Went here tonight with 9 of my friends. The food was fantastic, I had the sirloin and baked potato! My friends had a mixture of everything on the menu. Great salad bar to start. Madison and all of the staff were so friendly and accommodating! If you're looking for a great atmosphere, delicious food and friendly folks...this is a must! read more

This place pretty much takes the cake (or steak) for fine(r) dining on Rt. 1 Danvers, Saugus area. Front desk service was very nice (I made a reservation for myself and my girlfriend) when we walked in. They directed us (by a server) to the bar area and asked us if we wanted drinks while we waited. Neither of us drank so we sat and had conversation with the other people in the seating "pit" area they had near the bar. Music was very relaxing and made for a good mood. Everyone seemed pretty laid back and pleased with the service. Within 15 minutes our table was ready and we were directed to the seating area by another very pleasant server/hostess (can't remember). Plates already on the table with ice water, the salad bar was directly next to the table which was a major plus. Fresh greens and vegetables, bread, butter, every salad dressing you could want etc. etc. VERY IMPRESSED with the quality of salad bar they had here. Waitstaff were kind and informative. The gentleman that waited on us was over literally every 5 or 10 minutes to check up on us and see if we needed anything. The second the glass got a bit low on beverage we would have another at the table before we could think to order one. Like Chris C., I got (and now my favorite is) the Old Fashoned Sliced Sirloin. Fantasticly cooked to perfection and the sides were doubly as delicious. The portions were pretty big so I ended up taking some home as well. Can't remember what my girlfriend at the time got but I'm 100% sure she was very pleased with it. The bill was completely reasonable for the quality and quantity of food we got. With an appetizer and two entre's and dessert it came to around $100. Service was so good I tipped him a $20 for being so attentive, informative and inviting. 10/10 This place is spot on! read more

1978 just called, they want their restaurant back! Who knew that "the vegetable medley" was still in vogue? The waiter should have retired 30 years ago... The rug and decor are so tired, they should be in The Smithsonian. And the food...yuck! Beware if you've got high blood pressure...so much salt, you'll be dead by Tuesday. There was a tacky party next to is...how bout you cough up and book a room next time? Rude SOB's, could hardly get a word in edge wise. You know the type...one glass of wine, and the obnoxious quotient reaches new heights! Can you give zero stars? If so...I change my vote from one to none! Enjoy! read more

pretty disappointed. the vibes are very old inside. the food seems nothing special for the prices. i think they went downhill.

Joined the family here for Easter dinner this evening with my wife. Service was attentive especially for a busy Easter Sunday and was much appreciated. The food, however, was uninspired and overpriced. First, don't come if you're not a meatlover. No pasta or veg dishes to be found here. Crabcake appetizer had more breading than crab. Had the lobster stuffed flounder from their daily specials - sounded great. Lobster was chewy and overcooked, and the dish as a whole would have benefited from some kind of sauce. I've had a similar dish (for half the price) at Picadilly Pub and been far more impressed. Wife had the chicken florentine...which was basically a breast of chicken with about half a tablespoon of spinach and approximately three molecules of what may or may not have been cheese inside. Oh, and the whole thing set us back about $70 with drinks (no alcohol). I'd strongly suggest saving yourself $30-$35 and hitting the 99. The steaks are just as good. read more

Old school steakhouse. We went tonight. A large restaurant with a couple different rooms. Service was great. Food was good. We got steaks and seafood and a hot wing app. A good salad bar too. Good food. read more

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wow, we are long time customers and last night was a real bummer. We went for thanksgiving Our waiter first explains that his mask that he is wearing is one he found on the ground but thought it was cute so washed it and walla. Then he told me Mark West Pinot was watery and gross, suggested a Rodney strong which I didn't prefer. Then when the turkey dinner came I got no gravy and he never came back with it. So our dinner was done. Boy have they went way way down. Good help is hard to find I guess. read more

Went for my daughter's birthday. The $15 sirloin was so tough that it couldn't not even be cut into, never mind eaten. So hard and chewy. I was so disappointed. Yes, it was reasonably priced but it could not be eaten, so what was the point. anbeke@yahoo.com read more

OK so I have been to this place about 10 times. Once in the restaurant and the other times in the bar. The restaurant was your typical steakhouse type, dark fire-lit place (although the books everywhere are a nice touch, hence Hard Cover). The bar has a really cool sunken fireplace that you can sit at and take over if you have about 6 people. There are free Cheese and Crackers like the 99's used to do as well which is a plus. As for the actual bar, the drinks are good and the bar menu is inexpensive for the quality eats you get. The only downer I give it is a few times I was there and there were little kids in the bar (8 and under) and last night we went and a family had 3 kids AT the bar... I mean come on, the bartender must have loved that tip. Bars are for grown-ups.. J read more

A unique find on Route 1 North, if you ask me. Situated next to TGI Friday's, the Hardcover is an upscale steakhouse with a salad bar. Three of us went last night (a Monday), and it was a lovely dinner. We all had seafood, and it was cooked well and very flavorful. The waitstaff was well trained (although a little eager, and we had three different servers at various times in the evening), and our meal went off without a hitch. I can't speak to the wine selection or the drinks, as we did not get any alcohol. But, overall, I was very pleased with my meal and very pleased with the atmosphere of the restaurant. It is a little pricey, though. The entrees range from $20 - $40, which is a little rediculous. You do get a half-price entree on your birthday (with ID), so that might be worth it. ;o) read more

I was in Portsmouth overnight and my Dad and I decided to meet for dinner somewhere between he and I. Danvers looked like a reasonable middle point and my Dad mentioned having eaten at the Hardcover a long time ago. We decided to meet up there and give it a shot. We walked in and immediately got a table. The waiter was right over to take our drink order and let us know the specials. We both decided to go with the NY Strip which came with their salad bar. The salad bar was nice and fresh. It didn't have a ton of options, but was good enough. The steaks came out and were cooked properly. Mine had a large chunk of grizzle/fat on the tail which wasted several ounces of my steak. My dads was a cleaner cut though, so mine could've just been unfortunate. The steaks were flavorful and tender but not as spectacular as the cost would imply. Cost wise it was above the chains but less than the high-end steak places. Considering the quality landed right in there as well I'll give it an A-OK. I wouldn't necessarily avoid the Hardcover again in the future but I would probably look around a little harder to see if there was a better option for a steak. read more

Great romantic fireplace table wait staff friendly but I should have gotten the prime-rib, wife did and I let the waitress convince me to do the 20 oz sirloin and ordered med rare. Way to over cooked to be as good as it should have been. Good cut of meat, great wine selection, outstanding salad bar and the fruit parfait was a great finish. Should have had the prime rib. read more

Went here for Valentines Day and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. We showed an hour before our reservation and went to the bar. Great bar area with free cheese and crackers. We had a few glasses of wine (7.00 each). We started our dinner with an amazing all you can eat salad bar. They had anything you could possibly think of to put on a salad. I had the Top Sirloin (20.95) and it was good size and very tender and tasty. Awesome steak. My wife had the Fiilet Mignon (25.00) and it was HUGE. Awesome restaurant!!! read more

I agree with the reviewer who called it an old school steak house! It is and I love that about it. The salad bar is great... the 2 types of warm fresh bread on the salad bar is what makes it great. The place is pretty darn traditional, dependable & over all a decent value. We live near by and order entrees and salad bar and always take home leftovers. The have a little fireplace cocktail pit. Cute. Cozy. The bar is small with one TV, which I like cuz I'm eating dinner and don't needed the sports bar feel . From what I can tell the have outdoor seating weather permitting. I think they have function rooms also. So yup, an all around 'how do you want you dinner served? We can do that! ' place. You could totally bring your whole family here or a just a date and be very comfortable either way. read more

It has been awhile since we last stopped by the hardcover. I have to say that you have not changed a bit and I mean this in a good way. We stopped in for a quick bite, as always everything was spot on. As we always do a seat at the bar and of course martinis for the both of us. Both of us ordered the prime and it was awesome. It is refreshing to know you can still count on stops like the hardcover to put out their best. read more

We ordered a steak and the chicken Florentine. We both decided to take a 'small fee' for the upgraded side dishes. I got asparagus. Which I declined to eat as it was over cooked and bland. Friend got the garlic smashed which was just new potatoes and a small amount of garlic. Little did we know, each those upgrades was $4.50. I even told our fill-in waiter, as our waitress was too busy to check on us after we got to finally put in our order, that the asparagus was not good and would be consumed. He just said something like, 'oh, uh sorry.' So we paid $9 on top of our entree prices for something more than mediocre and I only use mediocre instead of inedible because of the potatoes. This place scammed us. Mind you, we ordered a bottle of wine and wild mushrooms to accompy our dishes, so we were not trying to penny pinch. The lack of service at a place like this was completely unacceptable. read more

My wife and I went here for a somewhat special occasion and were looking forward to it as we have lived in the area for 3+ years. I made a reservation to insure a seat - not needed...granted it was a Monday night. We were seated at a table with a base that had 4 huge legs - extremely uncomfortable for me who has pretty long legs. The service was a C in my book with the waitress hovering over us for our drink order and rushing to get our food order as well. The food was good - chowder was excellent, shrimp cocktail tasty, salad bar was not that great but it was "included". The steaks were extremely tasty and PERFECTLY cooked. Overall it was decent but could have had an as "romantic or nice" time at TGI Fridays next door. read more

This was a nice special occasion place, although it is a little price for an everyday experience. The atmosphere is subdued and nice for date night and the menu offers a nice selection, prepared well with friendly prompt service. My biggest complaint is that the salad bar, which is more suited for places like the Prince Pizza house not upscale casual dining. Additionally we were seated in the lower-level and this was a celebration for my mom, who is elderly and could not be running up and down stairs for salad. read more

It's been almost 5 years since my first review on this location. I have since been here about 5 to 8 times (wild guess). The one thing that sticks out to me is consistency. Not only in their food, which is excellent, but also the service from the host/hostess, to the waiters, waitresses and others. Everyone there has a positive attitude and are always accommodating. Service is almost always timely, too. I just went here last night (12/7/14), and after ordering wine to go with my steak meal that was just provided, they brought it out rather quickly. I highly recommend the Old Fashioned Slice Sirloin. It's cooked with garlic on a piece of what I think is a slice of buttered garlic toast (sorry for not knowing exactly what it was, but it went very well with the steak). The salad bar alone is worth the trip. You can get cheese and fresh bread from the salad bar that is a very nice addition to your meal. There's nothing negative about this place. Sure, the prices are higher than your typical restaurants, but the extra cash goes a long way. I highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys a good steak. Enjoy read more

Have not been here for years and like it back then so..... Happy that they had the escargot. The salad bar is always great. Got the lobster and prime rib. Yummy!! Husband got the shrimp & prime rib. The only thing is that we asked for med rare & got rare. The rice pilaf is actually not a rice pilaf but....... it was a while before she came back to ask us if everything was ok but this place was so busy. The food is great and I could not give a 4 for misunderstanding cause after all these years their food is still amazing. MY FAV ESCARGOT!!!!! read more

I would normally give this a three, but I think whoever gave them a five is skewing things a bit. The food was good but not spectacular. I ordered a rack of lamb rare and was pleasantly surprised to find that it came that way. Good on them. I had a bowl of beef barley soup which was quite good as was our calamari and the PEI mussells we shared. Again, not spectacular but good solid food. read more

Salad bar always great. The food is consistent. Very Americana styled dishes. Having gone here for many years it's one of the elder restaurants that's now aging. Needs a renovation for sure. Top to bottom. Let's hope the owners make improvements before it's closed for renovations and never reopens. read more

Let me start by saying, we come to the hardcover every year for Christmas as a family tradition and this year was the last year we will go. We called months in advance for a party of 19 people. We know we are a large party and they have always handled us with grace and patience. We arrived for our reservation and we were shoved into the full bar to wait for the table to be ready. We have always been seated in the private rooms however tonight, they shoved some tables together and threw us in the dining room. As we sat down at the table we address the waited about how to separate the checks, immediately he said no and that we would need to work that out ourselves and walked away. I was shocked, never has it been a problem to have separate checks. He comes back to take drink orders and gets a attitude about a drink special that was listed in the bar that he didn't know the name of. As they were bringing drink back the host came over to chat at the table. He started to make assumptions about members at the table and then walked away when we called him out about it and then starting speaking negatively about us at the host station. The host and the waiter continued to speak about us loudly throughout the entire meal, loudly. The host also made some inappropriate comments about a table of LGBTQIA people behind us, making us extremely uncomfortable. Eventually we were assigned a second waitress who was just trying to help. We got our meals, and then the waitstaff was GONE. No one came back to check on us or see how the meals came out. One of the steaks ordered was over cooked, no one came back until it was time for boxes. While the waiter was passing out boxes we attempted to address the steak and he kept walking. He came back after he was done with the boxes, examined the original order sheet and leaned over the table to make sure she wasn't lying about the steak and said "so you're saying it's over cooked". He did take it off of the bill, so that was appreciated however he continued the negAtive comments to the nearby waitstaff. By the time the passed out dessert menus, we all declined, and he AGAIN makes comments to another member of the waitstaff. I understand that we are not an easy group, but we tried to make this night easy and all these people did was speak negatively and loudly about us and frankly other people in the building. It was disgusting behavior. I've never been treated so poorly at a restaurant before in my life. You had 19 people excited to come here for the food and the atmosphere and the usual incredible service, and you let the waitstaff treat us like trash with no apology from anyone. Extremely disappointed that I feel like I can never return. read more

Like other reviewers, I haven't been to the Hardcover in a few years but my niece went for her birthday in November, 2013 and the way she described the restaurant made me remember it just like it used to be! Restaurants that make a lot of changes within a short period of time, kind of shows it's colors as a money hungry wolf that will sacrifice their reputation for a dollar! Not so with The Hardcover. The dining room's ambiance is amazing. It's both modern and there was always slow and soothing classical music in the background, with hired waiters who are the best of the best. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, when I went out with my parents, or a date (I'd say after age 17) The Hardcover allowed cigarette smoking and would not only light your cigarette for you, they'd change out clean ash trays for dirty ashtrays every time someone put a cigarette out. I loved that the most b/c it made me feel important and rich and kind of like a celebrity! lol The food is impeccably mouth watering and although they may give you more than you can eat, they wrap it up for you. I'd have to say that "The Hardcover" is the classiest restaurant in Danvers. The food is comparable to another restaurant I love in Peabody (Century House), but the architecture and ambiance just cannot compare with the classic and gorgeous interior design. You can't miss the dessert when you eat at The Hardcover. They have some of the best desserts your money can buy and your taste buds can enjoy! I do believe if it's the same, they don't take reservations. It's first come first serve. The Hardcover is the kind of restaurant you'd find a celebrity at if they were filming in Boston or closer. read more

Love this place! The food is always consistent, the service in the bar is exceptional and there's usually no wait if you eat in the bar even when the parking lot is packed. We walked into a nice surprise this evening... a special menu offer two meals for $40 includes The unlimited salad bar, a choice of one of three entrées (chicken Florentine, steak tips, baked haddock) and a choice of dessert (Hot chocolate brownie sundae, hot apple crisp, creme Brûlée). The hubby and I both had the unlimited salad bar, baked haddock, and sweet potato fries (the best in the area). I ended with the warm brownie sundae with ice cream and whipped cream. It was absolutely the best brownie I've had in a while. Hubby had the hot apple crisp topped with ice cream and whipped cream and enjoyed his as much as I enjoyed mine. Unsure how long this special will last but you must try it soon!! read more

The Hardcover Restaurant - Baked haddock with sweet potato fries. - Steakhouses Near Me - Danvers, Massachusetts

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This is a nice place to do a small function. Attended a shower with a group of 15. We had a nice private table on the second floor. Food was really good and delivered in a timely manner. Nice salad bar. read more

I would've tried to give the Hardcover zero stars but the table DID have a little dish of butter already waiting for us when we sat down. Very swish. So there's the one star. I like to think of it as 'experienced butter'. High end. Beef (like) Wellington appetizer (3/4 u eaten) and the high point...a tomato and mozzarella salad. And I mean it. High point . Do . Not. read more

Went back last night. Both my wife and I have the NY sirloin. My wife wanted garlic mashed but that was considered to be a side and had to pay extra. What? So she got a baked instead because it comes with the meal. Very odd. The steaks were flavorful and cooked perfectly. Some tough spots but not too fatty. They should start serving only prime meats and charge a little more. It is the only way to compete with newly opened stark houses in the area that serve prime cuts. Had the brownie sundae for desert which was sinfully good! Enough for three people at least. The place could use updating to the 21st century and a good cleaning. Overall much better than our previous visits. read more

I have never had a bad meal at the Hard Cover. My wife & I had the sirloin steak. Mine was medium rare, which was done to perfection, and my wife had her steak rear. The salads were phenomenal, the food was hot when it arrived and we enjoyed the meal thoroughly. We each had a drink, mine was a glass of white wine & hers was a mixed drink. The quality of the wine was excellent. The mixed drink was cold, creamy & bountiful. The service has always & still is the best around. Take our word for it "U'll have one of the best meals on the North Shore. No matter what you order, U will love the smell, taste, & service. Go on give it a try. Steve1946 read more

I've been glancing at this place for eight years every time I leave the gym, but never actually ate there. I wanted to try something new so I suggested going to this restaurant to my husband when we got a night out alone. Luckily we called ahead, since reservations are required. The inside of the restaurant is very old-school, like a traditional steakhouse, with a big fireplace, shelves full of old books, and dark wood everywhere. The menu is very traditional too, with old-fashioned items that are very hard to find at other places, like Beef Wellington. I ordered an apple pie sangria, which was absolutely delicious. I had a cup of clam chowder for an appetizer, which was one of the best clam chowders I've ever had. I helped myself to the salad bar, which is small but all the veggies were very fresh. The parmesan peppercorn dressing was really good, too. It was definitely an excellent salad. It was kind of weird to have to bread at the salad bar, but the bread was fresh and they had plenty of soft creamy butter at the table. That's a big plus for me because I absolutely hate those frozen little pats most restaurants give out. I had the crab stuffed haddock for my entree. The fish was a little dry and the stuffing was average tasting. It was a good meal, though not fantastic. I had the rice pilaf on the side. It was pretty good too, though it was on the dry side too. It wasn't the best meal I've ever had, but it was good. My husband ordered the chicken florentine, something he always wanted to try, and he said it was delicious. I tried a little bit of the chicken and it was really good. We wanted dessert, but alas, we were both really stuffed. Our waitress was very friendly and she was really on top of things even though the restaurant was very busy. The only caveat is this place is very expensive. Our bill came out to around $100, but I think it was worth it. I definitely will try it again and would recommend it to anyone wanting a fancy place to eat out. read more

Friday night reservations for The Hardcover. One of my besties turned 60 this month so we celebrated with dinner here. Neither one of us had been here for about 25 years but knew we would love it. Especially loved that were seated by the fireplace as it was a little chilly outside. We did not have to wait to be seated and ,with the help of the internet, we already knew what we wanted to order. Our server said if the birthday was today we would get half off one entree. We let him know the day had already passed but could he do anything for this momentous occasion. He apologized for company policy. No matter we were ready for our turn at the salad bar. Lots to choose from. After several minutes of catching up on our week, our stupendous dishes arrived. My prime rib was amazing. Cooked to my order of perfection and my friend was amazed at the size of her rib eye. We were so pleased with these dishes. When we were waiting for our check, a surprise piece of warm chocolate cake with freshly whipped cream and a birthday candle arrived. What ascrumptious end to a perfect birthday dinner. Five stars hardcover for your service, fare and presentation read more

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Have been here many times a year over the last 20 years. 12/02/17 was my wife's birthday. We arrived at 5:45 and were told prior they do not take reservations smaller than 6 on Saturdays. The four of were seated in the Library area along the half wall. The table is angles to the contour of the wall and my wife's seat was both angled and cramped and was in a drafty area. We asked the server if we could change seats and the manger came and told us that the wait would be 1:30. Strange that this area never filled before we left at 6:55 and there were 5 tables free at the time of our request. If there are no reservations accepted why would we need to wait 90 minutes since an available table for 4 was not seated until 6:30. Quite disappointing, as for the food Swordfish was very good along with the Filet and Sirlion. As for my jumbo shrimp and tenderloin combo was quite lacking. The shrimps was had too much stuffing and tenderloin was small in portion, We normally dine at the Hardcover 3-4 times a year but for the service or lack of we had on a semi slow Saturday we will find a new place I; the future if this is how the management handles a request when the roo: is half full read more

This place should be used to teach other restaurants about service . Attentive and always pleasant love this place . They really know how to make a pleasant dining experience. The food is great . Steaks are always good and tender. They still have a salad bar which is awesome . Make your salad just way you like it. Love this place been doZens of times and will be back dozens more read more

The service was good. Wine list ok, a little pricey by the glass for average wines, $9-12. A little disappointed no lobster at a seafood restaurant other than a casserole which used frozen lobster. The Haddock was good as was the steak, (MR was closer to medium). Atmosphere was nice and maitre de was helpful and reminded me on way out I had forgot my hat. Classy place, worth the trip. read more

The Hardcover Restaurant - Haddock & filet medallions - Steakhouses Near Me - Danvers, Massachusetts

It is not like it use to be. Met a group of friends & sat in front of the fireplace on a cold snowy night. Good company, waitress was attentive & efficient but there was some type of draft. I went to the ladies room & it was so freezing cold that I decided not to use the facilities. I asked the hostess why the bathroom was so cold & she casually replied, the heat is probably off. Maybe time to renovate & update your heating system while you are at it! read more

Overall experience was amazing. The food, ambience and service were top notch. We were seated right away right next to the fire place, which made the night that much more romantic. Started the night off with the salad bar and a bottle of chianti. Then our entrees came. I got the filet mignon béarnaise which is one of my all time favorites. It was cooked perfectly Kendra got the beef Wellington which was good, but not great. Would have liked the dough to have been thinner, more flaky and buttery. After dinner, we split the Boston cream pie and each got a glass of amaretto on the rocks which was a perfect end to the evening. Definitely will be back in the future. read more

No they have absolutely no right to charge the prices they charge!! The meat is dry and tasteless. I think this salad bar is keeping them open ! rice pilaf was as dry as a plate of sand ! read more

Normally love coming here, to the point that my family and I have made it a yearly tradition of coming every Mother's Day. As a person who waitressed for years, I understand how difficult holidays can be, but holiday or no holiday you should never be disrespectful to your guests. The attitudes on the two servers we had was unbelievable. Instead of asking me to move my cell phone on the table so she could clean it, she picked it up and tossed it. My father ordered a 10 oz prime rib. When he got his meal the steak seemed a lot bigger than 10 oz so he wanted to double check to make sure it was the 10 oz and they didn't charge him for the 16 oz. He kindly asked the waitress and her response was "If that's what you ordered then that's what you got." At the end of the meal we were trying to get our server's attention so we could order coffee while our mother's opened their gifts. I finally track one down and he threw his arms up and said "WHAT?!?" Again, I understand working in a restaurant during a holiday is frustrating but we are paying a lot of money to eat there and that behavior is unacceptable. Salad bar was great per usual and my filet mignon was tasty, but the overall ambiance was ruined by the two servers. read more

There's a lot to like about The Hardcover. I wavered between three and four stars before finally going with four, because there are times when I find myself thinking, "Hardcover...that sounds like a really good idea". It's a total 3.5. The Hardcover has an old-school (think 1970s steakhouse) feel and great service. Really, really first-rate service. The potatoes are perfectly good. The veggies are over-buttered, but, well, what do you expect? The steaks and sauces are totally competently prepared and of absolutely acceptable quality, as is the seafood. I like that it all comes with the (also 70s-old-school) salad bar, and that's half the reason I think to myself that The Hardcover sounds like a good idea. Do I sometimes want all the iceberg and bacon bits I care to eat? Why, yes I do. Look, it isn't a place to go out of your way for, but I have a real fondness for it. Worth going at least once. read more

Visited last night with 8 of us and wanted to take advantage of the 3 course for $20 special. Salad bar- very fresh, nice selection of veggies and toppings, fresh made chunky blue cheese dressing was delicious, fresh baked bread and cheese. Entrees- were plentiful, juicy steak was delicious and cooked perfectly, the chicken florentine was excellent. Dessert -apple crisp left me wanting more, cheesecake was scrumptious. The service was great. Only reason not 5 stars was decor very dated and the restaurant was extremely loud, so loud it was hard to chat with your group. Would definitely visit again. read more