Atlantic Grill

Not a good experience. My husband called many days in advance to make a Saturday night reservation for a table near the fireplace. We got there right on time, and were given a beeper and told it would be 20 mins. OK, no problem. We go to the bar which was packed and finally got one of the bartenders attention after about 20 minutes (note the time here). Ordered a drink, was able to sit at the bar. Another 20 minutes goes by and we see the host seating other people near the fireplace (which was not even on BTW). My husband went to talk to the host and he said «Oh, well we don’t take reservations. These people must have called before you.» «Before last Tuesday??», my husband asked. The girl who took our name failed to mention it was not an actual reservation. The owner approached us very apologetic, super-​nice and bought us a drink for the trouble. We still had to wait another 30 minutes before a table was ready. OK so now that that’s squared away we were ready for a great meal. Steamed crab legs were good, nice & hot. I had the baked haddock which was extremely dry and tasteless, as well as the sides it came with. I could barely eat it. My husband had the surf & turf N (Y Strip and shrimp). Shrimp = no flavor but the steak was excellent. Seems strange that a place specializing in seafood can’t get this right. I will say the server was excellent and very attentive. Overall, we were not impressed and won’t be rushing back.

Stopped in on a whim and had an upscale snack in a comfy booth near the large bar and a window. Food was great and interesting! We like to try small plates and we were definitely not disappointed. Service was friendly and quick. Room was packed which is always a good sign. We may return to try the outdoor seating on a warm night.

We have been to the Atlantic Grill a couple of times after they first opened. We did not have a great experience. The food was OK, but the servers were inattentive and borderline rude. We recently decided to try again on a whim and were pleasantly surprised. The waitstaff, especially Stephanie, at the bar were friendly and accommodating. The food was excellent and we will definitely come back. Great comeback.

This place is great! Stephanie the bartender is very personable and makes a great drink. The place is beautiful with wood floors and lots of natural light from the large windows. But above all the food was absolutely delicious! Seafood chowder to die for! Definitely will be coming back here! Love that they are open year round!

It’s ok… The place looks great (there is even a jellyfish aquarium… pretty cool), one of the larger bar sections you will find (most of the bar areas in the area are smallish) and there is ample parking which is often a struggle to find in nearby Portsmouth. Food is ok… Not great, but ok. It’s more pricey than other places. Which I don’t mind if the food is great, not just ok. For apps we had; crab cakes which were ok and poutine fries which were very good, probably best thing we had. For entrees we had hanger steak which was ok (I would like to know where the rest of it was though (portion very small) and lobster Mac and cheese which was good (the asparagus was nice on the side). Service was good, but a couple of the beers I would have liked were out of stock. For apps to watch a game it would be perfect. Probably a great place for happy hour. Looks like it would be a good place for kids. Has a party room and an outside porch section. I will give it another go with the kids next time.

The food is simply horrible to disgusting… Most of the food we ordered was inedible and we had to send back my lobster macaroni and cheese because it was like cardboard.
I ordered a lobster roll and was so hungry at this point I cut it in half and ate the greasy lobster roll all the while knowing it did not taste right and the bread roll was soaked in butter and made me feel sick the entire night.
Our table was a booth and covered in flies… No idea why this restaurant exists in such an awkward location. Please look at the pictures of slop I have included

What a joke! Beautiful décor with a staff not welcoming whatsoever. Was gonna be followed into bar area with menu on arrival. Still waiting for the menu!

Went here last night for Restaurant Week. My best friend and I do one restaurant every year for my birthday, which usually falls during Restaurant Week. THIS WAS AMAZING!!! We both had lobster cake as the appetizer with sweet carrot, vanilla, orange & Crème Fraiche. Delicious. Our entrees were grilled salmon with cider molasses, sweet potato pancetta tart and parsnip and we looked at each other after the first bite, amazed at how incredibly good this was! We varied on dessert: I had the petite crème brûlée while she had the caramelized milk chocolate mousse. We shared a bottle of Lange Willamette Valley Unoaked Chardonnay which was superb. While we will sample another restaurant next year, Atlantic Grille just put itself on our «must recommend» list.

Friendly & pleasing atmosphere! Lots of hiccups mixed with some tasty dishes! Of the dozen oysters ordered, 11 instead of 12 was served! Next, the seafood chowder was creamy but there wasn’t any chunks of the seafood in it! The rest: the spinach salad was fine; the best was their light-​crusted crab cakes; can’t go wrong with the steam lobster; and the scallop entrees was well seasoned and nicely presented! It’s an ok find!

After watching this place being built while we were on our last vacation to New Hampshire, I was so excited to finally eat here this summer. I really wanted to love this place, but it was just okay. It’s definitely lovely inside and our kids loved the décor and the fishtanks. The staff and our server were very nice and friendly, but the food was just okay and more expensive than I thought than it would be considering the selection and quality. I was also surprised that the kids’ meals came in these cardboard containers — it seemed a bit hokey for a restaurant that looks and feels more high end.

I wanted to be wowed but I left unsure if I’d go back. First of all, the building and grounds are gorgeous. We ate outside and it was lovely. Our server, Jaimee, was very friendly and knowledgable.
The lobster and artichoke app with delicious and had tons of lobster and plenty of crispy baguette slices. It was the best dish of the night. We also got the crab cakes which were chock full of crab and tasty. The remoulade sauce had quite a kick to it, which I personally thought overwhelmed the delicate crab flavor.
The seared scallop entrée was such a disappointment. The scallops were only seared on one side, though cooked through. The corn pudding was very yummy, but the heavy handed, earthy, locally foraged mushrooms didn’t belong on the plate. They were better suited to a beef or game dish.
The gnocchi on this plate should have gone in the garbage. They are a disgrace. Burned, tough and gummy, totally indistinguishable as gnocchi in shape or taste (see photo). I would have sent it back, but I noticed other diners with the same plate. Apparently, this is their version of gnocchi. PLEASE stop making these immediately.
The swordfish special was VERY pricy at $ 31 for a relatively small portion.
I may return for apps and drinks outside, but I’d be hard pressed to spend another $ 100+ there again.

Ya know, sometimes it’s not all about the superior food or over-​the-​top service. It’s simply about being in the right spot that is fun, serves great food and drink, and where all the help (and customers) are genuinely happy and friendly.
Atlantic Grill is just that place. We stopped in on Sunday Labor Day Weekend at 6:00 and after a short wait were seated at the most comfortable high tops we’ve ever sat at. The place is huge and really nice.
Less than a year old and they have some timing issues to work out and hey, the menu is pretty much variations of surf and turf but, it’s an awesome vibe and you will come away satiated.
Put on your loudest Vineyard Vines, be prepared to roll with a few hiccups and you’ll have a great evening.
Oh, did I mention the oysters and great local beers on tap?
Dinner for 2, one drink each, $ 56.00 out the door included tip.

Good food, nice layout. we were seated too close to the a/​c and asked to move, no problem. we had appetizers, mussels (delicious), crab cakes (delicious), crab leg steamed (good, overpriced).
entrees were lobster, which we asked to have lazy man style and they accommodated with no issue or extra charge, mussels (again delicious), scallops withcorn pudding and heb gnocchi (delicious, though the gnocchi got lost abit in the mushrooms). our server, Tiffany, was great, she was fun, but not overbearing. the manager came around and asked how dinner was; we commented on the pricing of the crab appetizer and she discounted the bill for that item.
overall, very nice restaurant, service was good, new place so they are adjusting. pricey, but worth a try. we will go back again.

Dear Atlantic Grill,
Why can’t you be a better restaurant? I want to like you so much because we are neighbors. But every time I decide to give you another try, I am always disappointed. You just don’t seem to understand the meaning of «flavor». A nice plate of fish with breadcrumbs, potatoes, and veggie arrives totally unseasoned. No herbs or spice anywhere to be found or tasted. It is no fun paying for bland. And please do not tell me the potatoes are «roasted» when they are clearly deep fried. That is just not fair.
A surreptitious scan around me at nearby plates of food, only serves to give the same consensus. That there is no real chef in the house, only a cook who is not up to the task of delivering something worthy of your high prices.
I really did try to make it work out. So near but not quite there!

So I’ve been nagging hubs to try this place for a while. We ventured north, tonight, for an early dinner. Location? Great. Décor? Nice looking patio (and big). The bar area is large and the entire place is airy and bright.
Service at the bar was very good.
The food? Not as good. I had the bolognese, which was a solid B. Hubs had the deviled eggs as an app… Meh. He wasn’t impressed. The filling had very little flavor. Presentation was nice.
Next came the lobster roll. It looked like a solid B but, unfortunately, it was a C, at best. The lobster was definitely frozen and flavorless. The fries, however, were good.
We’ll give it another try but given the location and prices ($ 100 — including tip… 2 drinks each), we were hoping for more.

First of all this review is long overdue! The management invited our party of 7 for a do-​over to make-​up for a very disappointing visit a month earlier.
We’re happy that they did.
Our experience was a great improvement, particularly in service! Our server was very attentive and took great care in explaining the new menu items and in answering our many questions. She was attentive and effective without being over zealous.
Our table shared the charcuterie platter and thoroughly enjoyed it. Appetizers such as the crab cakes and lobster salad were equally successful. My entrée and my wife’s — both seafood dishes– were wonderful. Only the two of our party who had pasta dishes weren’t quite as well satisfied.
Most of us ordered the outstanding (and large) bananas foster
for dessert, which was one of the best renditions of the dessert we have had.
We left the restaurant more than satisfied with the food and the service.

Nice BIG rooms, as uncrowded as the parking lot. The décor and atmosphere are kind of like a Weathervane, but more upscale. The floors have that milk paint look that is very New England. The ceiling in the bar area is beautiful wood, which looks gorgeous, but unfortunately makes the room kind of loud. The only nod towards sound dampening is about half of the room is carpeted.
Our waitress Josephine was delightful. She was knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. Couldn’t ask for better.
One of my pet peeves is when somebody comes by the table to ask about your meal, but doesn’t introduce himself. I am always tempted to ask «who are you?» This did NOT happen here. I was thrilled! A nice young lady stopped by and said «Hi, I’m Becky the manager. How did you enjoy your meal tonight?» Perfect. Is this so hard to do, other restaurant people?
Oh right, the food. After all it’s a restaurant review and maybe I ought to touch on the actual product.
My filet was cut-​with-​a-​feather delicious, with just the right amount of «crust.» The creamed kale was a very nice surprise. I’m not a fan of creamed spinach, so I was a little leary. But it tastes only like a distant relation and the crunch on top and slivers of (I’m guessing) Parmesian cheese were a nice addition to the dish. The broccoli was a bit tough, but still tasty.
The veggie burger looked great and reportedly tasted just fine. The sweet potato fries also looked inviting and crispy.
The lobster roll was just okay. Pretty plain. I guess people can be pretty picky about their lobster rolls around here, so they don’t venture too far into the daring category. Meat and mayo were predominant. I prefer some crunch somehow (either with celery, onion or even carrot), some lemon and some celery seed. Others will rejoice that they aren’t straying from the basics. To each his own.
My only real disappointment was that when I booked the reservation I told them that this was a birthday celebration for one of the people in my group. I went over who it was and asked for a «suprise» desert with a candle. Well, since I’m griping I guess that you know what happened. The memo clearly didn’t get to our server, and they forgot. Not the end of the world, but it was a disappointing end to an otherwise perfect evening.
So yes, I’ll be back. No hard feelings. Everyone we spoke with (or overheard) was very nice. The food was tasty. The place is clean and moderately upscale to boot. Prices are a bit aggressive for the experience, but that’s gotta be one whopper of a mortgage on this massive undertaking. I really hope that they do well as it is quite convenient location for me to become a regular.

We stopped in after work for a little mini celebration and some dinner on a Friday late afternoon into the evening. We’ve been here before and found that we really enjoy sitting in the bar area — love the ambiance in that section and we love Carly, who’s been our waitress each time we’ve been there. She is AWESOME!
I had the Fried Haddock meal with sweet potato fries and cole slaw, and my husband had the Broiled Scallops meal with risotto and creamed kale. His meal actually came out with fried kale, which neither of us had ever had — delicious! Actually, I’d never had kale until then — yummy but a little heavy handed on the salt, very good just the same. He did get the creamed kale that his meal was supposed to come out with, and he liked that even more than the fried kale. My meal was delicious — fried haddock nuggets were cooked to perfection — not undercooked as happens so many times in other restaurants and not overcooked either. Their sweet potato fries are always delicious — here and at The River House as well.
We really love that this is such a great place to head to that isn’t downtown! Plenty of parking that you don’t have to pay the meter for and no fighting downtown traffic. It’s a little on the pricey side for some of the menu items. I think it’s great that the owner comes out and stops at tables to see how things are — very nice touch. Overall, Atlantic Grill is a great place to stop in for a drink and appetizers, a light meal or a full dinner — great good, excellent service and a fun welcoming atmosphere!

We tried this restaurant during NH restaurant week and were pleasantly surprised by how great the food was. Everything we ordered was fresh and so delicious! We are excited to have this gem right in our neighborhood. It is sure to be busy this summer with the beach tourists and it seems ready for the season. Only complaint was that it still smelled very much of fresh paint which was overwhelming at first. Once we got used to that I would say it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend this place.
Amazing things we enjoyed: lobster ravioli (amazing!), oysters, lobster, and their bananas foster was to die for!

What a great addition to the area. Perfect location, easy to get to from any direction. We sat at the bar. Todd and Dennis were our attentive Bartenders. Beautiful new building. Huge bar that is surrounded by windows on two sides, with a massive stone fireplace and lounge area at the opposite end of the room. The owner stopped by and chatted. Between the dining area, lounge and bar it seats about 400. Average entrée price about $ 20.00, wine by the glass from $ 8.00, we sampled the Crab Cake and Baked Oysters. Delicious.
A great alternative to downtown Portsmouth. Highly recommend.