First timer, visited in the summer. I didn't expect the beautiful view off the balcony in the back. Great food friendly waiter, what more could you ask for!? read more

Typical tourist trap, and they don't even try to hide it. The place is overpriced for what it offers. Anywhere esle this place would had probably closed down long time ago, but I am assuming the lack of choices and the location keeps it in business. It surely isn't the food or the friendliness of the staff. Plate of pasta was around $20.00. Which would be acceptable if the restaurant was 3-4 stars with decent tables, atmosphere and cuttlery. Well this place looked like we went back in time to 1975. Nothing had changed, not even the tablecloths. Tables had no condements to speak of, they probably stole the forks and spoons from their grandmother and the plates appeared to have been bought at a charity store. I am not sure who had pissed off our waitress but they surely must have done something drastic for that face to be that miserable for that long. Forget greeting, even taking an order or bringing water to the table was frowned upon and we were probably cursed the entire time we were there. Food was OK, not good and not bad. Anywehere else it would have cost 1/3 to 1/2 the price. They really could not care less of what you think or how you are treated. They just want your money and want you out of the place. No care or respect for the customer. If you are in Marblehead, might be a good idea to travel a bit further to avoid this place. It might affect your opinion of the entire city. read more

I can't believe I haven't posted a review on this Yelp find. My wife and I grew up on the North Shore and decided one day to take a trip down to The Barnacle. The restaurant is located directly on the water and located among the many beautiful homes of quaint Marblehead. With all the twists and turns that Marblehead offers It would be impossible to find without a GPS. I have often questioned GPS directions more than once but always stay on course. The drive for me is an hour and fifteen minutes from New Hampshire but it's definitely worth the trip. The service and food is excellent. The view of Marblehead harbor breathtaking. Being the clam critic that I am, their fried food is lightly battered and seafood and fish fried to perfection. On our recent visit we met the owner and his wife, the owner just coming off the water with his daily lobster catch. Customer satisfaction is his goal and he has met it every time we visit. Portions are plenty and wine servings are to the brim. The bar seats probably 10 and is a local haunt usually filled to capacity. The Barnacle is a great find and you will leave satisfied and wanting to return soon. We have and cannot wait until our next visit. read more

One never knows what the experience will be like at the Barnacle. Every so often, it's a five. Tonight, it was a one. Harried servers and overdone food. I'll give them another chance, as always, but sometimes I think they don't care what customers think. read more

I'm a frequent customer of The Barnacle, Marblehead MA establishment. I came in Mon Sept 14th for lunch with my 19mo son & family. Their senior staff member, an older woman with shoulder length red blonde hair, threw a chair at myself & my baby because we requested the highchair be placed on the wall. It is a fire hazard in the aisle & safety hazard with hot food near my baby. She rolled her eyes at me, said "why cant he just sit next to you, so now you want me to move the table back..." when we said thank you, she threw the adult chair at me & my son & stormed off without a word. IF THAT CHAIR HAD HIT MY BABY, SHE & THE BARNACLE WOULD BE LIABLE. THAT IS ATTEMPED ASSULT. We asked a young long haired brunette waitress for a manager & she said the older woman was the senior staff member. We told her what happened & she responded with "you made your point.." & shooed us out. This is appalling treatment of a group of LONGTIME FREQUENT paying customers. Ive never seen such violence or rudeness in the hospitality business until today at THE BARNACLE, MARBLEHEAD MA. read more

Really fun ! Beautiful view. clam CHOWDAHHHHH is great. YUGE pieces of clam. Not a tourists spot(which we were). Allot of locals shooting em back in the bar. Fun place, great chowder. read more

No problem food very tasty and well presented and staff a delight!!! Definitely a Nice New England atmosphere .. beautiful views of the ocean!!:) read more

Gets 2 stars for the view, and the view alone. Food is lousy. Always has been. Go for a drink and appetizer, as the view is truly worth it. Walk back up the street to Jac-Tar for dinner. read more

Recommended by our fishing boat captain, a local. Dinner on a weekday night in July -- 7:30pm restaurant 80% full -- mostly locals, it seemed Tables outside all taken so we sat inside. Tables very crowded together -- but that is part of the charm--so long as your fellow diners don't feel entitled to stretch out and overtake the tight quarters (as our neighbors did.) Greeted quickly, but then it seems like our waitress lost interest in our table. Poor service the rest of the night. Waited nearly one hour with three hungry kids and the food came out barely warm. Tables around us who arrived after us were being served ahead of us. Another waitress stepped in to help and when our waitress re-appeared she was apologetic. Our bill was adjusted without our asking -- which we appreciated. Here is the rundown on the food: Crab cakes - yes, v good Golden butterfly shrimp - yes, perfect Fish and chips - yes, moist and mild Scallops - ok Grilled haddock - ok. Fresh but overcooked. I think it had been sitting for a while before it was brought to the table. Could have been excellent. I still think you should give it a try. read more

Waitress was fine. Salmon was fine. Fish and chips was totally tasteless. Fried piece of fish was tasteless. My two friends hardly ate their meals. You can't really screw up salmon, I suppose, by simply grilling it. A complete waste of money and the view was not worth the trip from the city. Such a huge disappointment. read more

Oysters small and not fresh, mussels tiny...hardly worth taking them out of their shell, stale bread. Felt cheated. Seems like a place where you'd get honest, old fashioned New England seafood. Anything but. read more

This was our favorite restaurant in Marblehead. The oysters were fresh and juicy, and the fried clams were outstanding -- they were the battered perfectly. Don't get me started on the shrimp cocktail! This is all coming from someone who normally does not like seafood unless it's raw. There is something about the Marblehead harbor that makes this food taste incredible, I've never had anything like it. We sat by the ocean and drank wine and enjoyed our meal while laughing with the locals. I absolutely love bars and restaurants like this; they don't have enough of them in California... Old Tony's and The Galley come to mind, but can't compare. This place rules and I can't wait to come back. read more

Today we waited ten minutes in the narrow entryway before anyone found the time to seat us. We were seated on the deck, only to wait another 20 minutes after ordering sodas from the server, who had never brought us our drinks. I found her inside where she said they were changing the diet coke tap. We left five minutes later. The single star is only for the nice view. This was on a Wednesday afternoon in a half empty restaurant read more

This isn't a completely fair review because we only stopped in to pick up an order of lobster rolls to take on our plane ride home, but while the lobster roll was decent, I thought The Landing's was superior. Plus, I don't think I've had worse and more soggy fries in the last ten years of my life. read more

Not a bad spot in Marblehead. This was the second time I've been and it's always crowded. Wasn't able to sit outside, but the view inside was still nice. Service is good, but the food could be better. Everything is cooked perfectly, but could definitely use some salt and seasoning. The garlic mashed potatoes are pretty good and they go great with the grilled salmon. Good spot for families and there's a bar as well. Haven't had any of their cocktails here yet, but if I do go back, I'll be sure to get one. read more

Beautiful location and at night the ocean view is breathtaking. The restaurant as a whole could use an update. The menu is pretty typical to that of a waterside bar and the food though plentiful could use a bit of a boost. Staff is friendly and the bartender pours with a heavy hand....especially for the locals. read more

The Barnacle is located on the water, with incredible views. The restaurant is very small and cramped, service is slow, but it serves the freshest, BEST lobster rolls in Marblehead. It is definitely worth it! read more

We mainly went there for the view. We sat outside and the view was quite nice. The food was also very good. The waitress wasn't rude, but we consistently had to keep asking her for refills of drinks, or to take away empty plates. read more

The fish and chips were good. The seafood chowder and the lobster bisque were very good. Everything else was ok. The ambience was nice overlooking the water. read more

Though we live in CA we are practically locals here because we come here at least once every time we come to Boston. On Father's Day and most recently last night, they ran out of lobster before we got there. Somehow, both times they were able to come up with more! Thankfully so, because the stuffing is the best we've ever had. Sweet scallops and shrimp with a thin though adequate layer of buttery cracker crumbs on top. And the friendliest service around. Love the food, love the view and love the local vibe. read more

Nice view of the port & great location, but the food wasn't too good and took a while.

The service makes up for the view, which on a dreary day was simply amazing looking out at the harbor. What is amazing is that the food was pretty good given that good a view, normally it's not so good. What was useful is that prices were about 2x cambridge prices, it was the view again and Marblehead, and it keeps the riff-raff, err, flotsam, out. The service will not tell you, but they have oysters (did not try, found out on the way out), and clam rolls (did not try, found out the market price on teh way out, must change a lot and chalk boards are not available nor printers, just ask for all the 10 items at market price on the menu, they will only roll your eyes on the second one you ask about). So, go, but be mindful of how you can help serve youself, and help them do what they do poorly so you can enjoy the amazing view. read more

Fabulous restaurant- great attention to detail by the chef. We don't usually get excited about a salad, but the Power House Chop (it was new to the menu) was extraordinary- taste that homemade dressing and ask yourself "Could I make this at home?" Great raw bar, great fish selections, great and appropriately priced wine list. And the drinks- I ordered a whiskey and soda and it came in a water glass- that's what I call a good pour! read more

If you're looking for a great CASUAL spot on the water with an excellent seaside menu (fish and chips, lobster roll, etc), the Barnacle is great. read more

We are new to the area and were looking for lobster. The atmosphere is casual and tne view is great. Very comfortable local place. Service was great. Good drinks from the bar with nice pours, steamed mussels were fantastic. The normal lobster size is 1.5 pounds but we asked for 2 pounds. The owner offered to go get them from his holding tank outside and brought them in to show us before cooking. Price is great and everything tasted great. We will be back for sure. read more

Good food with good prices and an amazing view. It's a tight fit, but in the off season it isn't too bad, haven't eaten here in the warm weather yet. The bar is great. It's small, but on a winter evening, it's perfect. I would rate the bar 5 stars. read more

This place is phenomenal. Our server, Jillian was very friendly, always smiling and was knowledgeable of the menu. The food was great- i got fried clams and a lobster bisque and they were both very good. The location is beautiful, and the deck would be perfect for summer dining. read more

One of my all time favorites. Best bloody Mary's on the north shore period. Jimmy at the bar has been in the same spot for 25 years and is always ready with a smile. Mussels were small but tasty this trip and the fisherman's platter was excellent. Always fun to bring a friend or relative here. read more

Great view, right on the water, the inside definitely feels like you are on a fishing boat. The lobster rolls were great. It was pretty small and I thought it was overpriced. The food was great and it was authentic. read more

Very cute! Good local food! If you like little New England towns and all of their gems, you can't miss this! Great view too!

We love The Barnacle! Never have had a bad meal. The fish and chips, clam chowder, crab cakes, and stuffies are delicious. Jimmy and Gary, the bartenders, are really friendly and make a great drink. If it's stormy in Marblehead, the Barnacle is where you should head. Great views of an angry ocean!! read more

Excellent. Can't do better than this. Came in mid-winter, place was packed, food was excellent. Stuffies, chowder, shrimp cocktail, fried seafood platter, fried clams. A genuine find that has quality and prices that hark back to its origins. Very reasonable for 2016. Don't miss the original menu from 1956 on the wall. read more

Love this place. I go there every week. I love the fish sandwich and anything with clams.

My friends and I stopped in for lunch during a Sunday while we were on a Marblehead stroll. While it is true that there is limited space, we had a great table. All the tables feature an ocean view. Four of us ordered four different entrees and we were all really pleased with our meals. I took a bit off because it is a noisy and crowded space. Parking is nearly impossible, but it is a terrific spot. read more

The lobster and steamers were very good. The outdoor seating looked fabulous, but we were seated inside where it was too crowded and noisy to have an excellent experience. Wait for a patio table! read more

Good view and good clams. The bathroom was too small. This restaurant has a unique boat look to it.

I visited my sister in Marblehead in about 1980 when she relocated their for airlines. She took me to Barnacle for Clam Chowder and it's been my "standard" ever since. In 2017, although she lives in Boston, we drove up to Barnacles for another bowl of chowder and a lobster bisque...again satisfying the "standard" they had set 37 years earlier! read more

We went in on a Saturday night at the last minute. We had been out at the ocean and wanted some good seafood. My husband had shrimp scampi which he said was not that great. I had fish and chips. The breading on the fish had such a stale taste that it ruined it. It seemed as though it was in a breading that had sat opened in a cabinet for months. Since it wasn't cheap, I tried to peel it off and do my best to eat the fish. I have heard that you either will love the Barnacle or not. I am definitely of the not category! Reminds me of some other seaside restaurants that rely on their water views rather than the taste of their dishes. read more

I hell of a lot better than the "Zagat" reviewed place down the block. The people were friendly, helpful, and honest. Of course it's hard to screw up fish and chips but this place had the best Fish and Chips I can remember. read more

First...we arrived early...and was basically thrown out...rudely...the hostess was young...so ....maybe ok...she could have asked if we wanted to have a libations in the bar...but she literally ask us to leave... because we had a parking space wich is rare the side of town..we walked around... it's a picturesque area so we enjoyed it at 5:00 we arrived back only now to wait in line...we got a seat and menus...only to have them taken away because they were the lunch menu s...the hostess took her sweet time getting new ones...our waitress came to take our drink orders and did not listen to me...and I had to repeat myself...food took forever...but I have no complaints everything was fresh...service was ... almost rude...she also just took the bread from the table without asking if we were done...would I go again...yes the food made it worth it...and I felt the prices were good... hopefully the waitress was new... because next time I will speak up... I hate being treated rudely when I'm paying for good service... read more