Home Port Restaurant

This was the worst meal I’ve ever eaten. Make that not eaten as it was inedible it was frozen prebreaded seafood. I am not a food snob and am always hungry so for me to not eat it it has to be really bad. I can’t even give it one star. If you must go which is a mistake order boiled lobster as it would be difficult to ruin.

Skip this one. the reviews all tell the story. We stopped for a quick lunch on a Saturday afternoon, maybe 4 other groups milling about outside. Lunch for 4 people and a child came out to $ 100! 1 cup of chowder, a fish sand which, fish taco, a burger and a kids chicken finger. I know this is MV, but really? $ 8 for a mediocre cup of chowder? It’s $ 4 at Larsons, and you know it was made that day. Besides the bla food, it took 45 minutes for our food to come out. sitting on a bench in the only shade on the property. Next time we’ll go to the galley or the bite.

Had a nice meal while watching the sun set. It’s bright in the dining room, but a great view of the bay. The service was very good and everyone enjoyed their meal. This place fills up at 7 pm so get their earlier or make a reservation.
Started with the oysters. All very good, fresh and tender. My hope was to have oysters from the island, but everything was from the mainland or Canada. The waitress explained the bay was closed so they could not use local oysters.
Just a little note if you done eat corn or wheat: they were accommodating with the menu. I ordered the pan seared scallops and asked for the asparagus instead of the corn succotash. Turned out to be a great combination.

Expensive fresh seafood. Seafood cippolini was fantastic. Make sure to ask for bread to mop up broth. Steamers and fried fare was also great. Friendly staff was great with kids. BTW it’s BYOB.

It’s not fancy for lunch. Just outdoor seating and only one umbrella but the fish and chips were good and the clam chowder pretty decent.

absolutely delicious meal!!! The scallops were so amazing, and the salmon as well. My friend had the gazpacho special, with grilled shrimp and said it was delicious. Can’t beat the view, and although I usually eat outside, I realized that I like the inside menu a lot more! I would highly recommend…

Had the fried oysters fried calamari. Mediocre to bland. Parking was terrible. Food was slow. Location was ok. I would not recommend.

Decade after decade, the Home Port hewed to its aging formula: all-​inclusive Shore Dinners, starting with something like a fruit cup or cranberry juice cocktail, proceeding through gummy little loaves of bread brought out piping hot, a Lobster Presentation or a tasteless filet mignon, and concluding with a pie whose crust had to be sawn with a knife. In retrospect, it sounds retro-​chic. In reality, it was just tired.
The green sign remains. Under new ownership, however, the Home Port has tried to update the classics — largely without success. I’ve eaten only out the Back Door in recent years. Dill and lettuce mar the lobster roll, and the too-​thick brioche bun, the siren song of upmarket menu-​makers up and down the New England coast, has nothing on the classic Pepperidge Farm. In a special sandwich, spice rub and red onion drowned out the swordfish; it might as well have been catfish for all the respect paid to the fish. The chowder is a bit thin, with various herbs designed to suggest something more than clam-​shack library paste. Steamers are more or less unruinable, and they didn’t ruin them.
Whether inside or out, the view over Menemsha Pond and out across the channel to Lobsterville is glorious; although it can be bright outside by day and buggy as dusk approaches, the Home Port offers the nicest atmosphere in Menemsha and, if you know what you’re in for, you can certainly emerge happy.

The place is not worth the money. Very disappointing dinner in restaurant. Fish and Chips are all batter, little fish, catch of day (Sword — supposedly their claim to fame as their teenage waiter told me, he was actually nice — the reason for 1 star!) was dry and overcooked. At night my stomach turned upside down and while I cannot blame them for me eating their food, I am going out here to warn anyone else. You might be in for an overpriced, dull and plain worthless experience. That said, the place used to be fine, so if we see a change in management I will try it again!

The Home Port’s backdoor takeout is absurd — the «30 minute average wait time» posted is a joke! After finding parking, ordering and waiting for our food it was a three hour excursion which was not worth it at all. This place is nothing but a tourist trap; worst Quahog’s ever coming from someone who grew up in Falmouth — Crab Cake’s were oddly spicy, Shrimp ‘Po Boy’s sauce was too spicy to eat and sandwich was too soggy by time we got home, we also ordered a falafal and it was overwhelmingly salty but hey the rosemary fries were edible. They don’t serve alcohol as town is dry — save the wait and call order in ahead of time or better yet don’t even waste your time. Three people cancelled orders while we were waiting AND it was a Thursday night.
Menemsha scenary was nice worth the drive to see the sunset I will add although it’d be better on foot due to lack of parking.

I used to really love Homeport, but now I just kinda like it.
The food is still great, although the menu is different. Not much in the basic fried seafood category. Everything is $ 30 – 40 an entrée. I had scallops for $ 36 and while they were delicious, there were only four of them. The desserts are not worth the calories or price.
They take reservations which is a huge plus.
Go for the sunset, forget what things cost and BYOB (corkage fee) and you will have fun.

This review is for the Back Deck, their take-​out lunchtime operation. Skip this place: it took a really long time for us to get our food (definitely wasn’t very busy, and our meal wasn’t exactly time-​consuming to make), and the food we got was really not good and overpriced to boot.
The (very small, $ 6.50) stuffed quohog was inedible; it was so tough it broke the plastic fork, and the pieces we managed to chisle off were ridiculously dry and flavorless. At least my lobster roll wasn’t terribly expensive at $ 18, and was a large toasted buttery brioche bun containing a good amount of very-​lightly-​mayoed lobster meat wiht a sprinkle of herbs, without any gross celery. Unfortunately, I had some shell in my meat, which kind of ruined the otherwise pretty solid roll for me. The boy’s burger was equally as meh for him (and was also not worth $ 11).
On the plus side, the $ 2 side of rosemary lemon fries we got were a great value (so many for $ 2!), tasty, fresh, and likely hand-​cut based on the left-​on skins. And the view from the picnic tables was nice (although there weren’t enough umbrellas out there, so we had to get out our own in order to have any shade). Overall though, not worth the $ at all.

We decided to go here on our anniversary for dinner. Although my husband was sick, and not feeling well we still went. I ordered the seafood platter while my husband just got a clam chowder. When our bill came they charged us a fee for sharing! We did not share and the fee was ridiculous in that circumstance. When we asked about the charge we were told that had we taken our meal outdoors, there would be no fee! I can see the fee if someone is sharing. I do understand the plight of restaurants. With that said, the food was good but very overpriced. The experience overshadowed the food!

Sitting here waiting for the check so I decided to leave a quick review…
First the only reason I’m giving this restaurant three stars is because the staff I dealt with were awesome! They were so nice and very accommodating.
I ordered the fish tacos which only consisted of two tacos and a ton of fries. The taco itself was just cole slaw, the smallest piece of fish, and some chipotle type of sauce. I’ve had better in PA.
My son ordered crab claws from the raw bar and they were frozen and watery.
My hubby ordered the blue fish special and he said it was great. And my younger son ordered chicken fingers which I thought were the best looking thing on the table.

Where «Le Bernadin» Pricing meets Abdows Big Boy.
Upon arrival we had 7:30 reservations the Maitre’ de/​hostess/​waitress was franticly running about to greet-​us, confirm reservations, clean the table, seat-​us and take our order. That was the first red flag. poor management and delegation of roles.
Service …The drink order was easy since I brought a magnum Champaign for my Fiances B-​DAY dinner and required nothing but two glasses and pouring… She did great! And was a great waitress throughout.
The LAY-OUT…Typical touristy seafood place, all old and worn furniture, casual, very kid friendly and very loud all you could hear were dishes clanging from cleaning staff, kids and under current of loud talking hence the Abdows Big Boy feel.
The MENU ironically no prices are published anywhere on-​line other than their take-​out and now I see why. Apps are @$ 15 – 18 a plate entrees @$ 30 – 40 dollars a plate. The stuffed 1 ¼lb lobster was 30 dollars the 2 ½lb lobster was 70!!! Hence their Le Bernadin pricing model.
Funny enough earlier in the day Stop and Shop had them for 4.99 a pound and cooks them for free… I guess the premium they charge is for all that amazing ambience.
Food…Now with pricing like this I expect to have «great» food isn’t that why they command these kind of prices? NO… The «Haddock special» my Fiancé ordered was a 8oz filet way over cooked and came drenched in a plate of about 6 oz of melted butter (ohhhh that was only 29 dollars when I got the bill)
My Daughters. chicken fingers and fries only 18 dollars… My steamed mussles were the same 18 dollars. The fries and fish all cooked in the same oil you can taste that! I can’t even remember what I had it was so forgettable but what wasn’t, was the bill for this place and what I got for it.
I lived in NYC for 20 years and now in Greenwich Ct and I happily pay a premium for good food and have for many years, but not when it’s half-​assed.
On the way out the owner/​manager was busy ringing the till no obligatory «how was the service» or «thank you come again» etc.
I give you 2 stars only because of the BYOB policy and the location/​sunset views. otherwise Id encourage people to dine elsewhere.

Have summered here for 30 years and the Home Port was always a favorite, oftentimes dozens of times a season, with family and friends. When ownership changed we tried it several times however we were always disappointed. Two years ago when we went at the beginning of the season, mahi mahi was on the menu but swordfish was not. As everyone knows Menemsha is Synonymous with Swordfish. We never returned until I read the review from d.t. who remember the Home Port over the years, plus the ads touting a new menu, new chef, and new Manager. We made a reservation for 6 of us and went with great anticipation.
Unfortunately five of us said we would never return and one of us who ordered swordfish enjoyed their meal. My wife ordered fried clams (a new menu item). Maybe about 12 – 15 clams on the plate which is a small portion but acceptable. There was however two clumps of about 4 clams that were coated improperly and all stuck together in a gooey mass. My wife was able to eat about 6 clams. One of us ordered a lobster roll and although it was fresh and tasted fine it was all kind of mushy body meat, and contained no claw or tail pieces.
I ordered the lazy man lobster which is listed on the menu as containing the meat of a 1.5 pound lobster. Oddly enough there was not one single piece of tail meat. I expected 2 claws, 2 knuckles, and a tail. I presume that they meant the dish contained the ounce equivalent, however if that’s the case it should have said that. I wonder what they do with the Lobster tails? Both the clams and lobster was served with a tablespoon of cole slaw.
Service was fast and pleasant, the restaurant was about half full at 7:30 on a Friday night, which is truly a shame. I tend to judge management based upon the service, the training of the staff, visibility, and the little things… such as being poured warm water without any ice on a 90 degree evening .
We will not return and I truly feel badly that the new owners still don’t get the fact that people go there for local fresh seafood, cooked properly.

I remember reading through the reviews just as I sat down for a Saturday night dinner here and immediately though «oh crap, this place might suck» after seeing a bunch of negative reviews. Although Homeport wasn’t our first choice for the night, I’m glad it ended up being our choice, cause it ended up being a great experience.
My gf and I snagged a table just before the dinner rush and also during their happy hour. While the BYOB thing bummed me out at first, we luckily stocked up on wine before coming and cracked open a nice white wine. We lucked out that night since the happy hour was half price raw bar and got some delicious Katama oysters and a mix of Little Necks and Cherrystones on the half shell. I know some folks weren’t fans of the bivalves they serve here, but the Katama oysters I had that night were some of the best oysters I had this past summer. The Cherrystones and Little Necks were top notch as well.
While we did notice the entrée list to be pretty pricey, the lady and I decided to split a twin lobster platter and a side of fries. We thought it might not be enough for both of us, but were blown away over the quality and amount of lobster we got. Unlike previous reviews, our lobster was ultra fresh and tasty. The steamed corn and potatos that came with it hit the spot as well. And the fries, oh the fries. If I’m going to a seafood joint on the Vineyard, I’m expecting zero from a side of fries. These fries were cut fresh and seasoned perfectly.
Décor and vibe were great. Although a bit nicer than other seafood restaurants on the Vineyard, Homeport still had a nice laid back feel. We also lucked out in the way of getting a table right next to the window, which was another nice touch.
Maybe my experience was an anomaly? Regardless, I’ll pay Homeport a visit and try to make it in again for happy hour.

On the ride home, and my cousin encouraged me to get on Unilocal right away to write this review. And so, here it is…
Awful.
I’ve been to this same restaurant 3 consecutive summers. This year was a complete disappointment not only to the the meals I remember but just a terrible dining experience.
Yes. I read the most recent reviews on Unilocal before going to The restaurant … I should have heeded the advice.
A few quotes from my table…
«my lobster is sour and mushy»
«the bacon was the best part of my lobster Cobb salad»
«I’ve had better clams at Legal Seafood’s in New Jersey»
«is this really tartar sauce? looks like blue cheese and capers»
Last year, I had an incredible Lobster Pot Pie. Under the direction of a new cooking staff (as our waitress explained) the menu has been revamped. The place is obviously going downhill. It’s sad.

We did not order $ 58 3 course dinner but fried calamari ($ 13), corn on the cob, Linguine with Clam ($ 21), and fisherman’s platter ($ 36) for two of us yesterday.
The calamari, on a smaller portion for the island standard, they were fresh meat but all their fry dises were cooked just disappointingly in a strangely poor batter. The brown color and thick oil smell were a sign of unfiltered, never replaced oil, I had gotten half way sick eating the dinner. However its sauce was homemade kind and tasty. So was Tar Tar sauce.
Linguine, the noodles, and clams were properly cooked but the white sauce, that should pull all the ingredients together was nothing but a plain butter or a poured in churned milk, not even with a hint of lemon, wine or salt. No flavor but a raw dairy smell. I took it as a great insult from the kitchen. But, our waitress did not show up until we finished the dinner.
The fisherman’s platter came with very salty double fried chips-​extremely salty, and coleslaw. The fried fish stuff were two shrimps, and two scallops, and a medium size fish patty, The crust was dark brown, and fried so hard, but the inside was still medium-​raw. Again, the hot brown unfiltered oil with strong smell, again with the weird batter. But my partner seems to enjoy it, but he also mentioned that he would never come here again for the price and the poor quality food.
In fact, I would never eat their food even if it is given for free.
The sunset was still great in mid-​August evening, but the food we had kept us upset and silent throughout our dinner. But the waitress never came to check how we were doing, and, because I ate up the tiny handful of the pasta, she didn’t quite take my comments. And, I clearly stated that the ambiance and waiting service is separately good but the kitchen is sub par. And, I asked her to make sure the kitchen should know what I said.
I am sure I will never recommend this place to anyone I know. This place is the second worst on the island as in the «restaurant» category, that we will avoid at all times. Or, if you think this is good enough, you haven’t tried any decent eatery on the island yet.

We walked over from the beach for lunch at the Back Door. We had the calamari, blue fish pâté, fish taco’s, chowder, and lemonade. All in all it was just okay. The fish tacos were overly fried but the slaw on the side was good — made with red onion which was a nice untraditional surprise. Chowder was missing something — pepper or some sort of seasoning. The clam ratio was good but the flavor was missing. The blue fish pâté was the star of the meal — perfectly smoked and predictably salty. For $ 8 it was a huge portion that could be shared amongst 4 people or more. The calamari fry was very good and the dipping sauce was very unique. Almost a barbecue cocktail. All in all it was a good experience but doesn’t lead me to want to eat at the restaurant indoors.