I do not recommend the Pilot House. The owners let the customers in the bar,swear and yell and insult other customers nonstop. The owners do not care because they are making money selling drinks.. If you want to be insulted and yelled at and called the names go to the Pilot House. Do not bring your kids ,do not bring your wife.. read more

Worst food in town! Wouldn't have my worst enemy eat there, you may have to paid to park

The waitress didn't like her tip and chased me outside to let me know. I wished I could change it now to what she now deserves the lobster roll was outstanding just because you work with the public doesn't mean your owed anything. read more

No sushi! One of the biggest factors for stopping, the online menu advertised sushi and American fare. To find out the Japanese rolls of euphoria were no longer served was the ultimate let down. However, our server explained why (Covid, expenses, etc.) and I couldn't fault them for doing what they could to stay open. However, what they did offer more than made up for it. Of course, my kids opted for the spaghetti and raves about how good it was. As spaghetti is a child's dish, I wasn't too impressed and didn't care. I chose the swordfish steak. With the help of my server I decided on medium and cooked in the advertised seafood sauce. My choice did not disappoint. Kind of tasted like a tuna steak, but it was my first time having swordfish and I didn't have any comparable sources. It was good though. The service was top notch, the menu offered enough to satisfy any diner, and the service was impeccable. Three stars because the interior of the restaurant and the menu are in desperate need of an update. read more

I just ordered beef with mixed vegetables. Asking for no use of oyster sauce because of a shellfish allergy and ended up getting oyster sauce ended up throwing the whole thing out and now spending the rest of my night in the ER thank you. I called you back and my mom explained you used oyster sauce and all we got over the phone was a argument of we didn't use oyster sauce and profoundly got hung up on. Absolutely disgusting on your part. Completely lost my business tonight. read more

The restaurant serves typical American and also Asian food. They have two different menus for each. I don't really eat anything except seafood when I visit coastal towns like Gloucester. Chinese is a strict NO for me in a coastal town, waste of opportunity! Probably that's why the restaurant has such low reviews. I hope they revisit their menu options and serve what the tourists want to eat. Having said that, I ordered Fried Haddock Sandwich and it was really good! It's not a "happening" place but the food was really good. The fish was fried to crispy perfection. The bread was good. No complaints about the service either. But if they have the same menu, I probably wouldn't go back. The other restaurants in this neighborhood are pretty expensive. But the menu at Pilot is not expensive at all! A good place to go if you don't wish to spend a lot! read more

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I always get the ribs, so I can't tell you about the rest! The service was incredible! I felt like a celebrity, we got so much attention! It is a peaceful ambiance. It's not loud with music and lots of noisy people. It's really a "local" place - not filled with out of towners. I've even run into local fishermen which really defines it as a home town restaurant! read more

It was truly gross. I had been there years ago and it was middle of the road, this place is the far edge, way out there, bad. The food was flavorless and inedible. The lady even remarked how little we ate, she then spoke in broken english "must have been bad". No joke. Do not be fooled, do not go in... read more

Awesome place. It's a combination of American and Chinese food. The owner is great and the waiter (I called him Fred) was a riot. Great experience for lunch and dinner. read more

I love the Chinese app meals. Pork egg rolls are huge and delicious. Always a stop when I am in town

If you want something cheap and fast ...and you're in downtown Gloucester, then the Pilot House will do the trick. They are known for their steak tips which are decent but I moved on from those to other offerings after a few visits. For lunch, I tend to go with one of their specials (there are usually 4 or 5 specials that change daily). My current faves are the Fishcakes n' Beans, Chicken Pot Pie, and Braised Beef. But the Fishcakes are the winner - nice and crusty on the outside, and good hearty fish taste on the inside that's not too dried out. Great with a little tartar sauce or squeezed lemon. The beans are out of the can (if you expect homemade baked beans on a $5 plate, then you are a dummy). Their burgers are always good, plump and juicy. Easily one of the top 5 burgers you can get on Cape Ann. Make sure to get with sauteed onions and a side of Pilot Fries. For dinner I always order the Baked Haddock ($12) - you get a huge thick slab of haddock baked in butter, bread crumbs and seasoned just right (hint of garlic maybe?), and you get a side veg (canned) and potato with that. I go with mashed or baked. I also have to mention the iceberg side salad and white dinner rolls. "A" for effort to be sure, but they should be thinking about healthy-ing that up a little. Sometimes they provide cornbread along with the dinner rolls and that's a step in the right direction. Then again, there's something honest about iceberg lettuce and dinner rolls. It is, after all, the type of place where you might see some of the older folks with fork in one hand, and bread for sopping-up in the other. Blue collar eats for the no collar crowd. You will always see other folks in there scarfing down various fried fish specials that usually include shrimp and clams as well. Not my thing, but the Pilot House moves a lot of that fried stuff so have at it if you do. Decor is 70's basic - spare and brown-toned and even though Gloucester is not exempt from the smoking ban there is a hint of stale Marlboro Reds in the air - probably infused into the carpeting from previous decades. The bar area features a handful of loud TVs that blast soaps during the day and sports at night, as well as a few well-meaning alky regulars. Capable barkeeps can do the mixed drinks and the wine comes in small screw-top bottles. Buds for $2.50 do it for me. The dining area is basic but does feature a large chinese restaurant-style aquarium. The fish swim a little and are nice to look at. The Pilot House has its own parking around back and if you're lucky, you might see the surly owner sitting in his truck making sure non-customers don't park there...quaint. So as most of the joints in town are going upscale and/or forgetting their roots, the Pilot House is keeping it real, and keeping it cheap. It is a great place for all you touristas looking to dine with fishermen, truck drivers, smokers and drinkers. If you are a local who hasn't been (and surprisingly, there a lot of locals who haven't) do yourself a favor and check it out. Start with the steak tips and ask for them lightly seasoned. Buona Fiesta read more

Pilot House BBQ - Pilot House Barroom - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

We go to this place every year when we vacation in Rockport and found it to be nice. Staff is nice and welcoming. Sadly, they lost us as customers as I asked if I could bring in my ESA dog which is 13lbs, well behaved and M.D. certified. They said no, only Service dogs. Honestly, pretty much the same to me. My dog is very well behaved and would be sitting right with me. Doesn't bark nothing. She was kind of rude over the phone. I have a severe anxiety disorder and can't travel without him. THEIR LOSS. People need to educate themselves on having great customers and business and losing that over a well Trained 13lb ESA animal. DUMB. read more

We stopped in for lunch before going out on a whale watch trip. We each ordered a bowl of house made soup; New England clam chowder for Ann and Italian wedding soup for me. Both were served piping hot in only a matter of minutes. read more

Pilot House BBQ - Entrance - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Used to love this restaurant. Had the worst meal ever on take out. Order all mixed up. I'm sure they used frozen Tyson grilled breast meat. It was in-eatable. I understand getting through the Covid crisis is tough, but resorting to old and frozen food wont get customers back. We won't be going back there any time soon. I don't recommend it! read more

Suboptimal food , not the greatest venue. I hope to not be at the pilot for dinner any time soon , too much going on with the menu.

Save your money. We each got the pilot burger and 1 order of onion rings. Burgers came first. Asked for a side of Mayo and got blue cheese salad dressing. Halfway through a different server came over and we told her about the salad dressing and asked about the onion rings. Minutes go by and we have finished our meal, still no onion rings so we told the waiter we no longer wanted the onion rings because we were finished. I had my credit card visible in hand. He mumbled some thing that we did not understand and walked off. We were baffled but assumed he was getting our check. A couple minutes later he comes out of the kitchen and brings us a basket of onion rings. We told him we did not want them and we needed our check. He put them in a takeout box. Surprisingly, were each charged for a soda refill and they charged us for the onion rings. Our check was $40. We each had 2 small diet Coke's and ate a cheeseburger that came with a small bag of chips. This place was absolutely filthy. The entry floor and bathrooms were disgusting. The carpet looks filthy. Dust covered plants behind my head. No apologies for any confusion/errors. Just gross. read more

I just need to point out that no one I know ever refers to the Pilot House as a BBQ restaurant. They sell maybe 3 bbq items. If you're looking for bbq, this is not the restaurant for you! I used to like the Pilot House. The food is good, the prices are decent, and the drinks are reasonable. It's the service that really stinks, and it's why they're losing a lot of business these days. Here's an example: my boyfriend (who has long hair) and I went there for an early dinner. The waitress referred to us as "ladies". We laughed it off, kind of cringed. She came back, and despite looking right at my boyfriend (who would make a really ugly lady), continued to call us "ladies". After three times, we pointed out that we weren't both "ladies" and she laughed and said 'Okay, girls!' ... Seriously? We gave up after we overheard her telling another customer that he could look at the fishtank and pretend he was on a tropical island. Umm. The next time I went with a group of friends. The service was SO slow. There was 1 other table, and our waitress only had our table. She never came back to refill the water. She never picked up the bread plates. She seemed put out when we told her we wanted to take some food home. And, cardinal sin of all restaurants, she didn't even ask if we wanted dessert. I can get much better food and much better service not two minutes away. Pilot House needs to hire better staff before the tourist season really starts or they'll be hurting with all of the options right around the corner! read more

Well the bartender was a sweetheart, but needs to go somewhere better, she's way too good for this place. The whole place honestly looks like it is run by kindergartners. I feel bad for anyone who goes here. Yea the food is ok. Steak tips, awesome, but being perfectly located in ground zero for the Gloucester bar scene, it could be 1000 times better. The people from dragon light bought it and now they serve BBQ, Chinese, and anything else they can think of to try to make money. First thing I saw when I walked in was a scratch ticket dispenser, then in the bar there was nothing but people playing keno. read more

Pilot House BBQ - Thumbs down. - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

The good: -Super cheap, I paid less than $20 for 2 people at lunch -Atmosphere, laid back and comfortable The bad: -Where's the BBQ? The "BBQ" in the name is what drew me in and I went to this place expecting smoked ribs, pulled pork and brisket smothered in sauce. They had none of that, it's just standard american/seafood faire here. -Bland food. I decided to be adventurous and order the salisbury steak, while the meat was cooked fine the taste was bland, and by bland I mean non-existent. I never knew you could take meat and slather it with gravy and still have it coming out tasting like nothing. My girlfriend got an open face turkey dinner sandwich which tasted like it came from the frozen food section of the supermarket. -Service was "meh" Our server screwed up drinks, totally spaced when we asked for something simple (like napkins) and apparently put our order through as cash (when we were using a card) which created a fiasco that the manager had to get involved in. This is a two-star place. It's not bad by any means, but it's not particularly good either. For one it's definitely not a BBQ place. The food, while cheap, is so bland that when we left I found myself craving anything just to get some taste in my mouth. If you just want to eat for cheap and don't care too much about taste, this place is for you. (NOTE: I hate seafood, and this places menu was seafood-heavy so it may be right up some people's alley) read more

They claimed I was underage (am not, am 21) served me a drink, made me pay and then took it away???? They took my legal id and then decided it wasn't good enough once I boyght a drink, sCammed me out of 12+ dollars. read more

Pilot House BBQ - This is my water that I got because I'm driving home - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

I am not sure why this place is rated so low by some. I have been going here for years and the regular food is excellent. The chinese food is better than most in Gloucester. It is not a place to go for ambiance but for takeout or to just chill, it is fine. Service was always good when we sit in as well. Their desserts are to die for, especially the strawberry shortcake in which the biscuit is perfection! read more

We decided to order some take-out from The Pilot House last night. This was my first time there but overall the food wasn't too bad. Don't let the 1970's decor inside fool you. It looks like the are doing some updating but the food is much better than the decor. The employees were super friendly. We ordered our food and only had to wait about 10 minutes. I'm not sure why this place calls itself a BBQ Restaurant. I had my heart set on a BBQ pulled pork sandwich but there were only a few BBQ items on the menu. I settled for a cheeseburger and it's didn't disappoint. The burger was HUGE and very inexpensive at $5.75. The fries were like $2 extra but they were very good. I highly recommend the steak fries. They are more like spicy potato wedges but so delicious. My wife got the steak tips and fries. Honestly there are better steak tip options in Gloucester. For a couple of dollars more you can get a huge portion of steak tips from Mike's that will easily feed two. This place delivers too so I'll definitively try it again since the take-out options in Gloucester are so limited. read more

This place has an identity crisis! Chinese, American and BBQ, pick one and focus on it. When you arrive, youre greeted with "America or Chinese?" I am not sure if you sit on one side for Chinese and one side for American or its just separate menus. We chose "American" and ordered steak tip dinner and a steak tip salad. The salad wasn't the best, basically a bowl of lettuce with steak on top. The steak dinner was served with 2 sides but it was just thrown on a plate, nothing appealing about the presentation. The steak itself was just ok. I didn't dislike it but I didn't feel like it was anything more than I could have done for myself at home. When they changed over to this Chinese/American combo, they should have taken the time to update the décor and atmosphere. I would go back if someone in my party wanted to but I wouldn't suggest this place or go on my own. read more

Excellent American and Chinese. large portions always have left overs. Very friendly waitresses and Chefs.The teriyaki steak tips with mashed potatoes it was delicious. Lo Mein, crab ragoons, beef teriyaki was awesome too read more

Gone are the days of my youth going to this place at 1am, seeing double, when it was at the rotary. I always thought the food was so good! Bring on the robsta sauce and fly lice! Recently tried it sober. Not so much. Some stuff is almost edible, so you got that going for you, which is nice. read more

The food is good but the service can be lousy if you are not seated at the bar. There is a older waiter that is rude. Some people do want coffee and dessert ...he just threw the bill down when he picked up our plates...however the waitresses are lovely..and I do reccomend this place...great place to play Keno read more

The service here was unacceptable the orange chicken was horrible and they did not have free refills I would not go here again if my life depended on it. read more

Seems like I'm the odd one out here, but I really love the Pilot House. I'm a huge fan of the steak tips. Every so often my mom and I will head over here and share a dinner-- neither of us can finish a whole dinner on our own. Yes, it is "very Gloucester", as another reviewer said. I'm not a fan of the town, but that's one of the reasons I love it. The old pictures of Gloucester? I'm a sucker for shots like that. I think it's great, affordable food, and I go there whenever I get the chance. read more

Tourists that wander into The Pilot House -- I couldn't begin to guess what draws them in, perhaps the location? -- are sure to be disappointed. Whereas regulars develop a stomach the chewy steak tips or lukewarm rice pilaf at very agreeable prices (entrees around 10 USD), I have to imagine that out-of-towners are horrified with their meals, the surly crowd (more in the bar area than the dining room) and septuagenarian (on average) wait staff. Two stars: One for value (man *needs* to eat, he doesn't *need* to enjoy it) and one for outstanding old-timesy Gloucester photographs. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurant's in gloucester. The food is always good and the prices are too. All of the people that work at the pilot house are nice and very professional. I recommend the pilot house to any and everyone. read more

Agreeing with the rest of the crowd, this is a local joint. I went back there the other night for some dinner and I did enjoy my seafood platter. The prices aren't so bad, even though they charge for soda refills. But its location is really good, right on the main strip along the water across from that new place, latitude 41. The service is very friendly and sports games are always on. read more

I'm never disappointed with the food at The Pilot House. The menu is affordable (even given current market prices for seafood), they staff is friendly and helpful and I always leave full. Would I recommend this place as one of THE BEST PLACES to eat in Gloucester? No. But if you're looking for a place to have dinner with friends in an unpretentious, non-rushed environment, this is the place to go! read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would. It was late on a Sunday, and it I called several restaurants only to find their kitchens closed. This place was still serving food, and when my friend and I arrived at about 10:30 they were only serving Chinese food. The hot and sour was inedible and the crab rangoons and scallion pancakes were barely edible. Walked out actually feeling slightly ill. In hindsight I would have chosen McDonald's over this place. read more

Make yourself a PB&J!!!! Our last night on vacation, I had a bad cold so we ordered chinese deilivery. It was the WORST Chinese meal ever. Roasted pork soup was water...literally water with mussy noodles 2 pieces of pork, 2 pieces of cabbage and 1 peapod for $5.95... I ordered Kung Pao chicken TERRIBLE...tough cubed chicken, chopped celery (no other vegies) and peanuts swimming in a awful brown sauce. Partner ordered Curry chicken....veg all mush and chicken tough. $40 + $5 tip.... If I had not felt so ill I would have gotten in car and returned it. Total rip off and disgusting food. read more

Great food. Great service. No complaints. I just love coming here, because you can choose American or Chinese American cuisine.

Super friendly bartender/owner, and other patrons were very friendly as well. Very good food and fresh, plentiful portions too.

Look, if you're not from here, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT. This place is a G-town treasure. The Chinese food is still Dragon Lite -- decent, cheap, best consumed when drunk. And on that note, if you are on a mission for self-destruction, try the scorpion bowl. It sneaks up on you and does the job. To this day, I cannot even smell pineapple juice without the taste of Bacardi rising in the back of my throat. I see an extra long neon straw and acutely break out in shakes, spinning and a cold sweat in what I can only describe as a phantom hangover. Like I said, it does the job. The lovely couple who owns the restaurant have been at this for years and are local heroes. I implore you to cut them a break; they've been dealing with drunken millennial shenanigans for longer than I care to remember. Sure, sometimes Winnie gets a little prickly and flustered when you're six mai tai's deep and trying to communicate to her in unintelligible slurs that yes, that is correct, you need MORE duck sauce because you were too liberal with the mustard and now your freshly mixed/slopped over bowl of Chinese fancy sauce is giving your mouth what you suspect may be actual chemical burns, but you know what? She will bring you that duck sauce -- ALL THE DUCK SAUCE -- along with mai tai number seven, because deep down we all share a warm, special place in her heart. That woman is a goddam saint, and her husband Tony is a precious, precious man. I've heard rumors that the American chefs remained the same after the merger. I have yet to confirm as I am just moving back to the area, but if that is the case, I will be quite pleased. (I owed at least a solid 3 of my freshman 15 to Pilot House clam chowder back in the day. Better than Legal's, no contest.). If that is not the case, they just need to rename the joint Dragon Lite 2, go back to the old rolls and therefore make everyone happy and significantly less-confused. Oh, and order the seaweed salad. read more

waited forever for cold haddock and a sad dry baked potato my friend waited even longer he ordered sushi and it was taking so long he changed his order the orange juice was super sour not drinkable the rolls were blah the dining room had only one other 3 top and it was a Sat nite there is something drastically wrong and I don't mean coronavirus read more

Really unfortunate dining experience. Expectations for a restaurant in America's Oldest Seaport, would be FRESH fish. I ordered the Haddock fish sandwich and not only was the bread so stale it crumbled, the only other flavor to come through, was the freezer burn. The only edible item on my plate, was the bag of Lays potato chips. My husband ordered a hamburger, again, stale bread. Waitress asked if he wanted any condiments. He said sure, "mustard and ketchup". When the plate came out, the yellow mustard was in a small container on the side of the plate. When he went to pick up the yellow bag of Lays Chips, the cup of yellow mustard dropped off and spilled all over both of us, the seat and the floor. The waitress was nice and apologetic. We should have turned around the second we walked in and smelled the musty bar. Please eat anywhere else in Glouster. read more

I was very unhappy to be misled by a sushi lit up sign to go in and find out there was no sushi. I asked what the soup was on the menu and the waiter kept asking me what I was saying and rudely turned to my boyfriend and asked what I was asking and he said the exact same thing I did and I guess he could understand him but not me. I asked why there was no sushi and got no answer and felt like it was very awkward and I felt uneasy about ordering any food. So I just got a cup of clam chowder, which I could barely eat because I felt uneasy and wanted to leave from the terrible vibe off the place. read more