We had a scrumptious weekday lunch at the Lobster House Restaurant & Bar in Cape May. It was a cool, sunny afternoon during the kids' post-Easter break.

The landmark waterfront restaurant is pricier than where we normally go; but at lunch, you get the same delicious seafood in still-plentiful portions for less money than at dinner. It was my husband's birthday week, so we were celebrating.

We arrived about 1 p.m. and the kids admired cool stuff in the lobby, which is like stepping back in time. There's a 37-pound-plus lobster caught in 1985 and a model ship inside a glass case filled with dollar bills.

The dining room was full. After we got one of those light-up pagers from the hostess to let us know when a table was available, we took seats at one of several tables in the bar area and got Shirley Temples for the kids and sodas for us. The lemons in our diet sodas even came pierced by those classic picks through them, pointy with tiny lobsters on the end. My 3-year-old son entertained himself by playing with them throughout the meal. The kids also munched on snack mix and crackers and cheese from dishes on the bar.

It wasn't long before we were seated at a cozy table right on a window, giving the kids a perfect view of the 146-foot schooner America docked outside (its deck serves as a cocktail area in summertime) and fishing boats. Red-and-white cloths and white-linen napkins give the dining room a classy air. Servers wore old-fashioned looking white dresses and shoes with nautical scarves

We had decided what we wanted while we waited for a table, so we were ready to order when our server introduced herself by name. She brought a loaf of freshly baked, onion-poppy encrusted bread and a scoop of butter when she delivered my 9-year-old daughter's tossed salad with Caesar dressing on the side and my husband's cup of clam chowder ($4.25). The loaf almost disappeared as we sliced away at it. It was delicious.

My oldest daughter wanted to try baked-crab imperial ($13.75), so she did, with the idea that I would help her eat it. She didn't need any help polishing off the portion served on a large clam shell. I did get a bite and it was tasty. (On the way out, we walked through the fish market and I saw the same imperial, unbaked, for sale for about $7. That would make a nice at-home meal sometime.)

My 7-year-old decided she would branch out from her usual chicken fingers since we were at a "fishy" place; she ordered a crab-cake sandwich ($8.95), which she called a Krabby Patty ala SpongeBob, with french fries. She enjoyed every bite and it was nice to see her branch out.

Items on the children's menu range from $7.95 for pasta with marinara to $10.50 for fried or broiled flounder. Pricey, like I said. Since there was no hot dog or pizza, we decided on chicken fingers ($9.95, wow!) for my son. He ate lots of fries, dipped in ketchup, of course, and we brought most of the chicken fingers home. His older sister enjoyed them warmed up later. It was a large portion, but I'm not sure chicken fingers and fries should be over $5 anywhere.

I remembered liking the Lobster House Caesar salad ($6.50) from a previous visit many years ago, and it was as good as I recalled. I asked the server to leave off the anchovies, but it was still extremely tasty - with homemade croutons, pieces of hard-boiled egg and a garlicky dressing - not to mention sizeable. I brought about half home and ate it later.

My husband's broiled Fisherman's Wharf Platter ($14.95) was a classic dish done right. And also just the right size for (a big) lunch - a shrimp, a clam casino, crab cake, flounder and scallops.

(At dinner, the comparable meal includes a half-pound lobster stuffed with crabmeat and a stuffed shrimp and costs $27.)

After lunch, we strolled on the dock and looked at the big fishing boats; one was unloading what looked to be a cargo of scallops.

We decided we definitely would come back when the weather warms up and the outside raw bar opens, as it is one of my husband's favorite places. The Lobster House gets it right consistently.

Lobster House Restaurant & Bar

WHERE: Fisherman's Wharf, Cape May

HOURS: Open year-round. Lunch 11:30 to 3 p.m. Dinner 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Hours change seasonally, so call ahead.)

HOW MUCH: Lunch appetizers $7 to $9.75; mussels, clams and oysters $6.25 to $9.25; soups and stews $4.25 to $8.95; salads $6.50 to $11.75; seafood dishes $8.75 to $14.75; charbroiled fish $13.25; lobsters $20.50 to $39.50; beef and chicken $7.95 to $15.75; sandwiches $5 to $8.95; kids' menu $7.95 to $10.50. Dinner prices are higher. Our bill was $65.11 plus tip.

SERVICE: All credit cards; liquor license; kids' menu; takeout; mail order; raw bar open in summer; fish market; private rooms for parties.

INFO: 609-884-8296, www.thelobsterhouse.com