Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar – Providence, RI
Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar / 121 South Main Street / Providence, RI 02903 / 401-351-8570
Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar will impress you from beginning to end. It is truly an excellent restaurant.
Located in beautiful downtown Providence, Hemenway’s has some of the best views of the city.
The dining room is open & crisp with it’s handsome decor including high ceilings, ceiling fan’s, palm plants, eye catching nautical neon, white linen table clothes and natural lighting.
The restaurant has a bustling vibe and was packed from the time we arrived (6:30pm) until the time we left (8:30pm).
I was excited to be reviewing such a top notch restaurant with my dining companion for the evening…..my mother! 😉
I fell in love with our down-to-earth waitress, Nancy, who was extremely personable and down-to-earth!
Nancy had worked at Hemenway’s for 7 years, left for 4 years, returned, and recently celebrated another 5 years with the company! The pride she has for Hemenway’s was evident in the way she spoke about the food and ambiance. Nancy explained the evening’s specials, menu items and ingredients without missing a beat. She made us feel relaxed and took great care of us throughout the evening. If only service was this good everywhere!
It was hard deciding what to order off their impressive menu, but alas we made up our minds.
Let the deliciousness begin!
For appetizers we chose the Maine steamers and Antipasto Plate.
The Maine steamers were of a generous portion served with a dipping butter. They were plump with full bodies and simply fantastic.
The Antipasto Plate, served with Parma Prosciutto, Manchego cheese, roasted peppers, olive tapenade, goat cheese stuffed bacon wrapped figs and grilled bread, was the best I had ever had. Hands down.
The goat cheese stuffed bacon wrapped figs shocked my mouth with a flavor I had never experienced before. Nancy had explained how delicious they were, and boy was she right! The Parma Prosciutto melted in my mouth and worked perfectly with the Manchego cheese on top of the grilled bread. The serving size was enough to feed 2-3 people easily.
For her main entree my mother ordered a 2lb stuffed Maine Lobster and I ordered the 14 oz. Creekstone Natural New York Strip.
The entrees came with your choice of soup or salad. I chose their garden salad with a homemade curry dressing and vinaigrette and my mother ordered the Lobster chowder.
The homemade curry dressing, which Nancy recommended, was to die for. Super creamy with a sweet taste that complimented the vinaigrette perfectly.
The lobster chowder was also delicious served with huge chunks of lobster meat.
My mother’s stuffed lobster was filled with Hemenway’s lump crab & scallop stuffing.
The pictures speak for themselves.
The lobster meat, crab and scallops were extremely fresh.
A perfect lobster experience for sure!
My New York Strip was cooked to perfection. Well done on the inside, yet moist and crispy on the outside. The gorgonzola cheese added just enough kick to the already flavorful steak.
The mashed potatoes were super creamy and disappeared way too fast! 😉
Then, of course, was dessert. After hearing Nancy’s description of the strawberry cheesecake we both decided to give that a try.
Oh my.
Oh my, my, my.
Every so often you experience a new take on an old favorite. I am not sure what the baker does different to this cheesecake (that is made in house) but it is unlike I have ever experienced before. It is served ice cold and is extremely light and creamy. It doesn’t have that heavy feeling often associated with cheesecake. It is almost fluffy. There is no way I do it justice through words. You just need to experience it for yourself. Trust me.
The serving size is generous and two people could easily share, but where is the fun in that? 😉 After one bite you would be wishing you had ordered your own!
Throughout the night I found myself repeating how beautiful Hemenway’s was. Over and over I commented on the views.
I love the lively, energetic vibe. The friendliness of the staff. The quality and absolute perfection of the food. I already made plans to return before the bill arrived.
MENUS:
HOURS:
- Lunch Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30am-3:00pm
- Dinner Hours: Monday-Thursday 3:00pm-10:00pm; Friday-Saturday 3:00pm-11:00pm; Sunday 12:00pm-9:00pm
EVENTS:
- Half-Price Wine Sundays (12-9pm). Starting in October, savor the end of every weekend with half-priced bottles of wine paired with your fresh favorites.
- Half-Price Raw Bar Mondays. Ease into the week with a visit to Hemenaway’s for half-price raw bar offerings.
- Bar Menu: The perfect way to finish up your work day or start off your evening. Choice of appetizers for $6.00 each. Sunday-Thursdays 3-6pm.
PRIVATE DINING OPPORTUNITIES: For special events and private dining options click HERE.
DINING RESERVATIONS: Make you reservations HERE.
ENTERTAINING: Hemenway’s can cater your next event. For more information click HERE.
Gay & Lesbian Factor: As a lesbian I am proud to say I have excellent “gaydar”…..no seriously. Laugh if you must, but this is a true phenomenon! 😉 I witnessed several gay couples dining at the restaurant the evening I was there. One being openly affectionate as they were celebrating a special anniversary.
Nancy was very excited when she found out I was doing the review for Gay Travel Information. She lit up when she explained how gay friendly Providence is as a whole. I couldn’t agree more! Having grown up in Providence, this I know for a fact. Rhode Island is a VERY LGBT friendly destination, even if we are lagging on the gay marriage bill (a’hem).
Hemenway’s senior general manager, Tobey Chase Sanborn, was very welcoming to Gay Travel Information and took great care of us. I know that I will be recommending this place to everyone I know, including clients I book trips to Rhode Island for. With that said I am hereby “OUTING” Hemenway’s as LGBT friendly and worthy of our business!
Hemenway’s is a special place. That restaurant you “must dine at” when visiting Providence. That restaurant that goes above and beyond anything average. I enthusiastically give it two thumps up and cannot wait to return!
Desiree Sousa
Owner
Out & About Travel / Gay Travel Information Blog
Gay Travel Information | Gay Travel Blog, Gay Travel Reviews, Gay Travel Blogger 
Desiree that was an excellent description of Hemingways. I went there recently after work with friends, but couldn’t spend the time there I would have liked. After reading your review, I’ve decided to take my out of state friends there next month for dinner and dessert (must try that cheesecake). People always suggest Federal Hill, but I hope you can find a way for more people to know about Hemingways! Great job!!