Stage Neck Inn

It doesn’t matter where you sit in Shearwater… you will have breathtaking views. We were sat in the outdoor patio area where there is 180°+ degrees of stunning scenery; miles and miles of open ocean, healthy and vibrant gardens, a sandy beach, and the rocky coast of Maine. Watching a fire-​colored sun set while eating dinner almost literally on the Atlantic isn’t such a bad thing!
I showed up early and ordered an extra dirty vodka martini straight-​up from the bartender — he did a fantastic job (bonus points to him for asking me if I wanted to keep the ice on the side, I just thought that was a really thoughtful touch). I was encouraged to grab a plate of complimentary cheese, crackers, and fruit and take a seat outside by the fire pit if I wanted. I didn’t do this (I regret this decision), but appreciated that they were constantly making sure I was where I wanted to be, eating/​drinking what I wanted to be throughout the night.
I realized when I was here that I’ve actually been in the area before to walk Cliff Path (
) which you can see from the patio, Marginal Way (
), and York Harbor Beach (
). Next time I’m in the area, I will one thousand percent stop at Shearwater in Stage Neck Inn for another extra dirty martini in between my travels.
However… the food is only just okay, I think.
+/​-​We had the beet salad (arugula, caramelized shallots, honey chevre crema) for $ 8 — it was okay, but the crema was runny so it pooled underneath the salad. I think this would have been better if they had just used firm goat cheese sprinkled on the salad with maybe a drizzle of honey on top. Loved that there were golden beets though!
+ The artichoke dip (with cheddar and garlic crostini) for $ 11 was probably my favorite edible thing; however the crostini were REALLY crunchy, so I ended up using the complimentary bread rolls instead. I do love how much artichoke and cheese was used, though. I admit: I ended up eating this with a spoon throughout the night because I enjoyed it so much.
–The cauliflower fritters (with a citrus herbed hummus and charred tomato coulis) for $ 21 wasn’t worth it. Everything seemed one note, there were just no flavors that really stood out. I didn’t even know the hummus had citrus or herbs in it!
Should you come here? Yes. Because the drinks, the view, the kindness and accommodating staff, and the complimentary happy hour snacks are some of the best in the entire state of Maine!

Well, I’m starting to fall in love with a lady named Scallop. Coming from the Gulf Coast, we have a particular way of cooking and consuming seafood and Scallops have never been of particular interest to me. They always seemed so rubbery! But last night after taking my first bite, I wondered if I have been served actual plastic all these years. The scallops were so smooth I took my first bite and did a double take.
I ended up finishing my plate quicker than it took my fellow dinners to unravel their utensils. Awkward. So I just stared off at the beach until I regained my cool.
Did I mention the scallops were delicious?
My wallet may never recover from this obsession. But there is no price to true love, right? Right?

Had a wonderful evening enjoying good company good food and cold drinks. There are multiple seating options the shearwater, the sandpiper, poolside and the terrace. We sat on the terrace enjoying the sunset and beautiful ocean views as the salty air occasionally swept in. Everything was clean with nautical undertones and a very relaxed atmosphere.
The service was perfect. We had the pleasure of two servers as one was training. They answered all of the numerous questions in depth. We never felt rushed as we grazed slowly over our food. They had it to an art, making sure we never had to ask for anything but also never hovering as we ate. They kept our drinks filled and served each course with slight delay allowing us to savor the food.
Everything done with a smile.
They have their own cocktail creations as well as wine and beer lists. The spinach dip was served with bubbly melted cheese and crunchy crostinis. The beet salad is not a dish I would normally order but the flavors complimented each other well with slightly bitter arugula and sweet golden and red beets with a creamy dressing. The tuna poke was a wonderful dish with wonton crisps thin strips of seaweed and tender morsels of fresh tuna. The chicken caprese sandwhich was thick slices of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and chicken. The chicken was a little overdone but the overall dish was delicious. I added a little balsamic vinegar. The French fries that accompanied it were crispy exterior and soft potato inside.
The dessert menu was a wonderful end to the meal. I was so full but it all sounded so good. I settled on sharing the chocolate raspberry cake. This was more of a chocolate torte, thick and moist and delightfully chocolatey. It was drizzled with a wonderful raspberry syrup, a side of whip cream and fresh raspberries. It was the ending I was craving for a superior experience.

Came here with a small group on a Wednesday night. They sat us on the enclosed outdoor patio, which offered awesome views of the ocean. Service was great, never felt rushed. They let us enjoy ourselves while dining.
For apps we started with the spinach and artichoke dip. This was pretty good. For dinner I ordered the Reuben with a side of fries. The Reuben was pretty could but could have had more meat for the price. Fries were nothing special. For dessert I had the chocolate raspberry cake. Which was more of a torte than a cake but still good.
Prices seemed decent for the view and location. Overall, a good place to enjoy the evening with friends.

Sub par service for a laughably high price. The breakfast buffet was very good. Many options, fresh, unique. The waitstaff wasn’t rude but seemed like they hated their jobs. Then you meet the FOH manager and you know why. He was very unprofessional in my opinion. Asked if the bartender was getting my beers fast enough. This kid worked every day the whole memorial day weekend, and he was on point on the bar. If he thought his bartender was too slow, maybe he should have gotten behind the bar. Not to mention his sour face while walking around grilling his employees. The rooms all had nice views. They had the balls to charge for turndown service, which was ridiculous seeing as we had already paid 320 bucks a night… Nickel and dimed… we didn’t use the service since we had the do not disturb sign up most of the time. My wife loved the spa. Cool fire pit out on the side with ocean views. Really just avoid staying at the inn unless you want to spend the money, and avoid the restaurant except for breakfast buffet, which is 20 a person plus tax and gratuity.

We went to the Stage Neck Inn for mothers day, and had the buffet. The food and selection was excellent, as was the service. The facility had been recently renovated and it is lovely, but not overdone. It’s modern and comfortable. Our only complaint was that, for the mothers day buffet, we were charge a 20% gratuity charge on the bill, which was added to the bill and then taxed. Our table only had 3 members, so I’m not sure why they tip had to be automatically added in. Then taxing the tip was irritation. Truthfully the service, even for a buffet was very good, but I like to leave a tip because I appreciate the service and not have it tagged on. (also a 20% tip for a buffet seemed a tad excessive)

Beautiful hotel with updated features. The staff were very nice and helpful, we will be back!

My husband and I stayed here for a long weekend – absolutely perfect! The beach is out the front door and a beautiful rocky bluff was right outside our room. Full buffet breakfast came with the room. Amazing view from the dining room. Had the stuffed lobster – delish! Will definitely stay here again.

I chose the Stage Neck Inn to stay the evening before my Maine wedding last weekend and to get ready the morning of with my bridesmaids. The week of my stay I called the inn to inquire if there was availability to extent my stay an additional night to also include my wedding night, as reservations at another location had fallen through. Fortunately I was told that the inn could accommodate me, however it would involve a room change for the second evening, which I was okay with. I was quoted a price and the reservation was made. When I checked in I was told that my belongings could be kept in the room as long as they were consolidated into a pile and transferred to the new room that evening, which was what was done.
My stay the first evening was pleasant and The inn itself is beautiful and the view is breathtaking, however the service I received the morning of and the second evening was minimal. To start, Breakfast started late, although it is advertised to start at 7:30 on Saturdays and I was on a strict timeline that morning. The hostess walked past my party multiple times without acknowledging our presence.
Then, After coming back to check in for the second night of my stay to get the new room keys due to the room change (keep in mind I had just come back from my wedding, still wearing my wedding gown and with my groom), I was told that my room from the evening before was «trashed» and that it was «so bad they had to send someone in there to clean it.» First, the room was no were near «trashed» and second, that was not the time or place to discuss with me the status of the room, and third, I’d hope that someone was going to clean the room anyway seeing as another party would be staying there that evening.
The next morning I received a receipt for my stay underneath the door to my room to allow for express check out. Upon looking at my receipt I was surprised that the room rate for the second night was an additional $ 50 than what I had been told on the phone. When I mentioned this to the front desk as I was leaving I was looked at as if I was two heads and was told that I was mistaken.
I’m conflicted as to if I’d choose to stay at the Stage Neck Inn again in the future due the customer service from the front desk. Although the location is beautiful, I am not sure if it is worth the flakey customer service.

This restaurant easily has the best view on Long and Short Sands Beach. It is unaffected by the tides because the restaurant is on a cliff.
Grab a drink and sit by the cliff on a lawn chair to watch the boats go by. There is a small sandy beach next to the parking lot as well.
I had a party of 8 and everyone was happy. While this place is upscale, it wasn’t stuffy, they were’t strict on dress code, and the food was great.
We ordered the Calamari, Mussels, Crab Cakes, Lobster, Steaks, and fish. There were no complaints.
If you need something a little more formal than a lobster shack, Stage Neck Inn is definitely the place to be.

I had lunch with a big group of friends yesterday. We were pleased with the atmosphere, service and food. I had the baked stuffed lobster. It was not the best one I’ve had and it was pricey, so I’d suggest you save your baked stuffed lobster eating for somewhere else.

My husband and I have been going to the Stage Neck Inn for almost 10 years now and it’s always lovely! We try to get there at least twice a year and are pleased to say the service has always been excellent. The staff are friendly, porfessional and go above and beyond to make sure the experience is memorable. There’s always a newspaper waiting outside your door in the morning and chocolates on the pillows at night. It’s a very special place. The spot is idyllic, the rooms are comfortable and the dining room is beautiful. We love it! The inn has recently been renovated, so everything feels clean and well kept. Our favorite rooms are on the 2^nd or 3^rd floor on the river side. Going to Stage Neck feels like going home.

While not a posh resort, Stage Neck is absolutely perfect as a coastal Maine inn. The staff and management are unbelievable and the location and views are wonderful. In the off-​season the rooms with ocean views and fireplaces are terrific. Tons of great restaurants in the area and wonderful shopping.

Very unpleasant experience in the restaurant. Food and service were lacking. Décor was outdated and carpets were dirty and worn. Did not stay here as it is laughably overpriced. We had a wonderful stay at the Inn at Tanglewood down the street.

Excellent location. Nice low key atmosphere. Pleasant staff and good food. Nice get-​a-​way during off season.

I am not a big reviewer, but sometimes people do their jobs so well or so poorly, I feel I motivated to comment. Unfortunately for my family and me, in the case of the Stage Neck Inn, it was the latter. If I could post negative stars, I would. We are locals, living about two blocks from the Inn, so because of proximity and the year-​around hours, we frequent the dining room.
It is in a beautiful spot with a lovely view. And that is where the good stops. The food is very mediocre, at times, hard to eat it is really so poor. It is overpriced. The service is also mediocre. As another Unilocal reviewer reported, many of the servers as well as the manager care very little about doing a good job and are confident they will get business because of the location.
Tonight, my family and I had a truly dreadful experience there. We went with our two toddlers, who were great and really well behaved, but the adults waited for their entrees for 15 minutes after we were finished with our salads. The server did not come by to check on us regardless of the fact that we were dining with a one and two-​year old. When we inquired about our entrees we were told they would be another 10 minutes — so almost a half hour after we finished our salad. The restaurant was not busy.
We ended up having to leave without our food. When the server, Melanie, delivered the bill she said a minimal «apologies.» The complete lack of caring and consideration, the fact that on a frigid Saturday night we were leaving without dinner (after being at the restaurant for over an hour) did not seem to concern her in the least.
I told her I wanted to speak with her, and she ran to get her manager, Dawn. Dawn also gave about as lackluster an apology as possible. She told me that Melanie was one of their best servers — which says a lot about the sub-​adequate service. Dawn went on to shrug her shoulders and said she was sorry I «felt» they didn’t do a good job. Not I am sorry they didn’t do a good job. And that they ruined our evening. We had to take the children home and eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. That was it. No compensation. Nothing.
I am not sure what adjective is worse than horrible — piss poor? It was piss poor service. Regardless of the lovely view, regardless of whether you are regulars, you will run into very bad service here sooner or later and your family event could really suffer. Believe me – there are better places! In the summer especially, The Dockside, Frankie and Johnny’s, and year around The Central and Joshua’s in Wells. We will not be patronizing the Stage Neck again unless some competent ownership and management replaces the current ones. Pity such a pretty spot is filled with such incompetent and thoughtless staff.

My husband and I have been going to the Stage Neck Inn for over 15 years. We always went in the winter and took advantage of the Get Away Package. We did the same this March and did what we were asked to do– make reservations for dinner both nights. We asked for a table by the window. On Friday evening– no problem, but then on Saturday evening we were taken to a table away from any windows and right in the middle of the dining area. When we explained to the hostess that we had requested a window table, she not only told us that we should never have been promised that (why bother with reservations ?), but also that the table she gave us was the best she could do. We were never offered the opportunity to sit by the fireplace until a table was ready. While we were eating we noticed a few tables emptied by the window and we were never offered to be reseated. When we got home we wrote a long letter and an email to the Stage Neck. We were basically told that our hostess has a wonderful reputation and they were sorry that we didn’t feel the same way.
How very sad. It should be noted that the morning staff and host couldn’t be nicer and accommodating. The lodging is lovely, but if we can’t be offered something we reserved in advance, we will now take our business elsewhere. After 15 years how tragic and unfortunate. Our concerns did not seem to bother the general manager one bit…

By far my favorite New England escape! Peaceful, beautiful location. Inn is very clean, food is amazing and staff is incredibly accommodating and truly caring. Our family favorite! Can’t wait for my next trip!

Had a great experience here over the recent holidays. Had dinner here with another couple that was also visiting from out of town. The setting was beautiful, very idyllic and quaint on the water. The food was delicious with lots of choices. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. But the best part was the service. Our server Sue was wonderful! Friendly, knowledgable and a real professional. I will definitely come back when I am in town!

My family and I come here once a year. There is about 22 of us and the hotel puts up with us and treats us like family. We have since become good friends with the owners. The rooms are well worth the price, with beautiful views and comfortable beds. I love this place and continue to come back here for years to come.