Mccormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks

We stopped in for a drink and small plates during happy hour. The drinks were well crafted and the food was delicious. But the true standout was the service provided by Derek behind the bar. After stopping in at another nearby restaurant where the bartenders were not the least bit welcoming, we enjoyed the warm welcome, impeccable service. and courtesy Derek provided. He truly made our day.

When I walked in, I was seated right away. I ordered the basic cheeseburger to see the baseline here. It turned out pretty good, and the bun surprised me the most because of the garlic aioli on it. The burger itself was juicy and what I expected. The fries were crispy and seasoned well. Order to table took about 15min - which is normal. The general establishment was very clean. Props to Derrick at the bar for taking my order!

My wife and I decided to stop in for lunch after leaving Newport aquarium and we were not disappointed. The crab cake was not just bread like some other places we've been to. She got the bourbon salmon and it was a pleasant experience. The same could be said for my swordfish. Both were very enjoyable. The portion size was perfect for a lunch and didn't leave us feeling to full the walk around and shop. This was a great experience and we will surely return when in town again.

I ordered the brand new to the menu Open Blue Cobia. It was delicious. The only less than positive is that the fish was the hottest item temperature wise on the plate. If everything was hot, I would have gladly given a full 5. The service was good. I ordered a Brandy Alexander with the meal. In my experience this drink is not made perfectly just anywhere. It was almost perfect minus the bar tender not using ice cream. I sent it back and ordered the Dolce Sangria which was tasty. For dessert, you'll see pictured their pineapple brown butter cake with cinnamon ice cream. It was OK. I've had better. All in all, the main meal was really good and service was great.

One of the last bastions of eateries next to Fountain Square, it's a upper scale seafood type restaurant that's actually reasonably priced for where they are and how they serve. Very friendly and has an old world 30's charm with wood paneling and art deco hints looking at the square. Food wise it was decent but being critical, the fish tacos was essentially fish and chips wrapped in a tortilla. No lime, no pico de gallo, and the travesty - no Mexican hot sauce (just Tabasco). Gasp! It made it a bit dry of an experience. Other than that, it was great.

On our Open Table reservation, I’d indicated we were celebrating a birthday. Our menus had birthday greetings across the top and our table had a VIP sign on it. Nice touch! We started with the fresh briney oysters (the pomegranate mignonette is delicious!) and we think their lobster bisque, with chunks of lobster, is the best in town. We shared the walnut mixed greens salad, which they thoughtfully split for us. It’s a simple yet delicious salad; the blue cheese crumbles, candied walnuts, and vinaigrette are a delightful combo. He had the twin lobster tails but opted for spinach instead of the lobster bisque mash (why?!?) which he loved. My bigeye tuna was perfectly cooked. The baby bok choy and sinus-clearing (LOL) wasabi mash were excellent accompaniments. Our service was outstanding! Thanks for a great birthday dinner!