Laughing Gull Café — Restaurant in Manchester-by-the-Sea

I have never left a review for anything in my life, but this experience was painful. I drove 2 1/2 hours to come visit this town and go to the beach. We decided to stop here and grab coffee and sandwiches for lunch to bring to the beach. 2 coffees, 2 sandwiches and a cookie + a tip came out to about $50. No big deal, I’m not cheap and I’m willing to spend the money if it were actually worth it. The coffee that I ordered came out as white as a sheet of paper, it must’ve been straight milk and the two sandwiches we ordered were average at best. All of this wouldn’t have mattered to me because I’ve had bad food plenty of times and I honestly just shrug my shoulders and go on with my day. However, at this place, we waited almost 50 (FIFTY) minutes for the 2 sandwiches to come out. I’ve worked in restaurants and I know sometimes a place gets busy or you’re short staffed but this place had about 10+ employees behind the counter with maybe 1 guy making sandwiches?? On the bright side, the homemade cookie was pretty good. I’m sorry to leave you such a bad review but I’m really encouraging others if you want to make it to the beach while the sun is still up, save your time and go elsewhere - even Dunkin across the street would’ve...

Had a wonderful experience at the Laughing Gull Café. This will be my go to spot whenever I visit Manchester by the Sea. Here is why:

The staff is extremely helpful and friendly. We had our hands full with our 3 small children and dog and they offered to bring out our orders to us. (Not expected at all).

Outside seating is comfortable and relaxing.

The coffee is fantastic! They know how to make a good latte here and I their coffee supplier is a fantastic selection. (I know the brand).

The atmosphere is the kind of place you want to sit down in and meet with friends or if you are alone read a book.

The food is delicious as well! I had a breakfast sandwich and they have gluten free options as well.

Overall this place is great! I highly recommend coming here and I will stop by anytime I’m in town. Check out the photos to get a sense...

Local cafe with solid food and laid-back vibes.

Visited for a quick breakfast this past weekend. Being our first time in this town, it seemed like the only breakfast option apart from Dunkin. The menu offered a wide range of sandwiches and salads, and we chose the salmon bagel sandwich and the SEC croissant sandwich. Despite the cafe being bustling, we received our order within 10 minutes and enjoyed our meal at one of the patio tables outside.

The bagel sandwich and scone were fairly basic, but the sausage egg sandwich and peanut butter smoothie were enjoyable. While the food and drink menu seemed a bit pricey for the location, we definitely didn't regret choosing this spot over the other...