My husband and I stopped in for a meal during our stay in the area, and we couldn't have enjoyed our meal more. We followed the advice of our server and ordered the Reuben and the French Herb Burger. The Reuben was full of thick-cut house made corned beef, and the burger was topped with bacon jam and an herb cheese, both house made. Both were perfectly cooked and just delicious. We followed with peanut butter pie for dessert and it too was delightful. Service was prompt, friendly and most of all, knowledgeable of the restaurant's best dishes. The restaurant was cozy on a chilly April evening. We will be back! read more

Yummy spot!!! Everything here was very tasty. We started with drinks. I will have to say I got a cider on tap and it was super flat. They switched it for the other cider no questions asked and it was still flat so maybe don't get the ciders. Everyone else enjoyed their drinks (rum punches, ales, and lemonade). For apps we got the oysters which were very tasty and the nashville hot wings which were delicious! The blue cheese dip was amazing! For dinner i got the special which was the scallops on caeser salad. The scallops were good. The salad was fantastic though!! Got strawberry rhubarb pie for dinner which was tasty too!! read more

Newcastle Publick House - Oysters - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

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To be fair, the sign on the way into town warns "Slow Village". And I waited what most would consider an embarrassingly long time to be served. But being in no rush, I enjoyed my window seat with a bit of a water & garden view and read my book. The pub is wonderfully old fashioned with scenic murals of the town around the walls. Eventually, I had a half dozen local oysters and a bowl of haddock chowder. And I washed it down with a delicious porter that had the longest name I've ever seen, some nearby place's working guy's daughter's ale. Sorry I can't remember it, but it was epically good, reminiscent of classic old English or Irish porters. Service was friendly, and I'll assume they just didn't want to disturb my reverie. read more

Food's great. I often have the simple pork chop if is on the specials menu. The house red is good. The atmosphere is lively and the service staff is friendly although a bit frazzled on busy nights - normal for Maine in the off season when all the kids have gone back to school. The patio is delightful of a summer's evening. read more

Went for lunch and I enjoyed the ambiance of this place. Small bar but comfortable. Had a local cider that was not sweet but very good. Lunch was great. Had buttermilk chicken bites and a Reuben that was awesome. Bartender was very attentive and provided the story behind the hanging pottery mugs. Some patrons still use them. read more

Outstanding service in a convivial atmosphere combined with excellent pints of Guinness, oysters and fish and chips.....make this place a must stop! read more

Cute little spot! While in Maine I wanted to get some food that I can't get in the Midwest. I had a crab cake and it was delicious! The sauce that came with it was amazing. I had the cooked oysters and they were delicious. They have lots of local beer. It was an expensive lunch, but the food was worth it. Service was friendly. read more

Newcastle Publick House - Al's oysters - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

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I like that they had tons of veggie options. We ate outside as it was kind of stuffy indoors - it's an older building afterall - but eating outdoors was nice and they had large umbrellas to stay in the shade. The mushrooms were crispy amd addicting, a little heavy so I couldn't have any more than this amount because it could become too greasy. Service was ok, but I think because we ate outside she forgot we were out there after we got our food, which normally I don't mind but I drink a lot of water so wish they would leave a pitcher of water on the table.like some restaurants do, at least for the outside tables if they don't come out as often. read more

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We had an exactly-what-we-were-expecting-and-hoping-for kind of afternoon here recently. We stopped by right after lunch hours for fries and drinks. We sat outside in the (direct and blistering) sunshine on their patio (TBH, I'm unsure why they didn't want to put the umbrellas up) which doesn't have the best views as it's located just feet away from a very busy and very weird intersection. How many people will actually stop at the stop signs?! It's anyone's guess! But you get to witness the chaos of it all. Our absolutely lovely server did not excessively check on us, which we so appreciated. We ordered two drinks: a pint of cider and a whiskey-ginger (which also came in a pint glass). An order of basic french fries (which were, admittedly, still slightly cold inside) and a side of vegan "special sauce" was $25!!! We could have the same thing in Portland for twice that. The renovated historical red brick building is from the early 1900's; the menu is from the future. Okay, not the future, but it's doing more work for dietary inclusion than other newer places in "hipper" areas of Maine are. The menu is clearly labeled with what's vegetarian and what's vegan - and there are genuinely decent vegan options (disclosure: I haven't tried any... yet). As of writing this, expect a french onion soup (around $10), a roasted cauliflower steak small plate (around $12), a tempeh reuben (made with local tempeh and local sauerkraut on marbled rye for around $18; come with fries or coleslaw), and a vegan meatloaf with onion gravy, mash, and nightly veg (something you'd very much find in an English pub, around $25 [we have a favorite pub in England that serves almost this exact thing for around $20, so the pricing isn't that much different). The portions seem generous, the staff seems accommodating... what more could you want? The inside is spacious and wooden, plenty of high top, bar, and booth style seating (strooooong smell of fish inside though). If you're into oysters, they also have local options and a lounge to enjoy them in (which offers live music, an open mic, trivia, and more). read more

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A very cute and tasty establishment! I can't wait to go back for some more of that dealishesness.

Stopped at the Newcastle Publick House on our drive north from Florida, good to be back in Maine, except for the cold! Ordered Baked Stuffed Haddock to go, keeping with our welcome back to Maine theme! It was very good, but my only complaint is that I asked for extra Buerre Blanc sauce, which I love, and I don't think there was any sauce on it at all!! We also got the Shepards Pie, excellent! And they have a great tap selection for IPA's while I waited! read more

Newcastle Publick House - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

Great food and service. Beer draft choices were great. We're out of quite a few things after the weekend

Almost don't know where to start. Arrived at 6 pm on a Saturday night to a relatively empty place with a party of 4. Got 3 of our drinks pretty quickly but one beer seemed to take an enormous amount of time while the bartender was no where to be found. Ordered a burger and 3 fish sandwiches which took forever to arrive and along with the fries were lukewarm at best. Tables that arrived after us got their food well before we did. Waitress was so aloof that we thought we might have offended her somehow. It shouldn't take an hour and a half to get a burger and 3 sandwiches even at a busy place. read more

I eat here frequently because the quality of the food is good. I was very disappointed with the meal I had most recently as were those who dined with me. I regularly order the jam burger. There was something off with the meat last night. My friends were also disappointed with what they ordered: the fried haddock sandwich. They were disappointed with the size of their portion and the fried haddock was greasy. The service was efficient enough , not especially friendly. I will give it another try, but not soon. read more

Made an unexpected stop at this cute little place on Saturday, July 31, due to a flight cancellation -- luckily we were only thirty minutes into our trip to Portland, and less than five minutes away from Newcastle Publick House. It was recommended by a friend's contractor when we asked if she new any good gluten free restaurants in the area. Even though it was a Saturday afternoon in season, we felt expertly taken care of from the moment we walked in the door. Since all the outside tables were full, we opted to take an available booth near the bar. The menu is mostly small plates, tapas-like, featuring an array of yummy foodstuffs. We started with the pulled-pork and pimiento cheese nachos, shishito peppers, chicken wings and Nashville Hot chicken tenders, along with some frites, fresh oysters and abundant cocktails. Pretty much everything was delicious, especially the wings and tenders. Being from the south, I was a little disappointed in the nachos, but we took our leftovers home, and jazzed them up with some fresh chips, shredded Mexican blend cheese and tomatillo salsa. If you're vegan, this restaurant has you covered, including a separate fryer to ensure no cross-contamination. read more

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disgusting. dirty. salad was brown with wilt. condescending waitress. food came out cold. Had a group of 5. Avoid this place! They were not that busy either. read more

We go to NPH quite a bit. The food is always consistent. The Angry Al's oysters are wonderful. The Rueben sandwich, always up to par. This time I swayed from my usual Rueben, and had the pub burger, which was great. The disappointment this visit was our waitress. It felt like she was in a hurry to get rid of us. This came to light when I was going to ask for the dessert menu, and she plopped down the check without any eye contact, and rushed off. The hostess actually took care of the check. It wasn't close to closing time, or anything. I hope her day got better. read more

After a recent visit to the botanical gardens, it was close to lunchtime and we were famished. We had already made plans to meet a friend for lunch in the Damariscotta area. Once again, with the help of my trusty Yelp! app, we were able to find a restaurant which had several vegan options: Newcastle Publick House (NPH) was the restaurant du jour! We arrived just as they were opening for lunch; perfect! We were greeted by a pleasant hostess, and chose to eat al fresco, being it was such a fine day and their outdoor space is quite beautiful, perched a bit above, overlooking Main Street and the short bridge into Damariscotta across the river. Upon seating and taking it in for some moments, the waitress arrived. She was very nice; still trying to get into the groove of her day's start. The plant-based options were very welcomed, as so many restaurants which do offer vegan options pretty much have one or two items and that's it; NPH had several choices. Someone ordered the French onion soup (done vegan), which they enjoyed. I thought I'd start with a "sharing" dish of their Bravas ($12), and (for myself) the Jerk Jackfruit Quesadilla ($14). The Bravas arrived first; it was VERY different from the patatas bravas I've had in Spain or elsewhere. Essentially, it was a single overstuffed roasted/baked potato! Being a whole potato (as opposed to roasted wedges) didn't make it easy to share, natch. It sure was pretty, though, in and of itself; taste was decent but puzzling (way too overloaded). Let's just say it was different from traditional bravas. My quesadilla, too, looked wonderful and robust upon service. Stuffed to bursting..... Unfortunately! Can there ever be a time when there's too much of a good thing? Alas, the overload of jackfruit proved to be its undoing as the tortillas got soggy and unpleasant texturally fairly quickly. Still, though, the parts that did survive had good flavors. Bottom line: Ambiance is smashing! 5-stars! Very Old World with an interior of lots of polished dark woods and such. Food was good. 3 1/2-stars. Service was decent (there wasn't too much interaction from the gal). 2 1/2-stars. The main reason for the 2-star rating is the 1-star I give for the ill-advised kitchen tax that was added to the bill (somewhat surreptitiously, I might add, as not too many people really look at their dinner receipts beyond the total). Fortunately, someone in our party noticed it. Upon inquiry, the explanation by the waitress of what the additional tax was for just did not sit right, at all! On top of the 10-20% tip for wait service, NPH now wants its customers to pony-up another 3% to tip its kitchen staff! (The waitress did remove the tax when we balked.) The owner's response was that this is not an uncommon practice in the current restaurant industry. Well, perhaps I haven't lunched or dined in top-tier cities like NYC or Boston in a while; nevertheless, this was the first time I've ever seen this kitchen surcharge -- other reviews on this forum are also critical of this additional tax, I don't feel out-of-line with my rating. Perhaps better wages are in-store...??? It was a pity that our maiden (and, now, only) experience at Newcastle Publick House left us with such a sour and unpleasant taste... read more

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Now my go to hang-out in Damariscotta. Such a cool working crowd. Not pretentious retiree. Can I tell you how great the food is? I really enjoy the uniqueness of haddock Rachel sandwich. Bartender is friendly and welcoming. read more

We on Sunday and took my boy and girlfriend. Prices are too high for the food. Never buy the Shephards pie. was a mess. 100 bucks for 3 plates. read more

While staying in Bath, ME but heading to Pemiquid Light for sunset we struggled to find an "open" restaurant for a casual dinner. Times are crazy people! Places are open maybe 3 days a week max! Well we are so happy NPH was open. Reason for 5 stars as follows: friendly helpful staff, outdoor patio seating and delicious food! Get a burger. read more

Newcastle Publick House - Jam bacon burger! - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

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my friend and I had lunch there today. She wad excited to order a dish she had before, the Roasted Cauliflower. I ordered the haddock chowder, which was tasty, but not Maine haddock chowder--more like clam chowder. The server was very cool to us. My friend's lunch was so undercooked, she couldn't cut it with her knife and left at least half of it because it was so undercooked. when the server brought the bill and we told her about the inedible cauliflower, she actually argued with my friend and disappeared. my friend had to chase her down to pay. The dish was $14, and the server took off a mere $3. I'll never return read more

Good food. We visited for a basketball tournament and I guess we didn't fit in for "Charity," felt judged and she was rude. Nothing much for kids. read more

Very good wings. Delicious cocktail specials. My only complaint is that the food took a really long time. It seemed like our server might have been the only server so we were patient and sympathetic but we loved everything we tasted. The mussels, the wings, the potatoes, the Brussels sprouts, the hanger steak, and the French onion soup. All delicious! We would have ordered dessert but the service was too slow so we opted for the ice cream waiting for us back home! Kind of a shame since we saw someone with a crème brûlée! Next time.... we'll be back!! read more

Newcastle Publick House - Peabody spritz - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

Haddock chowder was super tasty. Crab cake was good, but cold. Ceaser salad was huge!! Very good! The pulled pork was a bit overwhelmed by the coleslaw and pickled onions but the sandwich as a whole was good. Our waitress was friendly, great smile. Kinda pricy for lunch for 3. Cute, relaxing bar area with large booths next to big windows. It was cold outside and chilly inside but we didn't mind- old buildings are drafty. All in all a decent lunch. read more

Consistently good! Great little spot to grab some Maine comfort food and beverages. Pretty sure they are open year round too.

We were in Newcastle and thought that we would try the Publick House even though they have very few vegan options. The french onion soup: Crock French Onion Soup - Topped with swiss cheese and crostini's (vegetarian, available vegan with vegan cheese) $9, was yummy, just what you would expect. Nice rich broth, crouton and vegan cheese. The appetizer: Bravas - seared roasted loaded potatoes, vegan compound butter, house seasoning, sea salt, pickled onions, jalapenos, vegan seasoned crema $12, was a bit underwhelming for what you pay. It was really small. The service was OK, a bit slow considering we got there just after they opened and there were not a lot of customers. But now the whole reason they get one star. If you look at your bill closely, you will find in the sales tax section, a "Kitchen SVC Charge". I went and hunted down our server (she was very slow) to ask about the charge. She said that it is a 3% tip was added to every bill for the kitchen staff. WHAT? REALLY? Not how it works in the service industry. Since it is a charge that is hidden, no mention on a sign or menu, it's stealing. The server did remove it when asked. Shame. Good food, just bad judgement on the owners or managers part. read more

Newcastle Publick House - Vegan French Onion Soup - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

Awesome beer on tap... unassuming vibe. This is a place that serves local regulars--their mugs hang prominently over the bar. It's just $50 a year to join the mug club to get a 22oz pour for the price of 16oz. We ordered the house salad with crab cakes--yup, they are definitely mostly crab and just a tad of binder. Fabulous. I got the superlatively crispy panko crusted haddock with fries. Can't get enough that either. Loving it. Can't wait to be back! read more

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I have been a consistent diner at the Newcastle Publick House since they opened. I recently had a fit of cabin-fever (thank you Covid-19) and decided a visit to the Publick House was just what I needed, after all, it's summer in Maine! I thought - where else can I get a view of the ocean plus freshly-shucked oysters on the half shell without driving 2 hours? I packed my laptop and grabbed my daughter and set off. We opted for inside dining in the A/C (outside IS an option in the umbrella'd porch section) and we were seated in the window over-looking the sunny, picturesque, bustling corner of downtown of Damariscotta, Maine. The restaurant was enforcing physical distancing and mask-wearing (as is required by State Law during this time). I did make a reservation to-be-sure, but they were not required for patrons. The Public House has switched to single-use recyclable menu as a result of the pandemic, but as near as I could tell, the menu offerings had not changed. The establishment still had a fun assortment of apps, the freshest, finest local seafood, and the oysters on the half-shell continue to steal the show. I ordered half a dozen with lemon and horseradish, they arrived perfectly shucked on a bed of chipped ice, after savoring each bite of their cold, briney, oceany goodness, I went for a second appetizer of their crab cakes with aoili. I had never tried the crab cakes before. They were seasoned and seared to seafood'y perfection! I felt the price was perfectly reasonable for a popular coastal Maine tourist destination. Overall, the Newcastle Public House is a Damariscotta institution and to come to Maine in the summer and NOT stop at the Public House - well, THAT is an oyster-lovin' shame! read more

Newcastle Publick House - Crab cakes and house Pinot Grigio! Summer in Maine! - New American Near Me - Newcastle, Maine

We have driven past this place for years, but never stopped for whatever reason. Yesterday, we went into town for lunch and the wait times at the usual places were just too long. Went back to the car to find another spot or just head back and remembered this one. Glad we went! The place was packed, but we were able to get a seat outside right away. Haddock Rachel sandwich was really good! It was on a toasted marble rye type of bread with a large piece of fish. Fries were also good. My wife had a regular haddock sandwich and also enjoyed it. Beer was cold, weather was perfect, and I had great company. Service was a little slow, so I asked about staffing. There were only two servers for the whole restaurant... This seems the new norm for most places, especially touristy ones. Despite that, wait times were not overly long and the servers (and greeter) were running the whole time we were there. read more

Newcastle Publick House was recommended to us by our B&B owner for its Damariscotta oysters and its extensive local beer list. It overlooks the city and is an easy walk to shopping and town exploring. First of all, we wish to commend the staff for managing so many leaf peepers and families there checking out the pumpkins from the previous week's festival. They contended with large groups and plenty of tourists! We shared 3 items and all were incredible. Crab cake - large, with peppers baked in and served with a delicious aioli. The greens with it were well seasoned. Garlic fries - well seasoned and many in the basket! You have to like smaller sized fries (not steak fries) and enjoy the garlic oil used to fry them. We got them with the smoked tomato aioli and they were great! Angry Al's Damariscotta oysters - fantastic! The order comes with 5 and each was perfectly paired with bacon, spinach, Gorgonzola, and hot sauce. I could have sat there all day eating them! read more

I was a little disappointed in the food. The service was a bit slow, but the ambiance was very nice.

Great Reuben sandwich and fries!! Friendly service and a fun spot. Fun spot to stop on the way north.

Yummy, cute break from a nice coastal walk. Good chai and breakfast sandwiches. Tiny with just a few tables but they make it work

Beware - undisclosed charges on bills! We have eaten at Newcastle Publick House many times in the past 7 years (we own a home in the area). Food and service have always been great - so why the poor review? This summer, the owner has decided to add a non-disclosed "kitchen surcharge" of 3% to every bill - a small line that I bet most people don't notice. This is part of a growing trend for restaurants - hidden undisclosed charges to pad the bill! If you need more revenue to cover costs- raise prices on the menu! Or indicate in bold on the menu that all prices subject to an extra 3% charge. Don't try to slip one past your customer - it's cheating! So far, this is the first restaurant in the area where I see this behavior - shame on you Publick House - your competitors aren't doing this. Be honest with your customers! read more

Diner beware. You will see a $2.19 charge on your bill. Our waitress removed it from our check when we questioned it. She said it was paid to the young people working there to keep them happy. We will not be back. read more

Last night my husband and I made reservations at 7:30 and we had never been to this restaurant before. We are local to Brunswick and count Embark, the Dolphin, Enoteca, Water Street and Urban Element among our favorite local spots. NPH has now garnered a top spot in our list! First--the setting. We sat outside--it was a cool summer evening, the lights were beautiful and the patio was full. The beautiful setting, the old building, everything made for a wonderfully romantic night. Next came the seafood chowder. Fresh, creamy, peppery, loaded with fish. My favorite seafood chowder before this had come from Schutty's, now I have a new favorite! The food-- we started with an incredible shishito pepper appetizer, we are sort of shishito peppers nerds and this was by far the best example we have ever had. The dusting of spices, the company dipping sauce-- all made for a wonderfully seasoned plate. For entrées I had the seafood étouffée and my husband had the barbecued shrimp and grits. There are some restaurants in the area that claim you will have lobster in your dish but you end up getting very little. There was tons of lobster in this plate, and the smoky flavors in the broth combined with the creamy grits was outstanding! I was far too busy enjoying my meal to taste my husband but he said it was excellent as well. The service. Sarah our waitress was wonderfully warm and welcoming. Kind, funny and conversational she had just the right balance of attentiveness. All in all I give NPH an A+. The only downfall was that they did not have their wonderful, women's cut T-shirts available at this time. I would have probably worn it and as a marketer, I know how important local advertising is! Lastly, the old-fashioned was wonderful as was the wine selection, I very much enjoyed my French white wine. Prices are pretty comparable to the area maybe even a little on the lower side. As I watch restaurants in the area close due to lack of staff while facing an overwhelming amount of patrons, I can only hope that NPH is able to stay open so that I can make my way there again very soon! read more

I know every restaurant is understaffed right now, and we try hard to be easy customers, leave large tips, etc. This was a horrible experience that would have been mostly better if there had been enough staff. We waited nearly 45 minutes to ger our drinks and nearly two hours for our food, which was three simple sandwiches. (We would have left, but every other restaurant was closed and/or had a hideous wait time.) While we waited, we witnessed one server (not ours) crying at another table -- she said someone in the kitchen had been yelling at her. We then watched an elderly man bus his and his companions' dishes back to the kitchen HIMSELF after he also witnessed the server's tears. Meanwhile, we also have a child with significant food allergies. When we let our server know, she rolled her eyes at us and repeatedly complained about how hard we were making *her* day. That's never happened before in 5+ years we've been managing these allergies. After we finally ate our sandwiches (sat down at 2 PM, ate at nearly 4 PM), I told the waitress the same thing. She apologized, but it still was an awful experience. The food was fine, I guess. One of the orders came with the wrong side, and we knew better than to send it back. After waiting two hours, a grilled sock would probably have tasted just as good. Our drinks were comped, but we will never come back. I think they're so reliant on the tourist churn that reviews don't matter much anyway. read more

Food is excellent! Their Reuben sandwich is scrumptious! A must try for sure, and the Angry Oysters are a must too!

Gave 3 stars only because the waitstaff were excellent; friendly and kept checking to see what was needed. Drinks were great! That being said, the water tasted like plastic and we were told it was town water! No one should drink that water. The fish was old and uneatable with a stronger smell. Hangar steak was ok. read more