SouthPort Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Rye

Wow. Firstly, make a reservation. From what I’ve read and seen, this place is packed. Good for them. It’s a small-ish spot so we still had to wait for our table despite the reservation, but no big deal. It’s really dark and cozy (quite literally since the giant pizza open we sat near must definitely warm the place up). The bulk of the tables are high tops, with a few lows and for that, along with the tight space, I’d not recommend this spot for young kids. I doubt we’d ever bring our 4 year old here.

The service was very good, although a tad on the slow side. I’m sure that’s because of how busy it was and that honestly doesn’t bother us. When we’re in Germany, dinners out often take 3 hours because they don’t rush service and it’s kind of nice. But some people might get finicky if their expectation is fast, fast, fast. Our server was good and very friendly. Though, there were a few mistakes with our orders (ex, my husband’s vodka martini came with gin and he despises gin). Nothing major fortunately.

We started with the artichoke and jalapeño dip and it was decadent. Really rich but delicious. Kind of reminds me of the goat cheese fundido at Vida Cantina, which we love. We were impressed it’s one of the few places that actually give you enough warm pita to eat the whole dip.

For dinner, I had pork belly bao buns and they were fantastic. Perfectly soft and spicy, but also a bit messy! And my husband had the chicken & mushroom Marsala which, oh my. That is a dish. It comes out looking more like a soup it’s drowning in so much creamy sauce (a good thing!). And had plenty of mushroom ravioli. He also ordered the warm focaccia bread and while it was amazing, we were both just too full to really crack into it.

Overall we felt the prices really reasonable too. App, two entrees, side of bread, and 3 alcoholic drinks came to just over $100. Looking forward to returning and trying one of the wood-fired pizzas. They...

We placed an online order and neither received an estimated pick up time or an alert that the food was ready. I tried calling to check on the order after 45 min, but it was during their busy time so they were not taking phone calls. I just figured the kitchen was really backed up during the dinner hustle. I’m not sure how people figure out when their food is ready for pickup? We finally decided to head over to pick up our food after it had been an hour and our food had been sitting there for a while. Our to-go bag was sealed so I asked the hostess if our large bottle of Pellegrino was in the bag and she said yes. We got back to our place and there was no Pellegrino in the bag (the water was kind of a big deal since we were parched from being at the beach all day and there was no water in our hotel room). I went back to grab the bottle of Pellegrino and when I kindly told the same hostess that it was missing from the order, she didn’t even acknowledge it- she just immediately looked to the next person in line and started helping them. Mistakes happen and I’m understanding, but it was so disappointing to have received such a cold, careless response. However, a server had also stopped over to see if I had been helped and I explained to her why I was there and she was happy to help and went and grabbed the bottle for me- she had a kind, cheerful energy and made a negative experience turn into a positive one. The food was delicious- we were all impressed, so compliments to the chef and kitchen team! The atmosphere is lively and intimate, a great place to have...

I was finally able to snag a reservation at SouthPort for my husband and me on our anniversary. It was surprisingly packed with people on a Tuesday night, and for good reason. The interior is warm, welcoming, and beautifully decorated. The atmosphere was very fun and loud. The televisions showcase old-school music videos playing - exciting compared to other restaurants that stick to sports. The service was attentive; our waitress had great recommendations that we look forward to eating when we return.

The menu has a variety of salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and other options. Their appetizers were quite inventive. We tried the Tuna Tostones - the flavors of avocado and soy sauce complemented each other perfectly and had us wanting to pick the plate clean. It was some of the freshest tuna I have had in the area. For our mains, we split a couple of pizzas, which were excellent. They are made to be well-done, which gives them the perfect crunch. One of them was slightly overcooked, but tasty and palatable nonetheless. We can't wait to return to try some of their pasta dishes.

Overall, I am excited that the Seacoast area has this slightly new addition. I highly recommend them, but make a reservation in advance; tables are...