Archer’s on the Pier — Restaurant in Rockland

We came across Archer’s on the Pier and were excited to try the specialties with locally sourced ingredients. Looking at the crowd waiting to enter when we arrived at 6:45 p.m. on a Wednesday evening made me hopeful for an excellent dining experience. After approximately 30 minutes, we were seated at a four-top under the tent on the pier. Oh, my goodness, what amazing views! There was a gentle breeze, and we were enjoying the bay as we waited . . . and waited for our server. After approximately 45 minutes, someone came by and took our drink order, 4 waters, a beer, and one of the signature Pomtinis. The waters arrived about 15 minutes after we asked for them, and the bar drinks came about 5 minutes later. Unfortunately, the Pomtini was missing the sugared rim. Our server, Darryl, quickly exchanged the beverage. Unfortunately, when the bartender fixed it, they neglected to chill the glass, so my fancy cocktail was room temperature. Even so, it was absolutely delicious.

We chose Lynn’s Crispy Crab Tots and Point Judith Crispy Calamari as starters. My son ordered the special salmon with crispy avocado. My daughter ordered a cup of clam chowder and the prime rib special, medium-rare. My husband ordered a Ceasar salad and the Cioppino Archer’s, and I ordered the trademark seafood pie.

The crispy crab tots with bang bang sauce were delectable, they were dense and chock full of crab meat. The calamari was lightly breaded as promised, however, there were only four tiny banana peppers on the plate, and the marinara dipping sauce was thin and mediocre. My daughter said her clam chowder was “fine,” which is not a stellar rating for a regional indulgence. My husband’s and my salads were average fare.

My son’s salmon was heavenly and he was in awe of the crispy avocados. Unfortunately the side of risotto was unimpressive, and according to my husband, “the worst risotto I have ever tasted.” However, my son enjoyed it.

My daughter’s prime rib was rare instead of medium-rare. This really wasn’t a problem, though, because we all like pink beef. I only knew there was a problem when she wondered if Darryl could bring her some steak sauce. Her butternut squash was unseasoned and both the squash and risotto were undercooked.

My husband’s cioppino Archer’s looked promising when brought to the table. However, when he got past the empty mussel shells, he was disappointed to find tiny frozen shrimp, instead of fresh shrimp, and what seemed to be yesterday’s leftover haddock pieces. The lobster, scallops, and crab were good, but not enough to redeem the boxed pasta and lackluster marinara sauce. He left more than half of his food in his bowl.

The menu description for the house-special seafood pie reads as follows, “Our Famous Pie, made to order with Lobster, Shrimp, Haddock, Scallops & Crab en Casserole with Bread Crumb Topping.” It was not made to order; the sauce had separated into stringy clumps topped with a thick layer of butter/oil, indicating it had been prepped and then reheated. The lobster, scallops, and crab were middling, and the shrimp were the same miniature frozen tidbits present in the cioppino. The haddock was past its prime. I didn’t care about the bread crumb topping, which was good because there was almost none present. What a disappointment. I only ate three bites before giving up. Also, I had ordered the Old Bay fries as a side. and received fried string onions instead.

We let Darryl know we were disappointed with our meals, and he removed the cioppino and seafood pie from our check. We did not order dessert. Surprisingly, no manager came over to ask about the awful dining experience. My husband is a chef and has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, so we do tend to have high standards, but our evening at Archer’s on the Pier was bad even for guests with low standards. As I told Darryl, perhaps we were there on an “off” night. It happens. If it wasn’t, though, the amazing view can only take Archer’s on the...

We visited Archer's on the advice of the staff at a local hotel in Rockport. The restaurant is in a lovely location with a nice view to the harbor. There is outdoor seating for warmer weather. Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly when we were there in late June so we opted to sit indoors. Nonetheless, there are windows all around so we were still able to appreciate the view. The interior decor is nothing fancy, but it's spacious and wasn't a cacophany like most restaurants these days.

I always appreciate a good seafood restaurant because I'm reluctant to order fish at restaurants that aren't seafood focused. Generally, they do not know how to properly cook fish.

The menu at Archer's is nothing fancy - not straying too far from typical New England seafood dishes. Perhaps that's what tourists from outside New England are expecting? That was fine for us as we weren't really looking for a gourmet experience this night out. If you're looking for more upscale preparations, I'd look elsewhere.

Back to my comment about most restaurants not knowing how to properly cook fish. It often is overcooked, dry and tasteless unless it's heaped with butter and seasoned breadcrumbs. In this regard, I was very disappointed with my meal. I ordered swordfish, which I will NEVER order in a non-seafood restaurant and am even somewhat reluctant to order swordfish in a seafood restaurant. Well, I took a chance but Archer's didn't rise to the occasion. Though I explicitly asked for the fish to be cooked on the rarer side of medium (the sweet spot for swordfish), I got a thin, overcooked piece of fish. Fail. Another member of our party had the same dish and had the same complaint.

One of us had the bolied lobster dinner and was very satisfied. That being said, it's not terribly difficult to boil a lobster and an ear of corn. As a appetizer, we had the popcorn shrimp, which was good.

In summary, if you want to avoid the congestion of Camden and are looking for a place on the water with a relaxing casual atmosphere, traditional New England seafood offerings, and hassle free parking, then Archer's might be a good choice. But if you're a New Englander who knows how to properly cook fish at home, then I would suggest another spot. Of course, this review is based solely on our experience with the swordfish. For others, your...

After careful deliberation, we decided to go to Archer’s on the Pier for our 33rd anniversary! I wanted a place for Melanie to get seafood and I wanted a steak. We ordered a drink to share and decided to try the Archer’s Pier Monkey, it contains Malibu, Coconut Rum Chata, pineapple juice and orange juice. When it arrived it had quite a bit of ice but for some strange reason it was warm? We ordered an appetizer, which was the Naked Wings with buffalo sauce. They took a while to arrive and came out looking great. The flavor was great, but the chicken tasted boiled prior to frying. We finished that and the waitress said she forgot the rolls, and took our dinner order, so the rolls came out really late. I ordered 16 oz. Delmonico Ribeye (medium) and she ordered the Seafood pie! The meal took forever and the couple that came half hour after us was served well before our main course arrived. The rolls came out and they were under cooked. My meal was a garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a baked potato. The dressing and the salad were great. Tasted very fresh. My baked potato was boiled first and then baked. The outer shell (skin) was nice and crispy but the inside water watery. The Ribeye was cooked well (and I don’t mean well cooked), it was burnt on the outside and no pink AT ALL! The seafood pie was like a creamy seafood casserole with bread crumb topping and that was delicious ( I tried a bite of hers). She had sweet potato fries and a baked potato. The baked had the same issue as mine, but the sweet potato fries were perfect. The service was mediocre but not exceptional. She forgot things and the meals were slow (probably not her fault).

In review, we would not go back for dinner and some day we will attempt lunch. The service was a C- The meal was a D- (because the salad and the sweet potato fries were the saving grace). The restaurant wasn’t as clean and polished as I hoped. The seat cushions were old and dirty. (We sat outside, but it was covered with a tent) So, the restaurant was about a C. My expectations were not met and my experience was not...