106 Kitchen and Bar

Excellent food, great beer, wonderful dining experience. We were in Portsmouth for a business meeting & looking for something different. 106 delivered an excellent meal. Thanks!

Yes, 106 has closed. A new restaurant is coming in May and a new listing will be started after someone checks it out. I’m sorry to see 106 go but after looking at the lineup for the new place, Moxy, I think it’s going to be even better. I’m letting them go out with four stars because I liked the 106 quite a bit.
Roughly two years ago, 106 and The Chef’s Table nearby opened with better prices for a slow economy. They’re both gone now and they both left without warning, but new restaurants are going to fill both spaces soon and I’m looking forward to trying them both. That’s Portsmouth. If you like a restaurant, go as much as you can because you never know what’s going to happen next week.

This is a review that took place 5 months ago.
You know…106 should be a great place. The drinks are good and unique and the menu is special. How can you not love the various southern styles of food they have?
My main gripe has nothing to do with the drinks or food.
On numerous occasions service has been slow or non-existent…I can deal with slow… but to be sitting there like you don’t exist is not cool.
One time in particular I was seated in the best section of the restaurant in the corner seat. My group of four people literally sat there for 70 minutes before we were «noticed». My group wanted to leave but luckily we were drinking that night earlier and had a good buzz and our discussion was enough to keep us busy. We all were so confident of a comped meal and we debated whether or not to ask for it… even demand it.
We didn’t get comped a cracker. Still we refused to ask. The owner (s) were working and I was sure they would make up for it.
In situations like this, the owners/​manager need to swallow the profit and comp people a meal. Nobody should wait that long for service at the best seat in the house.
Needless to say, while our group has returned a couple times, we always refuse to go there at times purely out of principle and we just mention that night to reinforce why we cant go there tonight.
In fact, tonight is one of those nights where 2 of us debated going there but we thought of that infamous night and decided against it… out of principle.
Maybe the owner (s) will see this and comp us a meal that was deserved 5 months ago.

wandering around Portsmouth on a Friday night looking for a «new» place to try and we remembered 106. great atmosphere… cozy and romantic upstairs where we were seated. Kinda going for the New Orleans look, and did it just enough.
I got the tuna burger and was very happy. Good guac and wasabi aoili to go with it. the boyf got the special lamb chili and was pleased. (I don’t eat baby animals so I can’t comment on that).
Good selection of beer. Just for shits and giggles the Naragansset on tap had to be ordered. Though I did think it was funny that the bartender referred to the round 2 order as an «upgrade».
All in all, very pleased with the food, atmosphere and service. Would definitely go back.

Yeahhhh, 106 is pretty awesome. Fried Chicken Mondays are killer. The chicken is easily the best I’ve ever had… and it’s Bell and Evan’s so it’s free range and humane (extra bonus points!). The tuna burger is also awesome. I get it without the bun… it makes it more like a tuna tartare. But not really because it’s slightly cooked. You know what I mean! The sauces and slaw are great accompaniments (and I’m not generally a slaw person). Super yummy.
Service is generally good. The hurricanes are watered down… ok on Thursdays when they’re $ 5 but otherwise stick with beer.

We came here for a late-​ish dinner on New Year’s Eve with a reservation. The ambiance was great for a date night. Our server provided some great advice on the menu throughout the meal, but was perhaps a hair pushy at getting us through the meal. Some very interesting and not overly sweet (but perhaps a little pricey) cocktails on the menu.
We started with the crab and fried green tomato napoleon. It was beautifully presented and wonderfully flavorful: the combination of three sauces («chipotle vinagrette») used to beautifully decorate the plate also added a little cajun kick. For entrees, we ordered the mussel and lobster gumbo and the chorizo-​wrapped codfish, apparently two of the most popular choices on the menu, no doubt because they were flavorful and fresh.
A varying selection of desserts, made fresh in house every day, were appealing. The «chocolate heaven” – a flourless chocolate torte with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream – sates a chocolate craving with its creamy torte, almost like a super-​thick chocolate mousse, but was otherwise unremarkable.
In short: fun and flavorful East-​Coast interpretations of cajun cooking in a wonderful atmosphere created a nice dining experience. Would love to come back to try more. 4.5 stars.

I have been here for restaurant week and a couple of dinners. I have enjoyed my experience each time. Thus far I have enjoyed getting apps here the most.
PROS:
1-​The fried oysters were delectable. 5 stars… Wish there were more on the plate.
2-​The mozzarella sticks were the real deal. Not the pre-​frozen junk you’d get at a TJI Fridays. 5 stars to that!
3-​Ambiance is sweet! Great date spot.
4– $ 5 dollar burgers on Tuesdays! Awesome.
CONS?
1– The drink menu could use slice of humble pie. Is it just me, or do $ 12 mix drinks seem a bit pretentious?

We went here for restaurant week. It was very, very good. I had the ribs with collard greens and corn bread. I am still reliving this meal. My husband had a steak with fries. His was very good as well but the steak was over seasoned and the fries had too much salt. The bread pudding desert was also fantastic.
The service was kind of whatever. It took a while to get everything, they were probably busy and they gave us the wrong appetizers, but we ate them and enjoyed them. The place is two floors which is always a problem for servers.
Will definitely go back. They have great happy hour specials too.

The Monday night chicken dinner was awesome! $ 13.99 for some of the best fried chicken I’ve had, and I live in the (near) south! The honey glazed biscuit was lovely.

With so many mouth watering choices on the menu, it was a challenge to choose the right one. Then again, all the options seemed right. My time was limited, so I couldn’t stuff myself with the hearty southern dishes, but I did enjoy the light and righteous Lobster Mango Cannelloni. Thanks for making a believer out of a non-​salad eater. Sometimes pictures are better than words, so allow to share my food porn with you. The presentation was ready for a magazine spread.
I gather that the 106 crowd is local, fun, and sophisticated. The vibe is classy and smart, but remains hidden from the typical camera-​over-​the-​neck tourist. Thanks for letting me in on a great secret. A must-​go if you are in Portsmouth.

FRIED CHICKEN NIGHT? HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?
Guess I will have to return on a Monday and remember to always consult Unilocal when trying someplace new. But I can’t complain because 2 of us went tonight for wine and burgers and it was great. We both ended up having the tuna burger (which I highly recommend) and the chocolate cake and apple tart for dessert (dessert was awesome, dieters beware…). As an FYI I would say it’s 3 $$$ not 2 $$ though — plan on $ 40pp if you’re having drinks and dessert. Unless it’s $ 5 burger night — hmmm, guess I’ll have to try that too.

Nice atmosphere at 106. I only had 2 apps, the tuna tartar and the crab napoleon. Both were just okay– a bit bland. The slaw under the tartar was excellent… I was expecting a lot more flavor as it is Cajun theme restaurant. But I would def give it another try. The staff was very friendly so that certainly makes going back worthwhile.
I am upgrading to 4 stars as I have been back and enjoyed it event more– tuna burger is amazing and staff is so friendly.

My third time dining here in the past year and I really love this place now. The menu is updated often and has a unique offering. The buttermilk fried chicken is SUPER YUMMY and a MUST GET! Also, the burger here is really great. Sadly the night we went was last Wednesday for their $ 5.00 burger night, at 7:00 pm, they were «sold out» of the burger. We also were not able to order a burger even if we offered to pay full price ($ 12). All was ok though, the drinks were excellent and we were able to get the $ 6.00 drink specials and we were happy to order something other than the burger. We had the fried pickles appetizer, salty and fried… doesn’t get much better than that. I had the cod cooked inside chorizo and my dining companions both ordered the fried chicken. The cod was very good but I tried a bite of the chicken and was blown away. It was crispy, yet so juicy and tender inside, and SO much flavor — yet — hardly a speck of grease! Superb. Huge portion, a large breast and leg on a plate with mashed potatoes, a biscuit and some slaw. Two people could definitely share this.
We sat upstairs and had excellent service. Can’t wait to go back!

I’m a fan of the Monday Fried Chicken dinner. A huge breast and leg with a very tasty breading and still juicy, plus rich mashed potatoes with gravy and fresh cole slaw. I also always get a side of their jalapeño corn bread.
Service staff is always very friendly and warm. Great little atmosphere. I never have to wait long for the food to arrive, and never feel rushed to finish.
Also, they do a really nice job on to-​go orders. I called and ordered 2 dinners and a side last night (fried chicken monday), and they had it ready in 10 minutes. It was wrapped up and made to-​go very nicely– you could tell they took the time to place all the food in carefully. The chicken was in it’s own 2 boxes, one full container of potatoes, another full container of slaw, plus 4 little cups of gravy. A box with the biscuits, and another with the cornbread. All boxes labeled and properly closed. So nice to get home and everything is not only still intact, but easy to re-​assemble just like if you were in the restaurant.

I went back a few weeks ago. Pros: Brooklyn Brewery IPA on tap! Cons: The food.
I ordered the buffalo shrimp app. My mouth was confused. I wasn’t able to pinpoint the flavor, but it wasn’t buffalo. And the greek salad garnish made no sense at all. Those flavors don’t jive.

Holy mother of tender short ribs !!!
The reason I went to 106 was the desire to try the stuffed dates listed on the online menu. I was trying to re-​discover a stuffed date dish I had at a restaurant in Hudson Ohio.
Service was good, Amanda was my server and did a nice job.
I had…
Wild Mushroom, Sausage & Goat Cheese Crostini with a red currant & Port demi-​glacé. *** This ended up being a small meal all its own, it was a delicious appetizer which I will compare to an open face mushroom sausage sandwich and the demi-​glacé was finger licking good. This was hands down better than the dates I came in for.
Chorizo & Cream Cheese Filled Dates ** These were Ok, but not as good as the ones I had in Ohio and don’t hold a candle to the Crostini.
BBQ Short Ribs
Braised short ribs basted with a southern style BBQ sauce, served with Jalapeño-​Cheddar corn bread & Collard greens. ** Are you freakin’ kidding me !! These ribs were super, super tender and they had the nerve to give you a steak knife as if you would really need it. I was full from the crostini and the majority of the ribs went home for lunch the next day.
I would definitely be a return customer, the BBQ Short Ribs were hmmmm, hmmmm GOOD.

What a gem. Living north of Dover, you can imagine that SB and I typically need to drive to find a nice meal, and the 106 is certainly worth the time and effort.
To start, I found the décor warm and elegant… the wrought iron is a great touch and the bar is attractively laid out below the dining room. While it’s certainly not one of «the decks» as far as view is concerned, the large windows and open feel of the restaurant evoke a sense of being outdoors. It wasn’t crowded, which is a shame, given the quality of the food and service.
Service was prompt and efficient, neither under-​attentive nor overbearing. We were some of the first to enter the restaurant when they opened for dinner, and thus were seated promptly. The waiter was honest regarding all our questions (how is business? which would you consider most filling? etc.) and talked with us without overstaying his participation in the conversation.
The food. Oh dear, we loved the food. SB and I opened with the chorizo and cream cheese stuffed dates — delectable. I could have eaten a dozen of them, and unfortunately there were only 5. We packed a dining partner on this outing, and though he isn’t a fan of dates, he enjoyed this also. Bread was offered at the outset of the meal, and it was warm, soft sourdough. Damn, do I love sourdough and fresh butter.
SB and I were eating light this evening, and so went with the baby greens/​roasted beet salad (me) and the romaine/​okra salad (SB), each accompanied with steak. Dining partner ordered the gumbo, per the waiter’s recommendation. I have to say that the salads were both dressed PERFECTLY. The amount of dressing was just enough to know it was there, without interfering with the ingredients of the salad itself. That, ladies and gents, is an art. The steak tips were cooked well, and did not overpower the salads. Both SB and I thought highly of the makeup of our salads, creative and delicious. Dining partner thought his gumbo was very tasty (so did I, from the small taste I was given), and wished there was twice as much.
This provides the perfect segue to discuss portion sizes. By restaurant standards in this country, the 106 has small portions. Honestly, the portion sizes aren’t small… they’re appropriate. There is no reason to eat until you’re bursting full, and then still have enough to take home and have for lunch the next day. I know many will disagree with me, which is fine, but if you want large portions, go to Olive Garden. If you want quality ingredients and quality meals at a reasonable price, go to the 106. As another poster mentioned, the price range is great for Portsmouth, and you can spend a lot or a little and end up extremely satisfied, as we were.

Yum.
We called for a last-​minute 8:00 Sat. reservation, and the place was packed. A good mix of well-​heeled 20-​somethings and (extended) families at the tables. Atmosphere: Lively but comfortable. Décor: Unpretentious but savvy. Very nice and seemingly genuine hostess that night, as well.
Ginger martini is amazing. My husband’s standby Goose & tonic: very strong. I had the local scallop ceviche special starter, which was light but delicate and summery. (I haven’t ever had ceviche before, so I can’t compare, but I had to order it after seeing it for all of those seasons of Top Chef.) My husband ordered the sausage & mushroom crostini and it was DIVINE. Meaty, rich, umami yumminess.
Steak frites for him — he seemed to like it… the steak might have been more medium than the ordered medium-​rare, though. Seafood gumbo for me — very good — maybe not the very best I’ve ever had — but a strong contender with balanced heat. Mussels in shell (of course) and still generous with the shrimp and big, olé, fat shucked oysters.
We’ll be back when we’re in town *for sure.* A good value for very, very good eats in a rather cool environment. It’s one of those places where, for me, the sum total equaled more than the parts, and yet the parts were still, for sure, oh so very good. 5 stars for a hot dinner at a hot place among a lovely crowd.

A group of us drove to Portsmouth from the Kittery Outlets in search of ice cream and decided to eat dinner before getting ice cream. Thanks to Unilocal,we found the 106 Kitchen and Bar. The food was delicious and service was good.
We strolled in around 6:30pm and inquired about a table for 5. Sadly, there were no tables available as they were all either occupied or being held for reservations. Luckily, they had 5 spots at the bar. After some debate, we decided to sit at the bar. The bar tenders were very friendly and helpful. One of them even let someone in our party change their salad order after it had already been sent in to the kitchen.
Recommendations — fried scallop and shrimp appetizer and gumbo. The scallops in the appetizer were delicious. Both the scallops and shrimp are lightly breaded and fried. Cooked just right. The gumbo came with lots of seafood, including more scallops that were just as good as the appetizer. I was also impressed with the fact that the okra in the gumbo didn’t taste slimy.
I had the Fried Oyster Po’ Boy and thought it was okay. I wished I had gotten the gumbo instead based on what I had sampled of it. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I not had some of the gumbo :). Definitely a great and unexpected find for us that we’d recommend!

Excellent addition to Portsmouth!
I’ve been coming up to P-​smith from Boston for about 5 years now, and have tried almost every place at least a few times. As another reviewer noted, many of the places are either high end ($ 25 and up for entrees) or low end (bar food). Fortunately, 106 Kitchen and Bar has mid-​range prices (all entrees under $ 20/​snacks start at 3 bucks!) for excellent dishes and GREAT wine prices. My friend and I started our night at Cava where we were paying $ 11/​glass for the same exact wine that was only $ 7/​glass at 106!
Service was very good. Atmosphere is really cute… TV’s near the bar were playing the Sox game, tables upstairs and downstairs offer plenty of seating. This is a great place to bring a date, but also a nice place to bring a few friends. It’s definitely a classy little joint with a nice looking crowd to boot. I’m looking forward to my next visit to 106.