Frisbee's Wharf at Pepperrell Cove — Restaurant in Kittery

Finally got to have a meal here a couple weeks ago after not being able to get service due to poor management and restaurant layouts/procedures when we visited last year. We had seen a segment on the Pepperell Cove complex on TV's Phantom Gourmet and were looking forward to eating there since the view was allegedly spectacular and the lobster rolls were ENORMOUS, as were the portion of fries that came with several of the dishes they showed. We ate at Frisbee Wharf and it was not worth the hassle. The parking lot is very small but we were lucky enough to get a spot there (we arrived a little before 1 PM on a Thursday). We did not have a reservation (didn't realize we needed one for lunch) so even though there were six vacant tables we were told we'd have to wait. OK, so we hung around - the view is nice but since most of the seats are inside a large tent unless you are seated/standing close to the water or out on the wharf there's not much of a view due to all the tables and people in front of you. So we got seated after ~20 minutes and ordered a seafood chowder to share, a lobster roll (comes with fries) and fish 'n chips. The chowder was filled with lots of bits of seafood but the smoked bacon taste was VERY strong - I would say overpowering. So while the chowder was thick with ingredients, the bacon flavor really did a disservice to the chowder. My wife really liked her fish 'n chips and I tried a piece of the fish - it was very light and nicely battered and overall a very nice choice, even for someone like me who isn't a big fan of fish 'n chips. The lobster roll was a good portion of lobster meat (although nowhere near a heaping of lobster meat as there was in the Phantom Gourmet segment) and had a very strong lemon base in the mayo. I saw "fresh lemon" in the menu description of the lobster roll but I was taken aback by how overpowering (yes, there's that word again) the lemon was. And the fries? I distinctly remember in the Phantom Gourmet segment the Pepperell Cove rep (owner?) was talking about Frisbee Wharf and showing off all the food and she mentioned that the fries are "the best French fries in the world" - only problem is they are not. They're not bad fries but they have that coating on them that supposedly makes them crunchy but to me they are just generic frozen fries - not sure why they can't be bothered to make fresh hand-cut fries. Also, their serving of fries that came with our meals wasn't impressive at all (see pics) - when you can see the bottom of the plate when your order arrives, there's not a lot of fries in your order! We were hungry after our drive up from Boston and neither one of us finished our fries. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive and the food was served in a decent amount of time but overall we were disappointed in our experience at Frisbee Wharf and I doubt we would go back. Bill was $88 before the tip and is a little high for the area, I thought, especially when you consider that we only had one cup of chowder, two lunches and one iced tea. We have always enjoyed Robert's Maine Grill in Kittery and there's no reason why I wouldn't recommend them over Frisbee Wharf as they are easier to get to when driving up 95N into Maine and the food is way better IMHO. Would like to give Frisbee Wharf two stars for this review but the staff we interacted with were very pleasant so I bumped the review up to...

We drove up from Massachusetts to check this place out. WORST Fishermans Platter we have ever had! We placed our order with the waitress for our food, waited a bit for our food to be delivered, and when it arrived, we were shocked! I noticed there were no clams on the platter and mentioned it to the waitress, she informed us that they ran out of clams in the morning but said she would check to see if they have come in. She returned with a small bowl with 4 clams the size of a dime and said, "Here you go!" Shouldn't that have been something that she should have mentioned to us when we initially placed our order? The portion of the platter for $48.00 was a disgrace! We eat out at many restaurants, and this is by far the most overpriced seafood platter we have ever purchased. Also, our waitress never came back to ask how our meal was or if we needed anything else. You would think that the manager would inform the wait staff to let the customers know if there were no claims available. I guess we were misled by the TV show Chronicle. We plan to tell all of our family and friends to avoid this place....

First, let me say that our food was delicious. However, despite the fact that we made lunch reservations to sit outside under the tent, we were made to feel unwelcome. Not by the hostess who was trying her best, but by the manager who the hostess phoned. There were 5 adults, one infant and one service dog in our party. There is a sign at the entrance indicating that service dogs are allowed. (We checked ahead of time.) We were assigned to sit at one table based on our reservation, but when the hostess saw our service dog, she called her manager who directed the hostess to seat in the sun on a very hot day in a location with splintered wooden benches, low tables and no shade. Were we supposed to eat on our laps in the heat? When I mentioned that table was unacceptable for us with a 3 month old infant, we were finally seated at a table where umbrellas could be arranged for shade. I know what you’re thinking: a baby and a dog…. But the both were quiet and well behaved the entire meal. Were it not for the unpleasant start, this would have a 5...