The Wallingford Dram — Restaurant in Kittery

Scam. I found the Wallingford on here one day, so my husband and I went over on a whim. We love little hole in wall craft cocktail bars. It literally is a hole in the wall, with maybe 8 bar seats, and a few indoor tables (couple more outside, too). The employees were mega nice and it has the look of a craft bar, warm woods and lightening, but it ended up being a hipster sham. We found out a little too late that they don’t craft their cocktails by hand to order at all, rather they are batch made. What’s worse is, before knowing that, I asked to make a minor modification to a drink on the menu, simply switching the brand of vodka, to which the bartender replied that, not only was he unable to do so because it was made in big batches, but that he didn’t even know the measurements to make it at all. I’m sorry but if I’m paying $20 for a “craft cocktail” I expect it to be made by a bartender who knows how, and for it to be made fresh in front of me. The whole place lost its sizzle after that. You want to sell batch made cocktails? Great! But don’t fluff up the price and make a big show of it. Over $125 for 6 drinks and a saucer of spicy nuts (which were delicious). That’s too much for simply pouring from a jug.

ETA based on the restaurant’s response, as staff said in house, drinks are pre-made and that, to me, disqualifies them as a “craft cocktail” establishment. I have zero issue paying whatever price for a true craft drink and any number of nearby businesses seem to manage both clientele and crafting cocktails to order without issue, but I digress. We ordered from the main menu, so poured from a jug is spot on and that’s their right but I maintain it...

We’ve been loyal customers at Wallingford Dram for many years and have always enjoyed the atmosphere and quality drinks. Unfortunately, our most recent visit was disappointing. While the drinks were still excellent, the staff seemed overwhelmed, and the service reflected that.

We were unexpectedly refused another drink without any clear explanation, and the way it was handled felt condescending. We completely understand that bartenders have to make judgment calls “this was not one of those times”. It would have been appreciated if the situation had been communicated professionally and respectfully.

When we asked for clarification, the waiter became defensive instead of simply explaining the policy. We weren’t trying to cause a scene — just hoping for a bit of understanding and consistency, especially since we’ve ordered similar rounds many times before.

We hope this was just an off night, but better communication and professionalism from the staff would go a long way in maintaining the great reputation we’ve always associated with Wallingford Dram. Remember you are dealing with grown adults...

I grew up in Kittery and I come here a lot. I came in with four of my friends-we all work in the restaurant industry. We were served by the bar manager who is the worst person we have ever been waited on. We asked for non-sweet drinks and he cut us off making sure to say that none of their drinks were sweet (they were) He didn’t ID a single one of us-but then proceeded to say “thanks kids” with a smirk on his face when we walked out. He infantilized us the entire time and responded with rude quips every time we spoke in his direction. Not really sure why we were the object of his disdain all night-but needless to say, I’ll never bring another friend there again! Also if you think someone is a child, the least you should do...