The Port Oysteria & Brewery

My husband and i tried The Port shortly after they first opened. It was a miss then but that’s not unusual for most restaurants when they first open. We decided to try them again this past weekend and, it was a miss again. Service was slow, like, very slow. And the restaurant was half empty. On top of that, the food was pretty bad. I asked our server for an update on our meal after waiting waiting over 30 minutes for our appetizers (under cooked fries and over cook calamari)- we were told the kitchen was slammed. Again- the restaurant was half empty. Sides came out wrong. And unfortunately we all ordered the same meals- lobster risotto which was so over peppered and the lobster was beyond salvageable. I’m also not sure what happened with the table next to us, but they sent every plate back. Such a shame.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

I generally prefer not to leave negative feedback; however, my wife and I were quite disappointed with both the quality and flavor of the food. Having recently relocated to Spotsylvania, Virginia, from Maryland, we were accustomed to enjoying excellent seafood. The atmosphere on a Friday evening was not particularly inviting. The table settings were rather simplistic and lacked any elements that might suggest a five-star or romantic experience; a candle, for instance, would have been a pleasant addition. We began our meal with the fish bites and hush puppies. The fish bites were excessively salty, and the fish itself seemed to be of low quality. The hush puppies were over-fried and dry internally, with very few ingredients incorporated into the dough. We also sampled the crab cake sandwich accompanied by mac and cheese. This proved to be the worst crab cake sandwich I have ever encountered. The crab cake was prepared in a manner similar to a smashed burger: flattened, greasy, overcooked, devoid of lump meat, and inadequately seasoned. It was also remarkably salty! We were surprised that it was presented on a soggy and greasy bun. The mac and cheese consisted of a cup of oily cheese with very little pasta; I actually had to drain the oil onto my plate—it was truly awful. We decided not to order dessert. Given our experience with the restaurant and the meal, we would not feel comfortable recommending this restaurant to our friends and family.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 3

Our family ate here on 6/20/2026. The food was terrific. The shrimp and grits were especially good .

New ordering system issues. Limited beer choices. Only house made beer and not anything special. Hushpuppies extremely dry. Salad wasnt prepared as expected. Beer garden is good for families however no direct restroom access. Oysters were good and server was attentive but unfortunately was the only thing this place had going for it. Wouldn’t recommended

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3

Visited on a Sunday afternoon and crushed some amazing oysters with my gf. Good shooters as well! Madison S was our server and she was the best!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Loved the food! Came with my boyfriend and Madison S. Was an amazing server! I’d love to have her and see her again! Oysters were top tier! And loved the shooters! Handmade and wonderful!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

oysters are great, great happy hour, attentive bartenders.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I went here with friends on Saturday at 6 PM—the first warm day of the year—so we were excited to try an oyster restaurant for the first time. The place itself looks great and we had high hopes walking in. Unfortunately, the experience was incredibly disappointing from start to finish.

First, they had already run out of fried oysters. At an oyster restaurant. On a Saturday evening. That set the tone for the rest of the night.

The service was honestly some of the worst I’ve experienced. Our waitress didn’t remember our orders, forgot to check what the fish of the day was when we asked, and when we tried to add an order of fries she snapped that she wasn’t the “runner.” She also had a habit of assuming what we were about to say and literally running off before we finished speaking. At one point we had to tell her to please stop for a moment so we could finish asking for things. It felt rushed and frankly rude.

The kitchen also seemed completely unprepared. They ran out of Caesar dressing, so my Caesar salad arrived as a plate of lettuce and cheese—no dressing at all. Just dry lettuce and parmesan.

The crab and shrimp dip was another disappointment. It tasted like almost entirely cream cheese, and none of us could find a single piece of shrimp. The rest of the food was overcooked and bland.

To the manager’s credit, they did comp part of the bill after hearing about our experience, which we appreciated. But overall, between the poor service, missing menu items, and disappointing food, it was easily one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in a long time.

To make matters worse, the friend who took us there actually lives in the area and said her first experience was just like this. She had hoped things had improved because the restaurant is nice looking and has potential, but unfortunately after this second visit she said she regretted bringing us there.

Sadly, it was our first time there—and it will definitely be our last.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 1

I ordered the fish and chips ended up getting fish sticks that were not good at all. The hush puppies were cooked and weak old grease the food is horrible. The only good thing about the whole place was the bar manager, who was very helpful and kind.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 4

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Keep in mind I went here around 9:45 They close at 11pm. We were going in with not a lot of expectations but at least a little something than what we got. We get there and from the jump they said that they can only serve fried foods (which is interesting). We quickly order our drinks which is WATERED DOWN. Then we proceed to order Salad with salmon and shrimp (the waitress didn’t even know the kitchen could do ) so at this point we order truffle fries. They give us the truffle fries in like 5 minutes WITHOUT shredding the cheese or even completely melting it. Then as we start to eat all you hear is workers cursing around us talking about they are not on the clock. Please be mindful that there is still a WHOLE HOUR before closing. Then when I wave down the waitress she says “oh do you want water or what ” at this point we didn’t take the fries home we paid the check and left. Never will return again.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

I have been here 3 separate times with the last 6 months and each time was seriously not great. So the hosts/wait staff are amazing. Food itself is usually pretty good in taste/flavor. But everything in between is absolutely crap. Food/Drink items, they are constantly out of and you aren’t made aware of until after you order and have been waiting for a moment. Food/drinks always being brought to the wrong tables. Or double up orders which I guess can be a happy accident (most of the time it seems to be alcohol drinks that are doubled up) The oysters are amazing according to my boyfriend but every entree doesn’t even come close. 2/3 times we’ve been here a manager is constantly making rounds either listening to complaints or checking the quality of things. As I’m writing this we’ve been here for 2.5 hours. There was some sort of system error and orders started backing up. I’m starting to think a lot of the issues are behind the scenes and or in the kitchen. It’s a shame because like I said the wait staff/hosts and actual taste of the food is great. Our waitress Madison was seriously the best and so was the male trainee with her. Very attentive, friendly and on top of their game.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 3

The new general manager welcomed us as we walked in, seated us and gave an update on happy hour and menu items. Our server was attentive and efficient . The food and drinks were amazing. Thank you for am amazing experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Stopped by on a Saturday for lunch. We hadn't been here before so we decided to give it a try. They weren't busy, so we were seated right away, and our drink order was taken promptly. A few minutes later the drinks arrived and we ordered our food. From there, it went downhill in a big way. A lobster grilled cheese sandwich and fish tacos should never take 45 minutes to serve! To be fair, the food was okay. Not great but okay. If it had been served in a relatively timely fashion, I probably would have just thought it was an off day. After reading other reviews it seems that slow service is more common than not. Once we were finally served, it took quite some time for our server to bring the bill. When she finally did bring it, we handed her the card before she could leave the table. She then proceeded to walk behind the bar and make drinks for other customers. 25 minutes later, she returned with our card so we could sign the check and leave. We didn't complain or make any comments, but we both agreed that this won't be in our regular rotation of restaurants downtown.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

The service was outstanding, friendly, attentive, and genuinely focused on making sure we had a great time. Even though I personally don’t eat seafood, there were still plenty of great options for me, and everything I ordered was absolutely amazing. You can really tell they take pride in the quality of the food they serve. The manager even took the time to come by our table, check on us, and make sure everything was perfect. Between the incredible food, excellent service, and the welcoming atmosphere, it made for a truly great dining experience. We left very impressed and will definitely be back again soon. If you’re in Fredericksburg and looking for a place with great food and amazing service, I highly recommend The Port Oysteria & Bar!

We had a really lovely experience at restaurant the PORT . The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the food was very enjoyable.

A special thank you to our server Crystal and to Melissa the general manager for their excellent service they were attentive, kind, and made us feel truly cared for throughout our visit.

We really appreciated their professionalism and friendliness. We will definitely be happy to come back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5