Review Maddie's Sail Loft - Marblehead

My only regret is that I did not take a picture of the delicious New England style clam chowder to post for you! Delicious and creamy! Everything was excellently prepared! Friendly staff!

Was in Marblehead for a dog walk and a change of scenery. Searched reviews for seafood and Maddie's reviews intrigued the 3 of us. I walked into the restaurant to inquire if the outdoor seating was pet friendly. The bar and restaurant was full but the bartender caught my eye and I proceeded to ask her about sitting outside with a dog. She was very friendly and said absolutely, take a seat and I'll be out shortly. It took her a little while to come out, understandably so because it was so busy inside and I'm sure they are short of staff like all restaurants during Covid. We had already looked at the menu online so we knew what we wanted to order for our lunches. She came out with menus an offered drinks to which we replied that we are ready order and she was happy to take our orders. It took possibly 25 or more minutes before our lunches arrived but they were well worth the wait: - Fisherman's Platter with fries & cole slaw over a small amount of mixed greens salad. A fair portion of lightly battered and fried shrimp, scallops, haddock nuggets and clams. The batter was so light so it wasn't a heavy fried meal. Cole slaw was fresh but a little tasteless. Fries were crispy. I had read the reviews of people disliking the hot seafood over the cold salad so quickly at the salad first. - Fish and Chips with fries & cole slaw. A generous filet of haddock perfectly fried. "Melt in your mouth" as described by my hubby. - Pan seared scallops over lobster risotto and grilled asparagus. Perfectly cooked, fairly large scallops which is hard to find in most restaurants. Risotto contained a generous portion of lobster meat but was a little on the bland side. Asparagus was perfectly grilled. The bus boy and our server, the bartender, could not be more friendly and our meals were excellent with the small exception of under-seasoning of the cole slaw and risotto. New fans and we'll be back!

I have been going to Maddie’s restaurant for many years. Awesome place and fantastic food! Always the best! Recently visited Maddie’s, And enjoyed a delicious baked haddock dinner, and my friend thoroughly enjoyed a sirloin steak. Looking forward to visiting again. Always highly recommend!

Just wow...hands down, impressed with our experience here. We had arguably our best seafood meal in our 1-week New England vacation (from Portland ME to Boston MA) at this place. Everything was so fresh and rightly flavorful. We ordered a number of dishes we shared among ourselves: seafood paella, carb-less burger, swordfish entree, fisherman's platter, and fresh oysters. Everything tasted like a winner. I was planning to eat somewhere else but our tour guide in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion recommended this one to us. Glad we heeded his recommendation! This is also a bar so they have alcoholic drinks. The only thing I didn't like about this place was that the interior seemed dark. The ambience could be better.

Baked haddock was average at best. The scallop dinner was better. No bread was served, yet some tables had it Our server was friendly. The dining room was dark and severely outdated but that may be the charm. Go for the drinks, leave the food!

Although this is an unassuming space, the food was delicious! I had the scallops with risotto and asparagus, and my friend had the fried seafood platter. Everything was really good and fresh, and the service was friendly. We would definitely return when in the area!

The atmosphere is a sports bar for sure. But the food exceeds all expectations! The haddock with garlic mashed potatoes and spinach was cooked perfectly. The mac and cheese was very cheesy and creamy! The portion sizes were generous and the prices very reasonable. Would come back again!

It has been nearly 2 years and me and my friends significant others had yet to meet, due to conflicting schedules. Alison was beginning to think that Dee didn't exist (lol). However like a perfect alignment of a blue moon on Halloween, everyone had a schedule that matched up. The ground hath shooketh! We ran a little late, but it was fine. We dined outside with a propane heater, and the weather was very much permitting for it. Service was good, our server was bartender and taking care of us outside, so I knew she had her hands full even if the place wasn't super busy. She was attentive and we weren't waiting too long for service, hell the drinks were never empty and I could tell she was trying to anticipate if we were needing more drinks. Service was great. There was no desire for apps, we just went straight for entree's. Dee enjoyed her steak tips. Alison's fried shrimp smelled awesome across the table. Joe opted for the swordfish and I the lobster roll. We exchanged piece's to try. The swordfish was delicious, tender, and delicate. The lobster roll had mayo, but also tastes buttery, absolutely fantastic. We enjoyed our plates. I am glad we opted out of the apps, we ended up splitting dessert which was chocolate cake and cheesecake, each split between two. Dessert was decadent and completed our meals nicely. We took our time to catch up, discussed Joe and Alison's wedding plans (recently engaged). Most of us work in the same field so we talked shop. My wife Dee and Alison hit it off nicely. We kept it simple with beer and wine for drinks, chatted the afternoon away. I think we would all be interested to return. With autumn slipping to winter and the pandemic here, it'll be a challenge to try to find restaurants to go out to.

We have been going to Maddie's for 40+ years. And even through the change of ownership (3?) it has maintained it's neighborhood vibe, quality food and, of course, out-sized delicious drinks. Don't know if we can put in another 40 years but...go down smiling

Not sure if the service is better than the food or the food is better than a service. Either way 5 stars! No Doubt you will enjoy your time here whether it's upstairs or downstairs

Loved the food. Loved the service. Anna, our bartender, was the absolute best!! I will definitely come back here the next time I'm in the area.

Great food, drinks, service, all around great evening!

Go for the swordfish and paella and stay for the friendly,rustic atmosphere. Love it.