Sea Level Oyster Bar

Bar, Eatery

94 Wharf St
Salem, Massachusetts, 01970-5141
United States

(978) 741-0555 | map
sealeveloysterbar.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.22
Reviews:
1
Ratings:
3
pDev:
6.16%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by mynie:
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Really nice place.

To start: Salem is touristy. You probably don't want to come here just for beer, as there are obviously better options in the city and if you live elsewhere on the North Shore you'd probably just as soon drive into the city. I get that. I'm not quite sure if Sea Level is good enough that it warrants a trip specifically to see it, but it's within walking distance of three other really good beer destinations (Gulu Gulu, Namkeag Ordinary, and Flying Saucer), so you could make a day out of it.

It's on the wharf. Free parking is pretty easy to find, but you might have to walk a few blocks if you come during peak hours. The bar itself is literally, seriously on the wharf. Right on it. You look right out upon it. You can smell the salt air.

The upstairs bar is indoor-outdoor, and the whole place goes for a really clean, angular feel, with lots of aquamarine against corrugated chrome. It doesn't feel genuine, really, but it is aesthetically pleasing--imagine if the people who decorated Joe's Crab Shack had the same basic idea in mind but consulted actual designers.

The menu is almost entirely seafood. It's excessively fresh, and they do a good job of blending dumb "fusion" options with traditional fare.

The beer list is large, variegated, constantly rotating and almost entirely local. That's the best part, aside from the view: they got the hook up, man. I've been in three times, and each time they had a new, high-ABV Clownshoes beer that was so rare couldn't find any mention of it on the internet (one was a rum-barrel aged something or other, the other was a triple IPA, and the other... I was really drunk but I remember liking it). They also get great rotating taps from Night Shift, Notch, 2 Roads, and Cape Anne.

My only complaints: the vibe is a aggressively upper middle class. The prices ain't bad, considering, but there's a lot of people here who just got done either golfing or spending a lot of their husband's money on hideous clothes. Also--they don't list their taps online! That's understandable, since they don't market themselves as a beer joint, but also a little inconvenient.

All things considered, this is a fantastic place. B+ food, A+ view and atmosphere, A- tap list.
May 22, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.86 by KensWorld from Florida

Jun 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.34 by tommyboy985 from Massachusetts

Jan 17, 2019
Sea Level Oyster Bar in Salem, MA
Place rating: 4.22 out of 5 with 3 ratings