Billy's Chowder House — Restaurant in Wells

Food is good though they got 2 orders wrong, one enough it needed to be sent back to the kitchen. We ordered a platter with a baked potato as a side and got fries instead. We also ordered a salad with no dressing and got one covered in dressing and needed to be sent back.

It was pretty cold inside of the restaurant so food chilled off really fast.

The food was good enough though and our waitress was absolutely lovely and fun.

However I had ordered the salad with grilled chicken for my service dog whom had been working for 10 hours at that point, we were all tired and I wanted to reward her hard work with something fresh before our 2 hour drive home. She sat in a gap between myself, my brother, the wall and the table so she was not visible to other people and not a bother. I had her on a floor pad under the table I brought to keep hair and items off the floors. She never barked, wandered, bothered anyone, got on chairs, got on the table or ate off plates or utensils and many people didn't even know she was there unless they saw us walk in. I was hand feeding her some of the food (I never give other people's dishes to her) when the manager stomped over and stuck her finger at us and pointed at the dog and in a very rude tone told my aunt, not me, that I cant be feeding the dog inside and we'd have to go outside. This was after having the legitimacy of my highly trained service dog questioned in the same rude tone at check-in and again, my family was questioned, not me. I was also stared at when my dog appropriately alerted me to a medical event.

I was going to order dessert for my family as we were celebrating a birthday but at that point we no longer felt welcome and we left.

Disabled people that use service dogs don't use them because it's fun. We use them because we NEED help just like some people need oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or any other medical device. Its just a little different because in turn, our service dogs also need our help in the form of food and care. People that treat us and our dogs well will always receive our respect, appreciation and praise as a result. People that treat us poorly lose our business. It is your right to say they can not eat inside the establishment as long as they are admitted; but I do recommend being kinder and more sensitive and I recommend the manager be retrained on the questions they're allowed to ask as well as the tone they use to speak to disabled guests. I also recommend actually speaking TO the guest and not the people around them. The way this was handled made me feel like the manager thought I was too incompetent to handle instructions or questions myself and like I was nothing more than an inconvenience rather than the guest paying the entire bill. Address disabled people like you would anyone else. There's a difference between "Please do not feed your SD at the table" and harsh demands with pointing. This did cause enough stress that I did have a medical event that I did feel stared at and judged when my dog alerted. I paid $20 extra for that salad and chicken. I had a pad down to prevent any possible mess. I did not give them any dishes and there was no contamination. Because of how rude the manager worded her demand to stop feeding my service dog, the staring and the questioning, the talking around me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience, I will not be returning to Billy's on my future trips to Maine. There's better places with kinder more respectful people and...

We were on a trip from Boston to Wells for my wife's marathon and since my in-laws love seafood, we stopped at this really famous place to enjoy some seafood. Here is a review of my experience here:

The place was brimming with people and luckily there was only 1 parking space left.

1. Ambiance 3.5/5: The place looks like an old shack and looks like a hole-in-the-wall place from the outside. The place maybe was going for an old wooden deck-like look. I was not a fan of the decor but the place was packed with both tourists and locals

2. Service 3.5/5: There was a 20-minute wait when we reached there. The service was good but slow and I have seafood allergy and the server wasn't able to help me with my questions. Some of the questions confused him about the options available and he had to frequently go back to the chef to clarify. I understand that this is a seafood restaurant but if there is a person with a seafood allergy, they might have a difficult time here especially if they are vegetarian.

3. We had a few things and here is the summary of our experience:

a) Clam chowder: My in-laws liked it but my wife was not a fan. It is bland b) Lobster roll: The lobster roll was good but costly c) Shrimp cocktail: The shrimp cocktail tasted alright but the sauce with it was spicy. d) My inlaws ordered a Gin that had Lavendar and raspberry I believe but it was so bad that they left it untouched after a sip e) Baked Haddock: I had a haddock with green beans and mashed potatoes. This is the blandest fish dish I have ever had. I felt like it was just boiled and served

4. Value for Money 3/5: This place is not cheap which I understand for seafood places but we were in Maine where lobsters should be cheap and specially with the decor, aesthetic and taste, I felt the place was pricey.

Overall, I probably would skip this unless you really want to eat seafood and don't have any other option

The good:

1. The view
2. Come here for lobster rolls and clam chowder if you are a fan

The bad:

1. Very costly for the taste and vibe
2. Overrated in my opinion
3. Limited options in case you are allergic to seafood and almost none if you are...

We’ve been visiting Billy’s for about 10 years, mainly because of the food, even though the service has consistently been poor. Unfortunately, last night was the worst experience we’ve had.

We called at 6:40 PM to place a takeout order and were told the kitchen was too busy and to call back at 7:30 PM. When we asked if we’d definitely be able to order then, the staff member said, “Yes, try at 7:30.” We also asked if there would be an additional wait if we came at that time, and she assured us there shouldn’t be.

At 7:30, instead of calling back, we drove there. When we arrived, my boyfriend walked in and was told—without apology—that they weren’t accepting any more takeout orders. Had we been told that upfront, we wouldn’t have wasted the trip. The staff member then walked away with an attitude to get the manager—not to resolve the issue, but seemingly to back her up.

As he waited, he overheard someone say, “Okay, what do you want?” He turned around, and it was the same girl. He asked, “What?” She repeated, “What do you want,” as if he was asking for free food. He responded, “Oh, now you want to take my order?”

The manager then came over and tapped his arm without permission, which felt intrusive and unprofessional, especially given the tension. He told her not to touch him and that he was speaking to her staff. He told the staff member that she was rude—which she denied—and then the manager claimed his name was on a list, even though he never gave his name on the phone or in person. When he asked for proof, she showed a list of two names, neither of which were his. He then told the manager, “You guys are rude and disorganized.” As he left, the manager gave a fake, “Have a good night.”

At that point, it was clear the staff wasn’t interested in making this right. We left feeling completely disrespected. Our order would have been around $200, but more importantly, this experience cemented what we’ve always known: Billy’s serves good food but has terrible customer service. Management needs serious training in communication and professionalism to match the quality...