Dolphin Marina & Restaurant — Restaurant in Harpswell

This is the first negative review that I have ever written. I have been frequenting the Dolphin Marina & Restaurant for many years and always bring visiting friends and relatives. While the setting is spectacular, I have noticed a slow decline in food quality and service over the past couple of years. You can’t lose with the lobster stew, fish chowder, lobster roll and muffins. But it’s the service alone, I will rate today. I have been many times over the past year and spent a considerable amount of money. I have noticed the service has been severely lacking this year in particular. It’s not so much that they are busy, as that certainly has made the service less than stellar, but it is the attitude that has been allowed to foster. The last few times, I really scrutinized how they not only treated our table but the tables around us. It wasn’t good. They honestly just don’t care about making their guests feel welcome and appreciated, other than maybe a handful of regulars that put up with it. But for how long? On one of our recent visits we left within a minute or two of a table next to us. In the parking we heard them say they would never come back. There are so many better restaurants in Portland, that if we are going to make a road trip, that is where we will head. Dolphin Restaurant is in the hospitality business, but you will only find a small handful of staff members being hospitable. The owner has always been lovely, which is the primary reason I have given them so many chances to change my mind on the service levels.

So it brings me to our recent visit. I always check restaurant websites for hours of operation, especial in Maine in October. Dolphin was open so we ventured out with visiting friends, who went with us last time they were here in 2018. When we arrived they were actually closed.

Perhaps the great view and mediocre food will carry them, but my prediction is they will eventually just cater to first time visitors as they are losing the veterans. It’s a good thing they are only seasonal, as i’m not confident they could cut it solely with the off-season crowd. Let’s just hope we are not faced with another state shut down or drop in the economy, as this place will surely want us locals back then. But personally I’m not sure they will ever get us back. It’s too bad as we really didn’t want to close our Dolphin Restaurant and Marina in...

I have been going to Dolphin Marina since the 1960s. Long before the restaurant was a fancy spot. When it was a diner essentially, just on the water. They have always had the very best fish chowder on earth. Not kidding. And they still do.

It has turned into a pretty fancy place. The views are spectacular. The food is exceptional. I have no problem with fancy.

But I do have a problem with their encouraging “Hampton’s” sorts of behavior, environmental destruction and gross wealth displays. Last night as I sat there watching an incredible view, sunset and another bowl of fish chowder, a helicopter, presumably from Portland, flew in and landed at the point. Out emerged a couple dressed in casual chic, pink cotton sweater sort of clothing. They walked across the field in front of massive picture windows confident that everyone inside would be looking at them and their cool entrance. Oh, how fabulous!

We then had to look at the view now with a helicopter in the picture for the rest of the evening. Not just the blue skies and water with islands. But a damned bit of modern machinery. And any sea life and birds had been chased away by the noise.

This is really not what Mainers want. It’s not what anyone wants other than a few people that have the resources and want to show them off

Dolphin prided itself on its building the new restaurant. Of all the environmental steps they took to preserve the point. And rightly. I love the place and it has a lifetime of memories for me. But flying a helicopter there, them having a landing pad and encouraging this display of waste, demonstrates a total lack of any appreciation for how much pollution and CO2 is spewed (and disparate wealth displayed) is a simple contradiction to all those prior environmental efforts. And it is obnoxious.

Great chowder aside, I dont see any need to go to a place that encourages A Holes and gives them a venue to show off to the masses. To the detriment of the environment and local wildlife and my view.

I am very hopeful that dolphin remedies this and stops allowing casual dinner-out helicopter rides. If they do, I will enthusiastically change this to 5 stars and shout to the world just how great a...

July 5, 2021 - Like a puzzle with all the pieces fitting perfectly . . . The Dolphin Restaurant’s (Harpswell, Maine) great food, attentive service, and scenic coastal harbor views offers the perfect dining experience . . . which earns top rate of 5 !

Over the last 30 years our family treks Harpswell’s Rt. 123, enjoying the coastal scenery along the way to the Dolphin Restaurant. This family operated restaurant started in 1966. The Dolphin’s winning “fish chowder & blueberry muffin” combo contributed to its expansion in 2001, with a newly constructed 180 degree circular restaurant with loads of windows! On a sunny day, with cobalt skies & wispy clouds hovering above the boats nestled at Potts Harbor, who could deny these iconic Maine views?

What about the food? Lunch is always a bowl of their famous fish chowder, just the right amount of haddock fish chunks, potatoes, and onions in a buttery both! True fish chowders are not covered in bacon bits, drowning in a thick heavy cream broth, but rather a lighter broth. Thanks to Mimi & Bill Saxton for continuing their family’s secret fish chowdha recipe all these 50 years! Over the years we’ve eaten about all of their seafood combinations such as the fish & chips, broiled & fried scallops, fried clams, and this time the new blackened haddock sandwich. The menu offers items for those “land lovers” & children too . . . such as Curry Chicken, Braised short ribs, burgers, and Mac n’ cheese, and a couple of vegetarian options.

A big “ shout out” for providing 16 Maine beers ! I enjoyed a flight of 4 local Maine beers : ( few of the Maine brewers)

Allagash Bissel Brothers Baxter Foundation Brewing Lone Pine Brewing Belfast Orono Brewing Boothbay Brewing Atlantic

I hesitate mentioning the tourist stops (eg. Lands End, Giant Steps, Nubble’s Bait Shack, Cribbstone Bridge, Orrs Island Candy , Harpswell Cliff Trails, etc.) in Harpswell . . . which will draw more folks on summer vacations ( The Dolphin closes in the late fall & winter). Our server ( thanks Ambrose) mentioned that they can serve over a 1,000 people a day. All the pieces fit perfectly at the...