First up, they have a private parking lot. That is huge in this area! They do not outside seating but some tables have a nice view. They will not seat your party until everyone arrives. We had a party of five and did not have a long wait. We went here on night one and returned on night three. The baked haddock is amazing! I can't say enough about how good that dish is. (I had the small plate the first time and the large the second time.) I also had the lobster stew and it was also delish. The stew was loaded with lobster and was in a light butter cream soup. The others at the table ordered clam chowder (rated 3 as good but not memorable - worth noting he ordered it twice). One person in our group wasn't paying attention and ordered from the fried section of the menu. She received fried scallops and fried haddock which she said was very good but would have been more enjoyable baked. The land lubber ordered filet and shirmp the first time and a NY strip the second time. He said they were "ok." We also ordered the recommended cocktails on night one but on our second visit we ordered beer, enough said. My advice is order the haddock and a beer, you can't go wrong. Hint: We were dining early, hence no wait. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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Awesome place on the water busy busy busy but well worth the wait ! Seafood and steaks were great along with the drink specials read more

We come year after year and this is a must stop while in Wells Maine. We love it. Great portions and the food is so fresh . Small wait time is well worth the wait. Sits on a wet land and the views are spectacular! read more

Had happy hour appetizers today here. It was very quiet today which is abnormal for this time of year- COVID has kept people away. We ordered clam chowder, mozz sticks, french fries, calamari, and seafood stuffed mushrooms. Chowder was amazing as you have heard about. Fries were really good too. Calamari was not good- marinara was horrible, O's were very chewy. Seafood stuffed mushrooms were burned and were scorching hot on the inside and cold on the outside. Mozz sticks were ok, nothing special but again, the marinara was horrible. Overall I would go again, but I would stick to only what they are known for- Clam Chowder read more

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Whole belly clams were excellent...sweet, fresh, perfectly fried. Service was great including interacting with my five-year-old. Nice find in Wells. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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Went to Billy's on a Friday night around 730. Seated right away party of 2. Had oysters mussels some chowder dessert s and couple of drinks. Oysters were very good just on the small side and a little pricey. ( Wednesday night is best for oysters) Mussels were fresh and tasted great. Chowder was very good as well. Desserts were out if this world. Service was excellent. Yelp doesn't let you give 1/2 stars. Billy's is a 4.50 in my opinion. Oysters were just too small and expensive. Do recommend read more

I've always enjoyed Billy's Chowder House over years of coming to Wells. I love the view from the bar. After 2 disappointing trips this year, I do not plan to return. They simply have no pride in what leaves the kitchen anymore. service After years of telling people they had the best Lobster Roll, anywhere, I just had the worst! There are better Lobster rolls in New York. And the surly service...... After the first bad experience this trip, I thought I would give them another try. A mistake! read more

Again, Yelp needs a golden buzzer, like America's Got talent. First of all you are going to wait to get in. But it is so worth the wait. The prices are extremely reasonable for what you get. The clam chowder, while not as thick as I am used to made up for it with a very robust flavor. And then, for the coup de gras the twin lobsters. My wife had the big stuff for lobster, which she couldn't finish. Being illegal to leave even any portion of the lobster I'm eating, I had to cover for her. The stuffing was delicious. It was stuffed with what I could tell Lobster meat as well as shrimps. Seriously not only is it worth the wait but it's even worth a drive even if you have to go for an hour and a half on the road read more

Billy's Chowder House - Clam chowda - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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Ate at Billy's on 10/24/24 , My wife had baked stuffed Haddock and I had the seafood sampler. My wife was very happy with hers but mine was a bit disappointing. The portion was a little small for the price but the biggest issue was it was overcooked and dried out. the taste was good but the crunch was a bit much. That being said, the clam chowder was still the best I've ever had. read more

We just pulled in, really looking forward to eating here. We drove all the way from Kentucky on a New England road trip. We were headed out of Maine and went off the highway just to stop to fill our bellies with seafood and lobster! This was partly a fishing vacation so we are hauling our bass boat with us. We came in between lunch and dinner and there was ample parking and my husband was navigating our dually and boat to be out of everyone's way. I'm so hungry and ready for a beer and before he even finishes maneuvering some lady with a cigarette in hand comes over and tells us we can't park here. So, basically, because we were hauling a boat we weren't allowed to dine with them. We will happily take our money elsewhere. read more

our waitress was amazing!! honestly one of the best Ever!!! food great!!! great views, family friendly read more

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Over half an hour wait, other tables getting served that arrived after us. Our food finally arrives and it's cold. There's plenty of other choices, I'll never go back. read more

great food but horrible servers, everytime we go there they forget my fries or coleslaw or rolls or something. then we write in from my email and surprise no response. we call they could care less. They have horrible customer service...Mikes Clam Shack is 1000 times better. and the food is tastier... Boycott Billy's read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. The hostess was incredibly rude and who Im assuming is the manager as well. We came with a party of 6 and 1 baby, 8 months old wearing socks. We were told he must wear shoes in order to eat at Billy's. He's 8 months, he can't even walk nor will he even keep shoes on. Awful attitude for an awful place. read more

Ol Billy's has been a mainstay for hungry locals and vacationers alike for more than 30 years! They do a fine job - considering the restaurant is in the middle of a salt bog. Seafood is very fresh- portions small to moderate. Prices- moderate to high- depending on what you get. I enjoyed the clam chowder and small lobster roll. Service always friendly. read more

Every summer, me, my fiance, and our best friends drive up here for a trip to Old Orchard, Wells, and Oqunquit. For the last few years, we have been coming to Billy's for dinner. All I can say, I wish they had one closer to us at home! We always enjoy our meals. The fried seafood is always freshly prepared and delicious, I usually get a 2 way combo. My friend tried the haddock reuben during our last visit, and loved it. It's always one of the highlights of our trip! If you're lucky enough to get to sit in the bar area, or the back of the restaurant, you'll be treated to a beautiful view! Highly recommend this place! read more

Buck a shrimp night! You can't beat it unless you are cooking at home. Add to that a bucket of rum punch and life is good. Our waitress was amazing and entertaining. By time we were done with dinner she felt like family! Crispy chicken wings are the reason for 4 stars. They were not crispy. And they were not completely cooked. Ambiance - looking out over the marsh and the wildlife was almost a namaste moment. Can't beat Billy's for buck a shrimp night. read more

Billys's is a very pleasant place in a fantastic location. We had a few minor issues - they were out of the one beer that a person in our party really wanted to try, I was told 'no substitutions' when I asked if I could pay extra for onion rings instead of fries with my sandwich - I don't really consider it a substitution when you volunteer to pay more to get something else that's listed on the menu. Anyhow, what we had was quite good. A few more non-fried options would be nice, especially since the baked seafood that they do offer is so good. read more

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Excellent! Had the Lobster dinner deal. Steamed lobster, chowder, steamers and vegetable. Sooo good! Price was great too.

I wanted to love this place. I was so disappointed. I was craving seafood. I got the seafood sampler. The seafood was way over cooked. Rubbery shrimp & scallops. Even the fish was tough-if that possible. I felt like I was eating a leftover lunch special. Even parts of the stuffing was charred read more

When in Rome do what the Romans do. That's what we did in Wells - searched for Lobster and found Lobster. This place was just what we wanted - beach vibe, hoppin and focus on the crustaceans. Secily was our terrific waitress -Absolut Martinis ($10.50) spot on and a generous pour. Half dozen oysters on the half shell ($21) fantastically fresh. Shrimp Cocktail (5 for$12.59) excellent. Deciding not to be bashful we each crushed the Twin Lobster special ($43.99) and that was the right call. Yes the table was a war zone but isn't lobster a battle anyway? $176.66 out the door without tip - we took care of the Bentley undergrad in cash - gotta love hardworking college students. read more

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Delicious low key place. The chowder soup was delicious I had a whole 2 lb lobster. Terrific!!!

Was there last night. The service was fine. The place was noisy as expected. The lobster was fine and properly cooked and 1/2 the price compared to bar harbor. The slaw was excellent. The baked haddock sandwich was excellent. Would definitely return if in Wells. read more

It's not bad, just not as good as other places. I had high hopes for the "award winning" clam chowder. It was just Ok. This place is also a bit pricier than other local options. The Fisherman's Catch just down the road, now THAT was the best clam chowder I ever had! See my review on them for more info. read more

Worst experience of our entire vacation. Our waitress was rude and the drinks were horrendous, I made better margaritas in dirty cooler on college gameday. Food was just okay. Left wishing we hadn't stopped and surely wouldn't recommend. read more

I rarely give 5 stars but it is we'll deserved. What a wonderful. The service was flawless, food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect. We lucked out to go there on Wednesday. They have $1.00 oysters, we plowed thru 2 dozen. After that we had the fried belly clams dinner and the magnificent lobster roll. read more

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We have gone here for 3 years now on our trips to Wells from VT. Food is what I consider consistently good. There are some variations, especially with the seafood stuffing I have noticed (e.g. too heavy, slightly underbaked.) At other times perfect. Finally dared to try the mussels. I hate grit, so was hesitant (am everywhere). In the end, there was 3 mussels with one grain of grit in each. Although unpleasant, I find this within normal limits. Broth was very tasty. I will order this again. read more

Not much to say. The service was horrible and the food was worse. $175.00 a waste of good hard earned money for a horrible meal. Fish tacos were gross. The seafood sampler was tasteless and most like from the freezer. We go out to eat a lot and we will never be back. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

Billy's has always been a staple in our trips to the Wells area. I think that our latest visit will be our last for a while. The service was fine. The food and the prices were not. The chowder was thin and not a lot of clams. I think we paid around $9 for each cup of chowder. Oysters were sandy. The prices for lobster rolls this summer seem hefty everywhere, and I'm not against spending the money for a lobster roll if it is stuffed with lobster. Sadly, this wasn't the case with the lobster roll we ordered. There was very little lobster meat in a regular sized hot dog bun. Yes, it was the "Junior" size, but for $26, I would have expected more than five bites. Sorry, Billy's. Again, service was fine, but we left feeling like we could have got better and more food somewhere else (which we did the next day). read more

So looking forward to a nice seafood lunch - huge disappointment! Watery and bland clam chowder, kid's mac & cheese obviously out of a box and crazy expensive, lobster roll (small) on a pathetic hotdog bun with zero flavor - I thought it was an appetizer, or perhaps a sample bite. Paid over $115 for 3 adults and 1 child and nothing we had was good. Plus the staff weren't pleasant at all, nor attentive. Total waste of money. read more

Every trip to Maine we have to stop at Billy's Chowder House. They truly have one of the best clam chowders in New England! They used to float whole clams on the top, which made it even better, but even without the extra touch it is still excellent chowder. Aside from the chowder I tried a mixed fried clams and fried scallops plate. I thought it tasted very good; however, my wife wasn't as impressed. Either way, our next trip to Maine will still definitely include a stop to Billy's Chowder House! read more

The service and people who work there is the strongest asset. The ambiance is just ok. It appears to be an afterthought at worst and old at best. The food is what would be expected at a tourist restaurant. There is nothing really bad but better choices for less money in the area. read more

Great spot. I think we were here 12 years ago but memory is a bit fuzzy and the reality is... if you look at the salt marshes and can't recall the building good luck knowing the specific location. Lunch was fantastic. Shrimp tacos were to die for. Clam chowder was excellent. It is a time of pricey so in terms of a lunch bill it isn't any worse than any other place price wise. Everyone loved their meal. Win! read more

So so ... glad I didn't order an expensive meal ... when I saw the ambiance, I decided to settle for fish and chips, not lobster. Smart decision. read more

Food was outstanding and the chowder was the best I've ever had. Our server was very attentive and pleasantly. I'll be back !

Chowder was watery if you like it that way, fried clam strips were nothing to get excited about Really mediocre busy with locals. Service was good read more

Totally disappointing! Being named a Chowder house I ordered haddock chowder. There was absolutely no trace of haddock in it. It was a potato chowder. Our stuffed mushrooms were overcooked as was my husband's broiled haddock sandwich. As our server never did come back to check on us, we weren't able to tell her until the end of The meal. When she did come to give us the check, my husband explained our dilemma. He also explained that I dishes were never cleared and the beer bottles we just left on the table. She said oh no I apologize. That was it! We've always had good service here that part was very surprising. Realizing that this is her income, we did leave a 20% tip. I'd like to add it was not busy at this time of the day. read more

I love the idea that you can count on Tuesday is shrimp day, and Wednesday is oyster day. A buck a piece! What a great deal! So you can belly up to the bar have yourself half a dozen oysters or half a dozen shrimp, and then you have a cheap lunch! Although I love the clam chowder and I love their baked haddock. And I'm sure everything else on the menu is spot on. I cannot wait till the season is over with the locals can come back in and hang out. The wait staff is great. Please be generous when you tip. read more

Chowder was very disappointing, it hardly had any flavor and was very watery. I had the baked Scallop dinner, it was good, but nothing to write home about.. my husband had the baked seafood sampler and it was very small. Besides the food, service was good and staff was very friendly. read more

We have been going to Billy's since 1984. Our most recent visit--with a friend from Sweden--was a disappointment. The raw oysters were so watery that they were tasteless. The lobster was watery & tough--as if it had been sitting in hot water for hours. A cocktail special was mostly ice--very little flavor. The crust on the blueberry pie was barely baked--still raw in sections. It was very sad to experience this decline. The service was OK--only 2 servers for a full room, and they did an admirable job. Not sure we will vsit again--there are other, now better options in the area. read more