Newick’s Lobster House

My dad and I grew up eating here, it was great. However things have gone down hill. My past couple experiences haven’t been great. This time I ordered the fried whole clam dinner. Portions are small-​average. Every clam was massive with bellies the size of golf balls. The clams that are supposed to be used in chowders not in a clam dinner. The food had been sitting around for a bit before it was delivered too. The Tatar sauce was very very bitter.
I guess what do you expect from a place that has 50 – 100 people eating there and all kids as employees.

One of the beast in New England. the staff was fast and friendly. started with mussels and steamers very good. we split a large sea food platter great far to much food took home a great meal for the next day. they even brought a bowl of water for my service dog. got and order of smelts split wit the dog she loved them. cant wait to come back

Do NOT order the lobster salad. $ 20.99 for half cup lobster bits on a pile of lettuce!

Updated to take two (creative expletive deleted) stars away. We hadn’t been back here since the last mediocre experience. The only good thing is the food was fresh… Stopped in on the way home from the lakes because someone who will remain nameless wanted lobster, and it was a holiday weekend and we weren’t going anywhere near the usual haunts which would be jammed. I’m summation, the waiter had a cold, the kitchen was incredibly slow on the oysters, and the lobster rolls were fresh, but wet for some reason. The waiter could name every beer they ever served, but when we asked what the oysters were, he had no clue and neither did he offer to find out. We ordered half a dozen of each of the three types of oysters they had, but when he served them and we asked which were what, he still had no clue. When we asked for extra horseradish, it appeared to be a problem, and he never brought the extra mayo. The onion rings we asked to come with the mains came as an appetizer and the homemade chips were stale. We also tried to order another round and dessert at the end of it all, but the waiter replied that he would be right back after he set up the table next to us, then disappeared again and never came back. So when he finally came back we just asked for the bill. I’m starting to think customer service is truly dead… guess I better learn to cook!

Well, this place used to be awesome. So awesome that we have driven well over an hour just to eat here in the past. It’s a real New England classic.
Unfortunately, there have been some changes of late that are very disappointing.
First, however, the good. One must know before visiting here that all Newick’s really is is an overgrown seafood shack. It’s not meant to be fine dining. The tablecloths are plastic, and the plates, silverware and cups are all disposable. Not great for the environment, but it does add to the charm of this place. Unlike most seafood shacks, they do have wine, beer, and cocktails, which is nice. The portions are large, and the food is overall very good and fresh. They make some of my favorite onion rings out there. The clam strips are very tasty, the fries are hot and crisp, and the coleslaw isn’t terrible. In some fluke of a shared deep fryer, seafood places like this always seem to have the most delicious chicken tenders to be had anywhere – and Newick’s certainly does not disappoint. The potato chips are wonderful, as well.
The waitstaff is casual and busy – they aren’t overly chatty, which is fine, but they are friendly and quick enough with drink refills. I also get the feeling that many of them have worked here for years, which is a nice touch.
Now, for the bad. They stopped serving their delicious, perfect dinner rolls and replaced them with horrid, baked-​from-​frozen breadsticks. The breadsticks are seriously bad. Please, Newick’s, bring back the rolls. We beg you. They also no longer serve native shrimp. Part of the point of being right on the coast and being a seafood shack is to have the best and freshest seafood. Their shrimp? Imported and frozen. The gulf shrimp are probably from the US, but why fly them up when some of the tastiest shrimp in the world are right out there?
They have probably made some other changes that I haven’t noticed in order to save money – that’s almost certainly the thought behind changing the rolls and the shrimp – and it’s a shame.
Will I drive over an hour just to eat here again? Most likely. It is still a destination restaurant for me. Will I complain every time about the breadsticks and the lack of native shrimp? Of course. But I will still eat here – begrudgingly ordering the clam strips instead of shrimp. If I really need some fried shrimp, I’ll go to The Lobster Tail in Windham, which, despite not having the best seafood in the world (as they claim), they do have fresh, sweet, native shrimp, even though you can’t see the ocean from your table.

Went there last night with guests of ours. Food was horrible. Haven’t been there in about 4 years and it certainly has gone down hill. We will not be going back.

This place rocks. The lobster stew is bomb. The oysters were great on dollar oyster night. The view is awesome. The double lobster dinner wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t summer yet. I will go back for sure.

Have been hearing about this place since I moved to NH and thought I would finally give it a try. We were immediately underwhelmed even walking into the place. It is one giant room with hundreds of tables packed together. Surprisingly dim and dull considering it is right on a gorgeous spot of the water. Our waitress was nice but seemed rushed. I got the fish and chips which was tasteless and my boyfriend got the seafood medley which was dry and tasted like frozen seafood and cheese from a can. I get that it is a local favorite but it just seemed kind of depressing the whole time. We were in and out of there as fast as possible.

Newick’s has so much history for my family. Years ago when my parents were still dating, and living in New Hampshire, they would come to Newick’s together, with friends, family, etc… Fast forward years later after my brother and I were born and we lived in southern New England, every time we’d come up north to New Hampshire or Maine to see family we’d always go to Newick’s. It’s been a family tradition of ours to go once (or if we were lucky– twice!) a year for as long as I can remember. When we were kids we loved to sit and watch the lobsters fighting in the tank, or roam around in the awesome gift shop, or look through the tourism pamphlets. Now that we’re older we really appreciate being able to sit down for a family reunion with an amazing view and great food.
The atmosphere: I personally love it. If you’re looking for a relaxed, «country» type place, this is it. It’s very informal– plastic plates and utensils, red checked table cloth. But the informality of it is part of it’s charm. Plus, there’s an amazing view of the water.
The food: Even better than the atmosphere! The shrimp is to die for, and everything I’ve ever had there over the years has been fantastic. (And for those with picky eaters– they do have a non seafood menu and a children’s menu. Their chicken tenders are delicious!)
The staff: Genuinely friendly and helpful, no complaints there.
All in all, this is probably my favorite restaurant in the world, and I cannot wait until I get to visit again!

Seems to have gotten better in the last year. Portions are better and everything seems fresh. It is still quick serve and everything is on paper plates and plastic. They did do away with the dinner rolls they offered on the past. It’s not quite 4 stars yet but getting there. Nice beer selection but would be much more nicer if they had an actual bar to sit at for Adults.

Based on reviews thought we would give it a try. Was not the worst experience but far from the best. Service was really good which is why it is 2 stars, based on food it is 1 star. The plastic utensils and paper plates were not an issue but food quality and overall price is. Do yourself a favor and stick with one of the chain restaurants near the hotels in Dover. Wish we would have done that ourselves.

The mussels are amazing so tasty. They have a Gluten Free menu. The seafood cowder in light broth, no flour. I usually order the haddock, boiled (I like a lot) with baked potatoe, and carrots. Their cocktails are served in plastic cups, which I do not like. The Jolly Roger cocktail is small but great favors. Service was prompt and efficient.

The food is generally good; for decades, it was our ‘go-​to’ for seafood on the coast, but we had unsatisfactory experiences the last three times we went (circa 2008) and haven’t been back. The hustle of the restaurant combined with the foam /​paper /​paper tableware provides little ambiance.

My husband and I started with a cup of the thick clam chowder. It was okay and better than most. The hard white breadsticks should be banned and never served again, anywhere.
We shared a Jumbo Lobster Roll. I can’t imagine how small the medium and small rolls can be!
There was maybe ²⁄₃ of a cup of lobster on a totally wrong roll of white, crusty, pseudo-​Italian bread. And the fries, obviously frozen and no flavor, should also be replaced with fresh potatoes.
Service was good.

So if your looking looking for deep fried seafood or overpriced lobster, I suppose you could do worse. Be ready for very greasy food served on paper plates, which it fine, but why does it cost as much as a fancy restaurant in Boston? For seafood you’ll get much better in Rockport or Gloucester and for cheaper too.

This place is absolutely amazing. The service is fast, the people are nice, and the food is unbelievable. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and I come with my family all the time. It’s very friendly to people of all ages, and there’s plenty of seating. Would rate this 10 out of 5 if I could.

If you’re looking for the best local seafood, this is your place. If you want fancy atmosphere, go someplace else.
Newick’s does amazing fried seafood. The batter is perfect. Everything is cooked exactly right, every time. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their hamburgers as well.

If it was possible, I would give this place 100 stars. The service was amazing, the atmosphere was so laid back and casual (which was exactly what we wanted), the prices were perfect and actually a little outstanding for the amount of food you got. It was so fresh and I think they actually catch it right out back on their docks. Our food was absolutely outstanding and definitely the highlight of our New England coastal tour so far.

So the food was fine, in fact, I’d say good. That is, if you’re looking for fried seafood — just so happens that was the plan tonight.
Shrimp was great, the sea scallops were moist. My combo of two was plenty enough for dinner and I’m sure my girlfriend got enough food to last her for three days, she’s taking it back to Connecticut for her dad.
If this was my sole review, I’d give way and round up to 4 stars. Obviously it’s not since I stated that.
Service, well, it started off okay… Then of course there comes a party of 16 next to us. I understand that wait staff can become overwhelmed, but it’s probably not a bad idea to remember there was another table before the herd showed up. I’m more than certain we were completely looked over the entire time, I had wondered if I was allowed to refill my own drinks but the gf told me not cause a scene. I only wanted more iced tea for my meal.
Know what was great? I totally got a refill, along with my bill. $ 50+ is a bit pricey for fried sea critters, I would’ve been down for some liquid during that. Needless to say, waiters/​esses, don’t forget the small fries, we can tip pretty well when you treat us like customers. Customer neglect, that’s taking you to a solid 3.
I’m sure the herd took care of her; I still made sure she still got a solid 15%, I’m not a jerk.

Decided on Newicks to show my Texas friend what seafood from New England tastes like. We made the right choice. 4 pounds of lobster, seared scallops, onion rings and chowdah, it was divine. Cooked to perfection.
Only complaint is the need to ask for napkins continuously, it’s tricky buisness to keep clean when digging in. Also the mixed veggies were steamed To death, too soggy to eat.
Service was great, very according to the request for ranch and lemons:)
We will be back.