Inner Bay Cafe and Grille - New Bedford, MA

We have never had to wait for a table when arriving at the Inner Bay (1339 Cove Road, New Bedford) and tonight was no exception.  We arrived just after 6:30 p.m. and were seated immediately at a table in a secluded corner of the main dining area.  The main dining room is not very large but has comfortable seating with five booths along the windows and approximately ten tables in the center of the room.  The table settings are elegant with blue linen table cloths underneath glass tops and white linen napkins sitting inside the water glasses. 

Once seated, we were brought a basket of bread and had our water glasses filled by the busboy. Our waitress arrived soon after to take our drink orders and to tell us the specials that were being offered for the evening.  There was a long list of specials including Paelha a Valencia (saffron rice with lobster, shrimp, scallops, littlenecks, mussels, chicken, pork and cacoila) for $22, Codfish with “Broa” for $16, Peppercorn Encrusted Tuna for $16, Fried or Grilled Seabass for $16, Picanha for $16, and Tuna, Monkfish or Steak Kabobs for $17.  I seriously considered ordering the Paelha but had been thinking of the Bife a Acoriano since we had decided to go to the Inner Bay.  I stuck with my original plan and ordered the Bife (10 ounce seared ribeye steak simmered in a spicy gravy with red hot peppers and a fried egg).  I have had this entrée at Inner Bay before and consider it a value at only $13. 

 

My husband ordered Baked Stuffed Scrod (also reasonably priced at $14).  This entrée is described as a Fresh New England Cod fillet over stuffing, baked and topped with choice of Creole or Newburg sauce.  He chose the Creole sauce, which is a blend of onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes with Creole seasoning.



Dinner Salad

Both entrees were served with a choice of soup or salad.  I chose the Kale Soup and my husband chose a salad with French dressing. The soup and salad arrived relatively quickly. I took my first bite of the soup and although it had a nice flavor, it was not very hot. 



Kale Soup

After finishing our soup and salad, I walked over to the seafood display that was in the dining room. I asked the waitress about this and she said that it was all very fresh seafood that they would use to prepare the meals.  It was all sitting on ice presented with a large squid draped over the entire presentation.  Personally, I thought it looked a bit creepy, with the squids eyes staring at me!  My first thought was that I was glad to have ordered a beef dish.



Bife a Acoriano

After receiving our entrees, I was not disappointed.  The Bife a Acoriano was as delicious as I remembered it.  The sauce had just the right amount of spice and it was loaded with fresh pieces of garlic, which I love.  My meal was served with rice, fries, and steamed vegetables. 



Baked Stuffed Scrod

The Baked Stuffed Scrod that my husband ordered was also delicious. The scrod was on top of boiled potatoes but he did not have any additional sides with his meal.  Since I would never be able to eat all of the food that I was given, I shared my sides with him.  While both meals were delicious in taste, again, they were not exceptionally hot. 

Fresh Seafood Display (draped with a squid)

 


Aside from the temperature of the meals, there are no complaints from me about the Inner Bay Café and Grille.  We have been there before and we will definitely be going there again (and hopefully won’t have a large squid staring at us).

 

The total bill, which included our drinks, was a reasonable $41 including tax.