Hebert's Restaurant — Restaurant in Portsmouth

Today was the second time we've eaten here and it was just as good as the first.

This is a great place for simple, American/pasta/seafood/pub fare kinds of dishes. Could the breading on the fried food use a little more seasoning? Sure. But at least it was clearly made on-site and it was served freshly fried. All the food we ordered was screaming hot, which, to me, is one of the hallmarks of a well-managed, safe place to eat.

The hostess/server was perfectly friendly and helpful. We were greeted and seated almost immediately. She answered our brief questions and I even asked to substitute an item and it was all no problem.

The dining room was clean. The sink in the bathroom could use a little scrubbing and the floor could use a spot sweep but the toilets were clean and stocked.

I also really appreciated the fact that although there was a Patriots game being shown in the bar area, those of us who just wanted to eat and converse could, you know ... actually hear each other and converse in the much quieter dining area.

I must admit, we haven't been here when it was super busy, nor have we tried breakfast. That said, it seems like at least a couple of the negative reviews here were written by people expecting a more "corporate" restaurant experience. You know, the sort of place where the staff are expected to pretend to desperately like you, no matter how much of a jerk you are, and the food is just as overly processed as fast food.

I, for one, prefer the imperfections and relaxed atmosphere of a place like this. I also don't walk into a small restaurant in a strip mall and expect anything more than a safe, hot, and decent meal. Hebert's has exceeded my expectations...

I recently tried Herbert's, drawn in by the promising reviews and a high overall rating. While the ordering process was smooth and customer service was commendable, my take out experience left much to be desired.

Despite specifically requesting the removal of one item from the standard offering, my order arrived unchanged. Disappointed, I returned to rectify the mistake. Hostess knew exactly what the problem was without me speaking. The food was taken back, and a sorry was offered, leading to an additional 10-minute wait for a remade wrap. I was provided with a wrap that still had remnants of what was not requested and, at this point, was not going to return again. The end result, unfortunately, failed to live up to expectations.

The Caesar salad wrap was a standard affair with fresh greens and a small serving of grilled chicken tenders. I'd estimate 2 cooked tenders in the wrap that had tendons attached that I spit out. However, the most notable letdown was the housemade Caesar dressing, lacking any discernible umami flavor. In fact, it was one of the blandest I've encountered in years. The overall meal felt lackluster, leaving me questioning the reputation that led me to Herbert's in the first place.

I sincerely hope that my experience was an isolated incident, perhaps catching the kitchen on an off day. However, the disappointment has left me contemplating the old adage – will I risk another visit, or should I spice up my dining adventures elsewhere? After all, life's too short...

This is a tough one for me. We have never been here and google suggested it might be a place we'd like to try. I feel like the experience could have been better. We walked in and the hostess didn't looked thrilled. She exhaustively said "Sit wherever you want." Our hostess was also our waitress. There were no other servers, so the wait was long. We wasted a lot of time looking for a kids meal but we weren't given a kids menu. Also not on the menu are the drink options. When I asked what the options were after not finding them on the menu, I was answered with "We have Pepsi products." in a tone as if I was supposed to know what they carry. Finally we were given a kids menu for our daughter. I initially tried their caesar and it was so bland I wouldn't even serve it as hospital food. Anyhow, I ended up with a different menu item and it was good. But again, the wait was long. The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. Unclean toilets being leveled with wedges of wood. There were fruit flies in the bathroom. I was swatting them away while washing my hands. The barrel so full it was overflowing onto the floor. You can tell its been a while since the bathroom has been cleaned. If that's how their bathrooms look, I'm afraid to see the kitchen. So, yeah, the food was "Okay" but the service and the cleanliness could have been, no, should have...