We were in the area and ready for dinner. Even though it was a Saturday night, we were able to secure a reservation at Alicante, which can be exceptionally busy on Friday and Saturday evenings. There was no valet service, and the parking lot was already full, but we found a street parking spot very close to the restaurant. We were seated immediately at a window table overlooking the pond, one of Alicante's nicest features. We've dined here many times over the years, although our last visit was disappointing due to sluggish service. Fortunately, this evening proved to be a return to form. Ice water, wine, and warm bread arrived almost immediately as our attentive three-person service team got us settled. While the evening specials were tempting, we opted for two longtime favorites from the regular menu: Piccata di Pollo - $27 Shrimp Scampi - $29 Total with wine and tax: $84.53 Our entrées arrived promptly, hot, and beautifully prepared. The chicken piccata was exceptionally tender, complemented by a bright, flavorful lemon-butter sauce. The shrimp scampi featured perfectly cooked shrimp in a classic butter and garlic sauce that was well-balanced and not over-seasoned. As always, the portions were generous--enough that some of the chicken accompanied us home. After one less-than-memorable visit, it was nice to see Alicante back at the top of its game. Excellent food, attentive service, and a beautiful setting make this a restaurant we look forward to visiting again. Tip: Even though Alicante is on Route 16, you can park along the road. Be careful exiting the driver side, it's a very busy road. read more

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This is a favorite spot for me and the Mrs. Although their menu hasn't changed much over the past couple of years, the food is amazing and specials always seem to be what we're looking for. Bartenders are amazing and quality of service is consistent and friendly. Feels like family. read more

We hadn't been to Alicante's for quite a few years, we remembered how pretty the view of the lake was, so we made reservations. Well, the view was still nice, but the food and the service were terrible. Nothing-like-it-used-to-be! read more

Disappointing Just have to tell a story here. Went in for our anniversary, got there early before the crowds arrived. We got a couple of special mixers and we ordered lobster ravioli and the pot roast special. Both were pretty, had better here before, but good. Here comes the kicker,the bartender who was very pleasant accidentally broke a wine glass into our food and drinks. Glass in our food and drinks. Offered to pour us new drinks and we accepted, but they should offer that to us. As for our food, we were about half done our meals, and all they did was offer us a half order of ravioli to take home. I actually refused at that point. Now the bartender ghosts us for the rest of our visit. We couldn't even get the bill. Now this is where I got irritated, they comped nothing. Offered us basically nothing and charged us for everything even this glass situation ruined our meal. Not even a free drink or a dessert. Nothing. All they offered to us was to replace food and drinks that we already ordered (they screwed up) and in the end paid full price for. Ruined our anniversary meal and all we wanted was an acknowledgment that the service got screwed up, not get ghosted. Sadly this was one of our favorite restaurants and we sadly won't be back. I gave this re-review 2 stars out of respect I have for this place in the past. I guess hospitality is dead. Good luck, thanks read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Short Rib - Perfect - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

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Alicante has a vibrant bar scene, and seating in the bar area offers a much different ambiance than the dining room. Both locations offer a nice lake view, but I think I would have preferred the dining room...oh, well, maybe next time. I really enjoyed the Mariscada, which had a variety of perfectly cooked fish and a savory sweet tomato broth. The Chicken Pesto was much less interesting, as it was a slightly upscale version of a kid's meal of pasta and crispy chicken. Service was on the slower side, but we didn't mind the relaxed pace of the evening. Overall, Alicante overs a great suburban option for a nice dining experience. read more

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First time. Last time. Drove in from Auburn, wanted to relax with water view and have a nice meal. Upon entering, noticed the filthy windows from the front door. Service was great with Mari, she's a professional, very polite, very sweet. The food came out hot, I love that. The stuffed mushrooms were ok, just unappealing in a brown sauce. The chicken pesto burrata needed salt and pepper which isn't kept on the tables but hand ground by your server upon request. I would've liked to control that. The burrata was minuscule, only enough to accompany 3/4 bites. The chicken was pounded thin, heavily breaded, crunchy, unappealing. My wine glass was dirty and had a lipstick rim. No photos. read more

Bring back valet parking! Terrible time finding a reliable parking spot. Mother's Day seemed very overbooked. Had a rez too and still had to wait 20 mins. read more

Great time at Alicante Restaurant! We were in Menden at a tree farm and winery, cutting down our tree for the first time and went to Alicante for dinner afterwards. It was a fabulous time! The ambiance is beautiful since it's right on the water. The service was spectacular and so was the food. We sat in a gorgeous and comfortable booth. For appetizers we shared the Beef Skewers and Eggplant. Everything was delicious. For entrees, I ordered the Veal Milanese and my husband had the Chicken Parmigiana. Both were excellent and we had leftovers. My friends had other dishes which they enjoyed too. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas and looked great. We also shared a bottle of wine from Portugal. Thanks Alicante for the hospitality, we will definitely come back another time. Cheers! read more

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This is my first time there, the Food is great, I set at the bar so the service was really good. Restaurants sits by a lake has outstanding views good For afternoon drinks. I definitely coming back since is very close to my house. read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Beef skewers - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

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This was our second visit for dinner, both times excellent! I had the pork tenderloin which was fabulous and my husband had the chicken parm. The menu offers a wide variety of tasty options. Cocktails were delicious with a lovely lakeside setting including outdoor seating and bar with a nice view. The best part, however, was our lovely and attentive server, Marianny who was poised, efficient and friendly and left such a good impression that we will certainly return. Highly recommend. read more

Food is really good although they need a little more oomph to the chicken piccata. All the appetizers were really good especially the bang bang shrimp. A little pricey but good . read more

The restaurant has a beautiful romantic atmosphere, especially sitting at the bar in the high top booths, which made our date night very enjoyable. The mocktail menu is delicious, and the food is beautifully presented. Everything we ordered tasted excellent and made for a memorable experience. read more

Last night we had a celebration dinner at Alicante in Mendon and it was perfect. We had grilled salmon, Veal parm, bolognese and pork tenderloin and sangria .Midweek .was less rushed so we were able to enjoy ourselves snd relax . Our waitress joined in the fun with a soft version of happy birthday. read more

Absolutely fantastic restaurant! The views over the lake from every table was just the start! We had a hard time choosing from such an incredible menu and Leah was one of the best waitresses we have ever had! She made our night! I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! We brought our baby and felt so welcome and comfortable! Highly recommend! We can't wait to go back! read more

Had my first bad experience at Alicante's this past Saturday. Made a reservation 6 days in advance for 6 ppl. We were celebrating 2 family birthdays. Specifically requested a table overlooking the water, as soon as you enter the dining room, before you go up the 2 stairs. Explained that we have 2 handicap people that cannot do stairs. We were told 'all set' with reservation. Got to restaurant at 5pm. Were then told by manager that he moved us to a table 'up the stairs'. He needed our reserved table for a birthday party of 16. He stated that was the only place in the whole EMPTY dining room that he could seat them. We were also offered the bar area, which we didn't want. So, in order to get to the table, we now had to go back outside with my 93-yr old Mom and her 97- yr old friend, with walkers and canes, and walk up to another door further from where I parked. So much for handicap parking privileges. We finally get to the table, which is against the wall. No window view of water. Did I mention that the dining room is EMPTY? All tables overlooking the water were empty! The manager said he was sorry but had to move us. Said he had no other choice. Really? Why couldn't he have at least combined a couple of tables with a window view to accommodate us?? The main reason we wanted to go to Alicantes was for the window view. I thought my elderly Mom would have really enjoyed that. Big disappointment!!! They don't honor reservations but they charge your credit card if you dont show up. If we didn't have 2 handicap seniors with us we would have left! Don't trust making a reservation there .... read more

Had been going to Alicante since they opened many years ago and was never disappointed with the quality of food and service was excellent. The servers were attentive and got to know many of them by their names. The Alicante under new ownership is just not the same the food just doesn't match what was served in the past and the servers are not as good and the last 6 times we went I don't think we saw 1 familiar face and haven't been back in probably about a year. read more

We went to Alicante for my partner's birthday. I was a little nervous reading the recent reviews since they changed ownership, there was some negative reviews recently. I looked to see what we had last time that we loved so much and after reading the menu we both decided on the same things as last time!! We started with shrimp cocktails and our dinners were just as delicious as last time we were here!!! We had a nice view in front of the windows overlooking the pond, we would have sat outside if the weather cooperated! The only thing that wasn't as good as before was the tiramisu, they used an ice cream scoop to put balls of tiramisu in a pile and drizzled it with chocolate (my partner loves tiramisu because it's NOT too sweet and the chocolate syrup ruined it for him. Still amazing food for dinner and great service and ambience! read more

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**Updated review post new Alicante Ownership** I'm heartbroken to say that although the service and ambiance are still as amazing as I remember after the change in ownership the food is not the phenomenal knocks your socks off amazingly impressive cuisine it used to be. I've gotten the LOMBO DE CERDO which is a Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with apples and cheese countless times and it's always been consistently amazing. This time it was just okay. My vegetables were raw including the carrots and broccolini. The sauce lacked the typical oomph it normally has. The cocktail I had was very good and had some sort of pineapple coconut flair. I'm hoping that the new owner can convince the old chef to come back because I sure would love that old Alicante cuisine back in my hometown! read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - LOMBO DE CERDO 3/5 - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

I made reservations two weeks in advance, celebrating my birthday, we got the absolutely worst seat in the house, all the way in the back, and right in front of where all the waitstaff had to go. Any other seat would have been better, even sitting at the bar. The food wasn't all that good, very bland, and not cooked right. I asked for berries for the creme brûlée, I got one small strawberry slice and we asked for extra whipped cream on the chocolate bomb and got one dollop. I was super excited to try this restaurant and was greatly disappointed, I won't be back. read more

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Our first time here and it was amazing! Our server Leah was amazing. The food was fantastic. We started with the stuffed mushrooms and calamari, both were great. For entrees we had chicken parm (with the bolognese sauce) and the short rib. We sat outside by the water, which was lovely. We'll be back! read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Chicken Parm with Bolognese Sauce & Beef Short Rib - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

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We sat at the bar waiting for our family to finish their rehersal dinner. I wish they had taken us to them - seemed logical but we were told they had to finish dinner first. Bar food was good. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem that everyone needs to find! We stopped in without a reservation based on past-reviews and word-of-mouth information. We were promptly sat and had a beautiful view of a lake at sunset. The location is such a great surprise. We ordered cocktails to start, which were very tasty. For food, we both ordered the three course dinner. For appetizers we had the crispy shrimp and chanpinhones. The crispy shrimp were huge and very good. I wish they had some extra bang bang sauce to dip in. I very rarely find chanpinhones in a restaurant, so I had to try them. They were the most delicious stuffed caps! Definitely give these a try. For entrees were had the Pollo al Pesto and the Haddock. The chicken and pesto was delicious. It is a huge piece of chicken. For me, the sauce was leaning more towards a watery alfredo than a pesto. I prefer really green pesto that is less oily/watery. I actually forgot it was supposed to be pesto. The haddock was very tasty. The fish was savory and buttery. The pasta to accompany was very good, and the white wine sauce was very characteristic. To accompany these we had some wine. I was not able to order a full bottle at this dinner, and so I was pleased to find a varied list of wines by the glass, with plenty of different options. I like to pair my wine to my food, so I really appreciate when a varied list of wines by the glass. For dessert we had the lemon sorbet and creme brulee. The sorbet was perfectly balanced. Interestingly, the creme brulee paired pretty well with the sorbet, making for an interesting dessert experience. Our server was more than courteous. I am not sure if she was being trained, or if she was training someone. The service was a bit slower as a result, but not a detail was missed. This is a wonderful restaurant. I am surprised it has taken me this long to stumble across it, and I hope that other people will have the same amazing experience. read more

Great restaurant for the area. It's well decorated and has beautiful views of the lake which gave it great ambience. Drinks were delicious! Service was great. The beet salad was kind of disappointing- it barely had any beets and zero walnuts. It was mostly lettuce and goat cheese. But our entrees were good. I had the chicken milaise and my husband had the short ribs. Loved our deserts! Can't wait to go back! read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Tiramisu and chocolate mousse cake - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

Wow!What a disappointment! We've been to Alicante numerous times for celebration dinners. My birthday was a week ago but my husband was sick so we decided dinner here would be worth the wait. NOT. Starting with the atmosphere. No tablecloths anymore. Menu prices are up, but that is everywhere so would have accepted that. Food was very disappointing. Green beans were under cooked, potatoes were WAY too salty, and my fish portion was very small. My tuna tartare was good, but pricey. Tonight was a far cry from what we had come to love about this restaurant. We won't be back any time soon. read more

We really wanted to love this place. We went on Saturday night and it was packed. We were seated immediately for our reservation and that's where the attentiveness stopped. It took 25 minutes from the time we ordered drinks until they arrived at the table. My Manhattan was excellent though. Our server had far too many tables and just could not keep up. Our waters ran dry and stayed that way for quite some time. The appetizers came decently quick and were tasty. Our mains took over an hour from the time we ordered until they arrived at the table. The lamb was good but nothing special. The vegetable medley and mashed that it was served with could have been from any chain restaurant. My wife's seafood & pasta entree was cooked well and flavorful but the portion size was small. Overall, we had an enjoyable experience but don't feel the need to put this in our regular rotation. read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Rack of lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

Andrea M was our server - she was fabulous. We were celebrating our anniversary and she was so attentive and thoughtful. Food was excellent - stuffed mushrooms,Caesar salad , Chicken Marsala , chicken piccata. Spot on - delicious. Blood orange martini was excellent Highly recommend. Beautiful venue - love the remodel read more

Everything about this experience was excellent! Walking in the door it's a lovely space with a beautiful view over the lake. The host was friendly and helpful. There was another host in training as well who was also very friendly and helpful. Our server was friendly, prompt, and efficient. She asked if we had anything we were celebrating, and we were - one of the couples had just been married. The calamari was tender and fried crisply as were the peppers with it. Two of us had the Short Ribs and two of us had the Sacchetti. The meat was as soft as butter and the flavor was deep and bold. They were amazing. The Sacchetti was so good! The shrimp and scallops cooked perfectly in a creamy lobster sauce. The desserts were also excellent. The server brought out the newlyweds' desserts on a plate with candles and 'congratulations' on the plate in chocolate. It was wonderful. The chocolate bomb was to die for, perfect mousse/brownie/ganache ratio. The tiramisu was tasty and moist. (I was surprised that it was not more evident that it had been soaked in espresso, and was a little worried - but I would have this again without a doubt!) I didn't taste the crème brûlée, but my friend said that it was wonderful. When we sat down, one of the party realized that where we were sitting and his hearing aids were going to make it hard for him to talk with us. I mentioned it to the host and he was able to move us to a place that was much better for my friend. It was such a good experience from start to finish and I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

My sister and I brought my Mom and her friend here to celebrate her birthday. I've always had great experiences in the past and wanted someplace special for her 86th.. We ordered drinks and then food. We were barely a few sips into the drink when the entrees arrived. My sister and I ordered racks of lamb. How could this be cooked "from scratch" in the matter of minutes? The meat was fair...but the veggies and potatoes were cold. They offered to heat it up, but that requires half the table to sit without food. We got some risotto that required a wait. We were not charged for it. But the meal was ruined. Honestly we should have been comped the full price of $44 a plate. It wasn't close to being worth that amount. read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - The butter didn't melt! - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

It saddens me that the last three visits at Alicante were disappointing. It appears that new ownership has impacted both service and food quality. The chicken parmigiana was once my favorite dinner at Alicante until a couple months ago. Bland sauce, about 7 pieces of pasta and very little cheese is one example. Other folks in my party also noticed a significant difference. The once polished service is now inconsistent and sometimes absent depending on where we were seated. The bartenders were quick and responsive whereas the wait staff in the main dining room were noticeably slow. Even though the view is quite nice, it's not worth the degraded experience. read more

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I've ate here about a dozen times. This is my favorite dish. Almond Encrusted Baked Haddock, Pesto Cream, Mashed Potato, Vegetable.. absolutely delicious. Nice rectangular bar which they just remodeled. Spacious dining room. Valet parking or you can park on the street. Warm rolls and butter are offered. A small deck to dine on in the warmer weather. A nice view of Lake Nipmunc at the rear of the restaurant. Definitely give this restaurant try. Everything is really good. read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Almond Encrusted Baked Haddock Pesto Cream, Mashed Potato, Green Beans - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

The food and service are wonderful! It never disappoints. I've been in all seasons and dined indoors; it always is too cold in their dining room~ summer or winter. It's uncomfortable to eat whilst shivering. read more

Despite living 15 minutes away from this restaurant for a few years, we only recently went for the first time. Initially sat in the bar area, the second time in the main dining room. Lots of different food options, including daily specials. Drinks have been good and strong. All of the food has been consistently good, from appetizers to entrées to special dishes. Servers have also been super friendly, especially during our first trip with recommendations. Excited to add this one to our list of regular spots! read more

Neighborhood gem on the water. Top notch food & service. Romantic & chill vibes. Our server Lea was attentive & friendly. Pasta, veal & seafood dishes were all perfectly cooked. The chocolate mousse dessert was divine. read more

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Had a reservation with my Wife for her Birthday. The location was great, the food was fantastic, Service was also great. My lamb rib roast was perfect. my wife's Braised shortribs were as well. We will definitely have multiple return visits... read more

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I've gone to Alicante for 10 yrs We usually get the same dinner because it's so good Mine came with scollops and shrimp and it used to be a lobster sauce like a newburg sauce this evening we did the same order we always do My dinner came cold to the table the sauce tasted like Campbells Tomato soup Ihad two small shrimp and a Scollop which was sliced up ( what!) I complained to the gentleman who was packing up my left overs which was mostly my whole meal and he alerted the mgr at his man was nice and did not charge me . Why make such changes in your food ( the cost was a lot )people it was awful and we won't be back read more

Food is amazing! We had the stuffed mushrooms and calamari to start and just wow. Perfection. For entrees, we had the short rib, sacchetti pasta, and veal Milanese. Everything was perfect! I also helped to plan a private event here separately from our dinner and the food was equally as amazing. The staff was wonderful and the room is beautiful!! The renovations look great. Highly recommend for dinners and hosting private events! read more

Our first time dining at Alicante Restaurant proved to be phenomenal. The dining room was packed and yet, service was wonderful. Our waiter,John, displayed his pleasant personality, and had everything under control with accuracy - and we were not rushed at all. Warm rolls with Italian spices and olive oil were scrumptious. Our initial course began with delicious soups, a rich, creamy butternut squash bisque and the tasty chicken escarole soup. The main entrees of boneless beef short ribs were delicately slow braised so that the meat was super tender, complemented with garlic sherry au jus Parmesan risotto and roasted Brussels Sprouts. And, my entree, which was so very exceptional was Lombo de Credo. This pork tenderloin with apples, caramelized onions, Feta cheese and dried cherries was wrapped with Applewood smoked Bacon and roasted in a garlic balsamic reduction, accompanied by mashed potato and vegetables. Both dishes were remarkably amazing! Presentation of every entree was absolutely stunning. What a beautiful dining venue and menu - so looking forward to returning. read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - BONELESS BEEF SHORT RIBS Slow Braised, Garlic Sherry Aujus Parmesan Risotto and Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

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Beautiful restaurant over a lake. Clean restaurant with party rooms. Bathroom is for 1 person. Prices are little high due to location. Wait staffs are friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. read more

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This is probably one of the finest restaurants I have tasted in the past few years!!!! The WARM bread was very usual in today's restaurant but tasted great. The service was excellent with a Great Lake view!!!! Of course, the price was expected! Well, you get what you pay, and it's so much worth it!!!! read more

Alicante Restaurant & Lounge - Mediterranean Near Me - Mendon, Massachusetts

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Food is bomb, service is great, ambiance is chill and cozy, and drinks are affordable . Love the place