Menu is disappointing and a bit too sophisticated for the crowd that is near. Quality of food is ok. Atmosphere and vibe is really nice though. Service I've never had an issue with. read more

Went last night for a light dinner. Had the seared scallops and a dozen oysters. Perfect since the ups store is only a block away. Know where I'm heading for lunch on Tuesday. Thank you for the wonderful food and the wonderful service. read more

Great COVID compliant dining experience. Expertly poured Paloma cocktails and the best deviled eggs for apps. Dinners were both A+, the Halibut and the Scallops. Service, atmosphere, food and drinks all exceptional. read more

I stopped in to the Elm Square Oyster and was warmly greeted by their accommodating staff. We sat at the bar and Colin went over the drink specials and oysters of the night. I usually go to "The Summer Shack" in Cambridge for oysters (where they're mostly from the Cape or PEI), so I was looking forward to trying some Maine oysters. I was really impressed that the owner herself travels several times a weeks to get the oysters. I have to say -- they were some of the best oysters I have ever eaten! I was pleasantly surprised and I'm definitely a fan for life. I loved the Maine oyster taste, plenty of brine, meaty, rich range of taste and very clean finish. read more

Just had a lovely outdoor meal at this gem of a restaurant. The seating area is lovely with festive lighting and heat lamps. The food was delicious and came out piping hot. I had the cauliflower burger - it was marvelous. Huge and crunchy with a delicate vinegary slaw on top. Fantastic. The kids had burgers and hubby and I also shared some delicious oysters. My middle one ordered the crispy chicken sandwich and said it was the best prepared chicken he'd ever had. I stole a bite and agreed that the seasoning and preparation was on point. I hope they eventually put an oyster po boy on the menu!! Thanks, Elm Square Oyster!! read more

I've been here several times...most recently with a group of friends having a mini high school reunion. This isn't the place to take kids or young families, as the menu appeals to foodies, and the price point is reflective of that. The portions aren't expansive for the price, which many reviews mention, but the ambiance is great and it's a place where folks should at least dress appropriately. A few of us got to the bar earlier than our reservation and enjoyed a cocktail and some $1.49 oysters on special; lots of locals at the bar and the bartenders were busy but attentive. Once seated (in my favorite: the big round booth), we decided on apps. As I eat Keto, I was disappointed to hear (from John) that the deviled eggs were unavailable and that the stuffed olives were going to be taken off the menu! Please revisit this decision! Or else, put more non-carb-laden items on for folks like me. I ordered the chicken liver mousse and asked to sub out the bread/crackers for celery (or some other hard veggie I could spread the mousse on), but the kitchen served it with shaved celery (not really spreader-friendly) and greens. The mousse needed more seasoning of some kind, as it was bland. Most of my friends had the roast-carrot soup, and they all raved about it. I was looking forward to my entree (pork loin and pork belly), which proved to be delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation too (see photo). The friend closest to my camera had the fish special (see photo). The website menus aren't up to date, so they may want to fix that. I finished up with a pot of Earl Gray tea...not sure what brand they use, but it was loose leaf and it was one of the best tasting tea I've had in a restaurant! read more

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Plenty of out door seating and they are following safety guidelines. Scallops were excellent.

You are paying for the ambience.Very pricey and very small portions Gnocci was $24 and left my teenage daughter still wanting. Our children ordered sliders - these were undercooked - bright red inside... Better as a couples place where the focus is on drinks and appetizers. read more

Recently, this place has made the change from a moderately priced Brasserie to an upscale seafood restaurant. We started off with 3 different selections of oysters on the half-she'll. They were fresh and delicious! I had the Halibut which was wonderfully prepared and seasoned. It was accompanied by artichoke hearts, green favs beens, and smoked oysters which I wish were mushrooms! My guest had the chicken served over corn which was equally as wonderful, and he had the mushrooms I wanted. Fortunately, we shared. I would not hesitate to return even if, it was just to sit at the bar and get cocktails and oysters! read more

This place suffers from an identity crisis. Elm Square Oyster Company is the third name it's had since opening in Andover a few years ago...originally as Bin 28 then Brasserie 28 a year or so after its launch. Why? And despite management renaming the venue as an "oyster company" surprisingly, there are very few oyster dishes on the menu. In fact, there's none -- just the availability of raw oyster selections. I got the Ipswich Crispy Clams small dish which was basically just glorified, lemony fried clams served on a plate smeared with tartar sauce. While it was tasty, I was disappointed that it consisted of just the necks. For a few dollars more I can go to the Lobster Tail in North Andover and pick up a fried clam plate that includes the whole clams and is enough to serve two people. Sweet potato fries consisted of too many pieces that were charred. The coconut cake, while good, was a little too sweet, particularly the mascarpone cheese filling. One good thing I have to say - the service was excellent and snappy. The decor has remained the same. Prices are too high in my opinion but it is Andover, and they'll certainly get the clientele. Just not sure I'll be among those returning. read more

Excellent New Years Tasting Menu! Michael Sherman stepped up his game for this tasting. Presentation was amazing. read more

We had dinner there last night. The "Happy Hour" oysters were very fresh and served with three different, very tasty sauces. Our meal consisted of the burger, very good, accompanied by parmesan french fries; the lobster roll which was delicious and generous in meat; and the halibut which was good, just a tad overcooked. For an appetizer we had the fried clams, which were VERY tasty, perfectly breaded and cooked. Also, one of us got a glass of the "happy hour" wine; $5...where do you get a glass of wine for $5 (and it was good!)? I do agree with some of the reviews commenting on service being somewhat slow. It was a bit slow at times, but not to the point that it was an issue. All the staff members that we interacted with were pleasant (very important to me), and went out of their way to accommodate. We received good service. I will return...and I will get those delicious fried clams! read more

Went here the other day for dinner. Food: Was par, but for the price they charge for entrees, I expect much better. Combinations are inventive, presentation is ok, if it was food alone I would give it 3 stars just because 4 or more should be an adequate balance of price and flavor/cohesiveness. Service: Poor. Server always had a smile, but you could tell it wasn't genuine. Never came to the table once on his own, I had to flag him down for everything - first round of drinks, ordering, refills. And it wasn't that busy at all. Dinner took a long time just due to how long I had to wait for him to even look in our direction to flag him down (almost 25 minutes after receiving our drinks). I'll be back for drinks and maybe apps at best, if I have to. read more

Eh. I want to like this place, I really do...it just has too many drawbacks to be rated any higher. It's a decent spot, drawing locals, date nights, and the bourgeois. It's a bit of an odd layout, and god forbid you need to use the restroom, you can say hi to David Bowie as you pass through the labyrinth. Sitting near the door at the main entrance is also not the wisest seating placement unless you want pneumonia. Anywhoo...on to the goods. The service is genuine and nice, the spirits are plentiful, the wine list needs help, the food is...meza meza, and the prices are absolutely unjustified. The nibbles are good (pickles, french fries) but the entrees were hit or miss (burgers and sandwiches were good, but the short rib was bland). The prices are what really hurt this place. For the portion size, presentation, and quality, I was really let down. Maybe we were naive for not ordering seafood, but for the pricetag, we expected more. read more

My first time there. My fellow Yelpers usually guide me well, but you all dropped the ball on warning me to stay away from the sirloin. I know I was in a seafood restaurant but I did factor that in to my low expectations. But the steak was the worst I ever had. Honestly. I've had better at Outback. At half the price. My wife loved her halibut. So lesson learned. But putting this in the records so unlike me, you eil have been forewarned. You're welcome. read more

There's not a ton of choices of great places to go in Andover. With that said, Elm Street Oyster is a definite good option. There's no other place near by that has a raw bar with this amount of choice. Every time we go we start with oysters. I wish they would serve with a mignonette. I also prefer horseradish to be minced or a paste vs the grated/stringy bit they serve in the cocktail sauce. The entrees I've tried have been good...last night the burger with cheddar and charred onion and watercress...cooked and seasoned well. Have to say I love their 'salty girl' skinny margarita. The bartenders are great. Know their clients by name. Love that. Can't wait for the outdoor patio to open in summer. read more

Elm Square Oyster - Oysters on half shell. Happy hour pricing before 7pm on Saturday evening. - Bars Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

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This place has everything fresh for you have a good time and where you can relax get a beer and anything you want that's sea food. It's soo good read more

After visiting several times I can still say that I'm a fan. the Lobster bisque is delicious and the Cod Beignets (although sounds intimidating) are cripsy little delicious fish cakes. The beef tartar is just yummy. I could go on and on... but not too much because although everything on the menu is delicious, it seems a bit limited. But there is a little for everyone- one steak dish, 1 chicken dish, a burger, 1 Salmon, 1 Scallops dish and a pasta dish. Previously I had issues with the service..(Servers are great and attentive) but I still feel like it takes way to long for the food to arrive. Dinners tend to be at least an hour and a half from sit down to exit. read more

The food was tasty but the service was slow as a snail. All the customers were waiting for their meals to be served for over 45 minutes. Also, I ordered the meat dish cooked medium. It was served medium rare and more on the rare side and it was served lukewarm. read more

When I moved to Andover, Elm Square Oyster Co. (which at that point was Brasserie 28) stood out as one of the fine dining options in Andover. I finally got a chance to visit it once it had reopened as an Elm Square and have been a few times since then. The menu has a significant raw bar section (a hefty nod to they Oyster Co. portion of their new name) and has a decent (if somewhat limited) variety of protein sources for their main dishes in addition to the quintessential $15 (here $16) burger. Service is great with a very friendly and attentive staff. There are three main seating areas. The back area has a great view of the kitchen while the space between the front and back is right next to a pretty awesome fish tank. I appreciate Elm Sq.'s drink list. There are variations on classics with some unique touches here and there (rye tai as an alternative to mai tai). Plus, their local beer selection is not to be ignored! I was a bit disappointed that there aren't more "greens" options. They have their tasty gem lettuce salad green goddess dressing and the arugula salad with the very interesting earl gray (infused?) raisins. I do have to vouch for the cauliflower which was delicately roasted when we ordered it the first time around. The focus for the main dishes seems to be more the protein source. Don't get me wrong, the scallops, shrimp, cod, etc. that I've had here have been cooked very nicely and make for a tasty meal but I would like to see some of those gorgeous sides share the spotlight. For the shrimp risotto dish with fava beans there was much risotto, very tasty shrimp, but the fava beans were more in the culinary background. All in all, the food here is tasty and there's a level of craftsmanship that makes Elm Sq. not just another trendy restaurant but there was something about the balance of our plates (under or overrepresentation of some aspects) that doesn't match it's pricetag. I was a bit on the fence between 3 and 4 stars but ultimately I think the service (and maybe the cool fish tank) and the fact that this a refreshing dining location in Andover brings it up to a 4. read more

Slow service. Ordered burgers and got them about an hour after we ate our appetizers. Also took forever to get our drinks (and took even longer to get refills). read more

The staff is friendly and the environment is nice. The four appetizers I ordered were lacking. The crab cakes were over cooked and didn't have any flavor. The clam chowder is actually oyster soup with some bits of clam added. It's not a chowder. The stuffed clams were good, but only two makes for a lonely plate. For the special they had crab legs, but the lower skinny spider leg split doesn't impress me. Had the heritage chicken and it was tender, spiced perfectly. It really is good! Also the pastrami sandwich that comes with plain cape cod type chips. It's also good. My only advice is to skip the appetizers and have dessert. read more

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Our take our order was right on time and piping hot. The food is always great. We're happy to support our local restaurants

My gal and I went last Thursday for dinner. We decided to try the 5 Course Chef's Choice dinners. We were thoroughly thrilled with what Chef Michael created for us. He explained to us that every group gets different selections so, there's no point in describing each of our personal creations. I will say that the entire experience was fantastic! Each of the 5 courses was described to us in detail by the Chef when delivered. Each dish was properly plated and utterly delicious. My only small complaint was the 3 hours it took to complete the experience. It wasn't a big deal for us. But, for someone else it might be too long. We will be happy to stop by Elm Square Oyster and enjoy this great meal again soon! read more

Elm Square Oyster Co. is beyond overpriced for what's actually coming out of that kitchen. It's literally a racket. This place is fine for apps and wine, but overall it's another miss in Andover's already limited dining scene. read more

Excellent oysters and dinner. Had the gnocchi and pork tenderloin and of course, OYSTERS! Great food and service.

I highly recommend Elm Square Oyster. We sat near the fish tank, and it was great ambience. I celebrated my birthday there, and Chef Michael made it a special evening start of the meal to finish. I started with a wine flight, and it was a great way to sample a variety of delicious Cabernets. The crudo, crispy octopus, beef tartare, and stuffed mushrooms were all incredible. We ended the night with the doughnuts and s'mores baked Alaska, and we couldn't decide which one we liked best. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Paid tons of money for oysters that were loaded with bits of shells. Almoat cracked my teeth with every bite. Continued with calamari, great sauce, great seasoning,but came with almost no tentacles- my personal favorite. Drinks took a minimum of 20 minutes after ordering to come, and the entree was tiny portion with mediocre food. Left still very hungry. You should never have to spend 160$ at a restaurant and leave unhappy and/or still hungry. Benefit of the doubt is nothing was extremely bad. Food was OK( other than my crunchy oysters) drinks were pretty good. But probably wouldnt be back. read more

I would say our first 5 visits have been amazing...oysters were delightful, fresh...and we were taught details regarding location/texture/brine etc. Appetizers such as deviled eggs, herbed fries and small plates like cheese, pickles and biscuits are worth it during cocktail hour; size and options are perfect. Entrees were a bit pricey but scallops, cavatelli dish and burgers are well thought out while everyone serving helped us decide on the best dish for our mood! Recently we have seen that there is new ownership and shift in dynamic - however the staff is doing their best to remain on point, attentive and knowledgeable with the menu! PS outdoor seating is clutch (: read more

Really, really enjoyed it. Had 2 really great cocktails from the very attentive bartender. We ordered the 5-course meal. All of it was great, except one course which was a salad with sliced tuna which was fine but under-seasoned and a little bland. However all dishes were very creative. Our server was very nice but seemed a little nervous and busy. The main reason this isn't 5 stars is because of how slow the food service was. It took 3 hours! It mentions it on the website but it was too extreme. The manager apologized for the delays as apparently a lot of people got the 5-course meal and the chef couldn't keep up. Overall it's a very good restaurant trying to be GREAT restaurant but they're not quite there yet. We will go back again. read more

Big money.not that great of service...Food just average. Should be better for the money u dish out at this place.

Been here twice in the last 2 years and both times had fabulous meals ( we are from out of state and come here when visiting our daughter at school). The food Is incredibly fresh and portions are perfect The wait staff is very friendly. The atmosphere very comfortable. Great wine and cocktail menu as well. We will be back. read more

I love this place. Super casual vibe, but always classy. The people are laid back and happy. Staff is knowledgeable and fun. The food is outstanding. It can be pricey, but that's what you expect since it's an upper class establishment. They have unique and delicious martinis to boot. read more

Great night out at Elm Square Oyster Co. Additional outdoor seating allowed us to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Andover. New owner, Roseann, was attentive and careful with my gluten allergy. She mingled with customers making the night out carefree. Previous visits resulted in Celiacs-attacks. I am feeling good about returning many more times now that Roseann is in command. We are definitely "FOR's" "Friends of Roseann" :) read more

How dreadful this place has become! What happened???? This was once a place that we would frequent often to get our fill of amazing flavors and creative cuisine of top notch quality but that isn't the case any longer. Even the staff isn't on top of their game. Our server was blah and was never to be found and couldn't answer basic questions about the menu. At one point I had to go to the bar to order my drink because I was so sick of waiting for service but the older of the bartenders couldn't be bothered. He was too busy talking to his friends at the bar. Luckily the other bartender with the nice smile jumped right in. All I can say is that they lost me as a customer after this dreadful night plus it wasn't that busy considering it was a Friday night. read more

good service from Carrie Ann. lobster dish too skimpy but nice and crudo halibut awesome read more

Elm Square Oyster - Bars Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

Last Saturday evening was the first visit to Elm Square Oyster Bar for us but it will not be our last. My lady and I really love raw oysters and this place did not disappoint in any way, shape or form. The bar tender was super knowledgeable about every oyster he served us, tells us not only where they were from, but how they are raises and "what they ate". LOL In all, we ended up having three dozen oysters, sampling over 12 different species of oysters from five different states. I think we were in "oyster heaven", and are already planning our next visit to the ELM SQUARE OYSTER BAR. read more

I went to dinner for the first time,our experience was fantastic from beginning to end... service from Nelson was on point...i got the salmon soooo fresh... and the date got the sirloin which was cooked perfectly.. I met the owners roseanne and Eric, very nice.. the decor of the restuarant was awesome... and so clean... love it we will be back read more

I absolutely recommend this restaurant, the seafood is delicious and the oyster menu was great, I tried the Glidden point oyster they were the beat I ever tasted I will definitely be back read more

I went here with my boss and we agreed that this place is sweet. Great food, great drinks and a solid atmosphere. It is somewhat expensive, but I think it's worth the cost. I had a burger with homemade chips. It was delicious. read more