I went to try Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich with a couple of friends last week. I hadn't been for a few years. It's just as great as it always was. The food was great, fresh, and hot. Even the coleslaw and tartar sauce were made with care. The servers hustle like crazy. They treat you like good friends. Some diners may have frowned on service. Those girls never stopped, and they smiled and laughed. (Who doesn't need that these days?) It's sea scallop season, so even those scallops are expensive I had to do it. The scallop dinner w/fries and onion strings was a bit over $35, but there were 14 huge, right off the boat succulent scallops. The burgers also looked great. Get on over there. read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Fried Sea Scallop Dinner, Fried Scallop appetizer, and Fish and Chips, (haddock) - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

**Classic local watering hole with solid food and atmosphere** The Chote Pub is definitely a neighborhood spot through and through. You can tell the regulars get priority attention from the bartenders, but we eventually got taken care of too - just be prepared to be patient if it's busy and you're a new face. The food was good with very generous portions that definitely give you your money's worth. Drinks were well-made and hit the spot. We loved the setup for watching football - great views of the games from multiple angles around the bar. **Important heads-up: This is a CASH ONLY establishment.** Make sure you stop at an ATM before you arrive, or you'll be making a quick exit to find one. The vibe here is very much old-school local pub - if that's your scene, you'll love it. If you're looking for something more polished or trendy, this might not be your spot. We enjoyed the unpretentious atmosphere and will likely be back, but it's definitely worth knowing what you're walking into first. Bottom line: Come for honest pub fare, generous portions, cold drinks, and a genuine local experience. Just bring cash!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Bloody Mary - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

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Delicious and huge portions, my only complaint with the side order of fried clams comes on a bed of lettuce which made the batter soggy. The scallop plate was excellent and the drink strong, the way I like it. read more

Fish chowder was excellent I asked the waitress if the Scallops were large she says oh yes they are Sea Scallops they're very large when they came out 80% of them were the size of a dime about six or eight with a size of a quarter for $39.00 they should be large Sea Scollops. Fish Chowder ans Scollops $51.00. I will not go back read more

What an old-school bar this is with food lol. We shared a clam plate and a cup of clam chowder and still had enough for an entire meal for the two of us has leftovers. The clams were really flavorful and not huge. I don't like when they're so big that they taste Sandy and gross. These were perfect Ipswich clams. Both the fries and the onion rings were done perfectly as well. Have you got a beer I had water to drink. We sat at the bar. Which was an experience in itself because it was definitely local bar and at 3:30 in the afternoon it was packed with a bunch of people drinking. Probably would've preferred to sit in the tiny dining room room, but it's still OK. Would definitely go back. read more

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The service is attentive, prompt, and with humor. It's a classic New England pub that's cozy and casual. The bar has great vibe and plenty of screens to watch the Red Sox. The food is just good authentic seafood, burgers, and steak tips. It is priced right and generous with portions. The onion rings are simply to die for. Crispy and sweet. The BLT is exceptional with plenty of bacon lots of crispy lettuce and a fresh ripened tomato. When do you actually get a ripe tomato on a BLT? Under a heaping pile of fries, you search for the pickles. That's a good thing. The haddock was generous and perfectly cooked. The topping was buttery with Ritz cracker crumb topping. We had a salad on the side that had plentiful blue cheese. With a glass of wine and a Guinness, we were in heaven. We hadn't been here in years. We will go out of our way to go back. read more

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Passed this restaurant on the way to the beach so when we were starving upon leaving, we decided to pop in for a late afternoon snack. The dining room area is quite large, but being that it was Saturday and beautiful out I think others had the same idea and it was quite busy. The bar area also had a lot of action. Thankfully, we didn't not have to to wait but within us being there 30 minutes it started to really pick up. Ordered the pub burger, fried clam plate and the Caesar salad. Burger was very good as was the fried clam plate. The Caesar salad was a bit sad looking and also a bit wet. Overall enjoyed the meal. read more

A hidden gem tucked away in Ipswich. We discovered this pub after adventuring through the North Shore and I'm so glad we did. When we first arrived the entire bar/pub area was full. They have a dining room as well but we wanted to sit in this main area so we waited a little while for a table. During this time we looked at the menu which offers pub style food, as well as their board with specials. We got a window seat with a downtown view. Our waitress was nice and brought us our beers in a timely manner. We also split a clam chowder, which was on the thicker side and was quite good. I ordered the steak tips with rice pilaf & squash, and my boyfriend ordered their baked haddock special. The marinade on the steak was amazing and the meat was tender. My boyfriend really liked the haddock as well. Meals also came with hot rolls and butter which was nice. Food was amazing and atmosphere was fun--lots of TVs and lots of locals dining here. Only thing is it is cash only so keep that in mind. Definitely a memorable pub for my boyfriend and I, so I'd love to come back here with him! read more

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Had a great dinner on a busy Friday night. My wife and I ventured to the great town of Ipswich for some great seafood. We haven't been to the Choate Bridge for, at least, 7 years. A classic pub/tavern where it seems like a lot of people know each other and enjoy each others company. We were lucky enough to get there just when there were some tables clearing. We were sat quickly at the table the sits looking out of main street. The table booth was great size and perfect for the two of us. We were seated right beside the serve yourself popcorn machine. Of course, we had some and the popcorn was great! We ordered pretty quickly and the food was at our table in no time. I had the clam plate and my wife had the haddock plate. Both with sides and both with more than we could ever eat! I asked the waitress if she could tell the kitchen that I don't need an army's worth of clams but she told me that they "never listen". I would have been happy with 12-14 claims with some fries and rings. I bet I got close to double that (see pic)! It was massive! My wife was thrilled with her haddock dinner (see pic) I am a fan...always will be. I love the New England feel. I love the bar area with the TV's on. I love the location in downtown Ipswich. I love the fact that the beach is about 1 mile away.....there is a lot to like other than just the awesome food. Parking: plenty of it Price: clams were market price Vibe: welcoming and warm Menu: typical pub style Would I come again? of course! read more

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Great fried clams with healthy servings for a decent price. Quick service and "local" ambience.

I tried this place for the first time last week and really enjoyed it however I think they need a little bit of a better solution for their reservations I'm not sure what that is. Because our service was not too great because he was taking people that just got in and we were sitting there waiting for a while. The vibe is very bar like especially because we were sitting in the bar because there was no room in the dining room and it is nice. The fried clams were really good however there's just so many of them and I wish we knew that their came with so many because we would have just got one and not the dinner and the side. The bellies were perfect size and the price was pretty good so I definitely be back read more

We stopped in here while on the way to Plum Island for some lunch. While there was no waiting it was very crowded and loud, the good part is the location is nice being right in the downtown so can walk around the town afterwards. Service was fast and helpful, I got the crab stuffed haddock and my wife had the hamburger club. Mine meal was ok, plenty of fish and stuffing but my wife's meal wasn't that good, the burger was overdone (she asked for medium but it was at least well-done) and very dry overall. Overall an OK visit with some ups and downs. read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Today's menu - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Saw Choates Bridge on various food sites so thought we would give it a try. When you walk in its rather small, but we were able to find a booth. All wood seat and back, not the most comfortable. Waitress came over and we ordered drinks. Decided to get a cup of clam chowder and a fried scallop plate to share. Even though I saw bread served in some of the posted pictures, we did not receive any, nor we we asked if we wanted any. Clam chowder came and was probably the most tasteless chowder I have had. Gave it to hubby, he had a few bites and said the same. The fried scallop plate came. I took a bite out of one of the scallops and quickly knew that they are serving wet scallops. Wet scallops are treated with sodium tripolyphosphate or STPP to keep them fresh as they are out to sea for days. Wet scallops have literally no taste. Dry scallops are brought in the day they are caught and are nearly DOUBLE the cost in price as wet scallops and have a delicate sweet taste. $34.00 for inferior quality WET scallops is a travesty....The french fries were frozen battered fries and hard as a rock. Onion rings were unevenly cut (some real thick some real thin) with most all of the batter falling off and scallops that were way overcooked. One of the pictures showed what was sent back to the kitchen after two people shared this one dish. Tried to get the bill to get the heck out of there, and the waitress was nowhere in sight. After waiting patiently for a while we asked another server to get our waitress. I haven't had anything else on their menu, but the two items we got are not an example of delicious, quality food. They are the example of restaurants that serve crappy quality food for premium prices. A large percentage of the scallops available to consumers in this country have been soaked in a solution containing sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), "Dry" is the seafood industry term for natural scallops, which have not been treated with phosphates. Natural scallops have a slightly tan, or "vanilla"-color. Dry scallops are superior for the following reasons: For searing purposes, dry scallops caramelize beautifully! Dry scallops taste sweet & natural, where "wet" scallops can sometimes have a washed-out, or even slightly "soapy" or bitter flavor.You are not paying for added water with dry scallops.The idea of selling "soaked" wet scallops feels dishonest to us, here at FishEx - so we don't sell them. Ever. https://fishex.com/scallops/wet-vs-dry If you have any doubt about the quality of dry versus wet scallops...try dry scallops and see for yourself... sad to say you are not getting dry scallops at Choate Bridge Pub. read more

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First time there yesterday I got a clam plate it was awesome loaded with clams well worth the trip and the price. Five Star! Also a scallop plate just as good. read more

We went for a late lunch on St. Patrick's Day. We seated ourselves and were waited on right away. Our waitress was dressed for the holiday in green. Our drink and appetizer orders were taken and the food arrived quickly. We then ordered clam plates and a haddock plate. The clams and fish were excellent. The clams were tender and had huge bellies. Everything was cooked perfectly, waitress was on point and the restaurant was spotless. On street parking was convenient. We will definitely be back. read more

This is a local place but worth a stop in. Cash only. It is nothing fancy but some of the best food around. The fried clams are plentiful and cooked to perfection. The swordfish Cesar when on special is worth a try. The chowders are delicious. Service is consistent. It everything and more you want in a pub read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Fried clam plate - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Had really tasty and filling fried clams and onion rings here. Great regular people feel. No trendy anything here. Just good food and service. Will definitely come back again. read more

My husband and I were in the mood for fried clams on a hot summer night this past weekend. So since we had dropped off my son at the commuter rail and were in the area we decided to go to Choate Bridge since we hadn't been in a while. We decided to sit at the bar since there were some spaces available and the atmosphere was pretty lively. We ordered a Blue Moon and a Guinness before ordering the clam plate. The friendly banter of the bartenders kept us amused. When our clam plate arrived we were relieved that we had decided to split the plate because it was huge! It came served over French fries and onion rings, with 2 containers of tartar sauce. The tartar sauce was sooo good-sounds crazy but it was just the right amount of tangy with the added relish and was the perfect compliment to the sweet fried clams. They were very fresh! My only complaint is that the bar menu could benefit from a few more healthy items. My husband got a side salad, but that was the only option. Everything else was fried. Maybe a crudite plate with some veggies and dips or deviled eggs? All in all-we enjoyed our craving! read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Fried clam plate - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Heard about this place from a Facebook food group. Decided to go for a drive and check it out. Walked in on a Saturday afternoon and the place was busy. I was able to get a table in their dinning area. I came for one thing only but their whole menu looked good. I wanted fried scallops and onion rings. I was surprised at the amount that came. I opted for double rings instead of fries. Service was fast and friendly. Portions are huge and priced right. Will definitely go back. read more

Reminder they are still cash only! Steak tips are the best ! I always get the steak tip salad! read more

We used to visit The Choate quite regularly however our last 2 visits have not been the great experience we are used to. We sat at the bar both times and it just wasn't up to par compared to the Choate before new ownership took over. The service was great but... The baked haddock did not have the same delicious crumbs and the portion was too huge to finish and we know seafood doesn't really make for good leftovers. The fried haddock was done a little too much; the coating was too dark and again so much of it! The salads have grown to twice their size but served in the same tiny dish; much of our salad ended up in our laps and on the floor... The broccoli and squash were just okay but again the portions are HUGE! A bit disappointing really...we both would have preferred less, more delicious food of yore rather than the enormous portions of sub-par flavors. A lot of food doesn't necessarily mean delicious... Both visits left us feeling a little sad and nostalgic for the way the Choate used to be. read more

My sister and I went for lunch. We were originally going to have chowder but when we saw the scallop plate and lobster roll being served to another party, we quickly decided to order those. A great decision! The scallops were lightly fried, moist, and delicious! The lobster roll was also delicious with only the right amount of mayo and celery, and plenty of lobster. To top it all off, Jennifer, the bartender was awesome! Very friendly and attentive! Will DEFINITELY be back! read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Lobster Roll with Onion Rings! Yummy! - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

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Food is fantastic! There is no waiting area, and you are pushed around, and not very nicely by the 'pick up area' staff member. I know it must be frustrating. My suggestion is to clean out the pickup area and ask your patrons to stand over there and not stand in front of people while they are eating. With a little organization that could work very well! read more

A real local spot that has been around for eons. Always delicious food and now with new owners, the portions are generous. I love the large hamburgers and their clam chowder. The owners of Boat House Grille have taken over the restaurant but kept the same menu and have truly kept this a Ipswich gem for us locals. The place can get crowded when sports events are happening. read more

The beer was ice cold but the chowda (the reason I came) was only lukewarm...got the baked haddock which was delicious. Another member of the party got the fried clams, huge portion. Oh and I liked the coleslaw. Has a hole in the wall kinda vibe, little grungy. Service was ok. Cash only. read more

Fried clams oh my! After visiting the nearby beach we stopped at this restaurant for a quick bite! The place was packed! Filled with tons of beer enjoying people at the bar side of the restaurant and dining people at the good hall. The waitress was very nice and quickly took our order of fried clam appetizer plate to share and two sides of clam chowder. Our clam plate was huge! And we didn't even finish it between my bf and I! There were tons of delicious fried clams piled high on top of a bed of french fries and onion rings. My fried food lovers this dish is for you! The clam chowder was also a hearty pour of delicious soup pouring over the edge of the bowl. We went clam crazy after seeing tons of clams at the beach nearby. Both dishes were excellent and we would definitely come back and dine here and maybe stick around at the bar to enjoy some more beer and clams! If you do dine here, it CASH ONLY! But don't worry they have an ATM machine inside the restaurant. read more

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We stopped by Choate Bridge Pub on Sunday for lunch. It wasn't too busy even though there was a football game on. We started with the clam chowder, it was delicious! Our waitress was super friendly and made sure we had everything we needed when we got our food. My boyfriend and I split the fried clams (they do a $2 split charge). The dish was HUGE. It came with French fries and onion rings too. It was more than enough for two people. The fried clams were cooked to perfection. We ended up bringing a lot of leftovers back home. Note: They are cash only! read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Fried clams - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

My husband loved the fried oysters and the shrimp was very fresh! The portions were HUGE!!! The server was amazing and the atmosphere was warm and homey. read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Fried shrimp plate and fried oysters plate. - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Great local food and pizza. The staff are long time employees and really know their stuff

A classic coastal New England neighborhood bar. Drinks were strong, food was hearty, and the servers and patrons seemed to know each other. Definitely a new frills - authentic spot. Great portions that seem to be prepared with real people in mind! I tried the fried scallops appetizer and clam chowder. Flavors were decent - not much seasoning but that's typical for the area. What you see is what you get! read more

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Wow. Really wow. The food was excellent and so was the service! The prime rib was tender and cooked to perfection. The appetizers were fresh, delicious, and good quantity as well. You'll never be rushed out the door and you'll be very well satisfied with the quality of the food. So happy we found this estabkishment. A side note, if you're going for the prime rib, you MUST go very early or call in advance, as they run out quickly! read more

Freshest, cleanest seafood we have ever had! The portions were large and there was no sand in the clams or scallops! Prices are extremely reasonable and the service was good! They were very busy but the food came out quick!! Our waitress was super nice! read more

Relaxed atmosphere, fun waitress, excellent seafood chowder and clam chowder. Really enjoyed this very 'local' place. Will definitely be back. read more

Food and service were the best. A little disappointed that you can t split your seafood plate order with half clams half shrimp or etc like we use to in the past. We worked around it though by ordering different plates and splitting amongst ourselves. We love it here. We'll always come back read more

I have been tooting about this place for many years. In fact it was the only place my husband would go even though we lived nearer the beach area . You can not get any fresher clams or scallops. And the service is exceptional. read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Clam plate and scallops appetizer plate - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Popular downtown Ipswich eatery serving large portions of whatever you order from clam plates to chicken fingers No skimping here Cash only - ATM Machine on site. On street parking only Heidi was our server We ordered a fried clam plate and a scallop plate . The plates start off with a bed of french fries and onion rings then topped with a very generous amount of seafood- no cole slaw .... Combo seafood plates are not an option Fries clam plate 33.00 Same for the Scallop plate No photos taken as I left my phone in the car. When in the area you should make this a stop you won't want to miss read more

We were excited to check out this place as we heard the food was great. From the moment we entered, the vibe was weird. Long wait and only one waitress. Staff was rude and ambience was non existent. Finally decided to leave and went to the Brown Dog down the street. Great food and waitress Lisa was amazing! Do better Choate Bridge Pub! read more

Very cool place, our waitress was 100% on the ball, loved the salmon and the salad, the lobster roll, and fries were very good, the onion rings were decent. Excellent water, a great find in the heart of Ipswich. What do you? read more

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Finally got to Choate Bridge and the clams and scallops were plentiful and very good...My only complaint would be that there were a lot of flys in the bar area which took away from the great food..Definately will go back again though.. read more

Old timey New England pub, complete with cramped seating, sports on TV, and baby boomer clientele. So old timey that they only take cash, but thankfully they have an ATM in the restaurant. My dad and I had sat the bar. I felt like a spring chicken being there for dinner around 4:00pm after I returned from a long out of state trip. Seems to be a popular place with the locals judging by interactions between other customers and the bartender. Despite not being locals, the bartender was nice and attentive. Beer menu is surprisingly limited for a pub. I had an Ipswich ale, a smooth, clean beer. Not my favorite, but good easy drinking beer. No drink menu, but they have an extensive liquor collection so you can order just about any cocktail you want. Basic pub food menu: seafood, sandwiches, pizza. Clam chowder was pretty standard. The pizza special - ricotta, tomato, garlic, basil - crust was on the thicker, chewier side which I liked. I would have preferred fresh tomatoes over cooked but otherwise it was tasty. I took most of it home as the clam chowder and bread was pretty filling. Street parking only so depending on the time you visit you may have a hard time finding a spot. Satiated my post-flight hunger, but otherwise not noteworthy and not the kind of atmosphere I enjoy when dining out. read more

Choate Bridge Pub & Restaurant - Pizza special (tomato, garlic, basil, ricotta) - Pubs Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts