We had a very weird experience here, a first, really on 9/13/18. We're bar people, whether at a bar or high end restaurant, and always sit at the bar when seats are available. The service is usually better and more personal at the bar. We came into the Pilot House and the bar was jammed so we sat at a high-top table beside the bar and watched for people to leave. The server came over and was very nice and took our drink order. We were only there for drinks. My wife had a red wine and I drink Jameson. The wine was your average pour but the Jameson came in a very small whiskey glass. Someone wrote they have great "pours" here. They don't ... at least not at the tables and I'll explain that in a minute. Within a few minutes of getting our drinks, two guys were leaving the bar right in front of us and we moved those seats. Yay! The bartender came over and asked if we had been sitting at a table and served by a server. We said yes and asked her if we need to close out that tab. We usually do when we move but our server had also been making the drinks. The bartender said, no, it's okay we'll figure something out. I wasn't sure but I detected some attitude. My small drink was now empty and I said I'll have another Jameson. She returned with a larger whiskey glass with a more generous pour, which was what I expected the first time. YAY! That was the last time she served us. She then snubbed us the rest of the time we were there. I saw her look at our empty glasses and even make eye contact and she just walked by us. Even when I put out my credit card to pay, she looked at it and walked by several times. She was very attentive to all the other bar patrons. The original server was the one now that served us at the bar. We were the only ones she served at the bar. When I ordered one more Jameson she served it in a small glass again. I hated that more than getting snubbed. Obviously they have different pours for the tables verses the bar based on who is serving. If you come here and move from a table to the bar, make sure you close out the tab with the server! read more

Don't go here if you're hungry, it's taken over 1 hour and 1/2 to be seated both times we have gone. The food is very well priced for the location however 3 of the 6 plates were very dry, maybe because the place was busy but who knows. (Don't get the stuffed haddock unless you want to choHowever the chicken sandwiches were very good. read more

Pilot House Restaurant - a menu on a table - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

Ok, this one is a long one..I will put a **** next to the actual food review. We walked all around kennebunk port and the valet actually gave us the recommendation to go to Pilot House...we bypassed it at first because its was pretty loud. We then tried to have dinner at Federal Jack's but they sat us in the corner on a beautiful night so we left. Ok, so now for the actual review. We sat outside, the view was not amazing the it was a nice night. ****The food is what you come here for. I ordered the 1 1/4lb lobster dinner and clams. Neither disappointed! Best dinner in Kennebunk for out entire trip! So what if it's loud and more of a drinking spot..the food is WHERE IT'S AT! Thank you Pilot house! You have a gold mine there! read more

Pilot House Restaurant - Blueberry pie to go!! - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

This 1 is going to be short & to the point. Locals. Live music on the deck. Loud , hot (more like sweltering - how about a fan or two?), too bright. Hope you don't mind waiting (and waiting, and waiting, and waiting....) to either actually get your food or a cocktail. Heading to the bar isn't any easier. However. Once you get your food- its really good- rough side- nothing fancy here. Excellent fried haddock, steamed lobster- unique & worth eating coleslaw, golden crunchy fries. Didn't care for the pasty too thick chowdah. Parking is tough. Restrooms get a lot of use. read more

I like dives as they generally put out good eats at reasonable prices. However in my view this place has dive on top of its dive... Which isn't good. Most divey places don't purposely try to look like a dive. It just comes natural and results in good food, service and prices. Here they clearly tried to be divey and the food is lousy and the prices are not the best. Although the service was good. The oysters were extra snotty, the sword fish sandwich was bland and watery, the bun was stale and the fries were soggy. The ice tea was good. I'll not be coming back here again. read more

Pilot House Restaurant - Bar area - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

I met cousins from NH and MA. It was a friendly and cozy atmosphere. Janice, our waitress was so accommodating. Everyone loved their meal. I got the shrimp and FF basket. I had leftovers. Coffee was very good. I would definitely go back. read more

My girlfriend and I were in Maine as part of a tour of the New England coast. Our coach driver and tour guide recommended the Pilot House as a good place to get freshly caught seafood. I was prepared to love the food but I was disappointed. Before I go on, let me clarify that I strongly prefer turf to surf. Land animals have much more flavor and variety. I can do salmon and tuna but only occasionally and with a lot of seasoning. In short, seafood is not something I would wait in line for. Shrimp is the one exception but I avoided shrimp because it's not a locally caught food. According to our encyclopedic driver, shrimp need much warmer waters than the 62 degree New England water to thrive. Any shrimp we would eat in Maine would be imported, just like anywhere else in New England. My favorite seafood option gone, I decided to just go full tourist and get something lobster based. I got the lobster scampi and my girlfriend got the swordfish sandwich. Both were incredibly fresh, but the scampi was lackluster in every other regard. The sauce had too much lemon in it and the grated Parmesan had very little flavor. Serves me right for ordering Italian food at a seafood restaurant in Maine. It was a two-star meal at best. Quick tip: Lemon should be stirred into a scampi sauce liberally during the cooking process so it gets integrated into the sauce. If you use it after the sauce is made, don't use too much. It will overpower the hints of garlic, white wine, and thickening agents, if you're using them. Everything else about the restaurant, however, was great. It was decorated with outboard motors, signal flags, and other boat-related paraphernalia. The staff was very friendly and one waitress even stopped to talk to us about how much she loved living in Maine holding two empty plates the entire time. The boss lady paid for all our drinks because an ingredient for one of our dishes took a while to get to the restaurant. That alone makes it tempting to give them five stars. Their energy was infectious and we left with smiles on our faces. Our appetites and curiosity were sated even if our taste buds were not. read more

Pilot House Restaurant - Pilot House is the Cheers of Kennebunk, Maine.  Everyone knew everyone. Notice the outboard motors and signal flags on the ceiling. - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

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Wonderful service, electric atmosphere, excellent food. Clam chowder and lobster roll were outstanding. Lobster Roll was the best I've ever had. It was loaded with lobster! The server was friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend! read more

Great local spot. Informal. Just what I was looking for. No reservation was needed. Service was good and food was really delicious. Reasonably priced too. read more

Pilot House Restaurant - Fried whole belly clams - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

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While attending the Christmas Prelude for the first time with our 5 month old son we were looking for a local spot for a quick and easy dinner. We found the pilot house and we were glad we did. The staff was pleasant and attentive, the restaurant itself was stroller friendly and the hostess even moved tables around so we could move the stroller in and out easier. The food was great, everyone loved their selections. The chowder and seafood stuffed mushrooms were very good. The entrees ranged from seafood platters to sandwiches. It was all very good. This is clearly a local favorite. We will definitely come back here when in town again. read more

I lived the a majority of my life in the NYC area so New England is quite new to me. This past weekend I did a bit of exploring and went with family to Kennebunkport, Maine. We wanted a real "New England" experience and decided on the Pilot House as they were very accommodating to a few hungry Italians who stopped in at a busy time. This definitely isn't your fancy Upper East Side type restaurant, rather, it's the perfect experience for an easy traditional lobstah lunch. The price is just right for the food and there is a great view of the water if you sat outside like we did. Even though I cheated on calories by eating a very heavy lunch, it was overall a wonderful experience. read more

Awesome bar smack dab in the middle of the port! A little hard to find at first but worth hunting for. First time in was in the winter and it was filled with locals, clearly the "cheers" of the community. I didn't know anyone but the locals definitely warmed up after a few visits. My dog and I where treated awesome by the staff. Speaking of the staff, Vicki, Sue and Santana are all AMAZING! Thanks so much ladies for doing a great job even during the crush of tourist season. Food is good and they also pull off some great specials! I wish y'all the best for many years to come! read more

Nice place, great atmosphere, very clean. The food is fine; will depend on what you get. Great local place if you're nearby.

Great chowder. Prime rib was flavorful but chewy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tried this whole in the wall that felt much more like a "locals" place than a tourist/fancy place and it didn't go so well. We got seated outside and the band was playing, music was fine but was extremely loud and were screaming at each other to communicate. Waitress was friendly but not very attentive, she didn't really help much or seem to care. I had fish and chips and the food itself was fine, I'd eat it again, no complaints there. As mentioned we were outside and I was literally being swarmed by bugs, like a plague..mosquitos, beetles and other random flying things..they should do something to combat this issue. The bugs were such an issue I spent half my time there swatting them off me and other members at my table. I literally got up half finished and walked out to the parking lot with my toddler, I couldn't take it anymore. Food fine, outside seating awful. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a rainy off season day. It's not a fancy place but the locals were there and they know were to get good food at reasonable price. The lunch lobster roll with cup of clam chowder was only $14.99 and it was one of the guys favorite vacation meals. I had the Rueben it was very good an enough to share. They have really good hand cut French fries. Jamie was our server and she did a nice job. read more

Dined there 9/2019. Bill came and they rounded up to the nearest dollar!! In their favor!! Waiter Cody said it's done for their convenience and he could not adjust it. I asked why wasn't it lowered down to nearest dollar since really if you're going to split hairs it should have been in my favor. That's what you're signing up for if you dine here. read more

Went there on a recommendation by a local. It was ok. I ordered the fish tacos, they were pretty plain and served on an ordinary flour tortilla. I guess I was expecting more. The waiter was nice but forgot everything. There were a lot better choices to dine, if I ever go back would probably not eat here again. read more

Had dinner here last night and the food and server were excellent. really wanted seafood and this place definitely did not disappoint. Had the fried clam platter, and it was full of clams that were the best I have had in a long time. Steamers were excellent as well and priced fair at 12.00. My husband had the fried scallop platter and again, large portions and tasty. Great place! read more

Follow up to our experience: we contacted management and they said they would address our comments. Today we received a very nice handwritten note from the manager acknowledging wait staff behavior and a gift card. Since the manager has taken responsibility, we will visit again in the future. read more

Nice, dive in KP. Cold beers on tap, decent seafood (fried clams, steamers, chowders), cheap prices. What more can you ask for? read more

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When we checked in to our rental house, the owner gave us a good lowdown of great walks, shopping, and where to eat. "Pilot house is a favorite. They don't advertise in the tourist books and the food is great. They do a $10 prime rib special every Wednesday and the hubby, kids and I never miss it." We are planning to hit Prime rib Wednesday next week - but we had the classic seafood meal on Tuesday. Delicious! I had chowder and my husband had the crab cakes - followed by "the best scallops I've ever tasted" (I must agree with my hub). The food is simple and good. The band was showing up as we left and, I can't comment on the tunes as we had left by then, the guy setting up the music was really nice and we enjoyed talking to him. A real friendly place with solid food and good staff. read more

Best place of my life. Ultra on draft... double dogs. Say less. This place is my home. 10/10

This place takes the whole of Kennebunkport down a notch. It's a little dump of a building that emanates a smell and at times the intensely loud sounds of a god-awful house band. I really can't say enough bad things about the band. read more

Great food after our Whale sighting tour. We had a Ruben and cheeseburger. I highly recommend adding an egg to your cheeseburger.

I have mixed feelings about the Pilot House. This place gets 4 stars primarily because of the LOBSTER STEW. I think it might be the best soup I have ever had!!! I love lobster bisque and they got the recipe just right, perfectly creamy without being too thick, just a hint of sherry and lots of lobster. The lobster dinner is also a great deal! $9.99 for a lobster and $14.99 for a lobster dinner (w/fries and cole slaw). The clam chowder was good, but not close to the best I have had. I did not care for their lobster roll, but it could be my particular taste. The quality of the meat was great and there was lots of it, but I like my lobster rolls to have a lot more flavor. The reason I cannot give it five stars is the service. We ate here twice over our vacation. The first time we arrive pretty late, so got a table immediately. Our food came quickly, but the waitress was inattentive. I ordered a beer that never came and my water was never refilled. The second time we came was for lunch and the place wasn't even half full. We sat for about 15 minutes before anyone came to take our order. The noise level is high, but I knew I wasn't headed to a fine dining establishment with candlelight and piano music. They have live music outside on some evenings and afternoons. I think it can be a pretty fun place. You just have to be open-minded and patient. read more

Wandered in here, looking for simple and local food. Foggy, crisp summer day around noon. Very authentic, very neat place - like finding a pirate's hangout with decent food! We sat at the bar, and the cutest female bartender took great care of us - always a plus! For simple stuff, the food was well above average. Loved the clam chowder, tasty and full of clams. Skip the chili - lacking flavor and dry meat. Buffalo shrimp we're spectacular - we polished them off rather quickly. Yum. Hot dog with fries was super tasty; the fries crisp and not oily in the least. Lobsters looked good and the prices were fair. For a down home, Maine meal, this is a cool local hangout. read more

Came in to end the night with a few drinks, and saw that the bar was packed, so we sat down at a table- the waitress came over, we said we needed a minute, and she never came back. (15 minutes) The ladies in our group decided to sit outside, which left us lads to awkwardly go up to the bar and order. When we did the bartender (older, I believe the owner) apologized and said she didn't realize we were waiting. She gave us some free Jell-O shots ($1 each) which was nice. Would have preferred my $6 jack and coke comp'ed however. Other than that, we had a nice time. Outdoor seating is large and great for the summer obviously. Not sure how this place functions during the day but at night it's solidly divey. The $1 Jell-O shots are nice if you're down for some nail polish vodka. You know what you're paying for. 4 stars, -1 for wait. read more

This place was great! Affordable and fresh seafood. Nice outdoor patio bar that is dog friendly.

Most consistent and best restaurant in Kennebunkport! Specials are great, drinks are strong, and the food is fantastic. Staff is really friendly and very helpful. I'd say what a hidden gem, but I think the secret is out! read more

Sadly our Lobster was over cooked, and the butter for dipping had no flavor. The meat was chewy and had a very unusual texture. Not like the lobster I experienced at a near by location. The first thing that set me off was it took over fifteen minutes to get served our water three other couples, and a family were served their drinks first, and they had arrived after we had. I will not be returning. It was $12 to park and the special $32 lobster lunch was ruined when over cooked. The fries and onion rings however were tasty. read more

Street tacos looked amazing but was sadly disappointed in the lobster rolls. So much money for so little food and there was barely any lobster in it. Half of it was bread. Worst dinner on my stay. read more

We stopped here so we could sit down. The sign saying it's where the locals eat drew my eye. And they do! Saw a football pool signup with tons of initials, and the bartender greeted some peeps by name. The food was good. My recommendation is DON'T order the half lobster roll with chowder. Not enough lobster. It was good but wanted more. Hubby got lobster and was thrilled. Staff, in particular, the bartender, was so nice and helpful. They stay busy, but try to turn over quickly. Didn't order the blueberry pie but wished I had after I saw it. read more

The food was decent, but the service was amazingly slow. I don't blame our individual server so much as the management for that - it was very busy and there obviously weren't enough servers working. Scenery was temporarily bad as there was some construction going on in the next lot. Had a corner table in the outside seating area, and took a picture with a dumpster in the background. We both couldn't pass up the lobster dinner, as with the current trend in lobster prices, $12.99 was a steal. The lobster was quality soft-shell lobster, cooked properly, and served with butter. Can't go wrong with that. The sides left much to be desired. They normally serve this with fries and cole slaw, but they're willing to sub in a potato and vegetable for dinnertime (I believe after 5pm). My girlfriend got the fries and slaw, I got the mashed potatoes and vegetable (green beans). The green beans were fairly flavorless and ... almost crunchy. The mashed potatoes were largely bland, and not at all creamy. The crowd is very local, and boisterous. A lot of people who seemed to know each other, hanging out and enjoying brews. read more

Keep looking. Not the best. The staff took over an hour to deliver the food and it was not really busy. It was probably the slow cooking staff. The food quality: not the best. The chicken tenders were not very good and the Asian chicken salad was just Ok. The haddock plate had a terrible presentation but actually tasted pretty good. The fried pickles however was pretty good. Small but good. read more

This was my favorite place to eat in town. Fresh seafood at a reasonable price, cold beer and a relaxed atmosphere were in ample supply the multiple times I visited while on vacation. They are located on the wharf, by the water and have live music on some nights. read more

Pilot House Restaurant - Lobster roll, calm colder and crispy fries! - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunk, Maine

The most delicious lunch!! Janice was the best waitress and made our meal. The fried haddock Rueben and merry margs were 10/10. Thank you Janice and pilot house read more

Average touristy food. We had lobster rolls which were ok but not great. Good place to stop while walking around the town but nothing to rave about read more

Expensive and inattentive waitstaff. Arrived for lunch at Pilot house after seeing such high reviews from others. We sat and were prompty taken care of. We ordered drinks and food at same time (we knew what we wanted and the menu is small). Our food came out about 5 minutes later. Very quick. 15 dollars for a mini lobster roll is NOT worth it at all. It's tiny. Drinks did not come out for after 15 minutes. We were completely finished with our drinks. We only ordered coke and diet coke. Shouldn't take that long.... People next to us also left because no one took their order after 15 minutes. There are better places in Kennebunkport to get lunch. Go elsewhere. read more

OMG what a great place! Had the mini lobster roll with Clam chowder. It was PERFECT! Soooo good! Great staff. Met some great people while watching the patriots game! Lots of locals. Don't act like a tourist! Dive in and talk and have FUN! Can't wait to go back!! Danny- thanks for being so awesome!! read more