Restaurant Review

Exeter's Cornerstone Pub is a winner

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My brother-in-law wanted prime rib. My son-in-law said that the best prime rib in the state is at the Cornerstone Pub in Exeter…but they only serve it on Saturday night.

So, off six of us go down Route 3, past the famous Middle of Nowhere Diner to the Cornerstone Pub. This is the Route we used to take to Camp Yawgoog before Route 95 was built. You were lucky then to find a gas station on the road.

There at 273 Nooseneck Hill Road sits this large, impressive restaurant, where at 5 p.m. the parking lot was nearly full, the huge square-shaped bar was without an empty seat, and the tables were full. It looked like the entire population of Exeter was eating there. They have a large variety of beers listed on the wall.

They take reservations for six or more, so we snuggled into our corner table where we were greeted by the owner. My daughter and son-in-law had become regulars after enjoying their luncheon and dinner specials, friendly and quick service, and down-home atmosphere.

We ordered Pt. Judith calamari ($11.99) and stuffed potato skins ($8.99) for the table, two excellent choices among the large array of appetizers. The calamari was lightly breaded, very tender, sprinkled with garlic butter and white wine and accompanied with hot peppers and warm tomato sauce. Delicious! The potato skins were the best I’ve ever had. Crisp skins filled with fluffy soft potatoes and sprinkled with cheddar jack cheese, bacon and scallions.

My in-laws loved their perfectly cooked prime rib. If there is any meat left over, the chef slices it and serves it the next day on sandwiches. This Saturday, they sold out.

Three of us ordered the baked scrod, topped with tasty breadcrumbs, served piping hot, and including two sides. I ordered the sweet potato fries and cole slaw, while others had mashed potatoes and corn. Joyce wasn’t hungry and ordered a BLT, which was also excellent.

Cornerstone has a large menu, including pizza, burgers, meat, chicken, pasta dishes, soups, salads and sandwiches. We watched a variety of dishes being brought to the tables.

The restaurant is family-owned and the waitpersons have been there for a long time and are among the friendliest we have ever encountered. Mike didn’t want me to do this review. (“I don’t want it to become overcrowded.”) But Cornerstone is a restaurant that needs to be shared with the entire state. It is worth the trip “all the way to Exeter.” Their phone number is 385-3026. Check them out online.

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  • Happy

    It is a great place, nice size bar, TV's, good food and a great beer selection! I have been there numerous times and never disappointed.

    It is definitely worth the trip but can fill up quickly!

    Sunday, February 16, 2020 Report this