Cala’s

Manchester, United States

3.9

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 978-525-3304
Website:
calasrestaurant.com
Address:
7 Beach St, Manchester, MA, 01944
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
710 ftManchester by the Sea
2.3 miBeverly Farms
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Loud
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Manchester) 17:55 Friday, 29 November 2024

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

People are always comparing Cala’s to «Cheers». When you walk through the door, the bartender knows your name, and if he doesn’t, chances are he’ll know it on your way out.

Cala’s is a warm and inviting gathering place where families dine out, friends catch up and acquaintances are made. The cuisine boasts classic New England flavors with plenty of local seafood, including lobsters caught right off of the shore by one of the restaurant’s favorite regulars, who will likely be seating at the next spot over at the bar when you visit. And insiders know to always check out the restaurant’s nightly specials.

At Cala’s, the beers are always cold, the wine pour is never skimpy and the pint size drinks are worth the wait for a much coveted seat at the bar.

History

Established in 2006.

Part of the Serenitee Restaurant Group owned by Mark McDonough and Jeff Cala. We pride ourselves in building unique restaurants that grow out of the community where they are.

We have two foodie, local sourcing restaurants:

— 15Walnut in Hamilton

— Alchemy in Gloucester.

Two «Cheers» bars where everyone knows your name:

— Cala’s in Manchester

— Hale St Tavern, Sushi and Oyster Bar in Beverly Farms.

And two destination restaurants with live music:

— Opus and Opus Underground in Salem

— Latitude 43 and Minglewood Tavern on the waterfront in Gloucester MA.

Serenitee comes from the Serenity Prayer. The informal «tee» shirt ending comes from our commitment to make places that are comfortable and fun.

Meet the Business Owner

Jeff C and Mark M.

Business Owner

Jeff Cala is Serenitee’s Managing Partner and Executive Chef. He oversees the daily operations of all 6 restaurants with a particular emphasis on designing menus, sourcing top quality ingredients, and inspiring staff to work at their highest level. Jeff is a Mozart in the kitchen. He has an instinct for what works, a palette that can deconstruct anything he has tasted and a drive to be the best. Jeff is a sponge for knowledge and has worked at some of the finest restaurants in California, New York, Florida and MA before co-​founding the Serenitee Restaurant Group.

Mark McDonough is a serial entrepreneur. He oversees marketing, finance, & admin for the Serenitee Restaurant Group. Mark’s investment in the restaurants is an extension of his commitment to weaving community. His biggest philanthropy has been Time​banks​.org. He has a masters degrees in business from MIT and Family Therapy from Antioch New England. Having a degree in family therapy is VERY useful in the restaurant world :)

Cala’s also recommends

Alchemy Tapas & Bistro — CLOSED

171

reviews

American (New)

,

Tapas/​Small Plates

Jeff C and Mark M. says,

«4.5 stars: free range meats, local seafood and produce from local vendors. Sexy bistro atmosphere includes couches and named nooks like „The Cave“.»

Latitude 43

314

reviews

Seafood

,

American (Traditional)

,

Sushi Bars

Jeff C and Mark M. says,

«Contemporary seafood restaurant on the harbor featuring coastal cuisine and sushi. Feast for the eyes with beautiful and green architecture.»

15 Walnut

109

reviews

American (New)

Jeff C and Mark M. says,

«4 stars: Local artisanal fare using farm fresh vegetables and organic meats. The bar and tables are all made of stone or repurposed barn board.»

Hale Street Tavern Oyster Bar

101

reviews

Sushi Bars

Jeff C and Mark M. says,

«Fun local hot spot. Creative Sushi. The most casual and popular Serenitee restaurant. Daily specials include Burgermania, Kids Eat Free, Sushi, etc.»

Backstage Bistro

6

reviews

Restaurants

,

Music Venues

Jeff C and Mark M. says,

«Make a Night of It! Have a relaxing meal amongst props from previous shows show, walk to the theater, drink & dessert during exit traffic.»

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20 reviews of Cala’s

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Beverly, MA
Went here for lunch. Butternut squash arancini was great, burger was best I’ve had in a while. Super nice waitress/​hostess. Good beer list. Intimate ambiance. Good stuff!
Place rating: 4
Somerville, MA
Good food, good vibe and good service. Got the habanero wings for app. Be warned they are very hot! Our. Server Dan K warned us. Then brought us over wet napkins to contain the heat. He did a good job filling my beer. It can be a challenge! GF got the prime rib sandwich. She loved it. I got the haddock sandwich. Was cooked perfect. The fries were great too.
Place rating: 3
Boston, MA
Service is fast and nice and gave great tips on the menu.
I’ve been twice now and the first time I got the mussels and a pizza with mushrooms and jalapenos and the second time I got the fish tacos. All were pretty good, but nothing outstanding. The best was the mussels, because the Thai flavor really packed a punch. The pizza was a bit above what I expected because of the cornmeal crust. A friend of mine who usually does not eat too much always finishes her plate here and she said it’s because the portions are not out of control like they are at most places.
Interesting art, especially in the bathroom… I’m unsure why all the paintings have an alligator in them as we’re nowhere near alligators…
Place rating: 3
Beverly, MA
First timer and found it to be both very good and not so good. First the very good; the service was friendly and attentive. The menu was varied and interesting. The prices reasonable. The pizza was excellent. The not so good; small wine list and small glasses. Sangria was tasteless. Limited specials. Fish tacos were way too peppery and couldn’t be finished. If you would like a quiet meal you won’t find it hear. The place is small and the bar area gets loud. I will try it again.
Place rating: 3
Melrose, MA
Was in the area, so stopped to check out Cala’s. My wife ordered the street taco & cabbage meatloaf appetizers as her meal, she wasn’t impressed by either. The street taco came out on a long cutting board, which just looked silly as she only ordered one to compliment the meatloaf, and it was a little undercooked. The cabbage didn’t mix well with the meatloaf, just different flavors that didn’t compliment well. I had the salmon with kale for my meal, and enjoyed both. Service was prompt and friendly, prices were a smidge high for what you got I felt. If in the area, I’d check them out again.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
Super good food. We had the butternut squash arancini to start and the pesto was on point. I ordered the mac and cheese which was so so good, it was more of a delicious pasta dish than just plain old mac and cheese. Service was good, atmosphere was chill. A little pricey but we’ll definitely be back.
Place rating: 5
Gloucester, MA
Visited Cala’s for the first time and it definitely will NOT be our last! Loved the ambiance of the restaurant, friendly service, and menu options. I had the Fish Stew Medley and husband had the Fish and Chips. Everything was cooked and seasoned deliciously! Cala’s is a little on the pricey side, but we definitely left full and even had leftovers.
Place rating: 5
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
I love this place very easy and quick I love the buffalo wings and I love the grilled ceased the staff is so friendly they are amazing at your job and it is such a family friendly restraunt and it is so cosy and fun very poppy I really recommend you try this
Place rating: 4
Beverly, MA
Always good and sometimes exceptional. If they have lobster rolls, order them! Yummy with claw meat, some celery, and a little mayo. What could be wrong with that? Service is always good. No complaints here!
Place rating: 5
Beverly, MA
I wanted to follow up on a recent visit to Cala’s with my Sister and Niece for a wonderful Birthday dinner. We had a delicious meal, beautiful tasty yummy drinks and the service was spot on perfect! Great atmosphere and vibe… I will definatley be returning! It was a great night and I was so happy to give it 5 stars.
Place rating: 4
Brookline, MA
There aren’t many options in Manchester, so it is great to have a restaurant that offers from casual to upscale food with lots of options. I had the fish tacos, which were on the casual side of the menu and were amazing. The fish was cooked perfectly and well seasoned with a number of excellent fresh items– avocado, black beans, salsa. The only improvement would have been corn tortillas– flour tortillas are dull and bland. We also had the arrancini appetizer, which was lightly fried and delicious and a sablefish special, All were excellent, as were drinks. Dessert costs one star. We had a strawberry biscuit that looked like a hamburger when it came out. The biscuit felt like a brick and was tough/​difficult to cut. It was a bit strange. Service from host to server were warm, friendly and fast.
Place rating: 4
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Good food, good service, good atmosphere. I go there frequently.
Most of the staff have been there for a while so the place runs pretty well.
They always have good specials most nights.
We typically go for dinner but have also just gone for drinks on the bar side. The bar tender, Scott, is a great guy that welcomes every customer with a genuine smile.
Place rating: 4
Salem, MA
Stopped in on a Saturday at 3pm with my brother. Service was solid (getting to understand our waitress’s dry sense of humor). I quite enjoyed the suggested Not your father’s root beer — quite sweet. My girlfriend enjoyed a sangria margarita — nicely made. The finger sweet potato soup was good, though could have used a bit more kick in the spice department.
I also stopped in on a Saturday at noon with my girlfriend. We sat at the bar and had good service from the bar tender.
I started with a Bantam cider, a moderately sweet cider from Somerville — I’m a fan.
Then moved onto the baked haddock sandwich (suggested by the bar tender) with «extra crispy» fries, and cole slaw. Everything was great. The haddock was quite spiced and flavorful (not hot spiced) and while it came close to falling apart, the entire sandwich stayed together well. The fries were nice and crispy and delicious. And the cole slaw was really good — mildly creamy, just the way I like it.
Great meal and great service.
Place rating: 5
Norfolk, MA
I had posted comments previously and the owner took the time to write to me and get some feedback; wanting to ensure that we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The fact that a business cares that much to «make it right» if a customer isn’t completely satisfied and earn our business means that they’re worthy of (in my case) that seldom seen 4th or 5th star.
My experience was not a bad one. But this made an ok experience a great one; and an impetus for my return.
Place rating: 4
Norwood, MA
Love it here, go often on special occasions with the BF. I would warn against the Mexican Street Tacos — the pork is very dry and overall they’re just sub par.
I’ve had the Fish Tacos before though and they were awesome. I’ve heard great things about the pizza as well. My boyfriend had the Turkey sandwich and loved it.
Overall good stuff! Just not the Mex. St. Tacos. Yeck. But maybe they weren’t good on this particular night.
The clam chowder is AMAZING and the Nachos??? Main reason we ever go. INCREDIBLE. beer too. and the chocolate cake mousse thing. Love it!
Place rating: 4
Dennis, MA
The food here is delicious. Service can be a tad slow but it’s totally worth it. You have to try out the salads and the pulled pork quesadillas!
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
Having vacationed in Manchester for several summers now, we never ate out for dinner until tonight. This place is great! I headed there tonight with my wife and infant son.
The food was delicious. The pulled pork quesadillas were delish and the pizza was solid! They have a great draft beer selection and some decent wines as well.
They were also accommodating to families, with a good kids menu and patient staff. All in all this place is perfect for downtown Manchester.
Place rating: 2
Hudson, MA
We ate a late lunch at Cala’s yesterday and I was very disappointed. The ambiance was fine and the staff was friendly, helpful, and courteous. The problem lay with the food. The clam chowder had a sparse scattering of clams and potatoes but a lot of odd little balls of partly cooked flour. It was like eating a bowl full of floury dumplings in heavy cream. The baked haddock sandwich tasted good – and being able to get the fish baked instead of fried was a welcome choice – but there wasn’t much fish to eat. Clearly the bun was supposed to fill us up, not the fish. The coleslaw was good and the hand-​cut fries were excellent. But I would not go back.
Place rating: 3
Boston, MA
I stopped in here with my mom after popping around shops in MBTS for lunch. I walk by this place all the time but have never been in. We sat at the bar and had a great bartender. It was pretty empty, but everyone seemed to know each other! Mom and I both got the cobb salad, which was great with butter lettuce rather than traditional romaine. The menu had a lot to offer. It was a bit of a sports bar kind of vibe (giant photo of the Colgate LAX team, jokey items about the yankees, big TVs). It was just what we wanted!
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
We had a Groupon for Cala’s so we stopped by for dinner on Friday night. We arrived around 7pm and it was busy, but we were easily seated. Take note: By 7:30pm this place is packed and there wasn’t any seating in the small dining space.
The menu is mostly American/​New England fare. The sandwiches are cheap but the entrée options are a little pricey. We ordered the Scallops w/​Mushroom Risotto and the Orecchiette w/​Spicy Sausage. Both dishes were great! Wine selection was very good and affordable and the margaritas are surprisingly tasty.
With very few options in Manchester, Cala’s has a little bit of everything as a slightly upscale pub with great food and a fun atmosphere. Oh — and I should mention that we also had the previously mentioned «short-​haired waitress» who was friendly and appropriately attentive.