Charter Oak Tavern — Restaurant in Westbrook

We had been recommended to try Charter Oak Tavern by multiple friends after their own great experiences and I’m so happy we did! I HAD to leave a review because of how great everything -the staff, atmosphere, and ESPECIALLY the food- was. I am actually quite shocked to see the negative reviews (which I noticed suspiciously seem to be coming in all at once from accounts that look fake/new). This was most definitely not the experience myself, my husband, and seemingly every other patron who has rated it highly had. The waitresses we had were fantastic, I think one was Grace and the other Brandis. Both were so helpful, friendly and professional. Both obviously committed to ensuring our visit was the best it could be. And enormous props to the chef/owner, whom I was informed was the only one cooking and prepping food!!

Arugula salad is always a go-to for me at any restaurant and it was FANTASTIC here! I got the pan seared salmon as an entree- incredible. My husband got the NY strip, also made to perfection. We shared a side of brussel sprouts. Just everything was perfect. Everyone we encountered was extremely professional and polite. The food was so obviously made with care. The place was beautiful. The chef quite obviously puts his all into his craft. We are VERY impressed and will definitely be going back and have already recommended it to multiple...

I LOVED my experience here 💕 A HUGE SHOUT OUT to SKIP at the bar! He is absolutely FANTASTIC! He is gracious, kind, polite, engaging, helpful, witty, talented & efficient. The building is a modest historic brick bldg right in the center of Westbrook. Very classically appointed decor. It’s not a large establishment which I prefer - the L bar is a perfect size - about 8 seats. And they likely have around 8-9 tables. (They have a small back dining room that I didn’t get a look at). They have a great wine, beer & cocktail list. A nice rounded selection of starters & entrees. And a few delectable deserts to pick from (MUST.GET.THE.WARM.KY.BUTTER.CAKE. Holy crap - Absolutely AMAZEBALLS). I ordered 2 starters: the Hamachi - which was DELISH! It was a really interesting fusion of a bunch of flavors - plus the hamachi was melt in your mouth! I also got the short rib croquettes which were very good but too heavy for a summer dish for me personally. I think a nice glass of red wine & those during the cooler Autumn or winter months would be great imho. I will DEFINITELY be returning on a regular basis....

Outstanding dinner last night! We had Summer Spritzes, a delightful twist on traditional Aperol Spritzes. Apps, salad, and main courses were nothing short of culinary perfection. We had the avocado hummus and the melon prosciutto for starters. So incredibly delicious! The melon thing had so many flavors that worked together beautifully. And exquisite presentation! The arugula salad was so different from what we normally see at nicer restaurants. Inventive and fresh. For dinner we had the scallops and the salmon. Among the best we've had, both of them. Our young server was pretty good, but we wondered if she might be new to the service industry. Friendly and wanted to please, but just a little off. The decor is really fun. The place is small, so tables are pretty close together. Once the restaurant was full it got really noisy. Some sound buffers on the ceiling would probably make all the difference in the world. This is my new favorite restaurant in the area and we will be...