THE BETH Kitchen & Bar

Hingham Shipyard reels in Boston’s Briar Group to debut its first South Shore restaurant.

By KELLIE SPEED

Photography by BRIAN DOHERTY PHOTOGRAPHY and PAIGE ASHLEY HARDING PHOTOGRAPHY

When Hingham Beer Works shuttered in 2020, we were anxious to see what would take over the space at Hingham Shipyard. Thankfully, The Briar Group, the folks behind 13 successful Boston, Cambridge and Foxboro establishments, including City Table, Broken Records Beer Hall, Glass House, and Six String, came to the rescue to debut their first South Shore restaurant concept.

The Beth Kitchen & Bar is now anchored in the former microbrewery’s space overlooking Hingham Harbor. The restaurant’s name pays homage to the location’s former days operating as the Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, one of the largest (and most successful) shipbuilding sites in the nation at the time. Nearly a century ago, the yard produced “an impressive 227 ships in only three years and employed over 15,000 builders... 2,500 of which were women,” according to their website.

Today, the coastal spot offers creative American fare with an international flair – think ginger-miso Maine Acadian redfish, Thai coconut curry lobster, jambalaya skillet, and mole steak frites. Whether you come here for a freshly made white sangria served up at the large driftwood bar, prefer to dine inside the entirely renovated space at one of the coveted blue banquettes or enjoy al fresco dining on the spacious patio, there are plenty of spots to soak in the gorgeous waterfront views.

The interior of the restaurant has been entirely renovated to offer a nautical vibe. The main dining room has been opened up and a U-shaped bar now offers an industrialchic flair. Rope string lights have been hung and floor-to-ceiling windows provide a panoramic view of the restaurant’s gorgeous waterfront location.

We recommend starting off with one of their signature cocktails, like the Spicy Mango Margarita, a kicked-up combination of Ghost Tequila, mango, house sour and fresh lime, or a Cucumber Basil Smash made with Crop Cucumber Organic Vodka, St. Germain Liqueur, lime, basil and muddled cucumber and strawberry.

The Beth offers quite an array of dishes designed for sharing. Popular starters range from tasty coconut curry PEI mussels, and juicy molasses-brined wings served with a side of Korean barbecue sauce, to an uber fresh spicy tuna roll, and addicting fennel sausage and spicy Calabrese honey flatbread.

Be sure to try the tuna and salmon poke nachos - a beautiful (and delicious) presentation of freshly diced tuna and salmon with avocado, wakame and unagi sauce served atop crisp wonton chips drizzled with shiso aioli.

The generous portion of Local Burrata with fresh basil pesto, sliced sundried tomatoes and microgreens served with crostini is the perfect pick for larger groups. The New England clam chowder is made with a “secret family recipe,” while each of the salads here come with a surprising twist. For example, the Italian Caesar features crispy pancetta and fried capers while the Watermelon and Feta Salad includes fried olives, basil and mint.

The enormous “handheld” sandwiches include a halfpound juicy Back River Burger, pork belly Banh Mi and crispy Nashville Hot Chicken Sandy served on a soft bulky roll. For main events, try the pan-seared salmon served with a togarashi spiced rice cake, tomato-bacon chutney and fresh broccoli. Another standout was the tuna poke bowl filled with cucumber, mango, pickled red onion, wakame, sushi rice and wontons.

A visit here would be remiss without sampling one of their sweet finales. The creamy Key lime pie provided the perfect balance of sweet to tart served with a buttery graham cracker crust.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the launch of The Beth’s weekend brunch coming soon.