The Tides Beach Club

We left with half my meal uneaten, having spent $220 and an hour and a half there, plus 45 minutes driving each way from Portland. We’d booked because the food and atmosphere looked worth the trip, and we arrived dressed for a special dinner. The hostess first put my fiancé and me at a high-top beside the bar. We asked for another table, and she offered the only other one in the bar area. It was bigger and not a high-top, so we took it. Then we waited 20 minutes just for water or to order drinks. Starters and mains took far too long, and during that wait a birthday party set up and gathered right around us. The bar area filled with people crowding our table. We could barely hear each other over them and the loud, strange music, which didn’t fit the restaurant at all. We were shocked that nobody warned us about the party. When we finally asked our server for the manager, we watched the hostess chat with guests for another 10 minutes before asking someone else. It turned out she was the manager. She made no effort to fix things; when I asked why we hadn’t been warned, she said there were no other tables when we arrived. We’re usually not people who complain at restaurants, but this was one of the worst dining experiences of my life and a total waste of money and time. The apathetic staff made it feel like nobody cared about their work.

This year The Tides felt off, and I’m not sure we’ll return next year. It used to be a must-do during our annual trip to goose rocks beach, but now you can’t sit on the lawn. I asked if we could get a spot for drinks and appetizers and was told we had to stand at the bar or book a reservation, with no waiting for a table. We got watermelon cosmos, our favorite, and some apps, and still spent $200. There were lots of empty tables, but we felt unwelcome.

The haddock came on top of lobster chowder, with a very generous amount of lobster, which was a nice surprise. Prices seemed reasonable for the quality, service, and location. Across a narrow road from the beach, there are fire pits and a seating area out front, lit by string lights along the covered porch. Inside, it feels like a roomy home living and dining room where you’re served a great meal.

After a day at the beach, the Tides is in a gorgeous spot. We stopped by for happy hour from 3 to 5 pm. The front seating was full, so we took a seat at the corner of the bar. The bar itself is beautiful, though service was just okay with several workers coming and going. We ordered drinks and two appetizers.