seafood dishes.
(3)Amy G.
We arrived as a party of 10 on Saturday night of OC Bike Week. Knowing it's tough to fit a group our size anywhere in OC that weekend, we arrived around 6pm. Much to our surprise, we were seated right away. I was happy to have crab legs to my heart's delight.. I definitely ate my money's worth! My husband enjoyed the prime rib although he would have preferred additional au jus with it. The raw oysters were delicious. Steamed Clams were yum-o too! Everyone at our table had their fill and then found room for dessert (some of us 2 or 3!). I felt like i was at someone's wedding, with the big round table we had, but it facilitated discussions better than a long rectangular table.. so we were pleased. We left with our checkbooks a fair bit lighter, and our bellies a lot fuller. We'll likely be back, only when we can ensure that we'll have a large appetite!
(4)Noelle V.
My new favorite buffet in OCMD. Great service -- nice bay view -- Great atmosphere -- great food. We found a $5 off coupon in the Visitors Guide savings book. It works at all times as well for every adult in your group. I loved it, and this will definitely be my go to buffet in OC.
(4)Jennifer W.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this seafood buffet. I've been going here since I was a child. I haven't gone in several years but tried it again this summer and was not disappointed. We did not have to wait to get seated, the server was excellent. Try the prime rib when you're there. They have a fresh carving station. They cut us a huge chunk and dunked it in a big pot of au ju and omg. It melts in your mouth. We easily were there for 2 hours just eating crabs, clams, and prime rib. One tip I have is to get a local magazine. Our hotel supplied them. The magazines always have coupons for $10 off and they allow you to use one per guest!
(5)Marlee W.
Came with my friends for some crab legs. The price was a bit expensive but by far the best crab legs I have ever tasted in my entire life. All the other food was mediocre but the crab legs were definitely worth the money.
(5)Kevin T.
This place was very good. We got seated in less than 5 minutes and our waitress was very accomodating and friendly. We sat in the newly renovated section of the restaurant so it was overall a great, clean atmosphere. There is a lot to choose from so if you are a picky eater, I am almost positive you will find something you like! Dinner was pricey though. For 1 person including tip, it will cost you about $40-50. I think they should charge less for the buffet and upcharge for those who choose to eat crabs and the other seafood with their meal. Definitely the splurge dinner of my trip. Overall, a good place to eat. 3 stars only because of their prices.
(3)Jennifer M.
Seems like all the Ocean City, MD "AYCE" seafood buffets have less than 3 star reviews. But when you travel with equally seafood-loving friends, you're bound to try it anyway. We settled for Ember's because it was faster seating time than the places nearby. I only went to eat two things: cocktail shrimp and snow crab legs. You enter into a main dining hall that looks like it couldn't have cost more than $1,000 to furnish. But who cares, I'm there for FOOD right? We realized quickly almost all waitstaff at any place in OC were new, as MDW was right around the corner. But, the waitress walked past us several times and we had to call her over for our drink order so we can go eat! Pretty much didn't see her the rest of the time, until she came to refill our water glasses with sprite... Ugh. Finally, the food- absolutely the poorest quality seafood I've ever seen or tasted. The shrimp and crab were both SO overcooked. The shrimp were extremely tough and crab legs were impossible to open and get any meat out. I thought the cocktail sauce was so overpowering purposely to hide the lack of flavor. By the end of the meal, totally not worth whatever money we'd spent on it and our stomachs were pretty achy afterward. Now two days later I'm writing this with what seems to be food poisoning symptoms. Do yourself the favor, if you like good quality seafood, pay the same for a nice fillable meal down the block!!
(1)Eric B.
This place had a great look to it from the outside, once inside it still had the vibe. My group was offered a menu even though we planned on destroying the buffet bar. Everything on the buffet was excellent. Tried to eat some dessert but we were to stuffed. Everyone got their monies worth out of this place. If you leave hungry then it is your own fault.
(4)Joni A.
The place was very nice. When we entered we were practically led right to our seats. The service was comforting, and the atmosphere was happy. Most of the people I saw had a smile on their faces, and were always willing to follow your requests. I came to Embers with my family, and we all enjoyed ourselves. The food was overall, very nice. There was a variety of everything, from Cesar salad, to chocolate mouse cake. The main thing people come for is the crab legs, and I can see why. Of course sometimes the crab was a little cold, but it happens I guess. most of the dishes were tasty, so if you're the kind of person who wont eat just anything, you'll be able to enjoy yourself over at least a few dishes at Embers.
(3)Adam W.
Food is Okay at best. Crab legs were very skimpy and roast beef is sliced paper thin . Service was actually good. Not a big fan of buffets.
(3)Allen G.
This is the best seafood buffet we've been to in OC. The crab legs are wonderful and they never seem to run out. My kids really liked the place and the hush puppies are tasty little things. It is a bit pricey but you can play mini golf after you eat because they have a beautiful course on site, but bring cash for the golf they don't take plastic. Loved the hole experience see you next year.
(5)Dereck S.
Best Buffet in OCMD. they have everything you can want. Buffet is around $30 a person but they have options there that you don't see often. Good to try not good to make it a go to place
(3)Jean B.
Average all u can eat. Have a picky eater who is 14 and server gave us a hard time wanting to charge for an adult meal, when all she would eat was the pizza and a few nuggets. I went out for an enjoyable meal and received rude service that ruined the experience. Also wanted blue crab and heard somewhere that they served it. I asked staff manning the buffet if they served blue crab and was told to ask wait staff. Got the impression blue crab would be delivered by server. When the waiter finally came by she informed us that they don't serve blue crab. "That's next door" Kind of misleading on the signage out front. Probably would have walked out if I knew going in that there was no blue crab. Then when we got the bill they charged us for 4 adults and 1 vegetarian when I clearly had a 10 year old and a 12 year old that didn't eat much of anything and should have been charged the child rate. She did fix the check after being very rude. Will never go there again...even if it were the only restraunt in town.
(1)Heckle J.
Greeted warmly and promptly seated. Wait service professional and anticipated our needs w/o overbearance. Food on buffet was plentiful, fresh and delicious. Crab legs were Canadian (not Alaskan) but the grade was acceptable. Special Thur./Fri. off season value at 19.95 per person (normally 32.95) No more Bonfire for us (rude staff and they hand out the crab legs now)
(4)Alex J.
Very nice place! They claim they can seat 1000, and I wouldn't doubt it one bit. They have 3 different LARGE rooms. One of the rooms is very modern, open, and right on an inlet from the bay. The food was pretty good. You have to come here for the CRAB LEGS. They are good crab legs, and (obviously) BOTTOMLESS! You go to other places to buy 4 legs, and spend $20. If you like crab, this is the place to go. The other food was alright. With the exception of pollack and Tilapia, the other seafood was all fried, and most of it itself was fried breading. Their shrimp was really good as well! If you don't like seafood, this place will still suit your taste. They have anything from fresh grilled steak tips to chicken Marsala, to linguini fettuccine. They also have good for kids, like Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and French fries. Our waiter was very nice, and down to earth. He also had a sense if humor, which is always a bonus. Dessert was OK, but just seemed like cheap, pre-packaged cakes that you would get from BJs or something. They do, however, have a soft-serve ice cream machine, which is good for the kids! Overall, an OK place. IF YOU LIKE CRAB LEGS, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG for $33 a person. The interior was very nice, and the waiters/waitresses are nice and on their toes to help. Otherwise, it was nothing more than your average hometown buffet
(3)Kimberly P.
Seafood buffet!! Great options. However, the way the staff treats customers need to be improved greatly! I am not sure why they have a person standing the dining room looking mean and menacing with his arms folded. Not a good look!
(3)A S.
Better than I thought. Carving station for prime rib and ham. Had the macaroni and cheese and was good for a buffet place. Crab legs decent size. Even the corn bread was okay. Dessert so so but going to place like your not going for the dessert. I recommend this place. Forgot to take a picture
(4)Jared F.
As many other reviewers said, I'm giving this an average rating. The price is slightly steep, or so it seemed but then again you are in the middle of the central tourist area and many of the local coupon books have some sort of coupon for Embers. The food was all OK and as expected, our waiter was very polite and helped make our meal enjoyable by keeping our drinks filled and the plates off our table. I probably wouldn't go if I was paying for more than one other person, at $30 a head, it adds up but it is a seafood and a casual dining experience that I didn't have any complaints about.
(3)David R.
As far as OC buffets go, Embers is definitely on the better side, but at price, since they run a bit higher than many of the other OC buffets.
(3)Wayne H.
This buffet can be described as mediocre at best. They had many traditional buffet dishes...chicken (dry)...fish (bland), my son had the pizza (said it was ok). As far as the shrimp they were dry with too much seafood seasoning and the crab legs needed more seasoning. All in all @ $30 a pop, we were disappointed.
(2)Ma-e M.
Yap, it's definitely expensive. I'm guessing this is the average buffet price in the area. Embers dining are divided into 2 worlds - contemporary and country designs. Some of the food, particularly seafood pasta was surprisingly good. I knocked down about 20 snow crab legs, not just by myself but with the help of my partner who did not eat the crabs but cracked and opened the shells for me to eat the meat. This is the way to go to the buffet - get some help with your fellow diner and your belly is on its way to heaven.
(3)Steve M.
Decent for a buffet, but exytremely overpriced. For $32.95 per person, I expected something that would be several cuts above the average Chinese buffet. I was wrong. I was attracted by the Prime Rib and seafood buffet. I like Prime Rib., my wife likes seafood, and my teenagers will eat almost anything. I made my family dress in something other than tee-shirts and flip-flops, thinking that this buffet might be a little bit nicer than most others in the less than $20 range. We waited for a table for about ten minutes, which was okay, and met our friendly waitress. We joined the buffet line. Lots of medley-casserole type dishes (seafood combo, etc.), mac and cheese, pepper steak, sweet and sour chicken, etc. Steamer clams in butter broth, which were the highlight of the evening. Raw bar with cherry stones and oysters on the half (good), steamed peel and eat shrimp (tough) and junk food like pizza and chicken nuggets for the fussy young ones. At the carving station, the Prime Rib was nearly raw, and I like it rare. It was tasty but still very underdone. They had a steamship round of roast beef that was overcooked (it was grey), and a Virginia ham as well. Overall, the food is okay and the atmosphere is okay, but I think it's very overpriced for what it is and I do not think it was a good value for the money. I will not return.
(2)Brian H.
Tourist trap! Drive further down along the boardwalk. After being ripped off, we saw many other seafood restaurants and wish we would have tried them. Most food was luke warm and not very tasty and we got to hear dishes crashing together throughout the meal because when they clear the tables, they bring them to a cleaning station within the eating area. Be sure to open your wallet wide too as the buffet is around $35.00 each person. I can eat at $8.00 buffets with the same results. Not worth it at all.
(1)Kolakrit K.
The food are not bad Unfortunately my friend found some small worm in oyster and it's still alive!!!!!!!!!!! And their manager told me that it's normal to see some it on oyster But honestly I think ... It's not normally It should be their responsibility to keep food clean and neat So disappoint
(1)Ted P.
I came in from Virginia to attend a car show. I found food to be good, not great. But what do anyone expect from a buffet style resturant. :-). The Alaskan crab legs was very good.
(3)Robin M.
I was first drawn to Embers by its website; it looked very well put together and classy. I could also tell that it was a "nightlife" type of buffet as well so it was a little noisy, but that just added to the fresh/modern/welcoming ambiance. I mean, i wasnt looking for a peaceful candle-lit romantic dinner arena. All the food was pretty amazing and there was a huge selection! The crabs just kept coming. I mighta got about 5 plates... and it was like the meat just slid right out of the shell with no effort. Yes, it was very pricey, but you think about all you are getting for a seafood buffet... any restaurant you go to and you plan to order Snow Crabs as well as a full meal with dessert, you should plan to spend well over $30. One draw back was the overall cleanliness. It wasnt that i found hair or bandages in my food or had dirty silverware/plates, it was more little pieces of food on the floor that may have dropped when someone was walking around or the butter station was just messy or the dessert station was not presented in an appealing way. The wait staff were always dropping things and breaking glasses. They just didn't seem too on top of their jobs. We also came at like 8:45 and they were closing up the food at 9:30. So maybe it was just the end of the day type thing. But with all that said, i would definitely go back!
(4)Brandon Z.
I usually go here every year, and the food on the buffet is always really good. It was no exception this year for most of the food, but again the Crab Legs were pretty bad. I have a feeling that they may be buying cheaper product and passing it off as the good stuff. They were very small, you had to beg to get more of them from the guy passing them out, and when you tried to open them water/liquid would just pour out of the shells, leaving very little meat to pry out of the legs. Still, I'll give it 4 stars, as the Crab Emperial is delicious, the pizza is great, and a lot of the other random items are pretty good on the buffet.
(4)Damon D.
Honestly for $30 per person I expected more. Large selection of food but most of it was just okay...nothing wow. $95 for a family of four was just a little too much. Took forever to get bill and took forever to get drinks. If you are in OC look for somewhere else first.
(2)S S.
Great seafood buffet! We ate there on Sat of Labor Day weekend. Three seafood lovers and one non. We all loved our food. Crab legs were excellent as well as the clams, mussels, shrimp and prime rib. Also very impressed they were extremely accomodating to my dairy allergy. Asked for one dozen steamed clams and mussels not in butter and got at least three times that. Highly recommend if you love seafood.
(4)Grant F.
We had a great time with very good food. The snow crabs were great, along with the prime rib and crab soup. Something for everyone with the extremely large selection of food. Great service!
(4)Alicia K.
We just had a great dinner here over Columbus Day weekend. Short review -- great food, excellent, attentive service -- buffet was fantastic, if pricey at $32 per person -- but we got our money's worth of crab legs and shell fish. We arrived tired and hungry at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. The staff was very accommodating of our request to sit near the buffet so my 88-year-old mother would not have to walk through a crowded dining room. We got our drink orders right away, and the waitress, Tiffany, encouraged us to start helping ourselves to the buffet since the last call for the buffet was going to be at 9:15 pm. Off we went to load our plates with seafood and other Eastern Shore treats -- the salmon with capers in lemony cream sauce; delicious, tender tiny clams; Cajun seasoned fried oysters; savory crab imperial, tilapia in sweet red pepper sauce; steamed mussels and clams with butter; hand carved prime ribs; delectable Maryland fried chicken. After plowing through the first plate of food, we went back for the crab legs, only to find the buffet was out of them. Tiffany to the rescue! As soon as we let her know about the lack of crab legs on the buffet, she runs to the back and brings out a huge tray heaped high with steaming hot, fresh crab legs. It was clearly going to take the four of us a long time to consume them. "No problem," said Tiffany, "Take your time." Then she kept checking back with us for drink refills, clearing shells away, extra napkins and melted butter, etc. even as it was clear that the dining room was closing down. Kudos to Tiffany to continue to serve us with top attention right up to the end when she brought us a load of much-needed handi-wipes after getting through that huge platter of crabs. We will return to The Embers -- and make a point to get there earlier so we have more time to check out the other buffet items we missed.
(4)Katie D.
Staff was very attentive. Food was as expected for a seafood buffet. Would return again.
(4)Ken M.
Not bad for the promotion of 19.95, if that was always the price, I would have given it 3-stars.. But, alas tis is not the case. It was "ok", Crab was "ok" ribs were "ok", wait staff was good, food selection was "ok" everything screamed average.. nothing outstanding, nothing that will make you go out of your way to get to it. @ 29.95, I would go there for that. Coins is better.. And these are not MD Blue Claw crabs, these are your standard Snow Crab type sections.. Gimmie Blue Claw Crab, and I am paying the 29.95, no questions asked.. for standard King Crab/Snow Crab.. nah, I will pass at the 29-buck price.
(2)Jon P.
Buffet food was eeh! Best part of the buffet were the oysters, so I ate about 40. The crablegs were dry and lacked flavor. If the buffet was maybe $15 bucks i'd say it was ok but at $30 something bucks it just wasnt worth it.
(2)Ron B.
Use to go every time we visited Ocean City but no longer do. It seems a wedding party was more important then the rest of their customers on one occasion. Poor slow waitress with an attitude because we asked her to tend to us a little quicker and remove/clean away the table was another. Got food poisoning from the Imperial crab that was validated by a doctors blood test. Management was extremely nasty and rude about that. Had to threaten lawsuit just to get them to pay medical bills and refund on the dinner. AVOID EMBERS AT ALL COST. There are many other locations buffet style in Ocean City. Suggest going to one of them and not here. If you do go to Embers.... let's just say you were warned.
(1)Ivan R.
Whoever says that this food is good obviously never has good seafood before, the food is just below mediocre crab legs were disgusting and basically everything else was dry and lacking flavor, very disappointing
(1)Phillip F.
The only reason I gave it one star is because no stars isn't an option. I have eaten the exact same quality food at $7 chinese buffets. No lie! Somehow tho I managed to eat 2 plates of food only because I felt like I need to eat my money's worth........ BAAAADDDD mistake!!! I felt nauseous for about 2 hours after. Not only was the food greasy and tasteless at this overpriced "golden corral" ripoff, but everyone was packed together in one little section when there was plenty of seating elsewhere. When I asked to move to one of the more spacious areas the hostess seemed like it was a HUGE deal. The waitress was very nice though and I tipped her well. Other than the nice waitress the $33 worth of diarrhea was not worth my time. DON"T DO IT!!!!!!!!!
(1)Kelly P.
Service here was very good. Ambiance was a bit loud and over crowded especially during prime dining hours ~ you will wait for a table. Also, I think because its a buffet people tend to lose control of their kids, I'm not sure why they let them run around. There isn't a view, no windows except in the lobby. There are coupons out there! The food was very good compared to other buffetts in the area. Its still a buffett but the food was replenished nicely and it was kept very hot. Plenty of seafood. Dessert bar was sad and our family really enjoys desserts. Its a bit pricey for what you get.
(2)Pacha P.
Embers used to be a pretty good place, lots of selections. They still have a lot to choose from, but the quality seems to have gone downhill. When we went last summer, their crab soup was 'bleh,' the meats in various dishes were tough. Hopefully it was just a "one year thing," and the quality will be back up this summer?
(3)Kate D.
Was in OCMD for the evening and was craving a seafood buffet. Decided to give Embers a try... Atmosphere: It's a huge restaurant that had a few different rooms. All were a bit crowded and NOISY. This is a very family friendly place with many children running around, screaming, crying, etc. The decor is pretty nice for a buffet place. I was there around 4:30 on a Saturday. There is NO view at all. Staff: The hostess stand was a little disorganized. Otherwise the staff was prompt and polite. Drinks: They do not have any draft beer! They DO have crazy expensive sugary cocktails that come in huge glasses. Food: I had the buffet. Almost everything I tried was disappointing. The mac and cheese looked neon yellow, the Caesar salad looked wilted and mushy. The fish was dry and all the fried fare was so-so. The peel and eat shrimp was chewy and the snow crab legs were somewhat rubbery and had some sort of eggs or something all over the outside (little oval black things). Furthermore, the melted butter tasted weird. My favorites were the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream, the seafood medley and the onion rings. I will NOT go back here.
(2)A. C.
(06/19/2010) Because we are gluttons for punishment, we try out a different All You Can Eat (AUCE) buffet place everytime we're in the O.C. one thing to remember, you are in Ocean City, this is THE tourist mecca for the Land of Pleasant Living. Caveats upfront: all AUCE buffets in O.C. are mediocre compared to actual restaurants elsewhere. Given that, Embers is probaby one of the better buffets to choose from. Large selection and variety, lots of seafood, quality is above average (compared to others in the AUCE cohort). Crab imperial seemed like the "best" thing on the buffet. Prime rib was medium rare, fatty and salty, not bad. I think the $29.95 price is worth the "quality"; if you want a dare, try the cheaper buffets elsewhere, there's reason the price is lower (dishes were literally poured from giant #10 cans in the kitchen). One-stop entertainment, buffet and mini-golf next door.
(3)Max M.
Would you like to know about embers restaurant? Well let me to tell you. Would you like to throw up after your meal? Or rent out the whole place and not be let in after leaving for a half hour? Actually you should definitely check out this fine establishment if being manhandled by the help tickles your fancy. But wait... It gets better. Apparently the drinking age there isn't 21 because of you are 21 you will not be given a wristband because they "ran out" but if you complain enough magically more wristbands appear! Wow embers what a cool trick! I didnt know magic was part of the deal when we paid to rent out a place until 2am but weren't allowed to be in there at 1130 . So in closing, if all of this sounds good to you definitely stop by embers. Oh and don't forget to ask for heather.
(1)Tara M.
This is at best just an avrage buffet restaurant. The crabs and shrimp tend to be dried out. I'm thinking they probably put too many in and leaving them in the steamers and warmers too long. I'm not saying that I wouldn't visit here again, I'm saying it's not the best but it also is not the worst either.
(3)Samantha S.
I was hesitant about coming here during my Senior Week trip, but all of my friends wanted to go, so off we went. Reservations definitely help here - it's always crowded. I was in a party of 20 - so they put us in a private room, which was nice. They have tons of fun drinks - pina coladas in coconut cups and giant margaritas. The buffet has an insane amount of options, even for a vegetarian like me. I was totally full - they have salads, pizza, mac and cheese, pastas, chicken parm, potatoes, vegetables, lots of seafood - something for everyone! I didn't try many desserts because I was so full, but they looked good enough. A fun time!
(4)Stephanie I.
Not a good choice for a meal. Selections on the buffet were limited. They did have crab legs but they were nothing to get excited about. And the price was very high. For that price you would have expected more. We will not return nor will we recommend to anyone else.
(1)Jessica P.
Not being much of a buffet person I went in to the meal with low expectations. Its typical of most buffets. Impersonal service and below average food.
(2)William F.
When I travel to Ocean City, one of the first restaurants I plan to visit is The Embers. The AYCE seafood and prime rib buffet is absolutely scruptious.... it includes Prime Rib, Top Round of Beef and Ham.... Seafood selections include Snow Crab Legs, Steamed Clams, Seafood Primavera, Crab Imperial, Salmon With dill butter, Tuna, Fried Scallops, Seafood Creole, Cod with Spinach, Fried Shrimp, Fried Clam Strips and Crab Au Gratin which is awesome. There are many other meat and vegetable selections plus a great raw bar.... if these selections don't trip your trigger, then peruse their expansive a la carte menu. Their staff is friendly and attentive. Great place to eat!!!!
(5)J G.
I took the wife and kids here last weekend and thought it was pretty much average. I'm not a big crab leg fan, but eat them occasionally and they seemed good. The kids loved them. The crab imperial was the best of the meal I thought and the St. Louis ribs were decent. The prime rib was very good although pretty fatty (even for Prime Rib). The wait staff seemed average too. All in all, my kids loved it, wife liked it and I thought it was ok. We did go off season and therefore got what seems like a good deal, $19.99 per Adult and $9.99 per kid at the buffet on a Sat night. The price on the menu said $29.99 per Adult and $12.99 per child (under 12). If I had paid that, I'd be pretty upset.
(3)Matt W.
The price was over priced for the quality of food. We expected more because the way the restaurant looked but that was not the case. The crab legs were salty and old. Would not go back.
(1)Jen H.
We tried the Ember's our first night in OC. The prices were high, the food mediocre. My husband had a lot of snow crab legs, but I didn't think they were all that delish. Instead of the buffet I had a spinach salad with cranberries and blue cheese. The blue cheese was nowhere to be found, so I asked for some and the waitress said, oh there was a little on there, I saw it. Why was she arguing with me?Don't bother.
(2)Ron M.
$29.99 for the Buffet. This is quite an investment for a family of four, considering the other options available. All I can say is I am glad I got there before 4pm and saved the whooping $5 bucks for the early bird, I still left feeling a bit ripped. The snow crab legs were fresh and about as good as you can get on any buffet. All of the other seafood goes down hill from there. The peel and eat shrimp were probably 36-40 per pound. I generally expect 21-23 per pound and already peeled and cleaned when I pay upwards of 20 bucks for a buffet. The fried shrimp were even smaller, the scallops clearly frozen and not one decent fish offering that wasn't all sauced up or over done. They had a carving station and the pizza was a hit with the kids but I believe a fair price for this buffet would be $17.99, or $12.99 sans crab legs. If you look around you can find some decent buffets in town cheaper, my advise would be to look around first.
(2)Sally f.
Not so great. I was vacationing in ocean city MD and this place put a huge downer on it. from the outside it looked so enticing, nice facade and huge crowds. i figured it must be great. turns out it's the worst seafood buffet i have ever been to. to make matters worse i got sick after. blah.
(1)Chris M.
I'm not quite sure what everyone else is complaining about, but I thought this place was great! The selection and quality of the food was excellent and the pizza was among the top 5 I've ever had. We enjoyed it to the extent that we contemplating making a trip "down the ocean" just to eat there again for New Year's Eve. I thought the price was reasonable considering all that you get. The only potential negatives were the Crab Soup (too much garlic, no other spice to it) and the crowds, but that's Ocean City in July for you.
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