Beachside Fare All Year

As winter starts to fade away, and Southern Rhode Islanders emerge from hibernation, most people are ready for a day at the beach. In March, a visit to the beach has many advantages – Route One isn’t packed with bumper to bumper traffic, the parking is free and plentiful, dogs are permitted, and you can walk for miles without getting run over by preteens learning to boogie board. One of my favorite spots for a late winter/almost spring walk is Narragansett Beach. For out of town visitors, the entrance fees in the summer are expensive, but this pristine stretch of beach is one we can treasure in the off-season. If you’re looking for something to eat after your stroll down the beach, Oceanside at the Pier is steps away and open seven days a week for lunch and dinner plus brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Adjacent to the Village Inn and the Pier Marketplace, Oceanside at the Pier has a million dollar view of Narragansett Beach, making it a great lunch spot. Since taking ownership of the restaurant in 2012, best friends Francesca Sarantapoulas and Gina Musto have strived to create a comfortable, yet classy atmosphere. This isn’t your typical beach shack. Instead, there are fresh flowers on every table, cloth napkins and a giant aquarium bringing the ocean to life inside the restaurant. There’s a large bar located away from the ocean views, but it’s a nice spot to try a few of their hand mixed cocktails and watch a game. During the summer months, however, an outside patio provides better views. On the day I was there, the surf was up, and I had a great view of the surfers trying to tame the waves.

Forgoing cocktails in honor of my New Year’s resolution, my friend and I both enjoyed bottomless Diet Cokes ($2). Our waitress was terrific and kept our glasses full. To warm myself up, I started with a cup of Clam Chowder ($4). The chowder was tasty and filled with lots of tender, fresh clams, red skin potatoes and seasoned well with fresh herbs. We also split a Grilled Barbecue Chicken Pizza ($15). The crust was thicker than most grilled pizzas I have sampled, but the barbecue sauce was full of flavor, the mozzarella and cheddar cheese generously applied and the chicken was moist and delicious. I did long for more blue cheese, however, and the small amount on the pizza only teased me.

After reading so many positive reviews of them online and not looking for a big meal, my friend chose the Shrimp and Lobster Fritters ($12) for her entrée, but she didn’t get the light meal she was hoping for and had plenty to take home! These fritters were enormous, clamcake-sized balls of deep fried happiness. They were accompanied by a “sweet and spicy aioli” dipping sauce which had a unique flavor. As someone who considers herself a Fish Taco connoisseur, I was psyched to see them on Oceanside’s menu. The best part of the Fish Tacos ($11) was the Narragansett beer battered fried cod. The crust was super crisp, and the fish was off-the-boat fresh. Based on the quality of this fish, I would definitely want to give the Fish and Chips ($14) a try the next time I visit. The fish was topped with pineapple salsa, avocado and lime cilantro sour cream and accompanied by a scoop of creamy cole slaw.

I saved room for dessert because I noticed they were provided by South Kingstown’s Cey Cey’s Treats. To my dismay, the restaurant didn’t have a list of ingredients for the desserts. Due to my coconut oil allergy, it was too risky to try something. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me, and I was disappointed. I respect restaurants that opt not to make their own desserts and instead bring them in from an already known bakery, but I wish they would also get the list of ingredients. The Dark Chocolate and Salted Caramel Oreo Pie sounded amazing, so try it and let me know how it was.

To help entice customers during the slow weekdays in the offseason, Oceanside at the Pier offers a couple of specials you should check out. Monday-Thursday is half off of their entire lunch menu from 12-2:00pm. On the same days, they have a great dinner special giving you any two entrées and a bottle of wine for $33. Anyone looking for a local getaway, the Village Inn has a Dine and Stay Package featuring an overnight stay and dinner for two at Oceanside at the Pier with a complimentary beer or glass of wine per person. Rates start at $167.50 per couple.

For most of us, summer can’t come soon enough, but Narragansett Beach is beautiful any time of year. Oceanside at the Pier provides a warm, cozy atmosphere to take in the ocean views. If you want to visit the beach before the summer crowds return, stop in for a bite to eat, and you will soon be looking forward to trading in your wool sweaters for swimsuits.

Oceanside at the Pier
1 Beach Street Narragansett
792-3999

Follow Stacey on Twitter @ridining or Instagram @sap115. Find further adventures in dining on Stacey’s website