HORRIBLE. Couldn't even stand to stay to try the food because the service was SO bad. Be prepared to want to trip your server AND not be able to order anything because they are out of almost everything!
Posted by: Cassi at August 6, 2009 12:37 AMThis is the 2nd time we have had lunch at the Gull. We like to eat at the bar. Another nice bartender David took care of us. The menu has changed somewhat. We both had sandwiches, a Rueben and a fried fish roll up. Tasty but a bit greasy especially the french fries, they were very greasy. We found that the breakfast we had there last week was also greasy. We both had indegestion. Sad to see such a nice place so empty.
Posted by: M at July 31, 2009 02:23 PMTwo Friday's ago we had a nice lunch at the bar. The bartender was very nice, and the food good and reasonable.
The place was empty. Maybe a sign of the times?
Monya
Zero stars. Just awful. Ordered the Fried Scallop appetizer. They were undercooked. Sent them back. Another plate came out and they were ten shades darker than the first. I think they were frozen and then cooked in the oven. I ate one small bite and left the rest. Inedible. Left hungry and they never took them off the bill. Will not ever go back. Drinks were definately weak. Service was just o.k.
Posted by: Sara at June 9, 2009 11:00 AM
To borrow a word from the old Mad Magazine...Bleeech. So sad, as they used to have great food. Now, it's overpriced and mediocre at best. The seafood stuffed acorn squash, which used to be made fresh and was wonderful, now appears to be pre-made and had that nuked out of the freezer taste to it. The baked potato was overcooked and seemed old. The haddock also was past its prime. The real kicker was the orange slice garnish. It was dried out, wrinkled and looked at least several days since it was part of a whole fruit. Service was friendly, but lackluster. The view is still nice. Guess we'll leave this place for the tourists.
Posted by: Rick at June 3, 2009 08:04 PM awful, just awful. one of the most expensive places in town, and the food is sub par at best. they are definately catering to tourists, as they should with the view of the river, and docked boats. Only a tourist would go in there anyway since locals know to go to Lobsta Land for a good meal.... you can tell that the grammas family is not at the gull anymore, because it's AWFUL. WILL NEVER GO AGAIN...I miss Grier and the TATONKA FINGERS.
Very Expensive. Management Sucks! It smells very dank in there. Food sucks. There was a girl Melissa Mitchell Francis now. She was the biggest bitch working there! Don't even turn in the driveway to eat there. They give Glosta a bad rep.
Posted by: Tammy at July 21, 2008 06:14 PMVery Expensive. Management Sucks! It smells very dank in there. Food sucks. There was a girl Melissa Mitchell Francis now. She was the biggest bitch working there! Don't even turn in the driveway to eat there. They give Glosta a bad rep.
Posted by: Tammy at July 21, 2008 06:14 PMSorry to say all in all The Gull sucks!!! The food and service are terrible they need to find some new management. I had a complaint about my over priced weak drink and the bar manager Matt was truely rude I will never return there again and I will let all my friends know that this place is not good anymore. To bad for you guys you are going to lose alot of business. ZERO STARS
Posted by: Janice at June 20, 2008 12:32 AM 
Went for dinner....place was almost completely empty. Never a good sign. Dead as can be. Now I know why.
The view was the only thing that was worth it.
My wife and I have just moved to Rockport a few months ago and have been venturing out to find new local places to eat. Against popular opinion (which I now regret) we decided to go to The Gull for dinner one night.
I ordered steak tips and my wife ordered fried clams. Horrible. My steak tips were tough as ever! Could barely cut through them let alone chew them. Suppose to be medium and came out medium well at best. I asked the waitress (who was very nice btw) what cut of meat they used and she did not know. She got the manager (also extremely nice and accomodating) who explained they used "chuck" beef for their tips! Since I did not eat them they were quickly taken off my bill. I replaced them with a lobster roll which was much better although I think it's all frozen lobster...a little tough also. My wife's clams were edible yet very "gritty" and for the PRICE the portion was TINY!
Definitely over priced, cheap food and even though there was a great view, the place was so dead it was a strange atmosphere. Just us, another couple tables and the staff. Guess that says a thousand words about the reputation this restaurant has with the locals around here. Sad because it COULD be a really nice place to go.
All in all, I would not return.
hate to break it to you...lobsta land also has only a dinner menu on Sundays.
Posted by: liz at October 3, 2007 06:16 PM I went to this place with my parents and wife for lunch, maybe a few burgers and some appitizers and I have to say that we didnt even get to order. Reason being, THERE WAS NO LUNCH MENU! the menu was the dinner menu, all expensive entrees. Ive never heard of this before, obviously trying to suck in the tourists. Well, Ill tell ya what, youve got your wish because a local like me will never go there again. I miss George, Trudi, and Grier....for a good meal try Lobsta Land!!!!
Great view. So-so food at best. Service was very good. Was much better years ago.
Are zero stars possible!??! My family and I went into the gull for the first time since last year. We have a boat at the marina and we've always enjoyed a good meal and good company by the staff at the gull. But this is no longer the the case. We did not recognize one person even working there. What happened to Paige, Tammy, Gene, Marlene, Erin, or Kate?!? We were not even greeted by the staff at the bar. The service was terribel! The new owners are great at chasing off their GOOD staff and running the place into the GROUND! My reccomendation, go across the street and bring your own beer. Better service, food, portions, and atmosphere!!
Posted by: brian at July 31, 2007 01:00 PM
all i can say is the place is absurd! my husband and i gave the gull a try this year knowing that the new owners chased off all of their GOOD staff from the past few years and we were sadly disappointed. we went in for breakfast on a weekday and we stood at the front door for 10 min before we were even said hi to. after we were sat it was atleast another 10 min before either a manager or owner brought coffee to the table. after another 10 min of sitting without being greeted by a waitress we just got up and left. and dinner is NO different. poor service and an absurd wait when the place is full of empty tables! high prices, poor value, and poor customer service. shouldn't have expected ANYTHING more!
Posted by: Kat and Tony at July 31, 2007 12:52 PM 
My husband and I went to The Gull for dinner, before the fireworks on July 2...The place was packed full..I thought oh no..we are going to get terrible service and wait an hour for mediocre food..To our surprise and delight our server (Pamela) was all smiles and very pleasant. Our food (Steamers, Lobster, and Baked Stuffed Haddock) was out of this world..We will definately be going back in the near future...
The old gull was the best for all meals! The new gull s*cks! Expensive, small portions, and the food disgusts me!
Posted by: Tammy at May 18, 2007 04:54 PM I couldn't agree more with Tom's statement about The Gull. We also have a boat at the Marina and spent a lot of time there ,since the new owners took over the service and the food is awful and way over priced. We miss the old staff Grier, Paige, Tammy, Gene ,Marlene, Phoebe. What a shame it used to be great food and fun.
We use to frequent The Gull , we have a boat at The Marina . They are under new ownership and what a huge dissappointment. The food is average and pricey, the drinks are also too exspensive. The service is not that great anymore they lost all of there good employes . The last time we where in there I did'nt see one person I knew , very diffrent from before. We miss the OLD GULL.
My husband and I went to The Gull last weekend and could'nt believe the prices,$10.95 for a plain hamburger!!!! $7.95 for a kids meal is outrageous the portions were'nt even that great below average at best my two children were still hungry when we left. I know that they are under new ownership , all the rennovations look great , the bathrooms are still awful.The service was also terriable , and the drink prices are off the map $6.75 for a well drink!! They are not trying to take care of the locals they are scaring them away with there prices, portions and extremly average food. It will be a long lonely cold winter for the new owners now that they have chased off all the locals.
My husband and I went to The Gull last weekend and could'nt believe the prices,$10.95 for a plain hamburger!!!! $7.95 for a kids meal is outrageous the portions were'nt even that great below average at best my two children were still hungry when we left. I know that they are under new ownership , all the rennovations look great , the bathrooms are still awful.The service was also terriable , and the drink prices are off the map $6.75 for a well drink!! They are not trying to take care of the locals they are scaring them away with there prices, portions and extremly average food. It will be a long lonely cold winter for the new owners now that they have chased off all the locals.
*****. My husband and I took friends to the Gull for the first time this year. I think it must be under new management, ( should have asked)because the place looked very clean and the carpet looked new. The view is still great. My friend had the seafood plater and her plate was enormous, her husband had the prime rib and he said that he wished he lived closer he would be here weekly. We also had some of their new appetizers, i.e. saganaki? dolmathes. Delicious!! Best clam chowder, and lobster roll. We will definately go back soon. Can't wait to try their shrimp Athenian. We all took food home.
Posted by: A. Panousos at August 1, 2006 02:05 PM
My girlfriends and I had gone for an early dinner after a day at the beach. The view was gorgeous. We sat in the bar/lounge area. We weren't expecting the service to be as good as it was, due to some bad visits the year before. We were very pleased. At one point the someone that seemed to be the owner or manager was making rounds to some of the tables, and personally asked us if we were enjoying the food! The atmosphere is very upbeat, and the variety of European flair in the menu is great. We'll definatly be back!!
I recently visited the Gull on July 14, 2006. As soon as I walked in I immediatly noticed the differences from the previous year. The place looked wonderful. The bar area looked very inviting. Myself, my wife and my grandson were greeted with smiles. It seemed like a very happy work environment. There was a short wait before we were seated. The waitstaff was very kind, and the food an A++!! Well done Gull Restaurant! See you next year!
i recently visited the restaurant for the first time. what a great time. the service was first class. our server kim was courteous and knowledgable. the food was incredible. we had the fried oysters and steamed mussels for appetizers. they were delicious. i ordered the prime rib and my daughter ordered the seafood stuffed acorn squash. both were just so good. i can't say enough about this restaurant. we sat in the bar area and there was a three piece band that added just the right amount of background music. we will definitely be back.
Posted by: julie consolini at July 30, 2006 08:33 PMThis place has been such a disappointment. I went the first time and the wait was totally ridiculous ..I felt invisible as waitstaff passed back and forth in front of our table never stopping to get our order until we finally had to stop them and ask them to take it ! The second time was because we thought it may have been a fluke the first time..it wasn't. The service was so bad..I wanted to leave(due to the wait for someone to take our order..but my friend refused saying it would be embarrassing to her. So we waited and waited and waited until I was furious ! One more time I went..with a group of developmentally disabled people whom I love dearly. They wanted to go against my advice. It was horrible...the waitress actually (within my earshot too)offered a couple another table not so close to us because in her words.."They're gross".I wanted to cause a scene I was so angry..but I knew the people I was with may not have understood or grasped fully what she meant, and it would have upset them all terribly . They are a lovable bunch and though that waitress may not realize it THEY HAVE FEELINGS !! And none were "GROSS"!!I will not be going again..three strikes-you're OUT !!
Posted by: disgusted resident at June 7, 2006 11:59 PM We went to the Gull tonight for dinner and I have to say it was the worst dining experience I have ever had. We were seated, then had to get up to use the restroom. While we were gone, they moved our table. They gave us no explanation but we couldn't help but think that it was because we had our 2 kids w/ us and the other customers didn't want us near them. Then we ordered. We ordered our kids meals first and then ours. The kids meals came out lukewarm, not impressive. We then proceeded to wait a good 45min at least for our meals. We were just ready to question it when they came out. My shrimp was raw! My husband's steak tips were also raw, totally red inside. The excuse was that the kitchen got alot of orders at once, which was a line of bull because we had been there and place our order long before the majority of people arrived. We were so disappointed with the whole thing that I felt that I had to write to hopefully spare someone else this horrible experience.
Ok, Ok so I'm old and can't remember that Emma caught a 4lb HADDOCK not a halibut which the Gull cooked for us on Oct. 5, 2005 after our day of fishing !!! It was definitely the best fish either of us have EVER had!!!!!
We had a nice (but quick) egg/sausage/muffin breakfast there on Oct. 5, 2005 before we boarded the Yankee Fleet fishing boat at 0630 AM that morning! When we returned that afternoon after a full days fishing, the Gull cooked up our catch of halibut along with french fries/onion strings and cole slaw!! All we can say is, "WOW!!!" Even though my wife, Emma caught the halibut (with me baiting her hook!!), our 'catch of the day', along with a lobster roll for Larry was cooked to a tee!!!
8/23/2005
We own a scuba diving charter boat in the Cape Ann Marina and eat at The Gull several times a week. The waitstaff have been uniformly friendly and efficient, even though our party sometimes expands from two to eight without warning as our customers stop up to get breakfast before the charter begins.
Food is varied and sometimes unusual. I like the yoghurt/granola/strawberries/blueberries/bananas "parfait" for breakfast. Lunch of foccacia (sp?) with veggies and soup is scrumptious.
Dinner can be an adventure. Didn't know about wasabi until we tasted it (big mistake) on the side of the tuna steak we ordered. Not their fault. My favorite is fish & chips or pork loin (five slices of moist, tender, practically fat-free meat) with applesauce and squash and baked potatoe. Couldn't finish it all.
I recommend The Gull to friends often.
Posted by: EasyDiverChris at August 23, 2005 03:21 PM
I had only been to the Gull once before, years ago and I thought that I would give it a try again... I had the squash stuffed with seafood. It was by far, the best meal I have had in a LONG time. The rest of the menu looked real good too. I am definetly going to head back there in the near future. The restaurant itself is huge inside and is a lot nicer than I remembered it being when I visited last. Our waitress was super friendly!! I feel as though the Gull is accomodating to any person, group of people of any age!
Posted by: customer at July 1, 2005 10:36 AM 
The Gull is always a great summer place to go. The seafood is always fresh and I love the seafood stuffed squash. I always bring out of towners here for the seafood and view.
Nothing but good things to say....Party of four went there for lunch. Waitress was memorably good, portions were large, food was outstanding, especially sesame tuna tips. Based on that experience, party of nine went that evening. Waitress took orders for nine persons without writing anything down!!!! Food arrived exactly as was ordered!!!!!! Efficient, unobtrusive service. The food was great. Caesar salad and pecan gorgonzola salads were heaping, and larger than a standard dinner plate and fantastic. Again, sesame tuna tips were wonderful. Fish and chips the best we've ever had...lite, crispy, not the slightest bit greasy, loads of haddock. Sicilian mussels great, with a fabulous broth. The list goes on and on, 'cause we ate a LOT. All portions were extremely generous in size, but more importantly, food was well prepared and delicious. Will absolutely return on next trip.
Food is mediocre. Breakfast eggs undercooked, Potatoes under cooked. Large mean man often hosts at night...acts as if he is doing you a favor by seating you in the restaurant. Great view, watching marina
We stayed at the Cape Ann resort and loved it. We were especially impressed with the both the clam and seafood chowders at the Gull... it was the best in all we had (and we tried allot) while in Mass., including other eating establishments in Gloucester. The Gull had the very best !
We stayed at the Cape Ann Marina resort, and had a wonderful dinner at the Gull. The seafood was fresh, and the service quick and amicable.
Seafood not that great, the service not that great either. Worst part of the experience was when we first got there. No one was seating us right away and we were next to the bar were some fresh popped popcorn came out. My husband got a basket and started eating some while we were still waiting.
The host finally came to seat us and when he saw the popcorn basket in my husbands hand, he snatched it away and told us that popcorn was for the bar and we couldn't have it. We should have walked out then. Food was mediocre and we will never go back again
Note from Admin: If you wish to post a complaint about an establishment, please mention the specific reasons that made you unhappy with the food or service. We'd also appreciate reviews that are polite and constructive.
Posted by: Anniw at May 6, 2004 11:50 AM 4/27/04
My husband and I enjoy the Gull's food and its atmosphere. We have lingered over drinks and a meal without ever being rushed. Can't wait for our first visit there this spring.
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