I want to preface this by saying this review is for the dining experience at Aragosta and is no reflection of our wonderful stay at Aragosta at Goose Cove.
After following Aragosta online for the last few years, I knew I needed to make the trek up to Deer Isle myself. Some friends and I planned a road trip from Pennsylvania for the purpose of enjoying the tasting menu. Upon booking a cabin on the property, I went to make our dinner reservations. To my dismay, I could not seem to find anything available for any of their experiences. I assumed they were fully booked, as I know they have recently received a lot of press, so when I managed to find a reservation for Sunday’s al la carte menu, I snagged it. Seeing that every dish they post online is stunning, the sample tasting menu is to die for, and the website states that the a la carte dining experience is where they workshop dishes for the purpose of their tasting menu, I felt confident that we would still have a fantastic meal.
Unfortunately this was not the case. Once we were seated in the restaurant we found out that the reason we could not get a tasting menu reservation was not because they were fully booked, but rather because they are closed on weekends and only offer tasting menu Monday-Thursday. This seemed rather strange considering they are effectively a “hotel” and a destination very much off the beaten path. When we were handed our menus concern set in—it was a far cry from what we had anticipated. There were only 7 options, two of which were unavailable (the oysters and dessert), and to our surprise all 3 entree offerings were tacos. A far cry from the a la carte options I had seem them post online which included scallops, venison carpaccio, and crab dumplings.
We were disappointed by the fact that they had no oysters, as they often post about their oyster farming operation. The lack of oysters tied right into the lack of education about where their food came from. As a locavore, I was eager to hear all about their sourcing, as they often boast about their local, seasonal, property-grown, and foraged ingredients. However, our server never once brushed on this information or even gave us the slightest background about the restaurant or property.
Now, back to the food. The first two dishes—Salmon Crudo and Boquerones— were good. Nothing overly creative but they tasted good and harkened back to dishes I had seen them post online. Next was the clam chowder, which contained no perceivable clams and had the mouthfeel of water. There was a blasé corn salad that lacked creativity or excitement, but what really did it for us were the tacos. With their avocado crema squiggle, accompanied by a pile of wet lettuce with 2 slices of pickled onion. The meat felt like something a mid-western mom would make in a crock pot for her kids on Taco Tuesday. There is really no other way to explain it, then that it felt like the walk-in was empty and they were trying to cobble a meal together out of the last remaining items they found hidden in the back.
To be a destination restaurant but provide a schedule that pigeon holes people into booking on a Sunday where only a la carte is available makes no sense. To pretend that your a la carte option is of the same caliber as your tasting experience is incredibly disingenuous. Our server told that they are essentially a wedding venue throughout the summer, which is why the restaurant is closed on the weekends and tasting is only available weekdays. Though you’d have no way of knowing this when making your reservations to stay on the property. Unfortunately since the experience, I have read several reviews from other people who traveled great distances, feeling as lucky as I did to snag a Sunday res, only to be completely disappointed in the what awaited them. All I can say is that I am grateful our dining experience included cloth napkins and proper plates.
Peter Vanosdall
I went into the dinner tasting expecting to be impressed because of the price point and location. And I left being very impressed with the experience but more so the amazing food. They managed to make the food not only beautiful, but also delicious, while also sourcing from a variety of local farms and vendors.
Service: 5
Kun Chang
attended a wedding in this beautiful place. private and excellent services. nice walking trail nearby. love it
Service: 5
Colleen Knasky
This was the best meal of my life. Full stop.
My husband and I ate at Aragosta & chose the chef’s tasting menu. I coupled it with wine pairings & he added on the chef’s favorites. Every single bite was an explosion of flavor that reflected local and seasonal tastes and experiences. The staff was incredibly kind & knowledgeable. The view was beautiful. I can’t say enough good things about this place. I wish I could have hugged the chef. She’s a gift to the culinary world.
Barry Goff
Never lives up to the hype.
Carlos Iglesias
Our experience at Aragosta was unforgettable! The food was exceptional, showcasing fresh, local ingredients that blew us away. The cozy yet elegant atmosphere made it perfect for a special night out. If you're in Deer Isle, don’t miss this culinary gem!
Service: 5
Andrew Rosenthal
This place is sacred in our family. Worth a detour and a splurge.
Service: 5
Rebecca Barr
Our experience at Aragosta was magical. Every bite of the 3-course bar menu was exceptional, as were the cocktails. And of course the location is stunning. What truly made it so special was the service (thank you to the delightful Alex at the bar).
Service: 5
Polly Poupore
The location was gorgeous! We felt like we were in a secret hideaway with all of the cool kids. The large picnic tables were adorably set with mismatched vintage plates. The rosé was delicious. The hibiscus margarita was very disappointing…without flavor. The food was unimaginative and not very thoughtful of vegans. There were two overpriced menu items for vegetarians.
Food & drinks: The food was probably good for seafood lovers, but very mediocre for veggie lovers.
Noteworthy details: A beautiful place to hang out for an afternoon.
Service: 4
Meghan Sledge
Booked an 8pm reservation for the a la carte menu. Small menu and we were expecting this to be a much more scaled down version of the tasting menu before we arrived. Staff friendly, seated quickly, and the restaurant is as beautiful as everyone describes. Paper napkins should have been our first clue that it wasn’t going to be what we hoped. We ordered almost everything off of the menu and the timing of the dishes was something out of Applebee’s. Within 15 minutes every dish was out and our table covered. Salmon crudo and oysters were very good but other food was meh- certainly not what you expect when you drive through an enchanted forest to get to the restaurant. Drink offerings were limited and when we inquired if they had a more extensive bar list the waitress told us they were working from a limited “beach bar” and couldn’t tell us what bourbons they carried other than Elijah Craig? Overall, if you are planning to travel to get to this place hold out for the tasting menu. That seems to have consistent positive reviews and would make the trip worth it.
We had an amazing experience during our prefix dinner. Each dish was imaginative and delicious. The interior of the restaurant is simply beautiful and the service was excellent. Can’t way to go back
Beautiful venue overlooking Goose Cove well worth the road trip to get there.
A fantastic tasting menu, local fresh plates, the service was amazing, such a fabulous experience for us.
Each course was spectacular…I can’t tell you how excited I was with the presentation and the flavours.
We will definitely go back to Aragosta, and stay on site, the cabins look cozy.
Service: 5
Hunter Gregg
What a wonderful location, overlooking the ocean on a gorgeous deck with immaculate landscaping. I can’t overstate how beautiful and well imagined the compound was. Which, considering the attention to detail everywhere walking in, the food and service came as a shock.
And I understand there are sometimes just bad days where things don’t go right, and I hope that’s all this was.
We booked the an à la carte experience, and ordered two cocktails and three dishes. The drinks seemed boozy to hide the fact they tasted premade, and the food was under seasoned, but the worst thing were the blackened cauliflower tacos. The cauliflower was so burnt it crumbled into ash when you applied any pressure, to the point that you couldn’t taste anything else in the dish. Not to mention that when we put our card out on the table not 15 minutes after being served having barely touched out the majority of our food, the server didn’t ask a single question of us.
Again, I hope this was just a fluke and the result of a bad day. And I hope everyone who has the chance to go has a wonderful experience.
Service: 1
Mireille
Aragosta is a restaurant that, in my opinion, is why American cuisine matters. Every dish shines bright with local ingredients, is artfully plated, imaginative, and delicious! We did the chef’s tasting, Ode to Summer. I had the wine pairing menu and my husband tried two cocktails. I am gluten free and the staff accommodated the meal beautifully with homemade sourdough, fresh pasta, etc.- I was deeply thankful and blown away. Every detail from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food, and the landscape (being right on the beach!) was sublime. We cannot wait to return and would recommend Aragosta wholeheartedly!
Catfished
I want to preface this by saying this review is for the dining experience at Aragosta and is no reflection of our wonderful stay at Aragosta at Goose Cove.
After following Aragosta online for the last few years, I knew I needed to make the trek up to Deer Isle myself. Some friends and I planned a road trip from Pennsylvania for the purpose of enjoying the tasting menu. Upon booking a cabin on the property, I went to make our dinner reservations. To my dismay, I could not seem to find anything available for any of their experiences. I assumed they were fully booked, as I know they have recently received a lot of press, so when I managed to find a reservation for Sunday’s al la carte menu, I snagged it. Seeing that every dish they post online is stunning, the sample tasting menu is to die for, and the website states that the a la carte dining experience is where they workshop dishes for the purpose of their tasting menu, I felt confident that we would still have a fantastic meal.
Unfortunately this was not the case. Once we were seated in the restaurant we found out that the reason we could not get a tasting menu reservation was not because they were fully booked, but rather because they are closed on weekends and only offer tasting menu Monday-Thursday. This seemed rather strange considering they are effectively a “hotel” and a destination very much off the beaten path. When we were handed our menus concern set in—it was a far cry from what we had anticipated. There were only 7 options, two of which were unavailable (the oysters and dessert), and to our surprise all 3 entree offerings were tacos. A far cry from the a la carte options I had seem them post online which included scallops, venison carpaccio, and crab dumplings.
We were disappointed by the fact that they had no oysters, as they often post about their oyster farming operation. The lack of oysters tied right into the lack of education about where their food came from. As a locavore, I was eager to hear all about their sourcing, as they often boast about their local, seasonal, property-grown, and foraged ingredients. However, our server never once brushed on this information or even gave us the slightest background about the restaurant or property.
Now, back to the food. The first two dishes—Salmon Crudo and Boquerones— were good. Nothing overly creative but they tasted good and harkened back to dishes I had seen them post online. Next was the clam chowder, which contained no perceivable clams and had the mouthfeel of water. There was a blasé corn salad that lacked creativity or excitement, but what really did it for us were the tacos. With their avocado crema squiggle, accompanied by a pile of wet lettuce with 2 slices of pickled onion. The meat felt like something a mid-western mom would make in a crock pot for her kids on Taco Tuesday. There is really no other way to explain it, then that it felt like the walk-in was empty and they were trying to cobble a meal together out of the last remaining items they found hidden in the back.
To be a destination restaurant but provide a schedule that pigeon holes people into booking on a Sunday where only a la carte is available makes no sense. To pretend that your a la carte option is of the same caliber as your tasting experience is incredibly disingenuous. Our server told that they are essentially a wedding venue throughout the summer, which is why the restaurant is closed on the weekends and tasting is only available weekdays. Though you’d have no way of knowing this when making your reservations to stay on the property. Unfortunately since the experience, I have read several reviews from other people who traveled great distances, feeling as lucky as I did to snag a Sunday res, only to be completely disappointed in the what awaited them. All I can say is that I am grateful our dining experience included cloth napkins and proper plates.
I went into the dinner tasting expecting to be impressed because of the price point and location. And I left being very impressed with the experience but more so the amazing food. They managed to make the food not only beautiful, but also delicious, while also sourcing from a variety of local farms and vendors.
Service: 5
attended a wedding in this beautiful place. private and excellent services. nice walking trail nearby. love it
Service: 5
This was the best meal of my life. Full stop.
My husband and I ate at Aragosta & chose the chef’s tasting menu. I coupled it with wine pairings & he added on the chef’s favorites. Every single bite was an explosion of flavor that reflected local and seasonal tastes and experiences. The staff was incredibly kind & knowledgeable. The view was beautiful. I can’t say enough good things about this place. I wish I could have hugged the chef. She’s a gift to the culinary world.
Never lives up to the hype.
Our experience at Aragosta was unforgettable! The food was exceptional, showcasing fresh, local ingredients that blew us away. The cozy yet elegant atmosphere made it perfect for a special night out. If you're in Deer Isle, don’t miss this culinary gem!
Service: 5
This place is sacred in our family. Worth a detour and a splurge.
Service: 5
Our experience at Aragosta was magical. Every bite of the 3-course bar menu was exceptional, as were the cocktails. And of course the location is stunning. What truly made it so special was the service (thank you to the delightful Alex at the bar).
Service: 5
The location was gorgeous! We felt like we were in a secret hideaway with all of the cool kids. The large picnic tables were adorably set with mismatched vintage plates. The rosé was delicious. The hibiscus margarita was very disappointing…without flavor. The food was unimaginative and not very thoughtful of vegans. There were two overpriced menu items for vegetarians.
Food & drinks: The food was probably good for seafood lovers, but very mediocre for veggie lovers.
Noteworthy details: A beautiful place to hang out for an afternoon.
Service: 4
Booked an 8pm reservation for the a la carte menu. Small menu and we were expecting this to be a much more scaled down version of the tasting menu before we arrived. Staff friendly, seated quickly, and the restaurant is as beautiful as everyone describes. Paper napkins should have been our first clue that it wasn’t going to be what we hoped. We ordered almost everything off of the menu and the timing of the dishes was something out of Applebee’s. Within 15 minutes every dish was out and our table covered. Salmon crudo and oysters were very good but other food was meh- certainly not what you expect when you drive through an enchanted forest to get to the restaurant. Drink offerings were limited and when we inquired if they had a more extensive bar list the waitress told us they were working from a limited “beach bar” and couldn’t tell us what bourbons they carried other than Elijah Craig? Overall, if you are planning to travel to get to this place hold out for the tasting menu. That seems to have consistent positive reviews and would make the trip worth it.
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
We had an amazing experience during our prefix dinner. Each dish was imaginative and delicious. The interior of the restaurant is simply beautiful and the service was excellent. Can’t way to go back
Service: 5
Stunning setting friendly staff fresh creative food
Service: 5
Beautiful venue overlooking Goose Cove well worth the road trip to get there.
A fantastic tasting menu, local fresh plates, the service was amazing, such a fabulous experience for us.
Each course was spectacular…I can’t tell you how excited I was with the presentation and the flavours.
We will definitely go back to Aragosta, and stay on site, the cabins look cozy.
Service: 5
What a wonderful location, overlooking the ocean on a gorgeous deck with immaculate landscaping. I can’t overstate how beautiful and well imagined the compound was. Which, considering the attention to detail everywhere walking in, the food and service came as a shock.
And I understand there are sometimes just bad days where things don’t go right, and I hope that’s all this was.
We booked the an à la carte experience, and ordered two cocktails and three dishes. The drinks seemed boozy to hide the fact they tasted premade, and the food was under seasoned, but the worst thing were the blackened cauliflower tacos. The cauliflower was so burnt it crumbled into ash when you applied any pressure, to the point that you couldn’t taste anything else in the dish. Not to mention that when we put our card out on the table not 15 minutes after being served having barely touched out the majority of our food, the server didn’t ask a single question of us.
Again, I hope this was just a fluke and the result of a bad day. And I hope everyone who has the chance to go has a wonderful experience.
Service: 1
Aragosta is a restaurant that, in my opinion, is why American cuisine matters. Every dish shines bright with local ingredients, is artfully plated, imaginative, and delicious! We did the chef’s tasting, Ode to Summer. I had the wine pairing menu and my husband tried two cocktails. I am gluten free and the staff accommodated the meal beautifully with homemade sourdough, fresh pasta, etc.- I was deeply thankful and blown away. Every detail from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food, and the landscape (being right on the beach!) was sublime. We cannot wait to return and would recommend Aragosta wholeheartedly!
Service: 5
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