My family and I've eaten at Champlin's at least 25 times in the last 15 years. It had been worth the occasional long waits just to place an order, but no more. Last year we had our first poor dinner there, and yesterday 2 of the 4 fish servings were really poor: overcooked salmon with fairly little taste, broiled scallops which were stupidly chewy. Both were thrown out after several of us took a taste and agreed: awful. Since there was no apparent method to give feedback to the people in charge after our meal, I'm posting it here. Champlin's does not reliably serve good food anymore. read more

Well, here is some tips for ordering....the steam founder is so good, hot and juicy, very fresh. Add the sweet potato fries for extra $1.50, its worth it. Huh..the fried stuff, scallop seems to be really expensive lately, so skip it. and when we ordered the fried one, they served it half warm ...not sure why. The fried smelts is really worth it, big portion and very fresh. Its crowded in the summer time but not horrible, its seafood fast food, not a fancy place. Wish the price would be more fair though. ($20.99 for fried scallop is a bit steep). Very nice sunset view from the outdoor seating. Recommend to sit outside. read more

I've been coming to Champlin's since I was a little kid and have many fond memories of enjoying delicious seafood here. I've also gotten to see how it has changed over the years as they have made upgrades to the restaurant and added features that I am sure bring in more cash such as a full bar, raw bar and more recently apparel stuff. On summer nights there is usually a line down the stairs and most of the time it is worth the wait - what sells it is the view from the upstairs deck, not the food necessarily. There aren't any waitstaff, you place your order at the window and they will call you when it is ready (and they do bang out food pretty quickly, even when they are busy). The seafood is always pretty fresh as it is located right on the docks and they have a wholesale retail seafood store downstairs. You can even purchase your own lobster downstairs and they will cook it for you upstairs for a $3 charge....I usually get a lobster dinner when I'm here as well as some chowder. The chowder is real New England clam chowder - nice and brothy, not thick and creamy like many people envision chowder being. There are generally nice chunks of clams in here. Although I wouldn't say it is amazing the food is always consistent and it's hard to mess up steamers, so I always leave satisfied. I am OG when it comes to eating lobster so I never use nutcrackers but if you do there is a $2 deposit fee. Over the years, the food has become pretty pricey but that is what is to be expected of a seafood joint in a touristy locale, although $8 for a pint of chowder is pushing it. The portions with the dinners aren't huge so I wouldn't expect to share (although if you get a fried platter there is only so much fried stuff you can eat). The non-alcoholic drinks come in one size. Alcoholic beverages are definitely pricey but not outrageous. They have expanded the indoor portion of the deck and I was disappointed to see that there is no more outdoor seating around the side that faces south because of the expansion. They also changed the booths and they slant upward which is weird and they are less spacious. Nonetheless if you get the right seat the views are lovely, you can watch the BI Ferry and fishing boats come in and out of the harbor. For me that is why I come here summer after summer. Come in early June or September and it's still beautiful but less crowded. Enjoy a stroll down the dock or on Salty Brine beach after dinner. read more

Ahh. I love this place. The view is outstanding and I got engaged here years ago. That said my wife's lunch was a 4 but my fried clams a 3. Can't do a 3.5 so giving a 3. Clams tasted great but very greasy. Either oil was dirty or not hot enough. But I would go back in a heartbeat. My wife had fish tacos and hers was great not oily. Large portion of fish. So to be fair to my readers, this trip, rating is 3. I also had a clam chowder. Not the thick new England variety but the thin Rhode island type I love. Just not enough to bring up my rating for the clams. read more

Living in RI my entire life, I've surprisingly never been to champlins. Driving home from a day at the beach, we decided to give it a try based on the reviews on Yelp. My experience was a bit different than what many of the reviews describe. The ordering process was fine, and the table we had overlooking the water was excellent, but what we went there for - the food - was severely lacking. We ordered twin lobsters, cole slaw, corn on the cob, and stuffies. Let's start with the stuffies, that Rhode Island tradition. The best stuffies I've had have been light inside, with a crispy outside, and a slightly smoky flavor. These were nothing like that. The consistency was like paste, with almost no flavor. I've had store bought frozen stuffies that were head and shoulders above these. The corn was equally bland. The lobsters were good - how can anyone mess up lobster - but these were the smallest 1 1/4 lb lobsters I've ever seen. Good thing we ordered the corn and stuffies, they at least helped fill us up, however tasteless they were. Given that this was my first time there, I'll give the place another shot someday....maybe there are other things on the menu that are better than what we ordered. I hope so. read more

Anyone who says this place is a tourist trap must be a tourist. Champlin's has been a family favorite since as long as I can remember. I grew up in RI and drive down from Boston whenever I get a chance to get the freshest seafood at the best prices possible. My boyfriend is now totally hooked and all winter he talks about what he's going to get next time we head down. You cannot get seafood like Champlin's in Boston! It's double the price and not nearly as great. Fried whole belly clam dinner for like $18? And way more clams than you can possibly eat?? Yes, please!! The baked stuffed flounder is amazing but not for someone on a diet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the clam cakes and clear chowder. The white chowder is not thick - it's watery and perfect for dipping your clam cakes! My favorite part about Champlin's - the ambiance. It's the beach, baby! You order your food at a window, pick out a picnic table on the deck overlooking the water and wait for your number to be called on a loud speaker. Nothing is better than watching a boat deliver fresh clams or fish to the restaurant downstairs while you sip on a drink made by the wonderful bartenders with heavy hands. read more

Lately I've been on a clam chowder bing and frankly Champlin's makes one of the best chowders I ever had. I'm talking about their "clear" broth clam chowder (AKA: the Rhode Island version). I never had their New England or Manhattan chowder. Their clear clam chowder is jamb packed with lots of clams and potatoes. Some places add too much water and too much salt, but Champlin's uses just the right amount of everything. Also, some places make their potatoes wedges too too large, whereas Champlin's slices their potatoes to resemble small sugar cubes. This big grand daddy of clam shacks is divided into three sections: seafood market, ice cream shop, and restaurant. It's almost too big to be considered a clam shack but it meets all the basic clam shack criteria: on the water, window service, and outdoor seating. The top level seating area provides nice views of the docks and all the hustle and bustle of Galilee, Rhode Island. Many fishing boats and the Block Island ferries call this area home. So good luck finding a parking space during the peak summer months. read more

Fish and chips: fries were obviously frozen and the haddock was tasteless. We wished we could have thrown it up and gotten a refund.

Don't waste your time if you're looking for good food. Yes the location is great, but that's about all you'll enjoy. We've been stopping here yearly for at least the past 15 years...and each year it gets worse. This had to be an all time low. The lobster bisque was too thick and had absolutely no lobster in it, not one chunk. The fried shrimp were a fraction bigger than what you would get in a CAN of shrimp and just as mushy and disgustingly greasy. The fried scallops that we were told were sea scallops were the size of most bay scallops and had no coating at all on them They were simply thrown in grease and then thrown onto the plate. Last year, I ordered a baked scrod dinner and the fish was raw in the middle and tasted sour. I had to ask for a manager because the girl at the window said "what do you want me to do about it?"... Um how about giving me an edible meal? I decided, reluctantly, to give them a try again this year but it is definitely the last time I would ever eat there. It's sad to see they don't care whatsoever about the quality of the food they serve. The 1 star is merely for the nice view. read more

Staff was friendly and professional. great view, this place can't be beat. Non seafood, gluten free options available.

We have lived in RI for 37 years and our favorite seafood place in the state is Champlin's. Don't get me wrong-RI has some of (if not the best) seafood in the country, but hands down our fave is Champlin's. The fish is coated in a dry batter vs the puffy beer type batter that most serve. It's light, does not hold or taste like grease. The fish could not be any more fresh as it is unloaded from the dock directly below and sold in their fish market. Another really nice option is that you can choose boiled red potatoes instead of fries if you prefer. They are always boiled perfectly -not mushy) and make a perfect companion with the fish. A little lemon, butter and salt -yummy!! Their fried clams, scallops and seafood platters are generous and easily shared. Chowder is good and the raw bar is off-the-boat fresh. The jumbo shrimp cocktail is to die for. Lastly, there is a full service bar that serves up a good, solid cocktail which you can enjoy out on the deck overlooking the incoming boats, or you can choose to sit inside. You can also choose to take your meal downstairs and enjoy it at the picnic tables or on the beach. Either way, it's quintessential seashore dining at its best. If you still have room, you can grab an ice cream served in a waffle cone directly below the restaurant. Enjoy it while taking a stroll down the beach at sunset or sit and watch the Block Island Ferry come and go from the pier. LIFE IS GOOD! read more

The restaurant has a fly problem. The entire time we sat inside the flies where landing on us and the food. The food: swordfish and fried fish was dry, french fries soft and onion rings oily and soft. I would not recommend this restaurant read more

This was my first time here as well as my husband's. I ordered the fried sea scallops with onion rings which I paid an extra $1.50 to get instead of fries. Also came with cole slaw. My husband got the tuna steak with red potatoes and cole slaw. Everything we got was AMAZING! Even the cole slaw was great and we usually don't eat ours anywhere else we go. My sea scallops were cooked perfectly. There wasn't any sand in any of them like most restaurants I've been to. The batter on them was tasty but not too thick or greasy. Onion ring batter was also just the way I like it. (You can see in the picture I'm posting). The lady that rang us up was super friendly and helpful with our questions. I should point out that I'm usually a big critic when it comes to food and I did not have one complaint about this place. read more

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Staple in Galilee. When I was a kid we would come here every weekend and split a quart of chowder and a dozen clamcakes, as we watched people fish on the jetty from the dining room. Now, 20+ years later, it's very much the same. They just sell a lot more souvenirs for tourists and the bar is bigger now. My husband and I shared a quart and 1/2 dozen clamcakes. We sat in a booth and people watched out of the big windows. We also looked over the many newspaper clippings of Champlins through the years- the storms and all. Definitely a great place to bring your family before or after the beach, BI ferry or even if you just happen to be in Galilee. The white chowder was very good, plenty of clams and potatoes. The clamcakes were a decent size and not super greasy. I appreciated the ladle the staff gave us to share our quart, as well as the extra bowls. They are pretty efficient when it comes to window service, just make sure you are paying attention for your number. read more

Champlin's RESTAURANT is closed for the winter! Lunch at Champlin's has been a staple of every Narragansett trip, with its no-nonsense seafood counter serving up the freshest fried seafood anywhere in the state. Coupled with a fully stocked bar, the rest of your day on Point Judith is bound to be a stuffed, food-comatose delirium. Imagine my surprise on a February visit when I found the restaurant closed. Not deterred, stopped in the downstairs fish market and purchased some (hot) honey-smoked salmon for some walking-around food. Outrageously good, with firm but moist salmon bites complemented by heavy-duty smoking, much more substantial than that possible on nova (cold smoked) salmon. Note to summer self, stop downstairs on your way out! read more

Here's my disclaimer: Fried food makes me sick. Violently ill really. I knew this going in so I'm not going to fault Champlins for those repercussions. Bottom line: it was worth it. Stood in line Saturday night for about a half hour. Even though we started at the bottom of the stairs, the line moved quickly enough. We were smart to send the guys to the bar for drinks while we waited in line. No whipped cream vodka, but I digress. We ordered the seafood platter, clam strip dinner and pint of lobster bisque. BEST DECISION EVER. The platter was scallops, fish, clam strips, whole belly clams and shrimp over a mound of fries. I wanted to try the scallops and both clams but I don't eat shrimp or random fish so I deferred those to the boyfriend. Scallops were perfect. I mean so tender, moist, perfectly fried. I should have gotten the scallop dinner. The clams were both awesome. It didn't hurt that this was a pile of food. We probably could have lived with just the platter but no worries, we dominated the clam strip dinner too. The lobster bisque was smooth, creamy, full of lobster. Absolutely phenomenal. I'd go back just to get that. Other people we were with got some of the raw bar oysters and shrimp. They were unimpressed and just based on the looks of it, the oysters had been sitting in ice for a while because they drowning in water. Not worth the $30 they spent at that bar. Their chowder was very thin and not very good. I'm a fan of thick New England clam chowder but I'm finding a lot of places on the coast do not have that but instead a thin, broth like "chowder." Up to you and your preference but I'll stick with my bisque. read more

This is an awesome seafood place with very reasonable prices at least by my skewed Pacific Northwest standards. They serve up good fish and excellent clam strips, their other dishes (like the coconut prawns) are of a more realistic style and price to the usual overpriced dishes in restaurants of what is basically Tiki bar food in reality. Portions are filling; service is prompt. The wood and all the pictures on the walls make a nice atmosphere, and I hope they're open at least some of the times in winter to hang out with hot coffee and watch the storms roll in, as the food really is great and worthy of appreciation for this kind of coastal deep fried seafood restaurant. They appear to also have a small bar. read more

Eaten here for two decades - love the great portions of perfectly prepared favorites like lobster, swordfish, fish and chips - with fresh corn and potatoes, excellent chowder and a really fun bar with the best dark and stormies and excellent local beers. No visit to so. RI is complete without a stop at champlins. read more

Well we had a seafood combo platter, clam strips, oysters, a piece of fish, shrimp and scallops. Pretty large platter, but not for one person. It's good! Had lobster bisque. But did not like the watery broth clam chowder. Not good. Enjoyed the wonderful idea of ordering and sitting down family style! Great place! read more

Champlin's Seafood - Seafood platter! - Seafood Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

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This is a great place for fresh seafood. The prices were on the high end but still pretty decent and the food was as fresh as it was delicious. The staff was friendly and the view of the water unbeatable. Our only complaint was that they forgot to call our number so our food sat at the counter while we waited (hungrily) for our food to be ready. Other than that inconvenience, we greatly enjoyed our dinner. read more

Great food and great view! Right on the water! My boyfriend and I went on the weekend and the wait wasn't that bad at all! You order your food first at the window and grab a table till they call your number! We got some clam cakes and clear chowder. So good!! Fried clams and fried squid! Fried fried fried!! Everything seems reasonably priced. Location and getting fresh seafood is worth what you pay! read more

Champlin's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

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Really nice views of the fishing boats coming in. And nice for me to entertain the kids while other people finished eating by walking around outside, going down by the water... Walking to the beach after dinner. This might be a 4, but just something lacking. We got some lobsters and a heaping mound of fried seafood (a "platter"). Fried stuff was good, just not as good as fried stuff can be, if you know what I mean. For the lowbrow process of waiting in line, ordering, ordering drinks separately, etc, it's all just kind of expensive. read more

Not a bad spot for seafood if your in the Narragansett, Galilee area. Basic fare, clamp ckaes, chowder, steamers, etc.. The lines can get long, and the prices are high, but a nice place to finish the day after being on the beach. Tha atmosphere is nice, overlooking the docks, and beach. The dining room has recently been expanded, and renovated, as well as adding a larger bar, and raw bar. Bring your appetite, cash, and tums! read more

My favorite is the Clam Bake w/ Lobster! Plenty of food for two. Seafood is always fresh and delicious! Raw bar available - little necks, cherry stones, oysters, shrimp... All the good stuff. I recommend sitting outside on the deck, but away from bar - it can get a little loud and crowded. read more

I'm late writing this review but they always say it's never to late. I've now visited twice and plan on coming back again. I always come in September prior to a Labor Day weekend visit to Block Island. The Lobster and scallops is the way to go. Great view while you eat, friendly staff and fun atmosphere. Can't wait to come back read more

Husband and I were excited to try this place. I had the cold lobster roll and the crab cakes dinner. Food was good.

The Beatles wrote a song about this place, "Best Seafood in Town" I believe it was on the White Album read more

We've been to a couple of seafood shacks around here and so far, this is definitely the best! Great fried clams (no grit!), chunky lobster roll and a nice Narragansett summer lager. What could be better? Oh ya, and an amazing sunset view! Lines can be long, but it moved pretty fast. Go get a beer from the bar while you wait in the line. The ice cream at the shop below is yum! I had chocolate peanut butter that was killer, kids had vanilla with Twix candy bar mashed in it along with a few other things. Decadent! read more

The good: The fried seafood platter was wonderful as were the steamers. The chicken fingers were gobbled down buy my 2 year old and so were the fries. I liked that you could sit on the deck to eat. The sad: The business is not wheelchair accessible. I was VERY disappointed in the chowder.. Maybe it is just how they do it in RI but I am use to the thick chowders of Massachusetts. It was bland read more

We ordered a lot of food but not one taste any good. Grilled swordfish although fresh lacks flavor. Pasta is like watered down sauce shrimp probably from frozen bag considering they are literally by the fishing dock. Clambake looks good from the outside but just fail in flavor. View and ambience is nice. Clean place and looks new. read more

Very good and fresh seafood. We ordered lobster roll and "fish and chips" for kids. Everything been awesome.

Good casual atmosphere. Fresh seafood. However everything is fried. Prefer baked for my seafood platter

My favorite seafood restaurant because of the quality of the food. The seafood is cooked perfectly every time. Nothing is overcooked, and the taste is always fresh and clean. It has been crowded when I went and I don't enjoy standing up while waiting to get to the window to order. I also don't like the seating arrangements that much. Very informal seat yourself after picking up food at the window. It is a bit of a zoo. But that is what it is. As I mentioned above the food is tremendous. read more

We are here on a Sunday in mid-September. We had no wait, choice of anyplace to sit, and enjoyed our meal. They forgot one part of our order so we were not charged for it but because we had to wait for that food to be made everyone else's food got a little cold sitting there so that's why we took a star away. Otherwise, lovely experience! read more

Champlin's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

With the arrival of Spring, all true Rhode Islanders head to Narragansett! So, after checking out several restaurants, we decided to try Champlin's. We haven't been here in a few years. It was remodeled somewhat .. There's a Small but Nice bar. We tried their Lobster salad rolls. They were delicious with good quality meat, no celery, very little mayo. But very pricey ($19.)for such a small sandwich .. Not enough to share.. The fried shrimp were very fresh but weren't cooked enough for my liking. I would skip that next time. The bartender was superb .. She was Very Personable, efficient, and welcoming !! We were somewhat "sticker shock " upon leaving.. How did we spend so much for so little in a "no frills" establishment? It's all about the view, I guess.... read more

We were heading to a different restaurant and I decided to try this one instead. I really loved it. This is nothing fancy. You order at a window and seat yourself when it's ready. Or if you sit at or across from the bar you can have the bartender wait on you, which is what we did and she was great. The food was excellent. We ordered a bunch of different things to try. Not a negative comment about anything. What made me love this so much was, as you're enjoying a beverage and dinner you are right at the water looking down on fishing boats, watching the ferries and boating traffic pass with the sun in your face. It's just perfect scenery. I will be coming back often. read more

Great place to have some fried seafood and take in the ambiance of a fisherman's village. Been coming here for years and never disappoints.

First time here. Clam cakes were gritty and dense. Chowder was one note, plain Jane. Fried sea scallops tasted like they were friend in sausage grease, must have been old. I'm sad. read more

An authentic Point Judith seafood restaurant. Lots of casual seating with beautiful views of the Port Galilee. We enjoyed clear broth clam chowder, they also have creamy white and red. They accommodated a dietary restriction of one of our party with a special dish. This was really nice. The fried oyster dinner was very good and good size portion. The clam cakes were good, too. The staff were very friendly. A great place to try local seafood. read more

Great seafood shack. I like it a little better than George's. It's right on the inlet at Galilee. Not open off-season, but on a good day in season it's really a treat to sit outside with your fried food and a drink. read more