Ditto to above. You will see right from the boardwalk if there is a waiting line for Espn Club. Beaches & Cream can be a wait unless you hit it at an off-time. If you are indeed going at an off-time, then you can also try Spoodles. We've walked up to Spoodles several times and gotten seated within 15 minutes or so. Let's see......if you're looking for something quick, there is a pizza take-out window and you can sit outside on the boardwalk and eat. There are food stands along the boardwalk. If you are there around the dinner hour, there is Cape May clam bake buffet in Beach Club. I guess it really all depends on what time of day/night you are going to the boardwalk. Obviously weekend nights are very busy and it would be hard to eat without a ressie. But as the above poster said, Espn and B&C don't take ressies, so your luck is as good as anyone else's as far as getting seated. There are also 2 "fine" restaurants in Flying Fish on the boardwalk and Yachtsmans Steakhouse at YC. We've eaten at both of these places without ressies (during off-time, slow season).