Bayside Grill and Tavern

[gokart-mozart]

The restaurant formerly known as 51 Mill Street is OPEN!

Going at 7pm with a bunch of people, will post a review tonight.

[gokart-mozart]

Ate at the Bayside Grill and Tavern last night with three adults and nine children. Preliminary impressions:

1) The new space is much better. The wall between the bar and the front dining area has been removed. The walls are lighter - 51 Mill Street was always a bit on the dark and gloomy side. The main dining area has what looks like a dance floor, although it had tables on it last night. The porch is, more or less, the same.

2) The food is, for the most part, pub food. I had a steak and cheese sub which was pretty close to the real thing. Steak and seafood entrees are totally conventional, priced up to $19.99 with one or two in the mid $20s.

3) The drinks/beer/wine selections are pretty limited. Corona and Heinekin are about as fancy as it gets, Bud Light is more the flavor of the day.

4) Greeters and wait staff were very friendly and enthusiastic, but, man, was it SLOW! Appetizers in 45 minutes, entrees in an hour+. To be fair, it was mobbed. The parking lot was full, which I've never seen before. I'm sure the first night isn't the time to judge the smoothness of the operation, but that will need to get better.

Where does it fit in? Good atmosphere, casual, relaxed. Pub food is the order of the day, but you can get a strip steak or scallops if you want. Not competition for Garwoods or The Restaurant, definitely not for Mis en Place.
I haven't been to Jo Greens in a million years, but it might be straightup competition for them. As a family place it will be better than the Front Porch.
I finally tried the Wolfeboro Inn a month ago, and the service was so bad I will never go back, so I can't compare the two.

Congratulations to the owners on getting it up and running. When Mom is tired and the kids deserve a treat, it's a good choice.

[Neko]

Question, You showed up with 3 adults and 9 kids. Did you call ahead and get reservations? IE service was slow,
Do they take them?
Just wondering!!

[Patiently Watching]

Enjoyed a great lunch today at the new restaurant. My friend and I had a very good experience. The owner showed us around and the place looks great. Having been in the building in the past, I'm sure it was a big project.

The walls are decorated with a few nice murals and some faux painting, nice colors and a very clean and comfortable appearance overall. Much brighter and the bar area is much more family friendly than before.

The food is similar to their other restaurant, the pinecone. Service was quick and attentive, there was a steady flow of business and we both enjoyed our meal.

They will certainly fill a niche in town providing good quality family fare with a nice atmosphere and I hope they do well.

[gokart-mozart]

Originally Posted by Neko

Question, You showed up with 3 adults and 9 kids. Did you call ahead and get reservations? IE service was slow,
Do they take them?
Just wondering!!

Yes I did, 515-1002

[tis]

We went there tonight and were very pleased. We sat on the porch by request. It was quite busy for a Thursday night. As others said, they have spruced it up and the food is much like the Pine Cone with lots of choices. The lighter choices (burgers, etc.) were around 10$ and the meals mostly under $20. I had the quesidillas and they were delicious. I think they were 8.99 aand $4 more if you add the chicken. You could also have steak. The others had fried shrimp and fried clams and they said they were also delicious as were the onion rings. The fried food was served with both onion rings and french fries. I think they were 17.99. The service was great, we didn't wait at all throughout the meal. So, we were all very pleased and will go back. I wish them luck. I think they will do well.

[camp guy]

6 of us had a really great meal at 4PM today (Mother's Day). The service was extremely pleasant, however, I think a couple of additional servers would have helped in the 'time' department. I am not complaining at all, the place was very busy, and customers kept coming in waves of large parties.

The Bayside will certainly overtake the Inn, and, for family friendly atmosphere, they will challenge Garwoods. They will eclipse the Front Porch, and certainly Jo Greens. I think Mis En Place and the Restaurant will hold their own for the clientele they gather.

In short, the Bayside is a welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Wolfeboro.

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by camp guy

6 of us had a really great meal at 4PM today (Mother's Day). The service was extremely pleasant, however, I think a couple of additional servers would have helped in the 'time' department. I am not complaining at all, the place was very busy, and customers kept coming in waves of large parties.

The Bayside will certainly overtake the Inn, and, for family friendly atmosphere, they will challenge Garwoods. They will eclipse the Front Porch, and certainly Jo Greens. I think Mis En Place and the Restaurant will hold their own for the clientele they gather.

In short, the Bayside is a welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Wolfeboro.

I have to agree with your analysis. Myself, my wife and the kids had dinner there tonight. The hostess and server were wonderful; these folks truly understand customer service. The interior of the restaurant was also greatly improved and much nicer than I anticipated. It is amazing how much better the service is here than at the Tavern. Good luck Bayside! You look like a winner to me.

[Seeker]

Sound good. I will get there soon. I just wish it were more like the old Love's Quay. They had some of the best food we ever had in the lakes region.

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Seeker

I just wish it were more like the old Love's Quay. They had some of the best food we ever had in the lakes region.

Ditto! My wife and I loved that place (pun intended). Never understood why it didn't last as it was very popular.

[Grady223]

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

Ditto! My wife and I loved that place (pun intended). Never understood why it didn't last as it was very popular.

Mike Love and his wife (owners) decided to sell and move on to other opportunities. Don't think it had anything to do with the success, or lack there of, of the restaurant.

[Heading4thelake]

Got up to the lake this weekend and Saturday night around 8 we went to Bayside (4 of us). Told it would be about a 30 minute wait, got seated in about 15, ordered drinks right away ordered dinner 10 minutes later. All meals were very good ( steak tips, scallops etc. ). A very good meal for a very fair price. Now Wolfeboro has a place that won't empty your wallet and have good food. Will go back many times across the summer !

[Billd72]

Went to Bayside Grill and Tavern on Fathers Day for their Sunday Brunch. The food was excellent and all of the staff were very friendly. Great restaurant at an affordable price.

[Cristen]

Stopped in for lunch recently and ate outside overlooking the water. The food was delicious. I like the quiet location of the restaurant as well. Will surely go back soon.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Though I was initially skeptical of this venture I would have to agree with most of the posters on this site that the Bayside Grill is off to an excellent start. Good menu, great staff, wonderfully refreshing prices. You can download the menu from their website: http://www.baysidegrillandtavern.com

I'd really recommend the fried clams which were better than the fried clams I had at an "unnamed" restaurant in Portsmouth (yes, that Portsmouth right on the coast).

[SIKSUKR]

Dr Gonzo likes to eat out. 8 posts in a row so far on my screen for restaurants. Another Phantom Gourmet?

[jack1706]

siksukr
that's was I was thinking !!!! ??????

[alsadad]

My wife and I had friends up last weekend and the four of us went to Bayside for a late lunch on Sunday. It was excellent. The other gentleman and I had burgers that were fantastic – juicy and tasty. My wife had a turkey wrap that she said was delicious and our other guest had the steak tips and raved about them. Erin, our server, and the bartender/hostess, Toni, were friendly, personable and attentive. We sat on the porch and loved the setting. We’ll be back.

[ghfromaltonbay]

Recently friends of mine who don't have internet access asked if I had heard through the forum about any new restaurants that had gotten good reviews. I mentioned the Bayside, and since they used to love 51 Mill Street and Love's Quay, they tried it on Tuesday evening. First, they thought that the prices were a little high considering some of the comments about this place being family friendly. I guess they found that most of the dinners were $20 and up. But the icing on the cake was the fact that bread was $1 extra per person at the table! Even Johnson's and the William Tell gives you good, fresh bread with your dinner. We recently went to the William Tell for the early bird special dinner ($10.95) and the waitress even refilled the basket of Swiss bread for our table of 6. Charging $1 per person for bread for a $20+ dinner is a bit much. The waitress got a little peeved to boot, so needless to say, these people won't be back. They said they would go back to Fratellos and William Tell.

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ghfromaltonbay

Recently friends of mine who don't have internet access asked if I had heard through the forum about any new restaurants that had gotten good reviews. I mentioned the Bayside, and since they used to love 51 Mill Street and Love's Quay, they tried it on Tuesday evening. First, they thought that the prices were a little high considering some of the comments about this place being family friendly. I guess they found that most of the dinners were $20 and up. But the icing on the cake was the fact that bread was $1 extra per person at the table! Even Johnson's and the William Tell gives you good, fresh bread with your dinner. We recently went to the William Tell for the early bird special dinner ($10.95) and the waitress even refilled the basket of Swiss bread for our table of 6. Charging $1 per person for bread for a $20+ dinner is a bit much. The waitress got a little peeved to boot, so needless to say, these people won't be back. They said they would go back to Fratellos and William Tell.

I guess all I can say is you get what you pay for. If you are worrying about $1.00 per person for bread maybe you should stay home and have Mac and Cheese.

This place along with "the Restaurant" in downtown Wolfeboro are excellent.

[Newbiesaukee]

I think a comment and a dissatisfaction with a $1.00 bread charge per person is a perfectly legitimate negative comment.

In this country, charging for bread has been most unusual until relatively recently and this trend has been noted in a lot of urban areas.

Although I certainly am empathetic to the restaurant business, this charge is, in my opinion, not the usual in our area and is similar to charging for luggage on airlines and the like.

Pointing it out to the forum is helpful and people can decide for themselves whether this matters to them or not.

[ghfromaltonbay]

Thank you, Newbiesaukee. I really didn't appreciate the snide comment from Secondcurve. These diners do frequent many restaurants in the lakes region as they are full-time residents for half the year. Money for them is certainly not the object. I would say they have eaten in most of the restaurants in Meredith, Laconia, Alton & Wolfeboro and as I said, this was the first place they have eaten where bread was extra. If memory serves me, Hart's used to provide a nice basket of crackers with a crock of cheese spread and some crudites. Heck, even Love's Quay used to give you a basket of bread with herb-seasoned butter which was always delicious. When someone mentions that a restaurant is a BYOB, I wouldn't imagine that that means "Bring your own Bread"!

[RailroadJoe]

Too bad yoiu didn't tell the waitress that you would deduct the cost of bread from her tip.

[Tir Na Nog]

I very rarely post, but was surprised by the strong favorable reviews for this place. Based on the early reviews my wife and I went there for lunch on a Sunday afternoon in June. The food was OK but just that, nothing to rave about. In addition, they do not have a lunch menu but serve from the same menu and prices all day and evening. I also did not find the prices all that reasonable. You do not pay much more at the Restaurant or Garwoods and get much better fare in my view. I thought we may have just hit an off day so we went back for dinner on a recent Sunday night. Again the food was just OK. My wife got the baked fish and it was dry. The breading was not even browned over most of the fish. My daughter got a cheeseburger and it was mediocre and a bit overcooked. I had the Quesidilla it it was no better than what one would find at a run of the mill chain restaurant. Sorry to be so negative, but I found all of the past reviews by the folks on the forum to be right on the money so when I finally disagreed with one and gave the place a second try, I felt the need to post my comments.

[Jmo77011]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

Too bad yoiu didn't tell the waitress that you would deduct the cost of bread from her tip.

I worked in a restaurant (in the Lakes Region) that charged for extra bread, too. It wasn't fun to explain that to customers, believe me! But I didn't make the menu, the prices, or the policies. Don't punish your waitress over something that she can't control.

[beagle]

We recently had relatives up to visit who wanted to take us out to dinner on a Thursday night. Since our party included four kids ages 6 years, 5 years, 2 years and 6 months old, I thought this would be good due to the family rating on this forum. I actually stopped by around lunch time and made the reservation in person stating that we would be in tow with the small ones. Our reservation was for 6 pm; we arrived a bit late at 6:15 but were quickly seated in the dining room. My husband thought (wisely) to ask if we could be seated outside which we were (good so far). We did get our drinks and two plates of nachos. However we did not receive our meals until almost 8:15!!! This was after my husband made two trips to track down the waitress, who apologized stating that they were very busy. Well, I had to use the girls room and saw 4 tables occupied in the dining room and less than half the tables occupied in the tavern area. Not really that busy in my opinion. Oh yeah, and around 7:15 I ordered the bread for the kids but that didn't even arrive until 8. Thank goodness the kids were super well behaved and that we were outside so that they could move around. The food, when it finally arrived, was good, but it was wayyy past bedtime by the time we were done. So if you have young kids, I would avoid this place as they don't seem to be attentive to their needs .

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by beagle

However we did not receive our meals until almost 8:15!!! This was after my husband made two trips to track down the waitress, who apologized stating that they were very busy. Well, I had to use the girls room and saw 4 tables occupied in the dining room and less than half the tables occupied in the tavern area. Not really that busy in my opinion.

Just something to keep in mind, "busy" in a restaurant is often a relative term in relation to the staff they have on hand. If a key kitchen person has called in sick, or recently quit, or some other thing is going on, then "busy" can happen with not many orders.

I wasn't there, and no matter what the kitchens personal issues are you are certainly within you right to expect your meals in a timely manner.

[beagle]

I realize that staffing may be an issue, but 45 minutes for a basket of bread that the waitress has to bring? I am assuming they don't bake the bread there, I may be wrong.

[jkjoshuatree]

...but maybe I'll reconsider. Kind of sick of Garwoods and the Restaurant isn't really their type of place. Any other suggestions in the Wolfeboro area? Don't forget, they're 17; they'd consider The Woodshed "fancy".

I was thinking more along the lines of Bayside or Garwoods.

Thanks.

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by jkjoshuatree

...but maybe I'll reconsider. Kind of sick of Garwoods and the Restaurant isn't really their type of place. Any other suggestions in the Wolfeboro area? Don't forget, they're 17; they'd consider The Woodshed "fancy".

I was thinking more along the lines of Bayside or Garwoods.

Thanks.

Have you tried El Centenario? It is good Mexican food and if you like Gaucomole, they prepare it table-side to order.

[KBoater]

they mght like the WolfeTrap

[jkjoshuatree]

VitaBene,

Where is El Centenario?

FLboater,

I was planning on taking other company I had there but heard bad things about it. Has your experience been favorable?

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by jkjoshuatree

VitaBene,

Where is El Centenario?

FLboater,

I was planning on taking other company I had there but heard bad things about it. Has your experience been favorable?

14 Union Street, from the town docks, walk to Main Street, take a right, then a left onto Union Street. It is only a few minutes from the docks.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by jkjoshuatree

VitaBene,

Where is El Centenario?

FLboater,

I was planning on taking other company I had there but heard bad things about it. Has your experience been favorable?

Since I live about 8 blocks from La Mission distrito en San Francisco, I usually don't eat Mexican while in New Hampshire. However, I had lunch there last year and was pleasantly surprised. Not as good as what I get in San Fran, but I would return.

[jkjoshuatree]

...sorry to be a pain.

VitaBene...thanks for the directions.

Gary...I love Mexican food. I assume if you go out in San Fran (great city by the way) it's for REAL Mexican food, right? Not the Chili's type of Mexican?

Is that what El Centenario is?

I'll just try it by myself if the kids aren't into it. Not sure if they like the real deal but I sure do. Boston (and Cambridge in particular) have amazing Mexican restaurants and I can't even bring myself to eat at a place like Chili's for Mexican. It's not even Mexican.

Anyway, thanks to both of you!!

[Lakepilot]

I love authentic Mexican Food. El Centenario isn't authentic, but it's really good anyway. I think if you like Mexican, you'll like their interpretation of Mexican.

[Jonas Pilot]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the owners are Mexican. I consider myself a "foodie" and I'm very hard to please. When I went there I thought the service was above average, food above average and prices fair. My wife agreed. I look forward to going back again.

[beagle]

or at least one of the owners is. Love their food, good selection of tequillas too! But it is small, you might want to make a reservation.

[Heaven]

Originally Posted by Lakepilot

I love authentic Mexican Food. El Centenario isn't authentic, but it's really good anyway. I think if you like Mexican, you'll like their interpretation of Mexican.

I would think that just like USA, there are many interpretations and twists on food in Mexico, and they would all be authentic to their region.