50 Best American Restaurants near Portsmouth

“We had a great birthday experience aboard the train & plan on returning many times. We chose The Spruce Car, (as opposed to the murder mystery) which is aptly named, as it's filled with rich, warm woods. The cozy lighting & up-scale, but not pretentious, decor created the perfect ambiance for a romantic birthday. Dinner service was nothing short of wonderful. Our server, Maddie, was friendly, beautiful, and attentive. Both of our dinners were delicious and the cocktails were perfect. More locals should enjoy the Bellevue Grand. It's worth every penny.“

“My go-to order in most places would be a Reuben. The quality of the meat, bread and the balance with the sauerkraut, sauce & cheese say a lot about how the restaurant approaches their food. The 02878 is the best Reuben sandwich I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Now I will have to find another go-to for other restaurants because they will pale in comparison to Localz 02878.“

“Great food and the wait staff very friendly.“

“Delicious breakfast. I had two eggs over light with fruit. Grandson had pancakes. Daughter had Belgium waffle. Good service. Clean restaurant. Pretty decor.

Parking: spacious.

Kid-friendliness: roomy for kids.“

“Love to hangout on the top deck over looking the Sakonnet River. Please do crank up your coolers beers are not very cold.“

“excellent wings fast service and great prices.“

“The best, freshest meal we experienced while in the cape area (from California)! The fried scallops and the spicy crab stuffed humongous clam was to die for!! Thank you especially to the warm and generous welcome by LeRoy and Robert--we will be regulars!“

“This place is a solid go-to for classic American food done right. Everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and hit the spot. Fridays are an absolute win because of the $1 raw bar—great quality oysters at that price are hard to beat, and they were super fresh. What really made the experience stand out, though, was our server Mercy. She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. You can tell she genuinely cares about great service. Between the food, the Friday raw bar deal, and Mercy’s top-notch service, this spot is definitely worth coming back to.“

“We just enjoyed a late lunch that was absolutely delicious! The lobster bisque was a great starter but the lobster Mac and cheese was the BEST we’ve ever had. Giant chunks of lobster were buried amongst the creamy noodles. We shared the lobster dish and it was plenty. \nThe fresh cod/ Fish-n-chips was also excellent, flaky light white fish. We waited 45 mins for our table, while sipping hot spiced cider - the food was well worth the wait.“

“It was my wife and I’s first time in RI, and this was the best experience we have had since. Definitely our favorite part of the trip. The steak frites was cooked to perfection and flavor. My wife got the bolognese and 👌🏽. 10/10 would and will come again!“

“Cru Café is an excellent spot in Newport. Even when it’s busy, the line moves quickly and service is friendly and efficient. The staff is cheerful, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the food is fresh, fast, and absolutely delicious. A great place worth visiting!“

“Ate here for the first time last night and it was amazing. Food was great, but the service was even better! Very friendly and accommodating.“

“Friendly staff and delicious food/drinks. Highly recommended“

“Delicious food and the owner is very kind and made my day ❤️“

“Just finished great meal. Huge lobster roll, high quality kids chicken and big beefy kids burger. I had the fish n chips which was amazing! Old Bay fries and what had to be a whole Cod! The best part was Peter N. He was very informative, quick in serving the kids which lets Mom and Dad relax. Such a great day and great meal.“

“We lived in Bristol for about 3 years, and we discover this place early. Love the food, and I still tell people about the lobster roll with filet. The drinks were always awesome. Last, the music was incredible that created the atmosphere. Miss this place so much as we had to move away. Every time we are back we go here. Love it and miss it dearly.“

“Ate breakfast here after the Newport Half Marathon. It was good food, but even better, it seemed like a comfortable, local place with friendly staff. Very enjoyable breakfast!“

“Such amazing flavors was a taste bud explosion! Definitely an under rated restaurant in Newport!“

“Steph and the team at scratch were SUPERB! Our catering order was perfect (tho we were sad the croissant machine was down) every thing was piping hot (or nice an cool). Everything was SOOO good. Ordering was easy, Steph ensured we had a great variety and enough to feed the post-wedding crowd. We did have breakfast here and it was stellar! Any event you need catered, be sure to check Steph and the team out. You will, NOT be disappointed!“

“Very pleasantly surprised! Great menu and service. We ate at the bar. The atmosphere is nice and low key. We can't wait to go back.“

“TRAFFORDS TESTIMONIAL Perhaps once in a lifetime you find someplace really special for you and your spouse. Seven years ago we went to Trafford’s for the first time. What we remember about it was how it made us feel. Both of us work hard in our professions and to go out to dinner and find wonderful food, excellent and attentive wait staff, and relaxed environment simply made our day. We then came every month at least once mostly twice to enjoy the excellence and serenity at Trafford. Sadly we lost this when the fire occurred for several years. Then absolute joy when Trafford’s reopened and we found the same wonderful food, wonderful staff in a simply beautiful rebuilt building. The joy we felt and the absolute calm and serenity is all back for us. Recently we celebrated my 76th birthday at Trafford with my entire family. It was amazingly special for me and we had our special event upstairs with the entire place devoted to us . Chrissy our server did an awe inspiring service for us making it perhaps one of the most special birthdays I have ever had I have attached a picture of this special moment. I work in the computer software business doing quality assurance 10 hours every day. Being able to calm down and relax completely at Trafford’s is simply a joy for us. I will always be thankful for this the rest of my life Ugh Sincerely Nicholas McKinney“

“Every time I come up to this area- we make sure to get Harry’s for breakfast! The service is super fast - the restaurant has an old school diner feel while still being clean and well-maintained. Now the food?? Amazing. You cannot, absolutely cannot, miss their chicken Mozambique omelette with potatoes- I’m drooling just thinking about it honestly. Everyone does hype that up, yes, but other menu items are just as delicious - I particularly enjoy their French toast. Do yourself a favor and eat here.“

“We are sorry it took us so long to discover The Square Peg. Cozy, old colonial vibe, delicious fall sangria and scrumptious comfort food. Our first visit was a perfect complement to our day visiting farm stands and enjoying a beautiful October Saturday. A bonus is that the location could rival Salem in October minus the crowds. Just perfect. We loved the chili with sour cream, cheese and onions on top, the patty melt and the ahi tuna tacos. All were delicious and reasonably priced. We look forward to visiting many times.“

“Beautiful spot to watch passing boats . Excellent meal . Swordfish was one of the best !“

“love the food and drinks they were AMAZING ❤️❤️💯“

“🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾“

“I decided to treat myself and come on a little solo vacation. This is such an accommodating warm spot. Evan and the whole staff treated me with such kindness as I was dining by myself in the busy summer season the mussels were amazing ! The lobster bisque is not to be missed and the local Winery three thieves was delicious. I recommend this place highly !“

“great food and very nice people that own it....everything is fresh“

“We contracted Angles Kitchen to cater the reception following my father's memorial service. I got so many compliments on the food, and I know that several guests sought out John to complement him personally. The service was both professional and warm. We plan on using them again for two events this Summer. Full caveat; they'er a little laid-back, and their were a few times when I got nervous, but in the end...TOTAL professionals (did I mention that the food was prepared on-site?) I give Angels Kitchen my highest recommendation.“

“Always a good time! Great staff,food & atmosphere ❤️. My go to“

“Always a perfect experience! Delicious food. Pleasant, professional, knowledgeable staff and amazing indoor and outdoor atmosphere. Love this place! ❤️“

“Came here for Mother’s Day and our table came complete with a picture of my family in a frame. What a nice touch! The food was delicious and our waitress was perfect. She knew exactly what we were going to need having two kids under 4 with us. This is my favorite place in Newport and they hit the mark yet again.“

“They make the best chow mein sandwich since China Royal.“

“Amazing scene, great vibe and amazing live music!!“

“UPDATE REVIEW DROM JANUARY 2026.
we had not been in in quite a while as we stopped dining out more than a year ago. We decides to get out ofbthe house dor a change & my husband wanted to xome ro Barrett's. We both orsered diet cokes, he ordered the chixken mozambique bowl & i ordered the stuffed scallop SHELL appetizer as my meal. The food was serves very quickly. My husband took 2 bites of the chicken & made a face. The waitress was still at the table but didn't see his face. I asked him what was wrong? He told the waitress that he didn't care for the taste of the chicken..asked if he could send it back & reorder. The waitress could not have been nicer. My husband decided on another meal & was happy with it. We could not have had a better waitress.

Went there for the first time yesterday..a bit confusing since they have another restaurant in the city with a slightly different name. We had looked at the other restaurants menu & were confused when we got there.

Nice place! We had a short wait to be seated ..seemed like there was some confusion at the hostess stand.

Tooka while for.the waitress to come back after ordering 2 Pepsi's. Finally got to order..chicken mozAmbique for my husband & chicken melt sandwich for me. We saw other tables getting bread baskets but we never got one? Took quite a bit of time for our order to arrive (it was about 2pm on a Saturday). The food looked good but my onion rings were ice cold. I waited for the waitress to come by to check to see if everything is ok, but after about 15 minutes had to flag her down. It was quickly rectified! We later ordered a lemon cake dessert that was very good.

Definately will try them again..and maybe also try their other location with a different menu.“

“Food is excellent. Portion sizes are healthy. For example the veal parmesan with linguini feeds both me and my husband. I haven't tried anything as of yet that I didn't like. Everything is cooked fresh“

“Food is consistently amazing. I love the family atmosphere and the menu variety is excellent for a local business in this area.“

“The food was excellent and the service was great. Some of the other customers were very nice and respectful. Will definitely be going back. Excellent job“

“Stephanie was an exceptional bartender—easily one of the best servers we've ever had. She was incredibly knowledgeable about gluten-free options, which made a huge difference for us. Her attention to detail was impressive, from promptly changing out silverware between courses to keeping our drinks filled without us ever needing to ask. The food was outstanding! The carpaccio was the best we’ve had, and the gluten-free s’mores dessert was absolutely delicious—a perfect ending to the meal. The atmosphere had a great vibe with stunning views, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. We’ll definitely be back!“

“Thanks for preparing a fantastic New Years take out dinner. The shrimp Mozambique was outstanding. See you soon.“

“great service from Happy people. also crushing on hostess that comes in around 4:30pm and great onion soup. just saying 😊“

“Literally sitting here eating lunch for the first time ever. First off the food is absolutely fantastic. My waiter is awesome - cool dude - Mike recommended to me EXACTLY what I was looking for and knows the menu like the back of his hand. Great staff, Great food, Great Vibe Will def be back“

“Gorgeous hotel and beyond amazing staff and service .. just a wonderful time there“

“I went to the Granite Grille today with my friend and my grandma. My son is in the Culinary Arts program, and we wanted to experience the restaurant, and it was excellent! The students who waited on us did a great job. My watermelon lemonade was delicous, and I forgot to grab a picture of the burger for the review because it looked so good that I got right on into eating it! The waiters did good checking in with us, and answering questions we had. The students and staff are doing an amazing job. It was an all-around great experience, and we will definitely be going back soon.“

“We always stop in when we are in Newport. The infused Woodford Reserve is always a hit. My wife loves the infused seltzers. Ethan is always fun.“

“To the incompetent individuals @dewolftavern who stiffed us on the exorbitant take out Thanksgiving meal you provided missing half the turkey, gravy and the mashed potatoes we payed for and drove a half hour to pick up.... To the girl who insisted after my father asked if everything in our order was in the bag that it was, to your manager who was unhelpful and should be dealt with accordingly and whomever portioned out the meal should be reprimanded as well. Our oven is broken on Thanksgiving and your incompetence made it an even greater day. One of your incompetent workers should have delivered the rest of the meal personally #badrestaurant #badservice #shitcan #dontpatronize #furious @yelp“

“Food was delicious love the music 🎶“

“Great but! I don’t buy things like this usually but it’s easy to use at all of our favorite spots around town and is basically free after the first use. Highly recommend!“

“We’ve had a couple meals at the Helmway and they were delicious! The calamari is crispy and done just right, the harvest salad is excellent! The scallops were done to perfection…sweet and tender. The lobster risotto is excellent too! We had the cinnamon toast bread pudding…just wow!! The wine selection is just right! We’ll definitely go back and highly recommend the Helmway!! I couldn’t find a place to give it stars, but I would definitely give it 5 out of 5!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“We came in Sunday evening for a small dinner and dessert and sat at the bar. The bartender was attentive and filled our drinks quickly. It was pretty empty when we got there but packed when we left. The food was AMAZING. We shared the short rib special and it was so good! For dessert we had the chocolate mousse and bread pudding which were also sooooo good! The restaurant itself was beautiful. Prices were reasonable. Would definitely dine here again!“