For more than 37 years, the Ebb Tide restaurant has served thousands of hungry customers. Their wholesome, down-to-earth menu and friendly staff has earned them a strong following both from locals and summer people who look forward to seeing the Ebb Tide family every year.

Peter and Nancy Gilchrist purchased the business from the Barbeau family in 1974. From 1967 until then, the restaurant had been the Ebb Tide Grill, and before then it was a doughnut shop.

According to server Trish McGlauflin and senior cook Tamara Peters, some of the Ebb Tide’s most popular foods include lobster melts, hot turkey sandwiches, omelets, burgers, Eggs Benedict and seafood chowder. 

The Ebb Tide serves its entire breakfast menu all day, a very popular feature. 

According to Gilchrist, on a busy summer day the Ebb Tide serves between 350 and 400 customers, including takeouts. For comparison, at maximum capacity Ebb Tide can seat 46. 

It’s not only the food that draws people to the Ebb Tide, but the people who work there as well. When they call the Ebb Tide a family, Peters and McGlauflin mean it.

“Nancy and Peter always bring remember birthdays, and bring in cake. They take us out at Christmas. How many bosses do that?” McGlauflin said. 

“They are the best,” Peters said. “I can’t imagine working for anyone else.” 

In recent years, the Gilchrists have hosted the Ebb Tide Annual Treasure Hunt, with prize money equaling the number of years they have been in business times 10. So for the next hunt the prize will be $380. During the hunt, clues leading to a hidden plastic token appear at the Ebb Tide three times a day until all 15 have been released. 

The token is always hidden outside on public or Boothbay Region Land Trust property, in a safe place away from traffic or danger. The token will not be easy to find; it has been found taped underneath a fence rail, glued to a tree and hidden in a stump. 

In previous years, token have been found in Barrett’s Park, behind the tennis courts at the school and on Lobster Cove Meadow. Pictures of the most recent winners can be found hung on the wall at Ebb Tide.

Like many places in the Harbor, while the summer is crazy busy, the winter is much slower. The staff drops down to a skeleton crew, but there are still lots of locals who enjoy stopping by. The restaurant is open year-round with dinner specials every night.

Currently in the works are new menu possibilities, including new soups such as pumpkin and chicken noodle. 

Along with Peters, the other cooks are Jenny Dobson (who doubles as a server), Marie Braun and John Little. Along with McGlauflin, the other servers are Rose Hodgdon, Cheryl Rice, Barbara Scorcia, and Tina Brilyea. The majority of the staff has worked there for more than 10 years, oftentimes longer.

Katrina Clark can be reached at 207-633-4620 or katrinaclark@boothbayregister.com. Follow her on Twitter: @BBRegisterClark or on Facebook.