Dogfish Bar & Grille

Visited Portland on Saturday and it was so nice. Not crowded and great weather with plenty of parking. Walked around for a bit and decided to try the Dogfish Bar and Grille. The menu isn’t huge but it has some interesting sounding items. The drink list is great too. My companion got the soup of the day (salmon and crab soup) and it was so good. He went with a veggie burger and I chose the salmon sandwich special. Loved the mango mayo. So tasty! I tried a Vespa drink (just okay) and then went with the sangria. Soo good. Our waitress was really nice and attentive. Surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded as the food was not only delicious but decently priced. We’d definitely stop in again.

Pleasantly surprised by my experience at the Dogfish this afternoon.
Upon arrival we had a big stroller in it and they were very accommodating and let us choose where we could sit with it (granted they were let busy at all, but still). They had a small manageable lunch menu which I have said many times how much I appreciate this.
Our server was a very friendly guy and he was fast to come over and get a drink order as well as answer all of our questions about the menu. This pleased my father who is hard to take out to restaurants sometimes because he has worked in the restaurant business his entire life so he is a bit picky.
ANYWHO, I ordered the fish sandwich which had pan seared salmon, mango chutney, field greens, and a sweet chili mayo on it. My sister ordered their carrot and ginger soup, my Dad got their open faced quesadilla and they split the veggie/​hummus plate.
The food took a little longer than expected for being so dead but it was worth the wait. My sandwich had great flavor and the salmon was cooked perfectly. The potato salad that came on the side was fantastic as well and to top it off they make homemade pickles (side note: if your establishment makes their own pickles I’m already a fan).
I got to try my sisters soup and it was delicious as well and had great flavor profiles to it.
Overall I was pretty impressed with the place despite what I had heard about it, I will be returning this summer :)

Dogfish is a smallish attractively renovated bar/​restaurant. The menu offered, a smallish, but more than adequate, number of items. Kids are also considered here, with a number of items. We were in a burger frame of mind, and they have several variants of this favorite. My Dogfish Special Burger was terrific, and if you add a pint of brew… it adds only $ 2.00. We all enjoyed our meals, including the 3 kids in our party of 7. I would be remiss if I omitted the great service we had.

I basically ended up stopping in here for lunch because it was close to the parking garage, but I’m glad I did!
None of us were drinking with lunch (boring, I know), so all I can say about the bar is that it looks super well stocked, they make their own infusions, and they were cutting fresh lemons and limes for the night when we were here. Instead of booze, we ordered locally brewed Maine Root sodas. The ginger beer was really potent and not for the faint of heart! I don’t usually drink soda, but after tasting the root beer I had to get my own bottle.
The chili was super satisfying, containing bison, beef, and beans and topped with a piece of buttery cornbread. A bowl ($ 6.50) left me really full. Because the cornbread didn’t already provide enough carbs, I also ordered the warm pretzels ($ 5), slathered in butter and accompanied by a smear of mustard. I was afraid they would be hard and stale, but they weren’t. I may or may not have dipped a pretzel into the Southwest ranch dressing that came with the burger…
The burger was also really good, although I would recommend that they swap out the mixed field greens for sturdier lettuce, since the small, tender leaves kept slipping out of the burger during bites. Side options are potato salad, chips, or coleslaw; they don’t appear to have a fryer.
One of the bartenders doubled as our waiter, but he was really friendly and attentive. For example, he went back into the kitchen to check what was available for the charcuterie plate. (Turned out to be Shropshire blue, a semisoft cheese with cardamom seeds, and some chorizo.)
I wouldn’t go out of your way to eat here due to the somewhat small menu, but it made for a satisfying and reasonably priced meal while on the road.

I’ve read a lot of reviews about this place that basically say «enjoy the drinks, pass on the food» — and I have to disagree with that sentiment. On two visits here I’ve had equally enjoyable meals that have left me pleased and looking forward to a return.
The interior of this restaurant is cozy and intimate, with a handful of tables off to the side of a comfortable bar and a few additional tables on an elevated platform at the front. There is additional seating in an even more intimate space upstairs. It is an ideal place to dine in small parties, as we have with another couple on each occasion.
The cocktail list was overhauled on our second visit this month from just six weeks ago, which is telling that they keep it fresh. While this visit’s list skewed a little too feminine for my tastes, I zeroed in on a Gin Trumpet that kept me happy for three rounds. They have a nice rotating tap list as well with an emphasis on local and regional brews.
Food wise, I enjoyed a swordfish special in my first visit that was moist and tender, with a tangy, marinated mix of tomatoes and veggies that elevated the experience to another level. This time I had a blackened salmon sandwich that was out of this world, with a spicy dressing to motivate my taste buds and a delectable roll. The salmon itself was perfectly cooked, falling apart in a flaky texture just as it should, merging with the roll, condiments and vegetables in the sandwich. My wife’s chicken sandwich was really tasty, with carmelized onions, cheddar, bacon and more on the same delicious round roll. A very enjoyable place across food, cocktails and atmosphere, and tucked away just enough to make it fairly easy to grab a table on a weekend night.

Great food but SO SLOW! This is one of the best meals you can have in Portland if you’re willing to wait the 30 – 40 minutes for your meal (even when the place is empty). It’s too bad that they would have more business during the lunch rush if they were a little faster in the kitchen – some people don’t have that kind of time to get lunch and get back to work.

Delicious food, fast service, good pricing!

Great time on Tuesday Trivia! Decent drink specials, and good food specials. They had vodka infused drinks for 6 $, and @Shipyard draft for 4 $. Recommend to anyone for a fun evening.

My little bother chose this place when I told him i wanted a burger on my recent trip to Portland. «I think it’s the best burger in town,» he said, «although many will disagree with me.»
I am one of the many. The description sounds divine — Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, onion rings and bacon? Sign me up! However, all these flavorful ingredients didn’t come together like I thought they would; the burger was bland and messy and very disappointing. I was ravenous and didn’t even bother finishing it – it turned into a dribbly, mushy mess about half way through.
However their beer menu isn’t half bad. I mean, in a town like Portland you kind of have no excuse to not have your beer list together. We also got a plate of the nachos to share, and while they weren’t epic or anything, we did finish the plate (the jalapeños are canned and pretty potent, just so you know).
Why this review is three stars in addition to the mediocre burger is the service. The place was pretty empty, and we were up on the deck alone, and our server just couldn’t get it together. It took her about 15 minutes to bring us water, and was just pretty absent throughout the meal. There was a lot of waiting on our part, and a lot of forgetting on hers.
Next time, I’ll refer to what Unilocal has to say and let that guide me. As for dogfish, it’s a nice enough bar but stick to the beer and skip the food. If you’re hungry, I know a burger joint just across the street, and they actually serve French fries…

Lousy service. Wait staff and bartender drinking made made a really long wait for food. Food was just ok. Limited menu, nothing special.

Stopped in for a drink, stayed for the mussels, which were really good and had come recommended from a friend. They came served in a more traditional French style, with tomatoes. The drinks here are great– The have a drink called a pumkin Russian which is amazing if you like pumpkin spice anything.

We arrived in the midst of a near blizzard. The weather was miserable, snow blowing sideways. We decided on the Dogfish Bar and Grille on Free Street about a block from where our downtown Portland activities were. When we arrived, there were no other patrons at the restaurant; the weather clearly was keeping folks away.
The bar area looked very nice and well kept. A dozen things on tap, a couple televisions, clean looking and inviting.
We were met by an attractive hostess who brought us to a table well away from the door, which when opened blasted the inside with cold wind. Because our walk there was so miserable, we ordered a couple hot toddies to warm our spirits along with our usual «2 waters with lemon.»
The drinks arrived just as we decided what to order. My wife decided on a half rack of the St. Louis style pork ribs. They come with coleslaw and chips. When the server confirmed that the nachos were layered with cheese in between the layers, I decided to go with them. I asked and our server, John, suggested the chili. By the way, the hot toddies were just what we needed.
The ribs were tender, not over sauced, and quite good. The coleslaw was tasty, savory, not sweet — Very good also. The chips tasted like Cape Cod kettle chips. They were as expected. We both wished they had options other than chips. Possibly oven browned potatoes or mashed potatoes would have been a better compliment to the BBQ glazed ribs.
The nachos were rainbow tortilla chips with lot goodies on top. It looked very good. I’m not sure I like the way they placed the salsa bowl on the top chips. It looked nice but it mashed the top of the chips down. The salsa was quite bland and uninspiring. The jalapenos were the pickled canned variety and not fresh. There was some cheese between the layers, but only a dusting and nothing else between the layers. There wasn’t a lot of chili, but enough, I suppose. The nachos were fine, but not inspiring.
We’ll go back.

Dogfish Bar & Grille was an awesome time. My friend and I were in town for two nights and were heading to another bar when we passed Dogfish. The décor, atmosphere, and live acoustic music drew us in. The place was not crowded, nor was the music so loud we couldn’t talk. A very casual but warm atmosphere, paired with great music and a great staff. The bartender, John, was friendly, personable, and attentive. The drinks (mustache rye!) and chips and salsa were also really good. He encouraged us to stay until closing, despite being the only two left in the bar (it was a Thursday night), rather than asking us to leave so he could close early. Overall, an excellent place to sit, drink, and catch up with friends!

Food good and excellent service. 3 dollar Longtail draft! We were in a rush and they were very accomadating with suggestions. I had the salmon salad. I loved the unhurried comfortable bar side table.

I came here for pub trivia with a few friends. The bar has a relatively mellow and pleasant ambiance. The place was a bit crowded when we arrived so we had to sit by the entrance which was drafty. Midway through the night, those us by the window started putting on our scarfs and coats due to the cold air seeping in from the outside.
The food was quite good. Better than I expected actually. I had the blackened salmon burger, which was tender and had good toppings. I’d definitely order it again. The Cape Cod style chips on the side were a nice bonus. My friends ordered various burgers off the menu and all seemed to really enjoy them. Their beer menu was fine and all beers on draught were $ 3 throughout the night so that was pretty great.
The trivia was fun and there were a lot of teams participating. The MC was a bit bland and some of the questions were absurdly easy, but overall we all had a good time and I could definitely see myself coming back for more trivia in the future or simply to grab dinner and a beer on a different night of the week.

(TLDR? Skip to the bottom now!)
The first time I came here was to see a friend preform on a Friday night. When we arrived at 7:30pm it was already pretty crowded in the bar area; the regulars seemed to have the bar on lockdown and rigidly sat shoulder to shoulder making it near impossible for us to squeeze in to order drinks. Eventually a bartender saw us and we actually had an exchange of putting in orders and receiving our drinks physically over the heads of two people at the bar who refused to move.
When we finally got seats, we got a chance to look at the cocktail menu. I didn’t see bloody mary’s on it, but when I asked a different bartender (one who was super friendly to begin with) if they could make me one, he assured me they could because he made the house mix — «one of the best in town» — each morning himself. The following was the exchange we had about the house mix:
Me: «So, I’m deathly allergic to fish, and can’t have anchovies.» (okay, so that’s a lie, but sometimes I feel servers take allergies more serious then dietary restrictions… saying I’m a vegetarian and won’t eat fish doesn’t quite ensure me the safety from the food I need)
Him: «Why would a bloody mary have anchovies?
Me: «It’s in most Worcestershire sauces.»
Him: «Oh, I didn’t know that» (SIDE NOTE: if a bartender doesn’t know that, take it as a warning sign) «Well, no worries, we don’t use Worcestershire sauce!»
Me: «Are you sure? Like really, really sure?»
Him: *stands there with hands on hips, looking off into the distance pondering the bloody mary’s he’s sooooo proud of and makes every morning himself but clearly can’t remember the ingredients he uses to make them*
Me: «Worcestershire or no?»
Him: «Yeah, y’know, we do use Worcestershire.»
Me: «Ahh, okay, and you said you pre-​make it in batches each morning?»
Him: «We do.»
Me: «And there’s no way for you to make me one without the Worcestershire?»
Him: «Nope. Absolutely not.»
Me: «But you have all the ingredients to make a bloody right? You can’t make me a fresh one without the Worcestershire? I’ll pay extra.»
Him: *drops the friendly act and becomes really, really short with me* «Yeah, but it would take me at least thirty minutes or more to make you one and I don’t have time for that.»
And then he walked away.
After about fifteen minutes, he came back — friendly act back on — and we ordered different drinks, specifically: a Honey Pot (gin, campari, sweet vermouth, honey, bitters) and a Cranberry Mojito (fresh mint and dried cranberries muddled with simple syrup, shaken with cranberry vodka and soda water) — they were both FANTASTIC. Like really, really FANTASTIC drinks. The Honey Pot didn’t taste gin-​y, at all; actually, it tasted like the kind of adult beverage a certain bear in the Hundred Acre Wood might enjoy. The Cranberry Mojito was also LOVELY and dangerous — I could have had a few of those, and I look forward to coming back to specific get one. It tasted like a drinkable (alcoholic) version of the cranberry jelly found at Thanksgiving. Refreshing and delicious!
We also ordered food, but I’d never do that again — the sad nachos were limp, overbaked, and flavorless; the guacamole was almost entirely brown (gross, because that means either a) it was really old or b) it had been sitting out a really long time); and, the potato salad was just too sour for my liking. Actually, after taking a couple bites of our food, we had friends start laughing at us and tell us that «everyone knows the food is bad here!» Sigh.
TLDR? Here’s really what you need to know:
Food — 0 to 1 star
Customer service — 1 to 3 stars
Drinks — 4 to 5 star
Music — 4 to 5 stars

After a long hot & humid morning of pounding the streets of Downtown Portland, we narrowed in on this joint, seeking to cure our empty tummies. And boy did this place work — cheeseburger and a local ale for moi, open-​faced cheesesteak sandwich for the missus. All went down easy, and stayed there to allow us to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. As a bonus, we met a nice couple from Decatur, Iowa who recommended a nearby art museum, of which we thoroughly enjoyed. Would come back if it were closer.

I remember this used to be the Free Street Taverna. I’d walked by it many times over the years but never went in. However, relatively recently, the place was totally remodeled and renamed Dogfish. I’m not sure what it used to be like but it is really well laid out and modern now.
The menu is relatively small as is the beer selection (that small selection is pretty good though!) but what they have is well thought out and covers most common food choices.
I ended up ordering the basic burger. It turned out to be one of the best burgers I’ve had in a very long time! It came with potato salad and that was really good too.
I found the experience very enjoyable and I plan on making this a regular lunch stop.
I would give it 5 stars if they had more craft beers on tap and expanded the menu options a bit.

Very casual atmosphere with friendly bartenders and servers. I didn’t expect to walk into a place like this and absolutely fall in love with the food. I ordered 2 honeybombs around noon and Grace was very accomodating from the minute we walked in the door. For lunch I had a California Chicken Club and side Caesar salad. Let me just say I am the queen of club sandwiches; I order them practically everywhere and THIS! Dogfish has the absolute best club sandwich, ever. From the first to the last bite you can taste the contrast of all the flavors but they blend perfectly and the chicken melts in your mouth. I am not a fan of pork or bacon; I usually don’t understand America’s obsession with it. When the menu says apple smoked bacon, they mean it and it is fantastic. The avocado tops off the sandwich and the ciabatta bread is fresh. Grace is fantastic and the food here is well worth your visit.

So, we stopped into this place around 10:30 at night and, although it had some good blues music playing. We stopped in for a quick wobbly pop and some dinner because the sign outside read food and beer.
We asked the girl behind the bar counter what they had for food. she then gave us a totally disgusting look and said «yeah we have food but … you might want to got to Nosh or somewhere else for food»
Really? I appreciated her honesty but this basically told me that their food was total garbage. She told all of the patrons that were bellying up to the bar the same thing… It really ruined what could have been a great situation and experience.
I know that you were probably closing the kitchen so, if your menu is not good, then change the menu. Such a let down but we moved onto some really good noodle soup down the road.