Our server was good. They were out of four entrees. Avoid the desserts. The live band was fun.

Yesterday my partner and I sat at the bar as the restaurant was opening. We were served the menu and water. Multiple other parties came in to the bar and all received drink orders ahead of us. I tried to wave the bartender down as we had been the first to get there but never was able to order something of value. After 30 minutes sitting at the bar with no service we walked out and went to the restaurant up the street. read more

Overpriced and awful-- avoid at all costs!! We came here for dinner last night, a party of 7. Everything took so long, we saw parties all around us who arrived after us get their food. It took over 20 minutes just for our drink orders, and one of the drinks, a beer, was completely wrong. Then it took another half hour for the appetizers, and 45 minutes for the main course. During that time, the waitress made sure to stay far away so we could not even flag her down to ask about our meals. We were there for OVER 2 hours (and not lingering, just plain old waiting). I wish I could say that when the food finally arrived it was worth the wait. Sadly NONE of our meals was hot. NONE. I got a lobster roll and the lobster meat was tough and overcooked, like it had been sitting out under a heat lamp for a half hour (which it probably had been). It was barely edible. My onion rings were clearly right out of a freezer bag. I get it, not every restaurant makes everything from scratch, but this is a fine dining establishment. Do better. My husband said his swordfish was "meh." His review? "That was God awful." Only one person liked their dinner. And this is not a cheap place. It is very expensive, $30-40+ for every plate. After we were done eating, the empty, dirty plates sat on the table while staff walked by averting their eyes. End-to-end an unforgivable, horrible experience. The manager knew it was really bad and took a percentage off the bill. This was my third time eating here, with each getting progressively worse. I will never come back. Avoid!! read more

Since our misunderstandings about my Service Dog coming into the establishment, we have been VERY WELL received and we feel accepted. Food the past 2 weeks has been excellent. I might recommend the cheese burger. It was cooked perfectly and it was char broiled for extra flavor. I highly recommend! read more

We came here on 10/28 for our first wedding anniversary dinner. Starting with the bread.. the butter that they give you is amazing and creamy. My lobster bisque had me wanting more. My husband got the pasta and ate almost the whole bowl. The steak bites had a mesquite flavor to them but they were good to. I felt like our server was stretched a little thin but overall good place. read more

See all

Waited 15-20 minutes for drinks. Waitress spilled the drink in the martini glass. Returned the Moscow mule (not served in a copper cup) directly to the bar because it was made with flat ginger beer and the server was too busy to get her attention. Caesar salads were tasteless, soggy and not offered fresh cracked pepper like other tables. Cocktail sauce for the shrimp cocktail had the consistency of tomato paste. Tuna tartar had a spice to it that was unexpected along with the tangy ting. Tortellini pasta dish was very small portioned for an entree. Overall disappointing. read more

Started with their delicious pistachio martinis with homemade pistachio liquor 10/10. We ordered the baked haddock and the large Italian meatballs with angel hair pasta! Both were amazing and cooked to perfection. Great service and a wonderful atmosphere! Our second time here this month and great experiences! read more

We ended up at the Beacon early on a Saturday evening. I had a Chicken Caesar salad and my husband ordered a special pasta dish - in a vodka tomato sauce. My husband didn't tell me until we were out of the restaurant that his dish was $44.00! For chicken and pasta? Special chicken and pasta. Im not sure that it was so special. I meant to call them the following day to express my displeasure, but forgot. Yes, he should have asked the price when he ordered it but, considering their other pasta dishes with chicken on their menu were half the price, who would have guessed? We will not be returning. The 2-star rating is for the price read more

Recently went to the Beacon with a party of 50-60 guest for a post wedding party for Sunday Brunch and I must say that if you are looking to have a large party this is the restaurant to go to. The food was very delicious and the bar service was spot on. The wait staff was very attentive to all guest especially to young one's....I highly recommend the Beacon you will not be sorry ... read more

My visit, with a party of 3, tonight was AMAZING! Our seat was so cute. We were on the edge of the patio with perfect view of everything. We sat and listened to piano bar style music. Lots of American standards with Tony Gallo singing a few songs. Our waitress, Polly, was great. She gave us our choice of water, ( which I loved the choice)explained the cheese and charcuterie plate and oysters. The food was incredible. We started with the bacon clam chowder. It had the perfect smoky taste with clams in every thick spoonful. The chicken was great. It had a very crispy skin with a honey lemon sauce. It was served with potatoes, and arugula. The whole think had a perfect lemon taste The crab cake cake sandwich was very good. Seasoned perfect. There were good size chucks of crab. The coating and fry was perfect. It was served on a brioche roll. It was huge. I ended up only using 1/2 of the roll. The sweet potato fries were very good. They were almost double with fries. Crispy on the outside and softer on the inside. I forgot to ask for tarter sauce. But it had a aioli with a slight kick The Lobster Flatbread was amazing. The fig jam was my favorite Desert was my favorite. We split the Molton Lava cake and creme Brule. The custard was perfect temperate the crunchy sugar crunch was the texture my tongue needed to finish my meal. The cake left me speechless. I can't wait to go back and try the rib eye read more

See all

Let me start by saying the food and the service (from our waitress) was great! Now, the reason for the 1 star. Someone in our party used the rest room and as he was leaving one of the waiters came out of a stall and went directly back out and started waiting on tables, without washing his hands. He was reported to the manager, who did nothing, but the waiter approached the person who saw him and argued that he did wash, he actually changed his story a few times, and left after he spoke his mind. Well not long after that, the waiter came by our table and made a few very in inappropriate remarks. The 2 of them went outside and were arguing. First how is that acceptable behavior? the waiter should have just let it go! Secondly, management should have done something. There is NO WAY I'd ever go back there. So, patrons beware, there is a waiter there who has no regard for the health of the people he is serving read more

I really want to give more stars but service is preventing that. We have been in several times and sat at the bar each time. We love the environment but despite the fact that it has not been busy there has been issues each time with having to remind the bartender of something we are waiting on or just to get another beverage.... There is no proactive engagement with the customers even if there is only a few seated. We love the salads and the care put into the preparation but we will probably not be back for a while because of service. read more

This is a review of the paddle box, the beacons new takeout window. This is quite possibly the dumbest food concept I have ever come across. You cannot order by phone or online. Repeat, this is a takeout only spot, in a strip mall, in 2022, that does not take orders online or by phone. You have to walk up to a window overlooking a parking lot, order, wait 20-25 minutes and pay high prices for mediocre food. God forbid they mess up and forget to make an item you ordered, because then you stuck waiting for another 20 minutes. And now you cold, expensive, mediocre food. read more

Waited 20 minutes for 2 glasses of wine (in the annex part). Never showed up. Hostess was an asshole.

The Beacon is so delicious. I'd recommend the swordfish chops but that may lead me to be legally culpable to a new addiction.

I was there this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day out and so we wanted to sit outside. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon. It was not crowded, at least not outside and it was near the end of brunch. The hostess was lovely and the waitress was really nice too. We ordered a cheese plate to come out 1st and then 2 meals, 1 was a salad one with eggs. The cheese plate came out and we had no plates or silverware or napkins so we started eating with our hands I finally was able to flag the waitress over and ask for silverware which she promptly gave us. I had to ask another waitress to find out when our meals were coming out. We ended up waiting over an hour for our meals which I think was absolutely absurd given that it was not busy and towards the end of brunch. I was never asked if I wanted a refill on my coffee, which was served luke warm. The food was mediocre at best. The eggs (huevos ranchero) were warm, not hot and just OK, nothing special at all. Beans tasted like they were right out of a can. My mom had the salad and she said it was ok. So not coming back any time soon. This was my 1st time. read more

The Beacon - Outdoor seating - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

Excellent food and service. Rotating specials are great and the drinks are always strong and tasty. Best chowder I've ever had and the salads and appetizers are great. The adjacent movie theatre is clean and well managed. Great spot! read more

From start to finish everything was great. Hostess was kind and accommodating. Service was wonderful. Drinks the kraken to be exact was delicious. A must try. Food was fast and amazing in every way. So much flavor and excitement in every bite. And top it off with the entertainment. The piano player Dan was amazing and understood the crowd. One of the owners Johnny sang a few songs, really lights up the room. We will be back Beacon keep up the great work read more

Dined here for the first time tonight! Their drink menu was imaginative and fantastic. I had The Field of Dreams drink, arugula salad, wings, and calamari. My hubby and I had the pinnacle of calamari from our honeymoon in Malibu-this calamari far exceeded the memory of our memory of calamari in Malibu. The Field of Dreams drink was inspired, very light, sweet and savory, refreshing and summer worthy. The arugula salad was fantastic as were the wings! I had the lobster flat bread as my entree. It was fantastic. I was too full to enjoy more than a couple pieces then I resorted to eating the toppings only. The singer was quite enjoyable, pitch perfect and so enjoyable to watch! Her name was Marlene. She has great stories, unimaginable talent and a sweet personality! I highly, highly recommend this restaurant. Check it out and tell me what you think. read more

We've had dinner at The Beacon twice in the last 2 weeks. The first time on a week day evening: great service, decor, amazing meal served in a timely manner. Finally! We raved to several friends and looked forward to another visit. The second visit, Saturday night (last night): our 7:45 reservations were honored but it took 10 mins to order a drink. Our apps came 25 mins after ordering, then 2 of 4 entrees several mins later, but the other 2 entrees disappeared. I lost track of the time it took until finally delivered, amidst apologies but, by then, we were ready to go get pizza. To management's credit, we weren't charged for 2 of our entrees. But I'd rather have paid and had a nice meal. read more

There's no other place on the north shore of Boston that offers nightly entertainment with a menu that rivals anything in the city of Boston. The cocktails are creative and delicious with just the right amount of booze and the staff bends over backwards to provide excellent service. Enjoy! read more

The Beacon - The Piano Bar at The Beacon. Always a good time. - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

I had a 70th birthday party for my husband at The Beacon. The staff could not have been better. Excellent food, excellent organizational staff. They handled everything for me, down to hanging pictures for the party! I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. They also serve great food on a daily basis. The best new restaurant on the North Shore! read more

JUST opened July, 2021. The GREAT vibe draws you in - the remodel of a previous space is great looking - coastal, welcoming. The staff is BEYOND accommodating and professional AND the menu is extensive. Our food - on only day 2 after opening - was exceptional. Johnny Ray sang a few songs, which just heightened the excitement in Marblehead's newest restaurant. We have already been back to enjoy again! read more

See all

I continue to wait for this place to live up to it's location! Our waitress was wonderful and the decor/band were great! The drinks and dinner were unfortunately not up to par. The old fashioned was overly sweet to the point that my husband didn't drink it (and he has sampled a good many old fashioneds!) The lobster meat in the lobster roll was over cooked, mostly claw meat and under seasoned, on a soft white roll. The haddock was under seasoned and the spinach had a funny consistency. Despite the great service, we unfortunately will not be back. read more

We were seated in the "annex" along with a childrens birthday party. Our server was clearly not happy having to deal with 15 little girls. We ordered two glasses of wine which never arrived. Servers wouldn't make eye contact. When we finally got someone's attention the interaction didn't go well. Meanwhile our original server had disappeared. We left. Way too stressful. read more

The worst brunch experience I have ever had. Waitress in our section took 20 minutes to even come over, should have left before then. Ordered food and drinks at 10:25, was told no alcohol until 11, at 10:55 she came over to ask us if we wanted her to put our drinks in and told us our food would be out within minutes. About a minute later, she came by asking what we ordered again and admitted she hadn't put through our order and had it wrong. Entire section of tables had issues with their food orders and timeliness of service. Our food took over an hour to come out and was mediocre at best. Wish I could say it was a one time thing, we continue to go back to give The Beacon another chance, and every time we are disappointed with service and timeliness of orders/accuracy. We won't be back. read more

My experience at The Beacon was so awful that the police had to intervene and the story made the papers. I was invited to attend a campaign event for the Democrat politician Jenny Armini for state rep. I took the opportunity to comment on a public policy issue and raised a conscientious objection to what passes for sex ed these days on behalf of the orthodox Jewish community. What happened next was that all hell broke loose. I was physically subdued by four men, including two bartenders, while a fifth one, who was Mr. Armini, swooped in with a closeline to my throat. The manager stood by her employees' handling of the situation. They were all offended because I said "LGBT" is against my religion. Well, it is and I don't want my tax dollars going to pay for it to be taught to kids. No one accused me of any wrongdoing. Two of the five assailants confessed, were charged with assault and battery, pled guilty, and were convicted. The hipster bartenders were not breaking anything up. They jumped in to harm me because they were offended. You can see it, how one of the two bartenders followed me off the property to give me a shove, the hipster character caught on tape. A year later, The Beacon hosted a "pride" event in conjunction with the town of Marblehead government. All ages. I recommend boycotting this evil den of iniquity. You can get the story here and see for yourself: https://rumble.com/v2w9cje-exclusive-video-orthodox-jew-assaulted-for-protesting-grooming-in-boston.html read more

Good service, cozy gas fireplace, but the food was a huge disappointment. Everything with ordered was either dry or had a complete lack of flavor. A little bit of spices and a little bit of butter (or vegan butter) will go along way. read more

Dinner and service was great as always, the drinks were only ok though. They had messed them up originally, and to their credit very quickly fixed their mistakes! read more

Finally a fun spot with great food, a lively atmosphere AND LIVE MUSIC!! The Beacon has it all. Great staff- a great addition to the Marblehead dining scene. So happy to have this place close by. read more

The Beacon - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

We went there last night for their all white party and we had the best time ever! The raw bar and the food was non stop all night. I can't say enough about the service as well. I told them all that I will be their newest regular customer. I can't believe that I haven't been there before. My son goes there quite often. Johnny Ray, the owner is extremely welcoming and made sure everyone had everything they needed. The band was awesome as well as the dj...Great time.....Thank you everyone! read more

It was our first time here. The food was great. The service was good...our waitress messed up my wine order pretty bad but other than that, good service. The decor and layout are really nice. They had a solo piano player who was excellent!!! Unfortunately, the manager asked the piano player to turn his volume down 3 or 4 times. He wasn't too loud at any point in the evening, the manager is just a very, poor manager. Leave the piano guy alone...he's fine. This place has potential for 5 star rating...the food is great but they just didn't deliver in a couple of areas. read more

I have been to The Beacon on many occasions and found the food, service and staff to be excellent! A must have is Chef Edgar's clam chowder.

Rude staff. Bad pours. Not worth it. The bartender, older guy with glasses, didn't want to be there and it showed.

We went here for my wife's birthday - and while the restaurant is an improvement from when it was previously "Wicks," there are still gaps and opportunities to improve. I'll summarize below: Positives: - the bar scene was vibrant, the drinks were good, and appetizers were tasty. I ordered the muscles (spicy coconut sauce) - and my wife ordered the soup special. - our waitress was very pleasant - live music (piano bar and singing) was enjoyable and offered a different vibe. I would suggest opening it up to other types of music (beyond piano/singing) as well, as this would be a differentiator from most restaurants/bars. - we liked sitting at high-top table...especially with this scene (music, bar, etc.). This was nice option that you can reserve in advance. Opportunities: - we had a 6:30pm Resy - but didn't get seated until ~20 min later. In fairness, they looked short-staffed (corona related perhaps?) and it was relatively busy. - the main entrées were a let-down...especially since we were told by some friends that the food has drastically improved from when it was Wicks. First, our entrées didn't get served to us until about an hour after we ordered. My wife ordered the scallops - which basically pan-seared scallops next to a blob of tasteless mash-potatoes (looked like a baked potato smashed up and a few stringy asparagus that were overcooked). It had no flavor / seasoning - or presentation "plate appeal." I ordered the seared tuna, which was recommended by our waitress - which was better than hers and overall good (but not great) - and not in-line with the price. Some sliced seared tuna (rare), a rice-ball cake, steamed bok choy, and scallion pancake. Sounded interesting, but again, it was uneventful taste-wise and it didn't deliver. Perhaps it sat for a hour in the kitchen too long before being served...who knows... - my wife eats gluten-free (GF), and there were very few GF options on the menu. Suggest adding more, and stocking some GF bread, rolls, pasta, etc. for this growing demand. - the bathroom is outside the restaurant (adjacent/inside the wicks building) - just logistically weird. In summary - I would come back for drinks and bar food/apps (and perhaps live music scene, especially if they broadened it to other bands, etc.), but I'd pass on the entrées (for now). The space and menu has lots of potential - they just need to execute / deliver better. read more

The best brunch in Marblehead by far. The service is attentive, the drinks are great especially the Bloody Mary bar. The food menu is extensive and delicious. read more

The Beacon - The Bloody Mary bar - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

See all

I have been visiting The Beacon quite a bit lately as I find it has one of the most diverse menus in the area and everything I get is cooked perfectly! The bartenders have always been friendly and attentive. My favorite dish is the oysters tataki, which one of the staff recommended on my first visit. We are lucky to have The Beacon in town! read more

We were lucky enough to have Scott take care of us. He exudes Impeccable service, attention to detail and professionalism. The food was beautiful. Having smooth live piano wafting through the cosy restaurant with a plummeting nor'easter outside and my family inside, laughing and eating good food with five star service was a great memory. read more

We've been twice now, and we will return as this is a new restaurant and they deserve some time to find their sea legs. That said, the food isn't looking like it will be the restaurant's draw. The nice atmosphere and cocktails are likely to be. The food is inconsistent and the kitchen seems to not really have the skills to put out a great product. Everything is slightly under-seasoned to begin with which is pretty elementary. The seafood tower I spent about $80 on was topped with lobster, crab, and shrimp that were all over cooked, and appear to have been boiled in unseasoned water. The lobster was impossible to remove from the shell because of how overcooked it was, and what we could get out was essentially flavorless. The Vongole was served with bucatini, which just isn't a great pasta for that dish. It's a classic dish... it's not the place to get cute or "creative." The broth needed more seasoning, too, and was very watery. The clams were good though. One person in our party had the chicken which was incredible, and perfectly seasoned. So... the capability or talent may be there, but execution is lacking right now. It was packed when we were there and service was a tad slow, but overall pretty good for a new place getting up and running. On our first visit there were two bartenders, a male and a female, and the female was incredibly high or drunk. Incredibly. It's a miracle a manager didn't pick up on it. The atmosphere and location is great. This is the third restaurant in this space (if memory serves) and the decor is the best so far. If the kitchen can ramp up and raise the bar on technique and craft, this could be a winner. So far it's just okay, but I think it has potential. read more

Great place! Great food! Great entertainment! Great service! Make a date for dinner and find out for yourself!