Ocean House Surf Shop & Cafe

Food menu’s super limited, which is ok, I suppose, but the prices are incredibly expensive. I spent almost $ 11 today on an egg sandwich and sparkling water (their non-​coffee options are few also). I’d love to support them but can’t go there in the future at those prices. The water cannot have been more than $ 2 (it was tiny), so that means that egg sandwich was $ 8! Nope, nope, nope, no can do.

Tim is an awesome instructor!
Just finished a paddle surfing lesson with him. Been at a plateau for a while and he was so helpful. He met me at Nahant Beach (where Ocean House was conducting a kids’ surfing school, and they were having a blast, as well) and the conditions were perfect.
It pays to take a lesson from an expert (we all know what happens when you try to give a lesson to your boyfriend/​girlfriend)!

I love that there’s a surf shop on the north shore. Great to stop by when I’m home in town. Wifi so you can get some work done :) paddle boards, cute bathing suits and drinks and food.

I absolutely love this place.
The owner has fully put together a great surf, SUP shop, with great product knowledge, super chill but fully pulled together w/​no attitude.
What’s more there is an excellent café/​coffee shop that is super tasty, organic ingredients, cozy places inside and out to sit, and the look/​feel of the place is spot on — all down the even the bathroom.
Spot on across the board.

The café at the Ocean House Surf Shop has fabulous coffee and organic muffins/​bars. The staff is knowledgable about organic eating. Fun spot for a healthy treat!

Been to Ocean House a few times, for ding repairs, wetsuits, boots, gloves, and most recently took the plunge a bought an SUP. Now, I’ve been surfing most of my life but im brand new to SUP. Tim was awesome. He listened to what I wanted out of my SUP and gave me a few options, I never felt rushed or made to feel I was «stupid» for asking many questions. The selection was great, so good in fact it was tough to decide which one to get. Until he pulled a 10ft Laird stand up from the rack and I knew right then I found my board. The shop is exactly what you want in a small town business, friendly, knowledgable and welcoming. If you are looking for a great place to find the «right» board for YOU Ocean house is where you want to go. I’ve been to so many surf shops all over New England to California and 90% of them you find arrogant young kids shocked that you don’t know everything there is to know about Surfboards and gear. Not here, I’m pumped we finally have a surf shop here in Swampscott, from here on out I found my shop.

Great coffee and sandwiches. I usually poke my head in thei during the summer months and either rent a paddle board of just stop by for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich.

Great little surf shop with paddleboards, surfboards, wetsuits and lots of gear, they know their stuff and can get anyone what they need. and there’s also world class coffee, pastry + muffins + bagles, and an organic juice bar and a small coffee shop style sitting area. Cool place to hang out. Best espresso coffee in town. There’s alot going on at that place and it’s really cool.

It was great to rent a paddle board here. Really simple — just sign a waver, pick a paddle board, carry it down the beach and next thing you know you’re out enjoying the ocean. They will keep your keys or bag behind the counter if necessary while you’re out, and you pay when you come back — $ 20 for 1 hour or $ 35 for 2 hours (and if you return it 15 minutes late they will only charge for the 15 minutes and not for a whole extra hour).
Also, I heard there are often good waves and you can use the paddle boards to surf. The water was warm enough to not need a wet suit, so all-​around a great experience. Will definitely rent here again — for surfing or to go explore some of the islands about 2 miles off shore.
Coffee isn’t great, but I think they’re working on revamping the café/​restaurant.

Fake board shop alert. It looks like the place bought a bunch of random surf gear and threw it all in a horribly small cluttered space. The coffee shop idea seems good but it is filthy behind the counter to the point where it grossed me out. I watched the workers not clean the blender and make other drinks. My girlfriend tried to wait and get ice coffee but the 2 workers helped 1 customer for over 5 minutes. Place needs a good cleaning! Also cash register was wide open the whole time I was there, very odd. The hot coffee i poured tasted like soap and i promptly threw it away. Luckily they don’t charge for the pour it yourself coffee. I will not be going back here again. Place sucks.

Went back there today. My husband and step daughter both got their breakfast sandwiches, and the girl who took our order said mine would be right out. We waited and waited, and I finally told my poor step daughter to start without me. My husband finally got up to ask about the sandwich.
She had forgotten about it and was on her way out the door.
Pull it together Ocean House! I don’t blame the high school girl — she was distracted — we have all been there.
But we paid nearly $ 25 for three egg sandwiches and two coffees. At those prices, there should be a manager on staff to make sure the young staff is supported and getting things done correctly and efficiently.

Funny, but a small town like Swampscott never really seemed to me like it would be the ideal place to build a surf shop. Despite my own personal doubts, though, the Ocean House has quickly turned into a community favorite. The café is a cool little hangout, with great coffee and awesome sandwiches. You would think that a place like this might become a competitor for old-​school local favorites like Newman’s, but it’s got its own vibe that actually complements the other local businesses on Humphrey Street.

The shop is a small café tightly wedged within a surf shop. I give them 4 stars for the diversity of the menu — a nice array of coffee, espresso, and sandwiches at a moderate price. However, if it wasn’t for the discount I received due to the excessively long wait, I would rate the overall experience 2 stars. I arrived around 1pm and there were four people seated with coffee in the nice seating area enjoying the panoramic ocean view. The ordering area for the café is in the rear past surfboards and clothing racks. The staff seemed generally disorganized, managing multiple tasks at once from answering the phone to making espresso to cutting sandwiches in a haphazard fashion. I waited over 15 minutes just to order a sandwich despite nobody being in line (two different people took my order, and were confused over which person made what or if it was already made or paid for). I then waited about 30 minutes for a take out sandwich that had no cooking involved. I was pretty frustrated by the time the server called me over and offered me a small discount, which I appreciated. The sandwich, a sliced turkey sandwich with a nickel sized serving of stuffing on cranberry bread was pretty good and, despite looking small, was quite filling. I felt the price, about $ 12.00+, was excessive and may be high due to the ocean view. It was served with greens. If it wasn’t for the extremely long wait, frustrating ordering process, and general disorder, I would have ranked the order higher, but I was generally unimpressed.
Also, I visited last summer for coffee and it was hard to push through all of the surf merchandize and clothing to get to the café. This time, there was enough seating to take advantage of the view, but this may differ in the warmer months.

Gosh I want to be a paddleboarder! Have you tried it yet? Awesome exercise, beautiful views, so portable. I have tried it 3 times now at a couple of places, and I can tell you that Tim makes renting one so easy! Ocean House opens early and closes late, and their café is wonderful, with indoor and outdoor tables. The friendly and efficient café serves Mighty Leaf teas people!, plus lattes and delicious paninis and pastries (ya, we were starving after our paddle). You can buy boards here, of course, but also clothes and sunglasses, etc. This place rocks. I can’t wait to go back!

Go for the paddleboarding, not for the café. I imagine the paddleboard rentals and shop are a welcome addition to the area and offer smooth transactions. But if you’re going just for the café, I urge you to rethink it, at least until maybe they work out some of the kinks. I popped by here one day because I work nearby and I’m always on the lookout for new places to grab lunch. The café is tucked all the way in the back and is very tight in terms of space. The young staff seemed slightly confused in their communication with each other and it took them a solid 20 minutes to make a panini and iced green tea. The bakery items are located in a case after the order counter (closer to the back of the store) which seems backwards. Would also be nice if they listed their menu on their website so I could order ahead of time and not have to wait 20 minutes for a sandwich or salad. Not sure I would go back for the food anyway.

The new Ocean House Surf Shop is a real treat and welcomed addition to the area. Inside the place has a cool vibe and great views, almost feel like you are not in
Swampscott but in California. The Hours are perfect open early and close late.
The barista who was friendly and knowledgeable, made a great latte with latte art. They use beans from Atomic café and milk from Highlawn farm which is a perfect pair for a great latte. Only complaints are the sizes for the iced drinks are rather small and expensive and the area behind the café counter could use a some cleaning and sprucing up.
If you are a surfer and serious coffee drinker then this is your place to visit.