The Grog
Just off Market Square in downtown Newburyport, The Grog (13 Middle St., Newburyport, Mass., 978-465-8008, thegrog.com) has been a staple of the coastal city for more than half a century. The three-story restaurant and pub is known for its American comfort fare, rotating craft beers and signature cocktails. The menu is eclectic, featuring everything from burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads to grilled steaks, pastas and risottos, as well as seafood dishes — using fresh fish from David’s Fish Market daily — and a rotating selection of 32 craft beers on tap. Pre-pandemic, The Grog was also a prime spot in the area to check out live local music, hosting a wide variety of artists and genres, along with weekly open mic nights and blues parties. The Scene recently caught up with Dave Melusky, The Grog’s sous chef and social media manager, to talk about the eatery’s long-lasting legacy and his top menu recommendation.
How long has The Grog been around?
The Grog has been here since 1971. … We started doing music in 1973 and have kind of carried that all throughout. We had to stop with the pandemic, but live music was a huge piece of who we are. … As far as I know, the building was called The Grog when it was purchased. … I’m not entirely sure where the name comes [from], apart from a story about Admiral [Edward] Vernon, who was nicknamed “Old Grogram.” … Grog was a drink with rum and citrus that they would give to sailors to prevent scurvy on their long trips across the ocean.
What’s your favorite thing on your menu?
I’d say my favorite thing that we do, hands down, is our burger. I think we have one of the best burgers in town, and have for years. … We have a specialty burger on our menu called the Silva Burger. It’s on a craft beer bun with candied bacon, brie, arugula and a red pepper aioli. It’s absolutely delicious.
What’s something on your menu that everyone should try?
That would be my same answer as the last question: the Silva Burger. … Anytime I get new staff in the building, they’re asking what they should eat, and that’s the first thing that I tell them to eat. … We have our standard Grog burger on the menu as well, and our Thomas Burger, which [has] an English muffin instead of a bun. You can add anything under the sun to those burgers too, so we’ve added eggs, bacon, jalapenos, you name it, [and] we have five different cheeses that you can put on it.
What’s an essential skill to running a restaurant?
Consistency is incredibly important. If you do the same thing right every single time, then you’ll get the same results, and they are great results.
What makes The Grog unique?
The Grog is a really special place to me. I’ve been here since 2008, and I immediately fell in love with it. … It just has a very comfortable vibe to it. It’s a very traditional English-style pub. There’s dark wood, really low lighting … and we have great food and drinks that bring people back. The overall vibe of the building [is] very comfortable. It’s kind of like a living room in your house.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at The Grog?
It would definitely be a local sports legend of any sort. … Over the years, we’ve had a lot of celebrities come and go through The Grog, [from] politicians [to] movie stars, people in television and athletes.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
Newburyport, for one, is a great community. It’s so nice being right by the water. It’s a different feeling being in a place like this, being right on the water with so many really old buildings.
— Matt Ingersoll
The Silva Burger (with creamy brie cheese, red pepper aioli, candied bacon and arugula on a toasted beer bun) Photo courtesy of The Grog.
