Portsmouth Publick House — Restaurant in Portsmouth

Not a whole lot of restaurant selections in North Newport county, and this place does not appear to care much about their customers. I physically visited the place twice in attempts to make a reservation (for 25 people), both times the Manager was unable to meet me. Both times my contact information was given to the server; no call back from the Manager. Finally, 3 days later, I actually called TO MAKE the reservation; waitress put me on hold and FINALLY Jon (Manager) got on the phone. After a small discussion, the reservation never happened. Jon insisted on a $350 non-refundable deposit for reserving whatever tables they would sit us on?? I had no problem putting down a deposit, but I did have a problem with the non-refundable part. I tried to negotiate but no dice. I even mentioned that we could be placed (sat) elsewhere, but as we all know, their layout does not have a whole lot of options for a large party--so I guess I should pay the $350 just to sit there. All I wanted was a reservation for 25 people, at 530pm, on a Friday. I guess business is so good on a Friday, that they are willing to pass on my group reservation.

Not to mention all the negative reviews listed here in Yelp as of late; I've been here before, but stopped coming due to bad food quality; recent Yelp reviews show not much has changed- food is still plain, bland, poorly presented, Manager is also the cook (no eyes on the dining floor) and if it wasn't for their recent groupon offers, I would've never gone back. I went back to try it (w a groupon, hoping the quality had improved), but it was still the same quality. I tried offering my business (25 people reservation), but it was almost as if I was begging them to take my business. This place does not compare to Fieldstones, or Melville Grille, both within 1.5 miles from Publick House. We ended up booking at Melville Grille, who was very accommodating (unfortunately Fieldstones was too small). About the only thing Publick house has going for itself is the cheap raw bar, their wide beer selection, and lack of competition here in Portsmouth. Their quality would flop in Newport, not to mention Chicago, San Diego, Minneapolis and all other places where I have posted Yelp reviews from. I came here once to discover (since I live in the neighborhood)- no good! Came back because of a groupon- disappointed again. Tried coming back a 3rd time with a large group- not very welcomed!...

Went there for the first time today with an old friend who had been there a few times and she loved the place based on her previous experiences. The server we had was Adam and let me tell you, he made up for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING this place is lacking! The manager, Mike is definitely a helicopter manager. Mike’s management style is a lil’ uncomfortable as a customer in a bar/restaurant setting because you’re going to have fun and relax. As a business owner myself, it’s off pudding to observe a manager riding his staff in front an empty restaurant rather than seeing him promote his work ethic. Adam was answering many questions and giving “extra” customer service and although the time with one table would ordinarily be problematic, we were the only table in the establishment which was likely an anomaly due to a local street fair near by. Adam’s additional customer service was appropriate and appreciated. In addition to owning a small business, I also enjoy being a creator and influencer on social media because it allows me to boost great restaurants and great service like we had with Adam this evening. The manager, Mike could take note from Adam. Adam took time to listen to our feedback on what my friend enjoyed better about the previous experiences when dining at the establishment, and what I enjoyed most as a first time consumer. Adam also took the time to accommodate seating when we decided to sit outside after noticing the fire was lit. The ambience is beautiful. The food is somewhat bland but nothing that a few shakes of salt can’t fix up. I’d recommend they throw red pepper flakes in the calamari batter (lightly seasoned), along with onion and garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. I’m not sure what the wings are like but the deals were great! Wish I could give Adam more great feedback because that kid was really excellent! I’ll come back just because the restaurant was clean, food was okay enough to try and give another chance, and the drinks were PERFECT! I had the Moscow Mule (south of the border) and it was made extremely well and put in a proper copper...

The food was mixed in terms of quality and freshness. The spicy asian wings were delicious, and they were some of the best wings we have had. I had the BBQ ribs with fries and coleslaw. First, there was no coleslaw on my plate as described on the menu. The fries were delicious and the ribs were average. My wife had the buttered lobster roll which she enjoyed, but she said it was NOT worth the $39 price tag (advertised as "market price" on the menu). My daughter had the linguine with red sauce on the kids menu. The portion was generous, and according to the menu, it was supposed to come with a side but we were charged $3.99 for a side order of fries for her. My son had the fried shrimp. On the way to the table, the plate slipped from the waitress' hands causing some of the fries and shrimp to fall on the floor and some of the sauces on the platter to spill all over the remaining food. Instead of offering to remake it, she placed it on the table in front of my son. The fried shrimp was soggy. My son described it as "if they soaked it in water" after cooking it. He also complained that his shrimp were cold. We ordered dessert (cupcakes) to go, and needless to say, they tasted stale and day old when getting them home and eating them less than two hours later. The cake was dry, the icing had a hardness and "exposed to air" taste even after letting them sit out for a bit in the box we took them home in. The martinis were delicious but like many of the menu items here, well overpriced!

Overall, this place is waaayyy overpriced for the quality of food and service you get. Even the wings are priced at over $2 each. They were delicious, but I've yet to find a place (even in this age of inflation) charging more than $1.75 per wing). Needless to say, there were more negatives than positives with this place, and we will not be visiting this restaurant again. And if you've read this and have any sense of intelligence, you'll avoid...