Fat bellys I believe is owned by the same person as Joes Newyork Pizza. Hes been sited several or more times for filthy conditions and unsanitary practice. I f you read the
New York Pizza reviews youll see the same type comments.. dirty dirty, tattooed workers who call you a douche bag and who knows what else.. what does this tell you about the owner??? Hes gotta be from MASSACHUSETTES... probably learned to cook in THE ESSEX HOUSE OF CORRECTION....just plain disgusting and DIRTY don't ever go out back youll need a tetanus shot!
Went on a Saturday night with a few of my friends, we were told there was going to be about a 10 minute wait so we went up to the bar and had a few drinks. The guy at the front door was nice enough to look around for us when our table was ready. They had good prices and a decent variety. I had the lobster mac and cheese and it was amazing! My friends both got sandwiches which they said were pretty good too. My only complaints would be that 1) It was too hot, having an open window or door would have been great, 2) It was hard to hear the people at my table because it was pretty loud, but it's a small restaurant so I guess that's understandable and 3) Our waitress wasn't really all that friendly, she kind of gave off a "I don't want to be here" vibe. Â And we ended up waiting awhile before we got our food or check. I'd
go again though.
The lobster grilled cheese at Fat Belly's is amazing! It's half the price of a traditional lobster roll at $7.95, and comes loaded with fresh chunks of claw meat.
The cajun honey burger is also pretty solid, although I wish they'd been more liberal with the honey glaze. Sadly, the sweet potato fries were the one miss for me. They weren't bad, just not as good as everything else.
Service was fast and friendly, so I'm not sure why a few reviewers seem to have had a bad experience in that regard. Perhaps things are a bit better for lunch?
Went upstairs because we heard they had an "ice bar". Â Unfortunately, the ice bar was cold, but the beer on tap was not. Â A bottled hard iced tea was cold and delicious. Â Two cups of clam chowder were tasty but the broth not as thick as we expected, but we enjoyed it. Â Pleasant bartender, decent price. Ice bar is actually a regular bar with a 5" strip of ice running the length of the bar. Â Nice tv so we could watch the Red Sox losing while we ate. Might return again if in the area, but would not go out of our way.
Review Source:On a random Sunday over a long weekend we decided to get in the car and just start driving in order to get out of the house. We wound up in Portsmouth.
After going back and forth and where to go for dinner, we would up here. We were sat at a small two seater table in a small and pub like room. I happen to like this type of atmosphere. The music was classic 80s tune and I found myself singing to myself through most of our meal.
We had the garlic wings to start. There were about 5 different kinds of wings to choose from. We made a good choice with the garlic wings. I was in a steak mood so I ordered the marinated tips. Our waitress came back to tell me they were out of them (according to the computer) and I think I was visually disappointed. While I was looking at the menu for something else, she ran around to the kitchen and found out the did in fact have them. I really appreciated her taking the time to do that. i was also very happy she did because they were some of the tastiest steak tips I had ever had.
I really loved the atmosphere, service and food here. If we come back to Portsmouth, I will absolute come back to Fat Belly's.
Terrible food, service and atmosphere. I forgot my license and both of my parents were there to vouch for my age and the waitress still wouldn't let me have a beer. Fried haddock sandwich was not fresh and their fries were greasy and way to salty. Waitress had an attitude. Drunk underage girls singing along with katie perry songs, and the list goes on. Avoid at all costs for health and sanity!
Review Source:We stopped here with a group because e couldn't get into our other choices due to various reasons and were desperate. We were looking for dinner. It was obvious from the outset that this is a bar, first and foremost.
Service was fast and friendly. My margarita was ok but weak, but WAY overpriced for the "house" margarita. Spinach artichoke dip was ok, passable but a bit lacking in flavor. Artichoke was not chopped up enough and there were chunks way too large. My salmon dish was also just ok. Presentation was nice, salmon was overcooked and dry, and despite supposedly having a maple glaze as the primary feature, was given only a token brush of it that you could hardly taste. Needed a lot of liquid to get it down. Veggie blend was good and better mix than I expected, probably best part of the dish. Rice was bad... about what you'd expect to get at Friendly's (or maybe McDonald's if they served rice). Comments from others in the party included the chicken in the chicken Caesar wrap to be very dry. Chef and garden salads were good, large and the greens were very fresh. Although the dressing on the side had obviously not been shaken and was all oil. Lobster roll was very good with big chunks of lobster and light on the mayo. Fries were horrible... too thin, overcooked and way too salty. And the cheese for the cheesy fries was the worst sort, "like heated up Lays chip dip, worse than Velveeta". Pulled pork sandwich was very good.
Atmosphere is noisy and tight, like a sports bar including the TVs. Condition is rough and not very clean, especially the bathrooms which were smelly and disgusting. Urinal was the waterless type and wasn't being maintained properly, causing it to overflow. Also the view downstairs to the kitchen revealed dirty trash and poor upkeep, which is bad since it's the first thing you see on the left as you walk in.
Overall, this is a bar that tries to have decent food, sort of fails and is still a bar. I can see it working for the loyal bar regulars who occasionally want to buy food there too, but I do not suggest going there for food. We wouldn't have gone if we could've gotten in somewhere else and weren't starving, and I can't imagine returning. However, if you're looking for the bar scene and want some ok food that will get you by, then I've seen a lot worse.
worst service and attitude of any place i've ever set foot into. Dont waste your time even going there. Save your money and go down the street to Portsmouth brewery and see Sara for fantastic beer and service! We went here on a whim and got the out of towner look and horrific service, attitude, and warm beer. The so called "ice" bar on the top floor is a foot wide cold patch on a dirty bar...again...don't waste the time! Cheers.
Review Source:Our family stopped for lunch and stayed for awhile until we got our table. My husband had pastrami, he claims it was OK, my sons had pulled pork and I had the fish plate. The service, food and atmosphere was relaxed, had a few beers upstairs before we were seated. I'm all about service and I believe this place delivers well. Food was cooked well tasty, a variety of families, couples young and old. When you see a line to get in, you know something right about this place. Including locals!
Review Source:Let me start by saying that the name speaks to the character of this restaurant.  It is not fancy by any means but I enjoy it and I always feel like a fatty after devouring one of their delicious  Honey Cajun burgers.  I prefer upstairs at the ice bar.  I like the bartenders that work upstairs; they are very nice and make an effort to socialize with everyone at the bar (Yesterday we had Bryan).  Service is fast, drinks are good and the games are always on TV.  When i want pub food, hockey and good drinks I come here.
Review Source:Least appetizing name for a restaurant... ever. Which is what kept us from coming here for the past few years. Finally, we decided we should at least try every place in town once, so in to Fat Belly's we went.
Ew. The name. Why?
Inside, it's a total bro bar. Male to female ratio is at least 4:1. The men are drinking crappy beer and giving each other high-fives. Yeah. It's that kind of place.
The food was surprisingly not horrible. The mac and cheese is probably the best in town. Fresh and flavorful. M had a salad and the nachos which were kind of standard and bland, but if nothing else will definitely stand up to the name of the restaurant (SO MUCH CHEESE!). Our friend got the pastrami sandwich which he gave a thumbs up. His only complaint was that the fries were too small, but I thought they were good.
I walked out feeling 5 pounds heavier, which I guess is their mission. I don't see us coming back here regularly... perhaps in the summer for a drink upstairs.
Here's the deal with Fat Belly's:
Go there for events, cheap appetizers during happy hour, and beer - but that's it. DO NOT order a mixed drink as you will pay through the nose for a weak drink (I speak from EXTENSIVE in-town experience with all of the bars in town) and DO NOT order an entree with any expectation beyond bar food. Come here for nachos, reggae night on Wednesdays and happy hour - where the apps are 1/2 off and you can enjoy things like green bean fries, nachos and wings all for cheap.
Fat Belly's offers a great little location, but it's small overall - and if I ever shared some of the things I've seen go down in the woman's bathroom no one would believe me. Overall, it's a mediocre spot I can't necessarily complain about - but I'd never recommend first (or even in the top 5) to someone asking me where to go in Portsmouth.
*note: this place is perfect for the brosefs. And if that's your deal change my 3 stars to 4, haha. Just not my preferred crowd, and that's okay.
I have been to Fat Belly's many times. I will break it down:
LOCATION: The locations for the restaraunt is great. Little hard to find if you're not familiar with Portsmourth, NH but the town is cute and traditional.
DECOR: The inside of the restaraunt is very small and a little cramped. Definitely more of a college kid type of eatery and bar. Equipt with big screen TV's playing all types of sports games.
FOOD: The food is A+!!! The decor isn't great, but the food is well worth it. I am a true burger lover and of all the burgers I've had this just may be my absolute favorite. GREAT portion sizes, the food isn't even expensive and you get huge portions. The chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, pasta's, and salads are all decently priced and delicious (Highly recommend a bacon cheeseburger with fries though!).
SERVICE: Service is average, very friendly staff.
***Gave 'Fat Belly's' an extra star to help balance the first 2 reviews that were too harsh and seemed to think this place would be more upscale and less small, chill bar to grab a beer and bar food (although higher quality bar food than most bar, but still 'bar food')
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      ********************
My friend and I enjoy heading up to Portsmouth for the day during the summer and fall months (especially the latter) and if we decide to grab dinner or lunch we usually head into Fat Belly's. We have only tried a couple of the other restaurants in town (of which there are many, and I hope to try others soon) but of the one's we have tried this is our favorite.
Great little grill/bar feel. I'll say that again -- bar feel. More specifically a chill/hangout type bar, not up-scale by any means and the food is the same way. The seating is tight but no too bad, and there is a huge window in the dining area to look out and see people walking around Portsmouth. My only negative about Fat Belly's is the service is hit or miss. Most of the time the servers are not the best but since we are not picky when it comes to that we really didn't mind, but some people are big on service so just throwing that out there.
My favorite item is the cajun burger with regular fries (I'm a big fan of sweet potato fries but was not a fan of their's for some reason)
But I've tried other items, as has my friend, and it has all tasted and looked really good!
Oh, the nacho's. Order the nacho's with chili! We did yesterday and they rocked! Messy and tasty! (which is my 2 qualifiers for good nachos.)
Overall, I definitely enjoy going to Fat Belly's and recommend it for lunch or dinner if you are in the mood for a small standard ''bar'' and looking for good ''bar food'' and casual atmosphere! (don't let the name scare you haha)
Not sure why all the 1 and 2 star reviews here. If you like pretense, this is not the place for you. But if you like quality comfort food, great beer selection and a relaxed atmosphere, give fat Belly's a try.
Buffalo and BBQ wings were plump and crispy with delicious sauces. Chipotle burger had a great smoky taste.
Upstairs area was not a traditional dining area but had cool tunes playing and an ice rail on the bar to keep your drinks cool. 3.5 stars for me, happy to give it 4 to balance out some of the ridiculous comments.
I had a delicious Portabella sandwich made with /garlic, herbs and a side of Ancho sauce It came with hand cut fries all for under $10 bucks. The service was fast and friendly and the atmosphere of the main floor is busy but enjoyable. You can look out there huge storefront window and people watch. that;s what my husband and I did on a very rainy Wednesday night after seeing Shawn Colvin sing in Prescott Park (short walk). My husband ordered fried shrimp. He said it was succulent and cooked perfectly.I drank an original margarita it  had a very nice home made sour mix. My husband had ice tea which tasted like the powdered stuff. That was the only negative
So.... great atmosphere, good food, good service in downtown Portsmouth. We will be back. each night there are specials.
We wanted to catch the last period of the Bruins game and get a few appetizers around four in the afternoon, so we walked into Fat Belly's and were sent upstairs to the bar. Upstairs was nice, albeit a bit spartan as far as seating and tables go. However, the brick and wood is nice and you get a cool corner view of busy Portsmouth below.
The game was on, and we put in our order: fried pickles and nachos. Sitting on a couch, we did have a good view of the game. The food came out quickly, and it was a good thing that the Bruins were winning. The fried pickles were okay, but the batter was uninspired and didn't keep me reaching back for more. The nachos were pretty weak. For nearly $10, you would expect some loaded, layered nachos. This was a decent plate of chips, sprinkled with a handful of semi-melted cheese and an occasional tomato, raw onion, or olive. Boo. After you ate the top layer, you were left with dry chips - and the tiny cup of salsa provided did nothing to make them edible.
To top it off, about twenty minutes into our being there we were informed there was a private party coming in fifteen minutes and we would have to leave. Bush league maneuver and wherewithal from those who sat and served us.
There are plenty of places in Portsmouth to try, and I'll be trying somewhere different than Fat Belly's next time.
Well seems some people dont like this place .. A New York resident who couldn't understand why there were so many Red Sox fan .. and some local wannabe beatnick who thinks McDonalds is a good choice...
So my wife an I were headed to Kittery for some retail therapy and decided to stop into Portsmouth as we like Le Roux kitchen accessories store so we decided to grab some lunch and saw a sign in advertising Potato, Â Cheddar Cheese and Ale Soup it was Fatbellys. We were greeted as we walking on the door and seated promptly although we were next to some younger children we noticed a table for 2 next tot the window and asked if we could move to that instead and we did so without any issue.
My wife and I each ordered a cup of the Soup and it was fantastic to the point i ordered a second cup because I couldn't get enough of the first one. We orderd freid Pickle Chips for an appetizer as my wife has never had them. They were Hot, juicy and tasty I enjoyed them. We each ordered a burger and I can tell you this. They are handmade fresh not frozen patties and they were cooked to perfection (Mine Well Done Hers Medium) they came with Handmade Shoestring fries that were incredible.
So for those of you looking for a gourmet meal forget it. This place is a bar not Spago. Those expecting decor that rivals most French Chalets read previous sentence this is a BAR. Yes there are Sports signs on the wall, there are College sings on the wall last I checked they weren't advertising about how well decorated the place was. Bottom line is that its about food and from what I tasted they do a pretty damn good job of it. To you chronic complainers who live to go to an establishment just so you complain because your french frie was 3 degrees cooler than the previous one get a grip its people like you that make the waitstaff cranky do the rest of us a favor stay home and cook for yourself then you have nothing to complain about.
We went here once and that was enough. We wernt happy with the service or the food. The waitress became offended when we voiced our complaints, and the manager literally could not have cared less. There are plenty of other places to go in Portsmouth - I just cant suggest this place to anyone.
Review Source:NEVER again.
This place is a frozen food paradise, overcooked to boot. "homemade" nachos, hahahaha, yeah, I bet their homemade in a factory.
The food was 'ok' but 2 mins after we got an appetizer, our meals came with "I know you just got your appetizers, but your meals are ready, can I take anything away?" Inept at best. We tried it, but will never ever go here again. Go elsewhere!
The bathroom was disgusting and had puke in the urinal. Clientele seemed sketch. Wait staff was cool. Â Almost left before ordering but decided to give the food a shot because we were hungry and already sitting down.
We ordered spinach and artichoke dip and a burger. Â The dip was pretty good, the burger was surprisingly great, well seasoned and topped with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. Â The sweet potato fries that we got on the side were awful though. Â They were soft, wrinkly, cold and disgusting. Â A waste of a good sweet potato. Â I would definitely not be excited to return to Fat Belly's but if I did I would order one of their burgers again.
Have you ever seen that movie 'In Bruges'? Â Well that's how I feel about Portsmouth... especially in the winter. Â This town would be more fun if only I could speak with a Scottish brogue. Â
The restaurant that I've felt drawn to for 2 nights straight is Fat Belly's. I just really liked the name on the place. Â Hopefully, I won't come back home with a fat belly...
So the food is mediocre, but the draw is the beer and watching the football games on the multiple flat screens strewn around the bar. Â Great selection of beers. Â On the Tuesday night that I was there, I had $3 Guinness pints.
Rumor has it that there is a bar upstairs made of ice where you can keep your drinks cold.
Fat Belly's is a casual place with a good vibe. Â A staple in any small town. Â If that's what you're looking for in Portsmouth, look no further.
This is what I had here over 2 nights:
New England Clam Chowder - excellent chunky clam chowder goodness. Â they should heat it up a bit longer.
House Salad - decent
Tavern Dip - roast beef was a little tough and cut thick for my taste
Fish & Chips - the fish was really good, but perhaps a bit over fried and the fries were over greasy.
came here for a pulled pork.  Being up in New England, its hard to find a place that smells like a smoke house that would leave an amazing flavor and aroma for blocks away.  This place will not do that.  The pulled pork sandwich tasted like a piece of pork from a slow cooker in bbq sauce  However real bbq it is not, it was still quite tasty.
There was lots of meat, so much that I wish the bun was able to withstand the sauce and weight of the meat. Â What really made this meal was the onion rings.
I visit Portsmouth once or twice a year, and yesterday (Sunday, 7/27/2009) was one of those occasions. Â Summary: Â The food was good. Â The service was horrible.
The waitress was the worst I've had in many years: Â Disinterested; rarely seen; rude; long waits for food and the check; plates swiped away with hardly a word. Â I have a hard time not tipping in the 20% range, but she made it much easier.
There are many other/better places to eat in Portsmouth. Â Skip this one.
Just your typical sports bar. Fat Belly's is in a "can't miss" location serving "can miss" food. Except for the wings.
Seating: 2 Levels of seating. Make sure your let a waitress know if your sitting upstairs because you could be waiting a while to be served.
Selection: The menu is what you will find in any sports bar. A good selection of beers. The burger selection is the best in Portsmouth.
Price: Fair pricing. Especially on wing night. 35 cent wings and if I am not mistaken the biggest wings in Portsmouth
Perks: Specials every night and during Sox games they have specials as well. Lounge style seating upstairs is pretty classy, almost too classy for a sports bar. Also the bar front has a strip of ice for you to put your beer on which is cool (literally).
Staff: Bar tenders are nice, always rockin Boston sports shirts, can't go wrong. Depends on the mood of the waitresses, as with any place.
Reason for rating: Since I moved here, Fat Bellys has been on the front page of the news more times for its bad service than its good. It was shut down for a health inspection failure a couple months back and more recently they could serve alcohol for a full week due to serving minors. All that behind them, maybe they can get on the front page for being the better sports bar in Portsmouth. I try to make wing night every week because the wings are that damn good. If you're feeling saucy, go for the Chernobyl wings, which are not bad at first bite, then you will find yourself scrambling for water 5 minutes later!
Good stuff. Came here on a Thursday night for some drinks and a good time. Pretty cool venue as there are two floors to enjoy yourself.
Bottom floor had a bar and some tables around while the upstairs had another bar with a strip of ice to keep your drinks cold. Also a couple more tables and lounge areas.
Food was a little lacking, nachos that we got were pretty dry but all in all a pretty cool place.
I can 100% attest to the fact that the only reason I stopped in this place was due to the name. Â It is a small, two-floored bar and grill with several flat screen tv's showing many different sports games. Â It was pretty packed at the time, late night on Valentine's Day. Â My friends and I wiggled our way over to the bar on the first floor and took a seat where we were immediately waited on.
The selection on tap was varied, Blue Moon, Shipyard Pumpkin Ale, and Seadog Blueberry among others. Â The staff was friendly and accomodating, able to suggest other places to visit in the area and sparking interesting and funny conversation. Â The bar serves beers in goblet glasses on request and even has an "ice bar" upstairs. Â Colored lighting behind the clear bottles of liquor behind the bar created a light and vibrant atmosphere. Â Upstairs was a bit crowded when making your way to the bathroom, but provided a substantial amount of seating for the space available.
This is a great place to visit late night for a young crowd, good drinks, and upbeat music. Â A cheap garage is located nearby for convenient parking.
Upstairs and Down - two different worlds. Â My friends and I very much enjoy the food here. Â I love how you can top your burger or chicken sandwich however you want it. Â My "usual" is the chicken topped with caramelized onions, smoked gouda cheese, and bacon. Â It's delicious. Â Then they have sweet potato fries that are amazing. Â They're shoestring, so they're the thin ones, but they still have the potato skin on them, so they're authentic. Â It's the best of both worlds. Â The staff here is kind of clueless, so just make sure that you're ordering drinks before you need them and make sure you ask for sides right when the food is delivered, otherwise you may not get what you need - a pain, I know, but I think it's worth it. Â Another aspect I love about the restaurant? Â The YUMMY martinis. Â Four chocolate chip cookie martinis and I'm ready to stumble on.
And then there's upstairs. Â On the weekends, it's pretty packed. Â There are strategically placed padded benches and couches all around the large room, so there's none of that standing crowd that you have to elbow your way through. Â Well, there might be on crowded nights, but for the most part friends can sit in comfy little groups. Â The bartop is actually made of shaved ice, so if you put your drink down it will stay cold. Â The drinks are a big weak, and there are blacklights which make ordering hipster drinks a bit tempting. Â The staff seemed cool, they were all pretty busy so there was no real interaction with them. Â I might go back, but it's not really one of my top bars. Â
If you're going to visit, go for the food.
A place to grab a beer and a burger.  Or fish & chips, a cheese steak, and some wine or cider.  It's bigger inside than I expected, the staff  is friendly, and the food is tasty.  Even better, the people watching on Market Street is terrific and it will only get better once the summer is here.
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