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In the heart of Bowen's Wharf, itself the heart of Newport's tourist-land, The Wharf Pub and Restaurant continues its long-standing tradition of offering good solid pub fare and a good time at reasonable prices. In summer the Wharf area teems with nonstop activity with marinas, shops, restaurants, nightlife, tour boats, and even a real lobster company, a rare vestige of the working waterfront. Most of the restaurants in the area are the glamorous places to be seen, as well as to see the activity, and it's easy to spend money. In the middle of it all The Wharf Pub and Restaurant has been serving casual deli and pub style fare since the good old days of the America's Cup races, the days when you could drive down the Wharf and park in front of the Black Pearl.
The Pub features a small bar with a separate entrance on the Bannister's Wharf side. It's popular with the college crowd, and with the boat people who don't feel like dressing up for the fancier establishments. There are a dozen or more microbrews on tap (beer and wine only), a good raw bar, and a modest wine list. Around the corner, facing Bowen's Wharf, is the entrance to the restaurant section, up a few stairs, with a pleasant little deck that features outdoor seating and a bird's eye view of the wharf frenzy. Inside are comfortable booths, a casual waitstaff, and solid good food. The place used to be known as the Wharf Deli, but the name has been slightly altered to emphasize that they offer way more than just deli fare. Still, the deli style sandwiches and good burgers form the heart of the menu, and are the main draw, at least during the day.
In addition to the sandwiches, the aforementioned raw bar offers littlenecks, oysters, and shrimp by the piece as well as by the half-dozen. Hot appetizers include all the pub faves, like fried calamari Federal Hill style with hot peppers and marinara sauce, mozzarella sticks, potato skins (three varieties), chicken tenders, nachos (three ways) and onion rings. The chili is excellent, and the chowder has been a first place winner in the "Great Chowder Cookoff." There are a bunch of good familiar salads, including a really nice Garden Salad, with fresh veggies and alfalfa sprouts atop a bed of good crisp greens. Meal size salads include toppings of chicken, chicken salad, shrimp, tuna salad, seafood salad, and a good traditional Chef's Salad.
The sandwich menu is built around the basic deli formula - good meats and cheeses, real Black Forest ham and smoked turkey, dill Havarti, and Boursin cheese. Add half a dozen breads, as many dressings, chutney and pepper jelly and I think you start to get the idea. Compose your own, or order one of the excellent Gourmet Sandwiches. There are classics like the Rueben, the Montecristo, the Tuna Melt, and an excellent Philly Cheese Steak. And there are lots of originals, like the Black Forest Special made with Black Forest ham, Boursin cheese, Major Grey's chutney, yellow mustard and romaine on pumpernickel. Rona's Roadhouse Blues has roast beef, whole grain mustard, bacon, Boursin, and alfalfa sprouts. The Wharf Club is made with smoked turkey and Black Forest ham. To mention just a few. The half-pound Black Angus burgers are excellent too, and come in a half-dozen variations.
In the evening, starting at 5 o'clock, they add a modest dinner menu, consisting of about 10 nice dinner entres, all in the pub style. Baby Back Ribs, New York Strip Steak, Grilled Swordfish with lemon-dill butter, or Chicken Breast Dinner, are served with potato and fresh veggies. There are excellent whole-belly fried clams, and fish and chips made with fresh local scrod. There's even a steamed lobster for a reasonable price. Chicken Parmesan, Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo, and Fettuccine with sauted fresh vegetables and optional chicken round out the menu, providing something for everyone. There's even a kiddie's menu with $4.95 dinners for the wee ones. In the off-season, there are some great two-for-one weeknight dinner specials. Enjoy the Wharf scene. Have some fun. Save some dough.
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