Sunset Pier – Marina Bay, Quincy

As the 2024 boating season winds down, we find ourselves migrating to ports that are also accessible by car. The action on The Islands – Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island, really dies when it starts to get too cold for boating.

It’s okay, we still have Newport, Cape Cod, and the east coast of Massachusetts, which brought us to Marina Bay.

Marina Bay is also quieting down, but with walls of townhomes protecting this gem from the din of Interstate 93, it’s now more local residents than boaters.

A Great New Restaurant

Marina Bay was our first destination on May 3rd and Mitchell (the marina manager) introduced us to Nate, the manager of Marina Bay’s newest restaurant – Sunset Pier, before we’d even finished tying up.

I gave him my card and promised to try his restaurant, but it never got out of the fifties that weekend and Sunset Pier is an alfresco dining venue, so we never ate there.

We arrived Saturday morning and the temperature was just under 70°. We decided it was time to give the restaurant a try.

Sunset Pier

It’s far more intimate than its sister venue WaterClub, but it’s closer to the water.

We decided to dine inside. As you enter, you pass a very hip outside bar with a big-screen TV.

Inside there is another bar under a bright cathedral ceiling.

There is also a large opening window connecting the inside dining room with the alfresco area.

The stairs in the upper right corner of the photo lead to a rooftop dining area and a service bar.

An Eclectic Menu

Back in May I glanced at the menu and thought it was light; more of a tapas/wine bar menu than a full restaurant.

That said, upon closer inspection, it’s very easy to construct a full meal of unique culinary small plates.

Nevertheless, it is essentially a wine bar with an extensive nitrogen system to keep expensive bottles fresh by the glass.

Mrs. Horne appreciated their Zero-Proof options!

The Food

Thanks to the “Shareable’s” option, we were able to try out the four more interesting dishes.

Mrs. Horne voted for the Lettuce Wraps and since the plate offered three, we each had one.

We’ve been eating lettuce wraps for decades and no two restaurants make them the same. At Sunset Pier, they are light and fresh. There is a hint of curry and crispy garlic. It’s all served on a perfect leave of Bibb lettuce.

We first discovered blue cheese and steak pizza at The Mohegan on Block Island a few weeks ago so when we spotted the Black and Bleu we put in an order.

You must visit Sunset Pier to try this dish alone. It’s an artfully crafted flavor bomb with a perfect French Bread Pizza crust.

There are cheeses at play here beyond the Blue. Likely mozzarella for texture and a hint of Asiago or Parmesan.

There are no French Fries at Sunset Pier, but that’s fine; instead, they offer an obscenely good smashed potato dish.

This is one of the best ways to elevate the simple potato. The Harissa remoulade has a bit of a kick, but less than sriracha.

Our fourth dish was also a no-brainer – lamb chops.

If you were looking for a full dinner at Sunset Pier, you could certainly go to the lollipops and share an order of the potatoes. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better meal at a four-star restaurant.

Every bite of every dish was mouthwatering and memorable.

Sunset Pier also has a great team to serve you!

As reported back in May, Marina Bay has a lot of great restaurants, but Sunset Pier May well be #1!