Reviews for Sterling Ice Cream Bar

04/08/2024 - MenuPix User

04/06/2024 - MenuPix User

01/01/2024 - MenuPix User

12/01/2023 - MenuPix User

11/23/2023 - MenuPix User

07/05/2021 - MenuPix User
Excellent seafood and ice cream!

03/26/2021 - John perry
I have been going to the sterling icecream bar for over 70 plus years and I can say that there food and service is great my family and friends really like it a lot

07/28/2020 - James
I have been going to this establishment for many decades, this year, first order of whole fried clams was excellent week two either I said strip or something but that's what I got, yesterday asked again whole big belly clams, mostly strips ! Excellent people, quick service, good food, but if you don't have them just let me know and then I'll buy something else.

07/15/2020 - Katie
My husband and I took a long ride from our hometown which we historically like to do through scenic Sterling area in order to visit the SterlingDairy Bar which has been one of our favorites. We always get the same thing. We would order a fish sandwich which was always fresh haddock, generous and rivaled anything you might get on Cape Cod. We also ordered a small onion rings. We were in shock and awe when our order was ready. The sandwiches were frozen fish patties. They weren't even as good as a fish filet at McDonalds. The onion rings were small. I gave them some slack because it was late on a Sunday afternoon and I thought maybe they ran out but thought they should have told us that they ran out rather than serving this crap, The onion ring order was small compared to other visits. I wanted to leave this review on their website but they don/t seem to have one - another problem in this day and age. Not sure given this experience we all return unless we ask in advance what the fish sandwich is. So very disappointing. I could have made a Captain Gordan's sandwich at home

05/29/2020 - Sterling resident
Called in an order, girl said 10 minutes. Went to pick up order at the window, girl at the window said picking up and I said yes, girl stated you have to wait in the line which was at least 20 minutes long. Don’t know about you but I like my food hot not cold. They need to get there act together

05/28/2020 - MenuPix User
Service good onion rings the best

05/16/2020 - MenuPix User
Absolutely love their food here. Great fried clams, etc. Great ice cream also.

05/10/2020 - Karen
The scallops are amazing, lov this place

04/27/2020 - Denise Nicolas
Great foot long hot dog! Fried clams were awesome too!

04/20/2020 - MenuPix User
Went there got a tuna salad on a roll.I dont know who made the tuna salad but it was not tuna..spoke with them about it.she said she would speak with then..next time got my favorite pepper burger...it was burned as we're the peppers..big,big disappointment. .don't understand what's going on there..have been afraid to rdturn...

04/01/2020 - Chuck N from clinton
The wife and I stopped last night. My wife got shrimp and fries. Said they were great. Big portions, cooked just right. I got a cheeseburger. It was very good. The slaw was good also. The staff, an older man and young girl were very polite. Also got ice cream. We will keep going back!

03/28/2020 - Tom
Specifically requested fries on top of, nope, got home fish on top, soggy fries under fish

06/16/2018 - Adam
Let me start with this: I wouldn't write if I didn't care. I grew up going to this place, it's been an institution with my family, so better than 30 years in my memory, much longer in the older generation. Their onion rings have historically been excellent, supporting cast of dairy bar-type food (grinders, fried seafood, ice cream) has been good, their portions sizes were good and the value was solid. I really haven't needed another dairy bar.

Fast forward to this year. Singularly embarrassing. I'm unclear, but I strongly suspect we're dealing with a new ownership group/management team who has done a menu, sizing, and pricing re-work. Clearly they're after efficiency and profit based on some low-volume items (meatballs and spaghetti) being pulled form the menu as well as some dramatic down-sizing of their offerings and re-working of the nature of the ingredients being used. Not to mention dramatic cuts in food quality. I've been there 3 times this year (what can I say, I'm an optimist) April 14, 29, and most recently earlier today. I'm having a tough time figuring out whether or not I can keep going based on their consistent inconsistency and menu-demonstrated lack of respect for their clientele...

Service has been spotty (not very quick)... The April 14 visit featured a pathetically small lobster roll with Italian dressing (which hasn't reappeared since, but was completely inconsistent with their typical mayo-based and historically generous offering). Their side of onion rings, again, normally generous, was tiny. A chicken finger plate did include actual breaded chicken tenderloins, so that was a positive, but again, the side of onion rings included was small. All food was served cold, which was particularly disappointing in light of the half dozen or so souls present. I noted a smaller plate in use, I assume to make the offering appear larger, but the downsize was very obvious. This was a very bad experience and I very nearly made the call to stop coming.

The April 29 visit featured a lobster roll consistent with year's past, generously assembled with a balanced amount of mayo, again, small offerings on the sides and a similarly done chicken finger plate. When asked, the staff had no knowledge of the previous lobster roll experience (particularly the Italian dressing). Not a bad experience on the whole, unfortunately just good enough to get me through the doors again. I hate being led on...

Today's experience featured a good lobster roll with a generous side of onion rings (trying to attach a photo, we'll see if I succeed?), but was contrasted against a terribly small "large" side of onion rings and a very poor chicken cutlet sandwich. The "cutlet" was actually 3 very small breaded chicken fingers made from mechanically separated chicken and byproducts. Cheese was included without being asked for and the bread was stale. Hadn't seen these guys at Sterling before, but I'd have been embarrassed to serve a sandwich like that for $8.50 and onion rings of that size for $7.50. Clearly the management group and I disagree with what should feel embarrassing... A very mixed bag as one dinner was good and the other was extremely poor. This sort of teasing is brutal...

I'll be reaching out to them to ensure that somebody other than the teen with a summer job there or the folks on here are being poked about the rash of inconsistent and generally negative experiences I've had. Just disappointed to be in a position where I'm writing this. Again, I like the place... I just hate where it's headed and I'm hopeful that other folks share their disappointment as well. It's tough when folks still show up and don't make a peep about a less-than-great experience... It just reinforces the sub-standard offerings the place is throwing out and is generally disrespectful to the legacy the restaurant has created.

Such a shame.