The Grog Restaurant — Restaurant in Newburyport

Okay I’ve been here 3 times now so I feel I have to write a review. We live in Marblehead so it’s about a 40 minute drive for us but every time we come to Newburyport we have come here. We used to go to other restaurants there but now we just go to Grog. Agave is sub par and way overpriced for the quality. Sea level is okay I guess if you love sea bugs and oysters but GROG 🥰 Grog is where to eat. Grog has excellent service every single time we have gone. The food is very fresh and taste fantastic. We have had the burger, the fish and chips, the Shepard’s pie, the Turkey club, a couple drinks, the French onion soup, the chili (not all at once you only need a meal to be full as potions are large you can likely get two or 3 meals if you’re not a super big eater. Oh get the churro dessert it’s literally fire. We had Chris as a server today and he was quick, personable and good. My top recommendation is probably the burger or the fish they are the best I’ve had do anywhere in years. The tables are clean as are the bathrooms. Also bonus points for being really large inside and nobody sitting on top of you. Lots of space nice atmosphere and cool things on the wall. I really enjoy this place, anyone who wrote a bad review is wrong, it honestly bothers me anyone would write a bad review because I’ve gone 3 separate times and had an excellent experience each time. OH one more bonus thing that was impressive, I ordered coffee today a very busy day because there is festival and fireworks going on, I ordered a cup of coffee after my meal, at 7:30 at night and it was FRESH & good, unheard of this late at night, it’s hard to get a cup of fresh coffee at dunks this late let alone a very busy restaurant. Awesome, there’s a reason this place has been there...

UPDATE: The management of The Grog reached out to me to apologize and sent us a $40 gift card to try them again. And was going to have a staff meeting. I will definitely post again when we go back to try it. I am raising my rating due to their quick response. The one star is for our nice waitress. Sorry locals and "regulars"....We were there on a sunny, beautiful Sunday. We drove about an hour to Newburyport. We decided to go to The Grog. There where only 2 people standing together waiting when we walked in. There is barely anywhere to stand while you wait. We were told a 20 minute wait, so we stayed. It was at least 45 mins. Apparently, they kept calling people from the bar and on the phone to come in. After 35 mins my mother asked where we were on the list. The hostess snapped at her and gave her the "look of death". When we were sat the waitress was super nice and did have a few tables so took about 15 minutes until we even got to order. So a total of ONE HOUR before we ordered. We asked for some bread to tide us over until the food came. When the food came, well let's just say...any chef working in a place like The Grog that would let the food go out like it did should be fired. You would think the Fish N' Chips would be delicious considering the location but the batter on the fish was soggy, the mashed potatoes had so much garlic in them they were not even edible AND the grilled chicken breast was so rubbery that I could chew it for 10 minutes and still keep chewing it, like it was gum. The only thing that was good were the sugar snap peas & the bread. Not sure if we will try them again. Not a good experience. A waste of...

I had a wonderful dinner here! I ordered the clam chowder to start; it was tasty! I was surprised that it had an orange hue rather than the creamy white color I was expecting. I wonder if it's from the seasonings they use. It doesn't matter, because it was great and the clams were nice and tender. I ordered the "OG Grog" cocktail, which seemed like a fun spin on a classic Old Fashioned. I wish it was in a smaller cup with less ice, because I'm a slow drinker, but I enjoyed it! I had the Silva Burger---and I see why this place is famous for their burger patties. I don't know if I've ever had a burger patty cooked to such perfection before. Usually I stay away from ordering burgers, because nobody seems to understand what "medium" means. They either cook it too much and it's tough and chewy, or they cook it too little and it's too pink and slimy. But The Grog knows a good medium burger. The meat was juicy and flavorful. Paired with the soft potato bun it was just pure chef's kiss. The thick-cut steak fries were really good too. The special was strawberry rhubarb pie with strawberry icecream, so I ordered that for dessert. I'm going to have dreams about this rhubarb pie. It was so phenomenal! The strawberry was thick and sweet. The ice cream was rich and creamy. The whipped cream added a nice balance to the dish. The whole plate was truly heavenly! And lastly, my server was very kind, which I really appreciated, and that helped make my night...