Hemingway's Bar & Grill

Great place to eat outside and relax in the Square. My kids love the fish and chips. My husband and I enjoy the mahi sandwiches. The inside is a bar and kids are not allowed, so this definitely a “good weather day” restaurant if you’re going with the kids. Since it’s near the train tracks, you might also catch the train going by, which is always fun for the kids.

I went for an interview and was told I had the job I just had to come in and work for free 4 hours total then I would start the training process I never got any response phone call of any sort I called them and they said that they found other people that were more fit for the job. Dave the owner seem to think that I would be a wonderful fit. The waitresses that work there act as if they are still in high school gossiping about one another and going into one another's lockers. I would never treat a potential employee in this manner at least give me the respect to call me and tell me that I was not hired because this all came from the immature waitresses and managers, I would certainly love to speak with the owner and get more insight as to why I was made to work for 4 hours for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I have read a lot of negative reviews about this place so I should have known better. Heads up for anyone that considers applying at this establishment.

Great friendly service-- we were one of about 4 tables with a messy baby, and the servers all helped out with smiles. Good food, too--would definitely come back.

We used to visit Hemingway's all the time. The atmosphere was casual, prices reasonable, the servers were accomodating, the live music was usually excellent, and the owner always made an effort to come by & thank us for our patronage. We stopped in recently after an event on the square and were SO disappointed! The atmosphere seemed tense among the employees we saw, maybe because their referee costumes were tight & unflattering and probably really uncomfortable in the 95 degree heat. After a couple of too-expensive "tropical" drinks served in cheap plastic cups, we waited over 20 minutes to get our tab because NOBODY knew where our server was. Needless to say, we were not happy campers when we left and will NOT be back. As an aside, since the bathroom is in the basement accessible only by old wooden stairs, the place is definitely not handicapped-accessible.

I wish I could rate this place 0 Stars!



Do not waste your time with Hemingway's! It was my first and last time there, and the owner (Dave Mendelson) is the ONLY reason I will not return.



Last night, I and a few of my friends went to open mic night. There was a talented band called Tomorrow People followed by a Beatles cover band called The Buggs (both were AWESOME!) who began playing at 8:30pm. I feel sorry for bands! The owner, Dave Mendelson, stopped the Tomorrow People in the middle of their first song. He went up to the stage, waved his arms at them, and yelled, "If you don't turn it down, you'll be kicked out!" People were shocked. The band was very gracious and complied, of course. Rather than berate them, he should have told the sound guy to quietly turn down the volume - no big deal. Instead, Dave Mendelson (owner) made the band stop playing, threatened them, and then fired the sound guy! I even heard him berating other patrons of HIS restaurant. I'm not the only person who thought this. To make matters worse, he even told the next band (The Buggs) that they needed to turn it down BEFORE they went on stage!



While waiting in line for the bathroom downstairs, another guy told me that the owner (Dave Mendelson) is an ex-cop, and has a "serious people-problem." That much is clear. He brings his Napoleonic complex and holier-than-thou attitude into his own restaurant, and apparently threatens musicians that HE invites. Would-be musicians BEWARE: Hemingway's is NOT WORTH YOUR TIME!



In short, the owner (Dave Mendelson) ruined the mood and tried to ruin the bands. Although I plan on seeing The Buggs and Tomorrow People again, I will never return to Hemingway's!

Where to begin? I recently had my first and last experience ever, at this joke of a 'bar'. Myself and a group of friends went to Hemingway's last night because another friend of ours was playing with his band, Tomorrow People, at their 'open mic night'...as advertised by their website. It came time for the band to go on and the 'host' of the open mic night asked if the sound levels were too loud. Everyone was fine, except for one older gentleman who came up and asked if they'd turn it down a bit, so they did. The band was playing their 3rd or 4th song, when the same older gentleman came up and stopped the band in mid-song. He yells at them, while the entire bar is watching and somewhat in shock that someone would be so rude, "TURN IT DOWN OR GET OFF THE STAGE!" My friends and I then asked our server who that incredibly disrespectful individual was that just yelled at the band. After playing dumb, she admitted that it was in fact the owner of Hemingway's, Dave Mendelson. We were all appalled that the owner of an establishment would act in such a way to the people who are bringing him business. Of all the people in the bar, about 15 of us came to support our friends in the band and spend money to eat and drink at Hemingway's, and the owner acts as if the open mic night, that he has obviously reproved, is an annoyance. In addition, the band did not have control over the volume, the host of the open mic night was standing by the PA system and is the one who books the bands. Instead of making a fool out of himself and yelling at the band in front of the entire bar, the owner could have quietly gone up to the MC and asked him to turn it down.

On a related note, there's nothing 'Tropical' about this place, in either the look or atmosphere. They don't even have glasses or silverware. Instead we were drinking out of Styrofoam and plastic cups. Our food was served on plastic plates and we ate with plastic untensils. I think there's something to be said if your establishment can't even provide real glasses and silverware. Not to mention the food was ok, at best. I ordered the shrimp po-boy, it was definitely cold when I got it.

Oh yeah, and the wait staff all wear black and white striped shirts, like a referee would wear. I think Dave Mendelson's bar is having an identity crisis. Because every time I think of a 'tropical' getaway, I think of referees.

In short, I will NEVER return here. The only reason I gave this place one star is because giving them no stars was not an option.