WHARF SOUTHERN KITCHEN & WHISKEY BAR - NEWPORT, RI

This was the first day of my second ever trip to Newport, RI with my family and we planned feast on a lunch of lobster rolls and sea food. The plan was to visit The Lobster Bar in Bowen's Wharf as our "welcome meal" but we were disappointed to find out they were still temporarily closed for the season. We had to call a quick audible and remembered that we wanted to try the Wharf Southern Kitchen & Whiskey Bar the last time that we were here. After a quick look at the menu, we walked in with our children.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Upon walking in, we were stunned with how dark the dining room was. Aside from the fun and Barbeque themed décor, we had a truly tough time seeing anything while at the table let alone read the menu. My wife laughed as I took out my flash light on my cell phone to read the menu. I did like the look of the bar and the layout of the restaurant itself. The darkness reminded us of Grand Lux Café or Cheesecake Factory but they were actually brighter when it came to lighting.

THE SERVICE

Our server had a lot going on. He was the only server working lunch service while also being the bartender. To be honest, I felt bad for him because he was trying his absolute best. Great job Tim. He did great with our modifications but forgot both of my daughters beverages. Again, the guy had to literally be everywhere at once. He did not seem to get help until our food came out. It seemed the manager finally stepped in which we appreciated once it happened.

THE FOOD

I apologize for the darkness of the photos, again the restaurant was super dark. I ordered Gone Hoggin which translates to a pulled pork sandwich. I actually wanted a lobster roll but figured to go with BBQ while dining here. I saw a lobster roll later on and quickly wished I had pulled the trigger on the roll. With that said, the pulled pork sandwich was very good. The sauce had great sweet flavor but had a hint of spice which worked well. The slaw gave nice texture and the sandwich was topped with bread and butter pickles which I hate but worked well with this sandwich. My only real complaint about it was that the portion sizes were the smallest I have seen especially in a restaurant like this. I ate the sandwich in about four bites. I wish it was a little bigger. A positive was that I was able to get tater tots with the sandwich which was a nice touch.

I did not take any photos of our drinks. Much like the food portion sizes, the drinks were also small. They also lacked in flavor when compared to our expectations. This could have been due to our server being overwhelmed with his duties.

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

I found that I really wanted this to be a higher score but Wharf Southern Kitchen had a lot going against it from when we walked in. A 6.8 is in no way a horrible score but they could have done better. If they had another server on the shift. If the lighting was better. If they drinks tasted like they were described on the menu. If there were not as many ifs, there would have been a better score. I won't count the portion size here because I will respect their portion decision but there could have been a little more for the prices we paid. At the end of the visit, we were still hungry when we left.

Wharf Southern Kitchen & Whiskey Bar is located:

37 Bowens Wharf

Newport, RI 02840

(401) 619-5672

wharfsouthernkitchen.com

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