Look, I'll give credit where credit's due--The Big Catch has that classic lakeside charm, some solid fried seafood, and a laid-back vibe that screams "summer in New Hampshire." The clam strips? Crispy perfection. The view? Can't beat it. The staff? Friendly and quick with a smile. BUT. If you happen to roll in with a peg leg (yes, a real one), don't expect full access to the good times. Seems like pirates aren't fully welcome on deck. The seating situation isn't exactly "peg leg-friendly," and I felt more like a spectacle than a customer at points. I can take a joke--believe me, I've heard 'em all--but it's a bummer when your night gets trimmed short just because your leg situation isn't standard issue. Would I go back? Sure, but next time I might bring my own folding chair... or a parrot for emotional support. read more

The service was great. Our server was very nice. Kept coming back to check on us. The food was unbelievable. My husband and I shared a Caesar Salad, more that enough for 2. Our entries were fried seafood. One of the best we have ever had! The Restaurant overlooks the Newfound Lake. The best view ever!!! Our evening was perfect. read more

Got a combo plate and split it and it was plenty of food for two of us The view of the lake was great read more

Wow! I wasn't expecting much but I was proven to be completely wrong. First of all the atmosphere is very laid back with a view facing the water. It's beautiful. I love how the menu is in buckets. It just goes with the lake decor they have going on. The food- my scallop plate came with cornbread, corn, a side- which I ordered garlic bread, it's on point and the main star was the scallop. You can order it fried, broiled or blackened. I got it blackened which means Jamaican seasoning and cooked over the grill. It's aMAZing!! I will definite be back again. read more

Best servers, food, and views! Come here all summer long and it's still my favorite place. Food options for everybody!

Got take out and when we got home we realized they gave us the wrong order. Called them and the woman on the phone would not accept that she wrote the order down wrong. We ordered blackened haddock and they gave us blackened chicken. They said they can remake our order, but at our expense. We were willing to give them back their chicken, so I don't know what their issue was? That is just poor customer service. Will never go back. read more

Great food and big portions, drink special are good. Fast and friendly service. Very attentive. Would recommend going during the week

Location, location, location. First thing that makes this restaurant unique among eating venues in the Lakes region. Beautiful veranda by the lake, separated from the lake, only by one parking role and the boat docks. Perfect place to have a leisurely lunch, boat watch, people watch, and just relax and look at the scenery. We came over here after an almost full day at the beach in the state park. And of course we were ravenously hungry. They're local beer selection is quite good. Then, we had their basket of clams, my partner had a delicious, huge cheeseburger, and I had a tantalizing lobster roll. It was tasty, well presented, and by the way, the claims were absolutely delicious. Definitely a must go place for a traveler to the newfound lake area. read more

The owner Paul, is unprofessional and unethical. Fired one of his 19 yr old dishwasher for using the "customer" bathroom when the employee bathroom was full when it was never a rule to not use the "customer" bathroom. On top of this, when asked for further reasoning on being fired, he could not provide any valid justification and then proceeded to get into his personal space and threatened to take his 19 yr old employee "Outback to see what an old man could do" essentially threatening him to go fight out back over him disagreeing with being fired over using the bathroom a basic right, and bodily function. We are locals, and have been going to the Big catch for years, but will no longer be customers after this spectacle. after speaking with the floor manager (not the owner) this is a common occurrence and behavior from Paul the owner who just treat anyone however he pleases. This is how he treats his employees. Paul if you're reading this. Do better. You're a grown man, and should know the labor laws and basic human decency. read more

So this would have had a 5 star review from me until I decided to go back to get ice cream after we got food. The manager, Paul, came over and scolded his staff for not properly scraping out remaining bits of ice cream from a container and discarding it. Instead of simply speaking with the employee, he proceeded to yell at her and threaten to take the money out of her paycheck. Another staff member spoke up and said it was the girls second day and she didn't know. The entire customer base heard this. Unnecessary and embarrassing. I will not go back to a place where the staff are treated like crap. read more

Very convenient if you are at the beach. The inside has a good vibe, however, most of the food is sub-par. For example, the onion rings taste like cardboard. The only items I like are the chicken Philly and the scollop basket. They also have a takeout window for ice cream. It's Giffords ice cream, which is very good! I will continue to come back for the convenience. read more

The ambience of the place is not bad. However, the food is really bad both in terms of quality and taste. The food presentation is very low, just brunch of fried clams on the poor looking white bun. It's the worst food I ever had. Any local food in DR Congo was way way better! read more

Even though there is no indoor seating allowed (who sat inside anyway?) the Catch is open. The clams are as good as ever. read more

The Big Catch - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

An excellent spot for lunch or dinner. Good food and service in a low scale atmosphere with a beautiful view of Newfound Lake.Wide selection of seafood items as well as standard variety hamburgers, sandwiches etc. You might have to wait for a table but we'll worth it and the prices are very reasonable. read more

Beautiful view from the patios. Yes, cars/ parking lot are in front of patio but still well worth coming. They have waitress serviced patio tables and self serve patio tables. I like that choice. The bar is inside but walls are open so that also looks out to lake .There's a public beach steps away. Our waitress was FANTASTIC! She said they were short on help and that it would be a bit- that was ok- we could admire pristine Newfound Lake. This is a causal place that appears to be very patient with families and lingering customers. Like I said- amazing staff! The lobster salad was great and clam chowder was fresh and delicious. I would definitely go back! read more

See all

For this place, it's all about fried clams, ice cream, and a lakefront location. No kidding, the fried clams are as good as those of the pricey, Essex/Ipswich institutions. Most other stuff there is average. read more

THE BEST FRIED FOOD VALUE IN NEW ENGLAND!!! You can pick any two fried options for just under $20. The shrimp was lightly battered with sweet chili sauce. Also tried the fried clams and scallops from other members of my party which were both also delicious. The portions are fantastic for the price. I ate almost the entire plate and I wasn't left feeling gross because it is all breaded rather lightly but very crispy. read more

The Big Catch - Mixed Fried Platter - Chicken and Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

I anticipate the opening every year since the beginning! The food is amazing and the service is always very pleasant! I'm a bit obsessed with the onion rings and fried dough bites, it's what I anticipate all year until they open, but everything I've had there is always wonderful! I have the best memories from teen years of summers on the beach, walking back and forth to The Big Catch for chicken baskets to share with my best friend and seeing lots of other friends from school! Now, with children of my own, I bring them to 'The Catch' and we make more memories! It's basically the best place ever and I will forever only say the most positive things about it! read more

This experience started off well, but soon turned very bad. The person at the window had told me that their platter meals came with fries and two sides so I got my sides and also asked for extra lemons. When I received my meal there was no fries and no lemons or silver ware to use. When I went back to get my fries they continued to tell me that my meal did not actually come with fries. They then proceeded to make me pay for the fries they had told me would come with my meal. Although it seems stuck up of me to request free fries I do feel like it I should have received compensation for something I thought I was paying for and for the person taking my orders lack of knowledge for the menu. Although it was a mistake she was nice, however the other employee was very rude. Food also wasn't that good. read more

Great place for seafood salad burgers and great specials. Nice patio that overlooks the lake.

Amazing Burgers!! Even better Chicken Fingers and my sons think the Ice Cream tastes better on the lake!!! Staff is super friendly!! You really can't beat the location! Most spots with a location this good wouldn't even need to try with their food... but everything here really hits the spot! Our new go to for lakeside dinning! Can't wait to come back!! read more

The Big Catch - "Are we really eating ice cream at the lake!?" - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

See all

You can expect a great view but hold your breath and prepare yourself for the unpredictable here. Worst food, small portions, dirty, smelly and a complete rip off. The owner is full of himself and simply does not care. Therefore, you should stay clear. The picture above is one of 4, yes 4 notifications at the restaurant alerting its patrons to the complete mismanagement of a restaurant I've encountered in a long time. One at the entrance, another at the ice cream window, one in the dining room and one at the bar! If you must ....just go for drinks, please tip the staff well, because spending their shifts day in and day out, working their butts off and having to cover for an owner, who obviously doesn't give a flying feck about his staff is the worst part of this restaurant nightmare. read more

The Big Catch - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

The Big Catch is only open during summer months and is always busy for a reason. Their fried seafood is the best around. Nice and crisp but not over battered or overcooked. Never have gotten any dirty clams either. The onions rings are light and crispy as well. I try to go there for lunch as dinner time can be very hot and always super crowded. Beautiful sunsets from the porch or deck but also hot when the temps are up. read more

We drove up on our boat to this "Greasy Spoon", as my Stepmom calls it. This place is great The deck is huge and over looks Newfound Lake. The dive-y food is awesome. App: Fried Clam Bellies- these are fantastic. You can really taste the salt and earthy flavor of the clam. Fried to a golden crisp. Perfect! Dinner: Lobster Roll- the roll was doughy and jammed packed with chunks of fresh lobster meat. Perfect amount of mayo and spices in proportion of the lobster itself. You need to try it if your a Lobster Roll fan. The blackened Haddock was also delicious. I stole a bite. :) read more

The Big Catch - Lobster Roll with battered french fries! - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

2 Stars for the location. Right by the lake. Come for the view but not for the food. Clam chowder was watered down can soup, served luke warm and the $20 Lobster Roll was made up of tiny shredded bits of what looked like canned crab buried in mayo... When I asked the staff if they know what a Lobster Roll should look like, she actually said no because she does not like Lobster... McDonalds does a nicer Lobster Roll for $7... Not a nice Catch... read more

Great Seasonal Spot for Lunch, Diner or just drinks along the shore of Newfound Lake.

Excellent service. Great food. Friendly atmosphere. Beautiful view of the water front. Only draw back is limited park I g.

In the mood for great seafood and a perfect sunset? This is the place for you. Even though you may not be on the ocean you are on the edge of Newfound Lake which is the best lake in New Hampshire. The food is amazing everything from a Fish sandwich, to a Shrimp scampi to all of the seafood baskets one could ask for? In the mood for a drink? Then the bar and outdoor seating looking over the water is the place to be. Although the Quality of this place has gone down in the passing years, I still highly recommend this place as a place to visit! read more

Eh. That is how I feel every time I come here (once or twice a year). We have a cottage very close but still prefer to drive the 30+ minutes for better food and service. The drinks are nothing to write home about either. Portion sizes are very inconsistent, which to me is important when you're spending the money for seafood and barely get any. We have never had a short wait time here, even when no one else is in the restaurant. Seems like the staff doesn't want to be here. It's nice to come for the view while someone else cooks for you, and I love the outside seating. read more

I may be the odd one out on this one. We will not be back for a myriad of reasons. We ordered through the window got the assorted seafood plate that came with corn "corn bread" and fries. Fries were the highlight of the meal. The "corn bread" muffin tasted and looked exactly like a vanilla cupcake. Very strange. The fried seafood was severally under seasoned. The haddock was inedible. The claims tasted underdone. The shrimp and scallops weren't terrible. I mostly ate those. Didn't meet our expectations to say the least. read more

I honestly don't understand the hype about this place. I live locally and it's constantly busy during dinner time and I've been there a few times and it's just not what I expected. Even before COVID I was underwhelmed and slightly disappointed after two years of wondering how the restaurant would be. I love seafood, and it's an amazing waterfront restaurant, but it's a bit too casual for my liking. Or maybe I'm just picky about my fried shrimp. Portion sizes are a bit small for the price, especially for seafood. read more

We enjoyed an awesome dinner by the water! Had a special boom boom shrimp app, blackened fish of the day (mahi mahi), scallops and it was all delicious. Our waitress was super attentive and great with kids which is always a plus. read more

We had a large group of 6 here for dinner, and all 6 said that their meals were great. Our finicky daughter said that this was the best lobster roll she had ever had. The po-boys amd cheesesteaks are huge. You can easily get two meals out of them. The service was super professional and attentive. Their key lime pie was also incredible. Tip: you seat yourself and a server will come to your table. read more

Food is OK here not great. Service is OK, not great. Been here 2x so far during our vacation and the biggest plus is the lake view. Don't understand the 4+ rating - definitely not that in our experience. Service is slow and not attentive. We are traveling with 4 kids aged 8, 9 and 10 and they all complained about their food being bad both times. Chicken tenders, hot dogs and burgers were their orders. Lobster roll was tasty for me and hubby enjoyed his blackened fish platter but the kids did nothing but complain. read more

My family has had a cottage down the street from The Big Catch for almost 40 years but I went here for the very first time this past weekend! This place has been many things over the years (anyone remember Bullwinkles?) but has really hit the mark with The Big Catch. The hubby and I went for a sit down dinner and a few beverages on a nice and warm Friday night. All of the outdoor seating was taken but we got a nice spot inside with a great view of the lake. Our respected dinners were both tasty. He had the fried clams with french fries and coleslaw and he raved all night about the yumminess. I had the broiled sea scallops that came as a dinner with coleslaw, a cornbread muffin, and 1/2 and ear of corn. The scallops were done perfectly and hit the spot. I was actually very impressed with the food and food selection. I thought the prices were a little on the high side but nothing unreasonable. The beer and beverage selection is great - I had a couple of bottled beers but the waitresses were running some seriously great looking frozen/mixed beverages. Our waitress was very friendly and did a great job of checking in on us and getting us what we needed. All in all a great local spot for a night of seafood indulgence, a few beers, or an ice cream cone at the walk-up window. I ventured briefly into the bar area and thought they did a great job of trying to create a Tiki Bar environment. The area was packed and it looked like a pretty happening place, especially for Bristol, NH. The parking lot here is always full and everytime I've walked or driven by it looks packed to the gills - they must be doing something right! Bring cash for expenses less than $10! I've heard some varying things about this place from fellow Shore Drive neighbors but our particular experience was great! read more

A nice oasis of sun burned locals in a sea of mediocre restaurants. Nothing fancy here but it's good. I had the fried clams, which were Ipswich style, and watched the sun set over the lake. read more

The Big Catch - Great Ipswich style fried clams. Nice place. Lots of locals. Right by the lake. - Seafood Near Me - Bristol, New Hampshire

Have a wonderful evening on the open porch with a view of the sun setting. The Halibut basket was amazing. Fun people watching as boats came and went. Parking lot was full and people were enjoying the warm night, cold beverages and excellent food. Will visit again read more

This is a staple if you are going to Newfound Lake. Cheap eats, great view and tasty frozen drinks. You can boat, walk, drive, or bike there and sit on the covered deck, staring at the mountains or the crystal waters. It's incredibly casual. Show up in your swimsuit and sandy feet and sip frozen daiquiris out of plastic cups while you admire the eclectic sea-themed decor. Most of the menu is fried seafood and sandwiches, but I got the lobster salad this time around that was yum-mazing. Not too much mayo and big chunks of lobster. They also have a walk-up window where you can get ice cream and food to go (sadly not daquiris, because did I mention how tasty the daquiris are?) It's also open 7 days a week in the summer compared to other places that are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Thing to keep in mind, though, it fills pretty quickly. When we left the other night, a line was crawling out the door. read more

I've been going to this place for over a decade and in that time I think I had one meal that was slightly less than perfect. It's a little eatery right on the shore of Newfound Lake. Evening dinning with sunset does not get better. I usually get the haddock sandwich but when i want to splurge I go for the Steak Tips. wow is all I can say. Homey friendly staff, quick service and great food. Prices are good and the atmosphere is stellar. They''re so nice there that we showed up around closing time and still got great food. read more

Dine in or take out. If you couldn't tell by the name alone, seafood is the specialty here, though burgers and sandwiches are available, too. The only problem with this place is a lack of consistency. Sometimes the seafood is prepared very well, bordering on perfection. At other times, not so well. which is disappointing. Regardless, the fish and other selections usually taste fresh. Side dishes are generous and are usually well done. Prices range from $4 for a quarter lb. burger to a $19 fisherman's platter. Seafood can be broiled, grilled, blackened or fried -- whatever method you prefer. This is a very popular place, so show up early for a lakeside table with a great view of the southern tip of Newfound Lake. And you can come by car or boat. Takeout customers are very welcome. Friendly staff and prompt service, too. read more