I was really looking forward to eating at Gilbert's, but unfortunately our experience fell short of expectations. The clam and seafood chowder was disappointing. It was very watery and overwhelmingly heavy on potatoes, lacking the rich, creamy texture and flavor I was expecting. Our service also left a lot to be desired. Our server seemed very pushy and rushed us to order, wasn't able to accurately describe several menu items, and wasn't particularly welcoming or friendly. The most concerning issue involved my child's food allergy. Before ordering, I specifically asked whether the sandwich came with mayonnaise or any other condiments because of his allergies. We were told it did not, but the sandwich arrived with one of his allergens on it. Thankfully we caught it before he took a bite, but food allergies require careful attention, and that mistake could have had serious consequences. We also had another issue with our food, and I do want to recognize the manager, who genuinely tried to make things right and handled the situation professionally. I appreciated her efforts. Overall, though, considering the price, I expected a much better dining experience. During our visit to Portland, we found several other restaurants where the food, service, and overall hospitality were significantly better. Unfortunately, Gilbert's was just okay and not somewhere I'd be eager to return read more

I'm in Portland a couple times a year, Gilberts is my go to place everytime!! The seafood chowder and lobster grilled cheese is outstanding. read more

The spot to go if you're in the Old Port area! We all got the twin lobster dinner ($49 on 8/14/2026) and clam chowder. The lobster was hard-shell with firm, really tasty meat. The melted butter was flavorful, and they also give you lemon, but the fries!! Man, those fries were amazing. When it's so easy to get lobster in Portland, it's the little things like that that really count. They're known for their award-winning chowder, so I had pretty high expectations. It was creamy without being too rich, with plenty of clams, but it was a little salty. Honestly, it was pretty on par with what I've had elsewhere in Portland, so I didn't walk away blown away by the chowder. You seat yourself, and the service was pretty fast. Cute ocean decor. Decent price for the location and definitely worth it for the price! read more

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Uh this chowder was delicious! I had heard that Gilberts is the place to come for Chowda when your visiting Portland so after we got off the boat on a cloudy/ chilly day a hot cup of soup sounded great. We walked in and they led us to the back deck immediately and we were greeted like so quick a sweet server had us drinks so fast! We liked the half sandwiches with soup, my friend got the haddock sandwich and I got the blt, we both thought they could make the soup look more appealing like a Lil sprinkle of chives or parsley would fancy the soup up, but for the flavor, dang that was good! Thick and chunky, lots of clams, very filling, we both loved it! Also our sandwichs were great, no notes, great lunch! read more

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Had a tasty lunch recently with my family at "Gilbert's Chowder House" in Portland, ME. The restaurant has plenty of seats inside and on their outside patio, which is pet friendly which was much appreciated as a dog owner! The restaurant gives off a casual, old school feel mixed with a coastal charm. Ambiance rate 7/10. My family and I ordered... 1. Clam Chowder: Despite this being their iconic menu item, the clam chowder was average. It didn't taste out of the ordinary. Rate 6/10. 2. Fried Calamari: This tasted like your classic fried calamari; nothing special. Rate 7/10. 3. Fried Clam Strips: This dish was good, but it lacked a strong clam flavor. It tasted like it was over fried, and it overpowered the clam flavor. Rate 7.5/10. 4. Fish N' Chips/Fried Haddock: This entrée tasted good! It also was very filling since it came with 2 sides of your choosing. Rate 8/10. The staff were nice and the service was somewhat quick. Service/staff rate 6/10. Overall, I had high expectations with this restaurant because of their iconic clam chowder, and unfortunately was not blown away. That said, I would recommend other restaurants to try in the area before this one. read more

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I stop in for my lobster stew when near Gilbert's . It was great with pieces of lobster in nice creamy broth. A bit pricy for a small but I like the flavors when it has a fair quantity of lobster pieces. A bit of butter flavor to broth would have stepped it up a notch or 2 notches with a piece of French bread instead of boring chowder crackers . Place hasn't changed in 40 years and needs an updating to cleaner vibes . read more

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Wow! Ok peeps, I'm in a quandary. We've been coming here for over 12 years. Top-notch! BUT, do I rate on personal love and an off night (which happens, right?) or as a Yelper Elite. Hmmmm I'll have to go with Yelper. Clam chowder? Way off...what happened? Super seafood chowder? Great base and not watery like the clam chowder, but the lobster was off. Reheated too many times? Over cooked? I'm not sure. I couldn't eat my fried scallops. I did squeeze them between napkins and will try a reheat tomorrow as they were swimming in grease. The fish sammie was fine. Mussels were not the best they've ever done...small, but the sauce was fair. The best of it? Coleslaw, sorry to say. As always, though, service is excellent, Antoine and friendly. And so...there it is. read more

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Around a 4.5 star place for me. I had the super seafood chowder, it was pretty good. Definitely no shortage of seafood in the bowl. The flavor of the chowder was average I would say, but the quality and amount of seafood makes it good. I was a little bit hesitant with the amount of recent reviews describing watery chowder full of potatoes, but that wasn't my experience at all. Very quick service, casual, good place for kids. Decent place for quick lobster rolls and chowder read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Super seafood chowder bread bowl - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great atmosphere and location for the full vibe. Server was super friendly, knew the menu well and had great recommendations. The grilled cheese was perfectly crispy bread and perfectly melted cheese. The seafood chowder was amazing clam chowder with lobster, very filing. The clam chowder was good, just different from the west cost, a little sweeter. The lobster BLT was yummy, we removed some the bacon because we didn't want it to over power the featured lobster. The blueberry dessert was also great.no fake blueberry flavor and a nice thin crispy crust not overly sweet. read more

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Came all the way to Maine to have amazing clam chowder and lobster and this place did not disappoint! We ordered the super seafood large chowder and it genuinely had seafood in every bite. The chowder is definitely the best I've had coming from the west coast. We also ordered the Maine lobster dinner and the lobster was amazing- perfectly cooked, plenty of meat, and juicy. It came with a side of fries and coleslaw and the fries were also sooo good. Our server was really nice and food did not take long to come out! Plenty of seats inside even for our party of 10. Loved this place, definitely recommend! read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

This was our first time here and it was good. We each got a roll - lobster and Maine crab, as well as a chowder. The food was good, but somewhat expensive we felt. The tap was broken so there was no craft beer available, so definitely a bummer. Our waitress was quick and prompt and it was nice to sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Maine crabmeat roll (bottom) and lobster roll (top) - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

I have been coming here for over 10yrs. But thr Clam Chowder was the horrible. They are known for it, but it was horrible. Very watery and plain, the worst ever. I have always compared others to them. First time for everything I guess. Also the clams were so oily so tookl 7 napkins to drain then. Well at least the service was spot on and the beverages were cold and refreshing. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Clam chowder and a cold beer and a white wine.. - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

We stopped by Gilbert's Chowder House on **July 16, 2026** for what we were most looking forward to a lobster roll and, of course, a bowl of clam chowder. I have to agree with several other reviewers: the clam chowder was disappointing. It had very little seafood and was heavy on the potatoes. My sister, who lives in Maine, mentioned that they reduce the amount of seafood during the busy tourist season to make the chowder go further. She has been there in off-season and said it is different. The chowder simply didn't provide the value I expected for the price. The lobster roll was good and enjoyable, but at **$30**, I also felt it was overpriced for what was served. NO FRIES INCLUDED!! Overall, the food wasn't bad, but I expected better quality and value, especially from a well-known chowder house in Maine. There are so many great seafood restaurants in the area that I would probably try somewhere else on my next visit. read more

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Really enjoyed our lunch. I got the seafood chili and loved the chunks of seafood in a traditional bowl of chili. My wife loved her haddock chowder. Our salad was fresh and tasty. Server was good, atmosphere fun. read more

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Large variety of seafood chowders, sandwiches, and other seafood favorites! They have a 1/2 sandwich and small chowder special that was perfect, to try a little of this and that. I tried the 1/2 crab melt sandwich and their clam chowder. The meal also came with potato chips. Portions were generous and this was filling! The crab melt hit the spot on a rainy day, and was more generously stuffed with crab in the crab/cheese mix than I was expecting. Chowder was good, and kind of unique compared to other clam chowders that I've had. Almost a little sweet? I'm glad we were able to try this spot! read more

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Clam chowder was awesome and the lobster grilled cheese was pretty good too! Everyone was super nice. We got the half soup half lobster The vibes were nice and chill not much wait or anything very solid read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Visiting from LA, I got a sticker shock when ordering Maine lobster here in Portland, Maine. It's so much cheaper! I ordered a twin with two sides for $39. Granted they're not as big as the New England/Boston lobster, but the meat is softer and sweeter. I prefer eating it without any mayo or butter. It's that fresh and delicious. Another insane value item on the menu is their seafood chowder. I heard a customer exclaim "Wow it's so big". Will definitely get that next time! Very friendly and homey staff. Lovely town and people, the Mainers. read more

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The most comforting meal in a cold day. Loved all the chowder we got, but the seafood chowder was my favorite. It was loaded with all kinds of seafood. I didn't love the lobster bisque, I thought it was a bit too buttery for me but love that you can get a small size of everything to try different flavors. Based on location, the perfect stop if going off of the boat! read more

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Delicious! The servers were super friendly in helping us find a seat. They had a special 1/2 a sandwich and a cup of chowder. It was so good! It a quaint little space with lots of happy customers!! read more

My friend and I chose to have lunch here and ran j to another gal we know who said the lobster roll was excellent, she asked for it without mayo and I did the same. It was filled with cold lobster meat which was terrific. I dipped it in butter, and it was terrific! Served with chips, it was a little high, but no higher than anywhere else. My friend got the haddock fish and chips. She said her fish was flaky and delish. Her fries were excellent, and I know because I ate half of them. The blueberry pie she had was great and it came with a large mound of real whipped cream. Our server, Amanda, was a delight! Friendly, warm and so sweet. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Fish and lots of chips - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We're Mainers who are forced to live elsewhere for our jobs/family and so when we get back to visit we are excited to eat good, Maine seafood. Boy we messed up picking Gilbert's Chowder house for lunch! I ordered the mussels. They were supposed to come in a broth with butter, white wine, onions and garlic. They came in what could best be described as lemon dish water. Zero taste. It was a shame because the mussels were big and gorgeous. The onion sat on top still basically raw. It was horrible. My parter had the fish chowder which was just ok. I hesitated to complain to the staff as they were busy behind the bar bitching about a customer who had walked in while we were there to complain about his carry out meal from the night before. They dismissed him with barely an apology. They were beyond rude. There are sooooo many batter options in Portlands Old Port to get fantastic seafood. Skip this place. (And skip Portland Lobster Co. unless you want an overpriced, under stuffed lobster roll in a restaurant with a jimmy buffet spring break vibe. So not Maine.) read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Criminal treatment of gorgeous mussels - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Never goes wrong. Food is so good and blazing fast! Service is friendly and full of Maine Charm!! Like most places on Old Port it has Portland charms that is welcoming and warm. Fun place to come back to. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Super Seafood Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Absolutely horrible. Do not be fooled by the high yelp ratings, no real locals choose to eat here-- they stay clear, there's a reason why it's always empty on a busy night. The atmosphere was literally horrendous, the food wasn't bad nor good. Highly don't recommend. read more

I ordered the lobster roll. Let me tell you guys this was the yummiest lobster roll I've ever had so far. It was so fresh and it just melts in your mouth, the chips and pickled complement it nicely. The service was quick and the interior is very quirky. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Maine Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Best clam chowder I have ever had! We were in Maine for only 2 days and had to go to Gilbert's both days! We also got the blueberry pie, which was delicious! read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great service - our server was really nice! The outside patio is nice. The clam chowder was amazing and the crab melt was extra melty! read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

I decided to check this place out with my husband. We came here when it was about 105 degrees outside. It was VERY hot in the dining room. We decided to sit outside since it's by the water, and perhaps there was a bit of a breeze. I am sensitive to heat but my husband said he would not able to sit in the dining room so it wasn't just me, but that's probably the only reason why I need to deduct a star. It is a small thing for a lot of people but for me, it is quite hard on me at times and since I was in the heat all day, I just needed some place cool. The outside was still very hot but doable, and it was BUSY outside. Our server was great! She was quick, seemed like she'd been there for years (probably has, we didn't ask) and great with all the customers. I would have loved to have the chowder but again, it was way too hot. However, my husband did have the 'Seafood Chowder' in a Bread Bowl. He said it was absolutely delicious. He loved it and the portion was HUGE! I ordered the half-size 'House salad' and 'Steamed Mussels with Garlic Toast'. They were both delicious as well and also big portions. We were impressed! I would definitely recommend this place and would be back. The prices are great, the portions were big and in my opinion, way better than 'Highroller Lobster'. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Customer service is on point! We had the best waitress! Friendly and attentive! Ambiance is very casual. They have outdoor seating overlooking the port but we chose to stay inside it was more private as no one else was in there. The homemade fresh Maine blueberry pies are so good! You have to try them! They are currently in season and were decadent! Check out my photos! read more

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Best meal I had in Portland! I wish there was more than 5 stars. Great, great chowder!!!! We all wish we got a bigger bowl! The crab melt was fierce and AMAZING!!!! I could eat there over and over again! Hands up for the waitresses working, busy but calm energy while being for hospitable! read more

This is my second time in Maine and second time coming back to Gilbert's. Dare I say I think they've gotten even better? I mean that seafood chowder wow! Full of seafood and flavor. Looks like maybe last time I never did the review because when I came to add it photos from last time popped up. None the less, this time got the lobster BLT and seafood chowder. That blt could've been 2 meals for me. So much lobster and delicious bacon. And the price was less than a typical lobster roll else where! Staff are always warm and welcoming. Patio is dog friendly. Even brought the dog a bowl of water! So sweet. Service was excellent. Wait time minimum. Outdoor patio is perfect especially with the pup. This place is a legend and I suggest you hit it up read more

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A very reasonably priced seafood restaurant in the heart of Portland. It's good quality for the price. The seafood chowder was very good with a decent amount of seafood with very creamy chowder. It came with lobster, haddock and shrimp. The seating outside is covered and you may get to enjoy some live music from next door. Our server was attentive even with the restaurant busy. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Super Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

This place is really cute, a staple to Portland, ME that's for sure. The staff is friendly and very attentive, Ally took amazing care of us and was very knowledgeable with the menu & items. She made our visit very enjoyable, it's always nice to have people who love what they do care for others who visit. The food was lovely as well, we tried 3 different chowders and the most amazing lobster rolls and had a lovely time. We ate our food before we could capture pictures but we will for sure be back when visiting Maine again! Thank you Ally & crew at GCH! read more

Cozy, down-home and warm relaxed ambience. Our server was not only fast and efficient, but very friendly and pleasant. Just know that you're going to get basically European-sized portions not American...for example, the fried calamari is strictly a one-person serving, and that person better not be particularly hungry. Ditto with the chowder, even the largest size---it had some nice chunks of lobster but was more of what I'd consider an appetizer size than an entree size at an entree price. (I did appreciate its strong bacon flavoring though, which is not that common in chowders.) The only decent sized entree we found was the fish and chips, and the fries while pre-cut are lightly battered making them much more enjoyable, not your usual tasteless/mushy-cardboard frozen fries. All of the food tasted fresh and was competently prepared, if a bit on the bland side but hey this is New England after all. The nice thing is that the menu prices are pretty reasonable, not inflated as one might expect in a touristy location like this. Overall though, this is a place I'd go to chill with a drink and a snack rather than have a full meal if you're actually hungry, unless you want to order at least two of everything---I guess you could also just try twice as many dishes as you would normally. So, don't get too excited by the menu pricing: you're gonna pay normal Maine tourist prices if you want a hearty meal, no way around it. 3 and 1/2 stars. read more

I like the chowder here because they aren't trying to imitate the stereotypical chowder. Their chowder is bacon forward, so if that is going to offend your sensibilities then skip the chowder here. I am of the philosophy that bacon makes everything better, therefore I enjoyed the chowder very much. read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Food portions are huge and delicious The chowder is a must get. I got it with the bread bowl. The blueberry cobbler is also top notch. Service was speedy and friendly. Plenty of seating indoor and outdoor read more

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Chowder dreams came true at Gilbert's Chowder House in Portland, Maine! We tried the 1/2 sandwich and small chowder combo and let's just say... it did not disappoint! Lobster grilled cheese + clam chowder Lobster BLT + corn chowder And of course, we had to try the blueberry pie! The clam chowder was hands down the best I've ever had -- rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Everything else was delicious too, though we weren't big fans of the pie (but hey, you win some!). Definitely adding this spot to our must-return list next time we're in town! Friendly service and inside and outdoor seating. #PortlandMaineEats #GilbertsChowderHouse #SeafoodLovers #ClamChowderGoals #MaineEats #FoodieFinds #LobsterLife #CoastalCravings #ChowderLovers #TravelEats #GlobalEscapeTravel read more

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Great location, fun atmosphere. The lobster BLT was very skimpy on the lobster meat. The bacon was cooked well. Service was good.

Great food for a tourist price in downtown. Small cozy place with a parking lot next door ( that isn't cheap minimum 2 hrs for $27.) The lobster BLT was the winner. read more

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Food! Best chowder I have ever tasted. And the lobster meal .... Mwah!!!! Love love love it!! read more

Gilbert's Chowder House - Gilbert's Chowder House. - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Must come to this chowder house we really enjoyed their clam chowder there oysters that were fried or bomb we also like their fish fried. It was good. I would recommend this place. It was definitely on par. We also love their blueberry pie. It was very good. I didn't think I would like it, but it was house made and so good. Good customer service and it was pretty fast for the most part. I think they do get overwhelmed with a lot of customers, but I think they did the best they can I would recommend this place for a really good seafood restaurant. The prices are around the same as local prices. They also have the Tabasco sauce on the table. I highly recommend using that for your clam chowder. It was actually really delicious. I found out in the end when other customers were using it. read more

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