We had a wonderful time there. The atmosphere was excellent. It is a perfect date night option. Their food was a little slow to serve, but the flavor is amazing. The seafood is very fresh, and they really put some thoughts making them. The service is friendly and professional. There is no complaint at all. read more

18 below - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

See all

I had a fantastic dinner and drinks tonight! Never stopped here before but Kira was an awesome bartender, great food recommendations and conversation. I had some oysters, crab cake and the stuffed fish along with very well prepared martinis. This will 100% be my go to when I'm in town! read more

See all

Had dinner there with my 20 year old daughter. Nice menu and ambiance. This place was called The Down Under years ago when I went to college in Waterville in the early 90s so it brought back some memories The staff and service were great. I ordered the stuffed lobster, which was cold in the middle, so I had to send it back for reheating. They fixed it right away, so no big deal. Otherwise the meal was delicious. They did have a major fruit fly problem at our table, which was very annoying and I hope they can address that. read more

Agree with the positive reviews 18 below is receiving. Was looking for a nice sit-down restaurant to share dinner with 2 friends as we were all visiting the Belgrade Lakes area for the first time. There were many attractive items on the menu, but the seafood paella was my first choice. Having been introduced to paella in Barcelona, it is hard to find paella that compares. 18 below's rendering was pretty darn close. The dish comes with generous helpings of mussels. clams and shrimp. The rice and sauce are flavorful. I had to try the fried calamari as an appetizer and that was lightly battered so I could actually taste the calamari. Our server Lexi was wonderful too. My only regret was that I had too full to try anything on the dessert menu! read more

Our food was perfectly prepared! 4 people and four different dishes. No complaints, just compliments. A warm cozy atmosphere as well. I will return to this one on one of our trips to Waterville over the next year and a half.. read more

The food here is fantastic, best in Waterville I think. Got the stuffed haddock and previously the beef stroganoff and they were both really unexpectedly good. Our waiter was awesome - peppy and prompt. Couldn't have had a better experience read more

Have been here several times and always have enjoyed the food and service. Sit downstairs on a hot night and enjoy some really good food and service. read more

Great experience overall, nice service and great food. Drink options were good, opted for a brown ale, but didn't think about pairing it with my dinner which was the Ahi Tuna Steak. Still delicious. A little dark but the atmosphere was cozy and pleasant, not at all loud. Great place for a dinner date if you want something intimate. read more

18 below - Ahi Tuna Steak - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

Our favorite restaurant in Waterville , ME. Seated at the bar, such a good vibe. Exceptional service, crafted cocktails, and creative menu prepared to perfection read more

Great for seafood. Very personal service, and I've never had a bad meal. Best halibut ever! The Lobster Cutlet is amazing.

Dined with them twice now and will absolutely return. Fantastic menu with many choice items. A definite must while in Waterville!!! read more

This is a delicious treat!! Although it was super busy and we did wait over an hour for our food it was worth it! Everything was delicious we did send the paella back due to it not being hot but the flavor was on point, I don't think they have enough help, everyone was running and looked stressed, but we will def try it again not on a weekend! Chocolate Martini was so good! Pineapple dish was very good! read more

18 below - Chocolate martini - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

See all

Great food. Highly recommend the crab stuffed halibut and my wife though the pork chops.

They want you to make reservations but did let us walk in. The menu looks excellent however we did not get to try it. We ordered our dinner and proceeded to wait almost 40 minutes for food. The food never came. When we made an inquiry about our meals we were told that they were short-handed in the kitchen by one person and that a 40 minute plus wait was normal. Our server went on to explain they were not cooking food in the order the ticket hit the kitchen but based on how easy it was to make. Overall, this was a very unsatisfactory experience. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Went to dinner with my elderly parents. The food was very good. Three of us had the scallops with pea purée with bacon, saffron risotto and a vegetable medley. My mom ordered them a bit more well done and asked for potatoes. They accommodated her requests. Everyone was happy with their meals. We lingered a while to visit and the staff were very nice about it. Just know before you go that there are a lot of stairs to maneuver to enter and exit for older people. My parents were both using canes but managed quite well especially having such a great meal. Can't wait to return. read more

I reserved a table by email 3 weeks in advance for graduation weekend. We showed up on a rainy Saturday evening to find a note on their door saying they were closed for a "gas problem". No other businesses on the block were closed. We were scrambling to find anywhere at all to eat given every other restaurant in town was booked for grad weekend. Could have sent an email! Will never recommend this place. read more

I experienced the worst steak I have ever had in my entire life here. I will never be back. Lions den it is hell even rubys is better. Words can not describe how disappointed I was with this restaurant. The prices are extremely high for the quality of food. If the food was actually edible I could then maybe understand the prices. read more

If you're looking for fresh dishes, love raw oysters, and delicious desserts this is your place! read more

See all

We had a larger group for dinner. Wait staff did a great job Wonderful fresh oysters! Best I've had in years. read more

Contacted via email to see if they served lobster.....ir was my birthday and is what I wanted.....they responded back that is not on menu but can have it for a special occasion.....I told them the date and they texted me back told me what they ordered for lobster and I agreed ....this was the first time I had ever been there was a casual dress .....was very clean staff was very nice and right on top of everthing.....very nice experience read more

Great Service! Fast drink time to the table. Food was well prepared and arrival was as planed. Plenty of seating. I love all the beautiful mermaids! Recommend sitting downstairs for the nice intimate setting. read more

Food does not get better than 18 Below!!!! They have nice outdoor seating. Alex our waiter was attentive and gave us great recommendations as to what to order. We devoured the pineapple seafood dish - insaneeee. The pork and mash was phenomenal but the best was the crab stuffed fish. Don't stop there - you MUST have dessert !! A snickers cake. BEYOND DELISH. And the strawberry cake is something I will keep dreaming about. Alex is the best & really takes care of you. We can't wait to come back! Heard they're opening another lunch joint next door... if it's anything like this amazing spot - we will be frequenting often. Highly recommend!! read more

The service was slow, but they were very busy. And the wait staff was friendly and accommodating. I had the baked scallops in cream and sherry. The scallops were rich and sweet - the kind of dish I dream of when remembering east coast seafood from my childhood. The orzo with spinach and tomatoes that came with the scallops was a nice, fairly light complement, though in need of a bit more salt. I ordered a cocktail based on a couple of recommendations from other yelpers. I'm not sure if they were down a bartender, but the drink was inexpertly made. Even so, this was a lovely meal and I left entirely satisfied. read more

My husband and I ate here a few years ago and thought it was excellent. Tonight was a much different story. The only good thing I can say that happened was that we got an early reservation as we were going to a show at the Waterville Opera House. Appetizers: we ordered escargot..it was a very small dish...looked like miniature plate . Calamari or should I say calamari crumbs with some fried peppers in with it, and a jumbo shrimp cocktail that had 4 shrimp thrown on top of some ice cubes with a side of sauce. Presentation on a scale of 1 to 10 was a generous ...3 My husband orders the duck breast dish...portion was small , with mashed potatoes and chopped beets......Presentation ...again 3 out of 10 is being generous. It may have been 1/4 of a duck breast. My original request was for the rib eye steak....at 5:30 on a Saturday night ..they were out of it....Seriously ? So I ordered beef stroganoff.... It looked like somebody vomited in a big bowl of over cooked , mushy noodles and mixed it all together and put it in front of me.....presentation ...would be minus numbers. I ate about 4 bites and I was over it. The dish lack flavor and noodles were mushy and over cooked in a mixture of stringy beef and some no flavor sauce. The waiter looked at me and started to bring a box for take home..I told him it was awful and I didn't want it ...no apology ....no service recovery ..just walked away with my dish and his empty to go box. We discussed dessert and opted for a slice of cheesecake for each of us....they only had one... Gone are the days when a restaurant took pride in food service, presentation and customer satisfaction.....I would give this a poor rating and that's being generous. I will never go back here again. read more

Met my wife's family for dinner with decreased COVID restrictions. This place is a GEM! Packed restaurant, with safe seating arrangements, definitely recommend reservations. Great ambiance and attentive waitstaff, thanks Lexie!! Appetizers included jumbo shrimp cocktail, (4 to an order for $12), fresh and flavorful with a zesty cocktail sauce. Yummy! Also ordered the hot Vermont cheddar cheese dip with crusty bread and tortilla chips. Thumbs up on this app too. Entree choices were plentiful and eclectic. We ordered the diver Scallops (5), served with fresh veggie medley (green beans, carrots, sautéed red peppers), and risotto for $25. Great price point with excellent food execution. Perfect carmelization on the Scallops! Each bite was flavorful and relished. My father in law ordered the 14 oz rib eye steak ($24), cooked to a perfect medium temperature. He enjoyed every bite. Great affordable wine list, with craft beers on tap and craft cocktails. This is amazing dining at very affordable prices. Deft hands in the kitchen! Cannot wait to return. Highly recommend. read more

The food was incredible but the real star of the show was Ally. She was obviously very busy but handled her bar and tables so well. She still made it over to our table multiple times and we never felt rushed. Her recommendations were very helpful and she was so kind. As I said they did seem very busy but the food came out incredibly fast and was amazing. Overall a great experience. read more

Service was good. House wine was good. The food was very average hand and overly breaded. Had oysters, and you couldn't even taste it oysters because of too much breading the haddock was very bland and and crab stuffing was mostly bread. read more

wonderful atmosphere, excellent service, and delicious food. However, there really is no vegetarian option on the menu. Lots of seafood and meat, but no vegetarian entrées. read more

From the moment we arrived at the restaurant things were not warm and welcoming at all. I'm a traveler that was visiting this city only for the purpose to work. My coworkers and I like to have nice family style dinners while we are away from the comforts of our homes and families. I made the reservation so that we could try the cuisine in this New England city together. We arrived at different times and some of my coworkers were seated before I arrived. As soon as the male server with glasses saw me, he immediately said party for Angel is around the corner. No welcome or greeting. I wasn't asked who I was or if I was possibly a single person wanted to be seated. Just assumed I was with the table that had people of color sitting at it. I found it odd, but immediately knew it was definitely one of many micro aggressions we would experience before the night was over when another one of my coworkers mentioned the same thing without me telling her my experience. The next thing that occurred was the blatant attitude from the waitress when one of my coworkers asked for a fresh glass of ice. When he asked for a new glass, she snapped back at him that there were glasses on the table. He asked for a fresh one because he was unsure of who's glass was in front of him. She reluctantly brought it out to him. As we were ordering our meals, there were a lot of questions asked about the food clearly because we aren't from the area. When one of my coworkers asked how a particular steak was cooked and if it was a nice dish, she snidely said as long as you don't ask for it well done it should be fine. Once again a micro aggressive assumption. The thing that finally made me lose my appetite completely and made me feel extremely uncomfortable in this space was when our entrees were finally brought out to us. The male waiter with glasses brought out two salmons there were ordered. My coworker instructed that he ordered his with extra glaze and the one he was given was not made that way. The server took it back and came back with both and said that it was correct while roughly placing the plate in front of my coworker. He then didn't bother to ask who the other belonged to and placed the second plate in front of the wrong person. When that coworker exclaimed it was not his but instead the person in front of him the waiter picks up the plate and slams it down in front of her yet again while stomping away. That immediately changed the dynamic of the table. To add insult to injury another coworker received her scallops that were burnt and tasted bitter. When she exclaimed this to the waitress, she argued with her that the scallops were glazed not burnt (at the beginning of dinner she revealed doesn't even eat seafood so how would she actually know). She then in true fashion angrily asked for the plate back while rolling her eyes and returned it to the kitchen. Sure enough the scallops came back out not burnt the second time. By this time every person at the table felt and experienced how we were being treated versus the table behind us. One of my coworkers didn't even bother to order because he didn't trust the restaurant. I asked for a to-go box and check because I refused to finish any meal in that environment. Once they realized we no longer felt comfortable their attitudes shifted but definitely too late. I still have 2 weeks left in this town that lacks people who look like me and I will not recommend to the other 50 coworkers I have in town also working this restaurant. One would think that after paying $70 for an appetizer, entree, one drink, and 18% gratuity plus extra from the additional tip that the service would be color blind, but definitely how wrong I was. read more

Off putting greater, last summer the sidewalk servings were great. Back downstairs and back to the annoying little guy and over prised marginal food read more

This is certainly the best seafood restaurant in central Maine and I am rating it a bit higher than I would if it were in Portland. They don't take reservations but we got there early on a Saturday night and were seated promptly. There are affordable wines in the $27 range, the entrees were average priced for a nice place, and it certainly is a great subterranean atmosphere, ideal for a winter treat. Service was fast and friendly. The food overall was very good but nothing outstanding. Their "famous" oysters Rockefeller was tasty once you got through a mountain of bread crumbs. The paella was really just a chock full seafood stew with some rice, yet too much chock were bell peppers, not seafood and gulf of Maine shrimp would have improved it. The mussels were juicy and in a fine traditional white wine sauce. The encrusted lobster cake special was very nice with a flavorful saffron risotto. They have a great rotating selection of local oysters, too. It's good to have a decent seafood dining place in the area. read more

18 below - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

See all

My hubby and I love this place. We went back again the other weekend...and ordered the filet mignon and the pork chop again! Their food is consistently excellent and the atmosphere is friendly. Definitely try this place if you haven't yet! read more

If you're a seafood lover, you'll love this place! I ordered a Paella Entree, and it was delicious. It had a large amount of seafood (mussels, clams, shrimps) and the steamed vegetables had a great flavor. The Colossal shrimps with the cocktail sauce were extremely tasty, but it was a little pricy (3.00 $ each). The staff were extremely kind and service was fast. Would definitely recommend! read more

18 below - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

So where do I begin. You probably would never know this place existed unless someone lives in the area or you do your research. I saw it on Yelp as well as friends live in the area. Very small sign frontage and you go down stairs to what appears to be an old mill. Gorgeous seating areas and bar with awesome ambiance. Lots of room where they could have added extra tables but decided not too leaving the place very roomy. They don't take reservations so either get there by 5 or after 7 to avoid long waits. The menu was amazing with all food locally grown and meats bought locally as well. Couple with us had raw little neck clams (nope nothing raw for me) I had oysters Rockefeller that were so fresh and delicious. Between all of us we had coconut crusted cod, lobster cutlet, prime rib, and scallops coquille St Jacques. Yummy, yummy yummy! Everything was cooked to perfection. No bread served with meals which is unusual but fine with me as I usually don't eat it and when I do it ruins my meal. Took longer than normal to get our meal but once you get it you will know why as it was wonderfully prepared and super fresh. We will be back to try so many other mouth watering menu items. Prices are high but you get what you pay for. If you are looking for an amazing meal and willing to pay a little extra then give this place a chance. read more

See all

I wasn't sure what to expect from this place, being in the downstairs portion of a bar, but I was pleasantly surprised. Brick walls with warm lighting made for an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. While we waited for a table we sat at the bar. It was odd that we had to pay for or drinks at the bar and not with or meal but it was a small thing. As an appetizer, we got the escargot, which was baked in butter and garlic. This was my first time having it and it was sublime! My boyfriend got 3 oysters on the half shell and said they were excellent. He also got one of the specials that was offered that evening: a spice crusted seared scallop dish with an Asian flair, which he really enjoyed. I got the rack of lamb off the regular menu, which came with a pesto mashed potato and grilled zucchini and tomatoes. The lamb was excellent! I wasn't crazy about the grilled tomatoes but the potatoes were delicious. I really wish I hadn't waited so long to try this place! I appreciate the effort to source locally. Definitely come here! read more

18 below - The rack of lamb - Seafood Near Me - Waterville, Maine

See all

Having a great time on our anniversary. I am amazed how spectacular my dinner was. Out of this world. Beautiful presentation Hawaiin Seafood stuffed Pineapple, do I need to say more? Yes it is as delicious as it sounds. Too good to be true? No! Nice service too! read more

See all

Food was good and the waitress was very pleasant and did her best but it took a really long time to deliver even bread no less our meal. Also be sure to request downstairs seating, upstairs lacks the charm and may have contributed to the very slow service. read more

Back again...18 Below has it going! Recently went back to the "Local Steak House" and again I was terribly disappointed with their steak. 18 Below rocks again with there NY Strip prime aged steak at $23 vs $20+ at the Local Steak House! Chicken Strips are the best! Best place for all your taste buds needs! read more

First time trying 18 below. The atmosphere is very cozy and a little bit dark. The wait staff was definitely hustling that night, so it took a little bit to get our food and drinks, but they were apologetic and working incredibly hard, so no big deal. The food was very good. Large quantities and a very reasonable price. The escargot were absolutely delicious, as well as my stuffed haddock. My husband enjoyed his meal as well. We will definitely be back. read more

Extremely slow service not very busy yet waited close to 35 min for app to arrive at table - kitchen staff coming out and serving food very disorganized Won't go back read more