Seaport Grille — Restaurant in Gloucester

We were looking for a restaurant near the water and came across Seaport Grille. Read the reviews and thought it would be a good restaurant to try.

The moment we stepped into the restaurant, the vibe seemed off. The two hostess were gossiping about other staff, on their personal cell phones the entire time and told us the wait would not be long as they were just wiping off a table for us. We waited 20 mins. When asking again how long the wait would be, the hostess said not long, they are wiping down a table and they are short staffed. Even though the wait to “wipe down a table” was long, we understood and also could relate as we were once servers at a restaurant. The gossip continued as a server came to the hostess and complained about being seated more guests and didn’t want to take them (we visited on a Sunday evening). Completely unprofessional.

Our server was very rude. Asked to order a mocktail that had a star next to it, meaning, this cocktail can be ordered as a mocktail. After ordering my non-alcoholic drink, the waiter said he was unsure the bartender could make my drink without alcohol because it “takes more time” to do so. Not exactly sure what that means and the menu specifically states they can make these drinks? I explained to the waiter I cannot have any alcohol as I am nursing my son. The waiter understood and said he will TRY to see if they can do a mocktail. My drink was dropped off at the table and much to my surprise, they were able to make it! I took a few sips of the drink and tasted champagne. I was able to flag down the waiter and asked politely again if there was any alcohol in this drink and I thought I tasted champagne. The waiter then said he was 1000% sure there was no alcohol in the drink but then said he COULD check with the bartender but repeated he was 1000% sure. I did not want to be complicated or rude so I just let it go and gave the drink to my friend. No options were offered to me- if you do not want to serve mocktails then the menu needs to be altered.

Dinner was served and was pretty good. I personally did not care for the lobster pie as it consisted of an overwhelming amount of breadcrumbs which in turn soaked up the sherry cream sauce that was in this dish. The crab cakes were delicious, however, and also their Caesar salad.

During dinner, an employee slipped on the floor and loudly yelled out a curse word starting with the letter F, right next to a table of 5-6 women, with no apology issued.

We asleep for our check and the waiter responded, “yeah, I’ll get the check” with almost a know it all attitude. When signing the check, we decided to put the tip on the card instead of paying in cash, and placed three lines through “cash” for the tip amount and placing the dollar amount next to where it was crossed off. When leaving the restaurant and about to get to our car, we hear someone trying to get our attention. It was our waiter, asking if we made a mistake by not leaving a cash tip? To our very surprise, we stopped dead in our tracks and said we wanted to leave a cash tip but then changed our minds and did a tip on the card, as this is what was reflected on the receipt. The waiter then said “oh ok, I was not sure if someone took the cash tip or not”. We were STUNNED. We were both so very insulated by what the waiter accused us of in that moment and no apology was given.

To say our experience was unpleasant is a complete understatement. We truly thought we were on a reality show for restaurants that have poor service or something; it was so unreal! We should have not continued after our first encounter with the hostess and waiting 30 mins total for a busser to “wipe...

Go! Enjoy! This restaurant is a TREASURE! WE called to reserve a spot and our table was ready sooner which was nice because we had driven over 18 hours to reach Rockport Massachusetts from Decatur Illinois. If I had to give it dollar signs to represent cost of food I would give this a "$$$". That said- since I have not experienced MANY vacations in my life- I EXPECTED : A.) THE FOOD TO COST MORE B.) EVEN THO IT COST MORE, THE PORTION SIZE WOULD BE DISMAL C.) THE WAIT STAFF WOULD BE SNOBBY D.) I'D NEED TO MORTGAGE MY DOG JUST TO AFFORD TO PARK Surprisingly...as though SANTA REALLY DOES BELIEVE IN ME!...I got to choose Letter E.) NONE OF THE ABOVE!!!!! To say it made me SWOON would be an understatement. I was under the moon! Oh- wait...it is usually OVER the moon. But as blessings will go, we were seated outside on a beautiful deck surrounded by Sea Life Art where Seaport Grille is kind enough to have added tall tower live flame heaters AND warmed blankets upon request- to keep patrons cozy and happy and able to linger over their devine cuisine and cocktails. (Which btw I ordered the "FROZE"...which is still pronounced " F-Rose-Ay" and is Delicious! It is crafted with Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose Vodka, grapefruit juice and simple syrup. Garnished with a fresh lime wedge. It was delicious decadence upon the first sip. Then I squoze ( should that be squo-zay ) my generous, ultra juicy lime wedge in and gave a little stir, and its been worth the decades of waiting for THE RIGHT ONE to fill all my senses related to YUM. Seriously. If you are vascilating between several different restaurants, do yourself a favor and CHOOSE Seaport Grille. My dining experience began with a First Time try of a Fresh (raw) Rockport Oyster. I added a touch of herbal vinagrette and a tiny dollup of horseradish and allowed the velvetty smooth oyster to slide through the tasty toppings leaving an explosion of delightful, briny sea flavors mingling upon my tongue throughout the swallow. I LOVED IT! Then I ordered the Ipswitch Clams Platter. I savored the crispy light texture of the breading which enveloped one pretty large whole belly clam. It was NOT "a rubberband" like boxed frozen breaded clams. Two very different experiences. My delicious sweet clams were HEAPED atop a generous portion of Sweet Potato Fries. There was a side of In-House made Tartar sauce ( which was so good you could enjoy it as a creamy salad! )And, a side of cole slaw. I have never added pictures to my reviews but I am trying to this time so I preface this by saying PICTURES MAY BE HERE SOMEWHERE! GUYS...ENJOY....

The Seaport Grille is a wonderful, privately owned restaurant right on the waterfront in Gloucester Massachusetts. Tucked in, right beside a large industrial seafood processing plant, it's easy to drive right by and miss this gem. We have been here 3 times in the last year. It is now my go to restaurant in Gloucester. As the name implies, the reason to come here is for the seafood. The area has a long history of commercial fishing and much of the food that you can order is local and fresh caught.

The menu offers about a dozen different appetizers, half a dozen different salads, half a dozen different types of sandwiches and burgers, and a great selection of seafood, pasta, lobster, and filet or strip surf-n-turf entrees.

Last visit, we started out with an appetizer of mussels. They were prepared In a broth of white wine, garlic, and onions. Everyone at our table loved them, and the healthy-sized portion was generous enough for 4 people to share. New England clam chowder is also a favorite of mine, and this place does a solid job with their recipe. Over several visits, our group has tried different entrees, in various ways; the lobster, haddock, scallops, shrimp, fish-and-chips, and Cioppino. While there is always an argument as to the favorite, in general we have never been disappointed.

Let's talk about dessert. Key lime pie is one of my favorites and this is the best that you can find in the northeast. I have eaten key lime pie in various places up-and-down the east coast from South Florida to Maine. You have to go down to south Florida to find something comparable.

The Seaport Grille offers both inside and covered outside seating. The service was professional and timely. The atmosphere is pleasant but not intimate. There is a full bar with bar seating and a couple of TVs. They are right on the waterfront so the view is all about the local harbor and nearby docks.

There are just a couple of cautions worth mentioning; the first is availability. On weekends, particularly during seasonable times of the year, it can be crowded and hard to get a seat, (which says something about the quality of the place). The other downside I would mention is while there are non seafood choices, it is limited. If anyone in your party absolutely does not want seafood it is worth taking a quick look at the menu in advance to make sure there's something they would find acceptable.

The main entrance is wheelchair accessible. There is plenty of free on site parking. The main entrance is...