Ben L.'s Profile

Cataqua is the tap house associated with Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth.  You are eating in the brewery essentially, but really only in the same building (i.e., you are more isolated from the industrial side of beer production than at many other breweries and brewpubs, which i think is well done in this case.)

Here are the positives; the food and beer was great, the atmosphere was good (we had dinner sitting on some large couches by a fireplace), and the location was easy to get to.  On some days, I think that is all that matters, but here are a couple reasons I rated this lower:

The service was stressful.  The kitchen closed at 6:30 and when we ordered dinner at 6:25 (we were waiting for a couple folks to join us, so we had been reminded several times of the impending closure before it came), the server seemed very stressed out by our choice to eat there.  Having worked in restaurants, I am sympathetic to this situation (though I have never worked anywhere that closed the kitchen more than half an hour before closing, especially if that made food unavailable in the middle of dinner time.)  And once the kitchen was closed, we could not order even a cookie from the dessert menu (I just wanted a $0.95 cookie... but again, I understand, I guess.)  It sort of continued through the night (took 4 requests to get some water at which point they plunked down a pitcher and 4 cups, had to stop the server from running away without taking all of our order every time we asked for something) and was culminated by the 7:55, "we are locking the doors in 5 minutes," as opposed to the customary, "hi folks, we are going to be closing in just a few minutes and I wanted to let you know.  Have a nice night."

The real downer for me was plastic cups at a brewery.  Beer Advocate's magazine just had a well-pointed article arguing that branded glassware was a blight on beer drinking because it typically meant a cheaper glass and a logo-distracted experience.  Redhook brought this to a new low in my opinion by using disposable cups for every pint of everything (I choose to believe they recycle the cups, but even that is not necessarily the best option.)  I think, from a marketing standpoint, it shows a certain lack of respect for their own product and displays certain values that I hope will be reformed with their recent merger with Widmer.

As I've written this review, I have flipped between two and three stars several times.  I want to say three out of reverence for the good food and effort that went into this place; but I think I have to say two stars in the end because I am just rather turned off by the whole plastic cup thing.  I hate to be so influenced by one issue, because I did have a great time there, but when I think back to my experiences at the Dogfish Head brewpub in Delaware or the Legend Brewery restaurant in Virginia, I think Redhook is not living up to its potential via the brewpub.

Will I go again, certainly.  Is it a destination that will drag me out to Portsmouth like some other brewpubs and restaurants might?  No.

I ate here last night and the entire experience was outstanding.  The food is well prepared, well presented, and even the simplest menu items are delicious and interesting.

The classy atmosphere and great service really makes this place an experience.  It is not pretentious in it's sophistication, but rather has a comfortable and tasteful sensibility to it.  I have been hearing about this place since it opened, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

The valet service is not every night (we went there on a Monday), but it is free when they have it.  The food prices were not cheap, but they were not outrageous (and we were able to get a very nice bottle of wine for under $30.)

As a big fan of this chain, I came on opening night willing to forgive a multitude of sins.  But really, the only problem was the parking.  This is the same story that the Walpole location had when it opened, and things do level out over time it seems.

Food was great, service was with it (they had seasoned staff from other locations to help out the new staff, ensuring a successful opening night), beer selection was good (Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA on tap was worth the wait), and the decor was very well done.

I will say, as the night got later, the crowd got rowdier.  The place had only been open for 7 hours and there were already fights in the parking lot.  Hopefully that aspect will die down with time, but it didn't at Walpole, so we'll see what happens here.

They don't take reservations now, but in a month or two they are going to start.

The chicken curry was fantastic.  To those who question it, they were pretty specific about the curry having bones in it, so it is best to be prepared for that.  

I came here with a friend that recently returned from a year in Indonesia, and here we found the much sought after, fish with a head still on it.

One thing I will say for this place is, you will only truly enjoy your food if you accept the fact that sometimes you have to use your hands to eat.  Utensils don't always accomplish the task, and for things like picking the bones out of curried chicken as you chew it, your fingers are the only option.

But this was delicious by all accounts, and I can't wait for the chance to come back.

My food was good, but it took an amazingly long time to get it.  We stood there for 10 minutes before one of the 6 people behind the counter would even acknowledge we were there (seems that it is more of a delivery place than a walk-in place.)  

There were four of us.  Two had slices of pizza, two had sandwiches.  Me and one other finished our pizza (which was quite good.  I had feta and olive) a clean 10 minutes before the others got their sandwiches.  Apparently the staff behind the counter kept asking each other, "why are they waiting there," and when the questioner was told, "waiting on sandwiches," that apparently acted like a snooze bar on the actual drive to make the sandwich and get us on the road.  The sandwiches were egg salad and Italian, and we are not a crowd that asks for much of anything special.

To top it off, my beloved chocolate chip cookie to end the meal was hard and dry.  That's just not how I like my cookies.

What an awful experience.  The non-smoking room reeked of mildew, pets, and smoke.  Seems that the extra cots we had brought in were not non-smoking furniture, as proven by the cigarette burns on the blankets.  Even after hours of airing out the room, it was still difficult to get past the smell.

Bathroom was dirty, wall paper was peeling (nice vintage avocado green fixtures with pink trim, gold-flecked linoleum floor, and flowered wallpaper) and the toilet leaked.  A family suite for 6 came with 3 towels.

Mattresses were a choice between one that was so worn out the springs practically bruised my legs and the support bars of the bed left imprints on my back; and the other mattress that didn't seem to have any springs at all and just sagged strongly to the middle.  Didn't actually get much sleep here between the smell and discomfort.

On a plus side, there was free Wi-Fi.  Seemed a bit out of place, but I can't complain for the good points.

If you are looking for cheap accommodations, I would still look elsewhere.  I have stayed in some seedy places before, and this doesn't have the seedy feel to it, but it also didn't allow me to get any rest.  I can sleep in a seedy place if I can at least close my eyes and pretend everything is going to be all right.  At the Anchorage, closing your eyes just makes the bad parts of the place more prominent.

I'm shocked that I had such a different experience here than the other reviewers.  I have been back here several times, and I have yet to come across anything to complain about.  My first couple visits we only sat in the couches and drank good wine, ate great tapas, and listened to good music.  

Last Saturday I had some of the best hummous (curried hummous with red grapes and grilled pita) followed by some great spanikopita with feta dip.

The food presentations here are creative and appealing, and the staff has always been thoughtful and knowledgeable.  I try to come her as often as I make it to Burlington, and I find it to be a relaxing atmosphere most of the time (sometimes the music is quite loud and it is more like the other downtown bars at that point.)

College pizza parlor.  Took a really, really long time, but the food was ok.  I could see this being a good stop if I lived in the area, but as a stop on my way out from visiting, it was not really what I was looking for.

My parent's bought a timeshare here when it opened, so I have memories of this place going back to early childhood.  

First of all, the location is great.  The beach is literally at the end of the hallway, and the public beach to the left (and consequently out the window of every unit) gives you a nice spacious feeling rather than the sense that you are at a private beech surrounded by other resorts.  The water here is warm, calm, and relatively clear for bay side beaches.

Parking is tough, as you can only have one car per unit, though you can sleep 4 comfortably (we have slept more... less comfortably.)  Units are small, but you are on the Cape, so expect to be comfortable without being too luxurious about your space.

The enclosed pool, deck, and fitness area give you a nice alternative to being on the beach if it is crowded, overly sunny, windy, or whatnot.  It never really gets crowded on the private beach, but I suppose that is all relative.

The staff here is great.  Cleaning staff is very friendly and helpful.  Activities staff and management are all light-hearted and kind.

Free Wi-Fi has allowed me to spend time here, even when I have to commute into work (something I could do when I only worked an hour from the cape... now would be more difficult.)

Don't count on the breakfast here; that has never been anything special.  Next door you can get a nice breakfast.  And for other meals, I would beware the snack shack on the public beach.  Once, they were delicious.  Now, they microwave their hot dogs...

So, in closing: I strongly recommend this place.  My grandparent's generation had shacks on the beach, now we have timeshares.  As far as timeshares go, this is one we have chosen to come back to over and over.

I'm used now to the flagship location in Walpole, but this is the first BBC I ever went to.  The tap list is great for the area, but nothing compared to the Walpole tap list.

The last meal I had here was a curry pasty, and it was awesome.  As opposed to the Walpole location, I don't think I have actually ever had a bad meal here.  I did have an awesome server once who, after carding my partner, said, "Oh, I'm so sorry.  I had no idea you were that old.  I mean, not that you look old, it's just..." it went on from there for about 5 minutes.