Demeter’s Steakhouse

We made 8:30 reservations but showed up around 7:45 because we decided to have cocktails before dinner. The place was packed! There was literally nowhere for us to stand. We were awkwardly crowding around the bar so the manager offered for us to go into their event space so that our group of 5 would be more comfortable. They even had a server come out to take our order for appetizers. We mentioned that one couple in our group is looking for a rehearsal dinner space, so the event manager came out to talk to us for a while. She is amazing. When they showed us to our table, we had the large round table right next to the open kitchen, the one we were all hoping for. After a long night of many courses of delicious food and champagne, we were all so happy we didn’t even realize we had shut the place down. No one from the staff made us feel bad about it at all, even though we were the last people in there. The food and service were literally some of the best I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to go back again on a special occasion night.

Went for Valentine’s Day. We both started with a caesar salad that was very large and warm bread. I also got the blackberry sour drink which was fairly strong. I ordered the steak medallion entrée that came with green beans and garlic potatoes. My fiancé got the prime cowboy ribeye. It did take awhile to get our meals but it was a busy holiday so that was expected. The manager Matt was very on top of it and gave us a complementary cheese plate while we waited for our meal which was lovely. Our steaks were cooked to perfection. My fiancé is a butcher and very picky about his meat and he was very very pleased. I would easily come back

Chicago style steakhouse in New England…
Love it here.
Wonderful food and great for large groups.
We always request Robert as a server to ensure quality service…
Highly recommended!

Unusual location. Great ambiance and service.
I had the steak which was OK. Lot of fat on the piece I received, maybe 30% of the steak.
The steak was prepared well but nothing extraordinary.
Mashed potatoes and Asparagus were delicious.
Nice touch is the soda (diet coke) comes in a little glass bottle and tastes better than the bitter concoction usually served from restaurant soda dispensers.

I got reservations here for my fiancé’s 50^th birthday by calling and leaving a message. Deb called me back and ASAP and was so accommodating. We had a private room with a large table for the 13 of us. Everything was wonderful and our two servers were very attentive. We had numerous drinks, the favorite being the Blackberry sour. We ordered the Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls (everyone raved), Fried Oysters (heard good things but I didn’t get to try, I did have the brussels sprouts that were served with it and they were great, like kale chips), Chicken Lollipops and raw oysters (yum!) for apps for the table. My fiancé had the ribeye steak and a side of the mac and cheese. The steak was perfect and the mac and cheese was the best that I have had. I had the monkfish with grilled pineapple tobasco vinaigrette and more brussels sprouts with hazelnuts. It was VERY good. Other people in our party had and enjoyed the steak tips, the scallops and the cheeseburger. We finished with a couple orders of the ricotta donuts which are a fun way to end the meal. Demeter’s staff brought my fiancé a slice of cheesecake with Happy 50^th birthday written on the plate and a candle, very nice! The price is right for what you are getting. All in all a great time with family and friends at a great restaurant! Thanks for the hospitality Deb, we’ll be back.

As residents of Portsmouth and our thriving restaurant scene my wife and I are still in search of a great local steakhouse. Sad to say, Demeters is not the one. Our experience this past Fathers Day was very disappointing. My $ 38 (Al a carte) NY strip was loaded with fat, pretty chewy and over seasoned. The hand cut fries were essentially French fry bits no longer than 1 inch long. The asparagus was very dry with no evidence of flavor. I can say that we were greeted by the very friendly staff and the overall bar (drinks and wine) and dinner service was excellent. While we could have sent some of the food back we did not want to create a stressful situation for us or the wait staff. For a check value of over $ 230 for the 2 of us we left feeling pretty ‘empty’. I am giving Demeters 2 stars strictly based on the service and friendliness of the staff. The food at that price point does not rate any stars.

Overall, it is OK but not great. Service was good, the atmosphere is pretty cool. It seems to attract an older type of clientele. I would guess the average age of the customers was 60 during my visit on a Saturday evening. They have a pretty vast wine selection and fairly straightforward steakhouse menu. The Oysters Rockefeller were not my favorite, they were really heavy on the spinach and light on everything else (no bacon). The steaks were great, cooked perfect. The sides were again, just oK. We had the creamed spinach which looked a lot more like sautéed spinach than creamed. Our experience was not bad, however when you drop a couple hundred on a dinner for 2 it should be memorable and not just pedestrian.

I’m a fan of Demeters, my first visit having been over the 2015 Restaurant Week. The price is congruent with the quality of the food and the finest wine list on the New Hampshire coast. The service? Impeccable. The new owners remodeled/​updated the space, so I wouldn’t pay much attention to older reviews. Make a reservation if you don’t want to sit at a high-​top table near the bar; they aren’t for everyone. The space is large, but the dining areas are «modern classy» and intimate. Demeter’s is absolutely worth the short drive from downtown Portsmouth.

Went with friends for dinner. Over priced, steak was horrible, and we were stuck at an uncomfortable high top table. If we are paying $ 200 – 400 for 4 people (depending on if you get steak), I want to be comfortable when I sit. Our waitress was slow and did not pay attention. Multiple requests to get drinks. Save your money and go to a good establishment… or even a chain. Service and food will be better… sadly.

My husband and I went for our birthdays. It was a nice evening. Live music and a big welcome when we walked in the door. My husband is not a fan of the marinate on the meat, I on the other hand really enjoyed my filet. The next few times we sat at the bar. In general it is a little pricey but food and service is excellent. I love the ambiance and music and the dark wood. Makes me feel like I’m in Boston.

had a fantastic experience. steak and cheese was phenomenal, the service was outstanding. a little bit out of the way, but definitely worth driving for! management is very visible, and you can tell that everyone there takes pride in their work and their business. i will be back!

My husband and I went to Demeter’s for Valentine’s Day and were pleasantly surprised to hear live music as we arrived, it really set a wonderful scene.
Our waiter Robert, «a Gemini», was perfect. He was amusing, knowledgeable and attentive.
Having been huge fans of the Green Monkey we decided to give Demeter’s a try since we heard Deb was now a managing partner:-)
We ordered a delicious wine, can’t think of the name now with the calamari appetizer to start. We loved the two dipping sauces and the calamari was cooked to perfection. I also ordered the scallops for my entreee and was informed that they came rare… which as luck would have it… is exactly how I always ask that they be prepared. I was NOT disppointed. They were perfect. My husband had the petite filet which was also perfectly med-​rare and the spinach side dish was yummy too (maybe could have used a bit of bacon).
We skipped dessert this time.
We are looking forward to coming back for Frank Sinatra night at the end of the month.
The total bill was ~ $ 150 which I feel is definitely less than you would pay for a comparable meal in Boston. The ease of parking without dealing with the downtown situation made it a perfect night out with my sweetie.

My husband & I ate at Demeter’s last night for the first time. What a GREAT experience! Our server James was very attentive & Deb was also extremely accommodating & very pleasant. Most importantly the food was EXCELLENT. We each started with a salad, both were superb. I am a plain Jane & opted for the spaghetti bolognese a dish I have had hundreds (seems like thousands) of times at many different restaurants & I must say Demeter’s was one of the best (if not the best) I’ve had! My husband had the porterhouse 20oz steak with mashed potatoes, asparagus & onion rings. He ate every last ounce of the steak (said it was in his top 5 steaks of all time) & the sides were great as well. I am not an onion ring fan but after reading a review about the onion rings encouraged my husband to order them so that I could try one — the reputation is accurate — they’re the best!
An overall great experience & we will be back!

I ate here during restaurant week and my food was fantastic. It is pricey but food and service is excellent.
It is a drive from downtown so that makes it hard to go out for drinks before or after your meal.

So we went to this Restaurant for Thanksgiving Dinner. We ordered 2 Turkey plates. At the time the food tasted OK and all was good. When we got home, we both got very sick in about an hour. Food Poisoning from the turkey is my guess. We both were sick for a few days.
I wrote an email to the Manager explaining my displeasure and he did not reply or call me.
Bottom Line, WORST MEAL EVER!!!
If you want to get sick, then you can eat here. If you want to be ignored when there is a problem you can eat here.
I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN!!! I will also tell everyone of my experience.

This restaurant was NOT prepared for restaurant week. Should NOT take reservations if you cannot honor them! 15 mins late is one thing but our table was late by 1 hour!!! Then, as hungry as we were, the meals were marginal! Our dining hour was pushed back such that it affected our entire order. Came for steak and lamb, ended up eating fish at 10 pm. Then they were out of the desserts we wanted. So unhappy.

I was hoping the other review were wrong… but alas… no. I was AMAZED at the ridiculous mark up on the wine. I fully expect a 100% markup on a bottle but 458% $ 275 for a $ 60 bottle). I did bring my own bottle with me but was floored when I looked up their prices out of curiousity.
With regards to the food. The Ahi Tuna tartar appetizer was quite good. unfortunatly the best part of the meal. The steaks were priced like their wine… We asked our server to define their cooking temperature (all resturants do it differently) and based on here recomendation order Medium rare, my wife ordered medium. When we got them, my medium rare was not red or even pink. but what I would call medium well… my wifes medium was grey to say the least… surprisingly still juicy. but not what we wanted. Sent hers back to have it come back rare… which they had to take back to bring up to medium rare… or course we had asked for medium… The side dishes were adequate. but a $ 7 baked potato, $ 2 more for «the works» was just par for the course.
Since it was our date night we decided to «save» the evening with a chocolate cake with fudge frosting that looked amazing… looked was unfortunatly the operative word.
Been there… done that…$ 250 for a bleh dinner and I brought the wine!

I’ve been wanting to try it out for quite some time now. They’ve been open since November, but when we heard they just introduced a children’s menu ($ 10 per plate) that was incentive for our family of four to give it a shot. So pleased we did.
I am a true carnivore, always seeking out the best steaks wherever I go, and have to say I am more than delighted that Portsmouth now has a best-​in-​class steakhouse that rivals the big boys in Boston. I lived in Boston and frequented Grill 23, but also lived in the Brickell section of Miami (walking distance to both The Capital Grille and Morton’s) plus often entertained clients at Smith & Wollensky in South Beach. Demeter’s holds its own.
Dinner went like this:
We had an early 5:00pm Saturday reservation, and since we brought our kids opted to sit in one of the four massive booths just behind the bar. Private, but still allowed us to glimpse at the Yankees/​Red Sox game and golf playing on the flat screens. The restaurant is open concept with high ceilings and windows that give it a contemporary feel, and there are a nice series of tables to the left of the bar that overlook the kitchen — next time we will sit there.
The wine list is very expansive, plenty of bold Napa cabs to sift through — went with a Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2009 ($ 63). Our server was Justin (like the wine), very attentive and courteous.
Munched on a basket of Beach Pea baguette slices (best bread on the Seacoast) and decided to go with a wedge salad and 20oz bone-​in ribeye medium rare, my wife a spinach salad and 8oz filet. My son had prime rib with mashed potatoes ($ 10 bucks — cut thick, amazing value), my daughter loved her mac n’ cheese.
Salads were tasty, but the bone-​in ribeye was… flawless. Cooked perfectly, beautiful marbling, I actually thought it was Wagyu but told it was ‘wet-​aged’ as opposed to the more familiar dry-​aging process. Fantastic cut of beef. Her filet was butter knife tender, also perfectly med rare.
Sides are a la carte, we split a big baked potato (comes with plenty of bacon bits/​sour cream/​butter/​chives on the side) and a generous serving of grilled asparagus, both quite good.
A bit disappointed when I ordered an espresso but told the machine wasn’t working, so the General Manager Ben immediately saw to it that we received a huge slice of chocolate ganache layer cake on the house, which more than made up for it. We chatted for a while with Ben, a consummate professional who was quite gracious and appreciated our patronage.
Family of four, total bill (w/​wine and tip) $ 251. If we went to The Capital Grille an hour’s drive south (Burlington/​Chestnut Hill/​Downtown) I doubt I could have had a better steak, and certainly would have struggled to find suitable choices for my children.
Overall I have to give Demeter’s four solid stars. Plenty more on the menu I want to sample, and I’d like to stop in for lunch one afternoon as their grill menu looks appealing — have to try that Kobe beef burger.
Bottom line: Without question an enjoyable meal and quality dining experience in the true spirit of an independent steakhouse.

We stopped by for a late lunch at the bar. There were only about 5 people in the entire restaurant. We ordered a couple of the ½ pound burgers at $ 16 per plate. Both burgers were ordered medium. After about fifteen minutes the burgers arrived — one was cooked perfectly, the other was practically raw. The bartender was great and immediately took the under cooked burger away and ordered another — which arrived 15 minutes later and was cooked medium well. Both burgers came on a nicely toasted bun, but were smothered with a pile of mush that was supposed to be grilled onions and a couple slices of greasy, under-​cooked bacon. The beef was odd — some bites chewy, other bites not — it had a very uneven texture. The French fries were excellent, as was the presentation, and service.
The ambience is very nice. The place is spotlessly clean, shiny and modern. They have a great, but rather expensive, wine list, with 30+ wines available by the glass. However, most of the wines wine are priced $ 10 — $ 20 for a six ounce pour (there are a handful at $ 9). They also have a great selection of single malt scotches. The service was excellent.
Overall, we were not impressed with the burgers, especially considering it cost $ 70 for two burgers, four bottles of Coors, and a tip. This is a pricey establishment for the Portsmouth area, and at these prices they really need to put out a superb product. After our disappointing lunch, I’m not sure I’d chance a dinner at Demeter’s. If I want to pay that kind of money ($ 12 for a martini and $ 40+ for a steak — a la carte) for a steak dinner I’ll go Pellana in Peabody or head in to Boston where I know for sure I’ll get a great dinner.

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy going to a place that makes you feel like family from the moment you walk in, the moment you leave their establishment. My night at Demeter’s on 3÷17÷12 was no exception.
My boyfriend and I decided to spend our anniversary at Demeter’s on Saturday, and had an incredible night. Having already been there before, our mouths were watering by the time we walked inside. We were brought to a very nice table, and we felt like we were hidden away in a romantic corner. We each started the evening with a Dark and Stormy, our favorite cocktail, and they were very tasty. Our salads were great – my Spinach Salad still tasted as amazing as it did the last time I went in January, and my boyfriend’s Cesar salad made him smile. We both ordered the Prime Rib, and not only was it cooked perfectly, the little addition of horseradish on the steak made it even better! We shared sauteed mushrooms and mashed potatoes, and we were not disappointed!
But what really took us over the top that night was the service. Each person who came to our table was friendly, attentive, and made our night wonderful. Ben, the GM, came over to our table, and greeted us with such warmth, that we felt like we were VIPs. We talked with him at length about Unilocal,and he’s aware that although it’s showing poor ratings, his patrons really love what he’s brought to the Seacoast.
Unlike last time, we decided to take a look at the desert menu. Last time we went they comped us a piece of their chocolate layer cake for my boyfriend’s birthday, so when our waiter walked out with a tray of delectable treats, we could barely choose! We had the crème brûlée, which was by far one of the best I’ve had, and Ben brought us over a plate of Grand Marniet filled chocolate covered strawberries. They were delicious as well. We left full, with a bag of leftovers, with a smile on our faces.
I am not exaggerating when I say that whenever I have the opportunity to go out to a fancy place, I’ll be heading here. I cannot thank Ben and his staff enough for making our evening one to remember!