Cancel

Open app

Search

Bell Buoy Restaurant

3.5 (118 reviews)
Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Bell Buoy Restaurant Photos

Business Info

BELL BUOY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Touristy
Good for kids

You might also consider

More like Bell Buoy Restaurant

Recommended Reviews - Bell Buoy Restaurant

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Lazy stuffed lobster
Sue S.

Great service and food, reasonable prices. The lazy stuffed lobster was very good; the homemade seafood stuffing was delicious and not just the typical Ritz cracker crumbs. The asparagus tart was outstanding and unexpected. Great onion rings and horseradish dipping sauce. Excellent burgers. Salmon was so-so. Big chucks of lobster in the lobster stew. Friendly staff.

Steamers!
Leanne M.

Every time I come up to Old Orchard Beach, my family and I stop here! It's no frills, but a solid, straightforward meal. Everything is reasonably priced with portions that will leave you full. Once you walk in, you feel like you've been transported back in time. Old school decor, your classic American restaurant. On the menu, they have an option for a 3-course meal. They have various options to choose from for a fixed price! It's great . My only complaint about it is that they used to have steamers as an option for an appetizer in the fixed 3 course meal, and it is no longer included. I decided on clam chowder, Caesar salad, and stuffed shrimp. I enjoyed the salad, and the stuffing for the shrimp was buttery and rich, but the clam chowder was terrible. No flavor at all and extremely watery broth. Would never get that again. Overall, enjoyable sit down, family restaurant, and will be back next year!

a hot dog and french fries
Nick M.

Nice spot that was very accommodating. We intended on going to a popular lobster shack nearby but they closed about 2 hours early for no reported reason. We found this place in seconds and were seated immediately. Friendly staff, good choice of beer, inexpensive lobster relative to portion size. Probably the largest lobster roll I have seen in my life for only $20. Would definitely come back for a quick lunch in OOB.

Cindy G.

So glad this restaurant was open since we came in mid-October and most other places were closed. Good prices for seafood. Server was very friendly and helped me with eating a whole lobster. Warm bread was served. Husband had a big portion of Parmesan chicken. Casual ambiance and bar close to the dining area.

menu
Emily K.

Pros: well priced, good drink specials, friendly staff. Cons: Slow, soggy and greesy food, nkt vegetarian friendly, dirty bathroom. No vegetarian makin dish which is to be expected; sadly my fried and onion rings were soggy and greesy. My family enjoyed the lobster bisque, brochetta, and stuffed mushrooms but that may have been due in part to the great drink specials and drunkenness. Lobster was the main event and served great. The wait staff was very accommodating to the baby and a overall kind. However after waiting to be seated, it was backed out the door with no waiting area, we had to wait another 20 mins to have our order taken. Arrived there at 6:50 left at 9:15 p; not really how we wanted to spend our night at the beach. Had to run out to feed the meter!

Salad

See all

Photo of Foo L.
0
101
206

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

The lobster was really really good. Our waitress was fantastic . The bread and French fries were also good

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sue S.
1
90
105

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of David F.
2
210
376

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Nyal F.
16
77
1

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Bill M.
49
51
25

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Notoya S.
17
504
1991

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Best food inn Oob thank you Linda, and a big hug to the bartender Sandy thanks for a great summer in these crazy times!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

I did not enjoy my meal here. The lobster was over cooked. The ambiance was depressing.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - Bell Buoy Restaurant

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Wine Bars 121 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Vino E Vivo - Olives

Vino E Vivo

4.9(60 reviews)
46.9 mi

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

Photos
Vino E Vivo - Reservations for 2

Reservations for 2

Vino E Vivo - Melon dish

Melon dish

Vino E Vivo

See all

Angoor Wine Bar

Angoor Wine Bar

4.2(29 reviews)
11.9 miOld Port

The staff is delightful and great you as you enter Angoor. They are excited to show you have to…read moreuse the facilities to try out their different wines and order snacks. The bar is clean, modern and the machines are fun. It was great to be able to get small servings of different wines and then a larger serving when you found something you like. But I found the wine servings to be expensive for the wines they were offering, and the selection had a limited variety that did not cover most of the wines that I prefer. So, I am still looking for the perfect wine bar in Portland.

I think Angoor's sweet spot is going to be with: a) people…read morewho know nothing about wine but are curious about learning more, b) people who know they like wine but don't want to spend money on full bottles to find their favorite, when a place like this offers "sample" sizes, c) longtime locals looking for something novel, d) bachelorette parties, e) corporate day trips, f) tourists staying at the very nearby Residence Inn. THE SPACE I agree with other reviewers both on Yelp and other platforms (sometimes we think what's being said here is isolated, when it's not): it's an immaculate space, yes, but also very sterile. There's no character or charm or distinct personality atmospherically: it's a white room with white marble tables and seven mini silver "kegoraters" (for lack of a better explanation) that dispense the wines. THE MENU When I visited, all the wines offered were listed on a packet of stapled together 8x11 papers (that had been previously written on by other customers): the font was tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny and there was SO MUCH information to read about each one. I wonder if there's a more pithy way to share this because it's overwhelming as is - I would think especially to people new to wine. THE EXPERIENCE When you arrive you hand over your credit card and you are given a wine card. Walk up to any of the dispensers, tap your wine card on the machine (there's a little sensor on the left hand side by the first screen of the machine), then select the size pour you want (2, 4, or 6 oz) from the screen above the wine you want. The wine comes out *VERY* quickly after you make your decision, so make sure your wine glass is under the nozzle it needs to be. When you're finished, walk up to the counter, hand them the wine card, and they'll charge the credit card you gave them!

Photos
Angoor Wine Bar
Angoor Wine Bar
Angoor Wine Bar

See all

Bell Buoy Restaurant - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...