We are local regulars , we were seated upstairs, after 20 minutes seated and being ignored, a nice young man approached us, gave us water, took drink order, disappeared and never returned. We saw our drinks ready at the bar, but were never served, servers all ignored us, we left 25 minutes later. They were all very young, I don't know if there were any management working, but I'd be concerned. Restaurant was only half full at 7PM. We went to Allisons, busy, fabulous service. We won't be back to Pilot House.
Mark E Wright
Good place to have a meal or a drink.
Amanda Young
We were extremely disappointed and frankly shocked by the treatment we received at the Pilothouse in Maine. A group of 10 of us — all adults, all sober, well-dressed, and polite — came in after a wedding to enjoy one celebratory drink together. We were visiting from Florida and were looking forward to experiencing some of the local hospitality. What we got instead was the complete opposite.
Upon walking in, we were immediately told we weren’t welcome — not because we were loud, intoxicated, or causing a disturbance (we weren’t), but simply because we were “dressed like we were from a wedding.” The staff told us very directly that they “make too much money renting the place out” to bother serving people who come in after weddings. Yes — that was said to our faces. Apparently, wearing a nice dress or a blazer now makes you unworthy of being served a drink in this establishment.
This kind of elitist and frankly arrogant attitude is the exact opposite of what you expect when you walk into a small-town coastal bar. We weren’t looking for a rowdy night or trying to overstay our welcome — just one drink to toast the couple in a relaxed setting. Instead, we were turned away without any courtesy or hospitality, as if our presence was a burden.
I completely understand if there are private events or capacity issues — but that wasn’t the case. The bar was not full, and no private event was underway. They simply didn’t want to serve us because they assumed we were with a wedding party — which, apparently, is some kind of sin in their book.
To be turned away so rudely, for absolutely no valid reason, after flying across the country and celebrating a beautiful day with friends, was beyond disappointing. It left a sour taste in our mouths and soured our impression of what we thought would be a warm, welcoming spot.
If you’re looking for genuine hospitality, inclusiveness, or even just the most basic level of customer service, I’d recommend you skip the Pilothouse. Unless you’re a local regular or fit some sort of unspoken dress code, don’t expect to be welcomed here — especially if you’ve come from a wedding.
Truly one of the most unwelcoming experiences any of us have had while traveling. And to be clear — it wasn’t just rude, it was intentional. They made it known that they didn’t need our business. Message received. We’ll be sure to spend our money elsewhere — and let others know to do the same.
Mandy B
Pilot House was delicious! We came here as vacationers, after being turned away from 2 restaurants due to the extreme heat they were unable to stay open. Pilot House was able to take us at their upstairs bar which was gorgeous! The AC was blasting which was a God send. The bartender was very friendly and accommodating despite being super busy! Maybe the best fish tacos I ever had. Also had a great dirty martini and a strawberry lemongrass vodka.
Elena Gaunya
Terrible service on the sailboat
Jane Coleman
We had a very nice meal at the pilot house, we had the steamed lobster and clams , our waiter was called Frankie and helped us how to eat it, assisted with everything else and was top notch , brilliant food and a pleasant environment would highly recommend it.
A O
All the food was EXCELLENT. Wings, haddock bites, double dog are 10 out of 10! Awesome ambiance as well. Lovely on a cool cloudy day at the port!
Kevin Stahl
Great location. Good food. Are server Sophie was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Fish and Chips
Samantha Johnson
The was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We got the panko crusted Haddock. PHENOMENAL!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joel Mesiti
I'm fortunate to live on the beautiful New England coast where seafood restaurants are in abundance. I'm even more fortunate to have experienced the Baked Crusted Haddock at Pilot House in Kennebunk, ME. Must go here, even for just a drink. The local vibe and service is genuine, and the energy is awesome.
If you can eat a bowl of clam chowder and a lobster roll you're a better man than me. Both are off the charts outstanding. Don't miss this if you're in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shelah Horne
Fun and unique place to have excellent food and drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
pmw
We stopped by to try out the new digs since the last time we were here was in the old building, and the schooner was still floating nearby. The new building is much much bigger, having two floors and offering beautiful views from their large windows. When entering, you'll be coming in near their bar area, which is both busy and loud, and off to the right is a dining area that shares in the noise. The 2nd floor is substantially quieter, has its own bar, a nice seating area, and dining tables. I recommend going for the 2nd floor. The food was very, very good, and the menu choices should satisfy most anyone's taste. The schooner is now a permanent attachment to the building on dry land and connected with an inclined walkway. It has a nice bar area with limited munchies and great views. It's a great spot to wait for your table or just to pop in for a fun experience. I don't recommend the schooner for those with mobility issues. There is plenty of parking available & their prices seem reasonable considering the quality and portion sizes of the items and the novelty and setting within Kennybunkport. If you found this review helpful, please let me know by tapping the thumbs up. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
meltem uzun
It was disappointing, not very tasty and not one more plate is really small
We are local regulars , we were seated upstairs, after 20 minutes seated and being ignored, a nice young man approached us, gave us water, took drink order, disappeared and never returned. We saw our drinks ready at the bar, but were never served, servers all ignored us, we left 25 minutes later. They were all very young, I don't know if there were any management working, but I'd be concerned. Restaurant was only half full at 7PM. We went to Allisons, busy, fabulous service. We won't be back to Pilot House.
Good place to have a meal or a drink.
We were extremely disappointed and frankly shocked by the treatment we received at the Pilothouse in Maine. A group of 10 of us — all adults, all sober, well-dressed, and polite — came in after a wedding to enjoy one celebratory drink together. We were visiting from Florida and were looking forward to experiencing some of the local hospitality. What we got instead was the complete opposite.
Upon walking in, we were immediately told we weren’t welcome — not because we were loud, intoxicated, or causing a disturbance (we weren’t), but simply because we were “dressed like we were from a wedding.” The staff told us very directly that they “make too much money renting the place out” to bother serving people who come in after weddings. Yes — that was said to our faces. Apparently, wearing a nice dress or a blazer now makes you unworthy of being served a drink in this establishment.
This kind of elitist and frankly arrogant attitude is the exact opposite of what you expect when you walk into a small-town coastal bar. We weren’t looking for a rowdy night or trying to overstay our welcome — just one drink to toast the couple in a relaxed setting. Instead, we were turned away without any courtesy or hospitality, as if our presence was a burden.
I completely understand if there are private events or capacity issues — but that wasn’t the case. The bar was not full, and no private event was underway. They simply didn’t want to serve us because they assumed we were with a wedding party — which, apparently, is some kind of sin in their book.
To be turned away so rudely, for absolutely no valid reason, after flying across the country and celebrating a beautiful day with friends, was beyond disappointing. It left a sour taste in our mouths and soured our impression of what we thought would be a warm, welcoming spot.
If you’re looking for genuine hospitality, inclusiveness, or even just the most basic level of customer service, I’d recommend you skip the Pilothouse. Unless you’re a local regular or fit some sort of unspoken dress code, don’t expect to be welcomed here — especially if you’ve come from a wedding.
Truly one of the most unwelcoming experiences any of us have had while traveling. And to be clear — it wasn’t just rude, it was intentional. They made it known that they didn’t need our business. Message received. We’ll be sure to spend our money elsewhere — and let others know to do the same.
Pilot House was delicious! We came here as vacationers, after being turned away from 2 restaurants due to the extreme heat they were unable to stay open. Pilot House was able to take us at their upstairs bar which was gorgeous! The AC was blasting which was a God send. The bartender was very friendly and accommodating despite being super busy! Maybe the best fish tacos I ever had. Also had a great dirty martini and a strawberry lemongrass vodka.
Terrible service on the sailboat
We had a very nice meal at the pilot house, we had the steamed lobster and clams , our waiter was called Frankie and helped us how to eat it, assisted with everything else and was top notch , brilliant food and a pleasant environment would highly recommend it.
All the food was EXCELLENT. Wings, haddock bites, double dog are 10 out of 10! Awesome ambiance as well. Lovely on a cool cloudy day at the port!
Great location. Good food. Are server Sophie was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Fish and Chips
The was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We got the panko crusted Haddock. PHENOMENAL!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I'm fortunate to live on the beautiful New England coast where seafood restaurants are in abundance. I'm even more fortunate to have experienced the Baked Crusted Haddock at Pilot House in Kennebunk, ME. Must go here, even for just a drink. The local vibe and service is genuine, and the energy is awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haddock and Fries
Restaurantji Recommends
Just brilliant. Food, service, everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you can eat a bowl of clam chowder and a lobster roll you're a better man than me. Both are off the charts outstanding. Don't miss this if you're in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fun and unique place to have excellent food and drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We stopped by to try out the new digs since the last time we were here was in the old building, and the schooner was still floating nearby. The new building is much much bigger, having two floors and offering beautiful views from their large windows. When entering, you'll be coming in near their bar area, which is both busy and loud, and off to the right is a dining area that shares in the noise. The 2nd floor is substantially quieter, has its own bar, a nice seating area, and dining tables. I recommend going for the 2nd floor. The food was very, very good, and the menu choices should satisfy most anyone's taste. The schooner is now a permanent attachment to the building on dry land and connected with an inclined walkway. It has a nice bar area with limited munchies and great views. It's a great spot to wait for your table or just to pop in for a fun experience. I don't recommend the schooner for those with mobility issues. There is plenty of parking available & their prices seem reasonable considering the quality and portion sizes of the items and the novelty and setting within Kennybunkport.
If you found this review helpful, please let me know by tapping the thumbs up. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was disappointing, not very tasty and not one more plate is really small
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Sandwich
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