Dog Bar

Gloucester, United States

2.6

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 978-281-6565
Website:
www.dogbarcapeann.com
Address:
65 Main St, Gloucester, MA, 01930
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
370 ftSt. Peter's Park
490 ftMain & Hancock Streets
500 ftSeven Sea's Wharf
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Divey
Noise Level
Average
Music
Live
Good For Dancing
Yes
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
No
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Has Pool Table
Yes

Today

Today 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Local time (Gloucester) –

Business hours

Monday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Tuesday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Wednesday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Thursday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Friday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Saturday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sunday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am

Description

Specialties

Voted Best Bar North of Boston 2013, by Boston Magazine! Discover casual, creative neighborhood dining with impeccable, friendly service at Dog Bar. We offer a wide variety of seasonal choices in a warm, comfortable environment in historic downtown Gloucester, MA.

In keeping with our commitment to supporting our neighbors, we feature the many wonderful local resources of the farms and fishing boats in our area. From the freshest local seafood to the best burgers in town, our seasonal menu was designed with the goal of offering great dining for every taste. In addition to award winning food, Dog Bar also plays host to local and regional live acts 6 nights a week in the intimate listening room.

With reasonable prices, an accessible and exciting wine list, and an attentive staff, Dog Bar is the perfect local hangout where visitors always feel welcome. We invite you to visit our website for a full list of upcoming shows, as well as online menus and fine lists, then stop by and see for yourself why the Boston Globe calls Dog Bar a hidden Gloucester spot worth finding.

History

Established in 2007.

Constructed between 1894 and 1905, the 2,250-foot Dog Bar breakwater and Breakwater Light serves as a welcoming beacon to seafarers coming into Gloucester Harbor. At the end of this breakwater is another light, Gloucester Breakwater Light, established to mark dangerous Dog Bar Reef. Tucked in the bottom level of a bank of brownstones in downtown Gloucester known as the West End Block, sits a well-​known piece of Gloucester History formerly known as White Rainbow. Originally opened in 1971 as an upscale French restaurant, the new incarnation is called Dog Bar. Named for the Dog Bar Breakwater that shelters our harbor from the power and perils of the Atlantic, Dog Bar offers the promise of creature comforts, stress free time with friends and a good hot meal. Much like the red light on the Dog Bar Breakwater has been a welcoming beacon to thousands of the sea Farers who have lived on our island — Dog Bar welcomes you.

Meet the Business Owner

Andy M.

Business Owner

I opened this restaurant in 2007 because I love Gloucester and I wanted to create a restaurant, bar and music venue that celebrated the wonderful people of this great city, while maintaining a welcoming environment for visitors. I think we have achieved this by showcasing local culinary talent, featuring locally sourced menu items and providing a warm and friendly atmosphere. Come see for yourself! I’m usually around so please tell me what you think.

Dog Bar also recommends

Capt Joe & Sons Inc

Seafood Markets

Andy M. says,

«Great people, great lobsters right off the boat»

Blue Shutters Beachside Inn

9

reviews

Hotels

Andy M. says,

«Great little inn, right on Good Harbor»

Pop Gallery

3

reviews

Accessories

,

Women’s Clothing

Andy M. says,

«Because its awesome»

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20 reviews of Dog Bar

No registration required
Place rating: 2
Gloucester, MA
Mediocre service at best. Food was so so however prices were reasonable for the area. My suggestion, focus on better service and presentation.
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
I don’t understand the bad reviews about this place (the bathrooms are small, really?).
I came on a Saturday night, and there were two outdoor patios. One was larger, with tables and a really good band, and the other was smaller with a really nice mural on the wall and exposed brick. You have to go downstairs to enter the main bar, or enter from the back side along the sidewalk. I think this adds to its charm. The building is obviously very old, and I think they’ve made the best they could with the space. It’s very nice décor overall.
Drinks and food were great! No complaints. The manager and owner said hello, and were helping the waitstaff the whole night. Overall it was a great experience. I would definitely go back!
Place rating: 1
Salem, NH
Have you ever watched the television show «Bar Rescue»? The Dog Bar needs to be recued. Saturday night at 7:30 we walked in to find nobody there. We sat at a table outside that had large bags of trash piled up. The waitress was a doll but she had to let us know they had no fry cooking for some reason or other. Had a beer and checked out. Too bad because i remember good things in the past about this place.
Place rating: 1
Boston, MA
I just realized that the owner replied to me as if I have no right to an opinion.
Spending $ here apparently means that you are a target for him. I guess giving this place CHANCE after CHANCE means you deserve the bad service you get here.
I wanted to see if this place improved.
It did not.
No surprise there.
And then the owner accuses me crazy stuff because he’s not running a tight ship.
Ya ok.
Try a little harder, dude!
Then you won’t have to attack your customers.
What kind of business strategy is being mad at your customers for not wanting to spend $ 500 for drinks? It’s perfectly fine that our bill was $ 42. Thanks for your rudeness though.
Sorry but I didn’t just drink tap water and the crew I went with didn’t just drink tap water. We just can’t have constant alcohol or sugar, understand???
Why is it ok to be treated poorly in gloucester?
Many restaurants here think bad food and bad layout is totally fine.
Many places in Mass think poor service is customary and it isn’t.
When the owner writes a lame little rude rebuttal, there is just no reason to keep going back to give them chance after chance. However, I am a reasonable person and I have friends here who enjoy local bands, Funbucket for one. I can’t help it if the venue they choose has a less than stellar business plan.
Other Unilocalers have figured out that dogbar isn’t exactly charming. It’s a hole in the wall that apparently does great because those who choose to venture out in gloucester, have low expectations. Which is fine with Gloucester’s residents. Don’t class it up. Stay as you are. Stay very mediocre. Some people are comfortable being average, and that’s ok.
Go to Boston sometime to find a REAL bar, one that I don’t mind spending my $ at regularly.
Place rating: 3
Gloucester, MA
Its a nice set up, bar is in a separate room from the entertainment/​dining area, as well as a patio for smokers. Food is o.k. A little fancier than I am looking for but what I had was good. Drinks are average priced, but the wine pour seems low. Fun staff and pleasant atmosphere. karaōke on Wednesdays which is always fun with Jay.
Place rating: 2
Northborough, MA
Don’t order food it will take way to long and is mediocre at best. The bar is OK with really loud cruddy cover bands.
Place rating: 1
Raleigh, NC
This place isn’t worth the time or money.
First, the calamari appetizer comes with fried banana peppers and fennel. For $ 10 we received about 10 pieces of Cheerio-​sized calamari, and the rest was banana peppers. Fried fennel is just gross.
The bartender was slow, disappeared a lot, and kind of rude.
The women’s restroom was ridiculous. It coffin-​sized, and when you sit on the toilet, your face is practically in the sink. So disgusting.
Place rating: 5
Somerville, MA
This place is a fantastic find! Go here if in Gloucester! Not even a question.
Place rating: 1
Gloucester, MA
If you are going for a drink, you are safe, but the food will leave you feeling like you have a brick in your stomach. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great place for a beer with friendly staff, but again, stay away from the food! Even the nachos will make you regret eating them… burgers meat is tasteless, fries blah, dips are nasty. My advice is to go here for a drink and then have your food elsewhere.
Place rating: 5
Dallas, TX
One of my faves on this trip!
Place rating: 2
Gloucester, MA
First timer. Nice looking place. Dark, low ceilings. Very cool in here. I’m def looking forward to coming back for bands.
Standard/​lame menu.
Ordered the veggie burger. It’s homemade with avocados. Looks good. STONE COLD. I couldn’t warm an ice cube on it.
Place rating: 1
Salem, MA
+1 star for the nachos, which were nicely toasted and had plenty of toppings. Everything else gets ZERO stars. The freshest part of my meal was the red onion on my veggie burger. Everything else was wilted or had been frozen. But let me start at the beginning – drinks. Earlier that day, I had seen a good-​looking wine list on their website. When the server asked us what we’d like to drink, I asked for the wine list. She said they didn’t have one. The bartender, though, was able to tell me what they had. I ordered a malbec reserve, which tasted like it had been open for a week. Yuck. Should have complained, but didn’t want to be a high-​maintenance customer in this chill place. When it came time to order my meal, I was really excited about the toppings the menu listed for the veggie burger (avocado, cucumber, tahini). I asked the server what the veggie burger was made of and whether they made them in-​house. She said they made them in-​house but had to check on the ingredients. A solid 10 minutes later (we were the only customers there at 7pm on a Friday, by the way… red flag…) she returned and said «all we can say is the burgers definitely have corn and carrots in them.» I should have realized this meant they did not make them on-​premises and they really had no clue what they were made of. Stupidly, I ordered it anyway. The burger came with lettuce, tomato, and red onion. I had to ask here where the avocado/​cucumber/​tahini that were advertised on the menu were. She didn’t even know that they were supposed to be there, and clearly the chef didn’t either (or didn’t care). She came back with some un-​ripe avocado slices and a blob of brown muck that looked and tasted nothing like tahini sauce. She said they didn’t have cucumber. Maybe they hadn’t been shopping that week. The burger bun was at least a day old or had been sitting out all day uncovered. It was crusty in unpleasant ways. The fries that came with it were not homemade and had clearly been frozen. They were also extra greasy when you bit into them. Ick. My husband got the fish and chips and said it tasted OK but the fish had also been frozen. The restaurant is literally across the street from Gloucester Harbor. WHAT?
Beyond the wretched food, I have to say the service was pretty awful. The waitress was clueless about the menu & offerings, seemed overwhelmed by my basic questions, and never asked how my meal was (and didn’t seem to think it was strange when I sent 80% of my meal back at the end). Also, the restaurant was dingy, furniture was stained and beaten-​up, and the bathroom was dirty. Huge disappointment.
Place rating: 2
Middletown, OH
Ordered a chicken tender encrusted with pretzels app, and main was haddock and that night’s treatment was ‘Provençal’. What I got instead was a beautiful fresh poached haddock that was unseasoned completely swamped with canned artichoke hearts, olives, and feta cheese. Gross. Good place to hang out and have a cocktail, food not so sure about. Was really disappointed I couldn’t get the fish pan fried. The sides were cafeteria quality redskin mash, very starchy and pasty, and grilled broccoli that had no flavor, either side was seasoned. No butter on mash? Avoid.
Place rating: 2
Natick, MA
Don’t go for the food, drinks are fine. The food is mediocre at best. I have always walked away feeling like I should have eaten somewhere else. They do have good live music on occasion, but for all the hassle Gloucester is to park in On Friday or Saturday night there are much better places to eat at.
Place rating: 1
Gloucester, MA
Once again, a bad experience. That’s it. I’m never going there again. Spent evening inhaling smoke inside, in the room where the music is, because of their totally lame ass ventilation system (all the cigarette smoke from the patio comes straight into the back room, where the music is). I finally left cos my head and ears were ringing, all my clothes smell like a smoky gross bar. Plus I sat there nearly 20 minutes before waitress even noticed I was there to take my drink order. When I ask if they have sherry or port or champagne she looks at me like I got two heads. And they’re supposed to be classy? They had none of above, so she offers me crappy Cooks, told me it was $ 6 a glass (cos I asked) then when I went to pay waitress tells me it’s $ 7. Christ.
Place rating: 4
Melrose, MA
This place rocks! Locals. Good cover band. Great interior and an awesome courtyard for smoking outside with your drink. We’d go back there for sure. The place picked up around 10 and was wall to wall by the end of the night.
And one other thing,
I’ve noticed Gloucester has a thing with their bathrooms doubling as art rooms/​murals and such. This place is on point with that, the bathroom is painted in some funky art colors and is pretty hip as bathrooms go… I know its weird to mention a bathroom on a restaurant site but seriously its worth noting,
Patrick Bateman and friends would like this bathroom…
Place rating: 3
Gloucester, MA
Dog Bar has great music, drinks, and the staff is friendly, but they really have to do something about the food. I’ve eaten there three times in the past year and the food has ranged from meh to uneatable.
A little brown/​crisp is expected on grilled pizza, but there’s too much charred bits on the bottom for my taste. The fish is usually a toss-​up. I’ve had the cook come out and tell me not to order the salmon special, which I appreciated, so the next time I asked the waitress how the fish of the day was. She said, «Delicious», but it arrived poorly spiced with a sour taste.
The couple things they’ve done well in the past have been the hamburgers, artichoke dip (hard to mess up). The Caesar salad was reasonably fresh last time I went and had a lot of anchovies, which was nice.
I like going here to hang out, but I try to eat elsewhere first.
Place rating: 4
Hudson, MA
Very good experience. The atmosphere was very pleasant and the waitstaff even more so. The burgers are classically done and done right. Went on a Friday night and the restaurant section of the establishment was very quiet and not busy at all. Very quaint and low key if that’s what you’re looking for which can always be a plus.
Only issue was that a burger ordered medium-​well came back almost rare but they slapped it back on the grill with no problems. I love this place and I’m definitely going back next time I’m in the area!
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
I came here for dinner too early on a Tuesday to judge the «scene,» but the food was great. Huge portions and (quite unexpectedly for a pub) great attention paid to plating & presentation.
We got seared tuna & crab cakes to start, and the sauces accompanying both were darn near perfect.
The chicken piccata was heavy on the chicken and the capers, relegating everything else to its deserved background.
A note on «ambiance» — it didn’t get to me that much, but a screaming refrigerator fan audible in the main room can be fixed in 10 minutes. «That just started happening 4 days ago» is at least two days too long to let it go on!
Finally, extra points for carrying Magners (Bulmers) cider.
Place rating: 3
Alexandria, VA
They have a great outside patio and the band laying on Friday night was solid. Drink prices are a bit high and they wouldn’t serve me a round of hornitos tequila shots After 12am. Something about liquor laws of some sort. Regardless, the staff is super friendly and the food is surprisingly good (we had a delicious burger). A great place to hit on a warm Gloucester summer night for good beers, live music, and a great atmosphere.