Bridgeway Restaurant

Great atmosphere.
Ale the owner in the kitchen.
Fun bar.
Efficient service.
All good.

This place was pretty good! Nice staff, nice décor. We had the fried haddock sandwich, haddock chowder, and a salad. The salad was just okay but seafood was incredible! Very fresh fish! The wine and beer list was just okay.

I stumbled into Bridgeway on a chilly evening for an early dinner. The place was deserted at 4:30, but by 5 the bar was packed. I happened to be the youngest person in there by about 40 years. The ambiance is a bit depressing, but the menu is reasonably priced for large portions of standard fare, seafood and sandwiches. My one complaint about the food (I had the haddock chowder and the calamari caesar) was underseasoning, but it’s to be expected at a place that caters to the early-​bird crowd, I suppose. My big issue was the service. My waitress had a horrible attitude and had the distinct impression that she hated her job, and possibly her life. After I had finished my soup she came over with some bread and butter and flippantly remarked that she should have brought it sooner. No big deal, I laughed it off. But as soon as she set down my entrée she promptly forgot about me. Literally. Luckily I had a book with me, but 20 minutes after finishing my salad she was still no where to be seen. Finally I got up in search of the bathroom and when I returned she eventually came over with the check, revealing that she had in fact forgotten about me because I was «so quiet.» I’m sitting there reading a book, I am not a ghost! Granted, the room did fill up a bit during the course of my meal, but really?! Needless to say, I will not be going back.

When they used to serve fresh fish, this was a good deep fried fish joint. They charge far more than that type of restuarant though, and on most recent visits the fish, clams etc. have been off, and yet more expensive. Service is always sketchy, which can be charming if you have time to kill. Total dive in atmosphere, but it really is a bar in restaurant clothing: it has a regular crowd liking the bar more than the food, and who can blame them?

Five stars from me. I am a regular and I have to tell you I never had a bad meal at the Bridgeway. If you can stand a tired building, the food and service is always very good and inexpensive and that’s what’s important to me. Stop by – you won’t regret it.

Scallops. Haddock chowder. Burgers. These are three of my favorite things at the Bridgeway, a local institution of great food. Comfortable, casual, easy, friendly, and very reasonable, but most important, DELICIOUS food.