Portsmouth Gas Light Co

We’ve been to the outdoor patio area many times in the warmer months, and if you judge it for what it is, it’s a pretty good spot! We’ve had good experiences every time when it came to getting drinks and (pretty good!) food in a timely manner, which is saying a lot for a place that is packed all summer long. I really like the tiki lit, relaxed vibe of this place and have mostly experienced good service and nice staff!
Recently, we also tried the restaurant and again were pretty impressed, considering the awful reviews. Everyone enjoyed their dishes and drinks, and while the server was at times a little forgetful due to a restaurant that was packed with the post-​Halloween parade crowd, we mostly had what we needed. So while this isn’t the best food Portsmouth has to offer, I appreciate the super warm and cozy vibe and pretty good food, and would come back with a group of friends to enjoy that.

Great pizza and atmosphere. I’ve always found the staff to be friendly and efficient.

Went there at lunch with other business colleagues. Had the all-​you-​can-​eat pizza lunch. The place was empty at 1 pm when we arrived. That should have told us something.
Flies on the pizza, dust everywhere, no waitress, etc. The server initially took our drink order but didn’t refill our drinks until we were done eating.
Who’s the manager running this ship? I haven’t been there in years, but this place went way downhill!

I don’t understand the low ratings. Since I didn’t spend any time outside on the deck, I can’t comment on all the naysayers complaining about things out there. People complaining about their waiters, slow service, etc — if it’s true I understand. But both times I went the service was awesome! Of course we were seated at the bar which I highly recommend. You ALWAYS know where your server is. Just saying. And the inside of this place is fabulous! What a great space and so well done. Very comfortable seating, under lit bar top, great atmosphere all around. Loved it!
We were there for happy hour and their specials are terrific! We wanted to drink wine so we went for it at half off! And Becca our bartender was so good! Very engaging, attentive, efficient, and she made one heck of a martini. Shout out to Becca!
We were also there on «Tini Tuesday» where all martinis were half off. How can you beat that? And they were so good!
I don’t get the negativity. We loved the place. So will you. In fact, this will be my first stop on my next visit to Portsmouth!

This review is specifically for the outside patio.
I used to really like this place. We had a large group that stopped by here for some drinks and music during a night out in Portsmouth. Nothing crazy. Good drinks, music was decent, diverse crowd. Prices weren’t terrible either.
Unfortunately, the security staff is a little overzealous. They’re happy to take your cover charge and the bartender will sell you drinks, but if you act even a little drunk you’re out. No questions asked. If you’re a guy and they start to get a little crowded, my advice is to just stand on the sidelines with a drink to keep the target off your back. Even that might not work, as one of our group was thrown out right in front of me for doing exactly that.
If it’s my decision, I won’t be going back. They get two stars for having a free water station… more places need to do that.

We came to the Portsmouth Gas Light Company on a hot summer afternoon for a cool drink and some light sustenance. The beers were good, tho not cold, the trees shaded the patio which was so quaint with little hanging lights and tables on various levels and a nice bar. Families, tourists and couples were enjoying the cool shade. We shared the moules frites (mussels with tiny little potato fries) which were lightly bathed in a wonderful broth that was sweet and savory, the fries were a crunchy contrast to the fresh, plump mussels. We also had the Buffalo Chicken Tenders which were well cooked (not over cooked) and a great complement to the mussels. Our waitress was sweet and attentive and friendly. GREAT quiet spot for a break from a hot afternoon walking the diverse streets of Portsmouth.

First the good. My burger was excellent. Maybe one of the best I have ever had.
But…
It did not come as ordered. It is an expensive burger. I had to pick off the onions I specifically didn’t want, and had to add the bacon I ordered myself, because it didn’t come with it originally. Only when that was all done was it offered to do that for me.
Without that, five stars. Customer service is critical.

They’re are a few places I love too go out and eat burgers at, Gas Light is the last place I would go.
Their service here is terrible and their food was horrible quality. My experience here was horrendous, after reading the reviews before coming here I was like «why not? It’s always good to try new places» but, this place was a waste of money. And don’t get me started on their service, they forgot everything on my burger that I asked for specifically and they gave my friend the wrong salad! (They had some pretty weird TV shows to watch while eating also). But the waitress we had was really nice. I would not recommend this restaurant unless you are in the mood for something horrible.

What happened to the Deck?
The Deck is Dead!
Nothing like years before
Ate there today:
Food C–
Drink C—
Service D
Music too loud and bad
All new wait staff
Under trained slow incompetent
We are frequent dinner members too
Will go elsewhere
Bye bye

I didn’t eat here but came for the outdoor music.
The ambiance outside for live music is good. It’s a nice setup with lots of space. The music sound quality is good. The drinks were OK (way too much ice for $ 8). Service is good. A tad pricy considering there is also a cover charge at the door.
The overall clientele was aged 21 – 25 and they were pretty darn sloppy. Drunk girls wearing 3″ heels/​wedges on garden mulch: need I say more?

There are so many choices in portsmouth to eat and drink, please think twice about doing either here. I’ve been here about half a dozen times before and always thought it was pretty decent. Pub food, nothing fancy, usually service is pretty good, never anything spectacular. However tonight… Jay our waiter was terrible. We were a party of 8. Table only took a Minute but it took him at least 5 – 8 minutes to greet us. Waitresses ran out all of our food, he never checked back on any our meals. No dressings with salads or wings… another beer? Good luck!
I work in the industry and I am so not impressed. Food was mediocre which can easily be overlooked with a full glass and service that doesnt seem inconvenienced by our visit.

Ah this town use to be fun. Now it’s over-​run by 21 year old hipsters living off their student loans or parents check book. Perhaps I’m just getting old.
I visited this bar this past summer, it was alright. The drinks were over-​priced and it was extremely crowded. It didn’t seem like anyone was counting people coming in and out, not sure how they maintain compliance with the fire department.
You’d get more stars if you counted heads and limited the amount of people, lowered the price of your drinks (not too much, but a bit). And perhaps required sleeves, it may help keep the hipsters wearing bright colored over sized tank tops with their dollar tree neon green sunglasses from swarming your bar.
If you want to feel like your in college again, this is your place.

Jody the bartender is awful. We went there last night for a bachelorette and she threw us out, claiming she didn’t feel comfortable serving the bachelorette. We spoke to the manager, got our covers refunded and then went to a bunch of other bars (evidence that she was way off the mark). On top of that, she was flat out rude to us. I will never go back and I recommend checking out any of the other bars in the area. The only good part was how nice the manager was about the whole situation. Bottom line– Jody tried to ruin the night for us but thankfully all the other bars in the area made for an awesome night!