Cultivator Shoals

Name: Cultivator Shoals
Address: 35 Union St, New Bedford, MA, United States, 02740-7256
Telephone: (508) 492-2858
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.6

4.6

13 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Make a booking

2 people

17 Feb 2025

19:00

Great for creative cocktails
Innovative
Good for groups

Cultivator Shoals is a neighborhood watering hole where classic cocktails and delicious bar food are served in a historical setting. Cultivator Shoals is also a rich fishing area on Georges Bank, established in 1929 where Rose Alley is now and frequented by the world-famous New Bedford Fishermen.

We tip our hat to Howie Mallowes & Jay Lanagan who had the vision to remake Cultivator Shoals as an artisan cocktail bar and relocate to the Benjamin Taber Double House; a place that Melville lived in off and on.

Our drinks are classic with modern twists, all hand-made to order, following time-honored techniques. Our beers are a rotating selection of local and regional craft brewers, our wine list is a highly curated selection of new and old-world bottles. Our food is chef-made from scratch; we serve bar food with a twist. Our friendly team is some of the best bartenders and chefs in the area. At Cult you will have a great cocktail, good conversation and delicious sustenance.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Hours of Operation
Daily 17:00–22:00
Phone number
(508) 492-2858
Website
https://www.cultivatorshoals.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
35 Union St, New Bedford, MA 02740-7256
Area
New Bedford
Parking details
None

What 13 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

13 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
First time there. Cute place. An old pub. Small but quaint. We got seated next to a window. It happened to be about 10 degrees out and the window was stuck cracked open at the top. So the area was chilled. Not the end of the world. Ordered tuna nachos and wings to start. Both great. Actually - those tuna nachos were the best thing I have eaten in a long time. So, so good. Then I just got the Caesar salad which was ok. My husband got a burger and said it was wonderful with a great flame grilled taste. My daughter got the spicy chicken sandwich. While she liked it she later didn’t feel great and wondered if the kimchi pickles and all the spices just hit her wrong. Not sure. Shoestring fries with both sandwiches were great with a flavorful aioli. I would definitely go back and immediately get an order of tuna nachos for myself alone! One thing to mention - and maybe this wasn’t typical - but there was a large group of 9 or 10 in this small dining area and they were loud. Like ridiculously loud. And it was only 6pm. The waitress did address the noise with them and it got a bit better. When they left, though, it was amazing the difference - I could hear the music and have a conversation with others. Hopefully when anyone else goes next there isn’t a loud table like that. The room is too small with tables too close for noisy people like that. Just my opinion.
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S
Scott
VIP
Greater Boston
94 reviews
2.0
94 reviews
Dined on 4 January 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Sad to see the level of service is going down at one point the kitchen had to stop taking orders chicken wings came out burnt just wasn’t the same feeling. Everything was just passable after dropping $200. Not sure if I’ll return.
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S
Scott
VIP
Greater Boston
94 reviews
5.0
94 reviews
Dined on 23 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The overall vibe in this place is simply fantastic. All bartenders are very good at their job making the best craft cocktails around very satisfied customer.
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S
Sandra
VIP
Greater Boston
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 7 September 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We tried it for the very first time. Opens at 5 pm. The place is actually very cozy inside. Nice ambience.. menu is very limited and not anything too healthy .. mostly carbs .. service was excellent .. Chelsea was our server. Very very pleasant and attentive. We had the hamburger and fried chicken sandwich. We would go back again maybe for drinks ?
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S
Scott
VIP
Greater Boston
94 reviews
5.0
94 reviews
Dined on 27 August 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Service is always exceptional. Quality of food is fantastic. Nice little hidden gem.
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BK
BrianK
Greater Boston
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on 28 June 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cozy atmosphere, delicious food and great service! Would definitely recommend.
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D
Djay
VIP
Greater Boston
9 reviews
3.0
9 reviews
Dined on 20 April 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Because Cultivator Shoals is one of the Servewell group, we expected a better experience than we got. The menu is limited and mostly filled with carbs and cheese like Mac and cheese, fried chicken sandwich, nachos, and cheeseburger with fries. The Mac and cheese arrived barely warm and it arrived before the app we had ordered which were nachos. We sent the Mac and cheese back and they did heat it up. The server was great by the way. The burger was fine and I enjoyed my drink, but we probably won’t go back.
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KG
KarenG
Greater Boston
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on 14 April 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love the ambiance of this place. Cool nod to all things New Bedford history with artwork. Service was great! Unique offerings of small plates. We had the edamame wonton and some delicious lobster rolls. Great spot.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 April 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Thank you Cultivator Shoals for listing your amazing restaurant on Seize the Deal, we would have never known of you, and truly would have missed out. The food, drinks, decor, atmosphere and service were absolutely fantastic! We will definitely be back. Wish I could remember our waiters name, he was amazing, so very nice and very knowledgeable. My friend and I mentioned we would like to try a spicy martini that was not on the menu, he said we can absolutely make this for you, and it was so good, so thank you to our amazing waiter and bartender she made it perfectly they even included a beautiful flower! For reference we ordered: lobster wontons, steak fritter dinner, spicy tequila martini splash of pineapple & cranberry! Everything was absolutely delicious! We will definitely be coming back! Thank you all for an amazing first time experience!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
VIP
Caribbean
18 reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on 22 March 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Out waitstaff, including Chris, was phenomenal! The food and drinks were totally wonderful. The atmosphere was excellent. It’s our new favorite! Thanks to everyone there, it was a perfect evening.
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FAQs

Cultivator Shoals is rated 4.6 stars by 13 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

17 Feb 2025

19:00

35 Union St, New Bedford, MA 02740-7256

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
New Bedford
Hours of Operation
Daily 17:00–22:00
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Website
https://www.cultivatorshoals.com/
Phone number
(508) 492-2858

Cultivator Shoals

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 13 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Cultivator Shoals restaurant rated?

Is Cultivator Shoals currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information