The Beacon Restaurant and Bar

We had reservations for my Birthday dinner. Service started slow with some expresso martinis. They were good. We watched other tables getting bread. We put in an order for French onion soup and fried calamari. Service got better and our waitress was very good. Apps came and soup was amazing, and calamari was a soggy mess, only two banana peppers, breading was greasy and breading falling off and it wasn’t very good. We then asked for bread, and it now came. We ordered a ribeye and crunchy potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, and a filet with sweet potato fries. Food came and looked good. But filet was asked for med rare and was medium well no pink at all. Rest was fine. Now the re fired and filet came out fast and was now rare ( edible) server gave us feee drink and removed the calamari but this

This is obviously the place to be in Marblehead, and the best part of the experience was people watching and talking with locals. Unfortunately, they seem a little short staffed for even a regular night. We were seated immediately, and had empty tables all around, but didn't talk to a server for probably 10 minutes. We were ready to fully order once they showed up, and did. My fiancee's steak tips with demiglace, mashed potatoes and green beans was delicious. Zero complaints. Unfortunately, my $44 seafood fusili was all overcooked. Tough lobster, rubbery shrimp. Good flavor, at least, but you expect better treatment of seafood at this price point and this close to the sea. Great atmosphere, but slow service and disappointing seafood if our experience was the norm

This is a very nice spot. We had dinner, and the food was great. I got the 24oz tomahawk that was cooked perfectly. My side dishes, mash potatoes, and seasonal veggies portion size were plentiful. My girlfriend got the scallops, and they were delicious as well. The band that was playing sounded great. People were getting up from their table to dance in between bites, which I thought was pretty cool. Do it Marblehead!

I visited from Chicago and decided to try the Lobster Roll as I had never had one. It was amazing! I got a spicy mango margarita cocktail that’s as also very delicious. The Server was attentive and friendly and offered suggestions. She even gave me tips on going in and out of Salem and recommend things in the area. The patio was also very pretty.

This place managed to be just as cold and uninviting as the streets outside. The entry was confusing, the atmosphere felt half-hearted, and the staff acted inconvenienced by the presence of actual paying customers. Service dragged endlessly with no communication, no urgency, and no acknowledgment that anything was off—just a general sense of indifference from start to finish. When the food finally arrived, it was a disappointment worthy of its reputation: lukewarm, poorly executed, and wildly overpriced for what landed on the table. Portions were small, flavors were dull, and presentation looked rushed and careless. No apology, no attempt to make things right—just premium prices attached to subpar food and service. The Beacon continues to coast on location alone, offering a mirage of “ups