We drive 50 mins (sometimes longer with out of state summer traffic) to enjoy this delicious Chinese food. Whenever we eat Chinese, it's super greasy and leaves my stomach uneasy. Eight Square is the only place I can go enjoy spring rolls, Crab rangoons and chicken fingers without it making me sick. It's not all greasy and gross. The chicken fingers are sooo tender they melt in your mouth. The fried rice isn't overly fake flavored. The springs rolls aren't a rolled ball of grease. It's great quality and affordable. Go see Wendy at the bar. She makes a yummy Mai Thai and is always amazingly happy and friendly. Next time I promise to take more pics. The food was just too good, I ate most of it before thinking to capture pics. read more

Eight Square - Mai Thai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Our first time trying Eight Square, which opened about 6 months ago. Located in a shopping center in the space of a former Japanese Sushi restaurant, the new owners now offer both Chinese and Japanese food. There are many options for Sushi around, and we came for the Chinese food. The dining room is nice enough, and we had a pleasant waitress. We started with the Mai Tai's, as others here commented they were some of the best they have had. While good, we didn't think there was anything extraordinary about these. Nice flavor, potent and adorned with a fresh orchid. Admittedly, we've had many excellent Mai Tais in Hawaii and elsewhere, so.... For appetizers, we tried the egg rolls and pan fried Peking Dumplings. The dumplings were great, clearly made in house and not at all like the commercial dumplings served at many restaurants. The meat filling was flavorful and they were cooked perfectly. We also tried the Egg Rolls, which were OK, not much besides cabbage in the filling however. The winning entree was the Singapore style noodles which had a delicious curry flavor and a generous portion of chicken. We also tried the sizzling delight with beef, scallop and shrimp. Often this type of dish is assembled at the table, but here it is brought from the kitchen fully assembled, but sizzling nontheless. It was tasty, but nothing extraordinary here. We enjoyed dinner enough this first time that we will be back to work our way into the menu a bit deeper. read more

Eight Square - Sizzling delight - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Third time here and all three times I've been impressed with how good everything is. The vegetables are clearly quality, cooked to the right degree for each type, the flavors super tasty and solid proportions! I haven't had Chinese this tasty since eating in Galway Ireland, or In china town after my first ever phish show at Fenway a few years back. The service is on point and the staff friendly and expedient. I can't recommend this place enough! I don't think of Chinese food as a regular option, but after feeling good the day after eating 8 Square and seeing decent leftovers in the fridge, I suspect that's going to change. read more

We had a craving for Asian food while in Portsmouth. After searching around on Yelp, we found only great reviews of Eight Square so we took a chance. It was an awesome decision. I had no idea that I would find this quality of Chinese/Japanese food outside of large cities but here we are. When I saw the menu I immediately had a craving for coconut shrimp. Now most coconut shrimp have a crusty breading with a faint taste of coconut. Not at Eight Square. First the breading was crispy on the outside for a good crunch but soft and moist inside. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and not rubbery as in most coconut shrimps. In addition the very coconuty flavor of the breading they liberally sprinkled coconut on the top. It was literally the best coconut shrimp I've had. This is why I'm spending so much time talking about it. Not to be outdone... we also ordered sesame chicken. Now if you've had a lot of sesame chicken you know the quality spans the spectrum - plainly breaded chicken with overly sweet sauce or rubbery slices of chicken with too crispy breading or soggy breading with bland sesame sauce. Some have almost no sesames and oftentimes it's tough to even taste the sesame flavoring and all you get is sugary taste. At Eight Square you got chunks of moist chicken lightly breaded in a crisp batter with again liberally sprinkling of sesame seeds. This is how this delicacy should be done. Although not the absolute best I've ever had, it definitely deserves to be ranked in the top ten. While I have raved about those two dishes let's just say that the other dishes - udon noodle, moo shu, fried rice, dumplings, and shaomai (to die for) were also incredibly tasty. Ken, our waiter, was always smiling, very responsive and absolutely friendly. The restaurant was clean, tastefully decorated and had soothing mandarin music playing. Eight Square has it all. Please go and keep them in business so they are still there making their delicious food the next time I am in Portsmouth. read more

Eight Square - Coconut shrimp (partially eaten) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

THIS PLACE BLEW MY MIND. ITS INCREDIBLE. Coconut shrimp made with fresh coconut and a delicate light breading(I wish there was a sauce, but I'm a condiment junky). The sushi was so fresh, so unbelievable. I got the Mountain Fuji Roll. Wow wow wow. I cannot say enough. Go here and go soon. I'm a bit of a food snob and this meal made me happier in life than I've been in a long time. Thank you Eight Square! read more

Eight Square opened recently in the former Shio space at Portsmouth Green. This casual Asian restaurant and bar offers a spacious dining room with booths, table seating, private family dining stations (remove shoes), sushi bar seating and seating at the bar. Cover song music plays over the speaker. The menu offerings are mostly Chinese cuisine, plus Japanese items, sushi, sashimi, and pad thai noodles. The pricing is moderate and they also offer lunch specials until 2:30pm. I stopped by Eight Square for dinner very recently. I was seated at a booth next to a front window and given a menu to look over. For a starter, the Steamed Pork Dumplings (6 for $10 plus tax) were served hot with a thick firm dough shells filled with ground pork and soy sauce provided for dipping. For dinner, the Sizzling Delicacy ($23.95 plus tax) was served very hot on an iron skillet with a mix of jumbo shrimp, scallops, beef strips, baby corn, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, bok choy in a savory sauce, white rice on the side. This dish had a good mix of flavors. After I was done, I received the check which had a 10 percent grand opening discount, was $33.45 with tax and before tip. They tried to run my card through their machine several times. I had just used my card at a gas station, so it was on their end and I ended up giving them cash instead. Overall, the food I had here was pretty good and fresh. Other than the card glitch, I would return here for lunch takeout. read more

Food was not the best, the dumplings were soggy and it seemed dead. The service was weird, everything took a very long time and we were the only people in the restaurant. The ambiance was nice, almost classy. read more

Had dinner with family at this new Chinese restaurant. Much better than previous owner. Eight square monster sushi really hit the spot. We're also love their pork dumplings, juicy and succulent. Very friendly staff, make us feel very comfortable. Ben is very nice and keep checking on us. Very nice atmosphere and clean. We will definitely be back to try more. read more

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There was mold in our food and when we told, them they brought us back out the same food but just switched out the molded bits. Beef was under cooked. Our server was great but do not recommend this place otherwise. read more

We went on a Monday night mostly for sushi. Started out with Mai Tais which were very good, just the right combination of liquor and sweetness. They also have several different kinds of cold sake so be sure to ask if you are partial to sake. The menu only mentions, hot or cold sake. First we had veggie lo mein while the sushi was being prepared. Veggies were fresh and the noodles and sauce were good. For sushi we got the Black Dragon, Crazy, Rock & Roll special rolls and one of the simpler maki rolls, the salmon and mango roll. All the rolls were excellent and presentation was also very good. Server was attentive and pleasant. We will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely shocked about all positive reviews for this place. It was 5:37pm on Wednesday, and the place is almost empty. There's one guy at the bar, and there was one older couple besides us. TRUST ME, there's a reason behind lack of customers here. We ordered crab Rangoon, chicken teryaki, vegetable Singapore rice noodles and tri star chicken, shrimp and scallop trio. Chicken teryaki was separate pieces of dark(most likely thigh) meat, with chunks of fat on them. It was more like a chicken kebab skewers. Most places use white meat for this appetizer. If you're using cheaper thigh meat, at least remove all the nasty fat chunks. Crab Rangoons tasted as they were either reheated or sat cooked under the heating lamp. Filling inside was barely warm. Then, we got the Tri star chicken, shrimp and scallop special. It was okay until I took a bite of the scallop, I had to spit it out, because it was really tough and had a bad fishy taste. I wouldn't feed those scallops to a homeless dog. At that point, I asked to speak with a manager. A lady approached our table. As I explained that scallops were bad, she made a face, then took the dish off the table. I also asked why chicken teryaki had so much fat on them, but I don't think she understands English well. She just walked away with a grin on her face, and after she walked away from the table and informed her co-workers about the situation, they started looking at us in a very unpleasant way. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND DINING HERE! read more

Eight Square - Seating area without any customers at 5:30pm. Weird. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

My boyfriend and I went at about 7:30 tonight on a Sunday as I've been wanting to go here and we just got out of a movie showing nearby. He had a slight medical hiccup due to predisposed issues and it was handled professionally. The waiter was attentive and the food was AMAZING! I loved the sautéed string beans and kung pao chicken, they are a must try! They were patient with an issue regarding the card we used as well. I'll absolutely come back, I'd love to see how much light the dining room gets during the day. read more

Christina is always the consummate professional who is able to make you extremely comfortable discussing your medical issues. She is very receptive and affirming and makes each visit a positive experience. read more

Surprisingly great sushi, sweet and sour chicken and noodle dishes! Good mai tai as welll. Would recommend

Will never go here again! Ordered drinks and food and waited 20 mins to get water and no drinks. Another table ordered after us and got water and drinks before us. Place was virtually empty so no excuse! Watched as they pushed a shopping cart with product from outside source through the restaurant! Very unprofessional! Staff unfriendly and did not care that we had been waiting so long. As I work in Portsmouth at a very professional place, word of mouth is essential. I will tell everyone I know to stay clear of this "restaurant " read more

We were on our way to Portland, ME for my birthday weekend. We stopped in for a quick drink for my pre-birthday celebration and had 2 delicious martinis. They looked so pretty. I got a lychee martini which came with a fresh lychee and an edible flower. Hubby got a Saketini martini which was garnished with freshly sliced cucumbers, in a flashing glass. I had asked the bartender if she could snap a quick picture of us, as it was my birthday! Two minutes later, I was unexpectedly surprised with a delicious birthday dessert, accompanied with singing and smiles! Well, dessert is my favorite splurge so that was a huge bonus I wasn't expecting! This is the second time we've been here (we live too far away to come every weekend, or we would), and they have exceeded our expectations both times! We'll definitely be back. This was 10 minutes off the route we were traveling to get to Maine, but we knew it would be worth it. Their food looks to die for also! Next time, we'll plan to order food when we're staying in Portsmouth for the day! Such a cozy, friendly place that looks to please you in any way they can. read more

Eight Square - Lychee martini and Saketini - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The absolute best dumplings around!! They have really great service and even better food.

Had lunch there shortly after they opened. My friend and I ordered one of the specials- we were both disappointed. Will try it again if reviews are good- hope so! read more

Eight Square is a hidden gem!! The food is amazing, the place is immaculate, and the service is outstanding!! Wendy and her crew do a fantastic job of making you feel welcome and appreciated. I'm so glad we discovered this place- it's our new go to place for great drinks and delicious food!! read more

Very impressed, food and atmosphere was fantastic. The drinks were awesome. One of the best Mai Tai I've had. Ordered the rainbow roll, very well presented and prepared. Impressed with flavor. The Mala beef was great, just enough flavor without over doing the spice. I highly Very impressed, food and atmosphere was fantastic. The drinks were awesome. One of the best Mai Tai I've had. Ordered the rainbow roll, very well presented and prepared. Impressed with flavor. The this place for great Chinese and sushi. Definitely on the return list. read more

Ate here with a family of three. We came in hoping to sit at the small private tables where you take off your shoes, but were told there is a $150 minimum to sit there. No one sat in one the whole time we were there! Bummer about that, but then the food was not good. Pad Thai tasted fishy and had very few vegetables even though it was vegetarian. Chicken dish was bland. We won't be returning. read more

Food was good, nothing exceptional but met expectations without any issues. The only issue was the prices of everything was about 20% higher than standard from the vast competition choices in the area. Both food and drinks. read more

The ambiance from the music colors food and staff are outanding since the crossover. WENDY the bartender is phemoninal. Beautiful attentive quick weitted bartender you need to tip the s**t out of when you come. And you're coming because this place is the bees knees of Asian cousin. read more