Just got back into town and stopped in for something different and a cold drink around 3:20 in the…read moreafternoon. The parking lot was only about a quarter full, so it definitely wasn't busy. We were told to take any table since they were all clean. As the server handed us menus, she noticed the table actually wasn't clean, apologized, and wiped it down. No problem--things happen. Unfortunately, from that point on we were completely ignored. For more than 15 minutes no one came to our table, even though servers walked nearby several times. Meanwhile, people who came in after us were getting drinks and placing orders. Rather than make a scene, we simply left. If the place had been busy or short-staffed we would understand, but that didn't appear to be the case. Being ignored like that is unacceptable. Hopefully this was just a fluke and not the new norm.

Great Beer menu, loved the selection! Bartender Michaela…read morewas awesome! Great service! Had the Hot Chicken Sliders! Not bad! Good flavor Would have liked a different piece of chicken in the slider bun! It was like a small chicken tender that really didn't fit on the bun! But hey it's a slider! Had a side of fries, huge portion and real good fries

What a great dinner experience at The Exeter Apothecary, downtown Exeter. Located in a beautifully…read morerestored building, this is much more than a great cocktail bar. Sitting above sister restaurant Vino e Vivo, chefs Nick and Paul bring elevated small and large plates to this casual setting. Cocktails were great, as you might expect. Head bartender Chris has a creative list of cocktails and I'm sure could mix up anything else you might desire. We tried several small and large plates. Really hard to call out a favorite as they were all good. The Parsnip soup was creamy, rich and delicious with several touches such as crisped rice and basil oil on top that really made this a standout. Beet tartare was great as well with rich delicious beet flavor and texture reminiscent of beef tartare. Don't miss the cornbread with pork belly butter! Service is warm and friendly and chef Nick ran many of the dishes to the tables and bar personally. You could see (and taste) the passion he has for food. Exeter has another gem with Exeter Apothecary !

Cocktail Lovers, this must be the place!…read more Calling all cocktail lovers, make Exeter Apothecary your next place to visit. Located right above the beautiful Vino E Vivo restaurant (see prior review), it's the new HIT spot in Exeter. Only about 20 minutes or so from Portsmouth but a fun spot for cocktails, wine and dessert. Ambiance is chill with comfy bar seats, side tables and bartenders that can shake, sitr and whip up almost any cocktail to your liking. We did share their Amaro Flip which was fabulous. I know we will be back for sure since they offer small plates and decadent desserts too. Cheers~

Visiting my sister, she took me here to help me (celebrate?) (commemorate?) (mourn?) (come to grips…read morewith?) my 65th birthday. Located in an historic storefront and waterfront building, the Sea Dog has a classic seacoast vibe. Part of a New England chain I would love to further explore, this location is considered a "go to" for lunch or drinks. I am told the outside dining area is awesome. It was cold and snow-covered, so I could only look out the windows. Naturally, I got a burger and fries, which was phenomenal. The service was quick and friendly. Since it was my sister's treat, I didn't notice the prices. I MUST return when the weather is nice, so we can dine outside!

We tried Sea Dog with some friends for a lunch and had a good time. Pleasant hostess and waitress…read moreand comfortable dining room, there is a nice option for outdoor seating with a view of the river when weather cooperates. The menu is standard pub fare, and about what we expected. Friends enjoyed their meal, sandwiches and burgers were nice. I tried a french onion soup which was really average, as well as the bar pretzel (which turned out to be pretzel bites). I felt nothing exceeded my expectations. That said, overall a good choice when in Exeter.

Stopped in with my 7 year old grandson for a quick dinner. All of the staff were very friendly…read more Lots of seating at the bar or high & low tables. Very family friendly. Teddy had a hot dog & fries off the kids menu with a lemonade. He ate it all. There are about 12 beers on tap. I was happy to have a Maine Beer Co. Lunch. The quesadilla I chose was delicious-it came with sour cream & salsa on the side. No complaints. Plenty of parking in the shared lot. So glad my daughter recommended Tailgate Tavern. Would not hesitate to return.

Honestly, Tailgate Tavern is nothing crazy special, but the food is pretty good in the area. The…read morepretzel bites with the cheese sauce were amazing and definitely the best thing we got. The nachos were alright, not the best I've eaten, but they were fine. Not pictured is the fried chicken salad and that was also fine! Again, everything tasted good, but just wasn't overly special! It's bar food and if you want good bar food, then here you go! They do have a happy hour, but I don't know what's on the menu. Though it's 3-5 pm every day and 3-6 on Thursdays. I think that's pretty good and I'd be interested in coming back to try some more appetizers with a drink! The server was attentive and the food came out quickly. The decor is fun and definitely reminds me of a tailgate! Again, if you want bar food, this is a pretty good option in the Exeter/Stratham area (though I personally don't eat a lot of bar food!).

Dropped in at 4:30pm on a Saturday and were happy to beat the rush. Seated immediately by our…read morefriendly waitress. Food came out promptly and was delicious. Be advised the salads are huge-a great value!

I've been to Front Row many times and haven't ever been disappointed with anything I've ordered!read more

We dined at Epoch many years ago, and found the experience to be unremarkable. We noticed that it…read morewas relaunched as Epoch Gastropub in the last year or so, and decided to give it a shot. Overall we had an enjoyable meal. They have a really nice outdoor patio which we hoped to enjoy, but it seems to be raining every weekend this summer, and so we had to sit inside. It was a Friday night, and the dining room was not very busy. Hostess and our server were incredibly friendly and made sure we were comfortable (there were some very cold AC vents near our table). We started with a fried cauliflower appetizer, which was good. Certainly not the best I've enjoyed, but tasty. Portion size was enough for a party of 4 or more! The cauliflower was a tempura batter style with a general gao's like sweet/sour sauce. It was served piping hot! Lobster roll was massive, cold mayo style and served with fried shallots, rather than onion rings. A nice twist and something I've never had before. Unfortunately, the fries served with this dish were limp. I'm pretty fussy about my fries and I just don't understand why some restaurants don't fry them to order. If you don't, you end up with luke warm, soggy fries that honestly are not worth eating. For me, that ruins the entire dish and I have to wonder what the kitchen is thinking sending out coldish limp fries. Another entree we tried were the Gnocchi with wild mushrooms. This was a nice dish and the gnocchi were light and fluffy, with plenty of mushrooms. A nice plate overall. We finished dinner with an orange granita dessert which came with plenty of carmelized orange peels on top, one of my favorites! In fact, I enjoyed the candied orange more than the Granita itself! Exeter is really having a moment with a number of great dining options. With just a tad more attention to the dishes, I think in time Epoch could be among those option restaurants. Give them a try

Great, clean, crisp decor in an historic Inn. We had a wonderful time with a variety of menu…read moreofferings and perfect service.

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

I swear, Exeter seems to be the new foodie spot in NH. The trifecta of Cornicello, Vino e Vivo and…read moreOtis really set the bar. Only two seatings per night and being late isn't on the cards. Once they start ya gotta be there. And be there is what you'll want to be. A memorable five course meal with a choice of two different items for each. So if you're part of a couple you can sample everything. That's what we did. All the courses were masterfully done, the flavors superb and the amounts well chosen. At the end we were both full, for sure. The wine list isn't at the same level as the food. I'd have given a 4 1/2 based on that but wouldn't want to go down to a 4 so I'm up to a 5. The price is completely reasonable for the quality and variety. The ambience is cozy and perhaps a bit of a country feel. But just a bit. Well worth your hard earned dinero.

Five courses of deliciousness. Lots of creative servings with something for everyone, each one more…read morebeautiful than the last. The service is good. The mocktails are excellent. I recommend.

Last night my husband and I decided to mix it up and head over to the 110 in Stratham to celebrate…read moreour 26th anniversary. It was a disappointment, but let me explain. After standing at the Host station and not having someone approach, we decided to seat ourselves at the gorgeous bar. The seats were full, it looked like a way to have fun, be served easily (for both sides), and spend time laughing with one another. Our dinner choices, Cajun Salmon for me and Fish n' Chips for my husband, were delicious. My husband's fries weren't as hot as you'd hope, but the fish was perfectly cooked. I'll attach the pics. When I ordered, I asked our waitstaff if skin was served on the salmon, and if so, could I please have it seared off prior to serving. After being told that skin wasn't served on the salmon, I was very happy to sit and enjoy my drink. When the dinners arrived, there was, in fact, skin on the salmon. Not huge, but def a thing. And now, it really became disappointing. We weren't asked if we would like something else. Happily, there was another person behind the bar who could grab some ketchup, but when my husband thought to ask for malt vinegar, we could not get anyone's attention. We then watched our waiter put on her backpack and off she went without a final check in. Our plates festered in front of us for 20 minutes before being cleared, and no...there wasn't any offer to get us something else. Ambiance? Unwelcoming. Not even a 'Hello' or 'Have a good night'. An up charge for half a Caesar Salad because I didn't want the 2 sides seemed cheap and churlish. As did the, 'So you don't want two sides?'. I have had really lovely lunches at this site, and in the dining area, but this experience has done all but negate any of the good. We all know that the hospitality industry is difficult, and finding staff even more so. I would not, however, be able to treat my colleagues in the same indifferent and uncommunicative way that our waiter gifted to us. I expect a modicum of courtesy and warmth when I choose the businesses into which I decide to invest my discretionary monies. Should you be wondering why we didn't speak to the Manager, we waited to get the attention of anyone to ask if we could speak to him. Finally, we gave up. And no, I don't believe that it's on us to get up and chase down a wait person. We walked out feeling less than. And that should never have been the case.

My wife had the chicken on the menu. Even with a steak knife, she couldn't cut the chicken,…read moreTerrible, the chef should be fired for serving this meal. At the beginning, 3 items on the menu, they didn't have.. Our second visit & will be our last. No class.