At 3pm we left a phone message, which is how they do things, requesting a 6pm reservation. At 6pm we showed up and they had rejected our request because we had not left a phone number. (We had said we would be inaccessible by phone because we were off canoeing.) They would not even take us at the bar because they had booked those seats as well. It was frustrating because we'd driven so far, and the restaurant was nearly empty. Hats off to them for being so busy, but we will not return. read more

This was the greatest meal I've ever had. The cauliflower soup was creamy & perfect, the salads were flavorful and my bread pudding meal was the most incredible mix of flavors. We also got a flourless chocolate dessert that tasted like heaven. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

Absolutely delicious and incredible service. The fact that the waitstaff has been there for 9 yrs. says something about the management of this little gem. The potato soup was to die for, and the creative pairings of sauces, grains, and seafood, meat, or "feathered" food was incredible. I was hankering scallops, but asked if I could have the pairings that were on the shrimp dish, and the chef accommodated. The food had options for 1/2 portions,which was perfect, if you want to try different dishes, or share one as an appetizer. My husband had the seafood stew, which was wonderful. Only regret was not having room for dessert, as the owner' wife, the pastry chef also had some pairing of ingredients that looked outstanding. read more

Had dinner two weeks ago. The service was absurdly slow. When I asked the waiter if there was a problem in the kitchen he stated that the pace was European style. Nonsense really. Can they really be this full of themselves that bad service is their "style" and that is ok? Food was ok, but devoting 3 hours to a dinner left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

Half a star at best. Disappointed to say the least. This place was over hyped up. Not a tough crowd to please but the service was extremely inattentive and the food was okay at best. Lobster risotto way over cooked and we waited way too long for everything from our drinks to our bread to our entrees and then our bill. Won't be back but understand a decent restaurant on cape ann is slim Pickens. Good luck. read more

While an out-dated reputation for above average food may draw you to Duckworth's, the staff haven't figured out that food is only one part of an excellent dining experience. Consideration for patrons and an orientation toward service are non-existent in this dining room, and even a decent seared duck breast can't overcome arrogance and rudeness. Don't waste your time (or money) at this poor excuse for a restaurant. read more

It doesn't get better then this restaurant. Staff was great. Food was unbelievable. Good Vegetarian menu also.. One of the best I've been in. read more

Small, great menu, good service, everything has small/large plate options. Nice. Two small plates were beautifully presented & delicious--Bistrot salad & lamb--and was plenty of food. Menu had great variety of choices & well proportioned & generous condiments (I.e. Bistrot salad with tasty lardons had lots of them--not a decorative sprinkling, but an enthusiastic element of your meal. Very warm, friendly & delicious. read more

Another great dinner! I had the frisée salad and scallops, both excellent. And the key lime pie was a good finish. We have been to Duckworths many time and have always found it to be "six stars" if I could award that many. read more

We were fortunate to get a table as we were a walk-in. Ingredients are locally sourced and great care is taken during the preparation of the food. You can also mix and match plates and get the half plate size. Had the mushroom soup and hanger steak and my wife had the scallops cooked with duck. Her main course was their lamb dish which was also great. Finished off with the banana cake which was awesome! Colleen our server was also very nice. read more

Very nice intimate space. Started out with the frisée salad with bacon and poached egg with mustard vinaigrette. Excellent. I had the scallops for the main coarse with puréed cauliflower and ramps. I enjoyed this combination. Nice saltiness. Only wish I had room for dessert. Wait staff was very nice and attentive. I probably should have done the half portion so I would have had room for dessert. All homemade by the chef's wife. read more

We just had a superb dining experience at Duckworth's. I had the seafood stew which was very tasty and a garden salad with blue cheese vinaigrette also extremely good. My wife had the striped bass in a delicate pesto sauce which was delicious. She also had the polenta in a mushroom sauce, also great. She also had a Caesar salad which was delicious. We had a banana cake cake dessert, excellent. The service was as good as the food. read more

we had our first Duckworth's experience last night and we loved it. If this review were for the food only, it would easily be 5 stars. The food was perfect. We had the mushroom soup, scallops, lobster risotto, duck and bread pudding. Yes, it was only two of us-don't judge! Hubby's favorite was the soup, my favorite was the duck. This is ironic because he usually doesn't care for mushrooms and I don't usually care for duck but both of these dishes were phenomenal, as was everything. So why not 5 stars? Service was a smidge slow in the beginning, the time in between courses was pretty long (I understand though, food this delicious does take time. Our meal took 2.5 hours) and lastly, when the hub made the reservation he let them know it was my birthday and there was no acknowledgement of that while we were there but we did see another table with a candle in their dessert and they did confirm that they would put a candle in the dessert when he made the resi #endcandlerant :( one last note, the mixed drinks were spectacular as were both of our wines. Regardless of the hiccups, we will be back and the day can not come soon enough. Yum! read more

went hear with my wife a few moths ago and I will tell you the food and service was perfect !!! I found this place through yelp and will tell you it was one of the best I have had out of the north shore area....I have to give it a 5 star because they deserve it ! YOU MUST get reservations !!!! or forget it !!! small place that fills up so so fast and the reason is that it is great from the drink to the food to the desert ! TRY IT!!! YOULL LIKE IT !!!!!! read more

Fabulous. Off the beaten path, small & casual/comfortable, the service was wonderful, as was the food, martinis & wine! We were looking for something special for an anniversary dinner and didn't feel like trekking into Boston, so followed a recommendation and were lucky enough to get a reservation only a day ahead. I had the ubiquitous salad, and duck - phenomenal dinner, couldn't have been more pleased. Both the waitress & the bartender were genuinely friendly & attentive, but also the timing of food coming out was great, we never felt rushed. We will be back!!!! read more

Had a great meal with my wife tonight. I won't go into the food much as other reviewers have covered that, except to say that I LOVE the idea of having optional appetizer size items for all the entrees and 3 oz. pours for quite a few wines. I'm no fan of oversize portions, obviously. Also, there don't seem to be any gloppy sauces or soups in the mix, another plus for those who like tasty but relatively light foods. Service was excellent in every respect, worthy of a 25% tip tonight. Not inexpensive: tab was $90 exclusive of tip for two small entrees for each of us, and a glass and a half of wine for each. But we both left full, pleased with the experience and the food. Excellent! read more

Lobster risotto is half past awesome! Pleasant severs even on a busy night. Definitely worth the ride! Everyone else go away so there's room for me! read more

Service is extremely friendly and personable. Food never fails to amaze - chef sources local and seasonal ingredients, expect your food to take a bit longer to come out as it is made fresh. Desserts change frequently but are all delicious and made my the chefs wife. Delicious! Reservations are highly recommended, especially days in advance. read more

The best place to eat on the North Shore. I have been there 20+ times and I have never had anything less than excellent. Order any item on the menu and it will continue to surprise and dazzle you until your finished. Highly recommend the banana cake. I was never a big fan of bananas but this is the best cake I have ever tasted in my life, and I have lived and eaten my way through a lot of years. Just go, you will not be disappointed. read more

Absolutely the first and last choice for a special evening out or just a casual dinner when you want to savor every single bite. The half-order system, locally sourced ingredients and Ken Duckworth's steady hand at the helm have never failed to satisfy. Intimate, excellent service... there really isn't anywhere to complain -- even the prices are modest when put into perspective of the dishes that come out of the kitchen. By combining several half orders, one can assemble an amazing range of flavors to enjoy. read more

Very charming bistro, but extremely limited parking! The food was excellently prepared. Between the 3 of us we had scallops, monkfish, seafood stew and quail. It was decided that the seafood stew and the scallops were the standouts for entrees. Banana cake won the dessert wars. I love that you can get either a full portion or half portion serving. What a great concept! Service was pretty good. Although we sat a long time with dirty dishes in front of us and then waited a long time for our check after we asked for it. They were very busy, but I think they always are and should be able to anticipate that they might need more help. read more

I had a delicious meal here the night I got engaged. The staff joined in our celebratory mood. I loved the cozy feel and great use of the space. My oysters were some of the best I've had as was my duck served with a delicious pomegranate reduction. My boyfriend had an equally delicious meal and we both highly recommend Duckworth's to all. read more

Absolutely the best food on. Oath shore..bar none. Worth the drive.the owner needs to check his staff though. Our Waitress, a bit heavy, had on a dirty shirt and frankly looked like a slob. The hostess was so long on the phone with reservations we stood at door for 10 minutes before she acknowledged us. BUT..the food.. Just unreal! We will return,-And hope the staff has cleaned up their act read more

Oysters, duck, quail, lobster risotto, banana layer cake. So good!

So I've never actually eaten here, but this review is for an experience my grandparents had this summer. First of all, this is my grandparents' favorite restaurant. I'm always hearing about the famous "Duckworth's." This particular day, my grandpa had a medical issue and collapsed at the table. The staff not only called an ambulance, they packed up their unfinished meals in doggie bags, didn't charge them, and then CALLED the next day to check in on my grandpa!! Exceptional above-and-beyond service from really really decent people. Oh and I hear the food is great. I can't wait to finally go myself! read more

I'm happy to say I have found a place that made me smile at the end of my meal! I went to Duckworths with my family for a birthday dinner and everything about the night was great! This restaurant is totally tiny so you will need a reservation! We were greeted by a pleasant woman who was going to sit us right next to the open door, however when we asked to move to another open table she did move us....with a forced smile! We had a very attentive server who was more than happy to let us take our time looking over the wine menu! We are not the in and out kind of people, and did not feel rushed! Everything we had was great! I have food allergies and the calamari salad had nuts on it... I didn't see them in the description and our server was all apologies and made me another order! All the main courses were great! The pork chop was perfect, not dry or over cooked! My dad had the duck and it was not greasy and cooked just as he wanted it! My sis had the fluke and she said it was perfect too! We all had a great night and will go back again soon! read more

This place is THE fanciest place to eat out in Gloucester especially because Chef Ken Duckworth was the head chef at the highly acclaimed Maison Robert in Boston before starting his own restaurant. I just went to Duckworth's for the first time today with my mom and it was wonderful. The ambiance was lovely especially once it started to get dark and the candle light glowed. Our waitress was wonderful and knew a lot about the dishes. She even helped me decide on a few of them because I had such a hard time deciding. The shrimp avocado salad I ordered was wonderful. The avocado was perfectly ripe and the shrimp were delicious. They offer half sizes of things which is great because I'm not a very big person. I ordered quail which I've never had before and it was fantastic, grilled just right. And the "very chocolate cake" was awesome! It was just the right kick of chocolate for a chocolate addict like myself. It was just very nice and friendly and relaxing. Mom and I had a wonderful time. read more

The Duckworth Bistrot was amazing! The atmosphere, the service and especially the Food was wonderful. It was a treat from the usual take out places in the area, the price right especially when they give you a choice between small portion or full portion, I had the flour less chocolate cake " Really Yummy". Is a must if you are in Gloucester! read more

Great restaurant. I was not expecting such a great meal. Prices were a bit steep but one of the best meals I have had. Give it a shot, Casual dress and a pleasant waiter made for a great experience. Try the lobster risotto the app portion is a meal in itself. The presentation was great and a very talented chef. read more

By far the best Restuarant in Gloucester. The food is so fresh and delicious! Our favorite spot.

Long overdue review actually. I think we've probably been here at least seven or eight times over the past few years. It's hard to believe that we are so fortunate to have such an outstanding place as this on Cape Ann. I can't imagine having a less than perfect meal at Duckworth's, the servers are always very attentive, as is Ken's wife. They'll do absolutely anything to please their guests. I could certainly tell you all about the food, but the positive reviews here reflect my experiences, excellent food, excellent service. We love the half order option, and the 3oz wine option for pairing... They also opened a Gourmet grocery in Gloucester about a year ago, that's definitely worth the visit as well. read more

We just left I wanted to let everyone no it was wonderful. Hillery, was wonderful Dan too. Oh the food was great too. We got the grass feed hamburgers. Outstanding".... read more

We absolutely LOVED this place!!! Best restaurant we have been to on the North Shore! Amazing food, great atmosphere-very cozy! Duck breast and lobster risotto were perfect and then a pumpkin walnut bread budding for the win to finish! one of my favorite things is you can get half portions if you're not as hungry, or if you are like we were and can't decide you can try multiple things! LOVE DUCKWORTHS! we will be back. read more

Some of the best food I have ever had. It is truly amazing! Came here for a birthday- excellent service and all around great experience. I will be back! read more

Great food and absolutely wonderful service! Duck confit was amazing! Definitely will return on our next trip to Gloucester.

Dinner for a coworker and I. Restaurant is extremely small almost diner size and packed with people. Service was a little slow but extremely friendly and helpful with recommendations. Food was also a little slow but we'll worth the wait. I had the fluke and it was very good. read more

The restautant is fabulous. One I don't get to often enough, but love it every time I do. The Duckworths and their staff do an excellent job. The food is always excellent and service is spot on. I find it very hard not to have six or seven courses with the half portion option. Another wonderful feature that I don't see mentioned enough in reviews is their wine list, which is a very reasonable and extensive list that happily isn't 99% cabernet and chardonnay. Highly recommended. read more

Duckworth's is simply superb. A true bistrot feel with a creative menu. Have been many times and had pork and beef dishes which were great but favorite is the seafood stew. Never had anything as unique and delicious . Try a salad,then seafood stew half portion, and a desert (they change- discuss with your server -wine too). High end food worth every penny. Great for a special event. read more

Place is small. But food was AWESOME. High quality ingredients, all prepared awesome. That salad with the poached egg and bacon was to die for. read more

One of our favorite restaurants the only draw back is it is small. We only go on a week night. That being said, this is one of the best restaurants around. Do yourself a favor and try it, you won't be disappointed. Everything we have ever had has been fantastic. Without question, this is the best restaurant in Gloucester. read more