One thing special about South Jersey is the locals’ loyalty to their favorite food and drink joints. One such place that locals and visitors alike flocked to time and time again was Waterdog Smoke House, located on Ventnor Ave in Ventnor City. With its recent closure, many wondered where they’d find that same quality and flavor again.
But, of course, Waterdog owners Steve Marchel and Robin Kramer knew they couldn’t let Margate go without their expertise, or their food, for long.
Enter Betty’s
The first addition to the now-beloved Betty’s brand, Betty’s Seafood Shack, opened in May 2023 and quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Fast forward to May 2025, and the husband-and-wife duo launched a second concept, Betty’s BBQ & Fried Chicken, located just steps away. And, as of just last week, they completed the trifecta with Betty’s Creemee Stand, an ice cream and water ice spot rounding out the block, all right on the bay.
The ideas for the three concepts had each been brewing for years.
Betty’s Seafood Shack
Steve and Robin, both born and raised in South Jersey and graduates of Atlantic City High School, spent time living in New England during college, where they fell in love with the region’s food culture. Inspired by those coastal seafood shacks, they wanted to bring those concepts back home.
“We still to this day go up and stop along all the different seafood shops up there, and I just thought to myself, ‘Margate needs something like this,’” Steve said.
Thus was born Betty’s Seafood Shack: A shack like the ones they loved all throughout New England where everyone can come to enjoy reasonably priced, well-prepared fried and sautéed seafood all right on the water.
Steve wrote the menu, while Robin created the vibe and décor. The shack serves fried and sautéed seafood, reasonably priced and well-prepared, with a strong nod to New England authenticity.
Now in its third season, Steve says the community support has been overwhelming. “It’s been super fulfilling and successful. People seem to like it, and we see them multiple times a week. We’ve developed a family through it.”
Key to the seafood shack’s success is Luis Oliba, the chef and partner who helped bring the menu and business to life. He runs the seafood concept alongside Robin.
Next up: Barbecue
Betty’s BBQ & Fried Chicken, located right next door to the seafood shack, opened in May 2025. Though the space is small, just 350 square feet, it packs in bold flavors. The shack shares an outdoor seating area with the seafood shack, and BBQ patrons are welcome to eat inside if they prefer.
The barbecue concept came to life after a trip to Dallas-Fort Worth. “We got to enjoy all the barbecue joints down there and realized it was another cuisine that was kind of lacking here,” Steve said. “No one was doing it authentically in a West Texas fashion, so we spent a lot of time putting that menu together.”
The two concepts go together well, offering a wide range of different cuisines. Now families can come to this laid-back place, order whatever they want from whichever spot and sit, relax, stay awhile and enjoy.
To top it all off, let’s add ice cream
Betty’s Creemee Stand, located right on the BBQ deck, just opened last week in a temporary structure. Featuring ice cream and water ice, it was a natural final piece of the puzzle.
“Back on the bay here, Amherst Ave is kind of going through a renaissance. With our restaurants, Tide Line, and Bay Buzz, there’s a lot going on,” Steve said. “But there wasn’t an ice cream place right here to match. There’s so much foot traffic here now, so it felt silly to not also have ice cream and water ice, so that’s what we did.”
Patrons of either BBQ or Seafood can now spend even more time on the water by enjoying quality ice cream right after their meals, making the Betty’s block a true one-stop shop.
While Steve oversees all three businesses, Keith Hurley, another operating partner, runs the BBQ and ice cream operations. Robin and Luis manage the seafood shack, making it a true team effort.
The goal of all three places is to have top-quality ingredients and to always serve the best food. With the incredible views, vibes and flavors, no taste buds go unhappy when entering the Betty’s block.
“We want to compete with the best restaurants in the area in terms of food, but in our environment of bathing suits and flip-flops,” Marchel said. “Same quality ingredients as the nicer spots just with our unbeatable vibes.”
So why the name ‘Betty’s’?
Betty was their beloved Portuguese water dog who passed away seven years ago. “She loved food, and one time she got into all the salmon I had just bought and ate it all,” Steve said, laughing. “The image of Betty with the salmon in her mouth became the Waterdog logo, and now she has a lobster in her mouth for the seafood shack and a rack of ribs for the BBQ. It keeps her memory alive in a new way which I love.”
Being AC High grads and South Jersey locals, Steve and Robin feel a deep connection to the area. “We love our locals that come in as well as our seasonal patrons. There’s not much old Margate left, and we all reminisce and long for the days when kids rode bikes to restaurants and just hung out. That’s what we wanted to create here.”
The team’s dedication to quality is clear, from the ingredients they source to the welcoming environment they’ve created.
“Our music playlist is almost as important as our ingredient list,” Steve joked. “The vibe we’ve created is very accessible, a little hippy, vintage. We want people to feel like they’re on vacation when they come in.”
Keeping Waterdog alive
Even though Waterdog Smoke House has closed, Steve and Robin have kept the spirit alive. “We have three or four breakfast sandwiches on the seafood shack menu, we smoke salmon the way we did at Waterdog, and every week at the BBQ shack we run an OG Waterdog sandwich special,” Steve said. “Favorite items that people loved and miss. We kind of try to keep that spirit going.”
What’s next for Betty’s?
“We’ve fielded calls from people interested in opening both concepts in different towns,” Steve shared. “It’s out there, and we’re open to it, but nothing is set yet. Our hands are full right now. We think both businesses are scalable and could do well in the right location, but Margate is a tough spot to beat.”
In addition to giving to the city of Margate daily with their great food, the couple also gives back in other ways.
On Aug. 9, Betty’s BBQ & Fried Chicken will host a Rib Eating Contest, with all proceeds benefiting CASA of Atlantic, Cape May, and Camden Counties, which supports children in foster care.
“We did this five years ago at Waterdog to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of AC. This year we’ve got 10 men eating three 3-pound racks each. No napkins, no forks, just six minutes of chaos,” Steve said. “The most important thing is raising money for CASA. It’ll be a fun day with live music and a great vibe, but it’s all for a good cause.”
At the end of the day, what keeps them going?
“It’s a ton of work and attention to detail. Our mantra is that everything matters. Small and large details all matter,” Steve said. “But we love what we do. We love hearing how great the food is, and we’re proud to offer that in this setting. It’s a dream come true.”
