(07/02/06)

On a Fourth of July weekend drive through Ogunquit, my wife and I stopped in for a late afternoon beer and an appetizer. We considered sitting in their small bar but waited for a table instead. After a few minutes of being ignored, we were led to our table by the host/waiter. There was a curious pit stop along the way, where the host/waiter stopped abruptly at another table, uncupped a few lime wedges from his hand and placed them in another party’s glasses while we waited.

The Beachfire menu has babyback ribs, pulled pork and brisket, along with burgers and several seafood items. We opted for the pupu platter, which had ribs, chicken wings, N’Awlins shrimp and beef teriyaki skewers.

When the “platter” arrived, it looked miniscule, especially considering its $19.95 price tag. The babybacks were your typical chain restaurant variety: gray, not at all smoky and not very good. The teriyaki were overdone and underflavored. The chicken wings (actually 3 half wings) were all soggy. The shrimp were actually pretty good, with a nice dipping sauce.

The food was overpriced and mediocre at best. The service was poor. There was no indication that Beachfire even has a smoker. Ordinarily, I’d want to try a BBQ combo of some sort to get a better read on the place, but at these prices ($22.95 for a 2-way, $25.95 for a 3-way, $3.00 sharing fee) I’m going to trust my first impression and pass. If they are still open in the summer of 2008, I’ll give them another try.

The bottom line: Run. Run away as fast as you can.

other opinion:

Tripadvisor reviews of Beachfire

Yelp reviews of Beachfire