Where to Escape for a Two-Hour Vacation at a Luxury Resort
Even if you don't have the time or money for an overnight, the Weekapaug Inn's Coastal Grille Series is a perfect summer getaway.
A view of the Weekapaug Inn. Photos by Jamie Coelho.
Here’s a chance to get a peek both inside and outside of one of Rhode Island’s most unique luxury inns without the cost of an overnight. The Forbes Five-Star and Relais & Châteaux property, the Weekapaug Inn, situated on the banks of Quonochontaug Pond in Westerly, was recently recognized as one of the 10 Best Inns in the Continental U.S. in the Travel + Leisure 2026 World’s Best Awards. Even if you don’t have the time or money for an overnight, you can still experience the inn as a dinner guest at one of the many summer events held on the property.
Every Sunday in July and August from 6-8 p.m., the inn invites visitors to the Coastal Grille Series to experience the Lawn with a diverse spread of seafood, barbecue, vegetables and all the sides – I call it the summer version of Thanksgiving – plus beer and wine. The buffet might include seasonal salads, smoked meats, grilled seafood, chef-attended action stations like street corn, tacos and more, plus dessert, all served outdoors with a tranquil view of the pond.
Quonochontaug Pond.
Last Sunday, the menu included pulled pork, barbecue chicken, housemade focaccia, pulled pork sliders, macaroni and cheese, grits, grilled littlenecks, and the showstopper – a twenty-five-pound local striped bass just caught that morning, butterflied, deboned and grilled over live fire that was served on the buffet for fish tacos with all the fixings. I got the chance to chat with Weekapaug Inn executive chef Gerardo Viejo, who is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, about the menu as he cooked the fish over live fire to make it a little extra crispy. He used a Big Green Egg to grill littlenecks with garlic, shallots, butter and white wine, and I got to go up several times to try a little bit of everything.
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Gerardo Viejo with the grilled striped bass.
During the event, guests also gain access to lawn games like corn hole, shuffle board and ladder golf, or kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt on the grounds looking for fairy houses carefully hidden between bushes and along paths. There’s always live music to add to the backdrop and guests can also roast marshmallows over the fire.
To cap off a perfect evening, we walked down a dirt path to catch the sunset from the pond, and took in a perfect view of the inn as day turned to night. It was a test run for what might turn into a someday overnight stay.
25 Spray Rock Rd., Weekapaug, 855-679-2995, weekapauginn.com
