4 of us had brunch here this morning and were seated along the wall in a booth which was actually a super cozy bench (with pillows!) across from two comfy chairs. The hostess brought out a large mason jar of ice water and poured it into these cute little mason jars already on the table (ya know a millennial girl lives her little jars!). Waiter was a delight and had us laughing the whole time. We had coffee, tea, two micheladas and a quite substantial and incredibly delicious pineapple mimosa. They just switched to a new menu so I can't remember the names of everything we ate but it was SO GOOD. I think my husband had island hash with eggs, my dad had frijoles, I had rice and bean tostadas and my mom had a delicious apple cinnamon French toast with bacon and potatoes. Everything was perfectly portioned and really tasty. Such a nice experience! We will definitely be back. Worth the hour drive from both parties for a "meet in the middle" brunch date! read more

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The food was delicious! We started with the flatbread, which was very good. I had the jerk chicken, and my husband had the clam chowder and "a fish dish"--he forgot what it was called almost as soon as he ordered it. Unfortunately, the service was a different story. After we ordered our appetizer, our server never came back to take our entrée order. We eventually had to find another server and ask them to take our order. Our appetizer arrived, we ate it, and then we waited another 15 minutes for our actual meals to arrive. I probably wouldn't have been quite so bothered by the wait to take our entrée order if our server hadn't been standing behind the bar chatting with another employee instead of checking on us. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, so the restaurant wasn't busy at all. We had to find her to pay so we could leave in a timely manner. The food was delicious, but the service definitely took away from the experience. read more

"Then the fiddler crab plays his violin On the back of a dancing whale While the mermaid sing to the shell they bring And the dragon leads with his sweeping tail" (Elvis Presley) After a morning of shopping in Kittery, we went hunting for a lunch spot and ended up making a stellar choice with the Blue Mermaid. Stumbling onto authentic Caribbean cuisine in coastal Maine wasn't exactly on my Bingo card, but it turned out to be a very welcome surprise. The restaurant is very spacious with a big bar, dark wood exposed ceiling beams, and blue and green accented décor. Their menu is multi-cultural with Asian, Mexican, Burgers and Jamaican influences. Our lunch choices were a cup of Lobster and roasted Corn Chowder ($13) for my wife and a Bowl of Ital Stew ($14) for me. I'm a fan of Jamaican food, and although I've often seen Ital Stew on Jamaican menus, I never tried it and really had no idea what it was. The Blue Mermaid's menu described it as "Lemongrass coconut broth, root vegetables, spinach, black beans, and chickpeas". So that was enough for me to order it. I enjoyed it a lot. The broth had a very distinctive flavor and was loaded with chunks of those vegetables. And I have to mention the very cute touch of fish shaped biscuits that came with our lunches - 1 for the cup of chowder and two for my bowl of stew. Our server, identified on our bill as "PM B" was friendly and very pleasant. The Blue Mermaid seems to be a bit of a social gathering venue, with live music on Bluegrass Sunday Brunch, and supporting charitable initiatives. And they got bonus points from me for hosting a Bob Dylan Appreciation Night on May 28. read more

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My friends and I made it just before they closed last Sunday. It was busy and had live music. It is a large place! I move on Saturday the 28th but if you're in the area - check out their Latin dance night! The food was delicious and the service was great. No one seemed upset we arrived 10 minutes before closing. If you're in Kittery - get away from the outlets and check out the Blue Mermaid - especially if you enjoy Caribbean flavor. Not too pricey, either. read more

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I ordered online but the order must not have went through, probably my fault, when I arrived I ordered again and everyone was very friendly and helpful. I ordered salmon with rice and asked what the seasonal vegetable was, I was told broccoli then did a little dance cause I love broccoli. Once I arrived back at the Airbnb I realized I got a salad??? Not broccoli and rice entree I thought I ordered. I looked online and I'm not sure what dish I received. It was good, it had salmon. I didn't get dressing so I ate it dry. I think it may have the potential to be an amazing dish. Does it normally come with a dressing??? read more

Blue Mermaid - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

Great place for live music & good food. Several vegan options! Had the house made Rasta burger with avocado, which was yummy. BF enjoyed the jerk chicken wrap with a particularly nice side salad. Service was great too. Highly recommended. read more

What! The Blue Moon has made our weekly favorite list! Great staff, fresh food, FABULOUS FRIES THAT HAVE POTATO SKIN, atmosphere is comfortable and a touch of island music. Grab someone and head over. read more

Blue Mermaid - This was special, grab a drink off the specials menu - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

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Food has been very good every time I've been and the wait staff has been very gracious. My plan is to try everything on the menu eventually. Different takes on different dishes and so far excellent. read more

1st time trying the restaurant was not impressed. Our bartender made us a very good dirty martini But had to tell us and was very embarrassed that they had like 4 items that was not ready and we could not order them because the cooks did not Show up early enough to prepare them so they weren't ready. We ordered the chicken saddlebag wontons that were tasteless. We were excited to try the lobster corn Chowder, turns out it There was no corn in it whatsoever Very little potatoes and a couple specks of lobster. If I did return to this restaurant I have to say it would be only for a cocktail. read more

The food and wait staff (Mackenzie) were excellent. We came for open mic night where our team had songs prepared and had booked a 6:30 time slot. Shawn B put our band off multiple times telling them they would be next AT LEAST 4x allowing other bands to take the stage. If you only want your friends' bands to play, it shouldn't be advertised as an open mic night --- when we asked Shawn after yet another band was put on stage ahead of our group, we were told "if you don't like it leave". Not a good way to treat paying customers- unacceptable! read more

We were scheduled for Open Mic night. Hosted by Shawn Babineau. We were going to play 4 songs..... We ate food. We paid for drinks. We were told "you are next" ~ and then denied. Another band, played. We were told "you are next" ~ and then denied. Another band barely entered the restaurant, "you are next" ~ and then denied!! Horrible. Inexcusable. Bar was closing in 10 min. No way to treat a band, ready with 4 songs, to an open mic night....arrrrrgh. We left. Superb food. Shittttttttty service by music manager. WILL. NOT. BE. BACK. EVER. F**K YOU SHAWN!!!!!!! read more

Some photos from my recent visit. The short rib entree was outstanding. The Rasta pasta was yummy but could've been spicier. The tips were great too! read more

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I have no idea why this place is popular. I've given it several tries just to see if there were bad nights or some of the stuff on the menu is better than others. No, the food here is just bad. The saddle bags taste like cardboard with the texture of sand. The burgers have fake grill marks and reek of fake smoke. I don't have any words for the short rib dish. It's just dull and flavorless. The poutine is passable. It's all way overpriced for what you get too. It tastes like a restaurant that relies on Sysco pre-made items. I have 25+ years of experience with cooking, and I highly doubt they're doing anything from scratch. Everything tastes pre-cooked and frozen. read more

This was our first trip back to the Blue Mermaid since they relocated from Portsmouth, and I'm glad we gave it a try. Since it was a beautiful evening, we decided to have dinner outdoors on their pleasant and comfortable patio. We did poke inside and the space looked great, so much nicer and bigger than the Portsmouth spot. We had the nicest waitress and service was spot on throughout the meal. Cocktails were delicious and potent. We tried the pretzels and pub cheese and "saddle bags" for starters. Both appetizers were great. Saddle bags are a bit like fried wontons, and the pretzels were warm and delicious. We had mixed results with our entrees. I had the Bahn Mi Hot dog, huge and delicious. It's not often you find a hot dog as a dinner option, so I threw caution to the wind, and glad I did. We also tried the lobster quesadilla, and I suppose we should have known better. At a $15 price point and with lobster prices sky high today, it was really mostly cheese and scant lobster. In fact there were pieces of the quesadilla that had no lobster at all. I think they need to make this a market price item and use a proper amount of lobster, or find a more affordable filling. It was tasty otherwise, but a letdown. All in all, a very pleasant dinner, and glad we made the effort to find them. They are a bit off the beaten path, but worth the trip. read more

Blue Mermaid - How often do you find a hot dog on the menu? This one was great - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

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Creative food options. Live music offerings. Upbeat staff & Bar manager. Great parking and a definite "must try" near downtown Kittery.

We were there for a rehearsal dinner. Service was excellent as well as the 3 options to choose from for dinner. We were able to move around and socialize with everyone. It's a favorite place to go to ! read more

First time here. And I will be back. Staff was welcoming and pleasant. Interior is so pretty , light and bright. Lunch was served quickly and was delicious. Def a gem in Kittery. read more

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Getting a better open mic night host, we were scheduled at 630pm, we been sitting there since 5pm to 8pm, and you keep getting told your up next for 4 bands in a row, and you ask Shawn, what's the deal. His response is " it is what it it is , if you don't like it you can leave" so that's what we did, so we left. Shawn needs to improve on dealing with the public,,Hopefully Blue Mermaid don't teach the staff "It is what it is, if you don't like it you can leave" read more

Mediocre experience. I had read about this place online and wanted to try - the menu looked interesting and my husband was excited about the Paella. We arrived early so it wasn't super busy, other than the bar area. They had no drafts available (machine broken) and the selection of bottles/cans was not so great, especially given they are next door to a fabulous brewery, literally share a wall! The wait staff was lukewarm in greeting us and plopped cans down on the table, no glass offered. We ordered paella and poke bowl. Both were underwhelming, not bad but not great: bland and smallish portions. Everyone was just friendly enough to not be rude but not welcoming at all, no interest in whether this was our first visit, etc. We won't go back. read more

Food was really good. The drinks, even the mocktails were good. Wait staff was fantastic. Entertainment person left us with a bad taste over all as he was unprofessional and should not have been handling an open mic event. Ill prepared and snarky. He lost business for the restaurant. It was a disappointment after the communicated expectations we never received. read more

Had the Shrimp Tanos which were nice flame grilled. Have to admit I am new to tacosso this might be the way of things but I find it disappointing that you have a warm shrimp but everything else is cold. Again- this is probably not Blue mermaids fault but just nit great. read more

The poutine was so good and the portion sizes were really large. Everything I ordered was pretty tasty. The viet fish surprisingly had decent flavor. I'd skip the fried chicken. Stars if the show were poutine and salads. The fried cauliflower was not great - too much breading read more

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We popped in here for a quick bite while at the local farmer/craft market and the food was absolutely delicious! I got the Hangover bowl from the Sunday brunch menu and he flavors blended so well with the most delicious flavored short rib. My mom got the special Benedict on top of a sweet potato cake and it was good but recommend the Hangover bowl! read more

Stopped here for lunch one day while stopping over on our way to Acadia National Park. It was pretty good. There were 4 of us. Two of us had the grilled cheese with homemade sweet potato chips(mmm). It was good but i wish i had ordered the Jerk chicken wrap. My friend ordered it (was too spicy for her) and it was awesome! She gave me a piece and id go back just for that!! Someone else had the fish sandwich and said was good but a little well done. We all had water served in a mason jar which we poured into our jelly jar glasses. It was cute but where's the ice? Lol It took over half an hour to get our food, it seemed soo long but maybe because we were all hungry. Service was good though. read more

Blue Mermaid - Lunch menu - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

So I read the reviews for the lobster quesadilla before getting and despite the mixed reviews I went for it. I LOVED it. I would agree with others that it is lacking in the amount of lobster, but for $14 that makes sense to me and the cheese was really great and there was corn which I love. The salsa they had was also surprisingly good, I ate the whole amount! Also to note their bubbly happy hour is only $5/glass and a great full pour. read more

Blue Mermaid - Bubbly - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

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It just fell so short. Having been here before a few times I had a certain level of expectation. Surprised to the hangover bowl was nothing like before. It was heavy greasy and totally lacking presentation. The steak and cheese was burnt a bit and dry. Drinks were honestly watered down. It was such a let down because they usually nail it. If I had not been here before I would cross it off my list.I probably will go back just not soon. Only hope they get back to what they are capable of. read more

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Five stars by far best food I could ask for even helped with the kids. They were so generous and helpful and new just when to come help us At the table. read more

Worst service I've ever had- being in the business myself made it even more Frustrating! Watched at least 6 employees standing around on their phones while we waited for someone, anyone, to say hello. Ten minutes later we asked if we could have a drink and the answer was - whatta ya want? You can't mess up a glass of wine, so that was fine. Then we foolishly ordered their "awesome lobster quesadilla" which was one step down from a cardboard box with maybe some crumbs of frozen knuckle meat in a piece or 2. Dry, cold and burned. After sitting there with an empty glass for 15 minutes ( watching the girl bartender order the man bartender around cause she was on her phone) she came over. "Do you want anything else?" I asked to see the wine list again and quickly decided to stick with the same but she went out back and disappeared . 6 MINUTES LATER she asks what I want- I said "CHECK PLEASE". Whoever the owner is, is losing money- what a shame. Cute place and comfy bar but THATS IT. Sorry blue mermaid but you clearly need some customer service training. Oh, and this was on a Saturday! read more

The food was delicious. My fb got the monte cristo sandwich and I got a burrito. There were so many flavors in them. Even the potatoes were delicious. The food is unique. We look forward to returning. read more

Just finished a dismal Easter brunch. Cold potatoes accompanied a lamb Benedict mess that was comprised of tough, chewy lamb and a mish mosh of spices that left a muddled taste. read more

I really enjoyed the open space, comfy corner chairs and couch seating and large bar away from crowded tables. I am not from the area so I enjoyed seeing the locals pop in for a drink at the bar. Since I was staying at an Air BnB up the road, I stopped in 2x for food. Picked up the quinoa salad to go and it was surprisingly very tasty and filling, and traveled well. The IPA I had while waiting was good as well. On my second visit I got the Rasta burger and fries. I think I would have been more satisfied ordering the quinoa salad again even though I was nursing a hangover and really needed the greasy fries. Fries weren't great. Not bad, but not that great either. A bit on the soggy/limp side, and the bun on the burger tasted slightly stale. I wouldn't recommend this burger unless you're starving and vegetarian with no other options other than the salad lol The waitress was super nice and service was great. read more

Blue Mermaid - Rasta Burger and IPA - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

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Great stop for Sunday Brunch... all the dishes were delishs.. the jalapeno margarita was awesome. Mimosa's and bloody's looked good too... food was sumptuous we split our burrito and it was enough for 2! read more

The best dinner We've had in a long time! Everything was great from the moment we stepped in the door. Friendly, very knowledgeable and professional waitstaff. Appetizers were unique and full of flavor! Delicious corn fritters! Entrees were good portions and excellent! Perfectly cooked! Finished up with dessert and locally owned coffee. Maple bacon cheesecake was my favorite. Our waitress took time to chat with us about the restaurant, other "foodie" places to try and places to see/ things to do in the area. Thank you so much for making our Anniversary special! We will be back with friends/family soon to work our way through your menu, and also to try your brunch! read more

Blue Mermaid - Wontons, Grilled Banana, Corn Fritters - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

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Fantastic lunch today! Coconut Curry sweet potato soup, Kale salad with chicken & a Kimchi Hot Dog. So good and the service was great( thank you Nicole). Highly recommended and a great beer selection which includes Tributary Brewery offerings which is located right next door. read more

Blue Mermaid - Kimchi Hot Dog - Caribbean Near Me - Kittery, Maine

Good service overall. They handle large groups pretty well. BUT. tonight I ordered the Saddlebags.. and I'm kicking myself for not sending them back to the kitchen, They were so salty. Inedible. I noticed other tables that ordered them left them almost untouched. The texture of the filling was strange as well. Overprocessed, and pasty. Skip the saddlebags and order something else! read more

We are so happy to find this gem. First live Music that was outstanding and a lively bar scene. Great selection of local beers on tap. The service was excellent very accommodating. We tried the corn fritters and cauliflower appetizers so delicious the dips were so well matched. For the main dishes the chicken was unbelievable as was the salmon tangine and the veggie burger. Can't wait to go back and try other dishes. Lots of vegan options and seafood. Love it! read more

My husband and I have visited Portsmouth several times in the past couple of years and have tried a few restaurants (Oar House, Portsmouth Brewing, Fat Belly's, BG's Boat House) and with the exception of Fat Belly's, they were all fine. We stumbled onto The Blue Mermaid almost at the last minute, and I have to say that I will be hard-pressed to go anywhere else for our occasional lunches in Portsmouth. Fun, colorful decor, and we were greeted and seated immediately. Nice. Our waiter was quick, knowledgeable, and pleasant. The food arrived with a minimal wait, and both of our meals were awesome. I had a grilled portobello sandwich with roasted red peppers, pesto, and goat cheese on foccacia-- it was delicious. DH ordered the wood-grilled scallops with mango cream sauce, a side of corn fritters with coconut cream sauce, and sweet potato fries with papaya ketchup. I've never heard him rave so much-- the scallops were tender and buttery, the mango vinaigrette added just the right amount of sweet/ tart; the fries were good dipped in the incredible ketchup, and, best of all, those corn fritters were amazing. We never order dessert. Well, maybe once or twice a year. But the Banana Bread Pudding with rum caramel sounded too good to be true, and with such a delicious meal, how could the dessert be any less wonderful? I ordered one for us to split. Well, it was wonderful, and lots more. It took all of my willpower to keep from licking the plate! We will have a hard time not coming here each time we visit Portsmouth, As for the prices, we have been staying in Rockport and I have to say that the prices at the blue Mermaid are more reasonable than what we've been paying there and in Gloucester. read more

Revisited the Blue Mermaid after a long time. We both liked the calamari, it was o.k., tender and not greasy. The dipping sauce was of wasabi and mayo? It was a bit on the bland side. I ordered the house special scallops encrusted in a pecan crust with a blueberry sauce. It came with broccoli and mashed sweet potato. The dish arrived in a low bowl rather than plated, with 4 nice size scallops. I didn't care for the presentation. The scallops were a bit overcooked, the pecan crust was soggy and black in some places. The blueberry sauce if it was a reduction, could not be found on the plate, the scallops alone had flavor and were fresh, but more like steamed. The sweet potato was served plain, bland. The broccoli was a split or quarter of a full broccoli with crown and stem, all intact. The crowns were overcooked, the stems raw. No flavor, bland, and the crowns tasted like they were steamed. B. ordered the short ribs, they were tasty with a dark barbeque sauce. His green beans were suppose to be sauteed, but more like steamed. The waitress tried to make up for the disappointment of the scallop meal with dessert. Pumpkin creme brulee. It was bland and not very creamy, it came with what is suppose to be a ginger snap, it was half a soft baked cookie-bland. For the price, I wouldn't go back. The dining room lamp kept flickering off and on, service was on the slow side. I finally asked the manager for a refill on the water, the service wasn't up to speed, the food and service could use higher standards. I spend a good amount of time in the Carribbean, the menu has some dishes that pass as Carribean, but is an odd mix of foods. I probably won't be back, there are too many other restaurants in Portsmouth that have better standards of food for the same price. I think it passes for a lot of folks who don't know the difference or what to expect. read more

We first went to the earth and ladle but left after the waitress ignored us for 15 minutes. Walked around the corner to the blue Mermaid. Had great food and service for my sons 21st birthday. Highlight were the corn fritters! Will be back! read more

Not sure if this was an off day for them or what but the food I experienced for brunch here was nothing short of awful. First time here so I got the French toast and visually it looked like they scooped the trash can onto my plate. Better yet it looked like something you'd find on the beach. At least they're honest when they say they serve seafood. My girlfriend got the biscuits and gravy which was not any better. Dry gravy, small biscuits, and Parmesan crusted chicken with a false advertisement on both dishes of hash browns, which were actually home fries. Not to mention the fact they when they say it comes with bacon they leave out the fact that it's only one piece. Honestly underwhelmed. Flavors were alright, but visually I didn't want to keep eating. Would not go again. read more