Broad Arrow Tavern

The Broad Arrow Tavern is a great place to have fun with friends while enjoying a meal. The staff are super kind and always helpful and offer to come find you when it is time for you to eat if there is a wait so you can wander about. Let me just say that I know many of the staff and some have been working here for 10+ years. The staff are upbeat and happy and have a good taste for when you are stuck between two dishes. I have never been upset about my meal selection – the food is pretty much always good. I love the stuffed haddock – it’s cooked to perfection and the filling is to die for. The clam chowder is simple but reminds me of a New York City quality dish but it still has that taste of home. They also offer a wide selection from burgers (way better than that McDonald’s across the street) to soups and seafood. The broad arrow tavern isn’t the most original in creating dishes but they execute the dish with care and great flavor. Recently I came here for Christmas Eve dinner and there was a bit of a wait (45 minutes) but the ladies at the front desk were very kind and put my name in right away and came to find me when my wait was up. While you are waiting you can get drinks from the bar– I did not but I was comfortable on a nice couch scrolling through the latest news and my Twitter feed. They make you feel right at home. Even though they were busy Christmas Eve the food was still very good and was not rushed and sloppy. I also love their thanksgiving buffet– so many options for the non traditional turkey thanksgiving people like me. I had these amazing scallops and mango cranberry sauce which was surprisingly delicious (who would’ve known??) and a cold salmon and noodle dish. I could go on and on about that buffet (I have been going to the Broad arrow tavern for thanksgiving since I was young [ One of my earliest memories there was me eating a whole butter ball plain UGGG I don’t know how I did it]) other than an occasional wait to get in if say the Broad Arrow Tavern is the place to be for lunch/​dinner tonight.

Excellent food and service during the busy holiday season. The clam chowder was amazing with the perfect amount of clams and potatoes in a rich sauce. The night’s special, a steak, was grilled to perfection and topped with vegetables that blended with the horseradish sauce. If you have a shellfish allergy, but still like seafood, definitely try the blackened haddock sandwich. The spicy haddock and sauce go great together. The setting is excellent and so was the service. Definitely recommend!

I had the Pub steak. With blue cheese butter, mashed potatoes all in balsamic with asparagus. What a wonderful pairing. My bride had the lobster blt. Both of us were very happy!
I paired mine with a porter, the flavors balanced well. The staff was attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend!

I read some mixed reviews on The Broad Arrow, but opted to give it a try, and was glad I did. 1^st let me point out that for some reason Google Maps puts them about 4 blocks away down by the huge LL Bean. This isn’t a reflection on them, but is good to know if you are trying to get there.
When I came into The Broad Arrow I encountered the only negative of the experience, and that was a lingering musty smell. Based on prior reviews I ordered the clam chowder, and added a wedge salad with it.
The wedge salad was very good. A nice amount of blue cheese and bacon, without it taking over the salad. It was also a very good portion for the «side salad» size offering. Next came the clam chowder. Easily the best New England style clam chowder I’ve had in a restaurant. The clams were at best a rough chop, but were almost whole. Too often it become a clam purée, but not here. The flavor was strong, the base was a nice thickness, and it was a very hearty meal.
It was busy with tourists, but despite being at or near capacity, the service was quick and attentive.
If you are looking for excellent clam chowder, I would strongly suggest stopping here.

Came for the Lunch buffet which had salad, fried fish, vegetables, pasta, etc. A good variety, but the food was just okay nothing outstanding. The desserts were limited, but I had skipped them anyway. My dining mates shared a pizza and salad which they said was good. I would not be in a hurry to return.

Before plunging into the less than positive aspects of this review, it can be said with all honesty that the Broad Arrow Tavern works well on many levels. The kitchen faithfully delivers solid examples of its interpretations of pub classics. Want a decent burger and fries? The pricey B.A.T. version will satisfy and remind you of why you did not opt for the McDonald’s version across the street. Need to please house guests visiting from far away lands with a New England standby? Baked Haddock is available (as at every tourist-​oriented restaurant in Maine, along with the lobster dinner, the lobster roll, the chowder, and the fish/​chips). On a cold January night, when the tourists have long since departed for warmer climes, the wood-​burning fireplace and brick oven in the kitchen help mitigate winter’s chill and the mildly depressing effects of the dark green paint, industrial carpeting, shot-​gun shell twinkly lights, and the decorating scheme which appears to have been cobbled together from old LL Bean window display props (circa 1993).
As for my visit this week, I was looking for coffee and dessert after a great summer feast at home, and I had fond memories of the over-​sized chocolate chip cookies at the B.A.T. from previous visits years ago. It was either the cookie or a hot-​fruit dessert (blueberry crisp, peach cobbler, etc…), but my cookie memory won out. I am saddened to report that I will have to make due with my memories.
My Lively Companion and I placed our order for the Double Chocolate Chip Cookie and coffee. Our coffees arrived promptly and piping hot with a pitcher of milk. As we stirred the milk into our coffees, so I stirred up my Lively Companion’s anticipation of our coming Double Chocolate Chip Cookie treat. I described how it would require a full fifteen minutes of residence in the blazing brick oven and not a moment less. I lovingly detailed its arrival still nestled in the small cast iron skillet in which it had been baked. Even as I rambled on, I could taste the melted dark chocolate chips oozing around inside the perfectly-​crisped, just-​on-​the-​right-​side-​of-​burned exterior of the enormous cookie.
The cookie arrived, and disappointment was not far behind. Rather than the discus-​like cookie of prior years, cozy and crisp in its hot cast iron home, a used, disc-​golf disc looking cookie heavily drizzled with a Jackson-​Pollock-​esque pattern of chocolate syrup arrived on a china plate seemingly borrowed from the Harraseeket Inn’s more formal «Maine Dining Room» or perhaps mistakenly left in the B.A.T. after a particularly rowdy wedding reception. I apologized to my Lively Companion who is especially fond of any dish which arrives at the table in cast iron. Perhaps liability concerns over patron burns had driven the use of single-​serving cast iron pans from the B.A.T.‘s repetoire. Tempted nonetheless, we plunged our forks into the cookie/​frisbee only to find … a nearly raw dough interior practically devoid of any melted chocolate. In fact, if it were not for the heavily-​drizzled chocolate sauce, we could possibly have credited the B.A.T. with the first chocolate chip-​less chocolate chip cookie. Had the dough been unevenly mixed? Was the drizzled chocolate sauce supposed to represent a de-​constructed chocolate chip cookie, something one might expect at Portland foodie meccas like Grace or Fore Street? I alternated bites of soggy, albeit warm, cookie with apologies to Lively Companion. Only the delicious vanilla ice cream alongside allowed us to avert full dessert disaster. Although I would be tempted to go back to try the fruit crisp another night, I am afraid of ruining another good memory.

Staf was friendly and from my perspective the menu was pretty well thought out (lots of good choices and makes you want to eat there) but the food execution was poor. Nearly every dish was under seasoned. A simple amount of salt and pepper would have made a huge difference. I will not be back.

The salty lobster had a 30 minute wait and found this place on Unilocal.All you can eat Buffett with pretty good food.

Wow — so disappointed! I wanted to treat my parents to lunch for their birthdays, they enjoy seafood and this appeared like a win based on the reviews– I was so bummed; First the bread had some weird string in it, I passed but when our food was delivered it was all wrong — the sides we ordered were delivered wrong, the food literally burned our mouths — we had to sit and stare at the food for 10 minutes before we could even start eating, my moms lobster roll had several prices of shell in it and to top it off our waitress didn’t even care.
My suggestion, walk a few blocks into town for lunch — you’ll be glad you did.

My family had a lunch here during tourist season. A nice walk from LL Bean. Found the server to be nice enough but took quite a while to get our simple order. Which was surprising because it wasn’t very busy. Good food. Not great, as the prices might suggest. I agree with other reviewers that said the price is a tad steep for what you get.
Will pass it by next time we’re in town.

Read some reviews and chose to go here for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious and awesome service.
Foot long lobster roll was overflowing in lobster. The clam chowder fantastic. My wife enjoyed the wedge salad and lobster bisque combination and our son loved the kids fish and chips
Wonderful dinner!

I give this four stars for the staff they were all great people great conversationalists and were very helpful through my visit. I got the baked Mac and cheese it wasn’t the best I’ve had but was worth the price. I love the coziness of the place and the laid back atmosphere.

Loved it. Had a cup of lobster bisque and the lobster roll with butter. Totally enjoyed it. Excellent. Nice atmosphere, pleasant staff.
SO had a haddock dish — she liked it. Sides were great according to her.
Definitely a place to return to.

If you’re lucky enough to have Yvette as your waitress, you’re going to have an absolutely wonderful meal. She’s the bomb-​diggety.
But even if you’re not that lucky, you’re still going to love this place — provided you:
— Order the clam chowder. THIS IS THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER EVER. I dunno what’s going on with this magical recipe, but it’s simply not proper how thick, creamy, savory, and inspiring this chowdah is. It motivated me to be a better person.
— Order some fresh seafood. Lobster rolls are excellent, haddock chowder is fantastic, and the blackened haddock sandwich is super saight.
— Consider the lunch buffet. Then if you’re not totally committed to something on the menu, do it. It’s a delicious, fresh, superb value.
The non-​seafood fans loved it, the seafood connoisseurs were ecstatic, and the dessert fiends were downright comatose (after macking some brownies and gluten free cheesecake).
Go.

Wasn’t sure what I’d be able to get gluten free in Maine but this place made it hard to ever want to come home. Huge variety of options for me including French fries and lobster rolls!!! And delicious ones at that! Absolutely perfect and cozy in every way. Already planning a trip back mainly just to visit this tavern inside the Harraseeket Inn. Great GREAT place!
P. S. Do not leave here without trying the lobster stew!!!

We ate dinner here on a Saturday night. There was a 20 minute wait, so it was busy. After we sat a kid began screaming and did so through most of the meal. The entire place was VERY VERY VERY LOUD. Everyone was trying to have screaming conversations over the background noise, making it that much louder.
The waitress was spread very thin, so she was running all over and service was pretty slow. She is a quiet talker, so it wasn’t easy ordering and hearing what she said. She brought over the bread and I was all excited until I took a piece and realized the bread was cold, almost fridge temp. As was the butter, so it just tore. Neither of the two breads were anything special. Boring white and wheat. I ordered a «Grand Orange Soda» and the flavors were pretty off and it wasn’t that good. I was never offered another drink, or even a refill on my water, so I never got to try anything else. The veggie stew is really a soup with a ton of veggies in it. It was very bland. Almost like they just took veggie stock and tossed in veggies, let it cook for a couple hours and called it done. It was also greasy, not sure where that came from, but it left a film in my mouth.
On to the good parts. The salmon on a plank was perfect. I would order it again and again. The filet was also perfect. The veggies had a great char on them and perfect seasoning. The desserts were soo good also. One thing that bugged me is that at the end, after we had eaten our desserts and received the bill, the bread and plates were still on the table. Its a small table and they should have been cleared long ago. We will give it another shot and just hope we were there on an off night

One of the few times I am in strong disagreement with the Unilocal masses. Cannot believe the 4.5 star aggregate rating — could we have caught it on a bad night? Wouldn’t think a Saturday night dinner in the summer could be an off night, but I guess it is possible. Service was not terrible, but it was mediocre at best. Waiter seemed to be distracted, had a hard time just taking our order and it felt like the drink and food were thrown at us (I get trying to move fast; but take one second to place a dish instead of flinging it).
Food was a major disappoinment. Family of 7 so we always get a wide array and only one dish got a thumbs up. Started with the wedge salad which I strongly suggest you avoid. If you like the wedge, you will be incredibly disappointed by the paltry portion, the seemingly absent bacon and the lack of flavor in the blue cheese. The mac and cheese was another disappointment — very dry and no flavor at all. Crab cake — tried desparately to find a piece of crab but couldn’t — just flavorless filler. Pizza was another disappointment — had the sausage and it really did not resemble or taste like something prepared in a brick over. Burger was relatively unremarkable. One winner dish was the wood fired pork loin — got two thumbs up.
A lot of comments about the atmosphere which surprises me. I am a big fan of rustic taverns so the theme here should be right up my alley but this just felt tired and outdated.
Definitely a pass for me and not a place I’d stop back at.

This is our go-​to spot in Freeport. I’ve been eating here for years on visits with my family. Since moving here a year ago, my husband, son, and I eat here quite a bit. There’s something really warm and inviting about this place and it’s surprising for me to say that because moose heads and stuffed ducks are not my idea of décor, but it works here. Before I discuss the food, which is consistent and good, I should say that the staff is amazing. There is something to be said about a restaurant that retains their staff for years and years. They must treat their employees well and everyone must enjoy working here. Seriously, no joke, some of the servers have been there for 10+ years. And they are awesome and happy.
And now for the food. Like I said, it is consistent and good. Is this a foodie Mecca? No. Is it super inventive? No. But what they offer is a good variety of good food. My husband and I generally get the same thing each time-​a lobster roll with sweet potato fries. What I like is that they offer a lobster roll with butter instead of mayo. I HATE mayo. I know that is how lobster rolls are made but here you have options. They have other «Maine» fare like fried clams, mussels, clam chowder, and lobster stew. And they also offer some pretty decent salads, burgers (I’ve tried the veggie burger and it’s decent), pizzas from the wood fire, fish dishes, and things for carnivores (sorry, I never pay attention to that stuff). It’s a good sized menu with something for everyone. The one thing that lacks are the cocktails. I feel like the have super old school drinks, nothing fancy, and nothing overly memorable. But they do have a good beer selection so that kind of makes up for it.
Overall I just like this place. I’ve never had a bad experience. It’s family friendly. The food is good, and it has a warm vibe. This is the kind of restaurant that knows its identity and isn’t trying to be something it is not, and I appreciate that.

I was excited to go to Broad Arrow Tavern (in the Harraseeket Inn) because it was mentioned more than a few times by coworkers. Both times, it was busy and there didn’t appear to be enough wait staff, so service was on the slower side. The atmosphere is that of a hunting lodge, but the menu tries to go beyond that appearance in order to justify the prices. We came here twice in one week and unfortunately I was disappointed by both experiences.
The bucket of steamed clams was like sand nuggets coated in clam skin (sorry for the unintentional gross imagery!). Even after dipping/​washing, each bite was like being faceplanted in the sand at the beach.
The tenderloin brochette (aka steak kabob) were a tad overcooked, dry, and not tender. The citrus sauce did not complement the steak very well. At least the scallops were good! And dessert! Sometimes they have seasonal /​local specials like amazing cobbler!

I have eaten here a couple times for special occasions and find it to be a very nice, moderately fancy pub restaurant. I like the wooden décor on the inside and there are several food options here that I love:
–bacon wrapped scallops — YUM!
–they have a great salad that has strawberries and goat cheese and I think pine nuts and some other things in there. When you are in healthy mode and want a salad, I highly recommend it because it is delicious.
–salmon — they do their salmon a little differently than the common wood-​plank or lemon butter thing, and it is really good and plain — not overwhelmed by any kind of sauce or flavor.
–delicious pork meal!
I haven’t been back to this place in a while but remember those things, and I know my parents love the steak there as well. They also have «classic Maine» things such as seafood chowder, lobster rolls and whole lobsters. It is not a cheap place, but the food is pretty good and it is attached to the Harraseeket Inn. Very easy walk from the center of Freeport.