18 below — Restaurant in Waterville

From the moment we arrived at the restaurant things were not warm and welcoming at all. I’m a traveler that was visiting this city only for the purpose to work. My coworkers and I like to have nice family style dinners while we are away from the comforts of our homes and families. I made the reservation so that we could try the cuisine in this New England city together. We arrived at different times and some of my coworkers were seated before I arrived. As soon as the male server with glasses saw me, he immediately said party for Angel is around the corner. No welcome or greeting. I wasn’t asked who I was or if I was possibly a single person wanted to be seated. Just assumed I was with the table that had people of color sitting at it. I found it odd, but immediately knew it was definitely one of many micro aggressions we would experience before the night was over when another one of my coworkers mentioned the same thing without me telling her my experience.

The next thing that occurred was the blatant attitude from the waitress when one of my coworkers asked for a fresh glass of ice. When he asked for a new glass, she snapped back at him that there were glasses on the table. He asked for a fresh one because he was unsure of who’s glass was in front of him. She reluctantly brought it out to him. As we were ordering our meals, there were a lot of questions asked about the food clearly because we aren’t from the area. When one of my coworkers asked how a particular steak was cooked and if it was a nice dish, she snidely said as long as you don’t ask for it well done it should be fine. Once again a micro aggressive assumption.

The thing that finally made me lose my appetite completely and made me feel extremely uncomfortable in this space was when our entrees were finally brought out to us. The male waiter with glasses brought out two salmons there were ordered. My coworker instructed that he ordered his with extra glaze and the one he was given was not made that way. The server took it back and came back with both and said that it was correct while roughly placing the plate in front of my coworker. He then didn’t bother to ask who the other belonged to and placed the second plate in front of the wrong person. When that coworker exclaimed it was not his but instead the person in front of him the waiter picks up the plate and slams it down in front of her yet again while stomping away. That immediately changed the dynamic of the table. To add insult to injury another coworker received her scallops that were burnt and tasted bitter. When she exclaimed this to the waitress, she argued with her that the scallops were glazed not burnt (at the beginning of dinner she revealed doesn’t even eat seafood so how would she actually know). She then in true fashion angrily asked for the plate back while rolling her eyes and returned it to the kitchen. Sure enough the scallops came back out not burnt the second time. By this time every person at the table felt and experienced how we were being treated versus the table behind us. One of my coworkers didn’t even bother to order because he didn’t trust the restaurant. I asked for a to-go box and check because I refused to finish any meal in that environment. Once they realized we no longer felt comfortable their attitudes shifted but definitely too late. I still have 2 weeks left in this town that lacks people who look like me and I will not recommend to the other 50 coworkers I have in town also working this restaurant. One would think that after paying $70 for an appetizer, entree, one drink, and 18% gratuity plus extra from the additional tip that the service would be color blind, but definitely how...

18 BELOW has been one of our favorite go-to restaurants for years, as THE place to get exquisite seafood locally. We went in last night and I had planned to get the old standby - a crab-stuffed haddock filet that is always incredible - but they had black tiger shrimp farfalle on the specials menu that was just too tempting to pass up. It was divine - in a rich and creamy garlic sauce that just sang in your mouth, with at least a half-pound of shrimp among the pasta. (And so much of it on the plate that I brought half home to have for lunch!) The server, a young lady who took care of us, was warm, friendly, and prompt with whatever we requested. We were seated within seconds of coming down the stairs into the reception area.

We've dined here repeatedly over the years, including a very special dinner with friends several years ago, at which we celebrated a triple-retirement: my wife retired from her job, I retired from mine, and we retired the mortgage on the house (which was what made the first two possible!). We came last year for our anniversary, and we've been here for a special Valentine's Day dinner as well.

My wife had another of our "standby" dishes - the lobster cutlet grilled with panko bread crumbs. We complemented this with a bottle of Frisk Prickly Riesling - which we first tried here and now purchase by the case for home.

Tuesday is normally a slow night for local resaurants in this area, but in the time we were there it was still over half-capacity. Surprisingly, three tables were occupied by three sets of friends who came in not long after we did - so clearly, our friends are also people of superior tastes!

Back when I was still working, this was where I would usually bring special business guests, or candidates we were interviewing for an open position, to get a chance to show off the local cuisine as well as to get a chance to chat with them in a less-formal setting than an interview. They do have dinner options beyond the seafood, and a fully stocked bar, so options are not very limited.

I'd heartily recommend this to anyone in the area looking for the best in fresh seafood. Entrees run $20-$30, which is comparable to the other finer restaurants...

18 Below is one of the finest and most outstanding dining establishments in the central Maine area. Not only is their rotating menu and drink selection second to none but their appreciation and consideration for their clients far exceeds that of many of their peers. I have the good fortune of living not a stones throw away from this fine establishment but even so my most recent visit left my on the wait list. The host at the door was quite accommodating and the bar was happy to serve those waiting for tables which made all the difference. Mind you this was Valentines Day night so things were quite hectic all over but the staff and the kitchen handled it gracefully. Of the full 6 course menu nearly every dish came out perfect. The one dish that we received cold was compensated back to us which was a gesture we more than appreciated. Additionally we were brought flutes of prosecco from the management as compensation for our longer than quoted wait time. This is an establishment that not only values the quality and variety of their dishes but also the experience and value of their customers. 5/5 stars, will be returning regularly and recommending to friends...