I'm not sure what happened the day of our reservation. We made a reservation several days in advance for my husband's 60th birthday, and on this particular day, it was very chilly and we have been whale watching for half of the day. That being sad we didn't change into our dress clothes for dinner. We wore our jeans in our sweatshirts. The greeting at the door was very chilly and our waitress was the same. To the point where we ended up getting our own water from the wait station because she never came back to the table. We had to send our flat steak back because it was rare and we ordered it medium. The manager was very, very accommodating and really went above and beyond, she made us feel very welcome, but the remaining staff not so much. read more

Fantasic loacatioon and menu. Too many things to try, but the most memorable dish was the Grilled/smoked octopus app - loved it.

This place was amazing! From the service to the food to the ambiance. Our waitress was fantastic. The food was delicious for the money. We had a few of the drinks and some appetizers and meals. Highly recommend! read more

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We had a celebration of life here and everything went amazing. Neal, Abby and Barbi handled everything from flowers to desert. They had only had a three day notice and executed phenomenally. Thank you for making a tough day easy for us read more

Amazing restaurant with a smoky vibe. The clam chowder and fish and chips were smoky and delicious! The service was excellent. A great recommendation for some smoked items from the menu! read more

Food? Excellent. Service was attentive and so fast, it was a busy, but even with it being packed, it didn't feel crowded.

Upscale restaurant with waterfront dining. Fast service and cute craft cocktails. I absolutely loved the smoky flavor of the steak. read more

Oak to Ember - Steak frites - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

We had reservations the night before Valentine's Day. We are not from town so didn't know much about the place other than reviews online. Fun and lovely atmosphere - was a mix of groups and couples. Our server was great, food was too and portions were large. Wish we lived closer! read more

Great place & deck seating, like taking a mini vacation. The food and drinks are delicious, but the location is the star. Sitting on the deck watching the sun set and the seagulls plot to steal food, it was a wonderful experience. The service was professional, efficient, and friendly. I cannot think of a thing I would change. Well done! read more

Hostesses was an a hole. Place was empty. Hostest said they had nothing for an hour. Not friendly.

I want to like this place but they sucks every time. Christmas Eve the prawn special $24 came with 2 mysterious codings one tempura the other the shrimp SHELL that means you need a hatchet to eat it. The bartenders are too busy so don't bother them they don't know they are working in hospitality. My Bill Came to almost a $100 and I was ALONE Pellana prices with out the fine dining experience. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Oak to Ember - $24 - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

We ate early and the service by Erin was attentive and superb. Try the sourdough focaccia with sun/dried tomato rosemary butter. It's a must order. The special, swordfish steak in a lemon beurre butter with capers and locally grown mushrooms, was outstanding. We also had the delicious scallops on an apple brisket risotto. Paired well with Sauvignon blanc. Yum! We will return! read more

Best burger in MA!!! Friends recommended this place to us and in particular, the burger, so we had to give it a try and it did not disappoint. It was phenomenal, staff were friendly, and we didn't need a reservation in March on a Saturday ~3pm (off hours). The French fries were shoestring and delicious and the asparagus was roasted to perfection. Our medium and medium well patties were cooked to perfection. Cool vibey spot and can't wait to come back. Only issue is that this place is pretty pricey, particularly for the area; $22 for a burger is a little wild! read more

Oak to Ember - Burger ($22) - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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The chef here is a true artist; I always want to order everything on the menu. And what I also love about this place is that you can enjoy your pretty high-end dish while your toddler is happily chowing down on the best hot dog of her life and the environment feeling easy and not pretentious. Bravo read more

Draft German beers on a Black Forest glass, fish and chips extraordinary, and home made tartar sauce on a Sunday afternoon, seating on the terrace. What a perfect date w my husband of 30 years. We will be back!! read more

Nice place. Close walk to the hotel I was staying at on the water. Was pretty empty since it was off season. I had an old fashioned to warm up and reviewed the menu. I had a little raw plate of oysters, little necks and shrimp. All the seafood was really fresh and well prepared. For the main, I had the wood grilled lobster. I was cooked perfectly and really tasty. Loved every minute of it. Service was excellent and the interior is nice and cozy. read more

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We tried to order the focaccia and were told they'd sold out of it by 7:30 on a Saturday night. Then, It took a full hour to get our appetizer. After receiving our appetizer, we were told that one of our entrees was no longer available! 40 minutes later our remaining entree came out cold. read more

Had great dinner at Oak to Ember. Looking forward to going back in the future to try more of their menu. The atmosphere is cool and laid back and the service is attentive. For the price point, we were not disappointed. Had a couple cocktails - they were solid. And they have a nice signature cocktail menu with a few creative items. One tip for management, fir some of the spirit forward drinks (like the old fashioned I ordered) consider a large cube of ice rather than a bunch of small cubes. They melt fast and water it down. Will also help with the received value of the drink. For starters we had the monk fish burnt ends, French onion soup, and Caesar salad. The mini fish was a hit. Super creative and one of the best bites of the night. Highly recommend. The Caesar was one of the better presented Caesar salads I've seen. Well dressed, tasty dressing, and using toasted bread crumbs instead of croutons. They provide the whole Romain stem. Presents well by lettuce gets bitter closer to the base. Nevertheless, very tasty. The French onion soup was, unfortunatley, a miss. I'm not sure what went wrong but the broth tasted like water. Maybe they failed to put in the sherry? Hoping it was just a bad batch - but it wasn't good. For the mains, we got the Haddock and the Scollops. Both were very tasty, but the Haddock was the standout. Well conceived dish with a phenomenal broth. When I go back I'll be hard pressed not to order it again. But plan to try more items off the menu. Two people, a couple drinks, apps, and mains: $195 after tip. Looking forward to returning. read more

Oak to Ember - Scollops - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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Everything was delicious. I got the Scallops with risotto, and I inhaled it. Not my first time there but have always had a good meal here.

Such a great brunch!! The crispy potatoes are worth the drive but everything was fantastic! Good service! Mothers Day brunch, not rushed, great vibe! read more

Oak to Ember - Mother's Day brunch. Veggie omelet , crispy potatoes, outstanding turkey club! - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Everything is homemade including bread, ice cream, pasta. There is fresh smoked fish and meat. Nothing is too rich. Everything is flavorful. The view is spectacular outside. The wine menu is diverse but curated to only the top quality. read more

I just had one of the best meals of my life! Fifteen years ago in Scotland I had a wee taste of the most amazing scallop and have been relishing it ever since. Tonight I had a scallop dish that equalled or surpassed it. Served with a Delicatta squash risotto (which included brisket!?!), the scallops were perfectly seared and melted in the mouth. Service was also stellar. This is a restaurant to be revered and frequented! You won't be disappointed! read more

Our first time here and oak to ember did not disappoint! We arrived for our reservation and were greeted and asked if a high top Table was okay,not big fans of that we were told it was no problem and they would accommodate us at a regular table,no fussing or eye rolls occurred. Friendly service followed with drinks and appetizers which included steak tartare, perfect balance of flavors done right.foie gras and chicken liver mousse with pickled strawberries was delicious also. Entrees of duck leg confit,a lobster pasta special and wood roasted lobster with fries and Bernaise were all on point, with just the right balance of that live fire smoke. The menu was full of great choices so now I have to go back for the pork chop!! Parking is usually available in the lot next door making it that much easier to enjoy a great dining experience all around. read more

Would recommend this restaurant to everyone me and my guests visited on a Saturday afternoon and everything was impeccable. From the appetizer to the main meal and drinks and desserts. Sabrina our waitress was Amazing and made our dining experience even that much better than it already was. read more

Delicious cocktails & food! Anything you get on the menu would be a great pick, I doubt you could go wrong. We would highly recommend the ribs- some of the best that we have ever had! read more

Elegant setting and fantastic wait staff!! They food was a bit too 'deconstructed' for us, but it was well presented! read more

Oak to Ember - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Excited to try a new...to us...dinner spot. We knew the prior 'brewery' incarnation but this appeared to be a bit more upscale. Seated next to an older couple, we began looking through our options. Their waitress returned to announce "we're out of clam chowders and dinners" point blank. They got up and left...Should we stay or should WE go? Our waitress - Hannah, arrived with a welcoming smile, a reassuring manner and took our order for a Garden G&T, La Kluva Rosso, Monk Fish Burnt Ends, Shishito Peppers and the Pork Chop to split. The atmosphere seemed a bit tight and casual for their menu...but, once the food arrived the focus clearly shifted to THAT pork chop. And, I was only looking at HALF - thanks to the kitchen. The meal - over the top...thank you Chef Steve. The view - over the water. The experience of having a 'HALF' glass of wine...like dining on the good ship Lollipop. Who doesn't want to be there? read more

Food was amazing, I had the pork chop, when it showed up on the table I thought it was a sirloin steak. Taste one of the best and the home made apple chutney was so so tasty. Two other diners had the sirloin,cooked perfect to their taste other fish and chips fresh as can be, they sit next to a fresh Atlantic fish company. My guess it came of the boat that day. We all started with onion soup a deep smoky flavor filled with onions crispy bread and perfectly melted cheese services was excellent and drinks were very good. We had heard prices were high...we found the prices were no different than most places we frequent. We will be back soon .waitress was inviting and very efficient and super friendly, seemed like she showed up at the right time every time The restaurant is clean and almost industrial which fits the bill here and the open flame grill in front of us was amazing to watch the chefs work read more

Reservation made for 4 people for 6:30 on a Saturday night. Walked in and by 6:40 we were seated at a great view table. Good start. Server arrived right away. Was VERY knowledgeable about their beers and somewhat knowledgeable about their wines but way better than most. She rattled off the specials with no notes so we knew right then we had a keeper as our server. All four of us had dinner salads. We shared the smoked tuna crostini (wow) and the calamari (very tender with a crispy coating). Two of us had a seafood dish, one had steak, another a pork chop special. The scallops were a tad tough, had to send the pork chop back to cook a little longer. This did not kill our vibe as we were all on our second round of drinks by then and the people watching and moderately loud atmosphere is great. We chose to skip desserts and opted for another round of drinks and some hummus on their grilled pita. The waitress was cool with this. I think she knew she was in for a sizable tip. Well worth the trip and the sometimes hard-to-get reservations. Parking is street parking but I heard they've now secured some spots at a nearby lot. read more

Spent nearly $150 here and was quite disappointed by the food, though the service and ambiance were quite good. The clam chowder was rich and extremely salty and definitely could have used a note of something else to cut it. The tuna tartar was boring and did not have that melts-your-mouth texture. Something on the dessert menu was exceptional, though-- it was basically a hybrid between a cheesecake and an apple pie! If only the rest of the food weren't so lackluster.. read more

The service was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Amanda is truly a gem--by far the best waitress I have ever had, attentive, friendly, and made the entire experience unforgettable. read more

I thought the food was really good. The oysters were great, the cooked dishes tasted amazing, we left very satisfied. Our favorite dishes were the fish and chips, raw bar oysters, and whipped ricotta. read more

Excellent service with plentiful water. The Prince Edward Island Mussels were extraordinary, a combination of plump bellies in a creamy bisque sauce was absolutely divine. The Kale salad was not just your ordinary adventure it was the combination of sweet Kale with finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese. The Buzz drink had a combination of honey and cinnamon and the cranberry mocktail with literally Christmas in a cup. One of my favorite all time food experiences! read more

Great place in downtown Gloucester. The staff was incredibly friendly/welcoming, and our waitress was fabulous. The bread & folded butter was very tasty. We ordered the ricotta appetizer, which was plentiful; we asked for more bread and still had cheese left over. My wife ordered the braised beef in pasta, I ordered the scallops & mushrooms. The scallops lacked much flavor, but the mushrooms and corn were top notch. Price was reasonable, food was good, staff was excellent. read more

Late in the afternoon, my sweat started to get greasy and smell like the fried dough I had immoderately consumed in the afternoon. Surrounded by the cacophonous sounds of pop music of days past and the acrid smoke of cigarettes, I came to my senses and found myself in a self-inflicted inferno, alone without a guide. I came to eat here with my family for two reasons: 1) it wasn't too crowded and 2) it had A/C and didn't smell bad. As you can see, dear reader, I had high standards. Although, I needed a place to exorcise the carnival grease coursing through my veins, closing my arteries and filling my heart with guilt...I was just content that they weren't blasting pop hits from the early 2000s. As a mere shell of a man, I ordered a kale salad. The first bites of shredded kale and fresh asparagus was like a spiritual awakening. The creamy dressing washed away my sins like a baptism. I was reborn! I celebrated my second coming with a few of Athletic Brewing offerings and entered the world rejuvenated. Also noteworthy: they were able to seat us immediately and were very accommodating to our toddler, finding room for her stroller snd bringing her food out first along with our appetizers. The service was welcoming and attentive. I'll be back. read more

Great atmosphere and drink selection. The food was incredible, will definitely need to go back to try other dishes. Everything was so fresh and cooked to perfection. Service was top notch...fast, efficient and friendly. Very attentive though let us move at our own pace. Wish I could have given this place 6 stars. read more

Oak to Ember - Halbut special - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

This was a pleasant surprise. We came in to have a drink and apps on the deck overlooking the water. The drinks we really good. Loved the deck outside. The surprise was the clam chowder which wasn't traditional but wow. The broccoli rabe was outstanding as well. Will definitely have to come back for dinner. read more

Very delicious food and drinks. Great options for both carnivores and vegetarians, which is unusual in this town. Creative dishes and excellent service. Can be a little noisy in the back, so ask for a table up front if you want something a bit more quiet. read more

The food was excellent. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was good. We liked it enough to go back a second time while we were in Gloucester for four days. read more

The ambiance and atmosphere here are wonderful! Lots of windows, cool décor and great view of the harbor. The host staff and waitress were also attentive & friendly! The kitchen needs to step-up their game: Everyone who ordered steaks at the table were all overdone. The Filet mignon special was not only overcooked, but was served with an overly-sweetened parsnip puree and pile of what appeared to be sautéed leeks/green-onions that were a stringy, inedible mess. read more