Tugboat Restaurant — Restaurant in Boothbay Harbor

Anyone who reads my reviews knows I almost never give a five star review and I can't give this service anything lower than five. Not every service is always perfect but this one was. We are from augusta. We don't have fancy/fine dining in our area so walking in I wasn't expecting it to be so high class. The tables were small, that's my only nit pick but each table had a lantern with real fire and complementary water for each guest as well as complementary rolls with butter. The restaurant is a historic model of a tug boat and even has an observatory deck for guests to go up and see. Stairs going up are kinda scary but was a fun experience to have. An unexpected surprise to be able to do that. They decorate the tugboat with lights for christmas and the igloos, very beautiful. You can reserve a heated igloo but you have to spend at least 125.00 for your meal and/or drinks. They reserve quickly so plan in advance. The restaurant and hotel both close on december 31st and reopen in may. For summer hours they have three floors of restaurant space. Prices were surprisingly decent and portion sizes are filling so you leave full. This place was crazy bust on a sunday during december, I can't imagine how summer is there. The staff cleared tables very fast and seems to work together well. All staff seemed very friendly and professional with everyone smiling. Parking can be a little hard to find unless your staying at their hotel which is next door but there's also street parking which is free. The restaurant also gives children papers and crayons to color on, they also have a full bar you can sit at too. They accept debit/credit and cash. The place was really clean for how busy there were. The tables never stayed dirty, dishes never sat on your table for long, bathroom was clean as well. I ordered the seafood chowder which had chunks of shrimp, haddock, potatoes and a creamy broth, it was very hearty. Then ordered chicken pot pie with butternut squash, which to me tasted like it had flavors of pumpkin but either way was really good. The chicken pot pie had huge chunks of chicken, the best chicken pot pie I've ever had, seriously. My husband had four piece fried chicken, cranberry sauce, butternut squash and french fries. He says everything was amazing. For dessert he ordered a brownie lava cake sundae. Ooey gooey chocolate oozing out of the brownie. Yummy! I'm not sure about vegetarian options but I'm sure you could call ahead and ask. Kids will like this place because it's a tug boat, they will like the observation deck.

Fitz was our waiter. What a wonderful man. He's the hero in this story. I've never seen anyone work as hard as him and he never stopped running. Table to table and never messed anything up. He smiled, he joked, very personable, very attentive, he seemed genuine and I hope he gets recognized for his hard work. He must have had at least seven or eight tables and igloos outside. But honestly everyone on crew tonight was all very nice. I definitely recommend this place and recommend the chicken pot pie, so good so was the seafood chowder. Thanks for the awesome service and we will be back in the...

**Aug 28, 2025 Hi, Thank you for your reply. It appears that Google resurfaced my review from our visit in May 2021. I appreciate your follow-up and trust that the restaurant has continued to evolve since that time.

May, 2021 I don’t normally write reviews, but our experience here on our last night in Boothbay was very disappointing.

Our family of eight (including a pregnant family member and a toddler) had a 6:30 PM reservation on a Saturday. We did not receive our entrées until close to 9:00 PM, with no explanation or apology for the delay. During that time, we watched other tables arrive after us, enjoy their meals, and leave, while our table was largely ignored. Our only interaction with our server was when she took our order, dropped off food, and handed us the check—it truly felt as though our table had been forgotten.

When the entrées finally arrived, half of the roasted vegetables were missing, but at that point, it hardly felt worth mentioning. It then took another 30 minutes just to receive our desserts to-go, despite there being only a handful of tables occupied. The overall lack of attentiveness from the staff—not just our server—was very discouraging.

We had high hopes for this restaurant, but the poor service overshadowed what should have been a pleasant evening. Had someone simply acknowledged the delay or checked in with us, we would have been far more understanding. Most of my family works in or around hospitality and we know things happen—but communication and care for guests make all the difference. Sadly, that was missing here.

Also worth noting: no bread or breadsticks are offered while you wait, which makes a long delay even...

Date of Visit: Monday, July 1, 2024 After a lovely Whale & Puffin watching cruise, Roguetrippers were hungry, and needed to find a restaurant. We were guided to the Tugboat – as it seemed to check a few boxes we were hoping for. The restaurant has 3 levels – a roof top casual restaurant, a main section indoors, and a waterfront Patio. We chose the patio to continue to enjoy the atmosphere and beauty of Booth Bay Harbor. We ordered the Seafood New burg, fried Scallops dinner, and the Swordfish special. The Server we had was very good – very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. He took our orders (even with a couple of changes after placing orders) without writing and got it all correctly. He also knew by heart the specials, and beers on tap.

The patio is a very casual atmosphere dining location, with great views of the water and scenery. The food was very good – well prepared and served fresh and hot. The Seafood Newburg was exceptional. This is probably best ordered as an appetiser for 2 (or 3 people) with bread. But as a meal it is amazing.

Parking is at a premium in resort towns like this. There is street parking, but it can be hard to find, and the parking lot for the restaurant and nearby buildings, may be full.

Prices – these might be a bit higher for some, but often vacation towns, and resorts are often...