A few weeks ago, Mrs. Horne and I took a bike ride down the new bike trail from Mattapoisett to the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier. We took a right down Middle Street and followed the signs to the Seaport Resort and Marina.
And, right before our eyes was a huge outdoor patio, covered bar, and live music sitting on the New Bedford Inner Harbor.
We grabbed a seat at the bar and felt immersed in a pure Margaritaville seaside vibe. I asked the bartender if people can come by boat and she said “Yeah, I think so!”
This Is Huge!
Dock and Dine in New Bedford harbor. Finally, a spot to tie up, have lunch, a cocktail, and take in live music on a weekend afternoon inside the Hurricane Barrier!
When I started My Buzzards Bay six years ago, one of my goals was to create a Dock and Dine directory for Buzzards Bay beyond the iconic Chart Room at Kingman Marine.
Over the years, we’ve added The Sail Loft in Padanaram, Off The Hook on West Island, and both The Fisherman’s View and Pilot House at the end of the canal.
But we’ve never had a Dock and Dine in the New Bedford inner harbor until now!
The New Seaport Waterfront Bar
A few weeks back, I met with Parth, one of the new owners, to talk about what was happening at the Seaport Waterfront Bar, as well as their plans for the future.
Parth and his partners bought the Seaport about a year ago. It’s already a great spot, but they have ambitious plans that could make it the Premier Dock and Dine on Buzzards Bay very soon.
Today, the Seaport Waterfront Bar already offers the first Margaritaville vibe on the Fairhaven side of Route 6.
The Seaport offers a full bar with a couple of beers on tap. There is a decent menu, and food comes from the Travelers Ale House food truck, located 100’ from the site.
I love live music on the water in the afternoon, and The Seaport Bar is truly committed to making it happen.
One of my pet peeves is live music venues that don’t announce when musicians are performing or who the performers are.
But at the Seaport Waterfront Bar, you can always find out who’s performing at The Seaport and when on their website.
They are also very active on Facebook and other social media, recently posting this slick video ad.
You can call the Waterfront’s Bar at (774) 438-2702.
The Dock
Parth showed me their ample dock.
They plan to open it on a first-come-first-served basis for Dock and Dine in mid-July. I’d suggest calling the front desk and asking for Tara to confirm the docks are open before venturing out by boat (Tara O’Connell, Event & Waterfront Venue Manager (508) 997-1281 Ext. 1).
The approach is a little narrow, but according to my Garmin charts, it offers six feet at mean low water.
Ambitious Plans
Parth also told me they have plans to install a permanent pavilion-style roof over the bar and a substantial portion of the patio in August. They also plan to open an Indian-American fusion restaurant in the hotel serving the bar and music venue.
Word is spreading, and on most afternoons, there is already a good crowd at the Seaport. Once the docks open, I suspect it will be packed every weekend. Check it out…
BONUS: Bike and Dine!
As I mentioned at the outset, Mrs. Horne and I stumbled upon the Seaport Waterfront Bar while biking. With the completion of the Shining Shores connection, it’s now an enjoyable bike ride from Depot Street in Mattapoisett to the Fairhaven waterfront.
When you exit the bike path, simply follow the road in front of the Ice Cream Cottage, take a right on Middle Street, and take a left into the Seaport parking lot just before Route 6.
If you pedal hard, you might be able to work off that ice cream cone on the way back to Mattapoisett!