The Lobster Bar

The atmosphere is great… it’s like a local dive with the best seafood on the island. The clam roll and the hot lobster roll are off the hook!!! Tim the bartender was awesome always there when you need anything!

I had dinner at the lobster Bar sometime during the busy Labor Day Weekend 2015, and everything was great!
The view is AMAZING! this place is huge and their ‘wait time’ is never as ridiculous as some of the other places in Newport during a busy weekend.
We had the fried calamari– delicious. But beware, HUGE portion!
I also had the swordfish, which was probably one of the freshest swordfish I’ve ever had! so delicious.
Only giving it 4 stars because of the chaos and filthy bathrooms. I understand that it was a busy weekend but the staff should be able to be a bit more organized.

They have stepped up their game. Before they would have the lobster trays in front of the restaurant where you would have to walk through a watery mess to get to your table. They have renovated the restaurant to have the feeling of wooden loft beach side lobster shack. It’s much better
The service at the bar is still iffy. Women bartenders seemed to be more interested in talking and joking amongst themselves and their regulars than they were concerned about serving drinks.
Our waiter was very attentive, the food was on point, and the ambiance was great. Lobsters were cooked perfectly, appetizers were delicious and we had an over all great experience. I recommend going for lunch. It’s a great spot to eat and watch the boats passing by. It’s reasonably priced for the location and quality of food

A five star view was the highlight. My husband had the lobster platter, fish was over done and hard. Service was slow. My well done steak was burned. They did comp my husbands dinner for the bad fish, but that wasn’t the point.
Great view… bad food experience.

Great experience. Casual and fun. I got the hot lobster roll, my wife got the traditional one. Both were excellent, the lobster was very fresh. Nice portions. I got a bag of chips with my roll, which wasn’t bad but they should include fries (without extra charge) instead if you want them.

Stopped in for lunch after doing one of the early sightseeing cruises out of Newport. Great location so which was why we stopped.
Unfortunately the location/​view was probably the only real positive. Service was totally unremarkable. I guess it comes with being in a touristy spot, but the attitude is clearly one of pump em in and pump and out. No personality at all, everyone was just totally mechanical. As a result, we couldn’t wait to finish and go (which I think is what they want).
Had the clam chowder to start — not good — just no flavor and somewhat gritty. 3 of us had lobster rolls. Having come off the lobster roll at the Mooring earlier in the week maybe our expectations were too high, but these were just a total disappointment. No flavor at all, just totally unremarkable.
One order of fish and chips and one lobster burger. Fish and chips were very greasy, very heavy and flavorless. Burger was just OK and the large piece of lobster on top was rubbery.
I would skip it — so many better options. Note that the lobster rolls were $ 20 as opposed to the $ 19 at the Mooring and there is absolutely no comparison on quality. Great views at the Mooring as well and the service was far better.

3 star food, 5 star views from the deck. I like that the server came over with cold ice water with lemon first before we ordered. We ordered a Bloody Mary and a Sunrise something drink. Both very good, ordered a lobster bar raw platter 8 little necks, 8 oysters and 4 colossal shrimp $ 62 to start. A little high but it is Newport in the summer .to be expected. A shrimp po’boy to split ($ 13.99) asked specifically that it be served after app. Of course, it was served while app platter still was on table. Pet peeve. The raw platter was good, tasty, fresh and shrimp done just right. Po ‘boy was, eh… Next time just drinks and apps. The view from the deck was the highlight, but the interior was exactly what some reviewers said, very summer cheesy camp. Cheap tables and plastic chairs, step up your game folks! It’s a prime location

Excellent lobster bisque and lobster rolls! We were able to sit right out on the deck and watch the beautiful Newport sunset. Our sever was extremely nice. Reasonable prices and one of the best restaurant views in Newport! Would definitely recommend The Lobster Bar!

First time back since they reopened after renovation. Whatever were they thinking? It’s huge, no atmosphere any more. More like a summer camp dining hall. Was really funky with some charm. Renovations were obviously incomplete and devoid of any character. Stuffies were barely edible. If there was a clam in there you could slap me in the face and push me in the water. Lobster roll dry with no butter. Seriously? Calamari was greasy, so were fish and chips that were breaded not battered. Oh, yeah the view is great. But there’s lots of places with good views in newport. And MUCH better food.

What have they done to my favorite restaurant in Newport. Evidently the drive to turn tables has trumped the very special appeal of this restaurant. What used to be the find of a life time, where you could belly up with locals as well as the social elite and eat the best lobster in a setting not found anywhere in the world. Now it’s a dining hall, catering to tourists with zero atmosphere. Lost, is the unique character of this special place. Fair well my friend as we won’t meet again.

We were so disappointed by the food today. We came here a few summers ago and loved it. Decided to come back because of the last visit and because of the amazing view. Unfortunately the view was the only good thing about today’s visit. The warm lobster rolls we had today were bland and dry. The lobster meat had no flavor at all. The rolls were toasted and buttered, but still flavorless. We also had the lobster bisque which was filled with big pieces of lobster, but the bisque was too sweet for my liking. The clam chowder was decent.
If anything, come here for the view. Oh, the hostess and our server were really friendly and responsive which is always appreciated.

Horrible. Don’t even bother. Nice view, but wasted by the bad food.
The lobster in our lobster roll ($ 20) was overcooked and tasteless.
Steamers ($ 24 market price) were ok, probably not worth $ 24
Recommendation: have a drink and enjoy the view.
TIP: If you want a lobster, order from Aquidneck lobster (the lobster wharf in front of the lobster bar) and just order it and eat it at home… And, you can order a 1 ¼ lb lobster and they’ll steam It for you for a third of the price ($ 10.95 mkt price)

Not fine dining! Paper cups, hard plastic chairs, food comes in plastic basket w/​wax paper and atmosphere is very noisy. We had the littleneck clams and lobster fritter appetizers and split a lobster roll. 1beer and a Coke. Total $ 75 dollars. What a tourist trap!

Food was decent. I can’t really say it was good unfortunately. I would have expected more than paper cups and plastic baskets considering the cost of food. Also we took our 4 children (one being a 2 year old that shared a meal) and was charged almost $ 40 in gratuity. We won’t be back again and we won’t be recommending to friends or family.

My husband and I checked out the Lobster Bar on a beautiful weekday afternoon for some lunch. I first noticed the renovations that have taken place since last summer… new floor plan and open feel to the restaurant. You’ll still walk by the actual Adirondack lobster company (where lobsters are stored and sold) out into the Lobster Bar restaurant. The large, open bar still has the central focus of the place but there are a lot more tables (and opportunities) to eat with a view of Newport harbor than there were in the past which is a big plus! The nautical decorations are a nice touch as well, with some photo holes for tourist pictures (stick your head in a lobster for a funny memory picture) which always seem like a good idea after a cocktail!
The views from this restaurant are hard to top, especially given the prices which are fairly reasonable in comparison to many other waterfront restaurants in Newport. You’ll have a front row seat to check out all of the boats in the harbor, as well as the bridge in the distance. The Landing, its sister restaurant, is right next door, but typically has a longer restaurant and not as spectacular views.
For our lunch, we enjoyed the calamari (enormous portion and some of the best we have ever had, RI style of course with peppers and marinara!), the burger (large portion with some tasty seasoned fries), and the lobster taco (good portion of lobster with guacamole and veggies in a tortilla). Next time, I think we will try the fritter appetizers as they have lobster, clams, and scallops which looked delicious at the table next to us!
The bathrooms are the one part of the restaurant still in need of some love. But that being said, hard to complain with the view and food you’ll get here!
Tips:
All of the sandwiches/​wraps come with chips (a bag of plain Lay’s) but you can upgrade to fries, a green salad, or cole slaw for a few dollars.
This is one of the only places you’ll find that the lobster roll is not served with mayo… the lobster is seasoned with dill and served with lettuce in a buttered role. In my opinion, it’s so much better without the mayo and the way a lobster roll should be!
Try to snag a table right on the water (it’s worth the wait) and you’ll get to ogle the various boats traveling in and out of the harbor. If you’re lucky enough to get a table for around sunset, you’ll be in awe of a classic Newport bridge sunset view!
They don’t advertise reservations, but I’ve been here a few times with a large group and we have called a few weeks beforehand to reserve a table with no issue!

I brought a couple colleagues from Japan to Newport to see the sights while on a business trip, so we thought we would try here because of the nice view. Being a native New Englander, I was embarrassed at how bad the food was. First i was confused by the place as it looks like it was half built, so I couldn’t tell if they ran out of money building the place or it was intentional. I rate the food low quality and categorize it as bar food. The clam chowder is really bad for a place right in the water in Newport. I don’t recommend the place and suggest trying someplace else if you want decent food.

It’s too bad the food was horrible because the view was amazing! I ordered the seafood linguine and it was horrible! No taste and the seafood appeared frozen and pre-​cooked. Probably a good place for drinks and appetizers

I’m not sure why this place has 4 stars but the food is amazing! I had the best clam chowder out of the several places I ate out at while in downtown Newport. I also had the lobster salad roll (cold) and my parents shared the seafood platter and hot lobster roll. All the dishes were absolutely delicious! And the soup was perfect to keep me warm (coming from the South, the weather in newport in August got a little too cool). I didn’t order any brunch drinks since I was driving, but the Bloody Mary’s looked awesome!
Definitely a spot you wanna eat at while in dt newport!

I was not impressed nor disappointed with this choice. The place is a lobster market and later on someone decided to add chairs and tables. They have the ideal location, right on the water of course and would be a very hot spot in the summer.
Couple things you can do, either sit down and enjoy the menu items prepared featuring lobster or come in pick up your own lobster and take him home.
Now for the food, beyond casual but expensive due to location. I had the lobster and avocado salad. It tasted great and the dressing was well balanced. It was very simply, it didn’t blow me away but I was disappointed either. The boys had the hot lobster roll with chips and lobster bisque. Came as is nothing more. They were pleased with their choices. It was expensive for what we had

I stumbled into this place and I am surprised I have not been here before. I am a native Rhode Islanduh and I missed the Lobstah Bah?
Well I can’t speak to the food but I can say that the view is awesome. It wasn’t the warmest day out last Friday but non the less I sat on the outdoor deck and was pleasantly surprised to be shielded from the wind and rain. Very nice with just a hoody.
I drank my Stella while watching sail boats bob in the water and birds diving for snacks. It was almost like I wasn’t in Newport for a minute. Maybe I wish it was my back deck haha…
I strongly suggest visiting if you want a scenic place to have a beer or maybe a 6 pound lobster whichever The Lobster Bar has it all.

Newport n’est pas très grand, on y vient pour la mer, les lobsters et les mansions. A défaut de pouvoir manger un lobster dans une mansion avec vue sur la mer (quoique si on a beaucoup d’argent) on peut aller au lobster bar qui dispose d’une super terrasse sur la marina (l’intéreur est bien aussi). De l’avis de tous quand nous y sommes allés, s’il y a un resto à faire à Newport c’est celui là !