Encore Bistro and Bar — Restaurant in Dennis

Encore is a newly opened restaurant owned and operated by the same owner of the amazing Sesuit Harbor Cafe. This restaurant is a bit on the fancy side, with expensive (yet decadent) food and a classy ambiance.

Because it was new, I expected it to be a bit hectic. The restaurant itself is very noisy, but the tables are separated a fair amount, leaving room for each party to converse without interruption. Our waiter was very noticeably nervous, but was attentive and helpful. He recommended I order the lobster fettuccine.

On to the food! We ordered the spinach/artichoke dip, lobster fettuccine, margarita flat bread (my girlfriends go-to meal), the salmon, and the linguine with clams. While I didn't taste either the salmon or the linguine with clams, my fettuccine was decadent. The portion was massive and filled with lobster. It might have been the best pasta dish I've eaten, at least in a while! My girlfriend's dish was also very tasty, but I felt that there was too much oil on it. They messed up on one order by giving a Caesar salad and not an arugula salad like she ordered, but the staff was eager to fix it and change the salad right away.

The menu is vast. I could come here 50 more times and get something new that I would enjoy. Great...

A delightful garden setting, friendly waitress, cold Allagash White. What could go wrong? The food started coming. I started with a caprese salad. Three 1/6 wedges of tasteless tomatoes and several slices of tough and tasteless mozzarella, drizzled with a tiny drop of balsamic and a few blobs of pesto for $16. So basically half a tomato. Then the recommended Fisherman’s Cod. Sandy clams, mushy mussels, shrimp, and fish absolutely smothered with a thick gravy the consistency of wallpaper paste- a big glob on each piece of fish. It’s unappealing appearance was only outweighed by it’s over cooked and bland flavor. My wife got the lobster ravioli. Tasty sauce but overly thick pasta filled with what looked like puréed lobster meat and cheese. Kinda disgusting. No lobster meat. C’mon! We’re on the Cape paying big bucks. Where’s the fresh stuff. My waitress was kind enough to replace my entree with the crispy duck breast. Another and final fail. I got it done to the chefs recommendation of medium rare. It came out raw. Game over, check please. $140 including tip. This is peak season. Is this over priced crappy food...

I recently had the misfortune of dining at Encore Bistro and Bar, and it was an experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. From the moment I walked in, I should have turned around and walked right back out. The atmosphere was as stale as the food they served.

Let's start with the food. I ordered the swordfish tips, the cod, and scallops. What a mistake. The swordfish tips were so overcooked they might as well have been shoe leather. The cod tasted like it was pulled out of a dumpster behind a fish market, and the scallops were chewier than a rubber tire. I wouldn't feed this garbage to my dog.

And the prices? Absolutely absurd. They charge you an arm and a leg for food that's not fit for consumption. I've had better meals from a microwave TV dinner.

Service? Nonexistent. It took an eternity for our food to arrive, and when it did, it was clear that no care or effort had gone into it. The staff was as welcoming as a slap in the face.

Do yourself a favor and avoid Encore Bistro and Bar at all costs. It's a culinary crime scene that should be shut...