The Summer House Restaurant

Fantastic- some of the best food on the island- shrimpNgritz were shockingly good 👍 Filet absolute perfection- I was impressed- fantastic staff and service - they were dialed in- no Montucky Cold Snacks but the Modelo was just the right amount of chilled- beautiful place excellent food- not much more you can say- well done Summer House!

Great family place with a bar scene for adults. Outdoor seating was nice, quiet with a lovely view of the property and garden. Indoor seemed like more of a party scene with louder music but there seems to be a good balance between both. The food was all very good. Strip steak cooked to a perfect medium rare. Linguine was a little on the salty side but still pretty good. Clam chowder and arugula & watermelon salad was a great starter. Service was great. One of the better meals we’ve had on the island.

If I could leave more stars I would! This place was paradise, this is my first time to Nantucket and it was even better than I expected. Walking up to Sumner House was like walking into the sweetest setting of comfort and hospitality. The staff greeted us with such a warm welcome., we felt like we were at the most inviting home. Salvadore showed us to our cottage which was beyond charming, so quaint and lovely! We then went down to the bar area where we walked the beach for a bit then came back to the bar and had an amazing Lobster Roll and the greatest tomato and burratta salad I have ever had. The tomato was so incredible that I asked the manager where he orders them from and he told me there is a farm here called Bartlett Farms and he gets them from there everyday. I had to go myself and pick up some tomatoes which I brought home on the plane with me that is how delicious they were. We also had dinner in their restaurant and when I say the best crab cake I have ever had I mean it, all crab, no filler… we ordered zucchini blossoms and they were beautiful, also had the tuna tataki and the main course was a spectacular bone in veal chop that was cooked to perfection!!! I can’t say enough about how magical this place is. This was the perfect ending to summer and I will cherish it forever.

My friends and I were treated like we were a joke. Yes we were dressed up, yes we came to the area to take images and enjoy the island but to treat us like we are some immature girls was disrespectful. CARLOS, do better. Act better. Don’t think you are better than us. People travel all over the word to this restaurant and to be treated like that is not kind at all. I will say the food was absolutely fantastic but the server needs to think about his actions.

We had dinner here two nights ago and everything was excellent—from the food to the service. It was also great to see the manager on the floor, engaging with customers and making sure everyone was having a wonderful time. I Highly recommend it.

Very good service. The bartender Igor was amazing, I tried the NY strip and the burrata, both the food and the drinks were amazing and came out pretty quick. The manager Atanasio was also on point, needed a reservation on the fly and they secured us a 6 top even tho the restaurant was busy. Live music playing all night, this place is a must.

This was our second time here, worth the ride. Happy to see they are back and better than ever. Need to come back for the beach area. One of the best filets we have ever tasted. Swordfish was amazing as well.

Great food and atmosphere, but expect to wait for your food for a while. My husband and I started off with drinks at the bistro first - down by the water. Loved the setup and the staff and bartender were very nice and attentive. We then had dinner at the restaurant; we got the burrata with tomatoes (would've been extra nice if it came with crostini), tuna tartare, lamb chops and lobster fra diavolo. Everything was delicious! We also got a chocolate cake for dessert, but it was just chocolate cake. Nothing crazy. Host and wait staff were all very nice and we felt well taken care of. We would definitely come back for dinner again, especially when we want to beat the crowds downtown!

Had the pleasure of eating here on two occasions recently while on vacation. Both the staff and the ambiance were perfect! The first time I visited, I ordered the Thick Cut 12oz NY Strip with Truffle Fries & Garden Vegetables and it was one of the best steaks I've ever ate. The second time I visited, I ordered the Pan Seared (8oz) Filet Mignon with Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, which was extremely delightful. If you vacation to Nantucket, and you enjoy the best food you can find there, then I highly recommend you visit The Summer House Restaurant.

New kitchen and service crew from Palm Beach make this restaurant the best option in sconset, after years of mismanagement and ineptitude. (At one low point before the mgmt change there was a dog poo on the kitchen floor when food inspectors came, I heard) Way to go Salvador!

The summer house comes at you with their "three pronged attack", which has been consistently implied over several decades: (i) mediocre food, (ii) poor service and (iii) very high prices. All Nantucket residents know - avoid, avoid, avoid.

Charming upbeat restaurant with incredible food. Service staff does not miss a beat. Salvador is attentive and passionate about his guests happy Tuna tartare was amazing, and the filet mignon was cooked perfectly! Thank You Summer House!!

Great family place with a bar scene for adults. Outdoor seating was nice, quiet with a lovely view of the property and garden. Indoor seemed like more of a party scene with louder music but there seems to be a good balance between both. The food was all very good. Strip steak cooked to a perfect medium rare. Linguine was a little on the salty side but still pretty good. Clam chowder and arugula & watermelon salad was a great starter. Service was great. One of the better meals we've had on the island.

I normally don't write reviews anymore but the situation here compels me to do so. I've been a visitor to Nantucket for many decades and would often eat at the Summer House and went to their pool as kid 30 years ago. It used to be pretty nice, but the owner, Ms. DeBenedictis, has cut corners, and as a result, it has gone downhill badly since the mid-2000's... Food quality, staff morale and building safety have all been compromised. Her restaurant had an electrical fire on the top floor where here workers slept, and another one of her restaurants was condemned by the town health department for code and safety violations. The restaurant's owner is basically Nantucket's version of Leona Helmsley. I still visit the island regularly, but never again will eat here. Some many better places in town that have better food at comparable prices.

Winner of the phoenix award literally for recovering from a fire. Many things got attention, hardworking staff has grown up and come into their own, genuinely running the place with great support from the owner, who lost her husband recently and/but is determined that the place achieve the potential it always had. Give it a try, they're working hard.

What a fabulous view! We had such a lovely dinner at Summer House. The location is terrific. I believe diners should know a few facts: -Paper napkins are being used during Covid -Plastic cups are served for beverages -Our Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc was $72 for the bottle, but it costs myself $14 at the liquor store in town -The musician only performed "hippie" music and doesn't know any George Strait! The view makes up for all of this. We still had a lovely evening. The serve healthy portions of fish, not a sliver like most places. I had the cod which was lovely.

To say the Summer House left much to be desired would be an understatement. It's generally a "no rules" situation in there, which I've come to appreciate, but it also appears there are no rules in the kitchen. Even if we all got the drinks we ordered, even if they didn't confuse a short rib order with a side order of salad and even IF their tuna was 24 hours more fresh, it wouldn't make up for one thing.....the steak. We found ourselves in shock at the color of the inside of the steak. Could it be? Really? I think it is: GRAY. The only excuse for over cooking it to such a degree would be a line cook nodding off while it was being finished off in a pizza oven. My poor friend had to chase his few (very few) bites of steak with water just to get it all down, like he was competing against Joey Chestnut and Kobeyashi. We thought this was Nantucket, not Coney Island. Once we saw steak / saw dust flying off the knife as it bandsaw'ed through the salted hockey puck we knew it was time to call it quits. That same poor friend (remember, the one with the steak and water combo) still thinks about the steak to this day, and it's been almost two weeks. His decision not to force it back into the kitchen haunts him, which I surprisingly understand. Poor guy. But it's not all bad. I think the person who ordered the short rib but got the Caesar salad said the dressing was her favorite store-bought brand. I think it's Newmans Own. Would still come back to drink (not eat) and listen to the piano man, he's got some soul.

THE establishment of Sconset Nantucket forever and it is a must! The restaurant serves huge portion lobster rolls and the hamburger is the best on island! Excited for the reopening of the main restaurant (had a fire oh no!) but the quality of their restaurant pool/beachside (the only one like it on island!) is always a happening scene lunch and dinner. Cocktails are fantastic. Seek out Phillipe for one of his Mojitos- best anywhere.

Beware the Dover Sole Trap. You may be offered the dover sole special and won't be told the price. It costs $85, almost twice the average entree price. If you know that and don't mind paying it, great, but several friends, like us, we're quite surprised when the bill arrived.

We made dinner reservations and were seated promptly and received water. However we had to wait for a server- 2 walked by without even glancing at us. Finally the host came and took our order. I got fish tacos- not great. I didn't feel well after eating. My husband got pasta Bolognese and was fine but nothing special (he said a child could cook the same dish). Our daughter got cheese pizza from kids menu and it looked burnt. It took another while to get our check (provided by another waiter) and the for the quality of food it price was very high. We will not be coming back.

Unfortunately, I would have been disappointed with the quality of food if It came out at a chain restaurant. The $30+ burger was definitely frozen, overcooked (ordered medium rare) to the point of being grey, and when we asked about subbing sautéed onions instead of raw, the chef couldn't accommodate. One of the more expensive restaurants on the island but you can tell they are cutting corners on ingredients and effort. Great location/view and seemingly nice staff.

The Summer House is back -- and better than ever! We booked a table for eight the night after their big re-opening. The place has been spruced up and the vibe is cool and sophisticated in a classic, oceanfront setting. The service was prompt, water was poured, drinks were ordered, warm rolls materialized with olive oil dipping sauce. The menu featured some old favorites and some new temptations. Each of us ordered something different. A half portion of Bolognese as a starter? No problem! Watermelon and feta salad, DELICIOUS. The entrees were extraordinary: Linguine a la Vongole with tons of succulent, small clams, a large piece of expertly cooked swordfish served with a mushroom risotto, Chicken Milanese with arugula -- all the entrees were large portions, great value, and totally worth the calories. The pianist tickled the ivories while patrons sat at the charming bar and, looking out at the nearly full moon over the Atlantic, we were happy, sated, and glad to be back at The Summer House. Come dine at the most beautiful spot on Nantucket -- you won't be disappointed.

I don't mind that they were pretty under-staffed (that is to be expected in this post covid world), but I felt like asking "what kind of scam are you trying to push on me?" This place is ridiculously overpriced for what you get. We were in a tent surrounded by screaming kids, plastic tables, the waiters were in t-shirts running around, there was no personal service whatsoever. So its basically a poolside restaurant, right? But add to that a menu that has $40+ entrees (including a $43 lobster roll) and no wine by the glass under $20; You're going to pay several hundred dollars for a family of 4, for that poolside experience. As many others say, there are many excellent restaurants on Nantucket, you might as well go to one that actually trying to deliver a real dining experience. Food was fine, and service was actually speedy, thus the two stars, but the experience was awful.

Horrible slow service and the food was ice cold. It's a shame because it has such a nice atmosphere.

Had such a great time here, and mainly because of the staff and the locals. The drinks were amazing. The food was good. And, the bartender, Felipe, was outstanding!!! I met so many great people- such a wonderful time!

We went for cocktails on the beach. Not only were the drinks poorly made but they were way overpriced!! $50 for two cocktails and we couldnt even drink them they were so bad! Not sure we will be back unfortunately.

The summer house food is digesting. I eat lobster weekly and I am 100% their lobster meat is fake. We booked an inn through them to stay in last month and showed up on Nantucket only to find out they had sold the inn and never refunded us or told us. After hours of back and forth they refunded us only to charge us again and claim we crashed a wedding and harassed them. (There was no wedding and they did not offer credits for future stay as they had claimed. Not that we would ever want to stay in such a poorly run business). I don't suggested eating or staying there and heard terrible things about them from Nantucket locals. They'll probably sell the place or go out of business soon.

Nothing to do with COVID. I actually really appreciated their efforts - truly socially distanced tables, paper napkins and menus, plastic waters, etc. The three stars is for the food. I ordered the pappardelle bolognese and my brother had the clam linguine. Both dishes had good portions but were too salty to finish. Just be aware of this when you order. My mom had the cod and loved it. The cherry gelato was delicious also.

Had a lovely dinner here the other night. We asked the host if we could sit outside on the porch, and he was able to accommodate us, which was very nice. Food: The food was very good, and the servings were quite large so I was unable to finish everything. We got lobster cocktail and burrata as appetizers, and it was all delicious. The bread was also warm and delicious. My main, the Halibut, was cooked perfectly, with yummy vegetable sides. I only wish they had included more of the accompanying sauce. Service: Our waiter was nice and cracked a few jokes, but he was slow. We were waiting around for the table to be cleared for a while before dessert. Overall it was a great time, with great ambience!

I have been there many times and enjoyed incredible meals. That time is over! Was there on Oct 16, 2021. The service was horrible. We asked for a Manhattan straight up, when served it was full of ice. They took it back, strained the ice and gave it to us in the same glasses for $20 a pop. Then the food, small clams and pasta / that's it / $46. I could have made this a my house. I felt like we had been completely ripped off. Used to be one of our favs / NO More.

2 stars because the restaurant accommodated a reservation for 6 at the last minute, and the view was nice. But the rest of the experience was mediocre and overpriced. The wait staff is overwhelmed and the food is a clear miss. We arrived at 6:30 PM and we weren't served our drinks until 7:20 PM. The first course came at 8:00 PM. At last, the main course came out at 8:35 PM. Geesh! We weren't all served at the same time which, at this price point, is disgraceful. The $18 salad had wilted greens and all of our main courses were quite small (even for Nantucket!) and cold. So disappointing. The second bottle of wine we ordered took so long to come that we just canceled it. Pass.

We had a fantastic meal for our party of 10. Arguably one of our best meals the entire week on island! Kudos to the host, service and chef. The tuna tartare appetizer is to die for! We can't wait to come back in August!

infinite stars across the board. if i was on the electric chair and had to choose one final meal, it would be the lobster pasta from here- or any of their dishes. chefs kiss. phenomenal vibes all around. immaculate friendly service. to any of the negative reviews.... you must be an uptight bore and have no tastebuds from covid

Well... it's a gorgeous room. Really perfect Nantucket. Every time i come I wish for more and it just doesn't make it. I was treating significant other & really wanted to impress. Half way thru dinner I just stopped the charade: this is mediocre at best I said. They agreed. Sad. The food is completely institutional and like something from a second tier country club. Service was ok .. Lil pushy about ordering even though it was empty. Drinks are tiny, bill is BIG... sorry guysREALLY need to step up your game! Shame... Prob my last time.

I had such a good experience at the Summer House. The food was great especially the dessert! The staff was so kind and helpful. I can't wait to go back!

Omg love. Such a gorgeous location. Very private and was lively without being overcrowded like some places in town. We got the pizza app and then lobster roll, burgers, crab cake, and fish of the day and was a 10/10. Definitely a perfect lunch spot on Nantucket!!!

This should be on an episode of bar rescue it's so bad...comically bad. Food is ridiculously overpriced and mediocre at best and the place operates like some type of circus. Save your time and money for one of the other unbelievable spots on the island....there are too many good spots to waste time and money here.

The main house is still under construction after its fire so dining is under a tent down the hill on the pool deck. Really beautiful setting - just wish it had been a clearer night for sunsets sake. The tent backs up to the beach so the views would be spectacular. They appeared to be doing a good job with corona precautions. I had the burratta to start, Bolognese for a main, and chocolate mouse to finish. All three were good, though not the best i had ever had. Service was friendly, though they were definitely short staffed. We waited pretty long between courses to be seen by our waiter but they were trying their best. One thing to note-it is down about 2 flights of stairs from the road so people with mobility issues would have difficulty

A fine outdoor dining venue on the beach serving stellar seafood in an idyllic setting.

We were seated for about 15 minutes before the bartender came by. He gave us a hard time about our IDs (all over 25 Massachusetts residents), we gave him our drink order and he walked away mid-sentence, telling us we were "too undecided." I went up to the bar to put in our order again, was ignored and again chastised for our IDs and being "undecided." We left. Don't come here, servers are extremely rude.

Parking-took bus, great transportation system!! Food-salads, pizza, BLT Ambience-great spot!! Service-excellent Drinks-good Clean-cleanliness Focused Foodie

Disappointing meal. Workmanlike but nowhere near as nice as it looks on the menu Nice setting for sure Also it has earned a reputation locally of not being honest. Some complain of padded bills and some who worked there quit because they did not pay the staff what they were owed. So we do not go anymore even though it is bike-able from our house.

It was a beautiful Sunday late morning and we called The Summer House to confirm they'd be open and inquire if a reservation was needed. We were told when we called that no reservation was needed and we wouldn't have any issues getting in. Mid day, we arrived at Summer House and soon realized that they were very understaffed. The lifeguard for their pool was stepping in to play hostess and get waters for folks. He was very polite when he communicated we would have a lengthy wait getting our food. We decided to be seated anyway, and enjoy the views. We did have a wait, but it was not with the food as we had expected. We tried to order a bottle of wine, only to find out the manager had opened the restaurant but left his staff, after the chef had quit the night before. The manager made the decision to lock the wine cellar, while he was away. I understand that Covid has left restaurants short staffed, or in many cases, having to bring on new staff as they reopen, but I can't understand how a manager would leave his staff under these circumstances. When our food did arrive, one of the salads on the menu said Bibb lettuce and they used arugula instead. I am giving these guys a 2 star because the staff we interacted with were trying very hard to deliver a good experience, but the reality is - this restaurant should not have been open. We later found out that the restaurant closed due to 3 staff being positive with Covid, and the restaurant is now closed. As they consider a reopening, I hope they choose a more appropriate reopening approach, that gives great food, service and takes care of their staff and patrons. With so many other amazing places to eat on the Island, go somewhere else.

Horrendous, disgusting, unsanitary, careless. I have never written a review like this but I'm truly appalled. During covid restrictions, the owners daughter was walking through the restaurant without a mask going up to tables and screaming on the phone. We told the waiter we were uncomfortable and he cursed about it and didn't do a damn thing. Then they had a different guy walking around under their outdoor tent smoking a cigar blowing smoke in everyone's face - also without a mask. Very disappointing. This restaurant does not belong in Sconset.

Don't order the Caesar salad. The tiny plate arrived with about 5 leaves on it which I imagine someone threw it straight from the fridge without even bother to look at where it land. And that was $16 dollars! It was so pathetic looking that if i had seen it before hand I would have laughed. For the quality, presentation, taste and quantity, charging $5 for it would have been massively overpriced. The mussels was decent but everything else was pretty mediocre. Far better places on the island.

So disappointing! Plastic tables with no covering and stains. Food was very overpriced and not special in anyway. Drinks weak and in very small plastic cups. But the most alarming part of our experience was the server wearing his mask below his nose and his noticeably unclean "uniform". Not what you would expect in Nantucket and with $50 plus pp dinner. Avoid and head to Millies or 167 Raw.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the worst restaurant experience I've had. Incredibly rude staff. Owner/manager told us that all walk ins have to wait 45 mins even though most tables were open. Owner and much of staff were not wearing masks and following covid protocols. Obnoxious service. Wait staff told us to "chill out" when we asked for a menu after being seated without one. Was rude unwilling to answer questions when we told wait staff about dietary restrictions. Walked away disappointed before placing an order. Several locals overheard us talking about the experience and said it is a regular occurrence. Plenty of other options nearby.

This shit sucks ass. I got the fish tacos which were pretty terrible and extremely boring. The Coca-Cola has no carbonation. The best part of my meal was a lemonade that I got at a store nearby. The music was insanely loud versions of pop songs, and it pissed me off the entire time. Not to mention the absolutely insane prices. 28$ for a BLTA!?!?!? What is that shit!?!? Not worth going here, unless u want to torture yourself.

Fish tacos were 28$ and I finished the tiny 4 tacos in less then 2 minutes. They were the blandest thing ever. The music was blasting the entire lunch. Terrible service. Terrible drinks. Terrible restruant

If you enjoy long waits and rude staff, this is your spot. I spent two birthdays waiting for the check, and beyond the overcharged drinks they accidentally* overcharged us by ~$100. I wouldn't send my enemies here.

Beautiful views of the ocean, but the food clearly comes right out of the freezer and onto your plate. Ride your bike down Ocean Ave and take in the view from the road. There's too much good food on the island to settle for this.

STAY VERY, VERY FAR AWAY!!!! The only bad place on the island. 2 drinks spilled on us from a drunk server, crappy food, awful prices, disgracefully long service and then they took 25 minutes to try to figure out the bill. At which point, they charged the tip to my card. . .TWICE!!! Have called 7 times about getting a refund for the overcharged $200 tip but nothing yet. STAY VERY, VERY FAR AWAY!!!!

Staff and ownership are so unbelievably rude and condescending. Went as far as shouting racist profanity at someone in my group for NO REASON. You might think I'm kidding. I am not. Never felt so disrespected, so degraded in my life. Stay far from this establishment.

Overpriced, poor quality, terrible service : We spent $115 for - a crab cake, fish tacos and a salad plus one round of iced teas. We were ignored for 20 minutes before a girl came by with water and said the waiter would be right over. 20 minutes later the waiter came and asked for a drink order. We were not alone. This was happening all over the patio. While we waited an hour for the cold in the center crab cake app to arrive we were at least entertained as we watched the staff's lack of control over the number of dogs they allow in the restaurant. Watching the big Bernese mountain dog waltz to sit next to the French bulldog was mind blowing. We were never checked on or asked for another drink order. The gorgeous view and scenery is the only take away and reason we didn't feel robbed.

This is easily the best food on island outside of town, however, you certainly pay for it. Sitting on the side of a cliff in Siasconset, one's view is a 180 degree panorama of the Atlantic ocean. It is breathtaking, calming, astonishing and peaceful all at once. Simply put: Beautiful. For cocktails I got my standard, a Cape Codder (cranberry and Vodka for those outside of New England). It was fairly strong, though I prefer them strong enough to burn all the way to the stomach. After that I had a few vodka tonics, a gin and tonic and I finished with a DACK and Stormy, which is an ACK island variation on the Bermudian classic Dark and Stormy. For the meal I got the Bartlett's Farm Mozzarella and Tomato salad. I am on a diet right now WHICH FUCKING BLOWS CAUSE THE BURGER LOOKED AMAZING BUT I GOTTA LOSE SOME WEIGHT SO I CAN BONES ARIEL K. HARD. Anyways, the salad was amazing. The mozz was so soft and tasty, it melted in mouth like the nectar of the gods, and the tomatoes were so juicy and fresh. Both products are cultivated on an all organic farm a mere 2 miles away, so you can imagine how delightfully fresh it was. The accoutrement was a few slices of fresh toasted bread from Something Natural (read my review) and a nice light pesto dressing. I capped off this truly original Nantucket meal with a half-dozen Sankaty Lights, a light beer brewed locally at Cisco Breweries (read my review). God I never want to leave this place.

Phenomenal location and setting in quaint and timeless 'Sconset. However, decor needs updating and service could be better. We had a nice afternoon lunch there, and I recommend their signature cocktail "The Pink Slipper" which is a surprisingly refreshing tequila, agave nectar and rosé combination. Food was yummy but the main issue is the low quality of the "stuff" and decor. The real estate value of this property is easily in excess of $10 million but the other stuff looks like it belongs in a dive bar not a luxury property. Examples: low quality of glassware (cheap plastic stuff) poor quality dishwashing (all the plastic "glasses" covered with spots), and what should be a beautiful beachside terrace is full of cheap tailgating tents more appropriate in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium than Nantucket. The tables and chairs are all cheap stuff (Walmart quality). I know I sound snobby calling this stuff out, but with high prices come high expectations. Also upon arriving and informing the hostess we had a reservation for lunch, the terrace was mostly empty but the hostess had zero personality and spent 30 seconds staring at her OpenTable tablet before silently guiding us to the table never saying a word. Great restaurants are about hospitality and the guest experience - something the hostess didn't care about. I never saw a manager.

The list of reasons not to go here would take far too long to address in one review. Between horrendous adherence to Covid guidance and prices that bordered on moronic -- I wouldn't recommend this place to my own worst enemy. Putrid putrid putrid. No thank you.