Bluefish River Tavern

There’s a cool new restaurant south of Boston that’s getting a lot of buzz, so what do you say we get a taste of the Bluefish River Tavern in Duxbury. This is the restaurant the South Shore has been waiting for. It’s comfortable, it’s casual, and the food is really tasty.

For years, this was where the Milepost Restaurant was located, right on Route 3A in Duxbury. And in 2023, new owners came in and completely renovated the space. Now it’s open and airy, with lots of nautical touches throughout the dining room and bar. There’s even a mural with an actual boat sticking out of it. So there’s just a fun vibe to the place, and the menu features a lot of ingredients from local farms and fishermen.

The appetizer section of the Bluefish River Tavern menu is positively stacked. Especially the street corn nachos. It’s a massive portion, stacked high and heavy on a sheet tray. So you have crispy corn tortillas, loaded up with a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and queso fresco, so there’s certainly plenty of cheese. Along with pickled onions, black olives, grilled corn salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

The chicken wings are so special here, they don’t even call them chicken wings. They’re known as Dragon Wings! We’re talking fresh, not frozen chicken. They’re smoked and dry-rubbed, so you get a lot of flavor… and then they’re taken to a whole other level with a mango and habanero glaze, so you get a sweet and spicy thing going on. And they’re served over a pool of cilantro and lime crema.

If you’re in the mood for a salad, there are actually six to choose from. Our favorite might be the classic Wedge Salad. So you’ve got your fresh iceberg lettuce, bermuda onions, and cherry tomatoes. And then of course, you get some crispy chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and a generous slather of blue cheese dressing.

Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on a burrata kick lately. And here, you can get a Burrata Flatbread. It’s basically a personal-size pizza with a nice golden crust. Topped with some arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil.. And two fist-sized balls of Burrata on top, and they throw some balsamic pearls on there for a pop of sweetness.

Now let’s talk pasta. Specifically a dish called Shrimp Nduja (n-DOO-yah). Nduja is like the Italian version of Chorizo. And here, they add it to a garlic butter sauce and serve it over some sauteed shrimp with tomatoes, mushrooms, and fettuccine noodles. So it ends up being a little spicy, a little savory, a little sweet, and it’s just impossible to stop eating.

When it comes to choosing an entree, you might be thinking, ‘should I get steak or seafood?’. Luckily, you’re not gonna go wrong either way. On the seafood side of things, the swordfish is very popular. It starts with a perfectly grilled swordfish steak, along with some Kewpie mayo, dill, and lemon aioli. There’s also some brussels sprouts on there, a little pineapple and lemon. And it’s all served over a bed of cashew fried rice. So a lot of Asian vibes on this plate, but the swordfish is still the star, really tasty.

They also have a lot of Brazilian influences on the menu. And the Moqueca is a great example. This is a traditional Brazilian fish stew. You have shrimp, salmon, swordfish, haddock, mussels and clams in there. And it’s all slow-cooked in a rich broth with tomatoes, coconut, and cream. You can find some jasmine rice in there as well. And thankfully, it comes with some grilled focaccia, because you will not want to waste a drop of that broth.

For the carnivores out there, check out Bluefish River’s Steak Frites. This is meat and potatoes done right. You got your grilled sirloin steak topped with a housemade chimichurri sauce. And that combination of the juicy beef with the garlic and herbs is just so mouthwatering. Then you got your hand-cut parmesan truffle French fries. Those are insanely good. And to pretend like you’re eating healthy, you got some grilled broccolini on there too.

The most underrated dish here is the Barbecue Plate. They really do a good job with barbecue, and on this dish, you get a third of a rack of Saint Louie ribs, they’re smoked in house and slathered in their own barbecue sauce. They throw a stack of onion rings right on top. Plus, it comes with a side of steak tips, and coleslaw, and garlic mashed potatoes. It’s a lot of food, but that’s not going to stop me from getting dessert.

You can not leave without ordering the Bread Pudding. It’s made with brioche, so it’s nice and buttery, baked with homemade custard… and it’s finished with some creme Anglaise, caramel, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream.

Duxbury is a great spot for a day trip, it’s a beautiful town, and now you really have a reason to go there, for Bluefish River Tavern.