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    David's Place

    3.2 (91 reviews)
    InexpensiveSeafood
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

    David's Place Photos

    DAVID'S PLACE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - David's Place

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    Prices of the current market late July 2024.
    Jonathan L.

    Ordered a large mountain of a fountain dew, refills for a nominal fee. Only ordered large side of market price whole Belly clams. Portion did not wow me but was acceptable. Bellies are fresh, but on the small side for a connosuier like myself. Tartar is homemade. A bit tart, seems like its cucumber and greek yogurt but i could be way off. A solid contribution to the area as a roadside seafood shack!

    1/4 lb hamburger,  fries, large soft drink.
    Scott P.

    In my season-long quest for outdoor roadside eateries, today I landed at Dave's Place. Delicious 1/4 lb hamburger and fries served with a large soft drink for $13 and some change. Good portions, friendly service, good price. I definitely recommend!

    Hot Sausage with onions, hot relish, and ketchup. Along with Kelbasa patty
    Kevin D.

    For a road-side food stand, they are functional food in a location with very little in terms of options. You either get the dino park or you get the road stand, and both are not the best options. Given a choice between the two? The food stand is better. Cheaper overall and better quality. I appreciate that they grill their hot dog buns, and everything was cooked to order. Most of their menu is fried foods, which does kind of limit your diet options. But it's a food stand, health conscious foods are not this locations forte. The hot sausage had a little spice, but not a lot. The kelbasa was decent, but very fatty. price was okay, little high for a stand but not too crazy to be overwhelming. If you're coming off fresh from the dino park and you need a cheaper bite of food for you and the kiddies, this place will serve that function. Not good enough to make the trek to, but technically the best option for the area without spending a ton of money on chicken nuggets and french fries.

    Slaw
    Adriana H.

    The ice cream cone was the the best part. The food came out fairly quickly and the fries and burger were fresh, we ordered a hot lobster roll but it came out like room temperature which was a little ehhh but my husband still ate it. They don't have kids menus, and service could have been better not on the young cashiers end but from the older blonde woman who it appeared was supposed to be helping her. We had a cheese burger, fries, lobster roll and a small ice cream cone (no drinks or water) for $40 and some change, Definitely felt like I could've have something way better somewhere else for that price. But if you're starving and need to pull over to grab something quick this is the spot.

    Outside dining only plenty of picnic benches
    Dawn H.

    Good food & Best prices around the area . Located near The Dinosaur Place with plenty of outside picnic tables with umbrellas and soon to reopen at a later date inside dining The employees are really friendly and the ordering process is simple . Two windows outside for ordering the other to pickup. You cap your own drinks if you choose a fountain drink (new rules) which some will appreciate. They sell hotdogs,hamburgers(looks amazing btw) claims strips , gyros ,curly fries ,onion rings and more ! A pretty good menu and family friendly pricing. We ordered a hotdog(not the best looks boiled) you can add toppings we just had ketchup on it. Curly fries were nicely cooked and a decent size for a small order . Onion rings were thin and absolutely delicious like they battered before you got them I am sure . A turkey grinder with over the top lettuce so you may have to ask them to add less (pictured) otherwise was a good sandwich . Lastly , two orders of clam strip rolls . They were good . I would definitely order that again I can't wait to come back to the area to try more items .

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

    One of my favorite places to go for many years never been disappointed always look forward to going

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I ordered two cheeseburgers and both came out three minutes later completely raw. gross.

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    9 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Good burger and ice cream. Excellent fries. Great value and nice people. The place is clean and a nice place to stop.

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Disappointing. Hadn't been here in years. Fries excellent but other meals not as good as We hremember.

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    9 years ago

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    Page 2 of 3

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    Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant - Fried whole belly clams

    Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant

    4.0(719 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Came back here and glad to say the food here is still just as amazing! I got their famous lobster…read morepot pie and it was super delicious! The pie crust was flaky and buttery! There was a good amount of lobster meat given the high price ($38). The fresh seafood here is super delicious and they do a fantastic job of cooking it here! Highly recommend this place! Food(50%): 9.3 Staff/service(25%): 8.0 Value(25%): 8.5 Overall: 8.8/10

    Let's go to lunch! On an absolutely gorgeous Saturday in July this summer we decided to go have…read morelunch at Flanders Fish market. This is a restaurant I've been to many times and I used to speak at the local Rotary and always enjoyed their oyster stew! Rich with cream and butter and full of oysters. This oyster stew is worth the trip. In addition, we decided to have an order of whole belly fried clams and fries. Word of caution the fries are not the best. They are thin and crispy, but difficult to since there's much inside of them. The fried clams are perfectly fried - moist and delicious and what every New Englander is proud of when talking about fried clams. My companion had lobster bisque that she reported was absolutely delicious with a wonderful subtle taste of lobster with cream and butter. Oyster stew ($23) fried clams ($57), lobster bisque ($10), Strawberry shortcake ($9) with two sodas - $113.34 I left a $20 tip for our server who was kind and attentive and appreciated her service The fried clams alone were $57. Fried clams are not inexpensive my friends.

    Photos
    Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant
    Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant
    Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant

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    Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - Fish sandwich

    Captain Scott's Lobster Dock

    4.1(1k reviews)
    8.6 mi
    $$

    Came here before visiting the New London Ledge Lighthouse for a quick bite to eat…read more We shared the create a plate and got the fried shrimp, clam strips and calamari. Everything came out hot and fresh! We also got a lobster roll. It was hot and FILLED with lobster. Just wish we had some more hot butter on the side! We also got some ice cream too at the ice cream window. I got the Nutella Sugar Waffle. The waffle was fluffy and warm with bit of crunchy sugar within the dough. All topped on 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream with the choice of strawberries or banana, I got strawberry ! I was so full I couldn't finish it all! Everything was very good. The prices are decent and the portions are big

    This place is great. Beautiful setting looking over the water and boats. I got a fish taco and…read moreshrimp taco. The seafood is high quality and fresh. The taco itself was meh but the seafood is the star. I even came back the next day and I got the fried calamari and fries. The pickle ketchup was awesome for the fries. The tartar sauce was a little lacking but I mixed in some hot sauce which really helped. The cocktail sauce had way too much horseradish. The lines are LONG at peak lunch hours and it's in the open sun. Service is kinda slow with only one register so the line does not move quickly. I will be back for the lobster roll and to try all the other great seafood.

    Photos
    Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - Love the hot sauce!! $10 for a small bottle is kind of ridiculous though!

    Love the hot sauce!! $10 for a small bottle is kind of ridiculous though!

    Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - Fried oysters $17.95 if you're not getting the sides. So so good!

    Fried oysters $17.95 if you're not getting the sides. So so good!

    Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - Lots of seats

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    Lots of seats

    The Shipwright's Daughter - crispy fried oysters

    The Shipwright's Daughter

    4.4(432 reviews)
    14.2 mi
    $$

    I am absolutely obsessed with everything here. I made reservations for 5:45 pm on a Monday night…read more We actually came a little before 5:15 pm, because I was absolutely starving, and they were so kind/accommodating. They seated us right away! I love the vibes of the place, it's beautiful and inviting, but not pretentious. Our waitress was the best. She knew it was our anniversary and gave us a little bubbly to toast to. We also made it for happy hour (5 pm - 6 pm on weekdays, and 5 pm - 6 pm on weekends only at the bar)! All the small plates on the left side of the menu were half off! We immediately ordered drinks (the $10 happy hour cocktail - a blackberry bourbon smash for my husband, and a mocktail for me). We then ordered the shishito peppers, 2 of the pickled beet deviled eggs, and the roasted oysters with chili oil. They came out super fast, and it was delicious. The shishitos had that great char flavor along with a great dipping sauce. You can never go wrong with deviled eggs. Then we decided to order the fried oysters and the bread with corn butter. The fried oysters were the star of the small plates. Cooked so well. Freshly fried, you bite into it and it was juicy and delicious on the inside. Just so good. The bread and butter? Ugh, my dream butter and bread. Just so delicious. The butter was slightly sweet from the corn and had flakes of sea salt on tip, making it the perfect sweet and salty combo. We also got the salad (local produce!), and our waitress knew we were sharing ao she had the kitchen put it on 2 plates. Such a great touch. The salad was fantastic. After eating lobster rolls for a day, this was a much needed salad. It was refreshing, bright, and light! For our main entrees, we got the seared local squid and the strip steak. It was INCREDIBLE. Everything had so much flavor. The squid was cooked well, wasnt chewy. Just delicious. The crispy rice was the BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN. I wish we could order bowls of it. My husband finished it, couldn't get enough of it. The steak was fantastic as well. The potato with the bearnise sauce was so dreamy. The little onions on the steak, all the little touches were so well done. We knew we had to get dessert. We got a scoop of the black raspberry ice cream, a scoop of corn and blueberry swirl ice cream, and the lavender honey panna cotta. Guys. You 100% must get dessert. The corn blueberry ice cream was unreal. I dont know how you get all that flavor into ice cream. They dont skimp on the honey on the panna cotta. And it went so well with the more mild panna cotta. The black raspberry was a little icy because they froze whole blackberries in it, but at least you know they were trying to make sure you got blackberries in there. With happy hour, the bill wasn't too bad. This was hands down our favorite meal of our week long road trip. I can't wait to come back. I would 100% make a detour to eat here. Parking is pretty difficult around here. I would probably just Uber if I was coming here on a weekend. I need to come here for breakfast at some point.

    I've been here multiple times for dinner and brunch and definitely had a good time…read more The deviled eggs are amazing! They also have a pavlova dessert that I highly recommend. The wine list is good. The coffee (bees knees I think) is outstanding. Parking is right behind. Ask for a window table to enjoy people watching. Service is server dependent someday good someday great. Cute ambiance and great food.

    Photos
    The Shipwright's Daughter - Interior

    Interior

    The Shipwright's Daughter - Smoked clam dip

    Smoked clam dip

    The Shipwright's Daughter - Steak Tartare

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    Steak Tartare

    Drift - Fish And Chips Your Girl Told You Not To Worry About!

    Drift

    4.5(68 reviews)
    10.2 mi

    This was a surprisingly good find! One of the best fish & chips I've had!…read more Watch out for that Kool & Deadly, it comes with a whole shot of rum extra in it! Dog friendly, great view of the CT river. Going to be coming back for sure

    Hi, I was happy to hear back from the restaurant that they decided to refund me for my purchase. I…read morelook forward to trying again. There are some things in your video review you wrote up that are not accurate (and some things that you wrote that we're not accurate from my perspectivs) that I would like to have a chance to respond to... Whatever menu I was handed that had the lobster roll description on It did not have a description that included onions. There seem to have been multiple menus the restaurant had that day. When I was outside a server said that she would bring over the lobster menu (this menu was not given to me) when I was reading off of the original menu I was given the lobster roll did not include onion. Honest mistake of wrong menu being given, but it helps for customers to know what ingredients are in things like that when dealing with food sensitivities. The server never checked in to ask how the meal was/if I needed anything. I was a server for over 10 years and I know that's the first things I do after dropping off someone's food to ensure everything is good. There was food left on my plate, fries. Thanks for the refund, and I hope trying another time I will find it to be a better experience!

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    Drift
    Drift - Happy Hour Tuna Nachos

    Happy Hour Tuna Nachos

    Drift - Best Lobster Roll in Essex CT

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    Best Lobster Roll in Essex CT

    Fat Tuna - Fisherman's Platter

    Fat Tuna

    3.9(96 reviews)
    7.8 mi

    I came here with several friends for lunch mid week. The location is right on the shore near a…read moremarina where you can watch trains crossing over the river and boats going by. There is a road bridge that crosses the river way above so it does not impact views of the water. We were promptly seated outside where the umbrellas provided shade and the sea breeze was gentle. We were fortunate to catch a beautiful summer day that was not humid or extremely hot. I started with Niantic Bay oysters which are local. They were expertly plated, plump and delicious served with a mignonette sauce. Next I ordered the Chilled Seafood Salad which is listed as an appetizer but was plenty for me. The salad had Stonington scallops, Long Island scungilli, large shrimp, hot peppers with a lime vinaigrette. It was nicely seasoned including the shrimp and scallops. Although the scungilli was sliced thin, they were somewhat tough and a little chewy. My friends enjoyed their selections which ranged from burgers and fries to salads and chowders. The wait staff were pleasant and efficient. The inside decor was very pleasant. Prices are within range of what one would expect.

    We've been coming here often since they first opened and have generally always been happy, but…read moresomething has recently changed food wise and the costs have gotten out of control. The service is always great, so kind and quick, no complaints ever. Even with summer hires they are great! The setting is beautiful, nice outside patio, great raw bar seating, and even in the winter the indoors is comfortable and warm. A few months ago our meal was off and seemed poorly made with lesser quality ingredients, but we let it go as we thought maybe it was just a bad night. We came back again this weekend and it was more of not worse of the same. Our staple go to here has always been the crab cakes with Kimchi. I love it so much that I sometimes order 2 of it as my meal, with extra kimchi on the side! We have also tried many other options though, both kinds of lobster rolls, scallops, ravioli, always 2-3 things from the raw bar, and generally get an entree and drink special too. I'm not sure if staffing/decision making in the kitchen changed or they are cutting costs but something is definitely off. The crab cakes are no longer what they were, they have no signs of the large lump crab, and honestly tasted like a frozen version made with imitation crab. Add to that that they raised the price and I am baffled they thought it was ok to serve. The kimchi is no longer actual kimchi but plain raw cabbage chopped and lightly dusted with what could only be the leftover spices from a poor attempt at kimchi mix. The entire thing was so bad we had to send it back. When I asked about what had changed I was met with a firm denial that it was any different than it had ever been. We have eaten them around 15-20 different times and I honestly couldn't believe they were trying to convince me it was the same. The lobster roll was awful, tasted almost day old. If we had done what we wanted we would have sent our entire meals back and just left. On top of all of this, the prices have been consistently raised and yet the food quality has gone way down. I think if it were not for tourists and the location this place would suffer greatly from the changes and cutbacks they have made. Sadly, we will not be returning.

    Photos
    Fat Tuna - Inside (not my pic)

    Inside (not my pic)

    Fat Tuna - Terrific spiced apple dessert

    Terrific spiced apple dessert

    Fat Tuna - Cheese Plate

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    Cheese Plate

    David's Place - seafood - Updated September 2026

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