After watching this place being built while we were on our last vacation to New Hampshire, I was so excited to finally eat here this summer. I really wanted to love this place, but it was just okay. It's definitely lovely inside and our kids loved the decor and the fishtanks. The staff and our server were very nice and friendly, but the food was just okay and more expensive than I thought than it would be considering the selection and quality. I was also surprised that the kids' meals came in these cardboard containers - it seemed a bit hokey for a restaurant that looks and feels more high end. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Atlantic Grill. This place was very well thought out, it's clean, it's welcoming, the server's are friendly, and the food is very well done. Great job to everyone there! read more

We have been to the Atlantic Grill many times, as it is close to where we live and convenient. Sad to say that the quality of their food has gone progressively downhill since they first opened. We dined there this week and it was very disappointing. Not sure where they source their oysters, but they need to find a new one - so many wonderful places in Portsmouth area to go for oysters - this is not one of them! The caesar salad was mediocre at best, house salad very subpar. The fish and chips was HORRIBLE - very overdone, batter overfried and fish dry and barely edible. We decided to share a desert, creme brûlée, and it took over 20 minutes to get to our table - I don't mind spending $$$ for a great meal, but it hurts when you leave unsatisfied. After pointing out to our waiter about the fish, he said, "oh I'll tell the chef" , not offering any kind of apology/drink/dessert or just something complementary to compensate. Don't waste your time and $$ here - too many other great options on the Seacoast. Sadly, AG has disappointed to the point we won't be going back. read more

After a very long day, this was a wonderful spot to relax and recharge. The service was outstanding !!! The food was all delectable. This is a place to get a great meal, great drinks and great service. Loved the pan fried sole. Best I have had. read more

Our second trip to The Atlantic Grill. We immediately added it to our list of favorites after our first visit. We love the location just outside all the hustle and bustle of downtown Portsmouth. Big, great looking new building with a huge parking lot full of FREE spaces, something you don't get in downtown Portsmouth even if you can find one.. The atmosphere inside is casual with a touch of rusticey elegance. Feel comfortable here in jeans, shorts, casual attire, or jacket. Our meals were great on both visits. This time we had the broiled sea scallops with a tasty risotto and some delicious creamed Kale. and a fried basket of Haddock nuggets with sweet potato fries and slaw. We also had a couple of tasty adult beverages. We also noticed a nearby table being served what we learned was a "Seafood Tower". The menu calls it a "A dazzling tiered collection of East Coast raw oysters, Cape Cod Cherrystones, littleneck clams, Alaskan king crab legs, wild caught gulf shrimp, tuna tartare wontons, and chilled whole Maine lobster. Served with house made cocktail sauce, ginger and apple mignonette, and warm drawn butter." It looked both very impressive and very tasty, we thought about going over and introducing ourselves. We also noticed it didn't last long after it was delivered. ;) We want to give a special shout out to our favorite server at the Atlantic Grill, Carly. She is well worth requesting when you visit. Genuinely friendly with a winning smile and terrific personality. She will make sure you're happy and well fed. We hope she stays there a while. The Atlantic Grill at the Rye Traffic circle off Route 1A, don't miss it. read more

I would probably give Atlantic Grill 5 stars except the prices are a little higher than I thought were really justifiable. The shrimp cocktail appetizer was delicious with excellent spicy cocktail sauce. The shrimp were a little smaller than advertised, however. The Alaskan king crab legs were amazing, steamed, chilled and served on the half shell. Their bread pudding was fabulous. Our server was nice as could be, attentive and knowledgeable. read more

I expected better, especially for the price. Six of us dined on Friday evening. The service was very good, the atmosphere was a bit loud (older folks at the table couldn't participate in conversation unless we yelled) and the food was in consistent. We ordered the seared tuna lettuce cups and and on 1.5 of the 3 plates the tuna was not seared so much as cooked brown with the texture and flavor of canned tuna; big disappointment. Three of us had the maple glazed salmon (farm raised not fresh caught) and they were flavorful and well prepared but the plate was universally dark brown and not very appealing to the eye...minor point. The short ribs were a disappointment, but this is a seafood restaurant. The haddock was well prepared and tasty. For the price I think you can do better in numerous places near by. read more

What a joke!! Beautiful decor with a staff not welcoming whatsoever. Was gonna be followed into bar area with menu on arrival. Still waiting for the menu!! read more

My boyfriend and I went here to scope out a good restaurant for graduation. We were blown away by the amazing service and delicious food. We both ordered a lobster roll and got the spring rolls for an appetizer. Both were great. The vibe was perfect, lots of natural light and perfect amount of service, they let us enjoy our meal but always made sure our waters were full. I would recommend to a friend and will be bringing our families back for graduation! read more

Continues to struggle with innovative dishes and quantities. Ordered a salmon dinner. What arrived was 3-4 oz of salmon, a few sundried tomatoes and dry sprouts. Nothing else. Patio seating is nice but the decor inside is full of laminates. Simply not up to area standards. Go into downtown Portsmouth. read more

Beautiful restaurant, very cozy and tastefully decorated. The PEI mussels were amazing! The bar service was excellent as well.

Have eaten here twice , King Crab Legs and seared Tuna steaks were both great ( we had them both visits) ...as was the short rib appetizer .... service was excellent, mid-afternoon both visits were on Friday's, ate outdoors. The last trip the heat lamps were on and perfect. Nice ambiance. read more

Went here last night for Restaurant Week. My best friend and I do one restaurant every year for my birthday, which usually falls during Restaurant Week. THIS WAS AMAZING!!! We both had lobster cake as the appetizer with sweet carrot, vanilla, orange & Creme Fraiche. Delicious. Our entrees were grilled salmon with cider molasses, sweet potato pancetta tart and parsnip and we looked at each other after the first bite, amazed at how incredibly good this was! We varied on dessert: I had the petite creme brulee while she had the caramelized milk chocolate mousse. We shared a bottle of Lange Willamette Valley Unoaked Chardonnay which was superb. While we will sample another restaurant next year, Atlantic Grille just put itself on our "must recommend" list. read more

All of the food at the Atlantic Grill is so delicious! They have some of the best seafood chowder and my favorite plate is the maple glazed salmon. Everything is always cooked perfectly, I've never had a meal I didn't like. read more

Atlantic Grill is a very nice restaurant that is large and airy. Ample parking available which is always a bonus. There was 45 minute wait on a Thursday evening. We opted for outdoor sitting that had no wait. Outdoor seating located in a beautiful area. Pleasant and modern. Food was first rate as well as service. We got haddock nuggets that were completely on point. Fries were also clearly above average as well as their burger. Great choice-a no brainer for a great meal. read more

Always delicious! Great drinks and friendly staff! They have something for everyone- plenty of seafood dishes, burgers, vegetarian, AND the best bartenders! read more

I've been wanting to try Atlantic Grill for a while now and am so glad we did! They have a lovely patio where we dined. It was super relaxing and the service was great, not rushed at all. We had raw oysters, a caesar salad, haddock sandwich and the NY strip steak. Everything was very good. My only complaint was that the potatoes that came with the strip were kind of wierd and there weren't enough of them. They have done a great job on the restaurant and we will definitely be back. read more

Delicious dinner with wife and 2 year old daughter. Staff was excellent and very accommodating. Nice bar and outdoor space. Would recommend if you are in the area. read more

The seafood here was exceptional. The seared tuna i had was delicious and some of the best I've had in a while. I am normally not a fan of tuna not cooked all the way through but I think this dish changed my mind on that. It was cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the papaya slaw. The drinks menu had plenty of options and had some good fall drinks like the apple cider margarita. I would recommend to anyone who wants good surf n turf to try this place out!! read more

We really like the Atlantic Grill and have been going there since it opened for lunch as well as dinners. Outside patio is very nice and food is excellent. We've never been dissatisfied here and have never had to wait for a table. Open year round and is a great place to go after a day on the NH Seacoast read more

5 stars for atmosphere in the sunmer. This place has a gorgeous deck. Highly recommend. Food is okay. But on beautiful warm days? This is a great place to go for drinks and snacks on the patio. read more

My boyfriend and I came here and had Laura as our server. She was wonderful. Our food came out quick and was delicious. My boyfriend got the bologanse past and I got the haddock nuggets and both were supreme. We both have plenty for lunch tomorrow. The manager Merideth came over and asked us how things were going and made sure we were happy with the service. Definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone!! read more

I was ok w/the place. Two criticisms - salad/dinner salad not included in price of meal or as discounted part of meal - $6 small 'greens' salad & my "noodles" salad were good sizes & fresh though. I ordered combo fried plate - fish/shrimp - fish =$16, shrimp =$19, thought price would be compromise between two but they charged $19???? Overall the 3 meals were hot & fresh tasting. Olga the waitress was thoroughly familiar w/menu items. Decor was comfortable. Still on my list. read more

Stopped by on UNH Graduation weekend and was concerned about the wait. The restaurant and bar were very busy but managed really well. We were told it would be a 15 min wait but it was probably less than 10. The manager helped to find our party of 4 a great spot at the bar for a drink while we waited. The service was incredibly fast and the server was very knowledgeable about the menu and extremely attentive throughout the meal with anything we needed. We had the Calamari and Mussels for an appetizer. Both were very unique but outstanding. It was nice to get something with a bit more creativity than you see from other restaurants in the area. The salmon burger and haddock sandwich were outstanding. The lobster BLT was ridiculously good. Loaded with lobster and not over dressed with mayo. Perfect! We also had a dish that was new to the menu. A sashimi grade tuna served seared but perfectly rare over a bed of glass noodles. It definitely had a bit of spice to it but in no way overpowered the natural flavor of the tuna. Overall the experience was amazing. The restaurant gorgeous and huge but doesn't feel big at all with different rooms and sections to be seated in. We sat is a semi-outdoor area that had clear plastic curtains but was heated. On a cold night it was nice to be outside....but not outside. One of the members in our party has a hearing problem and commented on how nice it was that it was so busy but so quiet at the same time. Then there is the bonus of free parking on site. With the limited time we have for dinner (having to pay a babysitter etc.) it was great to find an outstanding restaurant you can get into on short notice. No reason to go downtown Portsmouth on a weekend night anymore. read more

Very good food and drinks! The maple bacon cocktail was awesome! From vermont and worth the drive

This place is beautiful! Had high hopes for this place but I unfortunately walked away a bit underwhelmed. We ordered- oysters (all the briny goodness of the oyster was drained off...possibly first day shucking oysters) and the 1/2 pound of crab (wish I had taken a pic as it was clearly lacking in weight)...we also tried the onion soup and the seafood chowder - onion soup was delicious but the seafood chowder was cold. Now on to the entrees- the ribeye was ordered medium rare and came out mooing. The staff was very quick to rectify the situation (they took the uneaten pieces and just cooked up a bit more). The rest of the entrees were fine and cooked to order. We ended the meal with the bread pudding (plenty for 2-4 people) it was the best part of the meal. Would I go back - yes I would try again. I will not order the crab again -not worth the cost. I hope they train the shucker not to drain the oysters - they just are not that good without the briny juice. Tip to waitstaff- suggest the best cook on the steak, if you know that medium rare is more rare than other restaurants then please let us know. (Medium rare is not raw). Again the staff tried their best. read more

Fabulous place Best scallops ever !

I tried this restaurant about 6 months after it opened. I had the fried clam plate. The price was $30.00 as it was out of season for clams. The clams came out very well done. Not quite burnt. I didn't send the meal back. I learned from working in restaurants, as a teen that, you don't ever send food back to the kitchen. I have not returned yet. I guess every cook can have a bad day. I'll try them again soon. read more

The Friday before Christmas my wife and I came here to start the holidays with lunch out. I was so disappointed by the experience I am compelled to write about it. I have never reviewed an eating establishment before. We have eaten here several times because we are local, and we have never been truly impressed. We stopped in on this occasion to save time and avoid the hassle of looking for parking downtown. That was a mistake. So in summary: 1. The bartender clearly did not know how to pour a Guinness and brought over a foamy mess within seconds of me ordering it. The makers of Guinness would cringe at the sight. 2. I was advised by the bartender that the Steak and Cheese Dip was excellent, but not ordered a frequently as the fish sandwich. I ordered it and when it came I should have taken a picture of the plate. My wife looked at me knowing instantly I had ordered poorly. The presentation was pathetic. Imagine a small skinny 6" French bread style roll with perhaps 16 1/4 inch cubes of beef on it. No evident cheese although listed as a key ingredient on the menu. No au jus for dipping, I had to ask for it, and received an "oh yeah expression." The meat was grisly and disgusting. Any decent chef would have been embarrassed to have it leave his kitchen. It was a total waste of money, and even the alleged steak fries were woefully under cooked. 3. When the food was delivered the bartender asked my wife if she would like a second glass of wine. She said, "yes." The bartender walked away and came back with the au jus. Then he started cleaning glasses. Then he went to the kitchen came out with glasses again. We simply could not get his attention until she basically yelled across the bar at him. She pointed at her glass and he said, "Would you like another?" It was as if their previous exchange never took place. In fairness, my wife had the small ship lobster roll and chowder and was quite happy. If her wine had arrived on time she would have no complaints. There were not many people in the bar area, maybe 15% full, but there were two large tables so we can't imagine the kitchen was that overwhelmed. You can be certain we won't be eating here again anytime soon (if ever). Drive the extra mile or two into downtown Portsmouth. read more

3-26-16. We had a party of 7 and were seated in a reasonable time. The menue had a lot of choices. The food and service was great. I was visiting from California. This was the 1st time any of us had eaten here. We will come back the next time we are in town. It was easy to find. read more

Been here before for a function, food was good, so decided to go again. Last night wife and I stopped in late, few people, fairly quiet, which was nice. Can't imagine how loud it gets on say a friday night. Restaurant was very clean, wait staff are neatly dressed in all black and generally look sharp and professional. Our waiter was knowledgeable on the wines and helped pick a couple selections that would go well with our meals. We started with the calamari appetizer which was spicy with a nice marinara sauce on the side. Not a huge portion, but fairly appropriate as an app. Wife decided on the baked haddock which she liked and felt was reasonably seasoned. Didn't find the cracker crumb to add to the dish substantially, would probably just have them herb season it and bake it. Brocollini was steamed correctly, and the baby potatoes were tasty. Overall satisfying experience for her. I had the tuna special, served with lentils mixed with tomato and olives, and topped with asparagus. I specifically asked for the tuna rare, however it arrived more as medium, pink on the inside rather than red. Seasoned well, and overall tasty, I was hungry and decided to just enjoy the meal. And it was enjoyable, the lentils were still firm and seasoned nicely. The manager of the evening did come by and was more than willing to address my tuna issue by replacing the tuna with a fresh more appropriately seared one. I declined as I was more than half way through the tuna, and I hadn't pushed it back to the waiter immediately. I.E. I didn't ask for it to be fixed right away, my fault for not speaking up. None the less the manager spoke with the Chef, and also made it right for us. Very pleasant surprise, as I didn't feel the tuna was ruined, just done more than I would have liked. (Can we say sushi seared?) We will be back as they do have interesting plates on the menu and the food is done well. read more

Had a Celebration of Life luncheon. The room was nicely decorated. Most of the staff was very friendly. The food was extremely good. We started with a beautiful cheese platter & bruschetta. Then a variety of sandwiches & salads that were excellent along with their outstanding chowder. Several desserts finished the luncheon. The drinks were excellent also. I highly recommend the Atlantic Grille for any function. read more

So, let's say you're hungry for lunch and looking for a sophisticated, high-quality restaurant in the Seacoast NH vicinity. You went to the Wentworth Salt last week for breakfast and the Carriage House is a little pricey. Luckily, there's no reason to worry. The Atlantic Grill is loosely related to Portsmouth's excellent River House but dances to a more upscale beat. Sounds enticing? There's more. The Atlantic Grill has options for everybody-- burgers, salad, pasta dishes, fish of all calibers. Open for lunch and dinner, it's got the right food for the right place. I usually spring for the Small Ship (a half lobster roll, cup of chowder, some mediocre potato chips which I often substitute for sweet potato fries) but those of you with greater appetites the Tall Ship will suffice. The house salad is pleasant, and if memory serves the champagne vinaigrette is equally enjoyable. Decor is modern and clean with a bar, booths, indoor and outdoor tables and, for whatever reason a special occasions room. If you're closer to Portsmouth, try the River House (which shares a menu) and also has outdoor eating space on the water. Either way, your stomach won't be growling on the way home. read more

We always go to this restaurant for our anniversary, for their Alaskan King crab legs. They were $40 for 1 1/2 lbs. and 2 sides, this we considered a fair price and we enjoyed them. This year they changed things, decided to screw people over, they cut the portion size to 1 lb. and raised the price to $60, what's up with that. (We did go for other meals throughout the year, but our anniversary was for the crab.) Needless to say they will no longer get our business. We found the Lobster Boat in Exeter NH, 1 lb with 2 sides for $29.99, and their 1 lb. seems to be much bigger than Atlantic Grills 1 1/2 lb. read more

Arctic Char special 1. Was cooked perfectly 2. Served over risotto also cooked perfectly 3. Watercress greens balanced the risotto 4. Grilled sliced tomato with grilled corn and onion have a smoky tangy summer feel! 5. Loved it with the beachhouse Sauvignon Blanc read more

I've enjoyed a nice atmosphere at the bar area for both drinks and full dinner. It's great to see there's outdoor seating now that the weather is nice! The location and parking are convenient and it's a great option if you're not interested in battling downtown traffic. The bar staff was very accommodating and drinks were good. The tall ceilings lend an open and social environment. I've tried the calamari, lettuce wraps, the salmon and the haddock salmon in the past and have enjoyed all! All in all, great experiences thus far. read more

We didn't even know this place existed but we are happy we found it! Stopped in mid-week with a party of five and had an excellent dinner. Our group loved the lettuce wrap app and someone ordered another after trying it. I had the Small Ship, chowder was fantastic, yummy chips and the small size lobster roll was perfect with the buttery grilled roll. Other menu items that we had and loved were the tuna app that was on special, the panini and the baked haddock. I stuck with beer but saw a cocktail come out to a table close by that I'm interested in trying next time. We will be back, decor is really nice. read more

Sitting on the outside patio on a warm summer afternoon was fabulous. My husband and I both ordered the seafood chowder which was more like a bisque. He had the shrimp tacos with fried shrimp. Although the menu did specify that, it is surprising. I ordered the salmon burger supposedly made with boursin and spinach. It didn't have much taste and I couldn't detect any cheese on there at all. The tomato was also tasteless. With a glass of wine and an iced tea the bill came to sixty dollars. So-so for the price. read more

This review comes after my third visit here. First, I want to say that the waitstaff is fantastic. However, the food is overpriced and the quality continues to decline. The Seafood Chowder is not as good as it used to be and the haddock was inedible! Even the vegetables were cold. read more

Awesome dinner! Chioppino was delicious as was the salmon and swordfish dishes. Great atmosphere and bartenders!