We were back again ! This place is so consistently great ! The wait staff got us seated quickly &…read morewaited on us quickly. The were fun & friendly. We got several items. The crab rangoon dip was excellent. We had drinks that were very tasty and great. The lobster fries were very good (not great) but nice. We had a cottage salad. It was absolutely incredible with lots of low carb/high protein. We had a sushi roll that was just as great. We had to pass on dessert but having tried several in the last two visits, they are a no-brainer. We are giving Surf a 9.8 out of 10 ! Also, note, 3 visits were all similar experiences. Some of the prices are a little high (but all seafood is) BUT the service & flavor are sooo good and consistent, you have to try it.

Enjoy fresh seafood and cocktails with friends at one of Portsmouth's most beautiful views…read more We started with the red sangria, a light but it too sweet drink, and some delicious sushi - Wicked Tuna (spicy) and the California roll. The Korean BBQ scallops were everyone's favorite, cooked perfectly, and with a wonderful soy miso flavor that did not overwhelm the delicate seafood. The pan seared halibut was perfectly cooked and delicious as well, and went well with the Ken. Wright Cellars Pinot Noir. Finished with the blueberry crisp and chocolate raspberry cake. The blueberry first was so good - Rich deep flavor and one of the best desserts I've ever had - and I've been all over the world during the last 50 years. The raspberry cake was excellent too - a fresh raspberry flavor with hints of vanilla.

When we were ready to pay, we were told that the computers were down & that meant the credit card…read morereader wasn't working. It would have been good to know that in advance, as we didn't have a lot of cash on-hand, leaving us scrambling to scrape the payment and tip together between the 3 of us. Our food was great. The server was attentive & kind. We loved the heated, covered outdoor seating area by the water.

A rainy day stop in Oct 2025, as party of 3, around 2pm, for a late lunch…read more We were greeted quickly and advised of the option of covered heated patio seating or indoor seating. We went with the outdoor. Each of us ordered a drink & water. We also each picked 1 dish for a family-style meal/ tasting. The service was great, as was the food. The prices may have been a tad high, but not too crazy. The only issue was that the machines were down when it came time to pay. I do wish they'd advised of that earlier, as it left us scrambling for cash. Had we known up front, we'd have skipped the drinks and made sure we had enough to leave a decent tip. I dare say we shorted the gal in that area.

Very nice service good customer care and nice food we love this restaurant we go first time we like…read morenice food and nice service and nice staff

We joined friends for a quick pre-show dinner, and the staff did a great job accommodating our…read moretight schedule -- we made the show on time without ever feeling rushed. We started with cocktails and their excellent house-made rolls, then split a dozen oysters from a wide selection; the server's recommendations were spot-on. Entrées included shrimp rigatoni, salmon, fish tacos, clam chowder, and fries -- all well prepared, good portions, and enjoyed by everyone. It was fairly busy (and thus a bit noisy), so reservations are probably a good idea.

My partner and I rang in New Year's Eve at The Puddle Dock and couldn't have been happier with our…read moreexperience. We chose seats at the comfortable-looking bar, which was a great spot to start the evening and soak in the warm, antique, historical vibe of the space -- lots of character without feeling stuffy. We built our own dinner from a mix of appetizers, and everything we tried was excellent. The local cheese plate featured a soft, brie-like cheese that was rich and delicious. We also ordered the mussels, which were a standout -- especially the mustard component. I wouldn't have expected mustard to pair so well with mussels, but it absolutely worked and added a surprising depth of flavor. There was also a chicken dumpling special that was comforting, well-seasoned, and very satisfying. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. The service at the bar was fantastic. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful when offering advice on what to order, which made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. We're already looking forward to our next visit and trying more of the menu.

Ambiance here is quite nice. It definitely has a colonial vibe and offers some early American…read moredishes. Our waiter was quite polite and offered some suggestions. The food however is overpriced and just doesn't fit the bill. I was surprised to sit down and see a simple steak and potato dinner was $72. I ordered duck and my wife ordered pork belly. The food was alright but neither were meals that we'd want again. Two entrees, two apps, and a single glass of wine. ~$180 with tip. I don't mind spending $200 on dinner - but if I'm spending that much dinner should be stellar. This was just mediocre and I'm honestly surprised it has a 4.5 star rating average. To each their own I suppose.

Lobster roll and chowder, 'nuff said! Friendly and fast service too…read more Was in town on business and stopped here for my seafood fix

I went here for lunch and needless to say, I will not be coming back again. Let's start off with…read morethe water cup that he brought me which was dirty. I didn't notice it until I drunk The water down. Wasn't paying too much attention, because of the type of restaurant I was at. The seafood chowder was amazing. When it came to the entrée, I asked him should I get the muscles or should I get the pasta? I don't think he even knew what he was talking about or even care. He suggested a pasta that he said has a hint of redness to it due to the spice, but it was a creamy Alfredo spicy creamy Alfredo to be exact. The sauce is very delicious because you can tell that it was homemade tomato based sauce, but I can't eat it. He explained the pasta to me as if it was a cream sauce with spiciness in it. Which this was not the case the sauce, a tomato base sauce, which I cannot eat because of acid reflux. The pasta looks like something out of a children's menu not even worth what I spent on it, but I paid for it. I would have tipped him anyways, very well as I always do. I ended up tipping him his 25% but I should not have. The only reason I tip this was because you offered to take it back in a sarcastic manner like most Service do awe no trying to play dumbfounded! When you could have just said well, this is a red base sauce. Or I'm not sure ma'am, and I would have ordered the muscles. I probably would've tipped you more just because was honest. When I said you just got your 25%, which was not even worth it cause my food went in the trash. You even saw I did not eat it. You never even offered a second time to say hey I noticed you didn't eat this can I just get u something else? Let me take this off your bill or let me take it back. Not wanting to send the food back I just kept it and dealt with it and ate the seafood out of it. This was a waste of $30 for something I can't eat and did not eat. You guys should really make sure that your Service know they're menu you and know what's in it. The sauce was a full base tomato sauce no spiciness to it. No cream sauce. I asked for no salt in my margarita, but the margarita clearly was salty. Or maybe it was the mix I don't know it tasted salty. This restaurant was just not for me maybe for others, but it just didn't work out for me one and done! I was very clear on the sauce that I wanted, and you still gave me red sauce. This is what the food look like before leaving

Last experience was 5 stars. This experience was maybe 3. I'll give 4 as my updated rating, to be…read moregenerous. This experience was so disappointing. The server kept running away, no time to give feedback. More attention to our plates and our ordering, than for us and our experience. Note to the wise: ask both people how their food is, and with enough time/follow up than only immediately after getting the dish. The tuna was very bland, it needed salt. I got the beef medallions. Though the beef itself was very good, the entire dish came off like a TV dinner - the sauce was supposed to be peppercorn. It was not. It degraded the entire dish, horribly. So sad for the elements to be buried in that slop. Potatoes were also very odd. For the price we paid, I would rather have had my money back and give my husband a much better birthday experience for somewhere else. Honestly devastating, and definitely cannot guarantee a recommendation from me, if this restaurant is not only inconsistent, but such a waste of so much money. Sad to think we could have enjoyed better food at a "lesser" establishment. Would much prefer to get my money back, at least for the entrees. WAYY overpaid. This was not worth it.

Updating my review as we had a pretty disappointing visit to Jumping Jays a few weeks back. This…read morehas always been a solid restaurant which we have enjoyed and recommend without hesitation for the past 25 years, since they opened. With that in mind, we had visitors from NJ who wanted a seafood dinner, and so I suggested we meet at Jumping Jays. Our server was pleasant and our appetizers came out promptly and were good. Unfortunately all 5 entrees were not good as everything was very overcooked. The halibut dishes, salmon, scallops, all overcooked and dried out fish and scallops like rubber. Our waitress asked how things were and I said OK as we did not want to make a big to do, as our friends were picking up the tab. I was so embarrassed that I took them here. I did ask my friend about his fish and he said "dried out". Uggh. I did reach out to the restaurant directly on their website via email shortly after, but there was no response. Not sure what to make of that either. Every restaurant might have a bad night, but 5 bad entrees? I am hoping this is a short term problem. We had some other friends who joined us for the original review I wrote and asked to go back here, but I declined saying something is off right now. I hope my experience was a one off, but I'll watch the reviews here before I return and will not be able to recommend this restaurant going forward.

Had another top notch meal at Cure. It was super chilly and we were eating outside (with heaters…read morebut still quite cold). We started with lobster bisque to warm up and it was spot on. Our drinks & corn bread were delicious as well. By the time our mains were coming up our waitress had secured us a spot inside to eat them. She was lovely & we were grateful! It's a solid choice when in the area.

Excellent food, vibes, and hospitality! The first sign I saw when I entered the restaurant was one…read morethat said "Elevated Comfort Food" behind the hostess stand, and that's exactly what we got! All the food tasted delicious, and the lobster mac and cheese was the best I ever tried. We placed an order of the chai pear creme brulee in advance, and good thing we did, because they ran out! All the staff were incredible, and we loved our dinner experience. We'll be back the next time we're in Portsmouth!

Eating at Five Thai 81N is truly an eating adventure! The food is delicious and so creative. The…read moreingredients are freshly prepared and artistically presented! The waitstaff is very helpful and attentive.

We went to an early evening dinner on a Sunday. Service was amazing, they even brought out two…read moreadditional appetizers and a dessert we didn't order. What a nice surprise! We had both flavors of wings and the beef app. The noodle dishes were delicious as well, in addition to the drink I ordered. The dessert was so good!! We will return.

Rich, buttery, creamy lobster bisque with fresh, perfectly cooked lobster. Definitely recommend…read more Fast and friendly service in a no frills setting. I'll be back for a lobster roll (hot butter of course) soon.

Just had a most delicious lunch from Rye Harbor Lobster Pound. Went with my daughter and her baby…read more We each got Cold Rolls. These sandwiches were packed with lobster meat and served on a buttered toasted roll. Amanda also got a bowl of Fluffy Chowder. We're not really sure what made it fluffy, but she said it was nice and creamy and had a bunch of lobster in it. I got a bowl of Cole Slaw that was very good (I'm pretty picky when it comes to slaw). The roll comes with a small bag of Lays potato chips. Ordering is easy. Go into the shack, tell the friendly staff member what you'd like. Pay. Then go outside and wait for them to call your name. We sat at a picnic table overlooking the harbor with other folks doing the same. Nothing fancy, but oh my goodness! The Lobster Roll was SO GOOD! I recommend coming here without hesitation and will return in the future.

The Shanty was a 'once in a while' choice and always good. The past few weeks, because of a need to…read morebe close to Portsmouth Regional, I've gone there because of convenience but more than that, with every visit I've come to really appreciate so much! The service is always fantastic, sunny and quick. I'll post the dishes ordered in the spirit of being brief (and needing to get back to the hospital) but I genuinely highly recommend if you love a friendly pub/bar, a good selection of 'off the menu' appetizers and mains, and well poured drinks!

The food here is consistently good. I love the buttery baked stuffed haddock with side salad. Their…read moredrinks are on the strong side in a good way. My boys always order mozzarella sticks and Gumby's . The Gumby's are chicken strips kinda like clam strips and my son loves to dip them in the teriyaki sauce although there are more choices for sauces; buffalo , ranch etc. the kids menu wonderfully priced for parents and the selections are very good. Of course my boys always order "the burger!" Every server I have had here is fast and attentive. I don't know if they give aptitude tests before hiring but for all the years I've been coming here the servers are the best in the business. There are a lot of choices for food and it is a typical sports bar/ restaurant with big screens of golf , rugby, football and baseball etc. when I go here I feel comfortable and very happy with the food so do my picky kids. They have trivia nights and all that stuff so if you are Planning to eat here I would suggest making sure what night is trivia night because every seat in the house is taken. Anyways I am glad we have the shanty in Portsmouth. Oh , the parking can be a pain sometimes, but hey , it's worth it!