Quick service. Friendly staff. Priced right. I will definitely be back. Small rooms but nice

After hearing rave reviews from multiple friends, we finally gave the Chowder House a try. We loved the nostalgic, 1970s charm of the interior, but the meal itself was highly disappointing due to a major grease issue. The Food: Fried Artichoke Hearts ($7.50): Not crispy at all and very greasy. The dipping sauce lacked seasoning and just tasted like heavy oil. Snow Crab Legs ($39): 4/5 stars. A little overcooked, but overall tasty and the highlight of the meal. Fried Fish Sandwich ($11) & Fries: The bread on the sandwich was delicious, but both the fish and the fries were incredibly greasy. This spot is always packed and clearly has a loyal following, so I don't know what happened during our visit. I usually adhere to a three-strike rule before judging a restaurant, but the food was heavy enough that we won't be returning. read more

Chowder House continues its tradition of excellence, even when short staffed due to a blizzard. The New England clam chowder was flavorful and creamy. The fried clam strips are absolutely a must. They are getting hard to find around the country and it is a pleasure to be able to get them when in Utica. They are seasoned just right. The oysters were a bit small, but very fresh and served with wonderful accompaniments. The haddock was perfectly cooked. And everyone at my table seemed pleased with the full variety of this most satisfying menu. Coffee and dessert were very nice. No cappuccino or espresso, but that's not why you come to this delightful seafood restaurant. I will continue to come back when I am in Utica. read more

See all

Had a real nice meal on a Friday evening at the chowder house. Waitress took our drink order (by the way they do not offer light beer). Ordered a UC because....we'll just because. The dining area had lots of decorations as you'd imagine the theme was beach like. Started off with calamari and it was very unique - the rings were cut thinner than most places and the light breading really let the flavors come through...definitely fresh and really good. Opted for the deep fried haddock and shrimp special, shrimp were very large and still had bite to them so I have to believe they were very fresh. Beer battered haddock was good - two strips with a nice coating. Took a pic of the dinner but it came out lousy - good reason to return. read more

Chowder House - Haddock and shrimp special - Seafood Near Me - New York Mills, New York

Great food and service !!! What a great staff... we'll definitely be back ... The fish fry is awesome.... Not greasy at all !!!

Our favorite Friday night spot... Great People food is so good the corn chowder is my favorite the home made balsamic dressing not only good on the salad but for dipping their hot served bread. The seafood and chicken penne . Our grandbabies love it too . Our waitress was the best.. We were in at and on our way to the USA womens Hockey game. Great start to a memorial night. Thank you for a great place to enjoy a great meal with family read more

The service was really good at that chowder House. I had the shrimp scallops haddock dish spicy. The seafood seemed very fresh however the seafood delicate taste may have been overwhelmed a bit by the generous amount of sauce. The dish was delicious but wished I had gotten it with the lemon butter garlic sauce To better complement the delicate taste of the seafood. read more

Chowder House - Shrimp Scallops Haddock - Seafood Near Me - New York Mills, New York

Portion size was small, my fish was a bit over cooked, so it is a bit dry. My bf's dish has only 4 crab stuffed shrimp, on a bed of blend and mushy rice and served with burned broccoli, and this was their dinner special for 19 bucks without tax and everything. The manhattan chowder was mediocre with several very chewy clam piece. Wait time was a bit long as it was Friday night we understand it. Overall not a pleasant experience. The ratings and the website set high expectations but the experience is a bit far from what I read. Disappointed and I don't think we will come back. We can get better seafood, restaurant setting, and service at a better price or value in the area. For example, ocean blue. The price may be a little bit higher but I feel it worth it and I enjoyed the food. read more

Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - New York Mills, New York

See all

Another great place! Was looking for something different for dinner tonight as a colleague and I were traveling in the area. We started the week out at a chain restaurant that was horrible, but has been very good since as we have hit up various local establishments. Chowder House did not disappoint either. Sort of odd for us that several of these local restaurants are secluded and in the middle of a residential area. Chowder House has a little strange entryway so when you walk in you have the feeling of not really knowing where you're going. You are greeted with a large fish tank though which is perfect. Once inside, the place opens up and there is plenty of seating. Very nice seafood Decore throughout the restaurant. Very friendly and knowledgeable server this evening. She named off several specials that were available, and didn't have to read a thing. Many of the items are made fresh daily so this is a high-quality restaurant. We both ordered the clam chowder which was really good. My colleague ordered the Pirates seafood platter which came with shrimp, fish, fries and coleslaw. I had one of the specials which was shrimp and squash ravioli. This was extremely good. I mentioned as we were leaving that if we had eaten here earlier in the week, I would definitely have eaten here again. Many items on the menu to select from, and I would love to try more however leaving town in the morning. The price is right as well. We were out the door with tip for around $50. Very good for seafood. If you enjoy seafood, I highly suggest and recommend this location. read more

Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - New York Mills, New York

We ordered fish fries for takeouts and it was overcooked. The clam chowder wasn't anything special either. It was bland.

The food is fresh and cooked to order. I have eaten here many times and always enjoyed the food , the specials run on the weekends & always have a variety . I also love to support locals. Great for seafood lovers and family of all ages with a kids menu and a few non seafood choices. Best seafood, definitely the freshest. read more

Stopped in here a little over a month ago for lunch and the food and service was excellent. Tonight I'm back for dinner and so far no disappointment. Food excellent and service is bar none. Every time I come through here I will definitely stop. Little gem in the neighborhood. read more

Didn't get there this visit, but it has been a restaurant of choice for my family for years. I have visited from Tucson and always choose the Chowder House for a night out. The seafood dinners are always done right, the soup is delicious, and the drinks are great. Thank you Chowder House for always being so accommodating and gracious as we filed in, two of us close to 100 years old and navigating cautiously! read more

Aside from the dated decor, maze to the dining room and women's bathroom door that didn't close... I was confused by the room temp bottle of champagne on our table. Group of 6. seated quickly and waitress was great throughout our time. New England clam chowder was nothing to write home about. Needed some more seasoning but it was definitely homemade and good quality. Cajun calamari was good but you could tell it was frozen and it only consisted of "ring" pieces. Manhattan chowder was good according to one of our group. I ordered the sea scallop special. It was nothing impressive: scallops, artichokes, butter, jarred roasted red pepper, whole cloves of garlic, small penne. Again, it needed seasoning. Grilled Salmon was dry and didn't appear fresh. Those in our party who got the pirate platter were satisfied but not blown away. The guys who ordered dessert were satisfied, although neither pies appeared homemade. They were happy though. Overall it was not overwhelmingly good but satisfied a bunch of hungry firefighters at a decent price. Not on our list of "have to come back" dinner spots next time on travel in the area. read more

Had lunch good, had clam chowder and fish sandwich. My dinning partner had a burger and soup looked great! Nice spot will be back!

If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was in a nice little New England seafood restaurant. The food is very fresh, prepared exceptionally well,and at prices that will surprise you. Great atmosphere and service too. I'll definitely return. read more

See all

I think many average Americans have eaten what is said to be 'Shrimp' [off all kinds] through their life. What most people have eaten is rarely anything like fresh, professionally prepared Shrimp! [By someone who (both) cares, and knows how to clean, prepare, and cook]. Jim does care ... and he knows how! I urge you to try the fresh shrimp here [and other fresh fish plates as well]. Every detail - the soup, the coleslaw - even the French Fries with the burgers all are ... as good or better than your own kitchen. If you want fresh seafood, fish ... or just a burger - this is the place! read more

This is my favorite local restaurant to get the French onion soup. I don't remember anything else I have eaten here.

We visited the Chowder House for the first time earlier this week and while we certainly had a pleasant experience, I must say I left slightly disappointed with the quality of the food. Let me start off by saying the atmosphere and help was excellent. As others have said, the Chowder House has a very homey and comfortable feel to it, walking in you feel like you're entering a fisherman's house turned restaurant, with tons of maritime decorations and ornaments delightfully strewn about. Immediately upon entering we bumped into the owner and his dog, both of whom we're friendly and welcomed us inside. From there, our waitress was punctual, polite and patient as our 3 year old did his best ordering for himself. We were dining within an hour of closing and though the dining area quickly emptied we were left feeling more than welcome until the end of our meal. I ordered the Seafood-Cioppino which features Shrimp, Scallops, Haddock, Mussels topped in red sauce and served over rice and veggies. My wife and mother both ordered the grilled salmon sandwich and my son had the shrimp dinner off the "Guppy Menu", very cute! While waiting, we munched on some very delicious bread and I was served a house salad with ranch dressing. Upon being handed my salad I thought it was quite light on the lettuce and heavy on the veggies but that turned out to be a total plus. My salad was delicious and the highlight of the meal for me. Upon receiving our entrees I was immediately a bit disappointed in the presentation of my plate. With a $20 plate containing some of the prettiest seafood delights on the planet this was an opportunity missed to impress as what I was served looked like a plate of mush with 4 small mussels scattered about the outside. I even looked at the picture on their online menu to make sure I wasn't crazy and what I was served looked nothing like the photo. In fact, I almost thought to ask if they ran out of scallops as I did not see a single one on my dish, especially not the beautiful round pieces shown in the photo. Even still, I thought there was no way something with these ingredients would not be delicious so I moved forward. Unfortunately, however, the taste matched pretty closely with the presentation. I certainly won't call it bad, but for $20 a plate this definitely missed the mark. The rice was VERY mushy, almost certainly out of the microwave, the scallops were non-existent and the haddock was very soggy. The jumbo shrimp was the only highlight of the dish, however those were few and far between. Would not be an issue if the remaining ingredients were delicious or at least present, but when they're the only thing that tastes good I was wishing there were more. The salmon sandwiches in contrast were very well presented on delicious homemade bread that was toasted perfectly. They came topped with lettuce, tomatoes and a truly awesome dill flavored mayonnaise. The only let down with the sandwiches was the salmon filet itself. While moist and still tasty, it was light on flavor, lacking the typical fishy-pop of properly cooked salmon. Both fillets were VERY white and while I'm certainly no expert chef, I would guess they were slightly overcooked. The fries served with the sandwiches were also a highlight, brown and extra crispy with an excellent combination of seasoning, we found ourselves all picking at each others fries by the end of the night. Funny enough, our 3 year old son had the best choice, his plate of fried shrimp was awesome. Sometimes, it seems, simple is the way to go, as these guys have definitely figured out a good batter and hand dipping process for their shrimp. As soon as my son got up to check out the many cool things decorating the Chowder House, we dug into his leftovers and picked them clean. We plan to visit the Chowder House again, as seafood fanatics we really want to fall in love with this place. I think next time we'll try a few more of the fried items, as it seems to be their strength. As of right now I would still recommend the Chowder House if nothing more than the atmosphere and help, hopefully soon I'll discover some excellent menu items to suggest as well! read more

They have the best fish fry everyday and an amazing New England Clam Chowder. Truly is great food that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Not just during Lenten days. read more

Great seafood! Yummy bread. Best fried fish in a long time according to my mom who is very hard to please. Cajun calamari a must try. A little pricey but totally worth it! read more

Chowder House - Beer battered haddock - Seafood Near Me - New York Mills, New York

See all

Exceptional food. Great service friendly staff. Worth the visit. Great fried shrimp, haddock, scallops and clams. Perfect Cole slaw. Wonderful chowders. Large portions. read more

Always a good meal. Great service and really fair prices. The chowder is consistently fantastic. My only criticism would be the small portions of the sweet potato fries. read more

The chowders here are the best. Otherwise, the food is meh. Not meh as in negative, just meh as in nothing amazing. I get different dishes every time we come here but I haven't found anything to be too good. To be honest, it doesn't taste that fresh. Tastes like it was frozen food not fresh food. The people that work here are all super super nice though every time we go we always have a good experience with whoever is serving us. But if you're ever passing through on a cold winter day and want to warm up, I recommend stopping in for a hot cup of CHOWDA! read more

This was our first time visiting Jim's Chowder House. Upon entering the dark unwelcoming vestibule we were met with random items cluttered all over and a dilapidated fish tank with only two very sad looking fish. Some people would have turned tail at this point. We proceed to the "hostess station" where we waited 10min without any acknowledgement from the staff, despite being in their line of sight. Finally we were seated and without a word, the lone server left us with no concern for our drinks, highchair or menus. The entire interaction was awkward, uncomfortable and that's before you get to the dated atmosphere. It is clear the waitress, whom never gave us her name, had little to no training in the hospitality industry nor did she care. Additionally the manager/owner sat at the bar eating while his staff struggled to tend to customers needs. There is a top down failure to maintain/create standard operating procedures to enhance work flow and customer experience. His nonchalant attitude was contagious amongst his staff. Poor leadership breed poor followership. As we looked over the disorganized menu i noticed it had not been professionally designed. The limited selection would be problematic for members of a diner party that didn't eat sea food as it offered little options otherwise. We order fried calamari as an appetizer. It had a unique flavor ( heavy Cumin / wing sauce) not a traditional flavor pairings. I order grilled salmon, which was underwhelming. Salmon was slightly over cook , sweet potato was basic (no effort) and steamed mixes vegetables were clumsy and too large. My wife order white clamb sauce over pasta. The presentation was sloppy. It was apparent the overdone lemon sour taste was to cover the canned clamb flavor. The sauce was soupy and thin (1in deep on the plate) My son ordered a shrimp kids plate. Again sloppy presentation, not a balanced plate. Included no vegetable or fruit options. Finally my brother ordered a fish sandwich, which amounted to a soggy breaded filet and a small portion or fries (literally 12 fries!!!) 1 slice of tomato and 1 piece of Roman. That's not a $15 sandwich! Low end service, dated atmosphere, and underwhelming food quality and presentation does not deserve a repeat visit. This business need to hire a professional restaurateur to consult on needed changes, or they WONT be around for long. You lost my patronage, will never visit again!!! read more

Very good food! Fresh and very tasty. The service was outstanding. Definitely a good place for sea food. I'll recommend it!

This place has excellent servings of fresh fish, beer-battered haddock, fresh deep fried clams, mussels and, of course excellent chowder. Generous portions, they don't skimp and they're consistent. Jim the owner is always there and he helps to provide this place with a friendly and lively atmosphere. My wife and I have been here many times and we haven't yet been disappointed. Try the peanut butter pie; it's amazing; deep fried clams and shrimp are fresh and always top shelf specimens of seafood. read more

My new favorite is the buttermilk battered clams, and or shrimp. Hand- dipped, light, cooked perfectly! We love this place! It has a homey feel and a fantastic staff. I also highly recommend the peanutbutter pie... there is no better ANYWHERE! Truly a Utica dining gem! read more

Great atmosphere, prices, food, service and beer selection in a small homey place. Owner Jim Cox and chef John Luciano were very friendly and accommodating. A hidden gem! read more

usually one of our favorites. todays service was the worse we have ever had. restaurant was busy but not full by any means. we were seated promptly. then waited 10 to 20 minutes to have a waitress even ask if we have ordered. when we did order we waited another 25 minutes until we finally decided to leave. ( the first time we have ever done that). during our wait we did see others served that were seated well after us. when we did get up a waitress did ask if we were all set. very disappointing. we try to support local businesses', but i think that this one is off our list. read more

Very fresh and well prepared seafood that is moderately priced. Had the Cajun Haddock, Oreganato Haddock, and the clams in white sauce over multiple visits. All were delicious. read more

Had Blue Point oysters, the skin calamari, and a bowl of chowder for lunch. Everything was fabulous, the waitress was great, and I am definitely coming back here. Prices are very cheap for seafood, especially in this area. read more

I had a good piece of salmon for lunch. Excellent service. Only thing holding the rating back was a fly that constantly bothered me while I ate. Other than that, it was good. I would definitely come back and recommend. read more

I decided to give this place a shot and overall I was not overwhelmed but will give it another try. Atmosphere was a nice warm cozy feel, it was so hot I had to crack a window open, but it was clean and inviting. The table shared an appetizer which was Spinach and Artichoke Dip. The table agreed it was very good. I had the New England Clam Chowder which was tasty and a nice texture. Disappointed in the lack of clams and excess amount of potatoes. For my entree I had ahi tuna which was chargrilled over a bed of baby spinach and marinated artichoke hearts. It was supposed to be "drizzled" with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette. The problem is that it was drenched and flooded the dish. I could not taste the tuna since the vinaigrette was overpowering. Next time I will ask for it to be drizzled not inundated. I had their chocolate peanut butter pie which was made in house and it was very good. For a beer I chose Magic Hat #9 on draft which was a quality brew. Disappointed in their draft beer selection since they had no local beers on tap. All in all it was an enjoyable evening but there is room for improvement. read more

Great restaurant. Love the atmosphere. Fantastic chowders, and great meals. I don't come here enough!

i went on May 20th for dinner at the Chowder House. This was my first visit via a gift certificate. I ordered one of the Daily Specials. It was Scallops and a 10 oz Sirloin Steak. When it arrived at table i was asked to cut nto the steak to see if it was fine. i had ordered the steak medium. When I cut into it I mentioned it looked well done. I was told to cut into the middle of the steak which was slightly less than well done and a very pale pastel pink in color. I expressed it was not fine but was told it was by the waitress. Trying to cut the piece of meat which had the texture of shoe leather i called the waitress and solt her I was not satisfied. She took the steak away. The manager came back with the steak and a magnifying glass to tell me I was wrong and this is the way the restaurant cooks medium steak. Take it or leave it. I wish to say if you want to be humiliated by this manager in front of the clientele than express honest disatsisfaction and he will come to publically humiliate you. read more

Yum yum yum. Four of us went- my aunt paid so I don't the exact prices but I would say moderate with excellent service- down home and friendly. This is the kind of place that includes the salad and vegetables with the meal. I had delightful capellini with clams and red sauce. It was great! The fried scallops were good- clean tasting. My aunt had a huge seafood platter and it looked really good. They had a full bar. I will definitely go back. read more

I came on fish Friday....it was so busy! But still the service was excellent and the food came quickly. I was amazed at the chowder and my entree. The best seafood place I've ever been to read more

Very good...I enjoyed everything ordered. Oysters, balsamic tomatoes, chowder and trout.

Great little seafood place. The chowder is amazing. I also tried the fish and chips and that was very good too. The owner came out and talked with us for a bit too. Great place. read more