While most dining spots that are featured in Boston's Hidden Restaurants aren't literally hidden (they are simply little-known, overlooked places), there are a few spots that are indeed physically hidden away from the general public. One such restaurant, Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant (formerly the Inn at Bay Pointe) in Quincy, is in fact so difficult to find that this writer still has trouble locating it after a number of visits. Buried at the edge of the water on a dead-end side street off of Route 3A, Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant almost feels like a private club, but it is nothing of the kind; instead, it is a rather elegant, classy dining spot that has good food, great views, and the feel of discovery to those who are able to find it.
After some renovations to the place that have been done before and leading up to the time that it changed over from the Inn at Bay Pointe to Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant, the interior of the dining spot remains a bit like a ballroom or a function room, with lots of room between tables and multiple sections from which to choose, including a spacious but cozy-feeling bar in the front. The dining area is very quiet overall, thanks to the carpeting and the sheer amount of space inside the place, and during the warmer months, a recently-expanded outdoor deck with a bar and a boardwalk below affords diners outstanding views of Town River Bay, which is just beyond the restaurant, as well as the Germantown section of Quincy on the other side of the bay.
Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant continues to offer the American and New American cuisine that the Inn at Bay Pointe had, but the menu feels a bit more upscale now. A few items that have been carried over--or are new to the menu--include (depending on the season) a rich and creamy macaroni and cheese that can be ordered with options that include big chunks of lobster or fall-apart tender short rib meat; a moist, tender broiled scrod with lemon butter and breadcrumbs; steak tips that come with a zesty two-day marinade; a classic chicken parm that comes with angel hair pasta; a tremendous paella with shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, chorizo, Spanish rice, and more; and a char-grilled swordfish that is meaty and has very little waste. Salads are fresh and come as large portions (they have the usual Caesar and Cobb salad options, each of which are big enough for two people), and appetizers--again, depending on the season--include wings, popovers with a creamy pepper dip, fried calamari, and a baked crab dip that features a mix of claw and lump crabmeat mixed with cheese. A separate tapas menu is also offered, with this menu focusing on apps and small plates such as pan-fried white potatoes, crab cake sliders, bacon-wrapped dates, Korean BBQ meatballs, fried arancini, and ham croquettes. Beer and wine are available both inside and out at Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant, along with a variety of spirits.
While a good number of folks who live in Quincy know all about Bay Pointe Waterfront Restaurant (and the old Inn at Bay Pointe), those who live outside of the area generally do not know about the place at all, and its rather obscure location (and easy-to-miss signage on Route 3A) don't seem to help, either. But if you get yourself a good GPS or street map--or use the online map that links from this review--it really isn't that difficult to find. And once you do, prepare yourself for some good food and even better views that will probably have you coming back again and again.
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