We joined friends for a quick pre-show dinner, and the staff did a great job accommodating our…read moretight schedule -- we made the show on time without ever feeling rushed. We started with cocktails and their excellent house-made rolls, then split a dozen oysters from a wide selection; the server's recommendations were spot-on. Entrées included shrimp rigatoni, salmon, fish tacos, clam chowder, and fries -- all well prepared, good portions, and enjoyed by everyone. It was fairly busy (and thus a bit noisy), so reservations are probably a good idea.

Great spot in Portsmouth with happy hour $1 oysters. Modern, clean and open. We were greeted…read moreimmediately and requested to sit at the bar. Our server came over and I wasn't sure about him, but he warmed up a few minutes later. Everything was delicious and cocktails were great! A great spot for happy hour and noshing.

I came here with my dad for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. It's a huge restaurant with both indoor…read moreand outdoor seating options. We opted to sit on the outdoor patio downstairs. I had the caprese chicken sandwich, which had grilled pesto chicken, mozzarella, and roasted tomatoes served on a focaccia bun. I subbed a side salad, which was a bit overdressed, for the default French fries. The sandwich was huge! So huge that it was difficult to eat as a handheld item. It tasted pretty good, though. Our server was really nice and was attentive despite it being fairly busy!

The best part of my visit was the seafood chowder, but every other dish was mediocre, and the…read moreservice was terribly slow. The seafood chowder was flavorful and full of chunks of seafood. The salmon bites were over saturated in sauce so much so that the panko was soggy, the pan seared scallops were decent but I found the bacon jam to be too sweet paired with the scallops. We could not flag down our waiter any of the times we needed her and every time we asked someone else for help they'd leave and not come back. When it started raining and we needed to move indoors she was gone for so long she was surprised when she returned and we had already had been helped inside by another staff member. We ended the meal when she said she'd come back with water only to disappear and we ended up asking another waitress for the check, and she redirected it back to our waitress, who finally came back with no water. The restaurant was by no means full so I'm not sure what the large gaps in service was, and at one point my friend noticed the waitresses chatting in the kitchen while we were craning our necks. I'd only come back to order the seafood chowder as the rest of the dishes weren't good enough to make up for this.

I love this place!…read more On Tuesday August 4th 2026, my wife and I visited Portsmouth for the first time and fell in love with the city. After doing some sightseeing, we worked up an appetite and decided to try The River House. I'm so glad we did! We were lucky enough to snag the last waterside table. What a great view! It was Happy Hour and they were offering shrimp, raw oysters, and oyster shooters for $1.50 each! How could I pass that up?? I had one of each. It was a fun snack. My wife ordered the Summer Berry Salad. It was excellent! Service was very good. If you are ever in Portsmouth I highly recommend The River House!

The food was decent--not great, not memorable--but fine. The service, however, was awful!!!…read more 1 We walked in and asked the host if we could sit outside at the empty table. She said "No, there is a 30-minute wait for that table." We sat elsewhere. After 15-minutes sitting elsewhere, we noticed the outside table was still unoccupied and we asked again. We were then told that the kitchen was behind, so they didn't want to seat anyone outside yet. 2. We were seated at a sticky table without menus, when I went to the hostess to get two, she did not look up at me or acknowledge me. She simply grabbed the menus and held her hand out in my direction. No response to my request. No civility--never mind service! 3. Our waitress rolled her eyes repeatedly when we asked her about the menu items. She was visibly irritated when we didn't immediately know whether we wanted drinks. She was irritated when she served us the wrong drink, and she never once came to check on us. Our waters were left without refills, every time we interacted with the waitress, we were treated as though we were annoying her. 4. On the way out another server was running downstairs, and held her hands out and pushed me out of the way to run downstairs. There are tons of other restaurants in this town; you would be well served to eat at any of them besides The River House.

Last experience was 5 stars. This experience was maybe 3. I'll give 4 as my updated rating, to be…read moregenerous. This experience was so disappointing. The server kept running away, no time to give feedback. More attention to our plates and our ordering, than for us and our experience. Note to the wise: ask both people how their food is, and with enough time/follow up than only immediately after getting the dish. The tuna was very bland, it needed salt. I got the beef medallions. Though the beef itself was very good, the entire dish came off like a TV dinner - the sauce was supposed to be peppercorn. It was not. It degraded the entire dish, horribly. So sad for the elements to be buried in that slop. Potatoes were also very odd. For the price we paid, I would rather have had my money back and give my husband a much better birthday experience for somewhere else. Honestly devastating, and definitely cannot guarantee a recommendation from me, if this restaurant is not only inconsistent, but such a waste of so much money. Sad to think we could have enjoyed better food at a "lesser" establishment. Would much prefer to get my money back, at least for the entrees. WAYY overpaid. This was not worth it.

I was a bit I don't know when we went to eat here tonight due to a few iffy reviews. I am glad we…read morecame! If there were any bugs from the past they are all worked out now. We started with the calamari , lightly breaded, fried, tender and not oily... it was perfect. Two of us had the pan seared halibut with a tasty potato cake, another plate was the haddock on a bed of mashed potatoes and the final was the salmon dish, a nice center cut thick piece. Being we are local and our guest we're visiting I loved they said "this is so good, glad we came".. all the dishes were delicious and cooked perfect. See you soon.

Ambiance here is quite nice. It definitely has a colonial vibe and offers some early American…read moredishes. Our waiter was quite polite and offered some suggestions. The food however is overpriced and just doesn't fit the bill. I was surprised to sit down and see a simple steak and potato dinner was $72. I ordered duck and my wife ordered pork belly. The food was alright but neither were meals that we'd want again. Two entrees, two apps, and a single glass of wine. ~$180 with tip. I don't mind spending $200 on dinner - but if I'm spending that much dinner should be stellar. This was just mediocre and I'm honestly surprised it has a 4.5 star rating average. To each their own I suppose.

My partner and I rang in New Year's Eve at The Puddle Dock and couldn't have been happier with our…read moreexperience. We chose seats at the comfortable-looking bar, which was a great spot to start the evening and soak in the warm, antique, historical vibe of the space -- lots of character without feeling stuffy. We built our own dinner from a mix of appetizers, and everything we tried was excellent. The local cheese plate featured a soft, brie-like cheese that was rich and delicious. We also ordered the mussels, which were a standout -- especially the mustard component. I wouldn't have expected mustard to pair so well with mussels, but it absolutely worked and added a surprising depth of flavor. There was also a chicken dumpling special that was comforting, well-seasoned, and very satisfying. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. The service at the bar was fantastic. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful when offering advice on what to order, which made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. We're already looking forward to our next visit and trying more of the menu.

We stopped in specifically for live lobsters, as the pound was closed. We came in at $180ish for 10…read morequarters - Oct 20, 2025. They cooked up well and certainly scratched that sweet lobster meat itch. Service was efficient and curt. The fella was on a mission & didn't seem to be chatty. (The gal in front of us went for small talk & was met with short replies- not rude, just direct.) The case was clean & well-lit. We considered getting scallops, as they looked good. Instead, opted to stop next door for a cheese appetizer, spreading the love.

Now this is definitely one of the highlights of this short trip. There is nothing that sings to me…read moremore than a good quick meal that is both fresh and tasty. One prepared so well that you think about it for the rest of the day. From the moment I stepped in until I placed my order, all the staff were so friendly and attentive (not just with me but all the other customers that kept entering the establishment). The lobster rolled was not dressed like what you'd usually find in New England. In fact, it was lightly seasoned and allowed you to taste the sweetness of lobster meat itself and how perfectly cooked it was! You can't hide quality when serving it almost bare like this that it's a purist's dream! Dang, I can't stop thinking about! The shrimp sandwich was another simple culinary delight executed well. Perfectly cooked shrimp, dressed lightly, on a nicely toasted buttered brioche with crisp lettuce and tomatoes. I inhaled this just as quickly with my eyes rolling with every bite. Dang it again. The gluten-free clam chowder was a great way to finish off this quick meal. Perfectly balanced, tasty, salted perfectly, and loaded with chunky clams. What a way to warm up in this NE chilly weather this time of year. Without even trying their other fresh seafood options, they've already made it to my list of must-visits when in the area. Can't wait to be back again!

Great experience today, food and service was spot on and would highly recommend Roberts Maine Grill…read moreto everyone.

It's been awhile since I've been down but went last night and it was well worth it…read more I was seated, even though the kitchen closed at 8 and I arrived at 7:50 Dawn my server was fantastic; my every hungry whim well taken care of. Kudos to the kitchen; meal was excellent, as were the oysters. Need to remind myself to be in the area more often!

the $31 lobster roll was the worst I've ever had. The lobster had no taste and it was a small…read moreportion for the price . the fried clams were okay. too expensive for what we got. will not be going back. I'm

We were looking for a place to stop on way back to MA. My sister suggested Bob's Clam Hut. We were…read moreso glad we listened to her! The haddock and clams were tasty and the lobster roll so good!! Best coleslaw I've had in a while and the sweet potato and regular fries were awesome.