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Bell Buoy Restaurant

3.5 (118 reviews)
Closed • Closed

Bell Buoy Restaurant Photos

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BELL BUOY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Bell Buoy Restaurant

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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!

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

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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!

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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

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Big Daddy's Bar & Grill

Big Daddy's Bar & Grill

4.4(183 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$

Okayyyyy Big Daddy's!…read more I ordered the Peach Bacon Glaze Burger with lots of cheese and caramelized onions, cooked medium, and BABYYYY... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! First of all, this burger was HUGE! I could only eat half and once I was FULL. The combination of the sweet peach bacon glaze, melty cheese, caramelized onions and that perfectly cooked burger was EVERYTHING. This was definitely the star of the meal. I also ordered the Jalapeño Hush Puppies. Now, those? Not really my thing. I didn't care too much for them, but thankfully the burger more than made up for it. I sat at the bar because it was pretty busy, and even with the crowd, customer service was AMAZING. Everybody was friendly and attentive. The ambience is cool. Definitely gives bar/pub vibes, and while the inside is on the smaller side, it still works for a casual date night, drinks and a good meal. Bathrooms were clean too, which is always a plus! And one thing I can say about Big Daddy's is that the food is consistently good. This isn't my first time having a great meal here, and it won't be my last. Would I go back? ABSOLUTELY! Would I order that burger again? BABY, I wouldn't even need to look at the menu! Overall: Great food, great service, cool atmosphere and consistent quality. Definitely worth a stop when you're in Old Orchard Beach!

I started of with a pina colada mocktail. Yummy is a good…read moreword. Kris has a caesar salad with lots of whole anchovies & a beautiful piece of salmon. out came my order of their seafood risotto with lobster, shrimp & scallops. The dish could have easily served four people. I had a few bites & couldn't eat anymore. A waste of a $50.00 meal. Whatever it was definitely didn't sit well with me. I ended up with severe stomach pains all night long. I'm disappointed I was so looking forward to this meal. I hope if you try the dish that it sits well with you.

Photos
Big Daddy's Bar & Grill - Second floor seating

Second floor seating

Big Daddy's Bar & Grill - Lobstah roll

Lobstah roll

Big Daddy's Bar & Grill - Our table

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Our table

The Brunswick - Picture of the hotel/restaurant building and how it's beachfront

The Brunswick

3.3(127 reviews)
0.3 mi
•$$

There's something telling about a place the moment you walk in, and here, it isn't subtle. You're…read moremet with the lingering scent of beer soaked into the floor from nights that were clearly busier than anyone could properly manage. Now, most people would interpret that as neglect. But that's not quite right. It's evidence. Evidence that this is a place that has been tested, repeatedly, and continues to operate under pressure. And strangely enough, that inspires a certain confidence. You know, almost immediately, the drinks are going to be done properly. I ordered something simple. chicken fingers with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese. Nothing remarkable, and that's precisely the point. They weren't trying to reinvent anything. They were just... competent. And competence, especially in an environment that borders on chaos, is not trivial. It's reliability. It's order, holding its ground. The service reflected that same tension. Reese, the bartender, was clearly under strain. busy to the point where most people would start to fracture, but she didn't. She held the line. And if you've spent enough time in this industry, you know that's not easy to do. There's something almost admirable about watching someone maintain composure when everything around them is loud, demanding, and slightly out of control. And that's really the essence of the place. It's loud... almost aggressively so. Packed. Borderline unruly. At one point, there was a couple engaged in what was clearly a volatile argument... infidelity, perhaps? but the noise swallowed the details. It didn't matter. The specifics were irrelevant. What you were witnessing was raw human behavior, unfiltered, playing out in real time. And oddly enough, it fit perfectly. This is not a place for quiet reflection or carefully structured conversation. It's a place where order and chaos collide and neither one fully wins. But if you're the kind of person who can tolerate that, or even enjoy it... there's something undeniably compelling about it. If you want quiet, look elsewhere. But if you're willing to step into something louder, messier, and far more alive, then this place offers exactly that. It's not refined. It's not restrained. It's something closer to a modern day bacchanal. And for better or worse, that's the point.

We stopped into the legendary Brunswick for something quick to eat before we headed onto the beach…read more The service was slow and left something to be desired, it got better. The Caprese appetizer was insanely good. The haddock fingers were excellent. The ambiance is what pushes it over the top. Although the band was not that great, the beachfront atmosphere and set up was perfect and everyone got up there and danced.

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The Brunswick - Beers

Beers

The Brunswick
The Brunswick - One outside bar view

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One outside bar view

Magnus on Water - Old Fashioned w/ House Whiskey Blend

Magnus on Water

4.6(78 reviews)
4.1 mi

I'm glad we were able to get a table because this restaurant deserves to be packed. Spectacular…read morefood, excellent service, inventive cocktails

My wife and I started going to Magnus during lockdown, right after we'd met. It was outdoor…read moreseating, you scanned your order via an app, and they'd bring your food out to a little table. And that more or less started a tradition with my wife and I of going in on birthdays and sometimes anniversaries. Sometimes, particularly in the dead of winter when all the tourists have gone from Maine, we go in just cuz. First of all, the menu and the cocktails. Just. F'ing. YUM. I'm a huge fan of the yuca fries which are crispy on the outside, perfectly soft inside, just the right amount of salt. The "Fall Green Salad" on the menu currently is just... It's a death wish meal. Like, if I'm ever on death row, and they're like "OK, buddy, what's the last meal you want?" It's going to be that salad. Well, maybe that and some lobster. ANYway the menu is generally small, which some people seem to take issue with, but changes regularly with seasonal foods, and all but the most picky of "Applebee's" fans will find something to enjoy. In other words, if you're expecting an eight page menu with low quality, bland food, this may not be the place for you. The presentation is always spot on, but the flavors? My god, I am just gushed over a salad? Yes. Yes I did. The sweetness with a nice bit of tart from the grapefruit, the slight bitterness of the radicchio, and then the curried pecans. This fantastic little crunch with the curry flavor and heat? Seriously. So freakin' good. The bartenders are wonderful and really know their stuff. Last night I saw a bottle I didn't recognize, which turned out to be creme de cocao. I've had DeKuyper and others, but this was so much better. I asked the bartender for a cocktail made from it and what she made.... *chef's kiss*. A tiny bit of coffee, some flavor from akvavit, some whiskey. It was so subtle, so delicious, and exactly my flavor pallet (I tend to be somewhat alcohol forward in my drink preferences). Whenever I'm in, I also order a "Last Word" since they always, always make them perfectly and it's difficult these days to find green chartreuse. The bartender very kindly explained to me what why his were generally better than what I made at home. And of course, the staff in general. We LOVE THEM. ALL of them. Magnus has a vibe, if you're a local in particular, similar to a neighborhood pub. The people get to know your face, they greet you warmly, they chat not just with you but with one another. It's clear, abundantly clear, that they like where they are. Parking is where you can find it on street in the area. We've never had any issues finding something within easy walking distance. The price, well lets face it, even going to eat at a local Irish bar these days is going to set you back, but for the current market I'd say it's average. We had three cocktails each, three appetizers, and one main dish for about $150, AND we had leftovers. BTW, refried yuca fries with over easy eggs? Perfect hangover food.

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Magnus on Water
Magnus on Water - The Goat Burger & Fries

The Goat Burger & Fries

Magnus on Water - House Cocktail Named "Eureka"

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House Cocktail Named "Eureka"

Sunset Bar & Grill

Sunset Bar & Grill

3.8(28 reviews)
0.2 mi

Barely present staff. 90 minutes for food with no update. Parts of the order missing. Mediocre food…read morewhen we got it. This is a seat yourself place so good luck getting anyone's attention. When we finally did, it was almost 90 minutes before our food came. We got an appetizer but were never offered extra plates or a "how's it going" or refills until the food arrived. The waitress left as fast as she could. The drink order was messed up, and we were MINUTES AWAY from putting $20 on the table and leaving. When the food did arrive, part of the order was missing because "it went to someone else." WTF? Also, as an insult to injury, the menu has items listed as gluten free. We have a symptomatic celiac with us and when we mention one person needed to be gluten free the waitress kinda said "uh ok" which wasn't confidence inspiring. And clearly there is cross contact because our family member doesn't feel good after ordering simple nachos (marked GF). Look, restaurants are hard, I know. But maybe this place used to be good? Why was it so packed? The food that we did end up getting was mediocre, like it all came from US Foods or Sysco. Other than the lobster presumably. But everything was your basic "throw it in a fryer" type stuff you get anywhere else. I haven't left a zero percent tip in 20 years, but tonight, they earned it.

To much money. Lobster roll $46.00 higher than New York City prices!!…read more Poor service very got my wine!! Up change of $5.00 for salad was not told for a few pieces of lettuce and two cherry tomato. So little lobster it was a joke. Fish tacos were all vegetables. no water view. Paper plates. Must be making a lot of money for the worst place I ever ate in Maine

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Sunset Bar & Grill
Sunset Bar & Grill - Lobster dinner

Lobster dinner

Sunset Bar & Grill

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Bell Buoy Restaurant - wine_bars - Updated October 2026

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