Bridgemans Restaurant

O.K., O. K let’s take a look at this. After having been a long time visitor to the place dating back to the early days of maybe 10 years or so ago I wandered in for a bite, to sit outside and watch the color and the honkytonk spectacle that is Hull.
Sure it was a Wednesday night and the weather was great so the place was less than full. First blush the paper taped to the door advertising for every conceivable staff position available gives the visitor a pause — not a good look. Post your jobs on Craigslist maybe but throwing it out there to the diners that «hey we’ve had a hard time attracting employees… and maybe keeping them… do you know anyone who needs a job?» is a bit concerning. Also a mid-​to-​late June dining experience and I did notice the «Spring Menu Special» sign taped to the door (???)
Nice seat outside, waiter a good kid, menus seem a bit different and missing their signature ‘Day Boat Cod with Basil Mashed Potatoes’ dish but hey times change. We all move on. Wine list missing some California staples by the glass like a nice CA Sauvignon blanc but settled for the grassy South African over the citrusy New Zealand so we need a more neutral choice. A couple Rose choices for the summer would help the cause and a couple by the bottle would make a lot of sense considering you could hang a $ 25 – 28 price on a $ 9 bottle (retail) pretty easily.
Looking through the menu the salad with meat choice was lacking a beef component (chicken, shrimp, salmon) so I opted for the salmon over a salad — salad was great, salmon was almost salmon-​jerky over cooked. I thought as I tore into it if it was smoked salmon I ordered but nope. Maybe it was pre-​cooked and the refrigerated and re-​warmed (?).. . not a good look for a place on the water. And what’s the deal with the beef choices? A 16 oz. ‘Cowboy Cut’ or a $ 38 Tenderloin? Marinate some sirloin, blend up a little chimichurri and offer it over some vegetables /​potato or risotto — hell you have a wood fired grill going, what’s the harm?
Rusty T.‘s date had the orange scallop appetizer and a salad — she said the scallops were fantastic, caprese salad was OK as it was mostly very plain red tomatoes and she like a bit more of a yellow /​heirloom touch to her caprese… you know, she has high standards obviously.
Not bad, got out of there with a reasonable tab, wine was O.K., food had some hits and some misses, people seemed O.K. it just appears they need a little more experience /​attention in the kitchen and a few constructive pieces of advice from their customers.
Add /​change
— Summer menu for summer
— Keep you job postings away from the customers
— Varied wine choices starting with CA whites
— Rose by the glass & bottle for summer
— A beef dish from the modern era /​and as a salad topper
— Don’t overcook the fish
— Attention to detail in the kitchen
All-​in-​all I want this place to work!

Right on Nantasket Beach this place features indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the chef’s special of the afternoon, the surf and turf. The steak was amazing – they’d better hide the recipe for whatever marinade they used because I want it! The shrimp crabcakes were a bit bland though. Servers were professional and helpful; ticket time was 13 minutes, not too bad.

Horrible.
First floor doesn’t have ocean view, «no room upstairs»… Table of 8 celebrating a big birthday…2 meals came out late, (whereas others at table were done eating), no apologies just excuses. Asked for upstairs (ocean view) — could not accommodate us (booked on open table a month ago. No private parking (beach lot -$ 20 day if not full) dry fish, $ 25 glass of wine, incompetent management. We were one of 2 tables on a Sunday afternoon and they couldn’t pull it together. Save the $$$- get fried food and sit on the beach. Sign on door saying that they need help in all areas! I agree. Wasted day!!!

I can’t say that I’m surprised at the snarky and passive aggressive response I received on here from Bridgemans Restaurant. Just to make it clear: the management just said right there that they see no problem with guests waiting 50 minutes for their meal, even if the restaurant is only at 2/​3rds capacity with no wait whatsoever. Apparently they’re also not concerned by the fact that several of their waitstaff informed me that their manager «stays in the back because he’s not so good with customers,» and that bad experiences with him are a regular occurrence. They seemed embarrassed when they said these things, and I can imagine that I’d feel the same way. The management seems not to be, however.
You can even see that the management continues be aggressive with his implication that I fell short of his expectations as a customer «sorry that our expectations fell short of each other.» That was the same tone I got in the restaurant from the start, even when all I had done was politely express my dissatisfaction.
So, to summarize one more time: don’t come to this restaurant if you prefer not to wait nearly an hour for your food and be treated like crap by the manager who all the waitstaff are afraid of. Other than that, it’s just fine.

A quaint and Charmin restaurant with very nice, high end touches that don’t make the place feel out of reach. The location is perfect, quiet for the beach with nice views.
The staff is very friendly and professional. I ordered the lobster chowda which had a delectable taste with the right amount of lobster abs vegetables. The entrée was salmon with quina. Wow, both were incredible, I loved the salmon as it had a light buttery taste. For dessert I had Bananas Foster which was excellent.
If there’s one thing I’d change is the fact that I saw the head chief wipe his nose on his Jacke in front of me, where he cooks!

We heard there were new owners. We went on ⁶⁄₁₄. May not be back any time soon.
Wife received a cold meal. My favorite dish, the porcini crusted haddock, was dry and not seasoned as well. Wait staff wasn’t on the ball with drinks ($$$ and weak… don’t skimp if you are gonna charge high end)), follow up, or even knew the specials. Has gotten more expensive. First time we have come out of there in over five years feeling that we didn’t get what we paid for, and feeling totally… eh. What a let down. Sigh.
Things change.
Reading the last few reviews it seems that we aren’t the only ones.
Still have some the best desserts anywhere, but have definitely taken a step down.

We had an excellent meal! Our waitress Kathy was very helpful and attentive. I had the lobster ravioli special and it was delicious. Loaded with lobster. My daughter had the duck with fig ravioli, creative and delicious and my sister had the scallops with sweet corn risotto which was superb. Definitely coming back! Can’t wait for the patio to open. We sat upstairs at a table by the window, great views.

Had a family meal, this past Sunday, on Mother’s Day.
Not happy with the «only one gluten free choice offering», as per our waiter, of mushroom ravioli and no gluten free breads. Ravioli was served undercooked and gummy. Ordered a different entrée and was pleased. Tuna tartare was fabulous. Dessert of Mother’s Day flower was served with freezer crystals on the mango sorbet, but was quite tasty. Others enjoyed their meals but all agreed that waitstaff needs to be better trained in fine dining. Poor service/​need more gluten free choices.

My spaghetti bolognese was unusually sweet, and my Caesar salad (standard lettuce from a bag, topped with bottled dressing) was way over-​priced at $ 11.00. I might give this place another try, but I think I’d rather explore other options.

Just had my last visit to Bridgemans. Food and service used to be good but, no excuse for this evening’s significant mistakes. A trio was performing — nice touch and looked to have a few band friends at the bar. It was early for dinner only another table of two finishing up. I started with bolognese, a ½ portion for app. Good but lacked spice too bland for a bolognese. My wife had lobster chowder — a generous bowl. It was good but was not as described in the menu so threw her off. Menu says «applewood smoked bacon and roasted corn» — had neither. Waitress said «sometimes we change for the season I think the big pieces are sweet potato». Would have been nice to know ahead of time — how was the waitress surprised?
My app came a full 5 minutes after the chowder arrived at the table. Only table bring served and we cannot get staters at the same time! LARGE GLASS PARTITIONS separating kitchen and dinning room — they are mostly standing around and still can’t get it right.
Inexcusable next mistake — remember we are one of now 3 tables seated — half way through app’s our dinners arrive. If Chef does not want to ask the waitress just look through the glass. Server Just put them on the side did not ask to keep them warm. My wife’s shrimp scampi was just OK — could not identify one prominent spice not usual for scampi. When asked waitress said new chef tonight so she went to kitchen to ask. Answer was basil — it was not a basil taste.
I ordered a special; veal chop described as a thick chop breaded with a «sauce» (forgot the type) on bed of risotto. Issue: She neglected to mention the chop was butterflied so it was not thick at prep or serving and mostly way under-​seasoned breading with no sauce. Never asked how I wanted it prepared temperature-​wise. It was cooked ok just too thin and over breaded. The risotto with peas was excellent (I am not a risotto fan, this was really good) and a large portion.
So, menu not updated, waitress without knowledge or bring informed and timing of kitchen and staff could not be worse — cannot imagine if they had a full house the problems that would occur.
On second thought I may go again, just have drinks at the bar with an order of risotto and listen to the band … they were good and better timing than the kitchen.
Updated post
The reply from the owner was such disingenuous baloney. I wish I had checked Unilocal prior to going and saw that there were many other very poor reviews and similar responses from the owner which indicates he doesn’t know how to run a restaurant and have satisfied customers. A poor timing and unknowledgeable staff is a consistent theme and the owner suggest he «might retrain if necessary» what crap. To comment that he was disappointed that certain dishes «were not to my taste» is insulting. They’re not to anyone’s taste when they’re cooked poorly without the right seasoning. Rather than waste $ 36 on the veal chop go to whole foods and cook yourself a better quality cut that will actually taste good. They must be using old seasoning and garlic that been hanging around because the shrimp scampi was terrible tasting with seasoning that was unrecognizable for scampi. A little research finds that the owner is new to the restaurant business it clearly shows and I can’t see this formally great restaurant staying in business much longer b
To the owner, please don’t bother with a reply I’ll be the same canned baloney that you recited to every other deservedly poor review.

Excellent menu and great food a good experience all around, very nice people to
Dine with. We will return for sure.

I Went to BrIdgeman’s last weekend with my family. I thought the food was overpriced for what you got. Slow service, they used INSTANT mashed potatoes When you pay $ 40 for an entrée & you shouldn’t have to pay for $ 5 for a coke refill As far as the slow service??? We got there at 5:30 & the place was empty. This is the second time I went to this restaurant last year and it was much better. I wouldn’t go back

Instant mashed potatoes with a poorly seasoned 35 $ filet. We had eaten here about a year ago and the food was great. Service was good, the food just wasn’t good.

It’s OK but definitely not what it used to be. The food is uneven — in some cases very good; in others just mediocre. The service has declined. With the exception of one waiter who has been there for many years and is still superb, the wait staff is considerably less professional and, at times, actually pushy. There are some signature dishes that we (and many others) used to love and they’ve taken those off the menu. The desserts alternate between very, very good and way over-​complicated and fancy — all for show, limited taste. While I would certainly still take guests there for a nice evening out, it’s disappointing compared to what it used to be. There is opportunity for someone to open up another «Saporito’s» in Hull — a restaurant so superb and so missed since it closed a few years go.

Last night dinner at Bridgeman’s was fantastic! Started off with French onion soup, entrée Chicken Parmesan & shared bread pudding dessert with the table. All three were the best I ever had! Thank you to our server Diego! We’ll be back!

After several years, my wife and I tried Bridgeman’s again on a busy holiday evening. The place was packed but, with reservations, we were promptly seated. The kitchen is visible behind a wall of glass that stretches the length of the restaurant and, if you choose, you can watch the chef and his assistants rushing about cooking up a storm for patrons.
Prices for entrees at Bridgeman’s run in the $ 25-​$ 35 range… not totally outrageous but hardly inexpensive. My wife absolutely loved her haddock, I enjoyed the shrimp scampi but did find it slightly bland. Portions were reasonable, as was the wait time for our meals. The chef hand delivers main dishes directly to your table and is quite a personable fellow… five stars for him.
The problem came with the wait staff. Rumor was they were shorthanded because of vacations and a few were reportedly being trained. All seemed frazzled, including our own waiter who, while pleasant enough, was unable to meet even the most basic needs at our table like keeping water glasses full. After the meal was delivered, he vanished completely until we called for the check. In the restaurant business you should never have to look for your waiter… your waiter should be looking for you.
We sympathize with the issues Bridgeman’s was facing, but when you’re dining at higher-​end eateries, its on management to ensure that service is commensurate with the prices they’re charging their customers.
Whip that wait staff into shape, spice up the scampi, and its five stars.

One of my favorite places is no longer on my list of favorites after last night, unfortunately. When you pay $ 340 for five people for dinner (one a child who only eats pasta with butter) you expect greatness– last night greatness was not nearly achieved. The service was rather horrendous– our waitress had an attitude from the minute we sat down and her energy just poured off entitlement and a «better than you» attitude, something I don’t typically experience when dining out, especially at a «high end» place like bridgemans. Not only was her attitude poor, but the wait times on food was RIDICULOUS– when we asked her was was taking so long she rudely responded «it’s only been 25 minutes, no big deal, I’ve been watching” — it took another ten from there. I witnessed the table next to us receive their apps and two minutes later their entrees came– they were upset, and tried to say something, and I watched the waitress shut them down too (it pained us to leave her a $ 60 tip). Ugh. A wait of 35 minutes for an AMAZING meal is one thing– but my meal was mediocre at that, for a $ 40 steak mediocre shouldn’t be the word that comes to mind– I have had this meal several times before and it was delicious, but last night it was flavorless and not the same as prior experiences.
I will say that the desert here is AMAZING and always delicious– I get the homemade molten lava cake and it’s divine– took a long time to get our deserts, but they were all delicious (thank god). If you are in the area and want a delicious drink and desert I say this is definitely a good spot for that.
Overall, I will probably only return for their brunch– for the same amount of money I can go into the city or to a place in hingham or cohasset and be blown away. I’m not sure what happened last night, but I woke up this morning still disappointed. If last night had been my only experience I would have given it «1 star” — but I know it has been delicious in the past so I couldn’t knock it to that extent!
I hope they improve on their Saturday night service and get the «other chef back» ha ha!

My husband and I had a wonderful evening at Bridgemans Restaurant tonight.
First off our server Carol was very personable and took great care of us.
They have an elegant yet affordable menu. I had the Long Island Duck breast that was cooked perfectly and paired with a cherry reduction sauce. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice.
Bridgeman’s also has an extensive wine list to choose a wine to accompany your dinner with.
I will certainly return whenever I find myself in the area.

I came here last night for my sister’s birthday with my parents. I was truly disappointed with the service and food. The hostess was friendly and helpful. We were suppose to sit outside but it was raining and thundering. They had a table upstairs for us but my mom is handicap so they accommodated us and found us a table downstairs (next to the kitchen). There is no elevator to go upstairs. It took the waitress a long time to come over and take our drinks. She ended up spilling the beans about the cupcakes that we brought for the birthday girl. Finally after a long wait, the waitress returns to take our order. Before placing our order, we inform the waitress of ur gluten allergy and serious shellfish allergy. She seems irritated learning that. My mom and sister ordered the scallop appetizer and truffle fries for the table. My sister said the scallops were eh and that I was not missing out (as I used to love scallops before discovering my shellfish allergy). The truffle fries were delicious. My parents split the strawberry walnut salad (it was a special) and I split the caprese salad with my sister. The caprese salad was delicious. I was debating whether or not to the bolognese or chicken saltimbocca so I asked the waitress which was better. She said to go with the chicken saltimbocca as it not common elsewhere. I was truly disappointed with my dinner selection. The chicken was dry and the sauce was not good. I should have gone with the bolognese as I had bites of my dad’s. After finishing dinner, the waitress clears the table but is loud and has a miserable irritated stressed face as she is doing it. This should have been masked and not taken out on us. She brings out the cupcakes and seems more annoyed to wait on us. She is MIA on bringing us our bill. We flag down the hostess to get our bill.
Disappointing food and service for an expensive «fancy» place. I probably wouldn’t come back or recommend this to any friends
In response Harold’s comment to my review, I gave them a low rating due to the following: poor service and mediocre food.
The waitress looked pissed off and iritated the whole time. She was loud clearing the table and this was picked up on by the whole table. She spilled the beans on the cupcakes (most restaurants charge a plate fee if cake/​cupcakes are brought in)
I said the salad and french fries were delicious but who can really mess up on those. Also, in my review, I used the word «special» to explain that the salad my parents ordered was a special that evening. My entrée was not good at all and was recommended to me by the waitress.

Ok; the good…
Patio, bread, truffle fries, half portion option.
The not so good…
Waitstaff:
While very nice seemed disorganized and not familiar with the menu.
The meal:
My son who has a dairy allergy wanted Chicken Parmesan without the Parmesan. The waiter came back and said that the breading was pre-​mixed with cheese already in it so the chef wasn’t able to just leave off the cheese and would my son like to choose something else or they could do a grilled chicken… my son opted for the grilled chicken and said because it came over pasta it would be okay. The server said that it didn’t come over pasta but then after checking the menu he realized it did. When the meal arrived it was three pieces of bone dry chicken that were piled on top of penne pasta with sauce. In this day and age when you can get gluten-​free fried onion rings and scallops at Jake’s across the street, it seems to me that the chef could have made a dairy free dish much more appealing as plenty of other restaurants have done for us.
I ordered the special Filet that the blackboard said came with caramelized onions and fingerling potatoes. The waiter read us the same description but only mentioned the caramelized onions. Imagine my surprise when my dish arrived smothered in blue cheese. The fingerling potatoes were very undercooked. In hindsight I should have sent it back.
My Mother who lives in town and is a long time patron was excited to take us there since she felt that under the new ownership we would have a more pleasant greeting than in the past. g off by the neon yellow sauce under the beet risotto. When the owner came by to fill our water glasses she asked my son if everything was ok with his chicken but when my mom inquired about the sauce she was told it was «a chive butter and while the color was odd you could tell it was fresh».
Overall it was a very disappointing experience. We have always loved Bridgeman’s and while the previous owner was basically rude… He obviously ran a tight ship since the food and service were always exemplary.