The Wharf Tavern

Every table offers a great view and the dock is lovely. We have been here for lunch, dinner, and a Lite Rock 105 wine Wednesday. The historic location is lovely and they seem to be making many improvements while maintaining the history. The owner spoke with us and is very kind. The food is good for the price. The menu could expand a bit. Definitely worth checking out, especially if the weather is nice.

Have not been here in years, we were looking for somewhere to have a few drinks and a couple of apps before getting dinner somewhere. Sat at the bar, place was pretty empty for a Saturday night except for what seems to be an older regular clientele. When I say old, I mean nursing home old, guy 3 seats to the right of me annoyingly snorted every time he took a breath like he forgot his oxygen machine back at the home. Guy 3 seats to the left was having a wild night of pounding down blackberry brandy, haven’t seen anyone drink that since my grandmother 20 years ago to go to sleep, but I digress. We split the clams casino and the potato skin apps. There were too many bread crumbs in the clam casino, looked more like a stuffie than casino and were pretty much bland without the hot sauce. The skins had an odd taste, I assume it was due to a cheese used in the receipt but what those cheeses were I don’t know they were not listed, again bland had to add a lot of salt. The 2 stars are for the bartenders, can’t complain about the service it was fine, zero stars for the food.

Three of us dined at this old fashioned place. A nice location but looking tired, as is the food which was unadventurous but competent. The helpings were large.
The herb encrusted lamb chops were good, as was the sirloin-​shrimp combo and the salmon. All washed down with reasonably priced wines.
The noise level was conversation friendly. The place is pLeasant enough but there is better food in the area. Would be nice to sit and eat on the deck, sunlight and weather permitting.
I would give it two and a half stars but as there are no halves I err on the generous side.

Such a nice location but somewhat of a disappointing experience. Went on a Saturday night, not very busy and everyone was packed in a small area. Then the drinks came and my wife’s glass had lipstick on it. Her filet was dry and flavorless and the broccoli was rotting. My prime rib was fatty but tasted OK. Server was nice and comped our drinks. Will be a while till we go back.

This restaurant was a hot mess. There were 5 of us. My fish was cold and not thoroughly cooked. If I wanted sushi i would have ordered it. My fathers fish was literally not cooked at all! My mothers dish was so spicy hot even my brother who loves hot food responded wow! My brothers fish was greasy and heavily battered. Grotesque! The only dish they got right was my sister in laws salad. The table of 4 next to us were served and an hour later the fourth person was finally served his meal. Everyone else had already finished their meal. Another table of 2, the guy sent his meal back. Later a waiter walked by and yelled very loudly «is it cooked enough for you». Another table next to us had a problem with their meal. The restaurant was supposed to comp the meal, the bill came and it wasn’t comp’ed. 20 minutes later they finally got it sorted and left.
In fairness they did offer us other entrees, coffee, drinks, dessert but at this point over an hour and a half had passed and I was done. Net net until they fix the kitchen staff I recommend you save your money and go to a more consistently dependable place. The ambiance was really nice as we went at sunset.

I was treated to dinner a couple of days after my birthday and really loved what I had. Our server Nick was very thorough on everything and was attentive to me as well as John who was responsible for getting me here. I had the fried scallops and John had the baked scrod which we found to be both delicious. I also had a chicken cordon bleu soup which was totally outstanding. For dessert, John and I shared a triple layer chocolate cake that I thought I might not get through but I managed to finish it. This was truly a great evening at a wonderful place and I highly recommend the Wharf Tavern to everyone!!!

If I had to sum up my experience here in one word: disappointing.
We came on a beautiful Thursday afternoon a week or so ago. Wanting to eat outside by the water we figured we’d give this place a shot. I used to come here when I was little and loved it.
Upon walking in it was very dreary inside with horrible, tattered carpet. There were about 3 – 4 people milling around the host station. When we asked to sit outside you would have thought we were sticking up the joint. Somehow this request elicited fear and confusion. One of the women had to go check something so we just stood there. I took a peek in the giant bar room and it just looked depressing.
Finally she came back and another girl walked us out to the deck. There were a few other tables with people but a million empty tables. Not sure what the confusion/​delay of seating is out there was.
First the positives: The location, deck, view, kick ass. It’s gorgeous. Directly on the water with a great breeze and plenty of sunshine. Plenty of seating.
Negatives: they had 50’s doo wop music blaring. I love loud music but this was terrible. Not exactly the vibe you’re looking for when it comes to waterfront food and drinks. I felt like I was at Johnny Rockets at the mall. Waitress was nice but other than taking our order and delivering drinks, was never to be seen again. Someone else delivered our food. She was inside doing side work rolling silverware the whole time.
We were planning on spending some time and money here but it was so terrible we just had one drink and lukewarm stuffies.
We decided to walk over to Square Peg for better food and ambiance. I recommend you do this too. Or head down to Trafford if you want waterfront and good food.

I usually read a Unilocal review with a grain of salt. Especially when it comes to the customer service side of it.
You catch some one on a bad day, rub someone the wrong way it happens.
But when you interact with 3 employees and they are all rude to you or give lousy service It says something about a place …
As for the food:
App– calamari was descent and worthy of the single star rating.
Entrees: wife’s food came out wrong, was supposed to be salmon, but she received chicken. And since a food runner dropped the food at the table and ran off and the waiter was no where to be seen for 20 minutes. She ate it … Even tho we went specifically out for seafood .
Chicken btw was a bit rubbery.
I got fish and chips, the fish was excellent
Once you removed it from the oily sponge of batter it was cooked in. Fries were soggy from soaking up the generous amount of grease dripping of my fish …
Don’t make the mistake I made
Avoid at all cost

It wasn’t what I was expecting this place to be like the food was gross and it was bad (spoiled) I ordered my filet mignon medium rare well I cut into and yes it was pink in the middle and you would think that the juices would be there to but no it was dry but pink so I’m sure it was old meat that’s been sitting out. I ordered a mixed drink it tasted like it was dirty it was bad the pineapple juice was probably not good and it had rotten cherries and a slice of orange as a garnish which were rotten !! Before we left I went to the restroom & threw up and was sick the rest of the night! The place really needs the health department to go in and most likely be shut down !!!

Really outdated décor. Basic bland food and unfriendly service. One to skip for sure. Plenty of other good spots in Bristol/​Warren to not waste your time here.

We haven’t been here for a long time but, when we found they had rebuilt their dock allowing outside seating, we thought we’d give it a try. We were very pleased we did.
5:00 on a Sunday evening there was room outside. We were really more interested in a drink and a sandwich but the lighter offerings consisted only of Apps or flat breads so we decided to go all the way. Having the full gamet of New England seafood plus red meats, chicken, duck and the REQUIRED BY RI CUSTOM, Parmesean, we still opted for a little lighter, so we thought, baked Scrod. Soup or salad, rolls with butter, starch, ½ ear of corn and our fish, lightly crumbed by request proved to be no light meal, leaving no room for desert.
The food was great, the service was great. The drink was blah but it was our fault. We had been offered a «tall» drink and trying to be good campers we chose that for a warm day. Next time I’d get a normal drink so I could taste my gin. We each had a Chardonnay by the glass and were offered a house with two different upper scale options so we were quite satisfied with our wines. We never looked at the wine list so can’t address options.
I can’t rave enough about the ambiance. The views of the impending sunset accross the Warren River with all the boats returning from the bay was just beautiful. Confirms our choices to do our traveling outside of RI during off seasons.
So, long winded though I may be, the Wharf Tavern is a fine place, on the water, outside, with good food and good views!
NB: in my opinion, most restaurants are good for children. Of course, mine were always Angels. Well behaved children who enjoy eating out and don’t disturb other diners may be taken anywhere. That said, I might have enjoyed a crying baby more than the description of labor and delivery I had from a new mother sans child at a nearby table but… That’s a different story and the luck of the draw.

Five star stellar experience. The Wharf Tavern is a great place as you don’t have to fight beach traffic to have dinner on the water. It has a wrap-​around deck that can accommodate many people and water views from the tables inside.
Our waitress was very friendly and our food came out in a timely manner. I had the smothered chicken and added cheese– it was simply amazing. Very generous portions of that and red skin mash potatoes. My friends also had excellent seafood dinners. It’s always a favorite spot. I hope the sister restaurant «Gristmill» adopts some of its recipes and menu items as that place needs a menu overhaul/​recipe overhaul!

0 stars have been seated for 30 min no server yet said something came took our order another 20 has passed no drinks yet tho the tables around us seated after Us Are eating and drinking already horrible.

A truly awful Mother’s Day Brunch.
Went yesterday for Mother’s Day Brunch. It was not our first choice, but given the size of our party (9), location needs, and the fact that we did not start trying to make a reservation until a week before, it was one of the few places that fit the bill.
Two caveats to the review:
1. I recognize that on some occasions, like Valentines Days, New Years Eve, a wedding, etc. you need to grade on a curve. In this case, even with a perfect bell shaped distribution the Tavern belongs in the lowest percentile.
2. Before booking I read the underwhelming reviews on Unilocal and elsewhere, so I was not expecting to be wowed. I was counting on passable food with a good view. I was at least right about the view.
So on to the review. Brunch was billed as a buffet, with omelettes and waffles made to order. Lets start with the omelettes. As of this writing they have not arrived. Our waitress (who was very pleasant) took orders from those in our party who fancied an omelette shortly after we were seated. Throughout our stay we inquired with some regularity regarding the progress of the omelettes and were told they would be coming soon. The Wharf Tavern apparently exists in some sort of rift in the space time continuum because after over an hour, we gave up and asked for the check. According to our waitress, the restaurant had one person with two burners attempting to make the omelettes to order for a packed house. I think labeling that management decision gross incompetence is being kind.
As to the waffles, they did make it to table, but were not consumed. As my 5 year old (not known for her high culinary standards) asked «why are they soft and mushy.» We own a $ 20 waffle maker. It was a wedding gift (as I assume are all waffle makers). I bust it out a dozen times a year. It is not hard to cook the waffle properly — the machine literally signals when they are done. Apparently not so at the Wharf Tavern.
The buffet itself was an amalgam of the omelette and waffle experience. As to the former, the kitchen was not able to keep the buffet even in the ball park of well stocked. When I first went up, every cold station item but one was empty or near empty. At the «lunch» area where we had been promised seafood newburg, roast chicken, lasagna, rice and vegetables, we found rice and a few dried pieces of chicken. We then stood in line for 15 – 20 minutes while those at front waited for the breakfast area to be filled. When we finally got past the scrambled eggs, sausages etc, the carving station was devoid of the promised beef tenderloin.
As to the food itself, when it could be found it ranged from mediocre (over dressed salad, jimmy dean sausages) to bad (dry eggs, soggy waffles) to inedible (poached salmon that was a step up from cat food).
To sum up, easily the worst meal I have had out in a decade. We would have a better time doing pretty much anything else, including, but not limited to, lighting the $ 200 plus we dropped for the meal on fire and watching it burn.

This is the worst service I have gotten, rude and said it’s not my problem for not getting service
Waiter just slam our food down. And walk away

I was nearby at a elite event and after lots of
Snacks and beer and whiskey decided I needed a meal. My friend said the Wharf
Is pretty well known and many people love it there so let’s try it. It was disappointing to say the least. It’s a nice place and the view is probably amazing during the spring and summer when there’s no snow but that would not make up for the food. We sat at the bar table and I asked the bartender what beers he had. He had no idea and walked over to the bar to see. I was thinking
Maybe he was new or doesn’t normally work the bar? So no big deal I moved on. We wanted something small so we ordered pizzas. My friend got a seafood pizza and was disappointed in the lack of
Seafood on it. She also said it was lacking flavor and maybe needed some kind of sauce. I had buffalo chicken and it was
Lacking flavor also. I did not taste any buffalo sauce at all on it. They skimped on the cheese too it was barely covering the pizza. I have heard they are known for their seafood so perhaps I ordered the wrong thing but regardless I don’t think I’ll
Be back.

Was in the area had heard good things and was very disappointed. Sat in the pub at a table, asked the bar tender what was a seafood dish they were known for, he stared at the menu for a while and said well I guess the swordfish is good. I ended up ordering the seafood pizza bc he didn’t seem to really be helpful.
Seafood pizza was just ok, didn’t have a lot of flavor and I kept trying to put differnt things on it but nothing seemed to help. The service was subpar as he didn’t come around much and for a bartender he lacked any type of enthusiasm. I was just overall very disappointed. I expected to have great seafood and there was very little on the pizza.

NYE 2014. We dropped by for a drink, didn’t dine here but, it looks like a nice place, right on the water in Warren, RI. How can that be bad?
The bartenders were friendly, as well as the other staff. Seemed like a family of workers. Nice touch!
I’ll repost when I dine here — hopefully in the near future!

Would’ve given three stars if I was accounting for the view — but since I was facing the dock and a building (with gas smelling water) /​I can only give two.
Our server Donna, was great, very tentative and checked on us often. Would be the perfect server for any group; kind and made sure we always had what we needed.
Now the FOOD… the chowder wasn’t bad, in fact it was probably my favorite part of this odd meal. On carefully inspecting the menu I went for a safe — chicken tender and fries… (With a side of ranch of course) the tenders did come out hot but were not crisp, seems like a light softer batter. The fries were a good portion, yet weren’t crisp — a bit too soggy for me. The ranch was better then no ranch but almost seemed to taste like mayo?
Overall, perhaps a good place for just drinks and the view.
(Side note: I took of the third star because I could hear the staff bickering and talking about other employees — in old school and that’s tacky to me /​do it behind closed doors please!)

Wharf Tavern is located right on the water in Warren. I met some friends here for drinks and appetizers. We sat in the Lounge and had a great view of the water from the many windows.
Service was pleasant and efficient. Two of us were drinking white wine and one mixed drinks. No complaints from two of us, but one friend was certain that his third glass of wine was a completely different wine than what he had been drinking previously.
We ordered potato skins, chicken tenders and the steamers, which were on special. The potato skins and chicken tenders were pretty good. The steamers had an off smell and many of the shells were broken. For a restaurant that is right on the water, supposedly serving fresh seafood, this didn’t sit well with me. It makes me wonder what the rest of the seafood is like.
If I were to go back, and I’m not rushing, I would steer clear of the seafood.