We stumbled upon this place and we're so glad we did. It was probably the best food we had in…read moreNewburyport. While we sat outside, the inside was very moody and intimate and I loved the vibe and artwork. The drinks were also the best we had in Newburyport as well (both presentation AND taste). We shared some of the carmelized brussel sprouts (so yummy) and the Fel Fel. I wish we we had dinner there versus just some apps and drinks but we already had reservations elsewhere. Our waitress was attentive and the food runner was this adorable younger teen who was super polite and working so hard the entire time we were there. We will definitely be back for a full meal next time!

This place has delicious food and refreshing drinks Its small plates and some big plates…read more We ordered small plates fried artichokes brussel sprouts tikki fried chicken with hot honey on naan halloumi cheese and beets All delicious but a little too pricey we got maybe 10 small diced beets for 15.00 dollars

If I could give 6 stars, I would...we hosted a rehearsal dinner at Steeple Hall and the event was a…read morepleasure to plan, host, and attend! There is not enough space to list all the positives--but some of the highlights include... ~ Nik's terrific advice about set up, food choices, and schedule ~ the deliciousness of the food: I have hosted a number of catered events and have never had so many guests comment on how much they enjoyed the meal ~ Steeple Hall is a lovely space; with the lofted ceiling it manages to feel intimate and stunning at the same time. It is also accessible to anyone who has trouble walking stairs or who needs a wheelchair. Most importantly, I am so impressed by and thankful for the efficiency, friendliness, patience, and kindness of Nik and the rest of the staff. They made sure that everything looked beautiful and that everyone had what they needed. I am hopeful that the future will bring more happy events to plan and I would return to Steeple Hall in a heartbeat.

I've been here about a dozen times over the past 3 years. Food and service are consistently meh…read more I've got nothing bad to say other than everything is solid mediocre.

Just happened to pass Carmine's last night with a friend. She spotted 2 sets at the bar, so we said…read morelet's do it!! So glad we did. George & Alexa greeted us as if we were old friends at the bar. Class act all the way! Delicious well crafted cocktails, were made with finesse, spectacular little neck clams for appetizer, accompanied by fresh soft & crispy crusted bread.. Blew me away! Our entrees were flavorful, well plated & of course made with the utmost quality, care & love! Mamma would be very proud!! From the front to the back of the house, one of the greatest team experience I have had the pleasure of experiencing anywhere. The atmosphere is like a warm hug, makes you feel you are back where you belong! Bravo!! Please save me a seat at the bar. I will be back! Karen Lebro

Beyond rude. Bartender is abrasive and FULL of ego. Will not be going back…read more As I sat at the bar waiting for my friend who is a physician, and left the hospital a few minutes behind. The bartender came @ me with a bizarre aggressive nature, demanding we could not hold the seat even with my friend 9min away --- no one waiting for a seat @ the bar. He snapped stating "we need to make money". When I responded I just had returned from France, owners were still in business, and no one rushed us off a table or bar stool -----he elevated, kicked me out, demanded I never return, and had the audacity to give me the check for a drink I had not yet taken a sip of. I took the high road, but refused to pay the check. The customers around me at the tables and the bar were horrified. Eyes were wide. It was so over the top they initially thought he was joking. In my early 20's I worked in a successful restaurant. If anyone in that building treated a guest that way we would have gotten fired. It is clear the hot-headed ego maniac does not see customers as guests, but rather that he is doing them a favor by letting them in the door. We walked across the to Bar 25, had excellent creative food, were treated with an easy light and loose respect, no one rushed the tables or the bar seats ---and we enjoyed a nice evening amidst the hip atmosphere, unique menu, and excellent service. If you want good food, and rushed through dinner, even at the bar, you found your place.

After going whale watching right out of the Merrimack River in the morning, my friend and I wanted…read moreto eat lunch nearby. I had done some research and apparently Brine is a favorite, so we went there. We stayed in the lot we were at and paid $2/hr to park through the passport parking app. It was a beautiful day for outdoor seating, but since the only tables left were directly in the sun, we stayed inside but because they had to windows open, the breeze was still flowing through. We started with the small power tower (cause duh, we're at an oyster bar!) which was supposed to come with 6 oysters, 4 littleneck clams, 2 jumbo cocktail shrimp, and a half order of crudo. Since we both aren't a fan of raw clams, we begged politely to have it swapped for something else and the compromise was 2 oysters. There were 4 options for oysters (Chatham-Chatham, MA, Crowes Pasture-Duxbury, MA, Norumbega-Damariscotta, ME, and Rose and Garnet-Falmouth, MA) so we ended up with 2 of each. As an appetizer, we had the octopus skewer (roasted garlic and zuchinni yogurt, crispy potato, pearl onion, pepperoncini, herbs) and for entrees, we ordered the halibut (jasmine rice, ginger coconut broth, charred asparagus, cilantro chimichurri) and scallop + garganelli (corn, black pepper, brown butter, tarragon breadcrumbs). The oysters tasted fresh with the Norumbega being our favorite. They could've done a little better with shucking them since we did find hard little pieces of stuff in some of them. The sauces they came with were all incredible; the green one tasted like an avocado cilantro and the cocktail sauce was the best I've ever had. The shrimp were massive, juicy, and tender with a snap to them. I didn't like the crudo much since it was in a ponzu sauce so far too much umami for me where it took away from the fresh fish flavor. I would've liked a half order of the halibut instead. The octopus was a little bland; I think they were relying on the sauce to provide all the flavor. It was cooked well, but I wish it was more tasty. I loved the crispy potatoes on top of the sauce as well as the pepperoncini. The halibut was well cooked and the crispy finish to the top was incredible. The broth reminded me of a lighter (in flavor) and less viscous Thai coconut curry. The asparagus was overcooked or maybe not as fresh - I wish it were still bright green and crisp. The scallop and garganelli was amazing. The sauce was thick, savory, and I loved the big pieces of crushed black pepper as well as the sweet corn. The pasta shape was new to me but it did well to capture the sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly and it came with a good amount. Their bathrooms are very spacious and clean. Our server did a great job; she helped us make some decisions, was patient with last minute changes, and smiled the whole time.

Came here after roaming around Newburyport. It was completely empty when we arrived at 12:30pm on a…read moreSaturday. We were actually afraid it wouldn't be good. They ended up filling up a little bit after we arrived. It was cute how the menu lists out all team members including servers. That's a sweet touch and I guess easy to do when they're changing menus every few weeks. We liked how fresh and clean everything tasted. Seafood portions were big too. We ordered: small power tower, dozen oysters (3 of each on their menu), 2 composed oysters, octopus skewer, mussels, lobster salad, crab bisque, lobster pasta, and baked Alaska We started off with the small power tower. We couldn't choose the oysters or ceviche but it came out being 3 Dixon Point, 3 Norumbega, and tuna crudo. The ceviche portion seemed a bit small even after knowing that it's half a portion of a regular order. My family enjoyed the oysters so much that we ended up ordering a dozen more, 3 of each available at the time. It was fun to try out the different flavor profiles across the various oysters. We also inquired about the composed oysters which changes even more regularly than their menu. Each time it's some sort of tart flavor and a fruity flavor. When we went, they added grape and some sort of vinegar to it. We didn't expect that combination and it turned out quite refreshing. Octopus skewer might be the least favorite of the table. The texture was a bit soft, more mushy than tender chewy. Mussels were also something my family liked. I only ate a few pieces because I had a muddy one in the beginning. Lobster salad was a crowd favorite given the large pieces of lobster and avocado. Using bibb lettuce made it less wet and watery which adds to the creaminess. Lobster pasta felt duplicative when we already got lobster salad but I still really wanted to order it for some creamy savoriness and carbs. It hit the spot for sure. Unfortunately there were a few pieces of lobster that weren't as fresh and couldn't eat. We told them about it and didn't request for anything but they ended up comping the dish. We last minute added the crab bisque after enjoying all the other items so much. I didn't like the smokey flavor so didn't have too much. At the end we were so satisfied that we wanted to try out the desserts too. We were debating between the baked Alaska and the tofu cheesecake. We ended up getting the baked Alaska because it seems more unique. It's not the type where you get a whole ice cream mountain covered in meringue that they'll bake, torch, or pour alcohol lit on fire. I think it's more like a deconstructed baked Alaska - disappointing but still looked nice and tasted good. The meringue was whipped very nicely, thick fluffy texture. The torch on it was just right too, providing sufficient char in appearance and flavor. The black sesame praline on top was surprising as an element and its nice toasty smokey addition to the dish. The splash of yuzu (or passionfruit?) sauce at the bottom was sufficient for the cake pieces and not sweet meringue (I know it probably still has a lot).

My wife and I went there for lunch today. Great looking restaurant inside, though we chose to sit…read moreon the upper deck. Great view and the umbrellas over each table allow you to enjoy the outdoors. We ordered a burger and a tomato and cheese sandwich, both were excellent and some of the best fries I have tasted came with both. Will definitely be back for dinner some evening. Our server ( forgot her name, but Russian accent..sorry) was excellent and seemed to be there just when you needed her. Very nice personality. Price was good considering you are in the heart of Newburyport. Highly recommend.

Let me see. A nice restaurant in Newburyport. Nice atmosphere…read more We were seated, and once our server knew we were there, they took care of us. I had the black Cow burger, medium rare. My husband had the chipotle ranch chicken. My burger was decent. The bacon was smoked...no crunch, but it was good. . The fries were really interesting, I really enjoyed them. My husband was not a fan of his. First, the top bun was flipped...we have no idea why. The breading came off of the chicken after the first bite. The sandwich had no flavor. He wondered if he read it correctly, because he did not taste any heat, yet it is called "chipotle ranch...". Why do we fear heat? Also, the bacon jam spilled all over his plate. He did not eat it. Very messy.

This is a relatively new restaurant and I expect will improve in time. I do hope so as the location…read moreis nice, the room has been redone nicely, and the food was good, but service was slow and spotty. I think they just don't have enough servers. We arrived just after our friends who advised they had already ordered their drinks. Our waitress arrived promptly and took our drink order and then vanished. No drinks for quite some time. A manager came over to ask if anybody had visited us, apologized for the delay, and returned with our drinks. I'm estimating it was a bit over 30 minutes or so before drinks arrived. Our waitress did return, apologized and took our food order. I wasn't so sure about ordering sushi, but glad we did. The maki we tried were very good, fresh and beautifully presented. A great start. We switched gears for our entree and went with a parpadelle bolognese. A nice generous portion that was as good as some of the Italian spots in the area. Our friends also enjoyed their dishes. Portions were generous and prices were reasonable. I would easily have given 4 stars, but the service needs improvement. You would need to plan to spend at least a couple of hours for a lunch. In our case it was not a big deal as we were enjoying time with friends, but I can understand the other negative reviews now. We do plan to return to work our way deeper into the menu, and hope they will have more staff to help with the front of the house.

This wasn't our first visit to this place; we had visited once before and sat on the patio (during…read morewinter, so it was sealed up like a cozy igloo). Knowing the drill, we were prepared to valet the car, which is definitely a downside since it slows down the whole getting-in-and-out process. We made our way to the host stand and were greeted warmly. We asked for seating for three (husband, wife, and child) and were led to a table along the outside of the bar. It was a great window seat but definitely on the louder side. Not an issue for us, but if you're bringing someone who's hard of hearing or just doesn't like noise, consider this a heads-up. Our waitress came over to take our drink order immediately, and we placed our food order shortly after. We started with the Brussels sprouts appetizer. I ordered the Poke Bowl, my husband went for the Mac & Cheese, and our son ordered the same from the kids' menu. Drinks took a while to arrive. When the appetizer came, I noticed my utensils were sticky and asked for a new set. This took wayyyyy longer than it should have. She literally went and gathered some drinks from the bar and delivered them before getting me the utensils. The appetizer was tasty but lacked the sriracha kick we expected from the description (though I honestly preferred them this way). Our meals arrived, and I noticed mine was very small but delicious. My husband's dish was missing the chicken and prosciutto and was really dry. Our son's dish had chicken on the side (a good idea) because he didn't like the pasta, calling it "dry and weird" (his words). My husband asked for a side of cheese and the missing chicken and prosciutto. He only got the chicken and cheese (at this point, we let the prosciutto go). We ordered a second round of drinks but should have ordered them as soon as the first round arrived because the meal was pretty much done by the time we got the second round. In the end, we skipped dessert and paid the check. The lackluster personality of our waitress didn't help things. We handed in the valet tag with payment (as instructed) and still waited over 10 minutes for our car by the time we got to the parking lot. Overall, this place has promise but still needs some work before it can capitalize on the summer traffic. If they can't figure it out, I fear it won't last like many of their predecessors. Fingers crossed for them because I do think they can be wonderful!

Got there before the rush on a Monday night buy 1 burger get 1 free. Staff greeted us and felt very…read morewelcoming. Our server was great (believe his name was Declan. Burgers were good but the only complaint and it's BIG is the cleanliness. I am not one who goes looking for cleanliness but when the menus were stuck to the table and still salt debris from the former guests was visible not to mention the salt shaker itself (disgusting and needs to be tossed). I wouldn't want to see the results of the black light run over the whole menu either. Come on people. Looked like they had plenty of help on board and a quick team clean before the rush would be totally worth it.

We went yesterday for a drink and an app, and got seats at the bar right away. Weirdly, as we sat…read moredown the bartender handed us three menus and said, "do you know what you want to drink?" And then seemed surprised that we wanted to look at the drink menu. The decorations inside are great, it's all set up for Halloween but also strange was the many TVs were on but at least three didn't work and had the Direct TV logo on, three were showing children with cleft palate syndrome and how you can donate and two had old soccer games. So, points for decor but negative points for terrible tv. Next up we order- I ordered a Bloody Mary medium spice and my husband ordered the same. They had zero spice. I couldn't taste horseradish, lemon, heat, anything. They were beautiful but absolutely tasteless. We then ordered chicken fingers with Carolina gold sauce and tater tots. The bartender didn't know what sauce we were talking about so we showed it to her on the menu-but that is absolutely not the sauce we got. The fingers came out dressed in some hot sauce that was so hot I couldn't only eat one and had to drink water in between every bite. How were the tater tots? No idea because they never came, but she didn't charge us either. I couldn't wait to get out of there. It's so disappointing because they have a great location and could be doing so much better. Oh, and don't get me started on the extra "service charge" on the tab. Apparently it's some extra fee all the waterfront restaurant owners are charging? We won't be back. The Goat is definitely not the GOAT

The good: - Most of…read morethe food: Thai lettuce wraps and Ramen were perfect. - The service: Our waitress was super attentive, helpful and nice. - Atmosphere: I enjoyed the decor and music soundtrack. The bad: - Ran out of food: They ran out of 4 of their key items (all of which we wanted to order) which was kind of a bummer since I came here for my gf's birthday. - Drinks: No bueno here. Probably some of the worst we had while staying in Newburyport. Both drinks tasted like medicine and we stuck to having just one as a result. All-in-all, it was a decent visit but I'd probably head somewhere else the next time I'm in town.

Food was yummy but the serving size was small. $53 dollars for a curry soup and chicken stir fry…read moreand we both left hungry. It's too bad. I really wanted to like this place. I dine in Newburyport often

Fresh Guinness, good service and solid pub food. Great place to watch Boston sports. Go to for our…read morefamily.

The food was very good! I would recommend the seafood chowder and the tomato soup. I would not…read morerecommend the wings they were very tough to bite into. I would recommend the tavern if you were looking for a quick place to eat.

This place is the perfect dive bar in Newburyport Drinks galore and lots of socializing There…read moreis darts and tvs for watching The decor is fantastic full of ocean life Service was great

The Thirsty Whale was one of my "dive" haunts when I lived in the area so I was curious to see if…read moreit was still a great neighborhood bar. Spoiler alert it is! We arrived on a cold damp afternoon and quickly joined a few regulars at the bar. Conversations were started and the cocktails flowed. They do have some great local craft beers and a full bar with a few high end liquors like Eagle Rare and Grey Goose. My desert dry Goose martini with a twist was perfect. Plus 1 said her Paloma was perfect as well. We could have spent the entire afternoon here hangin with the regulars and getting toasty but alas we had dinner reservations. We did stop by after dinner for a nightcap and the Whale was rocking to a live band and they were packed on a Wednesday night no less. Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" song could have easily been written for the Whale!