Crab cake plate a bed of pureed sweet potato about 4 long green beans laid across then a crabcake placed on each side. All excellent. Seafood pasta not so much. Scallops had good taste but were gritty. Shrimp tasty but crab not found. When I ordered I said coffee to drink. It did not arrive. Wife shouted to the waiter and got the making a fresh pot bit. He brought the coffee but long after I finished eating. Wife wanted ice cream so we got two bread puddings with vanilla on top. It was a mistake. The ice cream was normal but the bread pudding needed a lot of help. I'm not sure that there is enough help to save it. It was like a few disks of bread with some raisins in it. Place was very crowded extremely loud. Menu hard to read looked like it was copied on a machine that was low on toner as you read the line of print would just fade. We had reservations and were seated within a few minutes of the reserved time.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Kelly Corcoran
My husband and I decided to try Porter’s on Main for date night, and our experience was far beyond what we expected. I made our reservation online—it was quick and easy. When we arrived, the restaurant was busy, yet we were seated immediately. The atmosphere is cozy with dim lighting and has a speakeasy-style vibe that makes it feel intimate and special. I ordered the Black Walnut and Fig Old Fashioned, and my husband had the Smoked Old Fashioned. Both drinks were incredibly flavorful and served on beautiful craft ice—truly impressive. For our appetizer, we chose the Roasted Pepper Arancini (fried risotto balls). The accompanying aioli was the perfect complement and elevated the dish even more. Now, onto the entrees—wow! My husband ordered the Norwegian salmon, paired with roasted pepper saffron risotto and chimichurri broccolini. Every bite was absolutely perfect. I ordered the porterhouse, medium rare. I usually expect steak to be overcooked when dining out, but not here. It was cooked PERFECTLY. The flavor alone was incredible—until I tasted it with the brandy peppercorn sauce. That’s when my taste buds truly celebrated! I didn’t care about anything else on my plate, including the twice-baked Parmesan and truffle potatoes and broccolini (which were very good), because the porterhouse completely stole the spotlight. The sauce was elegant, rich, and full of flavor—perfect in every way. COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!!!!! A five-star review simply isn’t high enough after our experience. We can’t wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jennifer ramsey
New to the area and anxious to try this for my birthday. Expensive, but generous portions of food. We had the crab bisque, tuna tartare, NY strip w/shrimp, and crab cakes. Also the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. All dishes were plated beautifully and served at good temperature. We received our food promptly. Everything tasted delicious! Even had our own dimmer switch for our table light! Our waitress, Jenny, was kind and attentive. Loved the music and that there are NO TV sets!! We will be back. p.s. do not recommend the Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Doug Cash
Everything about our meal last evening at Porter's on Main was 5 Star.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tia DeSalvo
Amazing food and amazing staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ted Broderson
Last night my wife took me to Porters On Main in Gloucester for my birthday dinner. We knew to expect the bill to be in the $100.00 range and we weren't disappointed. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the dining experience. The service was slow and inattentive. For example, I ordered the mussels appetizer (they were underwhelming) and as I finished them the waiter appeared with a bowl for the empty shells (we picked them off the table and but them in the bowl). Next the server showed up with my wife's bisque and salad and handed them to her rather that putting them on the table. In all fairness she couldn't put them on the table because they had failed to clear the dishes that were already there. The bisque was so over salted as to be inedible which we pointed out to the waiter. He said he would tell the chef. My wife did not eat the bisque. We should not have been charged for it ($18.00). I might point out there were bread plates on the table, but never any bread. That would have been a nice touch to accompany the bisque and salad. I ordered the Tigliatelle Alfredo with chicken. It was a huge serving, even I couldn't finish it, heavy on the alfredo and tasteless chicken. Its advertised as fresh pasta, which seems improbable (I doubt Porters makes itsown pasta). I probably could get the same meal at Olive Garden for half the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Molly Broderson
I was excited about celebrating my husband’s birthday at Porter’s on Main this evening, Thursday, January 29, 2026. I made reservations and we were immediately seated. Our server took our orders, however he was not as attentive as one would expect especially considering the restaurant was not very busy. My husband ordered mussels which arrived luke warm and they didn’t taste fresh. I decided to enjoy the crab bisque and Caesar salad for my dinner. The server arrived with my soup and salad which she asked me to hold because the table had not been cleared. My bisque was warm but heavily salted. When asked how we were enjoying our dinner, I explained my soup was very salty and could not finish it. The server said he would tell the chef. My salad was acceptable, but not special. My husband’s pasta dinner tasted good but the add on chicken was dry. I expected a special evening but instead, we were disappointed in the service and food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Melanie Crawford Heiges
Ever experience is absolutely amazing! Just went back for the second time for our anniversary. Making reservations was super easy, and I definitely recommend doing so. Service was phenomenal from the hostess to the waiter and every one else we encountered. Food? 100/10. The Thai brussel sprouts are soooo good, and every entry we’ve tried has been perfect. A great place on Main Street!
Robert Fraser
The bar experience is wonderful. Matt is a bartending genius and master of craft cocktails.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
R C Santo Domingo
Food and service were excellent. I will definitely come back. The brussel sprouts, onion soup, and the crab bisque were out of this world
We’ve had the opportunity to dine in twice now. It’s been astounding on both visits. The ambiance and hospitality are top tier. The perfectly crafted cocktails paired with your appetizers to start off with are delicious. The main course never disappoints and there’s always something left to enjoy the next day.
Our service by Adam has always been exceptional, and he puts a smile on our faces every time. What an asset he is to your establishment. Cheers!
Bonne Danforth Saum
Excellent food and atmosphere. Wait staff was perfect. Great choice for the day after Christmas and to wind down after the holidays. We highly recommend Porter’s and can’t wait to go back. We’ve already made our next reservation!
John Raha
We had a really good dinner at Porter's On Main. The food was great, the drinks were delicious, and the dessert was amazing.
It's on the pricier side, but honestly the quality makes it reasonable for a special occasion. My only complaint is that I wish salads came with the meal instead of being separate.
Overall, solid spot for a nice dinner out. Gloucester really needed an upscale dining option like this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fa Leasha Robertson
Amazing experience tonight at Porters on Main. Food was delicious, service was excellent. Abby was delightful, the owner Gary came by and spoke with us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robin Stellwagen
So nice to have a restaurant like this in the Gloucester area.
Crab cake plate a bed of pureed sweet potato about 4 long green beans laid across then a crabcake placed on each side. All excellent. Seafood pasta not so much. Scallops had good taste but were gritty. Shrimp tasty but crab not found. When I ordered I said coffee to drink. It did not arrive. Wife shouted to the waiter and got the making a fresh pot bit. He brought the coffee but long after I finished eating. Wife wanted ice cream so we got two bread puddings with vanilla on top. It was a mistake. The ice cream was normal but the bread pudding needed a lot of help. I'm not sure that there is enough help to save it. It was like a few disks of bread with some raisins in it. Place was very crowded extremely loud. Menu hard to read looked like it was copied on a machine that was low on toner as you read the line of print would just fade. We had reservations and were seated within a few minutes of the reserved time.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
My husband and I decided to try Porter’s on Main for date night, and our experience was far beyond what we expected.
I made our reservation online—it was quick and easy. When we arrived, the restaurant was busy, yet we were seated immediately. The atmosphere is cozy with dim lighting and has a speakeasy-style vibe that makes it feel intimate and special.
I ordered the Black Walnut and Fig Old Fashioned, and my husband had the Smoked Old Fashioned. Both drinks were incredibly flavorful and served on beautiful craft ice—truly impressive.
For our appetizer, we chose the Roasted Pepper Arancini (fried risotto balls). The accompanying aioli was the perfect complement and elevated the dish even more.
Now, onto the entrees—wow!
My husband ordered the Norwegian salmon, paired with roasted pepper saffron risotto and chimichurri broccolini. Every bite was absolutely perfect.
I ordered the porterhouse, medium rare. I usually expect steak to be overcooked when dining out, but not here. It was cooked PERFECTLY. The flavor alone was incredible—until I tasted it with the brandy peppercorn sauce. That’s when my taste buds truly celebrated! I didn’t care about anything else on my plate, including the twice-baked Parmesan and truffle potatoes and broccolini (which were very good), because the porterhouse completely stole the spotlight.
The sauce was elegant, rich, and full of flavor—perfect in every way.
COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!!!!!
A five-star review simply isn’t high enough after our experience. We can’t wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
New to the area and anxious to try this for my birthday. Expensive, but generous portions of food. We had the crab bisque, tuna tartare, NY strip w/shrimp, and crab cakes. Also the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. All dishes were plated beautifully and served at good temperature. We received our food promptly. Everything tasted delicious! Even had our own dimmer switch for our table light! Our waitress, Jenny, was kind and attentive. Loved the music and that there are NO TV sets!! We will be back.
p.s. do not recommend the Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything about our meal last evening at Porter's on Main was 5 Star.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and amazing staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Last night my wife took me to Porters On Main in Gloucester for my birthday dinner. We knew to expect the bill to be in the $100.00 range and we weren't disappointed. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the dining experience. The service was slow and inattentive. For example, I ordered the mussels appetizer (they were underwhelming) and as I finished them the waiter appeared with a bowl for the empty shells (we picked them off the table and but them in the bowl).
Next the server showed up with my wife's bisque and salad and handed them to her rather that putting them on the table. In all fairness she couldn't put them on the table because they had failed to clear the dishes that were already there.
The bisque was so over salted as to be inedible which we pointed out to the waiter. He said he would tell the chef. My wife did not eat the bisque. We should not have been charged for it ($18.00). I might point out there were bread plates on the table, but never any bread. That would have been a nice touch to accompany the bisque and salad.
I ordered the Tigliatelle Alfredo with chicken. It was a huge serving, even I couldn't finish it, heavy on the alfredo and tasteless chicken. Its advertised as fresh pasta, which seems improbable (I doubt Porters makes itsown pasta). I probably could get the same meal at Olive Garden for half the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
I was excited about celebrating my husband’s birthday at Porter’s on Main this evening, Thursday, January 29, 2026. I made reservations and we were immediately seated. Our server took our orders, however he was not as attentive as one would expect especially considering the restaurant was not very busy. My husband ordered mussels which arrived luke warm and they didn’t taste fresh. I decided to enjoy the crab bisque and Caesar salad for my dinner. The server arrived with my soup and salad which she asked me to hold because the table had not been cleared. My bisque was warm but heavily salted. When asked how we were enjoying our dinner, I explained my soup was very salty and could not finish it. The server said he would tell the chef. My salad was acceptable, but not special. My husband’s pasta dinner tasted good but the add on chicken was dry. I expected a special evening but instead, we were disappointed in the service and food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ever experience is absolutely amazing! Just went back for the second time for our anniversary. Making reservations was super easy, and I definitely recommend doing so. Service was phenomenal from the hostess to the waiter and every one else we encountered. Food? 100/10. The Thai brussel sprouts are soooo good, and every entry we’ve tried has been perfect. A great place on Main Street!
The bar experience is wonderful. Matt is a bartending genius and master of craft cocktails.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service were excellent. I will definitely come back. The brussel sprouts, onion soup, and the crab bisque were out of this world
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We’ve had the opportunity to dine in twice now. It’s been astounding on both visits. The ambiance and hospitality are top tier. The perfectly crafted cocktails paired with your appetizers to start off with are delicious. The main course never disappoints and there’s always something left to enjoy the next day. Our service by Adam has always been exceptional, and he puts a smile on our faces every time. What an asset he is to your establishment. Cheers!
Excellent food and atmosphere. Wait staff was perfect. Great choice for the day after Christmas and to wind down after the holidays. We highly recommend Porter’s and can’t wait to go back. We’ve already made our next reservation!
We had a really good dinner at Porter's On Main. The food was great, the drinks were delicious, and the dessert was amazing.
It's on the pricier side, but honestly the quality makes it reasonable for a special occasion. My only complaint is that I wish salads came with the meal instead of being separate.
Overall, solid spot for a nice dinner out. Gloucester really needed an upscale dining option like this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing experience tonight at Porters on Main. Food was delicious, service was excellent. Abby was delightful, the owner Gary came by and spoke with us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So nice to have a restaurant like this in the Gloucester area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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