I'm not a huge fan of 'creative pub food' ... normally I find its sort of stuck in the early-mid 2000s. There are only so many ways you can make nachos fancy and unique and I don't need things like duck confit on my burger. When the gf told me we were eating here, I wasn't thrilled as she tends to favour any place like this and I do not. I can tell you that judging a book by its cover was unfounded here as the food was great. I was nursing a hangover which gave me a queasy tummy. I was not craving anything heavy and the table next to me had a giant plate of nachos which looked as though someone tossed a box of cheese and a pound of shredded pork on. I ordered pretzel sticks, we split a grilled cheese and lettuce wraps. Don't judge ... bread carbs are usually what gets me through a hangover. The pretzel sticks were the best I've ever had. Light and fluffy, a bit of oil on the outside, not too much salt and a beautiful little bowl of fresh-tasting cheese sauce for dipping. I dream of these at night now ... 3 per order and I wish I skipped the grilled cheese and doubled up. The grilled cheese was unremarkable. The bread was too thick, the cheese was average and it was very buttery. Here is where I would have liked to see some creativity ... this was something I could make at home. The little bowl of orange tomato dip was the only bad part of the lunch. It tasted oddly nasty. The lettuce wraps were also awesome according to the gf. She said some of the best she's ever had. Everything tasted and looked fresh and it was made well. We did not have room for dessert but everything looked great on the menu. Good beer selection as well, though I was not partaking due to my hangover. My gf is a stout drinker and there were a few good choices for her ... normally menus are heavy on the IPAs these days, so she loved having a choice. Lots of local selections. Overall, this was a great experience. The decor and vibe won't blow you away ... its across the street from the water but there are no water views. We sat outside for what may be one of the last outdoor dining days before winter. read more

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I had the Taco special- delicious fresh fish perfectly seasoned My husband had the Corned Beef Reuben. Tender chunks of corned beef Our waitress was pleasant and attentive but not hovering. Great choice Also the Aperol Spritz was perfectly made read more

Despite what Lynne B says, the food at Portside is excellent. Always check the profile of the 1 star reviews...gonna see a patterned lack of gratitude. And I disagree with the owner...your wife made the right call making a joke to lighten the mood. This is a restaurant experience, Lynne, not WW2. Laugh. Live a little. Now, on to my experience...we ate here twice over our two week visit over the holidays and both times were great. The fireplace made the place feel especially cozy. I had the muscles my first time and the seared tuna the second. Both times the food was fresh and delicious. Thank you for the wonderful experience! Glad you'll never have to deal with Lynne again...we'll be back! (Also, please stop serving water in plastic cups...truly my only complaint!) read more

Traditional pub food with a twist. Traditional New England clam chowder to die for! Service was fabulous and the owners care about their staff, customers and community. read more

Love portside and got the grilled cheese... my partner got the steak frites medium and they were not good at all, wasted 30$ unfortunately

The waitress was very polite and friendly with a smile and dressed appropriately. The view was great and the wait was short

Excellent food and service. Lots of Gluten Free options and great for kids.they have coloring and toys for the kids. I had the steak and it was cooked perfectly. We will absolutely go again! read more

Friendly and casual which was exactly what we were looking for. Food was very good and a little different from your basic seafood choices. The fried chicken banh mi was delicious if not authentic. I will return. read more

Excellent tasting food. Service was great. The environment was okay. Def pub vibes. Had the burger which I sometimes think about when I'm hungry! read more

I literally wandered into Portside after some site seeing and this immediately became a new favorite. The vibe, food and service was so good this place gets a 5 star first time visit review from me. I sat at the bar for a cocktail and chose the the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna and Thsi Lettuce Wraps. The flavors and presentation was outstanding. Very impressed to try more as soon as I can! read more

A perfect fall day was our treat for dinner outside at Portside. Recommended by students at Roger Williams University down the street, after a campus tour, and we are glad we took their suggestion! Apps were buffalo wings which were good, the pretzel and then the app highlight was definitely the crab cakes. I had a French dip with fries, very good. I split that with the turkey club. (Not technically a club because it has two slices of bread!) The grilled cheese was delicious too. I always like those in a restaurant. Service was excellent. Very attentive especially for dining outside and it not being that easy, or so it seemed! I wanted to keep this gem a secret, but couldn't! I will return here, hopefully soon, as this falls in my sales territory! read more

I met a friend for lunch . I love what they have done on renovations. The waitstaff was very pleasant. She was very helpful with the menu and her recommendations on lunch was on point. My friend and I enjoyed thr crabby patty which is new on the menu! It was loaded with crab hardly any filling . Exceptional if your a true seafood lover. I brought my lil 14 month old and he was treated like a prince. He's a bread and butter fan and they accommodated his needs! lol He was flirty with the cute hostess which she played along! It was a fun lunch date on all ends. There's not many restaurants open on Mondays so if your looking for a good meal and relaxing environment I highly recommend The Portside Tavern! I have been for apps around July 4th last year. At that time of year it's not so chill but lots of locals and a great place to meet with outside seating as well. Enjoy!! read more

Portside Tavern - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, Rhode Island

Good food. Usually easy to get into. Nice outdoor area for warmer months. We go here often. read more

We visited for dinner on July 5th. I think the regular cooks were off , as it followed the busy 4th of July. The service was fine, except when we asked for our check, that took over 15 minutes. The food was meh. The NE chowder had wayyyy too much bacon, so we couldn't taste how it was chowder. The fish tacos were asked to be grilled or pan-seared rather than fried. They had nothing on top of them except some weird white sauce. not tarte-like watered down ranch dressing. . No veggies, no chopped tomato , no chipotle, no mangoes. very plain.The "greens" were literally one green with a little dressing. The prices they charge for l ss than mediocre food is not warranted. Choose Quitos or Aidan's or SS Dion. read more

Food was hit or miss, but service was very good. The Korean bbq nachos were very soggy and pretty terrible, the pork chop was pathetic for a real restaurant, but the tuna bowl wasn't bad and the chorizo clam cakes were very good. I also enjoyed the egg rolls we ordered and the espresso martini I got was amazing. Would come back for drinks and maybe an app, but definitely east to find better food close by especially at this price read more

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Great food! Great service! Great atmosphere!! The restaurant was clean and well kept! The food quality was great!

The steak salad was delish. I was a party of one but the atmosphere was cozy. Service was great.

Several months before my wedding in Bristol I began looking for a wedding after party venue, with a private space. I reached out on Facebook and several people recommended Portside. I called and spoke with the owner's wife, Caroline. Caroline explained the private room was under renovation, and in good faith she would not take a deposit. The room's construction was scheduled to be completed, however she wasn't sure the bar and decorations would be done. A month before the event I again reached out and confirmed. The week of the event I spoke with Caroline and confirmed catering menu, and that the event would be in the newly completed private room. 48 hours before the event, I opened Facebook to see a public event advertising a DJ and Soft Opening party on the date and time in the room I had reserved. I reached out to Caroline who was very upset, and I asked if our wires had been crossed and what the confusion was. I reiterated the importance of having a private space, and asked if she could staff another restaurant with her husband's ownership, Roberto's. I then met with Caroline at Portside, and she was clearly upset. She was unable to provide me with a solution other than pushing together tables in the dining room or roping off a section for my group with DJ at the soft opening, and would give me $100 off the catering. I explained how that would not be enough, asked for all food to be covered as this was their error, and again asked about staffing Roberto's. Eventually Caroline's husband and owner of Portside, Richie, called and spoke to us. He made it clear that his event would not be cancelled despite mine having been booked, that he would not comp the food, he was willing to rope off a section near the DJ booth, and he would not staff Roberto's. Meanwhile, Caroline asked staff and they graciously agreed to work at Roberto's for us. The complete disrespect, arrogance, and disregard for a prior commitment was astounding. The viable solutions were asked for by myself, and only agreed upon after we left. read more

Apps were good we got the pretzels and the clam chowder to start. My husband got the Al's orange chicken and liked it. I ordered the steak tips and unfortunately they were inedible. The gravy had a sour taste to it that couldn't be overlooked sadly. Our server was very accommodating and I got the burger as a replacement which was okay, fries were terrible. Overall seems hit or miss. I wouldn't recommend as a first choice! read more

Stopped by on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We sat outside enjoying the view and sunshine. Our waiter was fantastic, perfect pace of not being rushed or slow. We had the pesto chicken sandwich which was outstanding. We will definitely come back again. read more

Visited my daughter who is a grad student at RWU and lives on Hope street and stopped here on a walk back from the Hope street Christmas festival. We'd never tried Portside before. Hostess & greeting was pleasant, restaurant was clean service was decent though we needed to seek out napkins and silverware (as did the table next to us) which was a little odd given there were empty tables with silverware and enough wait staff. Food: A decent burger. About average for a tavern. Pretzel stick appetizer was good with the dipping sauce. Perhaps a little pricey. Decent beer list. I'd return, but will try other local options too. read more

This place is amazing!!! We walked off the bike path and saw that everything people ordered looked AWESOME! Everything!!! Service was amazing. We had an incredible waitress & even back up people. We ate inside and it's so cute!!! Every plate was delicious! I want to come back and order just drinks and apps because they all look so yummy. We ordered the cheese plate. Came with meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, chutney and warm, perfectly toasted baguette. Combined with drinks, a pretty damn near perfect cosmo and an even better mojito. We nailed the cheese plate and didn't have room to eat our lunches... but we boxed them up and look forward to yummy leftovers. We will be back with more people to share all the apps! read more

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What's great night! My group ordered some awesome cocktails from our bartender/server Will. I asked for a suggestion for a cocktail since there were none on the menu. Will got creative and served me cocktails all night long, always asking what he could do better. The food was fantastic also!! We will definitely be back!! read more

Will M was the hands down the best server I've ever had. Great atmosphere and experience, if you have the chance ask for Will!!

Good and different pub fare. Spicy Asian crunch salad us wonderful. Live music can be a bit loud.

The food was outstanding. Korean BBQ Wanton Nachos and Calamari appetizers were superb. Restaurant was very dark. Could definitely use better lighting, but the food makes up for that. read more

I retract my previous review of Portside. Yes, the Steak and Frites weren't exceptional, but given that I've been to this place more times than I have fingers, it's only fair that they get what they deserve. I've had pretty much all of their appetizers and I really can't find a reason to say I don't like any of them. The Wanton Nachos have everything going for them... sweet, salty, savory, crunchy. The Cheese Plate with the Brie has this pesto that pops. When I don't feel much like anything, the Pretzels are just warm and inviting... Love that cheese sauce! The Littlenecks... man that sauce... I've had two sandwiches... the Chicken Pesto and the Fish Reuben, and both are full of flavor and cooked very well. They have a great selection of beers, wines and cocktails... My go-to is usually Proclamation, J. Lohr Cab, or a G&T. What is really important at this place is how great the service is. There's only been one spotty time where the waitress was meh... but there are two that I get very often... not entirely sure of their names unfortunately, and they are always on their game. Super friendly, too! The live music is spectacular and probably the main reason I keep going. It's just great how interactive the talents are and keep me there all night. I love this place! read more

Nice location convenient to the bike trail. We only had the wings. General Al's and Cajun dry rub. Both were definitely dry! Could have used a bit more sauce. View is nice read more

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We came in for an early dinner as we were in Bristol to run and errand. This was such a cozy find on a cold winter's night. The ambiance was warm and inviting, with a fire in the fireplace and very attentive waitstaff. The food was both reasonable and delicious. I tried the turkey pot pie, and it was perfect - very light pastry crust with a delicious filling. My wife enjoyed the chicken pesto sandwich. Both came with a very tasty greens salad - the dressing was perfect. read more

On a busy spring Sunday we walked in for lunch. hoping to be outside but the block was hot and we were starving so we settled for a table top near the bar. Staff was very friendly and we were happy to sit quickly. The bar was filled which made me happy that things seamed to be normal again. But could be alarming to some. Food came quickly and was good. I had a fried chicken sandwich with carrots and jalapeños, it was an interesting sandwich but I was pleasantly surprised. My husband had a fish Reuben and it was tasty, my mom had lettuce wraps. Nice and refreshing. read more

Portside Tavern - fried chicken sandwhich - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, Rhode Island

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Just okay. If you get lucky to sit outdoors, it's a nice stop, but I would t go out of my way to eat here. Staff was friendly, view was nice, restaurant was clean, but the food wasn't worth talking about. The fries were good if you like fresh cut fries. We ordered the Korean wontons, tilapia fish tacos and crabby cakes. The wontons were the best of all three meals, the fish tacos had no flavor and were over done and the crabby cakes were more cake than crab. It was pointed out the tacos were mahi-mahi, not tilapia. Either way they were rubbery, overdone and had no flavor. That was really my point. read more

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The hamburgers here are better than most places. Interesting appetizers are also available. Service is great and the ambiance is nice.

Friends from the area introduced us to Portside. Absolutely fantastic! Had the Asian Lettuce wraps appetizer with tuna and the Fish Ruben. Superb!! Not to mention the great on tap local brews. So good we went back again the next day! They are sure fire! read more

Fantastic food, amazing service and fantastic ambiance on the water in Bristol. Menu is a bit limited, but there is something for everyone. Great spot for an early dinner and enjoy the sunset. read more

arrived around 430pm and for a seat outside. There were about four other tables outside but it was fairly quiet. Service was horrendous. Server kept disappearing, never checking to see how the food was, never asked about refills on drinks Food was very good! read more

Dropped in here close to closing time, and the staff was attentive and professional... ie: the made a good cocktail, and were polite and welcoming. I have not been here when they have a trio or quartet playing, but I have heard good things .. ( weekends only perhaps ...) A worthy stop. read more

Not only is this dish beautiful, but it is also delicious The Ahi Tuna was nice and fresh and the aioli sauce gave the dish a little spice! The crispy wonton with the light tuna and aioli made this dish a little party in your mouth I love this restaurant! They have delicious food, drinks, a great atmosphere and on Sundays love music! read more

Portside Tavern - Sesame Crushed Ahi Tuna- citrus-soy glaze, seaweed salad, sriracha aioli, pickled veggies, wasabi paste and wonton chips. - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, Rhode Island

Jess was our waitress tonight and took care of a party of 20+. She was fantastic and kept the drinks full and the food was spot on. Thanks Jess!! read more

Careful with this establishment... each dish is better than the last. My husband and I disagreed as to which dish was the best... the only way for us to properly resolve the conflict is to go back again and often... oh darn! read more

Jess is the best bartender I've ever had. Not only is she beautiful, but her personality is second to none. If she was my bartender every time, I'd be an alcoholic! read more