We are regulars at the Waterfront. The food and service is always good. One thing that is unique for Midcoast Maine is the the Waterfront has something for everyone. Whether you want steak, lobster, chicken wings, oysters, fried haddock or a cheeseburger, they have it all. The location is great on the harbor in Camden. The owner Sam is very personable and friendly, you can see his commitment ti the restaurant, the customers and the community (especially since they stay open for the cold months!) read more

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It was a beautiful day so the hubby and I sat on the patio for a glass (or two) of wine and a Guinness. He got the fish and chips and the fish was fantastic. Light batter with a flaky haddock. The fries were ok but he really liked the slaw. It was really unique. It was a creamy/vinegar base with red bell peppers. I got the fried oysters and they were fantastic. Lightly battered and fried with great flavor. They were served with a horseradish-tarter sauce. I requested their garlic fried instead of regular and they were delicious. The view from the patio was beautiful. read more

Waterfront - Fried oysters with garlic fries - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

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We stumbled across The Waterfront our first evening in Maine, when I was determined to have some clam chowder. I couldn't have done any better! the chowder was rich and creamy, with the perfect seasoning and lots of chubby little clams. We got fresh bread and a caesar salad for a perfect light supper. it was so good we went back two days later for lunch. I'd love to order one of the entrees, but I just can't pass up that chowder and bread!!! Lovely staff, too. Highly recommend. read more

Great seafood restaurant on the harbor. The mussels are a must. Huge and tasty. Really enjoyed the crabmeat, avocado, and brie cheese melt. The staff is super friendly. If you're driving up the Maine coast, this is a stop. read more

Beautiful location. It's a shame they don't take reservations. We got there at 5:45 and we were not able to get in until 745. But that time some of the seafood Specials were sold out. I ordered the crabcakes nice size but absolutely tasteless. The charge is sauce with the usual because it was more garlic than anything else. read more

We went in for an evening meal, it was off season so the crowd was lite. We were seated right away. Service was very good and timely, they do have a limited menu but the clam chowder and crab cakes were excellent. My wife had a crabmeat macaroni and cheese that was decadent. Excellent location and outside water front dinning available in season. read more

Waterfront - Crab cakes and crab Mac and cheese - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

On the advice of some locals, we had dinner at the Waterfront, located --amazingly enough -- on the waterfront. Well, actually, on the Camden harbor, but the view was lovely from the outside deck, even though it was enclosed by plastic because the evening air was downright chilly. Service was terrific, and he food was fine. Overall, a very enjoyable experience. We relished the mussels ($12), steamed in a nice wine sauce and topped with nice garlic and green onion. The serving was huge, and so was the tasty spinach salad that came with a fist-full of walnuts and goat cheese and fire-roasted red peppers. The clam chowder ($4.95) was over-seasoned with oregano, but the broth was thick, the clams tender and the potatoes chunky. Overall good but a tad bland, maybe. The seared tuna ($20) was served medium rare as we asked with crispy fries. Prices reasonable for a summer resort town. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly, and we came away impressed and satisfied. read more

My family had a nice experience at the Waterfront. We had to wait about 1/2 hour to get seated for dinner. However, the staff found some seats for us outside the main patio area and served us cocktails while we waited. The food, especially the mussels and scallops, were excellent. The outdoor patio is one of the best in Camden with a great view of the harbor. Our servers were very nice and checked in regularly. We also had a lunch here with no wait. If you can only have one meal here, come for dinner on a night you aren't in a hurry and just soak in the restaurant's excellent outdoor views. read more

Wasn't sure if this would be typical tourist trap fare. Happily It was not! Delicious salmon dinner, perfectly grilled, with asparagus, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and truly delicious rice! Please chef, fill me in on the rice used on 7/26 and how it was cooked!! Even the veg were perfect, still "alive" aka not mushy and wonderful!! read more

Had lunch on the beautiful day . The best lobster stew that I have ever had! Mostly knuckles and claws, creamy rich broth ever. Judy had a lobster Cobb salad which was excellent as well. Hope to be back! read more

Great spot on the bay! Mussels for app were more than enough for 2 people... fish tacos and blackened haddock sandwich were both great! The fries were crispy... and the service was outstanding. A great way to enjoy a lunch watching the boats! read more

A family favorite and we return on a regular basis. The food is always great. Yes, if you try to get a table anytime except winter season, you will have to wait for a table. Sometimes a long time. But you can put your name in and go walk around the beautiful town. Definitely a Camden staple and there is a reason for it. Great view, great food, fun time. read more

For anyone who is vacationing in Camden during Covid, just know that the dining situation is frustrating to say the least. Tried to eat here last night and it was over an hour wait by 6:00. Got here early tonight and ate inside so we didn't have to wait. The place is clean, staff friendly, service kind of slow but also not rushed. I had the scallops which were mediocre, not hot and not well seasoned. Husband had the medallions, bland and barely warm. Of course no salt on the table because of Covid. Word of warning to anyone traveling to this area during Covid, everything is affected. Went to Acadia National Park and not too crowded (the only plus) but when you feel you have to go out to eat at 6:00 or barely find a place to eat, it is disappointing and stressful. Wearing masks in 90 degree heat didn't help matters. read more

We checked in at the Camden Harbour Inn (amazing!!!) and wanted to walk into town, grab some lunch and maybe watch some of the game (World Series). I will admit to being a little skeptical - I had heard all about the cute/interesting/foodie places in Camden - but this was one of the few places in town with a TV so he decided we'd be eating here. It's a fairly standard tourist/seafood/pub/restaurant kind of place. I was expecting to eat OK food and grumble about the other places we could have gone to. I got the curried chicken slider special with a cup of lobster stew and he got Permaquid oysters and mussels. We were completely blown away by the quality and taste of the food. Oysters - perfect, super fresh, no fancy mignonette but great homemade cocktail sauce Mussels - the most plump and fresh mussels we've ever had (and we've eaten a LOT of mussels), a huge helping in tons of garlicky-winey-butter with great toasted bread. Curried chicken sliders (special) - yum - tons of chicken Lobster stew - I am aware of what I'm about to say might sound like I ran out of superlatives but no exaggeration - the MOST TENDER SWEET LOBSTER I've ever eaten. Not sure what they did but it tasted butter poached. I could literally push against the huge chunks of lobster meat with my spoon and it fell apart. Not even a hint of chewiness. So that's it. Sometimes I'm a food snob and only want to go to fancy places. Sometimes I end up in non foodie/fancy places and it makes me realize I'm a PITA when it comes to making decisions on where we'll eat. Go here and get the lobster stew. Yum read more

Waterfront - Cup of lobster stew - tons of tender lobster meat and really tasty - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

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Great place for lunch with a view. I had delicious lobster stew with rich broth and large chunks. Also had the apple goat cheese pecan salad, plus one of the local draft beers. He had a Bloody Mary. And fried haddock sandwich with fries. Great meal and great service. Plus a wonderful view. Limited parking next to the restaurant. Grab a street spot and walk down. read more

I was nervous reading the other reviews, but we were yet again lucky. We started with a couple of the special cocktails, which were very good but strong. Brie in filo to start. The cranberry chutney with it was a perfect compliment. I had the pan seared scallops which were outstanding. My wife's steak was perfectly cooked and very tender. The broccoli was pan seared but still crunchy. Desert was the raspberry chocolate torte, which was huge and rich. Place is a little upscale, but that's expected in Camden. Not stuffy or pretentious though. Great spot on the water. Service was good and the food came out quickly. Went off season, so deck was not available. Still had a great view indoors. Gets a big thumbs up. read more

Not exactly sure why this restaurant does not have better ratings. We dined there for lunch recently and had a delightfully delicious meal. The waitress was very pleasant, helpful, and expedient. The food incredibly delicious! I would return time and time again to work my way through their menu. read more

Lobster roll was fresh, warm, and delectable. Shrimp and calamari app (fried) was a nice way to start the meal...crisp and tangy sauce. Mussels were succulent and bread was fresh for dipping. Bartender was friendly, fast and observant. Definitely recommend sitting at bar. read more

We had seared scallops and the clam belly's. The service was great, the kid was good to us and accommodate us by giving us the happy hour drink's at the table that were sitting at. Overall the food was good. read more

Great location but disappointed with the service. They inexplicably seated several other couples before us who were further down the reservation list. Then the waitresses ignored us for 20 minutes while serving other people who came later than us. We had to ask management for a waitress before one came over to our table. We ordered but the food arrived lukewarm and was cold by the end of the meal. read more

Hostess / manager at check in was very rude and difficult to work with when our group arrived for dinner. We felt unwelcome and decided to go next door to another place to eat. I understand restaurants like this are on high demand but there is no need to be condescending and unpleasant to customers. read more

Well you can't beat this location. Absolutely amazing--picture postcard amazing. Wait times are long, but you can put your name in and return when it's closer to the time you'll be seated. The food was good, not great. For example the batter coating on the fried scallops was not that good although the scallops were perfectly cooked and delish. Our waitress was too busy. We asked for the dessert menu and she brought the check. Not a good ending. read more

Lunch at the Waterfront was a wonderful experience. It was recommended by a clerk at Sea Bags as one of her favorite spots. We sat outside after waiting a short 15 minutes for a table. We started with the Lobster Stew that had large pieces of lobster in a creamy broth. I had the Lobster Cobb Salad. Delicious. Large chunks of lobster surrounded by avocado, bacon, tomato, carrot, egg and blue cheese with a nice Dijon dressing. My husband had the Crab Bacon Avocado Melt. Also delicious. We finished with the puff pastry filled with homemade whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We really appreciated that our waitress allowed us to have a leisurely lunch and didn't rush us. The menu is extensive and we will definitely return to explore more of what is offered. This is a must for anyone visiting Camden. read more

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We were told this is the the best restaurant in town. I'm here to tell you that is a hard no. Our first attempt at a table for 2 was at 6pm. We were told by a very cranky hostess it would be an hour wait. Ok, add me to the list. I asked if we could have a drink in the bar as we wait. No. She told us to check back in a an hour as she rolled her eyes. Well, we know how that turned out. We tried again our second night in town. We showed up at opening time, 5pm. This time the host was a 20 something and very cranky. This guy acted as though his grouchy grandpa dragged him out of his painted black room and made his host for the evening. I decided to kill him with kindness. He told us it would be a 45 minute wait in the empty restaurant. This time we didn't ask about hanging out in the bar, we just strolled over and grabbed a drink. As expected, grouchy Grandpa showed up to seat tables with his cranky grandson. Two older ladies in the bar asked if they could sit at a 2 top in the bar. Grandpa promptly told no, he would be seating that table for dinner guests. I watched for another half hour sipping my beer while this and every table in the bar remained empty. Finally, grouchy Grandpa called my name, which was on top of the list, after seating 6 other groups of 2. The food is mediocre at best. I had the lobster ravioli. Meh. My husband had the jambalaya. This is not a fancy or trendy place. The interior is dark, drab and in desperate need of a make over. It is a run down old business run by what appears to be a very cranky family that has zero social skills or the ability to welcome customers. I do recommend Peter Ott's on the Water. The service was very friendly, the food was great and the interior was modern and well lit! read more

Waterfront has a beautiful view that looks out over the water and is the perfect setting to enjoy a lovely meal. However, the meal was so poor that I sadly give it a 1. The fish, in the tacos, is very dry and flavorless. Both the fish tacos and salmon were suppose to be blackened. They were not. Both dishes tasted like the fish came from a can. When returning the tacos, the new dish did not come out for nearly 45 minutes, even though they were not very busy. At that point, I had finished and my husband had had enough; therefore, we had it packed up to go. Things can go wrong and restaurants can have bad days, just as we do; but what was most surprising is no one tried to make it right, and they simply did not care. read more

I've been dining at the Waterfront from time to time for about fifteen years - I keep returning because it's a strong performer with a solid track record. My most recent visit was for lunch. I was delighted to be seated at a cozy window table overlooking the beautiful harbor and close to the comforting gas stove. The oysters on the half shell were perfect: fresh, shucked and served with care. The entree salad with grilled chicken was also fresh, flavorful, and very satisfying. My server was accommodating of my request to add avocado to the salad. Service throughout the lingering lunch was friendly and courteous - the restaurant was busy but I never felt rushed. I recommend taking a stroll down Bayview Street to the Waterfront - in any season - you'll like what you find. Reservations recommended for dinner. read more

Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

The blackened haddock tacos were Very tasty. Also Clam chowder was out of this world. I'm from South Louisiana so I had to have a little Tabasco with my food. Our waiter was very kind and the owner found his way to our table which was nice. I forgot my credit card at the restaurant and they kept it in safekeeping till I could retrieve it. We had a tremendous view of the Camden Harbor I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Waterfront - Camden harbor view from WaterFront Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

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Stopped in for a quick lunch. Service was a little slow but the view from the deck is very nice - overlooking Camden harbor. We had a few beers, fried clams and a crab BLT. Clams were nice and big and the sandwich was tasty too. We liked stopping in, maybe a little bit touristy, but the view is worth it and the food was very good. read more

STAY AWAY! June 28, 2021. First trip to Camden, ME and tried this restaurant. It was a Monday night at 6:00 and there was an 1.5 hour wait. We put our name on the list for outside seating (they did not take reservations but the web site says they did). They offered us plastic chairs in the sun to wait, but we opted to go elsewhere and found Cuzzy's nearby for drinks and appetizers with no wait. 15 mins before our 90 was up we returned and a waitress took us to be seated. We went past the outdoor seating into a back room with only a view of a trailer out a side window and no air conditioning. Apparently when you return, you are treated as "first available" again and so they took us to this terrible, available spot even though we had waited 80 mins for an outside spot. I spoke with the hostess who agreed to move us to an outdoor spot after another 15 minute wait (which was in-line with the original 90 min wait so we agreed). We informed our waitress and asked if we should move and she said we should just remain at the table until the hostess came. She also said she was surprised this table was just made available and it was not a great spot. Next, the assumed manager confronted us at the table and indicated that we should move and that she could sell this table to other guests. We let her know that this was fine, but that the waitress had just told us we could sit there until our new table was ready. She immediately countered that this was not true and the waitress did not say that (which she had not even talked to her). All four of our party countered that it was true and then the manager just flipped out. She told us we needed to leave and literally said "there's the door!". We were astounded by this sudden and uncalled for escalation and we have never been thrown out of any restaurant before. (She must have been having a bad night as many other customers were upset that night was well). There was no bad language, no raised voices and we had picked this place for our one night in Camden. If this was the owner, she will not be in business long with this attitude towards customers. if this was the manager she needs to have her rude attitude adjusted. On the bright side CUZZY's was great and we found a great ice cream , Camden Cones too. I IMPLORE YOU, AVOID THE WATERFRONT RESTAURANT. Read the review. Some said the water was the best part. It was the only part we got to try. The website says they take reservations, but they don't. Everyone on the wait list is first come first serve. If you show up and there is a table it is yours even if other people are waiting for it, you are seated. She just wants to fill the tables and does not care how it is done. This is poor management! Check out the other reviews, apparently the food is not that great and there are many better places to choose from. It was such a bad experience, I still felt the need to post this and warn others about this place and the management two weeks later. HEED MY WARNING. THINK TWICE before going here. read more

Have been here twice now. I enjoyed my first meal back in Sept of 22, and went back in August this year (23). I sat overlooking the water again, and was slightly disappointed that they had both scallop and clam dishes, but would not do a 50/50 split of that (a combo). I had the fried scallops which were big sea scallops, with a nice batter, BUT, either a glass of water had spilled on the plate or the water from the scallops overwhelmed the plate, making the batter soggy as well as the french fries. Scallops will be watery if they were stored in water, but I don't think this was the case. You don't want to overcook scallops, but I think these were so underdone that there was water oozing out - the texture seems to be underdone, more like sushi. It is not going to cause issues if not cooked properly, but I had waited a bit for the meal and had to get on the road in a timely fashion since I had about a 5 hour drive. I couldn't get the waitresses attention either. Very disappointed - the scallops looked wonderful, but being under cooked, and having everything in water was not very appealing, etc. A shame.... Will probably go elsewhere next time Im passing through. read more

As many others have written, the hostess here is rude and condescending to would-be diners. When will the owner realize she is ruining his business? read more

We were excited by the menu and reviews and looked forward to this place on our drive down from Acadia. Arrived at 2:30 and we were told to come back at 3pm (menu change). Arrived at 3pm to see that 4 other folks had put their names down to reserve a table. Wish we were told that at 2:30 and offered the courtesy of having our name down on the list. Busy weekend definitely but not great service. read more

Lobster stew, lobster stew, lobster stew! Have mercy...this stuff has been touched by Jesus. This spot is the very first place we visit when we land in Camden...incredibly delicious! read more

This is the chowder we compared all others to. Every other place failed miserably in comparison. This was was thick, flavorful and filled with clams and tender potatoes, absolutely wonderful. We decided to dine from the appetizer menu. It was a good choice. After chowder we had fried calamari and shrimp. They were light, crisp and delicious. The breading is light, not heavy. Served with a lemon wedge and cocktail sauce, it was perfect! For our third course we chose the crab artichoke fondue. This served with toasted sourdough. It was incredibly rich and we should have gone with lighter green salads. It was very heavy and though quite flavorful there was very little crab. The first two courses I highly recommend but be sure to order a bowl of chowder, the cup would be a tease. read more

My wife and I arrived near closing time on summer Friday night but still a friendly greeting, nice table by the harborside waterfront. Can't beat the view. Best clam chowder ever. And we split a delicious Thai noodle halibut(?) special. read more

Waterfront - Martinis and clam chowder at The Waterfront, Camden Maine. - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

Loved this place for years. It's the absolute "Waterfront" place to be if your on vacation or you're a local! Everybody mixes at the bar and it is always fun to meet a local and a person from "away". They have great daily specials- usually a fish, a steak, a variable dish, an app, and daily sides; plus wines by the glass specials. I don't have a favorite here. I tend toward the halibut, a steak, or fried oysters! You. An get your lobster fix here too! At the bar you have access to two menus plus the specials and the bartenders are really great! Friendly and welcoming and they get to know you quickly so if you are a repeat customer they know what you drink and greet you often by name :) The atmosphere is very comforting. The lighting is low level, there is a fireplace, it is warmly decorated, and the temperature is moderate-so when you walk in from the cold it is inviting and you're glad you arrived. This is a great place for large parties. They know how to manage them and they put you in the best space they have available. As far as seating-there is outdoor seating right on the water. You can watch the boats taxi in and out. People watch. And the deck is open late in the year because they have outdoor heating. The dining room is set up carefully so that when crowded it does not appear as crowded as it is. Maybe, I'll see you there! read more

Great food and service ! Went by at 4:30 to add our names and got seated at 5:15. Scallops and halibut were awesome! Excellent all around!

My family and I went there for the second time this week while on vacation. The food was again really good but the atmosphere was one of the worst experiences I'd ever had. There was a group that came in after us and they were very loud and obnoxious. We couldn't even hear people in our party talk. We asked our waiter to ask management to settle the crowd down. The manager did nothing. While on our way out the restaurant someone in our party complained to the manager and we were told "everyone is here on vacation ". We were also here on vacation and it was our last night here. The management didn't seem to care about us or that our experience was horrible. Last time for this place. read more

Great atmosphere and the food was wonderful! I had the goat cheese and apple salad with salmon and also some clam chowder! Both were fabulous! Everything came out at a decent time and the staff was great! Food was very fresh and chowder was very hot. Would totally recommend! read more

Waterfront - Goat cheese and apple salad with salmon was perfect! Very filling and the dressing was not too sweet. Very yummy! - Seafood Near Me - Camden, Maine

From start to finish not great, if it weren't overlooking the water it would be 1 star. Not friendly staff, poor training evident all around, manager was not welcoming at all, really a pretty crummy experience. Food was sub par, mostly just slapped together - as a friend pointed out - "did they even taste it before sending it out". If you want to have really great food with warm staff, albeit a more rugged atmosphere try the Pearl In Rockland. Far better options where the staff are happy to work there with good management who sets the tone. read more