The Coast Guard House Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Building with a Story

In the late 1800s, the United States Life Saving Service commissioned a station of solid granite perched above Narragansett Bay. The architects were McKim, Mead & White — the same firm behind some of America's most enduring civic landmarks. That building is now The Coast Guard House Restaurant, and the weight of its history is felt the moment you arrive at 40 Ocean Road.

The restaurant established itself in the 1940s as a destination for locally harvested seafood, then transformed in 1979 into a year-round dining spot. A more recent chapter began after Super Storm Sandy, which prompted a full rejuvenation: a new lounge and dining room, fresh menu directions, and a renewed commitment to the experience. Over the past decade, the restaurant has earned recognition at both the state and national level — including a 2025 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a testament to the depth and care of its wine program.

What's on the Table

The menu reads as confident American seafood cooking with genuine range. The raw bar anchors the experience — littleneck clams, oysters, jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail cocktail, available by the piece or as the generous "Ice Crusher" platter. New England clam chowder and lobster bisque are the natural opening moves, while appetizers stretch from house-made stuffies (top neck clams, chorizo, red bell pepper) to a lobster tamale with corn cream and cilantro.

Mains follow the same logic: a steamed lobster dinner at market price, house-made lobster ravioli with brandy cream, seared scallops over a summer vegetable ragout, and a halibut with saffron beurre blanc. For those who prefer land, a filet mignon with oyster mushroom-peppercorn cream or a smoked pork chop with bourbon BBQ sauce hold their own. Desserts come from Pastry Chef Jamie Welsh, whose flourless chocolate cake and Narragansett ricotta cheesecake round things out with local character.

The Wine List and the Room

The Wine Spectator recognition reflects a list that moves comfortably from a Coast Guard House–labeled Chardonnay made by Newport Vineyards to Barolo, Sancerre, and Napa Cabernet. There are half-bottles, dessert wines, Madeiras, and a thoughtful selection of alcohol-free options — the kind of list that rewards exploration.

Seating spans the main dining room, an upstairs Anchor Room, and an outdoor patio, all oriented toward the historic bay view that guests have been coming for across generations. The ocean is not incidental here — it is the point.