Batson River Fish Camp — Restaurant in Wells

I am so glad there is now a Batson River in our backyard! As a fan of the other two locations (Kennebunk and Portland), this was a very pleasant surprise.

From the moment you pull into the parking lot, you are hit with Batson’s “image”… class, eloquence, rustic, charm, MAINE. The building is laced with decor (from the outside in) that makes you feel like you’re at your family cabin in northern Maine… this is a refreshing change from the coastal niche that embodies most Wells establishments. Everywhere you look there is something new to discover; from the starlit ceiling above the bar, to the gorgeous hand laid fireplace… there really was no attention to detail that was missed when decorating this establishment.

The menu is somewhat limited, but in a good way. Each option has a tasteful twist on a classic dish (e.g. poutine with IPA gravy, jalapeños, and topped with crisp onion strings); and wish options like burgers & pizza, there truly is something for everyone on the menu.

On this one occasion, my husband & I shared two appetizers & a dessert. The mussels were marinating in a delicious wine-based red sauce and were the largest & tastiest mollusks I’ve ever enjoyed. The poutine was comforting with a kick and the gravy left me wanting to lick the bowl clean! We finished our meal with the blueberry compote served warm in the skillet and topped with melting vanilla ice cream. There are a lot of blueberry dessert options in Maine, but this was one of the best.

Lastly, Batson is known for their unique, fresh, creative cocktails using their very own spirits and house brewed beers. The drink menu offered refreshing options for summer & there were draft beer options. They also offer mock tails & 2 craft nonalcoholic beers!

The service was prompt, friendly, and efficient. Sam was our waitress and she was knowledgeable, peppy and seemed to thoroughly enjoy being a part of the team. The bartenders were efficient, speedy and made even our sprite and NA beer look “important” with their drink ware and garnishes.

This place is a home run… this is exactly what was needed in Wells. So grateful to have a cozy, delicious and welcoming place to hang out…...

I’m from foody California, so let me say this first: I have very high standards! And with me being strictly gluten free, I’m really, really bored with restaurant after restaurant on the East Coast breading and frying all its seafood!

Spoiler alert: the food here is top-notch and AMAZING!

First, a shout out to gluten-free and vegetarian folks: there is some great stuff on the menu here for you! I came here even though the menu did not specifically say what was gluten-free. We had some initial challenges with the waiter and kitchen staff communicating clearly about what was gluten-free. But once the manager came over, she pointed out so many things that were/could be gluten-free— many of which I wouldn’t have suspected. For example: gluten-free pizza, gluten-free bun for the hamburger, gf lobster bisque, corn tortillas for fish tacos…. And so on. Even the fries could be put in a gluten-free fryer, but that was not suggested for celiac folks, since the oil is filtered and reused.

We got tuna crudo, the mushroom pesto pizza, lobster bisque, and strawberry rhubarb goat cheese salad. Everything was DELICIOUS—and it was way too much food for the two of us. Drinks were good too.

We’re going back tomorrow, if that’s any indication of how thrilled we were!

Also, the atmosphere is great: they have a wheelchair accessible patio, and the fire place we sat near was great for this...

Long time local here. I was excited to try Fish Camp out after seeing how busy it was this past summer. I had dinner with my fiancé and we both particularly enjoyed the vibe and atmosphere. Chill music and conversations in the background make for a good date spot. The menu was sort of small but had pizza, burgers, other American entrees. We were seated in the outside-ish area that had plastic coverings which was fine for November and well lit. This inside seating area is nice with newer décor and with a large bar. I did think that the tables were a little too close together but it did not affect us. My fiancé tells me the pizza she had was good and I think the burger I ate was very good. A little to meaty (two meat patties) and cheesy for me but I still appreciated it. The burger left me very full. Waitstaff was attentive, they did mess up the original pizza ordered but remedied right away and handled professionally. This property has been several different restaurants in the past that were never successful. Overall, I thought the place was clean, food was tasty, and I had a good time. I hope that Fish Camp lasts for...