Barker Tavern

I’ve been to Barker Tavern twice now and have been very impressed both times. It’s pretty pricey but there’s plenty to choose from if you want to make a meal out of apps and the pub menu.
Standout dishes include the eggplant caprese, the rolls, and the seafood pasta with capers. Ambience is old school New England – not the least bit hip or trendy, but man are those giant fireplaces nice on a raw winter day.
Will be back for sure.

To borrow a line from the movie Kingpin, «This act is about as fresh as a Foghat concert.»
Tired menu, tired décor, inconsistent food quality and an inconsistent waitstaff all combine to make this a forgettable experience. Went here for a business dinner and vowed never to come back. Both my wife and I were nonplussed by the food and felt like we needed to take a shower when we got home because the place was so dirty. If you’re up for a restaurant that smells like old carpet, grandma’s mothball-​laden rayon dress, and a too-​small bar chock full of the areas finest alcoholics, then this is your Valhalla.
I’m scratching my head trying to understand how so many people give this place rave reviews. My boss went so far as to proclaim that this was his favorite restaurant around while we were there. That being said, it speaks volumes about the collection of restaurants we have access to on the South Shore that this place gets 4 stars.
For a trip down memory lane to see this restaurant as it might have been years ago back in its heyday, book yourself a reservation at «The Quarry» in Hingham.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this restaurant.
Since its in the ‘burbs, tucked away off a main road — there is ample parking
The restaurant itself has an old New England vibe. You can dress casual — although I find it’s nice to dress up a little for this spot — with the low beamed ceilings and fireplaces, it has a romantic feel
We’ve been twice and both times the service was excellent. And the food = so good. Specifically:
Lobster stew, best I’ve ever had. My husbands brother is a chef and he too loved it and was super impressed
I love the onion soup — simple but tasty especially on a cold day
My fam loved the escargot (I’m not a fan in general) but they loved it, especially the red wine ‘reduction’ /​broth
The swordfish, halibut, and steaks are amazing
Good wine, beer, and cocktail selection
You get complementary cheese & crackers and bread (which I think is generous)
I’m obsessed with the signature raspberry /​house made whipped cream dessert. Light, sweet, and different
Overall, highly recommend this restaurant — be it for a romantic dinner, casual night out, family dining
Prices are reasonable — especially considering we’re used to the city!

I had not been here is some time. I forgot what a
Classic New England experience it is. Historic building with traditional fare. Highly recommended.

Best restaurant on the South Shore hands-​down! Food is always excellent and the staff is always professional and caring. Ask for Holly as a waitress, she is wonderful!

This place is awesome! If you like swordfish, this is your place. They had multiple unique recipes for the swordfish. I typically order canjun swordfish, but went rouge and order their specialty the Za’tar. It had middle eastern spices topped with capers and sundries tomatoes and melted in my mouth. So worth it! My boyfriend ordered the Cajun and while it was yummy the Za’tar took the cake. If you like swordfish you have to try it. Will definitely be going here again but for special occasion as its a bit pricy!

Did an excellent job. Had a bridal shower there. They do a great job with events. The food was amazing and for a great price. We had the side room and were able to set up for an event. The bridal shower went off without a hitch from the sparkling champagne to the delicious meal and the dessert.

I attended a function at the Barker Tavern this past Friday. It was a formal event, unfortunately the air conditioner was not working. As different people asked to «turn on» or «turn up» the staff insisted it was running perfectly. Many members had to take off their suit coats to compensate.
Additionally, while the swordfish was fantastic, you shouldn’t run out if we had to give a head count one week prior.
Must of been an off night, normally very good!

Heard Nothing but great things about the Barker Tavern. I finally tried it myself, I loved the atmosphere and the food was good but not outstanding like I was expecting. I got their signature swordfish, I was fresh cooked perfectly and delicious. I personally thought it could have used some spices to enhance the flavor of this beautiful piece of fish. Also I got the double stuffed baked potato with sauted. Spinach. Both were hot when served but lacked any spices or added flavors. I Thought the chef could have served this entire dish with some added seasoning to bring out the flavors but it appeared everything was cooked as is a that kept me from giving this a 5 star rating… Over all it was a good meal and a good experience but from all I have heard about the Barker Tavern I was expecting more…

The best of the best. If you’re visiting Scituate, come here for dinner. Everything is incredible. The restaurant is lavish and the bar area is cozy. Everyone is friendly and everything from the specials to regulars are delicious. My favorite part is the deserts. If family goes out to dinner without me, they always bring home dessert. Do. Not. Skip. Out. On. Dessert! I love this restaurant and even during the storm, the service and food was terrific!

We go here once a year and have always had a great meal in the dining room. We decided to give the pub a try with our 2 boys. Matt the host was very friendly and helpful. Kathy handling the pub was also very friendly.
The food was just O. K, my son raved about the kids cheese pizza, the other dinners were nothing to rave about! Steak tips overcooked and not the best cuts of meat. Kids swordfish was good… French fries were overcooked and cold, same with the asparagus. Special was really nothing special. All totaling over $ 100.
Just not worth it.

One of the best meals of my life. The wait staff was absolutely phenomenal. Extremely knowledgeable. Would recommend it to anyone with the money.

I love the Barker Tavern. I have attended events here over the years, and had wonderful family dinners. The event staff is amazing! The food is terrific. I love the atmosphere. This is the place to go for a special evening. They also do take-​out. High recommend.

A very tired and dusty menu, practically everything needs a revamp. We did have pleasant service, and it’s a fantastic location. Unless you are 65+, I wouldn’t recommend a meal here.

An exceptional restaurant that has remained unchanged throughout the years. The service here is exceptional, making this a great place for a romantic evening or a family dinner. the staff is attentive, but not pushy, allowing you to have a nice leisurely dinner. The food is also great; everyone at our table of six was very pleased, and my haddock cioppino was perfect. The drink were also great, and my martini was shaken table side and was very generously poured. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a place to have a nice dinner in scituate.

I recently attended a wedding reception here and I have nothing but great things to say! As a bridesmaid, the staff was very helpful upon our arrival and the food was amazing! The chicken dish was to die for! They let the bride decorate based on her vision rather than using the Christmas décor and it really made the bride feel special. Thank you for a Wonderful event!

Looking for someplace out of the way on a fall Friday night, we ventured down to the barker, having made reservations on line earlier in the day. Perhaps I should have been suspicious after my 7:00 table request came back approved right away.
We arrived and were greeted at the door, then seated promptly. The bus boy watered us and dropped crackers and herb butter. This is where the service quality ended. We sat and waited 15 minutes for a server to come over for a drinks order and to tell us the specials. In this 15 minute window we realized there were only two waitrons on the floor, for the entire Barker Tavern. 5 minutes later the drinks came back and we ordered apps and entrees and a bottle of wine. Half hour later the host came to take our order, although we already ordered. Our fault for not ordering another cocktail, but who knew. twenty minutes after that our appetizers arrived. That’s right an hour and five minutes after sitting down we got some food. No wine, and the first round of drinks were long gone with no offer to refill, or even a check in. Appetizers were very good although the crab cakes could have used a sauce. Entrees came out about ½ hour afterward and were spectacular (Pork Chop was amazing!!) Of course the overworked server forgot the wine and we had to remind him.
While eating, we overheard the server tell another table that this is fairly normal on the weekends in the off season and that they should come during the week for better service. Huh? The um, manager? lady who seated us came over to apologize and also to pack up the leftovers. The host also apologized as we left. I’ve got to tell you that apologies don’t work when this is something fairly standard. Also no comp on the meal at all? Really?
Here is a great suggestion if the current owners/​managers insist in running so short staffed because they aren’t sure of the counts or don’t want to pay for more staffing:
1. Eliminate the seater position and have the host/​hostess do that job. Make the seater another server or food runner
2. Have the host/​hostess take a beverage order and go down the specials list, freeing up the server from the first pass at the table.
Yes this means people will wait at the door to be greeted and seated, but if you can get them in the bar area for a drink, then you also sell an additional beverage.

This is THE PLACE to go to if you want the best New England seafood house experience you can get. Seriously. There are many other restaurants in Boston/​South Shore/​North Shore that are traditionally themed New England style seafood, but this one is perfect. The building is almost 400 years old, the interior has so much character yet is completed refined and soooo relaxing. I wanted to take a nap after 5 minutes, in the best possible way. Also, the service is outstanding, very warm and friendly.
Ok, the food. Began with a rusty nail and the hot seafood app and oysters rockefellar. Clams casino, scallops, oysters etc. Impeccably fresh, very traditionally prepared… and I mean that in the best way. Not overdone, just right.
Main course– lobster pie. Perfect! About 2 full lobsters worth of meat, perfectly cooked. I’ve never had better lobster and I grew up in the area eating it all the time. Wife had the cioppino with clams, mussels, shrimp and a giant piece of haddock. This fish was so incredibly fresh, like butter. Outstanding.
Great bottle of German white, awesome wine list. Mainly French.
Honestly, this was the best seafood dining experience I’ve ever had. Considering my previous choice was Water Grill in LA, high marks. Plus there is something about local New England seafood… you can’t beat it.
YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU CHOOSE THIS PLACE!!!

Barker Tavern hosted my wedding reception in the fall. They do a phenomenal job with everything. From the service, professionalism, and of course the food, everything was more than I expected. The food was out of this world good and they do an amazing job presenting it. The grounds here are beautiful in the spring thru fall and being across the street from the ocean, you couldn’t ask for a more perfect place. It is expensive but I whole heartedly believe that you get what you pay for. If I could do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing about the Barker. We’ve also eaten in the restaurant and its such a cozy, homey place for delicious seafood or anything else on the menu. Can’t recommend the Barker Tavern enough.

Barker tavern is one of my family’s favorite restaurants. Seafood is always local and fresh, but for some reason I always end up getting the bone in veal chop which is always cooked perfect.