Joseph’s By the Sea

We had brunch here and the food was delicious. The coffee was even exceptionally good. We sat near the window and had a beautiful view of the ocean. The seemed a little short staffed the weekend before Memorial Day so the service was a little slow. Regardless I would definitely go back.

I am only reviewing this place for its breakfast as I only go here for that. The breakfast selection and items are very good and definitely several notches above greasy spoon. The location and atmosphere is great especially if you get a table near the sliding glass wall that opens right on to the beach sea grass.

We went to Jospeh’s for Easter and had a lovely time. I’ve always been a fan of Joseph’s. I love when a restaurant has a water view. It adds so much to the experience & ambiance.
Since it was Easter, I decided to go a little crazy & get an app. I got the Wild Mushroom Torte. It’s forest mushroom duxelle, layered crepes in a sweet vermouth, demi-​glacé. I don’t usually go for a mushroom app but this was amazing. Full of earthy flavor, the crepes were cooked to perfection & the demi-​glacé oh … I’m still dreaming about it! For my entrée I got the Sea Scallops. My favorite preparation for scallops is usually simply seared with a side of mash. Well, I now have a 2^nd favorite prep. This was in a sesame-​tamari vinaigrette served with spring veg. I love all things sesame & this was singing of sesame. The veg were cooked to perfection & also had that wonderful sesame flavor. I gobbled up the entire plate & wanted to lick the leftover sesame!
I’ll add my 2 cents for all the bites I took of other people’s plates: Semolina Crusted Calamari another delicious app. Calamari can be tough & it’s usually hard to find a good calamari. Joseph’s has figured it out. It’s pretty simple w/​roasted garlic, onions & balsamic. I could easily eat a plate but I only got a bite, well maybe 2! The Lobster Potato Pancake was a little bit greasy/​oily for my liking but it had good flavor. I also stole a bite of my niece’s baked, stuffed lobster. It was tasty but you know when they put something under the broiler to warm it up & you get that broiler flavor? Well, that’s mostly what I tasted. I’m glad I did not order it because I would have been disappointed. But she loved it.
The reason for the 4 stars is our server, Michelle. I think we pissed her off for some reason as she was inattentive & almost ignoring us. We are a loud family so maybe that was it? We had to wait forever for our bread basket when everyone around us, who arrived after us, received theirs. We also had to flag her down to order. She was basically just unpleasant. I think she realized toward the end of the meal that we were pretty underwhelmed by her & she piped up a bit. It’s too bad, because this would have been a solid 5 star experience.
I’m glad we celebrated Easter there with the family & had a fabulous meal. I’m sure I’ll go back.

Given that you are in OOB this is the only high-​end restaurant in town. It is also the only restaurant with a view of the beach without burgers fries and a lot of noise.
The waitstaff is very nice and friendly The service is always good. The nightly specials are exceptional. We had dinner there five times over the summer and we’re never disappointed. Whenever we have company Joseph’s is our «go to» place

Superb as usual. Finest restaurant on maine, possibly finest on the east coast. The food the service the view unsurpassable

I was here in the summer of 2014 and truly enjoyed my time here, so much so that we decided to come back in September 2015. However we left this time extremely disappointed. The food was bland and not worth the calories. Will not be coming back next year.

My husband and I dined here passing through OOB, as it looked like the only decent non-​fried seafood place. The parking lot was nearly full at 8pm on a Sunday night but we found a spot very close to the door. Yay for free parking! We walked in and were seated right away by a pleasant hostess. Our server came over promptly, introduced herself and dropped ice waters. She returned a few minutes later with a bread basket and regular whipped butter as well as delicious kalamata olive butter. Nice touch with the olive butter, never had that before and it was great! The menu wasn’t huge but there was plenty to chose from. Hubs and I split the steamed mussels appetizer and it was super fresh and DELICIOUS! We also split a side garden salad (loaded with veggies, they even cut up some onions for me on request) and the Saco Bay soup. This. Soup. Was. Awesome. Seriously, go eat the Saco Bay soup right now. A large porcelain bowl filled to the brim with scallops, mussels, fish, and seaweed in a fennel tomato broth, served with some cheesy crostini croutons on the side. YUMMY! The server provided sharing plates and was attentive without being overbearing. By this time, the other patrons had since left so we had the dining room to ourselves. We would have normally had a view of the ocean front but it was dark out and very foggy. The muzak was less than desirable but it wasn’t offensive or too loud.
Our entrees arrived, perfectly timed, cooked to order. My husband got the Swordfish and he said it was good flavor, presentation and size. I got the Orecchiette Pasta Maison and DEVOURED it. The seafood was all super duper fresh, and the server said all but the mussels were caught locally. (I think she said they were PEI mussels, not sure) Portion sizes were adequate, certainly big enough to bring home leftovers. Prices were about what you’d expect for a fine dining seafood experience, but not outrageous. The server was super nice considering we got there just before closing (unintentionally) and kept her there well past closing time. We did not feel rushed at all.
Bottom line: Top notch customer service, delicious, fresh, cooked to order seafood, and a clean inviting intimate atmosphere with safe ample free parking. We would definitely come back here again!

Great drinks and service, food was great too. Portion size not the best but I cannot complain. Atmosphere great.

The lobster was steamed so much it shrunk to half its size. The haddock was a fairly small portion. The corn and clam chowder had a nice flavor but could have been thicker. Their Oliver butter and bread was pretty good. The view was impeccable on the patio.

Only had breakfast and it was good. We had the eggs benedict and the lobster benedict. Both good but the eggs were just a bit over done. Everything else was delicious! Our waitress was wonderful and the terrace is just beautiful!

Fantastic meal, beautiful place, nice location. Friendly, professional service. Quite remarkable; family owned since I think 1968. Obviously they’re doing something right. Everyone I talked to there was very positive.

I went for breakfast and I have to say we sat in the terrace and it was opened up to the outside. It was the most amazing view of the ocean and I totally felt as if I were on vacation. I wasn’t as impressed with the food, but I only had eggs, sausage and an english muffin. I gave it four stars simply because of the overall experience and the fact that they seemed to have a classier feel than anything else in Old Orchard Beach.

Incredible choices! Meal selected was prepared to perfection! The service is as Good as is available anywhere — domestic OR international!

Joseph’s for breakfast is a must when we are in OOB. Get there early before the rush.

We went back to Joseph’s and while the food was very good, the hostess managed to seat us and another party, and then not assign a server to either of our tables. After over 20 minutes of being completely invisible and ignored by everyone including the young woman refilling everyone else’s coffee, I finally said something. Someone from the other table also went up at about the same time to express their displeasure.
After looking over my last review, it’s clear that the weak link at Joseph’s is the front of the house. And as much as the food is tasty, the coffee is surprisingly good, and the portions are decent, I sort of hope that my father in law wants to go somewhere else for Father’s Day next year. It’s just insulting to be ignored while so many people around us were being treated well.

Really great! Had the shrimp cocktail, lobster potato pancake, quinoa dish, and the salmon. All were superb and service was fantastic. Romantic place on the water with amazing views!

This place came highly recommended and very glad we acted on it! The view was great, the food was fantastic! We had the sea scallops and baked haddock. The service was excellent, the food fantastic and the view was amazing! A little more pricey but well worth it for w nice dinner

I submitted the previous review (from ⁵⁄₂₆) onto Unilocal and Tripadvisor. The management responded on TripAdvisor with blatant lies in their response. They claim to have looked up my credit card bill to contradict my review (they claim my credit card was charged at 9:20). This is inaccurate, as my party paid cash. I’m sure it’s an honest mistake on their part but I take it personally when my reviews are questioned for their honesty.

I have a soft spot for Joseph’s. When we started vacationing here, and then as summer residents, we would bring our kids here for breakfast. The breakfast menu is solid, if a bit static — a change-​up would be nice once a season — but their standards are very, very good. Our kids go crazy over the cinnamon frenchtoast (which is very good), and we really enjoy the omelettes, which are at once generous and creative. Their Tuscan omelet brings together capicola, basil and sundried tomatoes for a truly unique take. The special weekend brunch menu adds some creative crepes and a delicious cream cheese and strawberry stuffed frenchtoast. And on a nice summer morning, it’s hard to beat the sunny and open-​air atmosphere of their patio, surrounded by large glass windows and a big screen door overlooking the beach.
They really shine at dinner though. The mushroom stack and lobster potato pancake appetizers are amazing, and the dinner menu shines with a selection of meat, fish and pasta dishes, always bolstered by a few creative specials. I find their seafood dishes to be particularly tasty.
I would say my favorite part of this place is the cozy bar. We always make sure to make time for a drink or two at the bar, and sometimes just eat right there. Creative, strong drinks and friendly faces, plus cozy décor. We are glad to have this place just one mile from our house!

Finding quality food off season in a beach town can be tricky. The only reason I went to Joseph’s rather than Landmark was because it was closer to my house and I’d never been but read and heard great things. Upon entering the hostess warmly greeted me and my lady and allowed us to pick any table. Our waitress received the cabernet order and then the calamari appetizer. Bread came and we both ordered the pepper crusted filet mignon.
Bread: Served in a basket, sourdough rolls and then a basic sliced white bread with traditional and olive butter. Meh.
Appetizer: The calamari was soggy and lacking flavor. The chunks of roasted garlic was more enticing than the calamari itself. Served with the sliced white bread with a marinara sauce and melted cheese (?) Huh?
Wine: The cabernet was a bit peppery and bitter but it didn’t stop us from finishing the bottle.
Entrée: «Pepper crusted filet mignon– On a bed of fresh greens and a mild gorgonzola cream» ordered medium rare. First off, I understand «pepper crusted» could be terms for a bit of «texture» on the exterior of a steak however both our steaks came out charred, black. Medium rare was more of a medium cook and it was difficult to enjoy the steak while trying not to gag on the charred edges of the meat. The chef either presumed we hadn’t read the menu or just needed to unload some excess ingredients but the «bed of fresh greens» was about 6 spinach leaves, broccoli, roasted potatoes, and cubed beets. What?! I was expecting this beautiful ($ 30) piece of meat with a nice mesclun or spinach accompanying it but instead I got this burnt anticlimactic beef with the chef’s random assortment of veggies… Seriously spinach, broccoli, potatoes, and BEETS!!! beauty in simplicity folks, y’all went way overboard.
I can get past the weak calamari with makeshift pizza bread adorning the dish, the overpriced underpar steak with unannounced sides, and the cabernet which just didn’t do it for me but the waitress jumped ship at this point and tarnished the entire experience. While we were waiting for the waitress to pick up the check and process the credit card, our table was overrun with flies… 3 large black flies and a few little gnats or fruit flies. OK… we were about to leave so no big deal. My lady friend then notices a fly in her wine glass… I told the waitress that the meal was great but that there was a fly in the wine. «Its fruit fly season» was her immediate response. No apology, no attempt to remove the glass from the table, just a quick dismissal of the observation.
The waitress deserved no tip considering her concluding performance however she received $ 10 out of pity for her situation. Our amiable hostess asked how the meal was and I bypassed venting about the food and nonchalantly noted that there was a fly in the wine glass. She asked if the waitress had removed the glass and apologized and I told her that she replied with «its fruit fly season». I said if its rainy season does that justify a leaky roof, no. She apologized then as we were walking out the door we could hear the waitress bitching to the hostess that she cannot control the flies. The issue was not necessarily with the fly, the issue came with her effortless dismissal of a fly in the wine after we had been polite and friendly with her the entire evening.
Josephs is a nice place with potential to be better and perhaps the end of the season blues was hitting the waitress however customer service is what guarantees a future with service related businesses and other than the flawless hostess, this place lacks greatly in this department.