Portsmouth Gas Light Co.

Stopped in for late snack, drinks and live music while in town for the long weekend. Had a few Tito’s drinks and a General Tso’s Cauliflower. They drinks and food were both fine, and the music was pretty decent for a local band. I will say for standard Tito’s drinks, without any fancy mixers, that $12 each is priced to high. However, The Deck is the same as all the others around town in Portsmouth. Not from the area, I feel like all the establishments are taking advantage of patrons, except for TJ’s.

This place was so much fun. We went for dinner and ate outside. They had lights all around and music playing. Food was really good and wait staff were very attentive! Overall a really great experience.

Really enjoyed dinner here. Casual restaurant atmosphere. Staff, food, and drinks were on point. Had steak tips, roasted brussel sprouts, caesar wrap, chicken fingers, large pretzel, and fish and chips. Will go back for sure.

The ambiance can’t be beat. The food may be a little pricey, but you certainly get what you pay for in terms of quality. The lobster roll featured generous heaps of meat, & the fish & chips were served “wicked” hot, & everything was delicious! Averie was welcoming, & took great care of us, as our Server.

Ordered Cobb salad with falafel. Sat outside, the multiple levels were a bit confusing but the staff was nice. Wouldn’t mind trying their pizza.

Visited from the Rocky Mountain west and traveled all of New England along the coast... Portsmouth Gas Light co. had the bar-none best warm lobster rolls I have ever had! Everything was amazing, the servers and other staff were professional and helpful. It was busy so at one point I wandered off to find silverware and was helped immediately. Food was 10/10 great, and I have to visit from Montana again sometime!

The menu posted in the window already spoke to us on the way by. The restaurant was quiet and laid back which provided a nice atmosphere to relax in. The sever was absolutely wonderful and attentive! Great conversation with them as well. For a random spur of the moment journey to Portsmouth, the stop here made the entire night and will leave our stomachs happy! We had the muscles for an appetizer and honestly some of the best I’ve had in a long long time. Would happily come back!

Wow. Some of the best food I’ve had and I’ve been to 46 out of the 50 states. The scallops were buttery and the risotto just perfect! Our server was super attentive and kind. They were able to sit a big group on a Saturday night right as we walked in. Everybody at the table liked their food as well. Food didn’t take that long either. My allergies were handled well. Worth every penny.

Had a chance to hang out here while visiting from Arizona. We wanted to listen to the band that would be playing so we had to go to the entrance that was down the block and around the corner. The band played mellow rock covers of various bands ranging from Gordon Lightfoot to the Doors. They were solid entertainment and worth seeing. The outdoor patio area gave quite and enjoyable experience. Ur I have to say though the food was just Ehhhh. I had a Caprise sandwich but chose to swap out the pita bread that it was supposed to be on for a more flavorable option of focaccia bread. It didn't help too much, it really could have benefitted from some more balsamic vinaigrette and/or salt. The only thing that gave it any flavor was the slightly over charred forcoccia bread which added a nice smoky flavor and peppery bite of the arugula that topped it off.

Historic, warm space in charming downtown Portsmouth. Full bar with decent draft list. Started with the New England Clam Chowder and it was outstanding although the temperature was only warm. Had their cold lobster roll and it was huge and very good, side of fries were average. Service was adequate.

Love coming to Portsmouth. They have fun stores, restaurants. Wasn't sure where to find for lunch and found this place. It's nice inside, looked at menu and decided to try it. It's very nice inside, big and comfortable booths and tables. I had the salad with grilled chicken and my friend had a buffalo chicken wrap with french fries. My salad was very good, it had avocado, eggs, and they put bacon bites. I wasn't crazy for all the bacon. I forgot to say no bacon. But it was very tasty. My friend enjoyed her food as well. The service was good. I was happy to come here. I will be back when visiting this fun city. If you never been, you must try it. I am happy I did.

Ordered Uber Eats Pizza from here because it was all we could find open on past 8pm on Monday night. The garlic flatbread was a huge let down, first of all, it was supposed to come with marinara sauce and did not, and secondly, it was bland is heck. We ordered the gaslight pizza which was good, but definitely could have been warmer (likely because of the UberEats delivery opposed to preparation though).

Had gone to pick up food and once i got home i opened the pizza box to find they gave me a plain cheese pizza and not the specialty one i ordered. Was not going to drive another 20 minutes there and back. Disappointed.

There are 4 different menus in the building so make sure you are seated in the section you want. Quick snack, cup of clam chowder...too many potatoes $9 Bruschetta with fresh mozzarella $14 Pricey for serving sizes.

Really enjoyed spending time at the patio. Laid back and customer friendly. Great for grabbing lunch and catching a Sox game.

Hi! so I downloaded this app just so I could review this place, I have never been so disrespectful in my entire life. He would not accept my philadelphia id, even though I went to a literal police officer down the street to scan my id and the police officer told me to tell the bouncer that I got it scanned with a police officer. The bouncer then began to pick a fight with me telling me I didn't listen to their directions and refused to let me in. I am baffled by how disgustingly disrespectful and misogynistic these bouncers were. I am truly so sorry if any person has to experience what I experienced tonight I hope this place closes down.

Seating area is pretty nice. Candle was lit on the table. The appetizers were decent (buffalo cauliflower, buffalo wings, spinach artichoke dip) but i loved my hot honey chicken sandwich. The girls really enjoyed the falafal wraps too. 2 of 4 sides of fries were cold. The waitress and bartender didnt know what a roy rogers was.. haha. Shirley temple with coke instead of gingerale/sprite. Id come back to try the pizza downstairs, because its not offered in this part of the establishment. Presentation of some apps could be improved. Service was ok and slow but everyone was friendly.

Food not that good... service absolutely non existent... I had to get up and get our own silverware.... French fries were warm , cheeseburger was with no cheese.... We are not going back..... the fact that many people were leaving should have been a hint... lesson learned for next time

One of the most overpriced meals and terrible tasting food I've ever had. Went to Portsmouth from Boston (visiting from Chicago.) My friend and I split both cauliflower tacos and fish tacos and both were extremely disappointing. Don't order. My other friends split a lobster roll and got clam chowder and were also disappointed.

Had a late lunch here while visiting Portsmouth for a quick overnight. The service was great, the food comforting and the prices reasonable. The bruschetta had a nice flavor and was fresh. As you can see from the photos we were both wanting comfort food on this cold day! Both the mac and cheese with grilled chicken and the fettuccine alfredo with steak tips were creamy and warming. It was a great place to pop into, warm up and enjoy food that warms your soul. Would definitely return!

As we were greeted with great professionalism at the door our expectations for the Gaslight began to increase. We were met with fantastic service, and were given a lovely seat over looking Main Street. As we began to eat, I started to find it "tough" to take a bite. I lifted the top bun and I had uncovered a piece of paper, completely derailing my dinner and my night as a whole.

I wish I could leave a no star review but here we go. I went to college at UNH and graduated about 20 years ago. I now live in Colorado and I've been back to NH once or twice in the past 20 years. My husband and I planned a vacation to the northeast this summer so I could show him around Portsmouth and Portland (he's a Colorado native and has never been to the northeast). While in college I spent a good amount of time in Portsmouth and even worked at the old Blue Mermaid. We spent more than we could afford taking our vacation but I was SO excited to show my husband around beautiful Portsmouth and the UNH campus I thought it was worth it. Thursday August 24th we spent the day walking around the UNH campus with a friend and her 2 children. We had our dog with us and since NO restaurants in Portsmouth allow dogs we came back to Portsmouth for dinner so we could drop our dog off at the hotel and enjoy a night out. I've always considered The Gaslight a Portsmouth "institution" if you will. Knowing they have good live music options and pizza I suggested we go there. We were both really happy to sit down since we were tired and hungry from walking around all day. We were REALLY looking forward to pizza, drinks and music. Neither of us had anything to drink that day and were sober. We got to The Gaslight around 7:30/8:00 and went down to the Pizza Pub. I originally asked the hostess if they served pizza in the main dining room; she said no and directed us downstairs. We sat in a booth across from the bar. We were the only ones sitting in the pub except for about 5 or 6 young guys at the bar. The bartender was also acting as the waitress probably b/c it was pretty quiet and a bit late. She came to our table with menus and the first thing she said to us was a sarcastic "hi how are you guys this evening? having some drinks? driving around tonight?" My husband and I laughed a bit because the idea of us drinking and driving is ludicrous. I'm an attorney and my husband sells breath alcohol testers so if either of us drank and drove we would lose our jobs. My husband told the bartender/waitress that we're staying at the Inn Downtown just a few blocks away, we had parked our car at the hotel for the evening and we were on foot. She asked what we wanted. I ordered a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry and he ordered a beer. She then looked at us and said in the most condescending way "I'll THINK about serving you drinks if you eat some food, you were planning on ordering food right"? My husband and I were really confused and thought she might be joking. I responded by saying, yes we were going to order pizza. She asked us to order the pizza which we did. Subsequently, she brought over waters and said "drink these." We then realized she hadn't been joking. The feigned superiority and utter contempt she exuded was made transparent by her tone, language and manner. It was inconceivable. We spent the next 15 minutes or so waiting for our pizza and trying to figure out why she thought we were intoxicated. While we were waiting we listened to her suggestively flirt with the guys sitting around her at the bar. They all looked like college students (my husband and I are in our 40s) and she was serving them mostly cocktails. One or two of them were drinking beer. She was telling the guys about school and how she was thinking of moving. We got to hear all about her basic life as she tried to impress them. As we began to realize that she was either ageist or trying to show off for her beaus at the bar we decided we needed to leave. When she brought the pizza, we asked for a to-go box, paid and left. We were not rude, argumentative or disrespectful. As Coloradans and good people we could never treat someone in such a manner. My husband did not want me to complain to the manager. I attempted to but was told the manager wasn't there. The woman I did complain to seemed to be in a position of authority. She was apologetic but there was nothing that could be done to salvage the evening. My husband was so upset and offended he didn't want to go fearing similar treatment somewhere else. Personally, as a 40+ year old lawyer, I have never been spoken to in such a rude and condescending way, and I'm a former litigator. For us to spend so much time, money and effort to visit a place and then be treated in such a fashion was really heartbreaking to me and my husband. The cherry on the sundae was that when the pizza came out is was cold. After we heated it up in our hotel microwave it wasn't even good. Because of our experience on Thursday August 24th, neither of us felt comfortable going to the deck to hear the music that night or the next. I hope the owner of the Gaslight reads this and takes it to heart. To us the Gaslight is no longer a business that should be patronized.

The food was good. The service was fast and the ambiance was classy. I had the mix grilled special.

The place was empty on a Thursday, early afternoon. We were promptly seated by a very sweet girl who liked like she'd just rolled out of bed. Very unprofessional and sloppy. Table was covered in crumbs. Food came quickly. Artichoke dip appetizer was good, tomato bisque was good, falafel was good, fries were disgusting, cold and tasted like the fryer oil had never been changed. Kids standing around in the kitchen and at the front, on their phones, chatting away, ignoring us for a good 10 minutes when we were ready to leave, regardless of eye contact or our plates being set at the edge of the table. The pile of fries left untouched didn't even elicit a response or question. We drove an hour to be somewhere and just happened to be in the area. It's really overpriced for what you get. Spend your hard- earned money elsewhere.

This is one of my husband's and I FAVORITE place to grab a pizza . The food and drinks are to die for! The salt pile pizza is one of our absolute favorites , the crust is so light and fluff and the whole pizza is always made perfectly! 10/10 highly recommend!

REALLY GREAT PIZZA! I am a Pizza Snob. I like my Crust a tiny bit hard/crunchy? ...meaning if I pick up a piece, it's not going to sag and toppings fall off. We went in at a non-pizza time (4:00pm) so it was very empty. I had a make your own pizza so of course I loved it! It had all of my fave stuff on it. I chose their sweet sauce that had Brown Sugar in it as their secret ingredient. Delish! They serve all kinds of New England Brews to have with your pizza. I would def go again or recommend to anyone visiting Portsmouth NH!

Came here with my partner for dinner on a Friday. We were sat indoors and it was a ghost town. Probably should have read the writing on the wall. The ambiance was nonexistent, it felt like a funeral home. Our waitress was sweet and let us switch to an outdoor seat where it was a bit livelier. They were setting up for live music which would have been cool had we stayed, although their outdoor seating is directly in front of the stage/speakers. I ordered the grilled cauliflower and my partner ordered the surf and turf. He was happy enough with his meal but my cauliflower tasted like it was doused with gasoline. Gaslight indeed.

Ordered the Mushroom Ragu to go. It was advertised to have asparagus. Nope, not a single one.

Very unpleasant experience. On quiet Tuesday afternoon I entered the restaurant bar with my two service animals. I have a serious condition that can result in profound incapacitation and my dogs are trained to detect it early and to protect me and draw attention to my condition. They are immaculately trained and are always greeted positively anywhere by staff and customers " Are they service animals? " Yes". No further questions are asked but I have their full paperwork available at all times. The front of room person greeted me , asked if they were service animals and all was good. I sat at the bar ordered and had a drink. 10 mins later a tall and extremely aggressive man approached me and asked what condition the dogs were there for. I told him my condition and told I had the papers in my pocket. Under Hippa regulations I do not have to disclose my condition but I did. He dismissed it told me it was a felony and that he was calling the police which he did! I wanted a drink and a salad not a conversation with law enforcement so I paid for my high priced drink and left. I called the restaurant a few minutes later fairly upset and got a very sympathetic response. They said I was in the right and offered no disagreement with my assessment of super tense, out of line , intimidating tall guy. Drink was expensive but whatever. A horrible man runs the place and I would avoid. There are plenty of $15 salads nearby!

I went there for happy hour (HH) time frame. It was just cocktails dirt cheap but lousy brand for wines which I ordered. How this HH could improve by offering at least t items from the appetizer menu for a discounted HH rate with their HH cocktail selections. But, this is just so-so not fabulous. The bartender isn't friendly outgoing smiling which are the key elements of rating a restaurant. I sat outside with the DJ singing in the mid-afternoon. When I return to Portsmouth from Nashua, NH as a day trip excursion I will definitely pass this place as I stated just so-so based on my patron review.

Yup the reviews add up, glad I'm not alone. Idk why I went back a second time but both times I went my girl friends who I was with were harassed by the bouncers. Gas Light knows they are the only club in Portsmouth, so they often will charge a $40 cover... So not worth it, the aggressive hypermasculine bouncers and shitty expensive drinks just aren't worth coming back for... stick to another bar

Terrible service, waited 45 minutes for a few slices of pizza that were absolutely sub par. I also watched them serve individuals who had no right continuing to be served. But that's par for the course at this place

The owner must be paying attention to business and his reviews. This small portion problem has been dealt with and we absolutely love the frequent dining option.

Our first stop on vacation! We started by asking to be seated in a booth and there were a few available! We were seated at a little nook area where the servers were pouring drinks and the staff was in and out of the kitchen and everyone had to walk by us to go to the bathroom! The manager was very loud and saying oh shit to her bartender over whatever she was discussing! The food was horrible! The Alfredo came out gray. It tasted like pasta water ! No flavor of creamy sauce nor cheese! The salad came out on a small plate but plentiful. Every bite caused the salad to fall into the table! Gross ! So angry when we left. Needs management!!

A family favorite for many years now, the owners have carried on the old traditions with additions of their own, increasing the overall experience! The menu accommodates all, the food is top quality, the staff friendly and conscientious. The Best foods, entertainment , and Cocktails! Always a treat, definitely a place to visit when family and friends are in town, and you want a great casual spot!

Delicious freshly made pizza, open till late at night, great drinks and service, very cool ambience! Highly recommended

Pizza buffet was a value cheap eats, for $10. Think a rotation of 6 pizzas, kept supplied. Average pizza quality, yet not bad. Wait staff of 3 had to handle entire basement area, but it was a buffet.

Being a late night bar on a Saturday night can be hard. I get it. But this was the worst, rudest service I ever experienced. We tried to go for a post wedding drink, which the bride called and checked if it was okay. First they wouldn't let numerous members of our party in, including folks clearly 40+ years old. Then, a couple people accidentally tried to go inside using an employees only door, truly by accident and you would've thought someone had purposefully pulled the fire alarm the way staff reacted screaming at the person. I could go on. They got a $15 cover from everyone, so maybe the joke is on us for paying and then leaving. But I can't recommend more picking any other late night bar. I'd probably just stay home before going back there. I just hope they don't treat the next group trying to enjoy their night the same way.

Despite the mediocre reviews and ratings, I enjoyed my meal at Gas Light. Service from the host to the waitress was excellent, attentive, and friendly and was everything a customer could desire. The menu was extensive, and the restaurant seemed clean. Tons of beer options. I had the Tres Tacos which were pretty good. We sat inside, but they had outdoor seating too. It's a busy area and parking is kinda a chore, but reasonably priced, I think. I would definitely visit again.

There on a Saturday for a bachelorette party - 25 women in their 50's. Gpot carded around 9pm after being there for 3 hours. One woman had difficulty getting her ID out of her wallet due to a serious medical condition. The bouncer said she was drunk and kicked her out. His. name was Pat. He was extremely rude and uncaring to a woman with a disability. The owner should really educate their staff on how to treat people.

We chose to dine there because it was pet-friendly and had received positive reviews. The wings were delicious; however, the main course was a letdown. The ribs were stringy and tough, and the fish and lobster were under-seasoned. I regret that my friends' experience was marred because we chose this place for my dog's sake.

I ordered a mac & cheese with pulled pork and delivery arrived with no pork. Kraft mac & cheese has more flavor. Dinner was ruined. When I called to discuss there was no answer. The would was bland. The service sucked. If I could give them 0 stars I would. Don't order from Portsmouth Gas Light Co. Their light is out.

Food was really good. Service was excellent - V. was out waiter and he was on it. Like the decor and inside vibe. Apparently outside is the music drinkfest part.

Used to be great. Tonight was an exception. I ordered 159 dollars worth of food. I stood at the tAke out area. Two nice girls helped me. They were looking for the takeout manager who was nowhere to be found. After 20 minutes I decided to have a drink at the bar. As The very competent bartender made my drink the manager came with my shriveled up food and said the short ribs were hot. (I would hope so) Btw this was the fourth day in a row we either ate here or got takeout. Food is great. Service has been great . Management should take care of the employees and customers . Otherwise they won't have a business.. We just moved here, loved the place, but not sure we'll come as often as we would have if the management was much better. Better to take care of your customers. If you do in the you'll make more money. I just got home and only got one of the desserts I ordered. And no avacado on my salad as requested. Here is my 38$ short ribs. Could they spare the asparagus?

Drinks and music are trash and it looks like everyone from Rochester came down to party with their cousins. I'll stay in mass next time I want to go out.

The specifics of my latest visit probably aren't interesting reading, but my conclusion is that the service has gotten too poor to patronize this place anymore. We saw three other parties walk out, and we regretted not following their example.

We asked somebody at the desk at Wentworth By The Sea for a good wood fried pizza place and they recommended Portsmouth Gas Light. Our objective was to get a pie and a capriccio salad and bring it back to the hotel to eat. We have a dog and thats how it works. I think after now reading about the service and management problems they are having doing take out was and is the way to go. Parking around there is rough on a weekend in the summer so I got dropped off in front. My Mayor Foley pizza was piping hot with my good timing. Opened it to check it and it looked and smelled delicious. The salad was relatively pricier than the pizza but also looked good! About 10 minutes later we are sitting outside of our first floor room with comfy chairs, dog in tow, sundown beautiful and chowing. Very happy and satisfied. Seems owners need to take these reviews seriously and step it up. With regard to take out though I say go for it. Funny story had 2 slices left over in fridge. Next day I put them in the microwave for a mid morning snack closed the door and said WTF as I realized I had put the slices in the safe. What a surprise for house keeping or maybe the next guest!

It's too bad about the food, it is so fun sitting outside in the back patio area, especially when they have music, like they did when we were there! I ordered steak tips, medium rare, but there was no point in specifying the level of doneness. They came out and looked like some kind of "meat" that was microwaved in a bag, from the lowest and cheapest section of the Sysco truck. As Gordon Ramsay would say, it was a "dogs dinner."

Literally just had the worst dining experience we've ever encountered. First, we were informed the kitchen was a little backed up. Totally cool and to be expected given the current state of things. Ten minutes after placing our order, we were informed that they were out of the chicken my wife ordered. No big deal, she picked something else. Thirty minutes later, we were informed that they were out of that as well. Ten minutes later, I asked if we could just take our order to go. While all this was going on, we were never asked if we'd like another drink, which I found odd. Come to find out, the kitchen staff had missed our ticket. That by itself wasn't a big deal. What was infuriating was management hanging the waitress out to dry. After some coercion and a glance around to make sure the manager was out of ear shot, she divulged the truth. When the manager approached the table he offered to take $5 off the tab. Honestly, I would've gladly paid full price just to see the server not get abandoned by leadership. My wife and I inevitably got my meal to go with the intention of splitting it in the car. Only to find out that the steak had been rush cooked in a steamer is something equally dreadful. I'll eat leftovers out of a McDonalds dumpster before I ever dine at this overpriced, improperly managed establishment again.

The food SUCKS! I'm not usually a picky eater, but the pasta was dry and not enough sauce was given to compensate for the dryness. They used way too much flour when making the pasta. Oh and don't get me started on the service. Our waitress never checked on us or looked in our direction when we needed assistance (napkin, utensils, etc). And, the table next to us was left uncleaned and trashy for our entire meal (the people eating there left an hour before we did). The prices on the menu are very misleading - be sure to ask them the REAL price. This experience definitely lives up to its name. It gaslit us. Way too expensive for a mediocre food place.

This review is for the downstairs (during dinner hours) for pizza. They have a beautiful outdoor back patio seating area but you can't order the pizzas there. If you want pizza make sure you let them know if you put your name on the wait list. I saw a yummy looking 5 cheese pizza known as Salt Pile on instagram so had to try this place. Pizzas were yummy. They were large, we could have split one. We did not get alcoholic drinks, they were $12 each. We got the appetizer wings in mango jalapeno. Sauce was good, not spicy. The wings were baked, and I prefer fried wings.

Not entirely sure- but this seemed more like a pub with food than a restaurant with alcohol. Hopefully this makes sense- it just reminded me of a bar. Came for lunch and enjoyed a spot in the sunshine in the front of the building. The server was friendly. The food was what you'd expect for a pub. I thought the salad was just fine. The lettuce was fresh. We also had the hummus appetizer with veggies and pita. Hummus had some spice to it and the veggie option was nice. I would rush here for lunch, but it's also not a horrible choice.

The food was mediocre at best. Like cheap frozen food that's not really good either. Got the ceaser wrap, it wasn't good. Cysco chicken

The food was amazing and great staff, there are multiple venues with much to offer. Great band on back deck with yummy lobster rolls. We returned tonight and had a fantastic pizza and watched the game. It is a must try while visiting Portsmouth

This was a mediocre dinner for us. Not bad, not great We sat out at the Deck, we wanted to catch the live music. Actually we loved the musician, he was great. We went on Tuesday night 6/28/22 - can't remember his name sadly We ordered a burger and a wrap and we split them. The burger was good, very basic. Could have been a little cheaper. The wrap I enjoyed the most I think. It had turkey and apple slices and a horseradish spread The waitress never came back and offered to refill our drinks. We might have stayed a little longer if we had ordered more drinks. It was a packed house and I imagine theyre understaffed. I don't think our waitress was ignoring us or anything We were on vacation so we won't be back, but if I lived nearby I might try them out again at a less touristy time

The food was great. The service was awful. We went for my birthday and won't go back. My 6 year old ordered off the adult menu since the kid's menu was not option for us but was an option given for every kid at the surrounding tables. The waitstaff ignored us for a majority of the meal while being very attentive to table next to us (and yes it was the same waitress). Received the first drink we ordered but never the second one that we had to waive her down for. Nope. Not going back and won't recommend.

Good ambiance and good service. We didn't try the food this time hopefully next time. Live music outside all day.