Bud's goes all the way back to my childhood of 60 years ago. Consistently great seafood. Friendly, knowledgeable service and clean, delightful fish market ambience. Many years had lobsters shipped from CT to CA. read more

Everything you need. The fish, lemon, butter, all the seasonings and even the charcoal. My mom loves this place, I came in with her today and see why. It's a family owned small business which makes coming here even better. read more

Bud's Fish Market - a variety of baked goods - Seafood Markets Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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Most fish is good at Bud's BUT... I went in to buy the crab dip and asked if it was crab meat, I was told yes. I ate it that night and became ill. I called the store the following day and he finally confirmed it was imitation crab. Unfortunately I have an allergy to gluten which is used as a binder in the Imitation crab meat. If you have an intolerance for gluten or celiac disease avoid this crab dip! I asked the owner to put a label or sign stating it contains gluten but he refused. He said it was packed on the outside and he is not responsible. read more

Went today for some salmon, Beautiful and fresh Had it cut in sushi style or regular ... Wanted an off cut of a head and they had it fresh in the back (just ask)... Friendly, Informative ... in a great area with ample parking! New to the area and will be back read more

Went to Bud's yesterday and bought shrimp and bluefish. The shrimp were aged and tasteless. The bluefish was packaged and we found out later was frozen The bluefish was prepackaged with the skin side up. After we opened the package we found out why. The fish was dark brown and had gone bad, however was packaged and frozen anyway and put out to sell. We threw 60 dollars of fish and shrimp out. Shameful! read more

Called today to price picked lobster to make lobster rolls. $89.00 A POUND! AA call to Close Harbor Seafood in Southington and was given a price of $35.00 a pound. Both places lobster is frozen. Close Harbor's lobster was the nicest I've ever served to company...plentiful, large, delicious. Shameful that a price would be jacked up that way. I will never go back to Bud's. read more

Bud's allows 4 customers with masks in at a time during Covid which is fine most of the time. I've only waited outside once and the was for a quick minute. The fish is fresh, tasty and well priced. There is always a wide variety to choose from in a long display counter so you can choose the pieces you want. We love the haddock best. For the best fish on the shoreline, head to Bud's. read more

There is nowhere else - NO WHERE ELSE -on the shoreline from where you should be buying your seafood. More importantly Bud's has consistently been the best place to buy seafood for at least - truly, AT LEAST - 15 years. I have never been disappointed with anything I have picked up here. Is the seafood more expensive than what you ca pick up at Stop & Shop or some other grocery store? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. You will not be disappointed with anything you pick up here. It's most like you. Can't mess it up. Bud's has consistently for so very long provided the best seafood in the area. I have been going here for at least a decade and I cannot come up with anything to complained about. read more

Bud's Fish Market - a sign for the restaurant - Seafood Markets Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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Very disappointed. Ordered what I thought would be a nice piece of halibut. Somehow the young guy working there went back into the freezer and gave me a frozen piece that will take forever to cook. The halibut in the case on display looks so nice but I got a block of ice. Second time going there and I will go back because the first time very positive. I will be forgiving because of tue Rona. read more

Hello I just recently quit working at buds and i'm here to tell you the truth.. Hal claims everything he has is "homemade" but in reality it's just Mat Laws brand! EVERYTHING. Nothing in this store is homemade. The fish is left in the case and once it starts growing mold he cuts the mold off and puts it back. This store is so disgusting.. And on top of it all he claims that nothing is frozen but all of the gulf shrimp and large shrimp used for stuffed shrimp come straight out of the freezer! Do not come here and especially do not come here if you are looking for his "homemade" items.. just go to the grocery store and get triple the amount for a fraction of the price. read more

When you have seven guests pulling up to your driveway from a 3 hour drive (with a baby on board), where's the best place to eat? Your own home. Relaxing and spacious. When you want to serve fresh lobsters, to keep the meal simple, where do you shop? Bud's. Bud's got great lobsters- a little pricey but worth almost all of the penny you spend. In all honesty, I was turned off to Bud's the very first time I shopped here, due to their hefty prices. I was also surprised by the size of the store, since the huge sign leading to the place was almost as big as the store itself. However, I am now a newly convert to Bud's Loving Customer's Organization (just since this morning), attesting to Bud's superb quality and service. Their staff is very helpful and willing to answer questions about cooking what you purchase. I made my very first New England clam chowder with the help of Bud. And I think it came out quite fine, if I say so myself. Besides, their oysters and clams were pretty fresh: it was full of juice. And to top it all, their lobsters were the very best I've purchased ( partially due to my luck; Their lobster shipment came in today). In sum. This is the breakdown for Bud's. 3 stars for being expensive , 4.5 stars for qualtiy seafood, 3.5 stars for their selection. 4.5 stars for helpful staff. Definitely an above average place for shoppin' fish. read more

I read great reviews about Bud's on Yelp so while in the area we decided to give them a try. Gotta say- reviews were right! I ordered 7 1 1/2 pound lobsters and steamers with broth. The food was fabulous. Lobsters so sweet, no butter required. Steamers clean and delicious. Food ready right on time. Service excellent, took the order efficiently and helped me carry out to the car. I asked on the phone how many steamers for 7 people. He said 9 - 10 pounds so I said fine. Turns out 1/2 that would have been fine. At $9/pound, that was a waste of a lot of money. And while lobsters would have cost less at the grocery I don't think they would have been as high quality. So is Bud's expensive? Yes! Are you getting fine quality for your money? Again, yes! read more

Counting on the guidance of nice man behind the counter left me paying more than double what I would have anywhere else with more than double the quantity I needed, leaving me paying far too much money for too much food. Overall, felt rushed, spent a small fortune, and worst part was how much went to waste, despite all our best efforts! I wanted to find a great fish market, unfortunately I'm not sure I'll ever be back. Probably suits your needs more for specialty items that you might not find elsewhere. read more

Good quality. OK selection. Can be on the expensive side, but it beats the pants off of getting seafood in a supermarket. If you are expecting to be wow-ed, change your tune before you open the doors. The cheerful teenager sure to greet you doesn't know much about what's fresh or what's good this week. The shop has about twenty square feet of space for customers to walk the cases, walls lined with pantry goods, and a freakishly low ceiling, which all make for a claustrophobic nightmare. BUT -- the lobsters are damn good despite a 1.50 a pound or so premium. If it looked like this and was way less famous and way less expensive, it'd be a true diamond in the rough. But the name and the reputation left me thinking it was overrated. read more

HEADLINE: Excellent service and quality for an out-of-town traveler this Thanksgiving holiday in search of the perfect oyster for his turkey stuffing. Traveling back home from California to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family in Branford, I committed to Mom that I'd help her with preparing the Thanksgiving feast ... it's a ton of work for her at this stage of her life and I love to cook. One of the treat I wanted to bring to the table was a great oyster stuffing recipe I had latched onto from the epicurious.com site. Trouble was, I was in California, and the fresh oysters were in Connecticut ... growing up in the area, I knew Bud's down in Indian Neck was a great place to buy all things fresh and seafood, as well as a couple of gems over at the Guilford docks. Just for convenience's sake, I went on-line to Bud's website the week before traveling and, sure enough, they sold oysters and had a request submission section to ask about stuff. I put in my request with email and phone number and waited for a reply. Less than 24 hours later I received a voicemail on my cell from a gentleman named Hal who informed me they were expecting to have over a dozen varieties of oysters available and that I should place my order with them before Friday before the holiday to ensure I'd get my share. Calling back, I spoke directly with Hal, who was the nicest person I've spoken with in a while. When I told him what I was looking for he immediately countered with ... " well, it sounds like you need about a quart of oysters for your recipe ... we'll have them shucked for you the morning of pick-up to keep them fresh, and we'll make sure they are excellent Blue Points". Great ... take that one off the laundry list of things to prepare for. I show up to the store at 11:00 AM on Wednesday morning and am instantly re-acquainted with the place where I spent much of my early adult life shopping for great fresh / raw seafood. You know you're in a fresh, fresh seafood store when you CANNOT smell a thing. God, fish counters out there in Cali literally reek with a pungent ammonia smell ... I simply stay away lest I enjoy 48 hours in bad shellfish hell! The cold counter here was stacked with a great assortment of fresh fish of all varieties, shellfish & crabcakes and, of course, the lobster tank was alive with crustacean delights. My order was brought out to me swiftly and I paid a little over $30 for the quart of freshly-shucked delights in their own liquor. In preparing the dressing, i opened up the plastic container to witness some of the LARGEST, JUICIEST, MOST FLAVORFUL Blue Points I've ever enjoyed. Shamelessly slurping down 2 or 3 to ensure their quality was an orgasmic experience. Absolutely fabulous! The fact that I didn't have to shuck these bad boys myself easily saved me a massive amount of prep time. Shucking Little Necks, Cherrystones or Quahogs is one thing ... I never got the knack of shucking oysters ... I happily avoided this. Needless to say, my dressing came out superbly, along with a pork sausage stuffing and two perfectly brined turkeys. Thanks epicurious for the recipes, but a huge thanks also goes to Hal and the crew at Bud's for helping out a West Coaster with his New England shellfish needs. While a little expensive, quality service and quality product are things to be admired ... Branford and the adjoining towns are unbelievably lucky to have this purveyor in their midst ... I only wish I had the same back in Silicon Valley. read more

Why does everybody keep saying this is not a restaurant? What part of words "Fish" and "Market" is confusing? Bud's Fish Market has been a shoreline mainstay for as long as I can remember. I used to see Bud's billboards signs along the side of the road when I was a teenager while driving to high school. It's nice to see them and their signs are still around today. Plus it's nice to see the world's oceans haven't been entirely depleted of fish. Yet. Yes, prices are high. That's because it's a fresh fish market and not Stop and Shop. But actually the prices vary depending on the fish type. I find the salmon and cod prices to be somewhat high and the scrod and swordfish prices to be more down to earth. I like the scrod. Its location is its only downside. Although I bet the residents of Indian Neck and Pine Orchards don't see it that way. read more

Bud's is my goto seafood, I generally get the Irish salmon, Sushi grade tuna, or their diver scallops. The next part probably depends on your age. I like to deal with the son. The father tends to up sale what I don't want or more then I want. But not a deal breaker and if you can get it in time is the asiago scallion bread read more

Bud's Fish Market - a plate of seared tuna - Seafood Markets Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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3 of the last 10 times we've been here, we've thrown out what we bought because it smelled so horrible and clearly wasn't something I'd ever eat myself or ask anyone to eat. Seems really unacceptable to me. They have such a small % of their offerings that aren't frozen it's worrying. I think they are only in business because there are so few other local options, but it's expensive and they clearly have no issues serving obviously questionable food that could really sicken someone. Avoid if possible. read more

This is the place to get fresh hardshell lobsters cooked to perfection. Leet's Islands Salts raw on the half shell are the best. Kind of pricey, but you get what you pay for. I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. read more

Hello! Amazing business!!! Wonderful service! Fish is out of this world!! Hours are listed incorrectly!!! Buds is OPEN on Sundays 10-4!!!!!!!!!!! read more

The best! Freshest, the selection you need, very knowledgeable. We frequent Bud's all summer!

I have been a long-time customer of Bud's. Today's customer experience was sub-par. First, even though the sign on the door clearly states 4 customers inside at a time, no one behind me was following their guideline nor were the employees enforcing it. Things got worse when two people behind me entered without wearing masks; again no enforcement by the employees. To top it off, a woman at the BACK of line cut ahead of me and the people behind me, blatantly, and was helped at the register. When I politely said that I was next in line, I was dismissed by the woman and Hal, who was behind the register. In fact, the woman who cut in front of me got aggressive with me and obnoxiously kept going. Again, Hal waited on her and did nothing, just brushed it off. I've never experienced such poor customer service and outward disregard for decency. Amazing fish, which is a shame that their customer service is not at the same level. Bud's just lost a customer, sadly not that I think they care. read more

Excellent selection.. knowledgeable. Great location..perfect for summer shopping trips.

KW is right on target - they have the absolutely best seafood along the shoreline!! And while you are right there, stop at the Indian Neck Pizza place almost next door for their delicious HOME MADE stuffed breads!! Their Broccoli with Sausage is my personal favorite!! read more

VERY Mixed Have had some very good luck here but also some perfectly dreadful stuff. Got $20 + worth of scallops yesterday - they smelled so bad when we took them out of the fridge 3 hours later that we just threw them out. I'd say ask to smell the fish to be sure it is fresh. Some of their stuff is perfectly fine- indeed most. It is the bad stuff that is, of course, memorable. They are a tad on the pricey side and also tend to give you more than you ask for. Just went back for a 2nd time and had a very bad experience. Fish smelled when we opened it and was basically not edible. Am going to avoid this store from now on! read more

NO APOLOGY After being a customer of Buds for many years, never in my life would I have imagined what the owner of Buds Seafood (Hal) did to my boyfriend and I. I went to Buds Christmas Eve attempting to purchase some seafood. I walked through the door and "Hal" started yelling at me. "You owe me money, you OWE ME A 1000 dollars, 2 bounced checks!!!" "Get out, Get out! Get her marker plate number!!!" "I'm CALLING THE COPS!" "She Owes me money." NEVER IN MY LIFE have I been so humiliated. I sat in the parking lot shaking from being so embarrassed. I began to cry, he wouldn't even let me defend myself. I suffer from anxiety. I was a nervous wreck. I tried to call Buds seafood from the car. I spoke to "Hal's" wife. I gave her my name, number, and address...telling her that I think he has me confused and if he could tell me the name on the check. She told me she didn't have the checks in front of her and how it was the busiest day of the year. Then hung up on me. After being hung up on I became more disgusted, and nervous with how I was being treated. I called my mom on the way home, and told her what had happened. I asked her to please call for me, seeing I was in utter disbelief and was suffering from a panic attack. After she spoke to Hals wife she told my mom that I should get in contact with the police seeing they had the checks and a filed report. After calling the police they said they didn't have any knowledge of the report. I still gave them my name, number, and address. The day after Christmas I had my mom call Bud's again. She spoke to "Hal" and explained the altercation that happened on Christmas Eve and how she thinks he has the wrong person. He continued to say that my Boyfriend had bounced checks also. She asked him the name and once he revealed, she told him that he had the wrong name, and if he could please give her the name on the bounced check. After much persuading he finally gave the name on the check....not my name. She told him that he had the wrong person. so he said..."Well then you have nothing to worry about." and hung up. Not even an apology for his rude behavior or for causing such a scene. Im thoroughly disgusted, surprised, and just disappointed. I really do think he has a great selection of fish. But unfortunately I will not be back after such poor, rude, and disrespectful business practice. Especially not after the emotional trauma he caused me. NEVER in my life have I been treated with such disrespect. This was unwarranted and down right negligent. read more

This is the best seafood in the area! I have tried more new types of fish because of the great recommendations from the employees. They always give me great cooking tips also. My favorite is the tuna but you can't go wrong with whatever you choose. The employees are super friendly and very helpful! read more

Pretty good, but very expensive. They always try to sell you something else (additional). I've found the salmon from Stop & Shop is just as good and about half price. read more

been going to buds since a kid back in 70's back then also a bait and tackle BUD was always very helpful as far as the seafood goes none fresher or better quality anyone who says otherwise does not know how to purchase fish walk by a supermarket fish counter take a whiff an look at whats in the case disease and parasites just keep walking and go to BUDS. PS IF YOU GO TO BUY FISH AND PLAN ON DOING ERRANDS OR HAVE A LONG DRIVE BRING A COOLER I AM SURE HAL OR SOMEONE WILL GIVE YOU SOME ICE TO KEEP YOUR PURCHASE FRESH. SINCERLY STEVEN DYMARCZYK read more

Excellent quality. Scallops and oysters are fantastic. In particular, they carry lobster from Nova Scotia, the best there is. It's not cheap but you can be sure you're getting something fresh. The service is also very friendly. read more

My wife and I have become obsessed with oysters. We decided that wanted to try doing them ourselves. So we asked around and Buds was the place countless people recommended. Well they were right. The owner himself ( super awesome guy ) explained and showed me how to use the oyster knife and then his opinion on what condiments work best to bring out or enhance them. There house made cocktail sauce....incredible. The mulligan sauce.... WOW. Then the champaign tarragon sauce....perfect. It's great to go to a old fashion mom and pop shop. Perfection GREAT JOB GUYS! read more

Great selection of fish and lots of good accoutrements for cooking as well. Friendly staff.

I love buds fish market. They have a wonderful selection of fresh choices. My kids love picking out a new fish each time we go and the knowledgable staff has helped me with more than one recipe. I love that my kids are excited to try new foods that are always fresh and healthy. So many possibilities! read more

I try to come here weekly to make something fresh for dinner. I love that they seem to have everything I need for whatever recipe I have that week. The selection isn't huge but it's fresh, local and always delicious. I have no idea if the prices are reasonable but it's worth it. The guys behind the counter are also very helpful with tips and recipes and reminding to pick up the little extras I need for my recipe. read more

I live right down the road from Bud's, and pass it every time I go clamming. If it's too cold to go clamming myself, I'll get them from Buds. I will NEVER buy clams in a grocery store, those things have been dead for a month. The quality of their seafood is absolute top notch, and they will take whatever time you need to tell you about the product, and how to prepare it if you need that help, too. The only real detractor is the price, it's definitely the max they could get, but then again, the quality of the product is the absolute best you can get, too. Bud's gets a thumbs up, in my opinion. read more

I have lived in this area all my life. Have shopped at Buds several times. They are always more expensive than any other fish market in the area. That's fine , if the quality is there. However , recently purchased what I thought was "fresh" fish, sole and haddock. The fish was watery, soggy, and had no taste. It was obvious that it had been frozen. Fell apart when cooked, I ended throwing most of it away. The cost was above what I would pay at other markets in the area. I will not return to shop there again, I will go back to Number 1 fish market in Hamden. A little further distance, but well worth it! read more

We ordered 4 lobsters to be received on Thursday on Tuesday. We are in a town just south of Sedona AZ. Hal said he would get the order ready and ship on Wednesday . I thought that this was tight but had confidence. Bingo at 10:30 AM Thursday there was a knock at the door and there were the four dinner guests from Buds.!!! Amazing..Opened the case and the cold pack was still 3/4 frozen and the dinner guests raised their claws out of the box when the top was removed...Spot on Hal..Another home run..! Thank you Ned and Myrna read more

If you stick with what is in season, you will be very satisfied. This time of year (August and September), the striped bass and swordfish have been both fresh and flavorful. The Irish Salmon and Black Cod are also good bet and we have found the oysters to be sometimes extraordinary and sometimes just ok. They also have a large selection of frozen fish but it's not what we come for. Closed on Mondays read more

Hal is a terrible person. He over works his people and makes lewd and offensive jokes towards women. In fact he still owes me a check and when i started there, he took enjoyment of it by telling me how many people never came back for their last checks. He's an all around weirdo and social outcast. He up charges with no reason. Trust me, just go to the supermarket. read more

Spent $25 on swordfish around 4:00 yesterday. Pulled the fish out of the frig at 3:30 today and it smelled so bad I have to throw it out. I mean STINKY. Usually shop at Atlantic Seafood in Old Saybrook but thought we'd give this place a try. Never again. read more