The Best Places to Get Fried Seafood around Boston

The Barking Crab is like a year-round vacation on the Fort Point Channel. / Brian Samuels Photography

The Barking Crab

The Barking Crab’s circus-like, red-and-yellow-striped tent is to the now-glitzy Seaport what the Citgo sign is to modern Kenmore Square: a gaudy, anachronistic landmark we wouldn’t want any other way. Swing by, grab a patio seat at the 1994-founded stalwart, and devour some fried whole-belly clams, fried fish tacos, and other staples—as per Boston summertime tradition.

88 Sleeper St., Seaport District, Boston, 617-426-2722, barkingcrab.com.

Belle Isle Seafood

As with a few entries on this list (see also: Yankee Lobster), Belle Isle is maybe best known for its superlative lobster roll. But don’t let that distract you from the wide selection of fried-seafood dinners: Smelts, crab cakes, fish cakes, and scallops, among other options, are all served with fries, onion rings, and coleslaw. Dive in on the waterside patio, which offers some pretty cool views of takeoffs and landings at Logan Airport across the harbor.

1 Main St., Winthrop, 617-567-1619, belleisleseafood.net.

The Clam Box (Ipswich)

This North Shore landmark, built in 1935, is hard to miss: Just look for the building that’s actually shaped like a red-and-grey clam box, with opened “flaps” on the roof. Inside, the kitchen is frying up combo meals like the Fisherman’s Platter, loaded with scallops, oysters, and more—as well as brown paper-lined boxes of fried clam strips, of course.

246 High St., Ipswich, 978-356-9707, clamboxipswich.com.

The Clam Box (Quincy)

No, we’re not repeating ourselves—Quincy is also home to a (totally unrelated) Clam Box restaurant. Every summer on the South Shore, the 1968-founded eatery is the go-to place to unwind after a day at Wollaston Beach. Better yet, mosey over in between suntanning rounds to grab some deep-fried seafood—popcorn shrimp, clam strips, calamari, and more—and bring it back to your sandy plot. (Want to channel a spicier beach scene? Hit up the Baja Box, a neighbor-sibling serving Mexican-inspired battered fish tacos, street corn, nachos, and more.)

789 Quincy Shore Dr., Quincy, 617-302-3474, clamboxquincy.com.

Courthouse Seafood

The verdict is in: When it comes to excellent selection and really reasonable prices, this longtime, family-owned Portuguese fish restaurant is where to go for fried seafood dinners, which cover sole, smelt, squid, and salmon, besides the usual suspects like clam strips and crab cakes. Everything comes with fries and coleslaw, too. (East Cambridge is a surprisingly excellent seafood destination, after all.)

498 Cambridge St., East Cambridge, 617-491-1213, courthouseseafood.com.

Drydock Cafe

Drydock Cafe is hard to find, tucked into the ground floor of an unglamorous office building near the entrance to an industrial park. The place is about as fancy as that would lead you to believe—but then again, fine appointments are not the point here. You’re coming because you’ve heard about the bountiful portions of comparatively inexpensive fried seafood, including clams, calamari, shrimp, and scallops. Those last two can be served Buffalo-style, if you’d like to add even more heat to a steamy summer day.

7 Drydock Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 617-951-2999, drydock-cafe.menu-world.com.

J.T. Farnham’s

Perhaps a bit overshadowed by the aforementioned Clam Box in neighboring Ipswich, J.T. Farnham’s is less touristy but every bit as good—better, if you ask its most hardcore fans. Whether the justifiably “famous” fried clam plate trumps all others is a matter of personal opinion, of course, but here are a few things we do know: The pasta salad makes for a perfect side, the picnic tables offer stunning views of protected, flora- and fauna-filled marshlands; and the Fisherman’s Combo, a four-way plateful of fried fish, clams, shrimp, and scallop, is what to order when you’re feeling indecisive (and indulgent).

88 Eastern Ave., Essex, 978-768-6643, jtfarnhams-essex.com.

Little Whale Oyster Bar’s fried clams. / Photo by Matthew Schrage for Little Whale Oyster Bar

Little Whale Oyster Bar

This Newbury Street spot from the Select Oyster Bar team is a little bit swanky, so it’s the perfect setting for a date night that involves crispy seafood, nice glasses of wine, and upscale vibes. Choose from fish and chips (featuring beer-battered hake), Ipswich whole-belly fried clams, or Rhode Island-style fried calamari (with cherry peppers, marinara, and lemon). Non-fried options abound, too, such as a Maine lobster spaghetti if you’re looking for a Lady and the Tramp moment.

Row 34’s fish and chips. / Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell

Row 34

Yes, the clam chowder is a must-try at Row 34, but that’s not the only classic seafood-shack-style offering at this otherwise contemporary restaurant: You can also snag baskets of fried oysters, plus beer-battered fish and chips (paired with craft cans from Row 34’s Best of Boston-winning beer program). Want something a little cheffier? Get your claws into lobster fettuccine with blue crab and summer squash.

383 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston, 617-553-5900, and other locations, row34.com.

Saltie Girl’s fried lobster tail and fluffy waffles is the anytime combination you didn’t know you were craving. / Courtesy photo

Saltie Girl

If there’s any single scene-stealer at Saltie, it’s got to be the famous deep-fried lobster, served (in lieu of chicken) with waffles and drizzled with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup. That said, you will not want for other compelling co-stars, such as fried calamari with chorizo, pickled peppers, and yuzu aioli; fried fish with malt vinegar fries; or whole fried black bass, big enough to feed two, dressed with ponzu and green onion.

279 Dartmouth St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-267-0691, saltiegirl.com.

Sullivan’s Castle Island clam strip basket. / Courtesy photo

Sullivan’s Castle Island

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Strap on some running sneakers or rollerblades, go for a breezy, summery sprint down the Southie beachfront, and wind up at this seasonal, takeout-only mainstay (and James Beard Award-winner) on Castle Island. There, treat yourself to a platter of fried clams, shrimp, or scallops with fries; a fish sandwich on a burger roll; or fish and chips. Enjoy with a barefoot picnic on the grassy park shaded by Fort Independence.

2080 William J Day Blvd., South Boston, 617-268-5685, sullivanscastleisland.com.

Fried clams at Summer Shack. / Courtesy photo

Summer Shack

It was a bold move when James Beard Award-winning chef Jasper White walked away from the fine-dining world to open his first Summer Shack in 2000. Twenty years later, as more and more lauded chefs launch casual concepts, it’s clear the late icon, who passed in 2024, was ahead of his time. And Summer Shack? It’s still going strong at the original location in Cambridge, a Back Bay sibling, and a Connecticut outpost at the Mohegan Sun casino. That’s because it hasn’t deviated from its down-home direction, which includes dishes such as fried whole-belly clams, Gulf shrimp, and more. (Not seafood, but worth mentioning—the fried chicken is a hidden gem.)

50 Dalton St., Back Bay, Boston, 617 867-9955 (this location is closed for summer 2025, temporarily playing host to a Mexican pop-up called El Barco); 149 Alewife Brook Pkwy., Cambridge, 617-520-9500; summershackrestaurant.com.

Woodman’s fried clams. / Photo via Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism on Flickr/Creative Commons

Woodman’s of Essex

Hey, movie geeks: We included this legendary North Shore restaurant on a roundup of Massachusetts filming locations, if you feel like taking a Hollywood East-inspired road trip (Grown Ups shot here). There’s no doubt, though, that Woodman’s has long been famous on the merits of its own classic New England seafood—including “Chubby’s original fried clams,” named for the 1914-opened restaurant’s founder. The clams aren’t the only excellent options on offer, though: Pop by for fried lobster tail and popcorn shrimp, among other plates.

119 Main St., Essex, 978-768-6057, woodmans.com.

Yankee Lobster Co.

A Boston-dining bucket list is not complete without a visit to this decades-spanning Seaport institution, a wholesaler to restaurants and walk-up market serving fresh and prepared fish. Yes, the classic hot-buttered lobster roll has a (deservedly) big reputation. But you can also indulge in a fried lobster roll, as well as other similarly crisped favorites: oysters, clams, scallops, and more.

300 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 617-345-9799, yankeelobster.co.