I read about this place on several travel websites as a must visit place in Kennebunkport. The line to order took forever and stretched out of the restaurant and into the outdoor seating area. The small parking lot shared by another restaurant was overflowing and cars were parked up the street. Aside from salmon, lobster roll and a couple other dishes, the entire menu is deep fried. I got a fried haddock sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a side clam chowder. The chowder was good and the sandwich filling, but kind of flavorless. I honestly don't think I'd come back here or at least not to order anything other than lobster roll, which my friend got and enjoyed. read more

Great prices versus the local competition. We brought the kids here to experience their first Lobster Roll and their first bowl of Lobster Stew. So, while I can't directly speak to anything other than the soda (lol) because I'm a vegan, my children LOVED the food. It was everything they hoped it would be and more. The place is RIGHT on the pier, and the views are amazing. Prices, as mentioned above, are way better here than other places we've checked, and the quality seems at the very least on par with the expensive competition. Definitely a must stop in Kennebunkport! read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Lobster Roll and Lobster Stew. - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

When visiting Kennebunkport, we have to stop here for the chowder! The best anywhere. Only issue is LACK OF PARKING.

Traveling from NJ we always make a point of stopping here for the freshly caught reasonably priced lobster dinner . Can't beat it anywhere south! read more

Love this spot! Great casual, relaxing place for lobster and fried seafood. All of their chowders and the chicken finger plate are very tasty as well. Service is efficient, and you couldn't ask for a better view of the water! It can be tricky to find parking and a table during busy times in the summer--but it's worth the wait. read more

Excellent experience- we will definitely be back for the views and food...also good drink choices!

We decided to dine al fresco for lunch so we made the short drive from our motel, Lodge at Turbat's Creek, to this unpretentious restaurant. I reviewed the menu and noted that prices for full dinners, both lobster and full belly clams, were several dollars cheaper one can find in Kennebunckport proper. Though tempting, we settled on bowls of New England clam chowder that we enjoyed on the deck. The chowder was pretty flavorful considering the absence of bivalves. read more

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Ordered fried shrimp on menu, instead received Popcorn shrimp NOT on menu. First time I ever received that for 'Fried Shrimp'. Be careful what you order here, you may Not get what you expect. VERY DISAPPOINTING! read more

We have been here many times and would have rated it 4 or 5 stars. This evening's experience was not what we have become accustomed to expecting. My date had fried clams which were good. My order of scallops and shrimp were over cooked and really greasy. The scallops were chewy. The atmosphere was beautiful as always. We have always liked our dinners here and really hope this was a one time fluke. We have both worked in restaurants and know there can be "off" nights. I would hate to have a similar experience again and loose one of our favorite spots. read more

lobster roll and clam chowder were excellent. A bit pricey though. two beers on tap, an IPA, and a wheat beer.

Affordable and nice place to sit, but... We ordered 4 bowls of clam chowder. Portions on small side and more significantly there weren't any clams in it. Flavor was good and there were a few orange bits in there, (did they give us seafood chowder by mistake?) But really just chunks of potato and no clams or pieces of clam or other seafood bigger than a pencil eraser (smaller really.) I had high hopes, but it was just, meh. read more

A real Maine Fish shack. This is what you come to Maine for. Fresh fish and lobster right off the boat, and of course the guilty pleasure of fried clams, seafood and scallops. The lobster is is fresh and sweet, the pier it is on, sells the bait to the lobstermen. You can tell the difference. The Fish chowder is light and filled with fish. Their own recipe and you can tell that too. Looks like just a lot of picnic tables under a tent with a great view of a working harbor and pier, but if you like good food you can't go wrong. read more

Friendly service. Good food. And an overall 10x better experience than The Clam Shack. I highly recommend the drive out of Kennebunkport to Cape Porpoise to visit the Chowder House. read more

This is a cool little shack on the water with some pretty amazing views. Essentially order at the counter and they'll bring you your food. The wine was not so great- but they have a few beer options. Mostly outdoor seating. The chowder was excellent! The clam cakes were meh. Food takes forever to be honest but it came out fresh. Expect a long line and a wait. I'd say you can get just as good seafood elsewhere but it's worth it for the patio on the water with amazing views. read more

Drove up to cape pier today around lunchtime, parking was tight but the woman who manages the parking does a outstanding job and fit us in to a nice spot. Line was long but after all it was lunch. Gave us time to check out the menu and review the passing trays of food being brought out to the picnic tables. Decided on the clams, lobster roll and clam cake. The clam plate ($23) and lobster roll ($18) along with clam cake $3 were good plus pretty good sized portions. Clam plate came with their outstanding slaw plus homemade tarter and fries. Lobster meat tender and drawn butter yum. Even the toasted roll was good. The staff hustles and bangs out the orders fairly quick so the line moved right along. Just a pleasant time and meal. Plenty of seats on picnic tables that turns over as the line progresses. read more

Great clam chowder, awesome seafood chowder with large chunks of lobster, clams and scallops. Incredible clam rolls. The line got to be too long or I would have ordered more. Great views. A totally awesome experience. read more

I was driving around the area leaf and beach peeping, and was told about this place. I luckily found parking by the benches and plaques across the parking lot. After admiring the view I strolled over and got in line. Hard to choose my feast but tried the fried oyster and scallop combo with tarter and cocktail sauce, and a lobster roll. Found an end table with a view of the dock/boats. All was hot and tasty! I recommend this place. read more

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The Chowder House is an absolute hidden gem!! The food is fabulous and the location is perfect! We tried the fresh Lobster dinner & the clam chowder, both of which were amazing! The staff even educated me on all things Lobster which just made our experience that much better! Love, love, love the Chowder House! read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Great food, great prices, great staff and beautiful scenery. What's not to love? Looking forward to going back. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Local art - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Good go-to location to wow guests visiting Maine in the summer. Dynamite views and good local color (and odors) with the working fish pier immediately adjacent - not to mention the seagulls ready to perform on cue for a tossed french fry. This isn't about fine dining (so I'd pass on the prepared foods like chowders and soups) - it's about fresh deep fried seafood consumed with a front row seat on one of the prettiest harbors in Maine. The fried haddock, clams and shrimp are perfectly done, onion rings are OK, as is the lobster roll. It's all too expensive, but on a perfect summer night your general reaction is "oh, what the hell". Go late, 7:30pm or so, miss the crowds, the parking wars and enjoy the sunset. The ordering setup is abysmal, and you'd give your last dollar for a wet towel and a bleach solution to wipe down your picnic table, but these are minor quibbles. As someone who lives within 5 miles can attest, this is a quick, easy solution for a Maine dining experience guaranteed to make a memory for your guests. Enjoy! read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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I have lived in Kennebunk for 20 years and yesterday was my first trip to Cape Pier. In fact, I didn't even know this placed existed and now I'm really bummed I never visited before. Parking was a bit of nightmare, but it was helpful there were parking attendants on hand. The food and service were decent, not the best fried seafood in Southern Maine, but definitely not the worst. However you must come for the view! It's beautiful. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

There is a picture of this place in the dictionary next to "Maine Lobster." This is the classic Maine establishment - picnic tables on the pier, no pretension, abundant and yummy lobsters, steamers, beer, french fries. Really, what else do you need in life? We stopped by on our drive to pick up our son at camp nearby and were looking for a pier side lobster. Boy, were we happy - these kind of places are rare in our neck of the woods in the Midwest. It was a bright sunny afternoon and two beers and two lobsters later I was a happy guy. We brought our son back the next day - he'd never done the pier side lobster thing before - and he quickly devoured two lobsters (no beer for him though). This place is very basic - if you aren't getting lobster there isn't much point in coming. You can wait a bit in line at lunch if you get here at the wrong time. It's all paper plates and moist towelettes. I'd recommend shorts and tee shirts, as you will be covered in lobster juice at the end. If you are looking for fine dining, this ain't the place. If you are looking for one of America's great homegrown dining experiences this is the place. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Get two lobsters for twice the fun! - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Delicious food, big portions, and you dine right on the water! If your looking for the New England experience you can't go wrong at the Chowder House! read more

Everyone has said it all ready on their posts..I am happy to agree, this is a little seafood shack located Cape Porpoise, Maine, a village of Kennebunkport...its a little hidden..not too many tourists. great views. There is a "working" fish market there. There is also a fine dining seafood restr next door, but we just wanted something quick and we went here. we had 1 1/4 lb lobster w/ yummy crinkle FF and yummy slaw. The lobster you could break the shell w/ your fingers, no crackers needed..the hot butter is real. The staff is very nice, so put a few dollars in their tip jar. Its counter service. You can sit inside or out..ice tea and soda fountain, beer and wine too. we will DEF come back to this wonderful place!! ps. our lobster dinner was $17.. They have other dishes too, chowders, clams, scallops, shrimp. clam cakes. etc. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Delicious seafood - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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I have flown to Boston and rented a car just to drive up here and enjoy the meaty 4oz lobster rolls when I've had the hankering! Simply prepared, not overly laden with mayonnaise and no nonessential ingredients. Best of all, they use a high proportion of claw meat and they use real split hotdog rolls that are buttered & toasted. I highly recommend enjoying two lobster rolls as I do. Next time I am ordering a whole lobster as well; as I haven't tried that yet. Next visit! Pricey, but splurge for what you can truly only get in Maine! $13 per roll and worth every cent. I get a tiny shot-glass sized cup of white ($5.50) wine to accompany the crustacean delight! Decor is a dim 1 1/2 stars, but the view of the quiet harbor with lobster boats is five stars and summer months you can sit outside on the patio, which has several wooden picnic tables to enjoy the view. This place can be hard to find as it is at the end of a winding road through a residential area. Best when you have a good map reader assistant in the car with you or use a trusty GPS. I've been 4x now and will venture back again soon! http://www.capeporpoiselobster.com/ read more

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A perennial favorite every summer up in KBPT. Best Fried Clams w/ bellies and home made tarter sauce), Best Steamers, Best Lobstah roll. Secret favorite - the grilled Shield's Hot Dog with fries) Yes - I get it with my sea food as an appetizer and call it a lazy person's Surf and turf. Parking can be a challenge - but it's definitely worth it. True Coast of Maine dining. read more

AWESOME! We ate at the fancy high priced restaurants in town, which had great food. This restaurant was our favorite, great food, served hot, large portions and really fair pricing. If you feel you must be waited on this is not for you. You order and pay then a very friendly server brings you dinner. read more

Super super and more super. Great casual restaurant and beautiful location. Next time we are in Maine, we'll be back. My husband loves clam chowder. However, he'll only indulge if we are close to the ocean. We live in Nevada (not close to the ocean) so he will only request sea food if we are near San Francisco. Well, coming to Maine he was dying to try Maine clam chowder and what a treat! This was the best! Better than San Francisco too! I had the fish and chips-an excellent choice as well. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - View outside - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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My wife and I arrived and soon discovered that parking was a challenge. We circled a couple of times in search of a place and found one quickly. The biggest issue we had was traffic as the place is small and cars were coming at you in all sorts of directions. After parking we entered the resteraunts and quickly stepped into line behind about 10 people. Here you order, pay and then sit at a picnic table that over looks the harbor. I asked my wife to order me a lobster roll and cup of clam chowder and then I secured a picnic table that overlooked the water. After a few minutes she returned with a plastic card with a number on it and said our lunch would arrive shortly. The place was a bit busy and was very family friendly and we relaxed and watched parents redirect their children on several occasions. We were glad that our children were grown and that phase of our lives was over. Our rolls and chowder arrived and we began eating. The lobster rolls were just as advertised, lobster on a grilled hotdog bun. There was no lettuce or mayo mixed in with the lobster meat. My wife was beside herself when she discovered that the roll included both tail and claw. They truly were devine! Unfortunately, we couldn't say the same for the chowders we ordered. Mine, clam chowder was thick and creamy and full of potatoes with limited clams. My wife's haddock chowder wasn't thick at all, however, included a nice mix of haddock and potatoes. Overall, the experience was fantastic and we definitely will come back again and stick with the one of a kind lobster roll. read more

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We just had beers and a crab roll so I can't say about the rest of the menu but the crab roll was really good. $13.99 for that and $5 each beer. Great views with the outdoor seating. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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The Chowder House is just a non-descript little building on the Cape Porpoise Pier. We happened to be at Cape Porpoise at lunch time so we decided to grab some food here for convenience sake. We're really glad we did! The seafood is absolutely outstanding here; especially the seafood chowder. Definitely some of the best we've ever had. This place was a great unexpected surprise. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Lots of cool stuff around the Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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Great little spot in Cape Porpoise. Nothing fancy here but the fried fish is quite good. Portions are a bit small for the price but we did appreciate the senior menu. Dress warm if you go. Seating is mostly outside on a windy pier. Great friendly staff! read more

Excellent lobster in lobster rolls. I'm very picky about fresh lobster, and this was the best lobster roll I've had. Fried clams, fish and chips, and onion rings all excellent. French fries nothing special. read more

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WOW! While on a road trip decided to take a detour to have some chowder next to the ocean. It was a cool cloudy day and the place was almost empty but I can see how this place is packed during high season. I had a lobster roll and a seafood chowder and both were AMAZING. The place is small, next to the water and the staff was great and helpful. read more

Easy drive from Kennebunkport. Parking in small lot at no charge. Can be very busy with long lines. You order then find a table food is delivered. Lobster, Fried Scollops, Crazy Good Onion Rings, Great Lobster Rolls. Outdoor deck seating on picnic tables tight. read more

Cape Pier Chowder House - Lobster - Seafood Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Although parking was a challenge, the parking attendants were helpful in directing you to a place (or where to wait until a place was available). We enjoyed the lobster salad and fried haddock. My daughter asked for a crabcake (the one item they said was ordered-in frozen). Although the crabcake had a lot of filler, it still had a good flavor and my daughter enjoyed it. The fish and chips were among the best we've had. And of course you can't go wrong with lobster salad! read more

Place was great. Everything you need, nothing you don't. You order your food inside, they bring it out to your picnic table over looking the cove/dock. Food was great and reasonably priced. We got the burger, crab cake sandwich, fries, and onion rings. I got the onion rings as I saw they were handmade - did not disappoint. Also got two drinks (beer and wine) and food for the kids (hot dog and grilled cheese), all for under $40. Will return. read more

Perfect quintessential New England seafood shack in Kennebunkport. Stopped here on a coastal drive from Boston to Portland. Order inside and grab a table while you wait for your food. We tried the lobster roll (fantastic), crab cake (meh), fries, onion rings, and blueberry pie. Lovely views of the water, delicious and inexpensive food. read more

Had a great lunch - claim chowder was on point, lobster stew was decadent, crab roll melted in your mouth. Definitely give them a try. Parking is tight and small. read more

I ordered the salmon sandwich. It was think and overcooked and had WAY too much salt on it. My husband got the chicken sandwich and that too was overcooked with too much salt. My Father got the seafood chowder which he enjoyed. My Uncle got the crab cakes and said they were very good! The atmosphere is like a post card ... just beautiful! read more