Tucked in the little town of Essex, The Boathouse delivers exactly the kind of relaxed, coastal charm you hope for on the North Shore. The vibe is its strongest asset—easy, breezy, and inviting, especially if you can snag a seat at the bar where the energy feels social without being overwhelming.
The menu leans classic seafood shack, with a few standout hits. The fish and chips are the clear star: generous, fresh pieces of fish encased in a light, crisp batter that doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavor. It’s the kind of dish you remember when you’re craving something quintessentially New England.
Sides were more of a mixed bag. The coleslaw was fresh and well-balanced, offering a nice, bright counterpoint to the fried fare. The French fries were fine but unremarkable—more of a supporting player than a highlight. The onion rings, however, missed the mark. Despite their appealing look, they had an off, slightly unusual taste that distracted from what should have been a crowd-pleaser.
Drinks and service helped round out the experience nicely. A Pom-tini added a refreshing, slightly playful touch to the meal, and the bar service was warm and attentive without being intrusive—exactly what you want when settling in for a laid-back evening.
Overall, The Boathouse shines where it matters most: atmosphere and standout seafood. While not every item hits, the setting, service, and strong execution of its signature dishes make it a spot worth returning to—especially for that north shore coastal vibe.
The value was good as well.
In the area for the day and looked for a nice spot for seafood. The seafood was really fresh and portions were MASSIVE, and the calamari & dip were delicious. One negative was it was on the greasy/oily side. Also, I think the ranch I got for the onion rings, was legit just mayo and cream mixed together - no seasoning in it at all.
Service was friendly, but absolutely chaotic. Our waitress was so frantic and all over the place, and i think along the staff were hard four different dish crashes/ shattered throughout tue restaurant. Got outta there quickly once we ate cause it was A LOT.
First visit - had a terrific experience! Bartender was friendly and attentive, while also being quite busy. Delicious drink, awesome appetizer, and excellent entree! SO.MUCH.FOOD!!! Will definitely be back!!!
Dumped a pile of garbage in front of us. We ordered clam strips and calamari and were both sickened to our stomachs when we saw it. A giant mound of undercooked and unappetizing slop. Everything was fried in the same batch and piled on top of everything. Absolutely tasteless as well. Unbelievable they expected us to eat this. Hogs would not eat this. Do better.
After ordering we had a nice half-loaf of brown bread with butter.
I ordered the baked scallops with onion rings and Yukon mashed potatoes. The scallops were tender and cooked to perfection, with a generous breadcrumb topping. The onion rings were that perfect blend of crunchy batter and tender sweet ring. The potatoes were nicely seasoned.
My wife got the haddock sandwich with fries and a French Onion Soup to start things off. The soup came out with the meal and our waitress was apologetic saying they'd tried to get it to come out beforehand, but unfortunately they finished at the same time. Not a big deal to us as we were hungry and it took a little bit for the soup to cool enough to eat anyway. The piece of fish was large enough to bring half home for another meal, and the fries were also generous and tasty.
Next time, I want to try the clam chowder, maybe a smaller portion entree, and head across the street to Down River Creamery for an ice cream dessert!
