J’s Oyster - Portland

During my visit to Portland to see my niece in college, she suggested we try J's. The place was bustling because it was Free Oyster Month. There were six of us in total. A regular customer kindly gave up his bar seat for my girlfriend, which led to a wonderful conversation. We didn't wait long to be seated, and the food was outstanding. Everyone had a fantastic time!

If you're looking for a pristine, high-end restaurant, you might want to try a different spot. However, if you're in search of fantastic food with decent service and a local crowd, this is the place for you. This is what a waterfront restaurant should embody—authenticity at its finest!

The experience was absolutely disappointing. While the food was decent, the condition of the bar was unacceptable. I made the mistake of using the men's restroom, and it ruined my appetite completely. The overpowering smell of urine and the sticky floor were truly off-putting. To make matters worse, there was no hot water available at the sink to wash my hands. When I brought these issues to the attention of the staff, they simply laughed it off and said it wasn’t their responsibility. If the visible areas of the restaurant are in such a terrible state, I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like behind closed doors. If you’re considering visiting, I highly recommend looking for a different place. Save yourself the trouble and STAY AWAY!

Came in during happy hour, no problem that we had to wait. Was told bar seats were first come first served. Waited for 2 seats to come available, but was told we could not have them the owner wanted them for herself, but we were next on list (we were anyway). No offer to comp anything to us for the additional wait. We sat down, had to ask for refills. Requested a refill (ginger ale) to go, was told no because the police may think it was alcohol. Well we weren't driving, we had a driver. We told the server that the police could check if they thought it was alcohol and see that it wasn't, plus we would pass a sobriety test as we had not been drinking, plus it wasn't his problem. What happens if you get a drink from McDonald's or Burger King, is that allowed? He just didn't want to give it to us. I'm sure they don't want us to come back and the feeling is mutual. The prices were okay, but the service sucked!

Great food, I drive up from Boston. It still has the local charm!