The Surf Hotel

The Surf Hotel was an amazing place to hold my wedding dinner after our ceremony on Crescent Beach. Pat was very accommodating, and ensured that we had everything that we wanted, right down to ordering our favorite beer from Two Roads for the bar. The restaurant was beautiful, and the set-​up was cozy for our 40 or so guests. We were able to walk straight from the beach to the private dining room, and had gorgeous views from the room, as well as access to the porch & patio areas overlooking the beach.
The food was incredible, and we returned a few times the week after just to have the crab cakes!
We are so grateful to have chosen the Surf for our wedding day, and can’t wait to return for our 1^st anniversary this year!

Amazing view! We went on their last day of service and everything was in stock, and their service was prompt. They did forget the pickles with our sandwiches (my sons favorite) but as soon as we asked them about it they brought some out for us. We didn’t stay at the hotel but might look into it for our next trip since the downstairs seemed really cool and the location can’t be beat. Right on the sand and a short walk to the ferry.

Nice restaurant in the Hotel. My wife had the NY Strip, nice cut and prepared very nicely (medium rare), she loved it. I had the swordfish, which can be tricky to not dry it out, but the kitchen prepared it perfectly. Very happy with wait staff as well. Recommend it.

We went to the restaurant for lunch on a VERY rainy day. We both had a bowl of clam chowder to start and it was very good. The salads and appetizers were good too.
The wine list was very slim so I wound up drinking beer. It was raining so hard we were trapped there for a while so we sat at the bar and had a few more drinks. It turned a rainy day into a fun day.

The Surf hotel is a beautiful place to have a cocktail and enjoy a spectacular view. It has been an excellent place to eat for the past couple of years, but i was sadly disappointed the other night. As with most places on this tourist island, you pay extraordinary prices for blah. The middle class are being pushed out. It is a truism that if you charge more money for stuff people will think you must be better than average when in reality it’s all the same, just average. Well any how, we sat outside and waited. And waited. Must have been a busy night for our waiter. He finally came and asked if we were ready to order. I said we would like a cocktail first. Our waiter needed some serious training I.e. reaching over us or through us, taking forever to get simple things. He was very pleasant but didn’t know anything about serving. I ordered clam chowder for a soup and seafood Fra diavolo for the entrée. The chowder was excellent. I should have ordered more and stayed with that. The seafood Fra Diavolo had the right flavor but where’s the seafood? Two scallops, OK, two mussel shells, two small shrimp, and there might have been some more seafood, but I didn’t see it. Might have had a scrap of fish of some kind somewhere in the mix. It was not worth $ 28.00! Not even close. My guest had swordfish, she said it was, OK, but her vegetables were raw. She was right, the string beans were barely cooked, which made them very «stringy», and inedible. For the price you pay it was not worth eating there. Now, having having drinks and enjoying the evening that’s a different story. 5 stars for the view. 2 for the food and service.

Pretty amazed at this place. Not the first time to block, but first time here. Went in with the family, party of 5. Got seated right away, it was early, 5:00pm, but the kids were ready to eat. Ordered pretty quickly, the wife and I got 2 apps and split a chicken part. I know, on the island? But we have had seafood for days and needed a change. Apps and food came quickly and the coconut shrimp was great. Also had an order if bruschetta, which was also well played with a good balsamic. Food is above average, but the view is killer!
Ambiance. 10
Food 8
Service/​staff 10

Great view, good food. Our server Erin was very friendly. They let us bring our (small) dog to the table with comfy seats overlooking the beach, sat for 2 hours and had a great time. Great stuffed haddock and calamari. Will be back again.

THE HOTEL– meh if you know block island you are happy to find a place to stay! You are never in your room anyways, you are enjoying the island. but its shared bathroom, no AC and its haunted. so enough with that. Still a good place to stay lol
HAPPY HOUR– this view is one to none. on the back deck! you feel like you are in hawaii
DRINKS BEFORE OR AFTER DINNER ATMOSPHERE– Love the live music, sometimes a place like this the crowd could suck based on who is staying at the hotel. but love the life music and the porch, its very romantic
DINNER– the food is great! had the mussels, yum. and I remember the steak being excellent too!

Are you kidding me?! Bartenders at the outside bar and waitresses clearing tables were literally throwing drinks over the fence onto the beach from tables they were clearing constantly. Real classy. Food was good, definitely not the best on block. As we are sitting finishing our drinks with the tab on the table the 70-​year-​old hostess brings a couple to our table and says «they’re leaving soon» and then escort them to the bar WTF. The food was very rushed as well.

This review is for the restaurant.
Great view (oceanfront, from the dining deck). Bad drink (pre-​mixed Bloody Mary). Even worse service time (30 mins for an order of calamari).

So tonight was our second consecutive dinner at the Surf Hotel! We are planning a third tomorrow evening! The view from the table is breath taking which places it ahead of every other restaurant on the island. We had Joe from Trumbull (the waitstaff has their hometowns on their name badge) and requested his section again! We had the Caprese salad as an app both nights and it was spectacular. We also had oysters, shrimp cocktails, crab cakes too. The bread and herb butter is fresh and crunchy. Sourdough french bread and delicious. Entrées were steak, shrimp scampi, blackened striped bass special. Joe is an excellent waiter who considers kids needs and is a consummate professional. They bought my wife a chocolate cake with a candle for her birthday and the staff sang to her in harmony! Do not miss this dining experience! There are no reservations for parties under 6 but we had no problem getting a table. This restaurant made our stay a spectacular memory!

When I first entered this restaurant, I immediately noticed the stunning view. I literally have never seen such a perfect view before. The wide and open porch allows the eaters to see the wide expanse of ocean as small waves beat against the shore while making that little wave noise.
Just a forewarning, you might wanna dress nice because this restaurant is definitely high class.
The food is here is a bit under exquisite, compliments to the chef. The food probably holy some of the best seafood I’ve ever had, with it having enough fish flavor, but not too much to the point where the ocean flavor overwhelms the tastebuds. The crab cakes are a delicacy, the pasta is a gourmet dish that would make Bobby Flay lose, and the Peppercorn chicken commands a restaurant dedicated to itself. If you’re willing to spend a pricy penny, you will eat the best food you have ever eaten.
However, the main factor that separates this restaurant from a five star restaurant is the service. Their front staff was full of terse waiters with tapping feet and tongues like knives. Their attitudes almost gave this restaurant a three, but the back staff really did wonders so I was forced to give this a four. The plates and spoons are really nice, and napkins are so amazing that you might be compelled to take them home. And, like most of the restaurants on the island, they are full of different shakers, but they are nice. Overall, a really good restaurant in term of seafood.

I stayed at the inn and ate breakfast here. The trip I had out here was crazy as we arrived during an epic downpour on 4^th of July weekend 2014. It was like we were arriving off a ship, in a storm in 1876 and we walk up the road through the village, climb the front porch stairs out of the weather and into a welcoming parlor with guests gathered around a piano singing and carrying on. This was an amazing first impression and I immediately felt welcome.
The rooms are small and uncomfortable. Whatever you think they are, they are smaller than that. The room has a hard bed and a sink. I threw beer and ice in there. There’s lots of stairs and hallways to travel. There’s no air conditioning. Bathroom and shower is down the hall. Now if you read through all that and you still think you can deal, you might like it here.
I had a great time hanging in the parlor watching the World Cup and talking to people. Many guests I met were Surf veterans and they love it here. They love that it’s in a time warp. They talked how the fresh ocean breeze that wafts through the windows in lieu of air conditioning is magical. The charm of the grand old Victorian inn, the simplicity of enjoying some quiet relaxation from a rocking chair on the front porch. This is the way vacation feels.
There’s a bar in the parlor with the one TV in the whole place and a formal dining room adjacent. The main bar is on a deck facing the ocean and east side of the island on the north side of the big wraparound porch, with some outside tables. The breakfast was good, I had a western omelette with home fries and it filled me up. The view is so amazing, you wont want to get up to leave.
So check out the Surf. Just go to Block Island and walk in and if you like it, order a beverage grab a chair and stay awhile. It’s a charming old hotel in a beautiful place.

This review is for the restaurant, not the hotel.
On a September Saturday, we went in search of lobster rolls and a lovely setting. Passing up several other options (one of which I may have been vying for), we settled on Surf hotel for it’s picturesque setting and choice of not one but two lobster roll versions. We had to wait for a few minutes before being seated, but it was a busy day, so that was no big deal.
The menu reads like most other ocean-​front, old school lunch spots do: burgers, seafood, and salads. We were able to examine the menus for a very long time, as it took a while for the servers to figure out who was taking our table and then it took that server a good long while to get organized enough to come over and take our order.
Once that was done, we waited for the food. Lobster rolls all around, save for one who got fish tacos and honestly I think he was the wisest. Upon first bite, I got a mouthful of shell and not much flavor, sadly. There was really nothing to this lobster but a small dollop of mayo and some celery, which would be alright if the lobster was at least super fresh and flavorful. Unfortunately, it tasted like it had either been previously frozen or perhaps in the fridge for a few days. On the whole, I did not enjoy this version of a lobster roll, and immediately wished I had ordered something else, and I ended up eating most of the accompanying French fries to make up for the taste.
Another aspect of the experience I found really disappointing was when my father-​in-​law was served his iced tea without any sweetener, and then ignored when he tried to ask for some. And then ignore some more, and then some more. Usually, and especially at a nicer establishment like this one is supposed to be, the server will either ask you if you want sweetener or serve it along side your tea or coffee. This woman was in such a rush to move onto the next table that she barely paused while putting down his glass, and then he had to wait for another 15 minutes before asking for some sugar, and even eventually go tup to grab it from the server’s stand himself. The poor guy — this whole situation was so disappointing I didn’t even mind it when he left her a 10% tip.
In short, there are so many other options for lobster rolls and ocean views on BI, you shouldn’t waste your time (or $ 20+) for the rolls here. It’s overpriced, poorly staffed and not all that enjoyable.

Excellent service Fantastic view Friendly and attentive staff Decent food at a decent price Definitely recommend. I came here from across the street at The National, where the service was so appalling I left. Boy was I glad we came here! I
WAS OVERJOYED with the waitstaff here Even the ones that didn’t attend our table What an awesome way to make our mini vacation feel truly special

For a week every summer during my childhood my family came and stayed at the wonderful Surf Hotel. However, since it had closed and reopened in the past few years (and added a restaurant) I had heard negative things especially about the food. On our most recent trip to Block Island though, we decided to try the restaurant at the Surf and were pleasantly surprised at how wonderful it was!
First of all, the views are incredible. We came for dinner around 8 pm and watched the sunset over the gorgeous crescent beach. It was stunning, with the calm water and ferries coming in and out of the old harbor.
Our waitress was fantastic — funny, nice, patient. She did not rush us at any point. We shared a special of the evening to start — fried whole belly clams. Delicious! They came atop french fries and cole slaw but really we just ate the clams, which were crispy and very tasty.
For entrees, everyone loved what they ordered including the seared tuna, tuna martini, and scallop/​shrimp pasta dish. The fish and seafood were all cooked perfectly. We really enjoyed our dinner at the Surf and the interesting, creative menu. Live music on the lawn began at some point too which was lovely. So happy that the Surf has returned to it’s former glory!

Walked up to my room on 3^rd floor. Room was barely large enough to fit a full size bed. The doors to adjacent rooms were locked with either flimsy locks or simply placing a furniture piece in front of the door. Our room faced Dodge St. so we faced the other hotel across the street. Only privacy were open lace curtains that you clearly could see through especially at night. There is only one women’s and men’s restroom on each floor. The men’s didn’t looked like it was cleaned more than once a day. If you need ice, go down to the front desk and ask for it.
Jeff T.: Glad you enjoyed the striped bass on Sunday. My group of friends caught them on Sat morning from our fishing trip excursion. We asked the chef to prepare dinner for our group and worked out the menu. The same one you also enjoyed the next day. We got charged full dinner prices for it and more than half of our catch was missing. As suspected, we now know where it went. Fresh bass after our group checked out of the hotel. Did you get to enjoy listening to music stuck on Kenny G by the rear bar? Lol.
2 Stars only because of its location. Fun just sitting on the front balcony to interact with other tourists going by. Great fun battling who can entertain the people doing the same thing @ the hotel across the street.

Lets start with my Hendricks martini. Perfect. Waiter was funny and Efficient. The clam chowder was award-​winning the tuna appetizer looks fresh and tasty and calamari was definitely a keeper. Our table of five decided to fish tonight. Two orders of striped Bass order of salmon, tuna and swordfish. The striped bass was amazing
Will definitely come back

Simply the best on the block! Gorgeous view… great food! $ 2 shrimp, $ 1 oysters and 50 cent little necks until 6 pm! The chef Jerry is fantastic! The staff is very friendly. Be sure to try the pain killer cocktail! Unbelievable! Everything is reasonably priced. For a two day trip I’ve been here twice already and planning to come back later for dinner! This place deserves 4 stars!

This review is based solely on the two times the wife and I dined at the Surf Hotel for breakfast. Since breakfast is one of my favorite meals you get points for doing it right. I probably would have dined here for breakfast everyday if I had an endless amount of funds. Not that this place was expensive, because I thought the prices were slightly below the Block Island standard; which is another plus, but eating out everyday for three meals can add up.
One thing I enjoyed about dining here was the friendliness of some of the staff. On our first visit we had a little stumble, as our waitress was the lead dinner server working an AM shift. However she was great for the rest of the service. The waitress on our second trip was a little iffy. She forgot a few things, gave me orange juice in a much smaller glass then my previous visit, gave me coffee but I had to track down the busboy for sugar and cream. You can tell she was struggling, which I believe played a part in the food being different from what I witnessed, but she was trying her best. In addition, the executive chef came out of the kitchen every morning to greet everyone, and the conversation was not limited to just food. Though he did not like my NY Yankees hat, it was nice conversing with him on both occasions
On our first trip to the Surf I decided to go with the French-​Toast. Cooked to the perfect texture, and covered with the right amount of powdered sugar made this man very happy. I choose to pass on the usual breakfast meats and ordered my favorite; corned beef hash. I usually do my best to order corned beef hash whenever it is on the menu. It was served on a plate like a patty. The outside had a good crispy texture, and the inside was filled with chucks of corned beef. To be honest, I really cannot say I passed on the normal breakfast meats. I did sample a few pieces of bacon from my wife’s Good Start Breakfast (Eggs, home fries, toast, & meat). On our second visit I couldn’t decide between keeping it simple with pancakes, or test their skills and order an omelet. The wife ordered the same Good Start Breakfast, so I decided to go with the pancakes. I was a little disturbed at first because they didn’t look like the pancakes I witnessed someone else eating when I was there earlier in the week. They were not topped with whipped butter and powdered sugar as stated on the menu, they were thinner and not fluffy, and I only received two and I believe three was the normal stack. On the flip side (no pun intended) they were much wider. All my concerns diminished once I started eating. I would have loved to have the powdered sugar and whipped butter, but packets of butter is just fine. The wife had no complaints about her food.
Enjoying my morning coffee on the patio watching the beach and boats was an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Like fellow poster Jane mentioned, scenery is a plus. It’s not central park, but relaxing. The fact that I was able to enjoy a good breakfast at the same time was just icing on the cake; not to mention the friendliness of the staff.