"Here lie the roses in the ashes Deep as the barnacles that cling Just like a lace that runs through everyone and everything" (Elvis Costello) This is a tough one to write up. The food was very good, and I thought my Steamed Mussels might have been the very best version of a favorite dish I ever had. The view of the harbor from the back counter was beautiful. But..........there were a lot of buts. First of all, The Barnacle is not a large restaurant, and the dining room was so crowded, with tables and chairs so densely packed into every square inch it's really quite difficult to navigate your way around the room. In fact, after we were seated at that back counter, a server asked us if we could slide over because another patron couldn't maneuver herself into an open seat. We placed our order - a cup of clam chowder ($8), fish tacos ($14.95), and those fabulous Steamed Mussels ($18.95). And then we waited. And then we waited some more. And then the couple who sat next to us hadn't seen a server yet, so the gent walked over to the bar to get his own beer. And then we waited some more. And then our server sheepishly walked over and said she never got around to placing our order with the kitchen, so would we mind reminding her what we ordered? Now look, we had no appointment to keep and didn't mind the view of the scenery. But truthfully, the wait and delay did slice into a big chunk of our metered parking fee. And it sure would have been nice to see their service lapse translate into some tangible consideration. How about a complimentary appetizer, drink, dessert, or a cost reduction or anything. But no, there was no consideration given at all. No attempt to make things right. I'd say forgetting to place an order and not realizing the mistake for half an hour is a fairly serious issue. A waterside restaurant on a hot day really should have done a better job with the crowd, and they clearly weren't up to the task. But... those plump heavenly mussels in a sweet, herb and garlic broth were divine, and influenced my rating decision for a four-star experience. read more

See all

One of our go to Local spots in Marblehead. Great location with a fabulous view of the Harbor and the lighthouse. Very friendly staff but the star of the show is the seafood. We ordered an order of steamers to share. Very good! For the main course, Fish and chops for me. As I had remembered from prior visits, the fish are outstanding. Very good cold water white fish /Haddock, cooked with a light breading so it doesn't overwhelm the fish. Fries were fine but again the star is the fish and definitely worth the visit! read more

See all

Best, largest, most tender mussels we've had in years. Paired well with Harpoon IPA. Staff very friendly and congenial. View, as advertised, terrific. We ordered the steamed mussels instead of the steamers (clams) because of the high price of the latter, and no regrets whatsoever. When you are here be sure to walk out to Fort Sewall just up the hill. read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - Local scenes - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

The perfect little dive right on the water! It's the best view of the ocean perfect for casual drinks. The food is okay, fried seafood and onion rings are not very seasoned. The fried clams were hard to get down as they were very large and chewy. But I loved the haddock in my fish and chips, I just wished it had more flavor. read more

See all

We had a great meal and wonderful service. Location is on the water and food is great and priced well.

Early dinner for us on a busy day walking around Boston. Marblehead is a great quiet town with a fishing history. The homes tell the story. The bar was full of locals and it was wonderful. We were seated at a window overlooking the water. It was wonderful! We even had a visitor join us. I had the haddock filet which was fabulous! Hard to find fresh haddock in Florida. My husband enjoyed the lobster roll. We both had a lovely Pinot noir as well. Love the whole vibe! read more

See all

Thursday night bartender lady is a zero. My bloddy was straight tomato and vodka. she got all up in my face when I told her it fell short of a good drink. That one only gets dollar tips for confrontation and less than mediocre drinks. She is still learning monopoly money. Goodluck marsh scum! read more

Our service was the best...loved our server The food was delicious !!! Sat outside which was a treat

It's one of my husband's favorite places when we go back to Marblehead. We ordered a plate of steamers (entree size to split) and a lobster chowder. The steamers were delicious and it's a true Marblehead place that locals love. It sits on the water and you can look out and enjoy the view! They have a pretty big bar area where people have one or more drinks and just hang out there. Last time, I even got a great zip up sweatshirt that I love! read more

See all

On recommendation from friends, we took our out of town guest to this restaurant yesterday for lunch. It was a glorious sunny afternoon, so we opted for patio seating. While the fit is tight, and they do not have a lot of room on the small deck, its def worth sitting out there on days like yesterday. Staff was quick to get what we needed, happy to chat a bit when we were feeling social but not in way at all. Food, we started with the garlicky mussels, yum. I had the salmon Caesar salad, another had the salmon with a lobster horseradish sauce (divine, a kick but not overwhelming) and other had their seafood platter. All was delicious and devoured in no time. Hubs opted to try the special strawberry champagne cake, which we all had to try and yes indeed, yummy! He was toying with the idea of lemoncello cake too, so I had them place that in to go bag for him. This is not an upscale over priced on the water restaurant. The floors and bathrooms could be a lil cleaner. But I still highly recommend it! read more

See all

While restaurant was a cute little Place, the food was... mediocre for the amount they charge you. The service was not anything to compliment about, when asked if they had Coke or Pepsi products- it's off brand. For the amount you charge for food the least you could do is provide a good drink on ice. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone or even go back. read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

What a fun spot! I'm always a sucker for restaurants on the water. I was so pleased to get a spot on the back deck, even during the peak weekend lunch rush. There were plenty of people dining inside as well. Great service, even for the outdoor area. My friend ordered the Bbq Sirloin Steak Tips, which were delicious, and I got the Fish And Chips, which was also very yummy! I opted for a broiled fish instead, which was a nice option. I'd happily come back! read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - Exterior - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

See all

Good food, good service, with a view!! What more can you ask for. Lobster roll Bisque Mussels read more

Visited here last evening with my GF from NJ. After a 6 hour drive in Memorial Day traffic we were hungry, checked the internet and found this place. Neat setting right on the coast, like the water is lapping up to the foundation of the building close. Anyway, walk in to the bar which was crowded. Place looks kind of divey and dated which was ok with us... could mean it's been there for a long while, and able to survive the what I would imagine is highly seasonal business. So the food has to be good, or so we were hoping .... We both started with the Lobster bisque. Came out lukewarm warm, tasty at first. I had a passable amount of small lobster pieces. GF had no lobster to speak of. I shared. By the end of the bowl, it developed a very flour heavy taste. For dinner GF ordered Jumbo shrimp scampi. Came out just warm, 6 shrimp on top of rice with sliced mushrooms? And a broth? Which made the rice kind of soupy. Not very garlicky at all. Maybe this is coastal New England scampi? I ordered the surf and turf. The steak was a thin, maybe 4 oz sirloin. Luke warm, perfectly medium as ordered and zero seasoning other than a decent char flavor. It needed seasoning. The 4 "Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp" that came with it were not stuffed but had a breadcrumb topping mixture sprinkled on top and put under the broiler. This made them the only hot thing served as well as over cooked. Surf and Turf was $29.95, Scampi was $26.95. Not at all worth the $. Disappointed, would not return. They did have large windows overlooking the harbor. Nice view. read more

Hip vibes and casual dress! A wonderful place where lots of locals frequent. Outsiders can quickly become familiar faces. Nice fried seafood menu. A real fisherman feel here. Enjoyable and delicious! read more

Great service and good! We easily got a table for 8. We got lobster, stuffies, clams, chowder and more. Everything was delicious! Our server Mike was superb. Enjoy ever changing water views with the boats coming in and out. Great place. read more

See all

Great view today. Tried the fish tacos for the first time. Very good. Could use a little more veg. But over all it was good. It's a busy joint with a neighborhood vibe. A kick back and enjoy a drink and bite. Menu has a variety of fish and non fish choices. read more

I'm going to preface this by saying they were slammed and they only had 2 servers. I don't know if that's the norm or if they were short staffed. Our server was really nice but we only saw her twice. All of our food came out cold. The cheese in my son's grilled cheese wasn't melted. My broccoli, baked potato and steak tips were all cold. And so was my husband's baked potato. Butter wouldn't melt. That was disappointing because it all tasted good. We did not send it back, because again, they were slammed. I'm assuming that was the reason for the cold food. We will give it another shot read more

Beautiful location right on the water. Loved our meal but service was slow due to being super busy.

Marblehead is not too far from Boston, where my family lived for a season. This is an INSTITUTION that has been around since the 50s! It's not the easiest to find, as the streets are narrow and a bit of a challenge to navigate. BUT, that is part of the adventure! When you consider how many decades this restaurant has operated in the SAME spot, it's worth visiting simply for the historical experience! It's small and cozy, with a great view of the ocean. It's wonderful to watch the sunset with night gradually falling across the bay, during your meal. I had the scallop special and chowder, which I enjoyed. It was great to look out on the shores, where my father and brother went clamming many years ago. . . A nostalgic spot, not to be missed! read more

See all

Very nostalgic setting!! Fresh seafood and good drinks! Very friendly staff and fabulous view of Marblehead harbor!

Great food, great service and a spectacular harbor view. All this and reasonable prices. This place is highly recommended ! !

We sat down and waited for 20 minutes until we went to hostess to inform her that waitress still has not come by. We ordered seafood chowder, lobster roll and tuna melt. Chowder came out pretty fast and was good. However, after waiting for over an hour for lobster roll and tuna melt we left. Neither one takes that long to make. People around us were sitted later and were being serviced faster. It was an awful experience and as pretty as view is, it does not make up for horrible service. read more

Another perfect meal... Scallops cooked to perfection haddock cooked to perfection... The view, outstanding rum punch delicious... Service was friendly and quick not a complaint at all. read more

We found this place on whim. It was a Sunday rainy evening and we were a table of 9. We were greeted and seated right away. The service was phenomenal and this place was a hidden gem with with a nice harbor view. It's a small casual hole in the wall that serves fresh seafood. You can't go wrong with anything you order and you can't beat the prices. Clam chowder had chunks of clam! Scallops were baked perfectly and soft to bite. The steamed mussels were recommended by the table next to us who are locals and they were delicious with a sweet buttery wine broth. Everything was fresh out of the water! read more

See all

When I heard The Barnacle had $20 twin lobster tails I almost passed out. Seriously, Marblehead, do you know how good you have it? How blessed you are? This is not normal where I'm from. We came back here multiple times just for the lobster tails. I really took a large liking to Marblehead in big thanks to The Barnacle. The servers were friendly and this local watering hole (no pun intended) had a great sense of community to it. It's snug on the inside and you don't need to feel a big need to dress up. They know everyone's names and will remember you even if you're a tourist. Again, I'm dreaming of these excellent lobster tails, which were some of the best I've ever had. They make their own catches daily, and the quality of seafood here can't be beat. I truly never felt guilty we came here more than once. I loved this spot. read more

See all

Avoid the fish and chips - complete lack of flavor. They even screwed up the fries somehow - soggy and room temp. You would think for a seafood spot on the North Shore they could serve a decent fish and chips but nope, never again. read more

Quahog clams were tasty on the balcony overlooking Marblehead Harbor...a special place to enjoy a sunny September afternoon! Service from Chelsea was very good and we enjoyed the time we spent. read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - K-k-k-clams! - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

See all

Ordered lobster caeser. It was yum yum in my tum tum. My bestie westie ordered the lobster bisque. She says it was magical. My mother ordered the steamed mussels she said they were the best she ever had. The mashed potatoes were so good I would come back here just for them. My wonderful sister ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer as her meal and said it was deliciouso. We had a lovely waitress who had speedy quick service. She was so friendly and even helped us when my sister spilled her drink all over my bestie westie. The view with the rainbow made the whole ambiance better. I even asked the waitress if she has ever seen seals and she said she hasn't but others have. The service here is impeccable. We all agree that the aesthetic is wonderful and more people should go here. read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - Rainbow - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

See all

Best seafood on the North Shore! Amazing location in a beautiful historic town. Delicious clam chowder and great cocktails. 10/10

Staff and patrons were very friendly, good drinks and a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The restaurant in general was very dirty, floors, utensils bathrooms. Exterior screen door open to kitchen flys rodents free rein to kitchen. Not a place I would recommend. read more

I'll start by saying I've been here before, but not anymore! Sat at the bar and bartender literally said "I guess I can wipe down the bar", and proceeds to barely clean the crumbs & mess. Other patrons were served before us even though we were there longer. Bartender also talked about how he's been there for decades and can't wait to quit as he drank his own cocktails, talked about how horrible his life is and depressed. Wow. Ok hope things get better for you?? Wicked awkward. Just go home if you bring in that attitude. Food was ok nothing special & took forever to get. He also didn't charge us correctly on bill. read more

Great Bartenders! each time we came here we had awesome experiences. The people are worth a visit and the food and drinks are an addition to a great time! If you're lucky enough to score a place at the bar, just know you'll get the New England Hospitality! read more

The Barnacle Restaurant - #Oystersonthehalfshell #marblehead These are some of the freshest oysters I've had in years. Lovely bartender Dan and great environment. - Seafood Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

I've loved The Barnacle since the day I moved to the North Shore 1000yrs ago; in fact it was the first restaurant I went to upon the recommendation of some guy I stopped along the street in downtown Marblehead! Been back many times since. It's small, the tables are tight and it's smack dab on the harbor (if there's a storm, the crashing waves will hit the windows!) and all those are just part of the up side to The Barnacle. The food is mostly fried, but it's all fresh and not greasy at all. The staff is fantastic as they navigate the crowded dining room. There are outside tables on the ocean side for the nice weather too. Parking can be a bit of problem in that part of town, but it's worth the effort; don't let it deter you...circle the block a couple of times and find a spot. You'll be glad you did. read more

While visiting Boston, a local pointed us to The Barnacle in Marblehead as we were searching for the best place to get fresh Lobster & we definitely found a gem! We started with fried calamari which we devoured in 5 minutes. It melted in our mouth. Then we ordered crab legs and lobster rolls, & fish tacos which were all freshly caught that morning by the owner. Pretty cool! We saw everyone around us eating steamed Lobster so we ordered one followed by another because it so darn delicious. This was a cool spot to experience and you can watch the ships bring in cages of Lobster & Crab and look at the Sound and hear the waves all in one meal experience. read more

See all

Great local vibe. Recommended by several in the community. Sat out on back patio for lunch on a gorgeous day. Our group had drinks, shrimp and hamburgers. All was good. Nothing fancy about the place but the water view and the setting is classic. Service was fine. read more

4 stars for the view but 3 stars for the food. You pay for the view. Classic seafood on the water spot in Marblehead. We snagged a table on the outdoor area overlooking the water. Food was completely average. Just fried seafood. read more

Great location, great menu, salty service. It's exactly what you want from a seaside haunt in coastal New England.

I recently traveled to Boston on vacation and happened to come upon a beautiful little restaurant in a town that I veered off into. Nestled along, the picturesque coastline of Massachusetts, the barnacle restaurant offers an enchanting dining experience that captures the essence of Seaside charm. from the moment you arrive your greeted with breathtaking views, and a warm, inviting atmosphere. The restaurants location is a true gem, perched right by the water's edge with panoramic views, that transport you to a tranquil, coastal oasis. Now let's talk about the star of the show the food. The barnacle restaurant takes pride and his commitment to serving the fresh seafood delicacies that showcase the regions, bountiful offerings from succulent lobster and tender scallops to delectable clam chowder with HUGE chunks of clam , and perfectly steamed crab, each dish is a celebration of the sea. The service was attentive, friendly, and professional. The staff goes above and beyond to make the dining experience exceptional. The restaurant has a rustic coastal decor with a charming nautical feel that creates a cozy atmosphere. I absolutely loved it. read more

See all