The Fisherman Restaurant

The place has been closed for renovations since late winter. When it was open, the service was spotty, the décor was tired and there was a never ending rotation of chefs. Too bad, under prior owners it was a go-​to spot.

Been back a few times. Each time the food, staff, and even parts of the restaurant are different. Foods generally been pretty good overall, some hits and some misses. Biggest hesitation is that each time we walk in the door, we never know what kind of experience we’re going to get.

If you go to a sea food lace there should be some tasty fish or even lobster on the menu. Unfortunately the only lobster available was in the bisque.
The place was quiet and so I thought there would be faster service– nope.
The internal temperature in the lace was more towards broiling the customers rather than the scallops.
Perhaps it was an off night for them but I’m not coming back.

Bad Experience!
Let me first say that I’m not usually one to complain about a restaurant, having worked in a variety of positions from dishwasher to Sous Chef I have an appreciation for all restaurants and respect the uniqueness of each one. I took my father to this restaurant to celebrate his 60’th birthday, at first glance this restaurant is dated and dirty, the rugs are mismatched and the windows aren’t clean. The dining room was nearly empty, so we were able to get a table overlooking the water, so far so good.
The waiter first approached us for our drink order, however he had no idea what beers were on tap (or in the bottle for that matter), and was also unable to provide us with a drinks menu, which left us shooting in the dark for our drink order.
After the drinks came we ordered appetizers, clam chowder, lobster bisque, oysters, and mussels carbonara. That was the last time I saw our waiter for 30 minutes when the appetizers arrived and the waiter took our entrée order. My brother had the mussels carbonara and was nice enough to let me have a few, SAND «CRUNCH CRUNCH». To get the sand out of my mouth I reached for my freshly poured beer and tilted it back… to find that the glass was FILTHY, with food caked on the bottom.
On to placing our entrée order…
Mom: Whats the catch of the day?
Server: Salmon.
Mom: Uhm… ok… how is it cooked?
Server: Pan seared.
(Mom decided against the mystery salmon)
I ordered a NY strip because, to be honest, none of the seafood on the menu at the SEAFOOD RESTAURANT seemed the least bit appetizing. I must admit that the steak was one of the few bright points of my evening, they hit medium rare perfectly which is a challenge for most places.
And then for the check…
1-​He charged me for that FILTHY beer (that had to be sent back and I did not drink)
2-​It was overpriced for the quality they were serving
3-(This is the part that set me over the edge) As I was slipping my card into the bill holder, the same server was talking to the table behind us that had just come in. «Hi welcome to the Fisherman Restaurant, I’m XXX and I’ll be taking care of you today, our beers on tap are … And here’s our wine list… today we have a pan seared mahi mahi in a demi glaze sauce and a fire grilled salmon fillet, let me get you some warm bread while you make up your minds» Total attitude change… We hadn’t even been told there was mahi mahi… I might have ordered it…
I would not recommend this place to anyone, and I have never had a worse experience at a restaurant.

We ate there last night. It was the last time. Entering the dining area we were immediately confronted with the overpowering odor of mildew old dirty torn carpet. We waited almost an hour for an overworked waiter to take our order. When it finally arrived over an hour later my fried fisherman’s platter was overdone and my friend’s the same. Just couldn’t wait to leave.

Holy hell, what a disaster.
You might be wondering how it’s possible to screw up what SHOULD be a solid hit — perfect location, water views, some outdoor seating, been around forever.
You can start with a beautiful sunset seen through filthy windows (they’ve been filthy the 5 or 6 other times I’ve been there, btw). How about the torn carpet where they obviously removed some sort of partition and just left the gap so you could trip on it? At 6:30 on a perfect summer Saturday, this place should NOT have only three other tables occupied — so that tells you everything right there. I should have gone with my gut and done an about-​face, but the kids were hungry and the only other nearby restaurant was packed (The Seahorse).
The rolls and herbed butter were good, but that’s about where it ended.
I started with low expectation and decided to keep it simple with the expensive menu — linguini with white clam sauce for $ 19. What I got was more of an alfredo sauce, very sticky and not a hint of broth for dipping. It came with an entire TWO (yes, I counted them) clams in their shell on top and a few bits here and there in the pasta.
The SO had the Petit Boullabaise — I can’t comment on it because I’m not fond of the dish, it always seems that it’s impossible to make without having the seafood (especially the bivalves and crustaceans) come out tough and rubbery and this was no exception). You can’t simmer fish without consequence. t wasn’t cheap at $ 25.
Okay, now the easy part — the kids menu. A cheeseburger and a hot dog. All dogs are the same, but I like some good beef. About a quarter way into the meal I surreptitiously stabbed a small forkful because it looked good, handformed with a decent char and I was not digging my pasta at all.
One little bite of hamburger. The beef had gone rancid. UNBELIEVABLE.
Not just a little off, but waaaayyyyy offffffff…
Didn’t want to upset the kids, told her to eat some hot dog instead and then left the table and got the manager. They ended up taking both kids meals off the bill and throwing away all the hamburger they had in the kitchen.
Even at that, though the tab was $ 61 without tip. So for $ 61 you get clams alfredo, a rundown and dirty dining experience, and rotting food.
Until it changes hands, I will never return — which is a shame because it’s right next door to where I spend a lot of the summer.

I don’t understand what has home wrong with this place because my family and I have come here in the past and gotten good meals but when we went to Fishermans last night it was absolutely terrible!
There was no one in the place which really should have told us something. I ordered the fish and chips and it was so fried and greasy that I didn’t want to eat it. My mom ordered the baked stuffed shrimp an it was covered in butter and oils. My dad ordered the swordfish which was just ok.
While we were there we heard another woman complaining to the waitress about her meal saying that it was soaked in so much oil and fat!

Do not be fooled by some of the reviews on here, the food is mediocre and the services is HORRIBLE.
Last year I went searching for a place to have my rehearsal dinner in the area. My fiancé and I had lunch here and weren’t completely blown away but liked that the patio had such a great view. I called the restaurant 6 months in advance to inquire about hosting the rehearsal there on the patio.
The first time I called they told me to call back because Kristal wasn’t in and she handles the events. Fine, while I didn’t find this to be convenient for me I didn’t think anything of it. I left my contact information, the date for the event and was told she would contact me.
3 days later, with no one reaching out to me I contacted the restaurant again. Same thing, she wasn’t in she’ll call you. I called for the next 4 days!!! She was either not in till 4pm, not in for the day or «she hasn’t contacted you yet?» It was as if the restaurant wasn’t interested in making a couple thousand dollars.
A week and a half from my first call, she contacted me, finally. And she never apologized for not getting back to me sooner. She went on to tell me about the type of service they offered for rehearsal dinners, that my date was available and even the outrageous fee for renting the patio that Friday night. We spoke for about 10 minutes, I told her I wanted to put a deposit down on the patio, and she promised to send the menus over via email the next morning so that I could make selections.
Nothing for 2 days, so I email her requesting the menus again and info so that I can make out the deposit. 4 days later!!! She emails me back saying they do not rent the patio on a holiday weekend and sorry for the inconvenience. ONE SENTENCE. I wanted to scream. lol
Over 2 weeks of trying to get in touch with this place and going back and forth and she writes one sentence. With a completely insincere apology.
In short stay away! They obviously don’t care about their customers or being professional for that matter.

Went here Friday and decided to have a cocktail at the bar before dinner… The bar tender made a perfect dirty martini so we were off to a good start. We accompanied that with some local oysters on the half shell which were also very good. We started talking to another couple and decided to just stay at the bar since everything was going so well. I ordered a special… Seafood penne… Shrimp, scallops, and lobster in a spicy sauce over penne… It was outstanding!!! It should be on the regular menu. My date had a salad with Stonington sea scallops which she enjoyed as well. All in all, a very satisfying dinner. We’ve been here before on a few occasions and have never been disappointed… Will certainly return again!

We went on a Saturday night and it was not busy, which should have been the first clue.
First, the décor: it was a bit run down. Old paint that was chipping on the outside, worn and stained carpet inside. The view was very nice, we had a table near the water but inside.
Second, the menu. The bread they brought out was okay… a bit dry and almost tasted like it was microwaved to get it warm, but the herbed butter was very good. They were out of two things, substituted panko bread crumbs for another kind of breading on a dish and then we found out they were out of oysters on the half shell, after we placed our order. The food on the menu is almost all seafood, and most have some kind of sauce.
In our party we had two order steaks, without the blue cheese topping. The steak was burnt on the bottom and tasteless. One ordered the bouillabaisse and said it was pretty good. I had the salmon with balsamic glaze with apples. The salmon itself was cooked well, but tasteless and the balsamic was very strong. The mashed potatoes were tasty and homemade quality as were the green beans.
The fish and chips was a huge platter but tasted average… not as good as we have had elsewhere. Fried were acceptable to the three kids who ate them. The fried shrimp was plentiful and there was a good amount on the plate. It came with cocktail and tartar sauce.
All in all, it was pretty expensive for the quality of food. For a seafood restaurant, right on the water, we expected higher quality. I will not go back next time we are in the area.

When we first went here over 20 years ago the Fisherman was a really good and fancy restaurant. Over the years the management has changed and the quality of the food has declined. The last time we went here we weren’t impressed at all. The Fisherman had gone down hill in a big way.
My husband and I were looking for a seafood restaurant and I turned to Unilocal.The Fisherman got mixed reviews. We decided to try to it once more. I am happy to say that we were pleasantly surprised. We were seated right away and our drink order was taken. Our server Erin, told us the specials and what was changed on the menu.
We both ordered the raw No. Stonington oysters. They were fresh, cold and sweet to the taste. So good in fact that both my husband and I ordered another serving of them
My husband had the swordfish and I ordered the scallops in a lobster bisque sauce. I am gluten intolerant and the waitress was happy to have the chef leave out the panko bread crumbs. Both meals were excellent!
We were too full for dessert, so the waitress suggested we bring it home and enjoy it later… which we did.
It has certainly gotten much better since the last time we were there and we are very happy about that. We will definitely be going back.
I gave it four stars because it has been better and if it continues the way it is going it will be back to the way it used to be way back then.

The secret to the fisherman is eat in the pub, service is the best, the bartender David is excellent, pub menu has better deals. our favorite is the Stonington Scallops fried or baked only $ 15.00 the BEST.

I don’t understand all the rave reviews of this place. Perhaps we just walked in on a bad night? Is this restaurant better at lunch than dinner?
The Fisherman Restaurant is located across the street from the beach and has a lovely view. My husband and I went on a date and scored a window seat from the incredibly friendly hostess. Our waitress was also very friendly.
We visited on a Wednesday night — there were several other tables occupied, but it was by no means a busy evening. The service was very slow. It took nearly 40 minutes to get bread and beverages. The bread felt like it may have been warm at one point, but was no longer warm when we got it.
Our appetizer (stuffed mushrooms) was disappointing — the mushrooms and stuffing had good flavor, but were cold by the time they finally got to us. They had clearly been sitting out for a while before our waitress brought them over.
Entrees were even more disappointing. My husband ordered steak, which was overcooked and under-​seasoned. The crab cake, however, was delicious. I ordered broiled scallops; they came swimming in some sort of soup (lobster bisque, maybe?) that was not mentioned in the description on the menu. The soup was tasty, but cold. The scallops themselves were overcooked, rubbery, and also cold.
So, 2 stars for a beautiful view and friendly employees, but we’ll most likely never go back.

Dirty windows look out on a lovely view. The smell of mildew reminds me of my highschool football locker room. Our calamari was prepared in oil that should have been changed back before Obama entered office. We sent them back. Our waitress was the highlight of our short visit after our apps we decide to finish our drinks and leave. I hope this is the worst the Mystic area has to offer. Another positive the bartenders pours on the Knob creek we ordered was generous.

View was beautiful, the service was good. The food was very average.
No lobster tails on the menu, but they had lobster rolls.
The lobster rolls were tough and stringy…
I might give this plac a second chance if I’m back in the area, but only for the view.

My sister and I went here last week for lunch and I was really impressed. The French onion soup was awesome. It is possibly one of the best I have had. I also had steak. It wasn’t the worst steak but it wasn’t the best piece of meat. It was mostly fat. My sister had a sandwich that she loved. I’ll check this place out again.

Quaint local restaurant. So glad it was open in the off season! Good service, delicious scallops!
I would recommend to others in the area and would most likely go again if I was in the area.

This is my second time dining at The Fisherman Restaurant. The first time both the food and service were excellent. On this occasion, the food was the only saving grace. The crab cake appetizer, Ahi-​tuna salad and Salmon entrée was all amazing (my compliments to the chef!). The service, however, sucked!
We arrived around 7:45pm on a Monday evening. There weren’t that many parties already there (compared to our previous visit), but we were told that we would have to wait 5 minutes for our table to be ready. Not too bad, so we went to the bar to grab a drink. The bartender was slightly slow, but still pretty good. We were then seated… seated at a table that had been ready since we arrived (I noticed the table when I got there because I had hoped to sit next to the window by the water). Why couldn’t we have been seated right away? I assumed that maybe the waitstaff would not be able to come right away and they didn’t want us to wait. Fine. But WAIT is all we did the entire dinner! Once the waitress finally came over, she didn’t explain any of the specials or ask if we had questions about the menu. We ordered an appetizer and two entrees and she went on her way. We never assume that the length of time food takes is the waitstaff’s problem. But, our waitress didn’t come over once after our order was placed, even though my husband and I both were out of water and had finished our drinks from the bar. We even considered walking out but I was hungry and was looking forward to what I had ordered, if ever got it. When our appetizer came out, we had to ASK for more water and if a bread plate would be brought out (we’d seen other tables receive bread) and she said she’d check to see if any was in the oven! Really!!! We’ve been at our table for 30+ minutes and you’re just now checking on bread, after we have to ask!!! She never once asked if we would like another round of bar drinks. Another 20+ minutes passes and we receive our entrees and have to once again ask for more water. Luckily the food itself was phenomenal — the restaurant’s only saving grace on this night. We didn’t see our waitress again until she brought the check. Dessert or coffee was never offered. At this point I just wanted to leave because of frustration.
I will likely return because the food is so delicious but I will be sure to avoid having that waitress again.

Since I’m a seafood lover and others in our party of 5 were not, we settled on the Fisherman Restaurant because they offered a wide selection of food to meet all tastes.
The restaurant is located on the water and offers a breathtaking view. They have options of dining indoors or out, we chose to stay in. Most of the tables indoors are right by a window so you can still enjoy the view regardless of where you sit.
Once we sat down and put in our order I was very disappointed to find out that first off the one wine I liked, they didn’t have in stock, and the steamers and little necks had sold out. This did not sit well with me. I called 45 mins before arriving and was told they had both. I was pretty mad. The least they could’ve done is told me they were running low when I asked.
For apps, we ordered the calamari, cherry stone clams and oysters. All 3 were very good. As my main dish, I ordered the baked stuff shrimp, while others ordered the Stonnington scallops and the salmon. The Baked Stuffed shrimp was «ok» but not the best. The stuffing lacked the richness this area is so well known for. The scallops were excellent (prepared in a thick cream sauce which was rich and decadent) and the salmon was awful. My friend specified several times she wanted the salmon cooked a certain way, and well the cook just didn’t get it right and had to be sent back. Then when it finally came back out (20 mins later) we were over it and asked for it to be removed from the bill.
The service was slow, however very apologetic for the mishaps. Overall this place was «ok» but in all honesty, ‘Ive had much better and think there are much better places in the area.

My son and I came for an early dinner. I was a bit disappointed in the menu because I expected it to be more plain seafood but most everything was made with sauces like a lobster with white sauce and noodles.
The steamer were our favorite. I also had the NE clam chowder and was surprised that I didn’t care for it… I don’t know how to explain it other than it had a tangy flavor to it like maybe a bit of lemon juice… heck I am west coast maybe NE clam chowder is suppose to taste like that but I regardless I didn’t care for it.
My son order the shrimp tempura. The shrimp were large and lightly battered… we ended up taking off the batter and dipped them into the buttery broth left over from our steamers.
The lobster noodle dish was a bit heavy on the cream side and was a bit too sweet for our taste but it did have quite a bit of chunks of lobster which we picked through (we were already very full)
Our server was great and the views were nice too.