The Rudder

3.7 (179)

$50 and over

Seafood

73 Rocky Neck Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930-4179

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Great for scenic views
Great for outdoor dining

An iconic neighborhood establishment featuring refined classics and local seafood by James Beard Award Winning Chef Barbara Lynch. Located in the historic Rocky Neck art district.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Seafood, French, Italian
Hours of operation
Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(351) 217-1265
Website
https://www.therudderrockyneck.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
73 Rocky Neck Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930-4179
Neighborhood
Gloucester
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at The Rudder.

3.7

(179)

3.8Food
3.8Service
4.3Ambience
3.4Value

Noise • Moderate

179 Reviews

S
Sara Gold
Greater Boston6 reviews
2.0
Dined on October 5, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
[n/a I have nothing publicly to report as my reservation was cancelled by the restaurant.]
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G
Glenn Gold
Greater Boston14 reviews
1.0
Dined on October 4, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Received a message several hours before our reservation that they had shut down due to unforeseen circumstances. I'll only beg to differ in that you could see it coming for a long time. Someone in our party had a gift certificate that we were going to use before they closed down. Go figure.
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M
Marion
Dublin2 reviews
3.0
Dined on September 25, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Walking into the Rudder, the stiffkey-blue like panelled walls and paint and gorgeous long bar immediately felt cosy and Rocky Neck complimentary. The lighting was dim and sophisticated, a fire creating warmth and ambiance in the corner. We sat in the main dining room. We walked into the restaurant on entering and waited for the host. When he appeared, he asked us to walk back to the entrance door to check our reservation. I thought that was odd and not very polite! Our entrees were delicious- crab cakes, a Bibb salad and friend clams. When our main course arrived, our entree plates hadn’t been removed. The young boy just looked at us and left them down on the table haphazardly. He had an attitude and wasn’t client focused. The pepper and salt mill didn’t work. I had a salmon Niçoise salad which was served with a blob of mashed potato on top. I didn’t touch that! There were no anchovies or black olives as served with a traditional salade niçoise and perhaps they were short of green beans as there were hardly any. Cherry tomatoes do not belong on a salade niçoise. Removing plates before everyone at the table is finished eating, is an American practice I cannot understand and was not appreciated by my European friends! The chocolate mousse was delicious. This could be classy but the service needs attention as does the salmon. Almost.
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TL
TimothyL Gold
Greater Boston15 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 22, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Second time here. Both very nice food and service
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P
Paulette
Greater Boston9 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always love the warm welcome! The food and service are delicious and creative. Our favorite spot on the Northshore!
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R
Ray
New York City8 reviews
1.0
Dined on September 19, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Been to Gloucester multiple times and have been to 10 or so restaurants in the area. Looking forward to a memorable up-scale dinner at the Rudder. Totally disappointed. Worst dining experience ever. Ordered the "Crispy Duck" entree. What I got was the "Rubber Duck", Have ordered Duck in other places and enjoyed it. Seemed that this Duck was most likely pre-cooked and frozen or refrigerated and then re-heated for service. Skin was definitely NOT crispy but rubbery. The duck meat was very dry and stringy. For a $42 meal, it was horrible and only accompanied by a "smear" of whipped parsnips and nothing else. For $42, I would expect at least a few seasonal vegetables , some string beans or maybe a small side salad. My wife ordered the grilled halibut at $38. Also very disappointing. It was overcooked and dry, accompanied by a watery version of ratatouille. Dinner started with a few tiny disappointing bread "knots". In short, it was the most expensive meal we had in Gloucester and the worst experience. DO NOT WASTE YOUR $$ AT THE RUDDER, lots of better places to eat for less $$.
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P
Paulette
Greater Boston9 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As always, great food, service and energy! Love the views. Recommend patio seating.
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GG
GiGi
Greater Boston6 reviews
4.0
Dined on September 14, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The ambience is great The service was wonderful There was a special 2 for 1 lobster. They were large Only $22 such a great deal. I had a glass of Bouchée that was divine. Lobster doesn’t tell me if the chef is great so I have to go back for a regular meal. I hope the restaurant is successful. It’s wonderful to have somewhere to go that’s local.
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P
Patricia
Manchester4 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 13, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Seated waterfront as per our request. Attentive service throughout meal. Cocktails were elegant. Had shrimp cocktail and double lobster special. Bread fresh with exquisite olives for dipping and butter drizzled with agave. Relaxed. Wonderful.
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OT
OpenTable Diner Gold
Poconos1 review
5.0
Dined on September 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful experience all around! Staff was awesome 😎
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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Seafood, French, Italian
Hours of operation
Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(351) 217-1265
Website
https://www.therudderrockyneck.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
73 Rocky Neck Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930-4179
Neighborhood
Gloucester
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.