I went with my 2 sons. The waiter was awesome. Refilled drinks without being asked. The best bourbon tips I ever had. One of my sons had a Portuguese steak and loved it. My other son had a bacon cheeseburger thst needed nothing more on it The homemade fries were great. Will be sure to let family and friends know that they need to go to Top Shelf. Loved it. read more

Nestled on Acushnet Ave in New Bedford is Top Shelf. Ordered takeout after a long day, turkey tips rice and fries. I've eaten a lot of turkey tips in my short life, but these were great! Loved the marinade on them a little sweet which I always find works well on turkey. Great size portion as well, fresh and juicy. The saffron rice was a plus and love hand cut round fries (both sides very traditional Portuguese) inside of the place was clean, the bartender was friendly as well. Will definitely be back to dine in and get take out again as well! read more

Top Shelf Bar & Grill - Turkey Tips - Portuguese Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

When visiting my parents this is one of our favorite restaurants to go to. My last visit I had the Top Shelf Nachos and the Almond Crusted Grilled Salmon. Nachos are a little hard for me to order anywhere. Although easy to make very hard to accomplish. The ingredients are very important especially the cheese. Well, let me just say this was probably the best nachos I've ever had. Every chip had something on it. Loved their cheese choice. Not the shredded nasty stuff everyone puts on it. They used queso. I also was impressed by the quality of the protein. The asada was juicy and flavorful. I've been on a Salmon kick. So I decided to try theirs out. The salmon was cooked perfectly. The almond crust gave it a nice texture. Would definitely order it again. The staff here have always been friendly. The owner is usually always present and very friendly. He walks around to check in on tables. If you're not looking to eat they have a huge bar and plenty of drinks to choose from. Very nice and clean. Highly recommend. read more

I like Top Shelf a LOT. They serve really , really good Shrimp Mozambique... highly recommended! They have so many great fish dishes, and almost everything Portuguese is terrific. Top Shelf is also a great sports pub: about a dozen of big screens! ok read more

I love going to Top Shelf. The food and atmosphere are great! The bartender Heather makes the best Espresso Martinis EVER! Heather is always accommodating to her customers needs or wants! This is such a great place to go day or night! 10/10 !! read more

Food cooked to your desired taste and great atmosphere! I got the bourbon tips! And they asked if I was allergic to shellfish, which I said no and they included stuffed shrimp! I approve! Dj's or karaoke night, depending the night! Ask around Respectfully, E read more

Top Shelf Bar & Grill - Surf & turf, Bourbon steak tips, stuffed shrimp /choice of sides!!! Bostonian approved! - Portuguese Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

We Just moved in to our new home a few blocks away. My friend and I were curious about this restaurant. Someone with a head of dirty filthy mop like hair came out of the kitchen and wanted to seat us while running hands through that filthy greasy mess. We turned around and left. Yup no thanks. Not a sanitary place to eat. read more

The food was excellent, the Empanadas had a crunch with the meaty filling. I'm thinking it was celery, it worked perfectly with the meaty stuffing.. Sheppard's pie was all hamburger heaven with the right amount of mashed potatoes gravy. I'll be back to try the Bourbon steak tips... read more

See all

If you're looking for somewhere new to check out then I'd suggest giving this place a chance. I've only been here 1x but it was a good experience the food was cooked properly although the wait was a little long. Just note they are a little pricey. I got a lG garlic chicken pizza and it was close to $30 but it was delicious. If anyone from the restaurant happens to see this I'd suggest maybe lower the pizza prices I mean it's pizza read more

Would have never even known this place existed, but we got a "seize the deal". Started with the chicken wing special. We are both very picky, and these wings were cooked to perfection. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. We got the cod dish to split. We could have split the half. Such garlicky goodness. We live in Portsmout and will go again. The picture I posted is half. read more

Top Shelf Bar & Grill - Half the cod - Portuguese Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

The food and atmosphere is good, but the bartender during the day? Snobby and unfriendly. Anything you ask her for is a bother. Plenty of other options around that appreciate your money. read more

Started off with an Avocado and Baby Spinach; toasted Almonds with balsamic vinegar!!! Then I had the Stake Tips ; veggie medley and a baked potato with butter and sour cream Then I had a delicious caramel cheesecake with a small espresso! I appreciated the fast and cordial service by MP who's friendly and informative manner was exemplary! Must try the Lamb Dish next. Ambiance is casual and decorative no complaints from me about this style; family friendly and spacious, sports entertainment included read more

After standing and waiting 12 minutes to be seated, plus we had a reservation, we left. We were completely ignored. There are to many restaurants in the area to take that insult. Never again! read more

This place gets pretty live if the music is good. The food is decent, nothing to rave about through. Service can always be better, the waitress was a bit dismissive and inattentive. read more

I ordered a meal that had shrimp and any place that CLEANS and peels my shrimp gets major points especially with the seafood being fresh! Lobster was perfectly done and you would assume with New Bedford being a seaside town that well cooked seafood is to be expected but that is not the case at most places! The menu has divebar prices but 5 star meal options! Kudos to top shelf i will definitely be back! read more

Service was great fried pickles are so good as well can't wait to go back perfect spot for a great meal and drinks

K, so years ago I only went there to see live bands play, but everyone for the longest time said how good the food is. Listen, even when I'd go there to see bands I always thought it was always too over crowded, so I didn't go often ... but anyway ... So hubby & I decide to get take out from there after work. I had to call 3 times, for one thing. I think their phone was messed up. But I finally get through and it was so loud in the background that I wasn't even sure if they could hear what I was ordering. So anyway, some time goes by, we go to pick it up and I have to say that the parking is HORRIBLE!!! Just horrible. So with the whole Corona crap going on they have outdoor eating, go to the entrance outside to say I am picking up take out and the guy tells me to go inside through the side door. I go there and it's just chaos inside. People everywhere, tables filled with pans of food, bags and containers of food. Whatever, I know things are crazy right now. It just seems like they are very unorganized. No one says "come on in" or "how can I help you?" There was an older lady and 2 younger girls (all workers) in the entrance, the older lady says "you want a table?", I said "no, I'm picking up take out", she made a weird face and kept walking. "OK, whatever!" K, so I get the food and I make sure to check it in the car to make sure everything is OK, cause like I said, it was so noisy when I called to place the order, I wasn't sure she could even hear me. Everything was right, the only thing was that we got a side salad and they never asked us if we wanted dressing. Thank goodness we was bringing it home and I have dressings at home. Well ... I have to say that the food was awesome! Surprisingly. Everything else about getting the food was bad (the parking, the messy situation, the rudeness), but the food itself was very very good. The food was tasty and the meats were very tender. read more

See all

Would give a 0 if I could. The bartenders have no manners and the owner was very rude. Will not be recommending and will not be coming back.

Drinks and appetizers are great ! Love the Mac and cheese! The atmosphere is fun on Friday and Saturday nights

I loved this place! Great hidden jewel in the north end. Inside and outside are so different its comical. The outside looks like a sketchy bar in Brockton, but inside its very nice....trendy upscale with a cool glass mosaic behind the bar. Service was outstanding and the owner came to check on the table and to see if we liked the food (we all did). Mostly Portuguese with typical leanings towards seafood. read more

This was my first time ordering from this restaurant. I got delivery through a service. I ordered the lobster cakes, stuffed haddock, spinach, vegetable medley, and creme brulee cheesecake. The lobster cakes had a nice spicy and boldly flavorful filling inside a sort of golden croquette whose crispness survived the drive surprisingly well. The spinach and medley were both well seasoned and fresh and were good sized portions. The haddock was cooked just right and had a tasty sauce and a yummy crab stuffing that was better than I expected. The cheesecake didn't really scream "creme brulee" to me, but it was still delicious. In fact every single item was delicious and prepared well. Not a single problem. I was very impressed. It really beat my expectations. I'll definitely have to order from here again. read more

I love this place.... The food is amazing. The drinks are great. Fun & friendly environment. They are very involved with the community. 10 years open, must be doing something right. read more

We really enjoy Top Shelf. Always good service, great food and even better drinks. They make one of the best espresso martinis around. My tip for you, order a side of Mozambique sauce to dip your round fries in. Most recently, we ordered takeout since we can't dine in due to Covid-19. My husband had the Portuguese steak with round fries and veggie medley. I had the bourbon steak tips with round fries and macaroni and cheese. Both meals were absolutely delicious with plenty left over for lunch the next day. We had never had the macaroni and cheese before and it's by far some of the best we ever had. The side of Mozambique sauce kicks everything up a notch as well. I had the cup of their linguica and chickpea soup the next day and it was delicious. I didn't know what to expect but it had great flavor. It was nice to see familiar faces when we picked up the order! I hope they make it through this challenging time and truly hope others support their business by ordering takeout. The hardest part is not being able to have the espresso martini!! read more

This has been our to-go place pre-COVID, and we always enjoyed the great service, great food, and great value here. We noticed driving by previously, that they did some nice touches or outdoor dining with lattice, lights, umbrellas, etc, to make it nice, so you don't feel like you're eating in the middle of a parking lot (which you are). We were seated right away, since we made reservations. The wait staff, host were excellent. They wore masks, we used our phones to download menu, and we noticed they meticulously cleansed the tables and chairs between seatings, and the tables were spaced far enough apart, so you feel quite safe, and not crowded. The food was excellent. I was disappointed that I could not get a draft beer, however. We shared the Thai chicken tenders as an app, and it was amazing. We then shared the Paelha Belencia, and it was fantastic! We were very happy, and it wasn't huge money...Will be back. read more

One of my favorite go to spots! Excellent wait staff that always make you feel welcome, are super attentive & friendly! Food is consistently delicious and menu has several options that would appeal to anyone. Love trying the new specials. Favorite espresso martini around read more

Food was ok ! But the Shrimp came dirty ! My husband had to ask so many times for fresh bread ! The Waitress acting like she having a bad day ! The meat came bleeding and he wants a well done ! Well I do not recommend this place ! Bad experience at all ! read more

This place is lucky I even gave a one star review. So let me start with me calling the day before to place a reservation. I got on the phone with the rudest girl on their staff. As I'm trying to place a reservation down, this girl is in my ear being rude to me while also trying to talk to someone in the restaurant. She was so short and just seemed like she didn't want to talk at all. So that being said she puts my name down and said I was all set for my reservation for 3/28 at 6:30pm. I get to the restaurant and my name isn't even on the list lol. A joke. And then they just tried to sweep it under the rug and made me actually wait an extra 15-20 min for my table. Then we finally sit down and the start of the service was okay then it went to total shit. Our waitress kept forgetting about us. Took other tables orders and drinks first after asking for our orders. Then after the multiple times that she forgot about us, she had the audacity to try to grab our payment to pay for our food and not give us the bill that we asked for 20 min prior. She kept serving other tables. The restaurant looked like they were serving underage teenagers. The tables were not 6 feet apart. Their BARTENDER was walking up to TABLES with her FACE MASK half way down her face! Lol. Like come on. The food was mediocre. I will never step foot into that place ever again. Marco Amaral - know my fucking name read more

Everytime I have been the meal is different from the time before.... it just isn't consistent. I don't know if its maybe just because different cooks there do things differently. One time one of the cooks even had my Portuguese steak covered in banana peppers instead of the typical red pepper it should have. Even the menu says a red one comes on it..‍ ...I am not sure why I have given it so many chances, probably because when it IS good I really enjoyed it. Once I got stuffed haddock, the stuffing was supposedly crab stuffing, it tasted like wet plain bread, and the fish was chewy and overcooked. Got a steak once, asked for it Medium Rare, it comes out with NO PINK whatsoever!!! Ugh... well, that's my experience.... read more

Absolutely terrible service, took 40 minutes to get a menu and when we got the menu it was completely empty. I finally ordered and got a beer with a broken top and glass in my beer, told the waitress and she argued with me trying to tell me I was wrong. Coming back from Covid or not service should be top priority and clearly it's not!!! Oh and to add to it we finally speak to a manager and he comps us one beer and doesn't apologize, just not good service at a spot that used to be a go to! read more

Food is always very good. Have not gotten a bad meal. Reasonably priced. What's not to like?

This place is so good. Great service. The manager is amazing, greets everyone and makes sure everything is the way you like it. The owner is always on point. How can you not like this place. read more

Top Shelf Bar & Grill - Portuguese Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

I eat here at least once a week and it's really a great environment and Melissa's espresso Martinis are the best! Bobby really knows what customer service is all about! The food selection is one of my favorites in town! read more

After learning they are related to one my my favorite Portuguese restaurants in the city in thought ordering the Mozambique was an easy choice. I was wrong. No fresh garlic, some weird sediment in the oil, and just lacking flavor. Other meals at my table looked ok. This is a cheap sports bar, stick to the basics and don't expect much. read more

Just had the best meal here I have ever had, the special filet tips with fresh vegetables and round fries. Came for our best friends birthday and everyone loved the food. Great atmosphere and the owner stopped by to check on how the food was. Our waitress Alyssa was cheerful and attentive. Looking forward to our next meal. read more

While the food hasn't failed me yet, the service has it's ups and downs. The last time I went there a few of us were joining a larger party. I had ordered a margarita which I attempted to drink, but it was god awful. Probably the worst margarita I've ever had in my life (I have had some good ones here, though), some of the others were still deciding on alcohol, but the waitress never came back to take any orders. It wasn't busy, but she seemed flustered by such a large group. There have been other times I've been in there when it was dead and the waitress seems to forget about you. One thing that bothered me the most during one of my visits was the little "day care" they seemed to have going on in the corner. A woman was helping one child with their homework while others were making noise and just being downright obnoxious. They did settle down at some point, but I don't want to hear a kid kicking a bench and making weird noises for ten minutes because he's bored while mommy works. Find a baby sitter or a day care. Don't bring your kids to work unless you absolutely have no other choice. Your kids don't want to be there as much as your customers don't want them to be there. read more

This post has nothing to do with food. It's about the staff and wrongfully information/advertising. So before i go out i always look at the hours before going to a place. This tells me the hours of the business. Last night go there and was given at attitude stating we arent servicing we leave when there isnt " a lot of customers. I just got out of work myself ( 10PM). That pissed me off in which is the reason behind this and its 100% true! read more

I've stopped here a few times over the last year and I'm always surprised by how tasty my meals are. This small place looks like a sports bar but they have the menu of a much bigger restaurant and tons of options. I love their bbq chicken pizza. It's the perfect sauce and topping combination and the flavor is spot on. The service is very friendly and prompt. Not the busiest place when I stop in but I imagine during a game it's a must for sport enthusiasts in the area. Prices are also A+. Two people sharing a pizza and 3 apps came to $25 which is very cheap for the amount of food you get. Whenever I'm in the area I stop by for lunch. read more

Solid spot. Decent beer selection. Great service. Mozambique Pizza was excellent. Will be back to try more of the menu, and get more of that pizza! read more

I do not live in NB and I'm highly skeptical when it comes to ANY NB eateries, but a friend took me here and told me I'd love their food, hands down. I am a "foodie" and enjoy eating out often whether it's upscale establishments, casual, and hole-in-the-walls. If the food is awesome and the restrooms, waitstaff, utensils, dining area, etc. appear clean, then I'm down. Let me tell you...Top Shelf has great food! and their tiramisu is to die for!! I almost fell off my chair at first bite, it was THAT good. The plates are huge, enough for two to share one meal. My friend got haddock w/ some type of lobster sauce, I only tried it b/c she wouldn't stop yapping about how good it was... I reluctantly tried it and much to my surprise, it was so tasty and well-seasoned that my tongue sprouted pieces of Heaven :) Mind you, I hate the taste of any white fish (except chilean seabass). And surprisingly, the coffee I'd ordered while eating my tiramisu was both fresh and hot. Major brownie points!!! My waitress was very sweet, friendly and provided great service. When I get a great server, I don't mind tipping big. She was really great! As for the ambiance, great for casual, sports, meet-and-greet, etc., but I truly only go for a good meal. The restaurant is small in space, but you just have to get there at a decent hour (for dinner 5-7:30p w/ mostly families, and anytime thereafter the restaurant gets busy and crowded). Toward 9-10p, less families and the crowd and convo changes. I don't drink alcohol so I can't comment on the drinks, although my friend loved her toasted almond drink she'd ordered which was in a GLASS (not a plastic cup like one reviewer mentioned above). Admittedly, Top Shelf completely won over my skeptic heart. KUDOS to you Top Shelf!!! read more

Very disappointing. Salad was delicious. I ordered the steak tips and loaded mashed (not a menu item). Ok the mashed was my fault they tried. The took mashed potatoes and miced in some barely cooked soggy stringy bacon. GROSS. They did replace with some plain mashed at my request. But they took the whole plate and it took 5 minutes to bring back. Now my steak tips were cold. But as I was unable to chew them they were so tough it wasn't an issue. I ate the salad and potatoes. Would I go back. Not for the steak tip. Maybe a burger. They do seem to have a fly issue ad a previous review stated. I was sitting at the bar and saw many flies read more

Top Shelf Bar & Grill - Portuguese Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

See all