Shade — Restaurant in Scarborough

Waited 10 minutes to be seated, with an Open Table reservation. Bartender was nice but kept apologizing for the wait and kept asking the servers where the manager was. Manager, who we later found out was Abigail, never came but one of the servers finally sat us. We opted to sit at the bar because our high top was not available and we were starving. Bartender, Heather, seemed overwhelmed by the amount of tickets she was getting for drink orders. We got our drinks, they were both great. Wanted oysters but they were sold out. We should have finished our drinks and left, like another couple did when they found out there were no oysters because the rest of the visit was just very meh and underwhelming.

Caesar salad was ok. Fish tacos were good, except the tortilla was not even remotely done in the inside.

Abigail, the "manager" was the most miserable of all the staff and there were only 1-2 who did NOT appear overwhelmed and miserable, including the server who sat us and the bartender. We witnessed Abigail rolling her eyes towards a server, which I think was in response to the bartender, who quite frankly, was the best out of the staff we encountered.

Abigail would often leave the restaurant and then there would guests waiting to be seated, similar to our experience when we first got there. Where she was no one knows.

Trust me, I understand that restaurants are short-staffed; however, this particular restaurant appeared to be the most disorganized mess around and it showed in the staff, the food, and in the manager.

Arrived back to our VRBO and my husband told me they cancelled our reservation at 7:40 p.m. though we were there and finishing our dinner at 7:40 p.m.

We will not be giving this restaurant a second chance during our stay...

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that my wife and I have been visiting Higgins Beach for nearly a decade and had never visited Higgins Beach Inn or Shade. It's always been on our list but we were distracted by the beach or other area dining options. We had a late flight home yesterday so decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at Shade. We showed up right at 4pm and were immediately greeted and seated at one of the lovely tables in the covered outdoor area. As we walked through the indoor area we were impressed by the number seats in the bar area and quickly realized that this is a great low-key hangout for inn guests and locals.

Heidi took care of us and did an impeccable job checking in often and suggesting menu options. We each started with a Shipwreck Punch which was perfect for a crystal-clear late summer day! At a somewhat steep $14 I wasn't sure what we were going to get but the cocktail was huge and so satisfying and lasted our entire meal.

We shared two small plates and a main. The fish and chips was a 'small plate' but was a perfect portion. One larger filet and two smaller ones along with some beautiful fries. Breading was spot-on and the tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side were perfect. We also tried the Maine crab and corn fritters that were divine. The pickle aioli was a beautiful accompaniment and the fritters were perfectly cooked. Our main was the blackened fish (haddock) sandwich which was light and flaky with just the right amount of seasoning (though I usually go a bit heavier on the blackening spice at home). Fresh toppings and a great bun rounded this out.

All in all an excellent first experience at Shade. Great people here (especially Heidi!) and can't wait to make this a regular haunt on future trips 'home' to...

First off, the food was really good. But, the service was bad, like, comically bad. Get comfortable. We had a reservation but ended up with extra people in our party. I called several hours ahead and they said they could accommodate us all, but we would have to have split tables, which was fine. When we arrived, they said one table could sit and one table had to wait out on the porch, even though the other table was set and empty. We asked if we could all sit at the same time and they said no, they had to stagger the orders. Ok, no biggie, but can we just sit and wait to order? No. We have to go out to the porch. Ok. That table of 4 goes to the bar and asks to order drinks to take out on the porch and the answer was no again. So, the first table sits and the 4 top next to us is empty, so we ask if the 4 on the porch can have that table when they are allowed back in. No, that table is reserved. One person asked, is this too much trouble? Should we go elsewhere? And the waitrperson says you are welcome to leave. Which, most of us have or are currently working in restaurants and know that that is a firable offense where we work or worked. At that point, the other table comes in, sits down, has a lovely waitperson and gets their food way before us even though it was all supposed to be staggered. The food was delicious. And no, the table next to us was never filled and to add insult to injury, it was auto gratuity even though the checks were separate. Again, the food...