This is a divey little sports bar that has a great selection of tasty burgers and cheap beers. It's also super cheap for the area. Â For what it is, I would certainly recommend it. The food was good. Check it out, just don't go expecting the Brittish Beer Company:) Â It's very inexpensive, but quality eats and drink in a simple and slightly dated bar atmosphere. It is what it is, and has a certain charm to it.
Review Source:Went here for an early dinner last week and wasn't too impressed. Â My cheeseburger was overcooked and not so tasty (probably because it was overcooked and too dry). Â My mom got half of a pastrami sandwich and it wasn't too great-the pastrami was too thick. Â So many nice restaurants in Portsmouth, I would recommend trying a different one.
Review Source:The food here was pretty good. Â I can't remember what they call their burgers/hot sandwiches, but I got one and it was great. Â My friend got the veggie burger something-or-other and found it to her liking. Â I wasn't overly impressed with the beer selection and found the layout to be odd in a way that seems rather characteristic of New England pubs. Â All in, it was a fine experience.
Review Source:Red flags every where. Number one 7:30 on a Saturday night under twenty people in the restaurant. Number two Asked about a former cook that worked there recently, She didn't know and said they been going  though a lot of cooks lately. ( my friend is very memorable) Order a beer (20 oz) and mixed drink 10.25 for both not a bad price. Entries I ordered a Reuben Whimpy medium. Wife ordered a California Whimpy medium. What we received two well done dry hockey pucks burgers which lacked flavor(please return your best burger award).  Reuben whimpy would have been much better if they dropped a ounce of burgers and added a ounce corned beef to this burger. Gordon Ramsey or Robert Irvine or Jon Taffer need to save this once proud restaurant.
Review Source:In years past, my husband and I would eat at the Hammer frequently, we loved their nachos, chef's salad and Wimpy chicken sandwiches. Â After last week, I've eaten there for the last time. Â Our meal was horrible. Â Three dry hamburgers on oversized bland/stale bulkie rolls - all well done despite requests for less we'll cooked. Â And chicken nachos which were light on chips and chicken and VERY heavy on cheese and grease....even the salsa, which I once loved was bland. Â
The service was good and quick. Â The bathrooms were passably clean, but the rug was a disaster...needs replacing over vacuuming. Â I can see now why there was no one there on a nice Thursday night.
I hope that the Hammer gets its act together and returns to its roots with good burgers and nachos and providing a nice place for locals and visitors alike to enjoy a beer with friends. Â For now, I'll go elsewhere.
I hate to give this place only three stars but i USED TO really love it here. Â I am actually kind of sad at my last several experiences. Â I used to come here quite regularly, about two to four times a week and I always get the same thing. Â Teriyaki steak tips. Â They are very good and for a great price. Â Waffle fries are awesome too and I always would clean my plate. Â Recently my steak has been coming out very under cooked and we have had a problem with service. Â I would like to have my steak cooked more but the waitresses sometimes never come back over. Â It's not all the waitresses...just a certain few. Â I'm not saying I won't go here again because I do like it and I used to love it. Â I just hope I can love it again when the service and the food preparation get a little more consistency.
I do love the atmosphere. Â Laid back sports bar, big TVs and bar height tables. Â It's easy to come with a big group and just push some tables together. Â Drinks are good and again, prices are fair and affordable. Â Even with my recent experiences if you've never been here you should try it because I'm sure they will get it together. Â Places don't stay in Portsmouth as long as the Rusty Hammer if they aren't consistent.
Look for an update. Â I'm sure I will try it again soon...I always do.
How is this place open? Food was really just awful. I got the chowder and it was sour. Yup, sour. Sent it back. The best thing we ate were the frozen waffle fries that all the cook had to do was let it sizzle in the grease for so many minutes as written on the package.
The stuffed potato skins were horrid, frozen broccoli, deli sliced ham, and this weird probably mozz cheese on top? So bland, no flavor. I doused it with tabasco sauce.
My friends veggie burger was probably frozen, the guac she got looked brown, the lettuce and tomato did look mighty fresh...
3 drinks, 1 app, 2 sandwiches and $49 bucks later including tip, I just wish I didn't waste my stomach space and would have walked a block down the street to any anywhere else.
The service wasn't awful, just extremely, extremely laid back. As in waitstaff chilling on the high tops, playing on their phones, sitting, lounging. A seat-yourself establishment where staff this night far out numbered patrons (between the hours of 5:30-6:30ish.
If it ain't broke, then don't fix it. Â An oldie, but a goodie. Â
Can't go wrong with this Portsmouth staple. Â I've never eaten here, but the food always looks good, enormous portions, and smells yummy. Â
Best Irish Coffees in town. Â The name is escaping me (The Bludger?), but it's coffee, Jameson, Kahlua, and Baileys. Â Yum. Â Does the trick. Â Also, they have $2 jello-shots. Â They are heaping over the rim, but not very strong at all. Â Come with or without whipped cream.
I grew up in Portsmouth when the hammer and state street were seen as the finest restaurants in town. Portsmouth used to be working class, it's changed a bit, for better or worse, but the hammer stays the same. I used to go in every week with my mother and a range of other stragglers. Whoever wanted to come was welcome. If I want a filet mignon I go to the library, if I want great Fried seafood I go to bg's, but if I want food that my mother used to make, food that reminds me of home, service that makes me feel welcome, I go to the hammer. I'm Portsmouth made, and so is the hammer, I'll be back soon eating a wimpy, drinking a cold beer.
Review Source:Totally bias (been coming here since I've been a kid), but love it. A lot of locals come here - very consistent over the years and not too long ago knocked down the bar walls so you could see the TVs in the lounge.
Pros: Very affordable, best burgers in town because they get meat fresh from Carl's in Kittery every day. Excellent service (unless it is absolutely slammed). Kid friendly/kids menu. Try the burgers, clubs, sweet potato fries, waffle fries and chowder.
Cons: Can's see the game from the seats near the entrance. Their seafood entree specials were not as appetizing as they sounded a couple years ago, but they've changed things and they are pretty good now from what I hear, haven't tried them yet myself.
Food's not that bad. It is what you expect it to be. Service sucks though. Burgers are a tad bit undercooked. Safe if you order it the way they tell you to do which is Medium but the truth must be they don't know how to teach the grill boy anything different than "4 minutes flip it, another 4 minutes and take it off and put it on the bun". Speaking of bun, too much bun and even a tad bit of a cold bun.
The pastrami sandwich was a better choice and I wish I had more than my son's left overs. That was a good sandwich!
Someone else described it perfectly that it has a sports bar feel but not enough tv's to pull it off.
The food here is soooo bad. I'm basically just writing this as a reminder to myself to stop giving it "one more try". There are so many places with better quality food in the same price range. Perhaps for a drink, I might end up here again. But even then, hopefully not.
PS. If you do end up here, don't get the grilled tuna sandwich. It's the consistency of shoe leather and a similar taste-- no amount of tartar sauce would make it edible.
PPS. it says on the menu that one of the proprietors is a Mr. Russ Hammer. If this is true, it's amazing. If it's a joke, it's still pretty creative.
Sports bar feel but not enough televisions to pull it off. Â I only had a beer which I though at four dollars a draw was a little pricey for a bud light but not over the top. Â The service was okay. Â I sat myself and enjoyed watching a bit of football. Â It was difficult to see the game from my vantage. Â You seat yourself so I picked the best available table in the bar area. Â I would spread the televisions a bit so you can improve viewing from all vantages.
As I did not have any food I cannot comment much further. Â There is not a good wifi connection here. Â So don't come thinking you can get online and watch a game at the same time. Â At this point The Rusty Hammer is A-OK.
I can sniff out a good dive like a hound dog hot on a trail.
We walked in and The Hammer was chocked-full of Rusty locals (ha). I joke, but local-infestation during tourist sesason is a very positive sign. We ordered two of the specials: a lobster roll and a cucumber-wasabi burger. Both were great! The lobster roll was legit: no filler, no funny business, no fuss. And the wasabi burger was like butter between buns. With some kick, baby, yeah!
If my arms didn't stick to the table from the last patron's beer spillage, and our server remembered we were there (hi, beer refills?)... I'd have splurged and given The Rusty Hammer 4 stars.
Good, average bar food. Very low-key, no greeters or hostess seating, slow but friendly service, cheap prices. My boyfriend called his sandwich - sorry, his "wimpy," as they call them here - "the best I've ever had," which would warrant more stars if I ate hamburgers. I had chicken tenders with hot sauce & sweet potato fries - really good, not too greasy, above-subpar fried fare. I'll probably be back, though next time, I'll plan on a beer or two - I suspect the atmosphere will be more appealing that way. :)
Review Source:I've been going to the Rusty Hammer for years now, and it's definitely one of my standard favorites when eating downtown. Â
The food is your standard pub fare, with a wide variety of Whimpys (Burgers), Sandwiches, appetizers, etc. Â As mentioned, you can customize the burgers to a pretty extensive degree, which I usually end up doing, they're pretty good. Â The menu prices are very reasonable too - you're not going to break the bank going here.
i think moreso than the food though, I love going there for the atmosphere. Â The building itself is very old, having been Healey's Drug Store for most of the 1900s - The Rusty Hammer came in around 79. Â It's all brick in the inside, with tables tucked away in little corners. Â It's got real character. Â
The staff is friendly and responsive for the most part - really, my only minor gripe is the iced tea, funny enough. Â I'm a big tea drinker, and every time I've had it here (at least 4-5 times over the years), it's always tasted of mold, which is common if you don't change your iced tea regularly or don't clean the maker/pitcher. Â Â However, I just get something else to drink and it's no biggie. Â
They also have an a couple of bars, TVs, and an extended dining room, so if you're looking to catch the game, they're a good place to go too. Â Solid place overall.
After years of going to The Rusty Hammer, I've pretty much got the place figured out. Â It's basically a bar with burgers, reubens, and other pub food. Â It's better when it's not tourist season. Â It's better when you get a good server. Â And it's better when you're not in a hurry.
It's not a great place for kids. Â Sure, they have a few high chairs and it's not like there are drunks getting in fights, but the place isn't set up for it and only tourists bring kids. Â There's always some kind of sports on the flat screen TVs, and most people are usually ignoring them.
The Hammer is good for work lunches, good for cheap dinners, and okay for brunches that don't involve breakfast foods. Â Extra points if you're having a beer with whatever you're eating.
We stopped in here over Labor Day w/e for lunch. Looked like your typical local joint and it was! We each had a cup of clam chowder, which was very creamy, but not very clammy. He had a BLT and chips, he ate it all and said the bacon was nice and crispy, really can't screw that up, can ya?!?
Review Source:During the Tall Ship visit this past weekend, my friend M and I stopped in to wind up a Sunday afternoon.
Not crowded, nice location, near everything, and good service.
food wasn't bad at all; mine was an Alpine Burger (Swiss cheese) my dates was a mushroom and onions dilemma burger.
Combined with a local brew, and this hit the spot.
This place has some serious local appeal. We struck out at RiRa cause it was packed to the gills and we opted for a place to sit and imbibe a little more gracefully. . We ended up here and it was great. You can't go wrong with $5 something mixed drinks that are poured so stiff, they are more like 2 each.
I noticed they had dinner specials for like $7 on a chalkboard..what a deal, considering I had just come from a pricey dinner. I asked what kind of desserts they had and was given a small color menu. We got a molten cake. It was obviously heated up but it hit the spot with big scoops of ice cream on the side.
The jolly bartender was eyeing the glasses ready to refill it in a snap. With the game on, you can see the locals of all ages unwinding. Check it out for a cheap eats or stiffy.
This ain't a place for your fancy pants mixed drinks or expensive filet mingon. No, this is a place where you drink beer or hard liquor and you eat a giant hamburger. Good bar selection, decent tap and bottle list with good prices to boot. Nearly a third of their tri-fold menu is devoted to the many varieties of Wimpys (burgers to you plain-folk), from a Reuben Wimpy with sauerkraut and 1000 Island to a Mexican Wimpy with homemade chili and cheddar cheese piled on top, you're sure to find a burger to suit your flavor. If not, they've got other stuff.
It may not seem like anything special on the surface. Just your average bar with lots of local flavor. It's the kind of place that grows on you; just becomes one of your go-to places. The wait-staff is friendly and and only get friendlier the more you go back. Visit once, visit twice, visit thirty times, just make sure The Hammer gets a visit from you someday.
Certainly not a high class restaurant, but if you are looking for some decent pub food and a lively atmosphere this is the place.
My husband and I went to the Rusty Hammer for dinner on a Saturday night in mid-September. Â A lot of people were out and about, and though other restaurants and pubs had a 30 minute wait, the Hammer had plenty of tables available. Â
It was loud and they had a few different games on, which pleased my husband greatly. Â I had some chicken tenders and fries and my husband had a burger. Â The food was reasonably priced and I thought it was a good value for a quick dinner in a bar environment. Â
Only complaint was that the server didn't bring me the honey mustard she said she would, but I made do without it. Â It seemed like she was distracted, but hey...it was a Saturday night so I'm sure she was busy.
I'd go back again for sure.
I've been to the Rusty Hammer I think a total of 3 times ..each time has been alright.. The first was for my birthday for a quick bite, and a few shots and it was pretty fun, It was on Halloween and everyone was dressed up and having a good time. The second time we sat at the bar and the bar tender was pretty cool and friendly, the food itself was decent. The last time I went in there was probably St. Patrick's day and the girls that were working should have been sent home..They were crabby and did not "feel" like serving. Due to that warm welcome I have to peg them down a star or two
Review Source:If you want a meal that is sure to fill you for around $10, this is the place to go. The nacho's and club sandwiches are fantastic. There is a fun pub atmosphere but nothing fancy- everyday clothes are just fine. The owner actually came over and spoke to my friends and I while we were there and he was such a happy sweet man. The service is great and the food is brought out very fast. Definitely a great place to go if you're looking for a large. casual meal that won't cost an arm and a leg. I love it and will be going back soon.
Review Source:Excellent standby, great burgers, classic American food. The place is fairly dark, old style pub that after going to Ri Ra you won't enjoy much. But generally the food is good, cheapest in Portsmouth I'd say, large portions. I'd trade a bit on the portion size for a bit more quality but I'll keep going here. Service is usually pretty good, you can usually get a seat and overall I'd rate this place as decent.
Some times your salad isn't super fresh and sometimes the fries are soggy but if you've been to a place as many times as I've been here you're likely going to have a few misfires. I've been here probably 25 times over the last 15 years.
You can get out of here for $10 or less per person if you don't have a beer.
Not a high class restaurant. But a nice bar with great food.
One of the best Bowls of Chowder I have had - lifetime.
The chowder is amazing here. The salads are pretty good too. The Caesar with Shrimp is fantastic. Especially paired with a bowl of chowder.
They also have Blue Moon by the bottle which washes the chowder down nicely. I have to say - great New England chowder paired with a good Belgian pale ale is an amazing way to go. I wish I had their recipe for chowder.
I highly recommend - just have an expectation that its not haute cuisine. Its a pub with great food.
Almost took half an hour for burgers that were a shade or two better than Chili's... Never mind the rude waitress who rushed us along. Rushed us after taking an excruciatingly long time to come back to us after bringing some beers. Never mind the over cooked potato wedges disguised as potato skins brought to me in place of waffle fries. Granted they had a full time cook help wanted sign and the curt/short waitress gave us our beers for free. (i would understand if the place was FULL but we were almost forgotten)
Review Source:An excellent burger/pub dining spot. During late night, the drinks are strong and the food hits that perfect drunken spot. I've been for lunch with a group of teachers and it was an excellent spot for a modestly priced lunch with a beer.
The atmosphere lends very well to the sporting worlds of basketball, baseball and football. Good mix of people: hicks, business people, locals, and the occasional UNH kid.
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