We drove an hour and a half to visit Essex Seafood (two) after my parents went the week before and raved about it. It did not disappoint! This is one of the only places where you can get whole belly clams down here in Fl, so we definitely had to try them. When we arrived, there was about a 20 minute wait since it was Sunday afternoon. My dad and husband grabbed their fishing poles and cast off in the little pond nearby while we waited for our table. We started with a bowl of homemade clam chowder. My husband had the seafood platter, my daughter and I had the scallops, and my dad ordered the whole belly clams and shared some with us. Everything was delicious! Lots of sides to choose from, too. I loved the onion rings and white cheddar mac & cheese. Of course we had to add their famous Boston cream pie to take home. It was delicious too! Such a cute little restaurant tucked away in the middle of real Florida. It was well worth the drive, and we'll definitely be making the trip back! read more

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This a casual spot. The portions were generous. We had the gator tail appetizer. It was seasoned perfectly, and was very tender. Fresh clam strips and shrimp were both delish. Our leftovers reheated well in the oven the next day. We will be going back to try more of their menu. Service was great as well! read more

Essex Seafood Two - Clam strip basket with onion rings - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

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The food was good. The service was great. It's in the middle of nowhere, though. If you're nearby, try it. Not worth the 45 minute drive we made, though. Ambiance? Non-existent. But that's ok. We went for the food, not the ambience. read more

Excellent food. Delicious steamers Whole belly clams The best onion rings. Being from Massachusetts I was thrilled to find this restaurant. read more

Fried whole belly clams, onion rings, fritters and coleslaw are our standard at Essex Seafood. Just remember, cash only! We arrived around 12:30 on a Saturday to a fairly empty parking lot - good for us as that meant no wait. More diners arrived after us but there was still ample seating for everyone. Service is exceedingly fast. We had our piping hot food in a matter of minutes from ordering. In fact, we were leaving the restaurant 30 minutes after arriving with very full bellies. Portions are huge, prices on par with coastal New England seafood restaurants. Product tastes great. Well worth the hour drive from the northern section of The Villages. Nothing fancy inside and out for decorations, but we come for the food! read more

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I have to tell you that I come from Essex Massachusetts and have eaten at Essex Seafood 1 for many years. Howie is an old friend ! The quality of the seafood at Essex Seafood two is, every bit as good as the original, and possibly, better ! If you like Northern seafood and shellfish, this is the place to eat. Regards, Jack Hill read more

Essex Seafood Two - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

Yes! But you have to pay cash! Food was delicious but it means I have to go by the bank before I go there.

This is my go to place for fried whole belly clams. The food is fresh, hot and a lot. All is very clean and they're very helpful. This is a place that I go to even though I am over an hour away. Don't over think it, take a drive for great food. This is a place worth the trip. Enjoy!! read more

Essex Seafood Two - Whole belly clams - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

Oysters were fabulous! It was a Sunday afternoon and this little place was packed with! I had the "boat". Fried oysters, one side, my choice was a baked potato which I took to go as the oysters were what I wanted to use my appetite for! I was not disappointed! Very casual, tables are close, service is quick and friendly. Need to head that way again for the clams!' read more

Essex Seafood Two - Oyster boat - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

Fries and clam soup (supposed to be chowder) sucked. Chowder is supposed to be thick and I hate battered fries. Fried seafood should be served homemade fries, not battered frozen fries, period. Please fix the two items. Come on, I thought you were from Massachusetts? CHOWDAH should be thick!! HOWEVER, the whole belly clams, scallops, haddock and onion rings were friggin' amazing! We had Julie (or Julia) for our server and she was awesome and super friendly. We are definitely going back! Still giving them 5 stars because the rest of the food was excellent!!!!! read more

Combo plate with whole belly clams & fish sandwich with fries! Service was fast and friendly, the place could use a bit of updating...but, fresh fish from New England is what makes this a great spot to visit. They keep it on the cool side, so you may want to bring a sweater if you get cold easy! read more

Essex Seafood Two - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

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Some of the best seafood in the tri county!!! Mom & Pop at its finest. Nothing fancy but the food. WOWZA!!!!! Take all your out of your out of towners, here. Mm mm mmm!!! read more

A must stop if you are passing by ! We were in a trip to Jacksonville and were passing through not much to eat so we figured we would give this a try and omg amazing. Already planning the next trip back Must try hush puppies and the white mac and cheese FRESH MAINE LOBSTER !! Whole belly clams The prices were so reasonable I was shocked I haven't had this good of seafood since being back in Connecticut. The vibe literally feels like your up north . Service was amazing the girls were so nice ! Five stars for sure I wish we had something like this close to the house !! Make sure to check out the specials !! read more

Essex Seafood Two - 1/4lb lobster $25 with two sides - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

Food is amazing the service was slow I think maybe understaffed but ladies were great. Place used to be a house that somehow converted to a restaurant, parking lot tons of potholes so be careful with that Place seems very popular among locals and they are willing to wait for a table only 13 inside I would definitely go back read more

The food was great and a good value. Service was prompt and friendly. The onion rings were awesome. I love when I get a salad they bring dressing to the table so you get as much as you need. Crab legs were fresh and a great portion. Warning you now, this is a place that takes cash only like a lot of old Florida restaurants. It is a basic looking place but nothing should put you off as the food is fantastic. This is very much rural ambience and nothing fancy! read more

We go for the steamers. The portion is smaller than we are used to back in Boston. The oil is clean and the whole belly clams are just right. The tarter sauce could use a boost. Little bland. In general its a worthy treat for people who want a New England style dining experience. read more

The food is amazing, the portions are great for the biggest of appetites and the service is second to none!! Sabrina was our server and she was stellar!! Go visit this little piece of heaven on earth!! read more

This place is cash only so plan ahead!! They are closed on Tuesday's. Beer and wine are by the bottle only. The food...OH MY GOD is to die for!! Hubby and I shared a clam strip plate with fries and onion rings with a side of hushpuppies. Ya'll.... This was the best, most tender, and juiciest clams I have had in my life. The plate is piled high with fire and onion rings and all was delicious! The breading for the clams is the same for the onion rings and was soooooo good! Service is friendly and frequently checking in to see if everything was good. Just great southern hospitality! The ambience was at lunch time and obviously a local favorite! It was packed! We got one of the last two tables available. read more

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Bam! Greatest New England seafood. Service on point, quaint little place and remember CASH only.

Only place in Florida I know of where you can get authentic steamer whole belly clams. They were outstanding both steamed and fried. And the onion straws that accompanied the fried platter were equally delicious. It's a cash only business so be advised. read more

Hands down the best seafood in Florida, made like all us from NE love!! Pictured whole belly clams and oysters. read more

Essex Seafood Two - Fried whole belly clams, yum yum!! - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

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New England Style Seafood served in an old Florida setting - ain't nothing fancy here but the staff is very friendly and the food is fresh and delicious and pop is served in a can with a glass of ice. This restaurant offers an alternative style to what normally is served in a lot of the seafood restaurants in the state. Florida is a state who's food culture is as diverse as it's population so you have choices, I've eaten at a number of restaurants that follow the New England methods of preparing seafood and they all incorporate the use of imported non native options such as the whole belly clams, Maine lobster, haddock, etc but it doesn't stop there, gator and fried catfish also have their place on the menu. We stopped in for a late lunch on Saturday afternoon and wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get a seat with the limited capacity mandate and judging from the number of vehicles in the shell parking lot. Of course we donned our mask to make the short walk from the door to the booth, I'm not saying this restaurant isn't taking reasonable measures to ensure their customers and employees are safe but they are being somewhat flexible in dealing with the inconsistence propaganda campaign from our government. The tables and booths are cleared and wiped down (I can use the word sanitized if that helps you) on a regular basis, so you can see the efforts so I was comfortable. My food experience - first of all I prefer the fried options but they do it a number of ways so tell them how you want it. Anytime I'm choosing fried seafood my first concern is how they manage the oil - it's obvious they pay attention to this too because the light color of the finish product was spot on and the flavor came from the seafood not what's been in the fryer (yes the oil was fresh). Shrimp Cocktail - (10) pc you can get more if you like, the cocktail sauce is mild but there is hot sauce available on the table. The shrimp weren't the biggest but they were extremely fresh tasting and made to order, these beautiful shrimp are boiled or steamed after you place your order and are served with ice to chill them, this makes a huge difference compared to the pre-boiled and refrigerated types of shrimp cocktail I've eaten almost everywhere. Fried Shrimp - my photo shows the shrimp boat which is a half portion when compared to the shrimp plate and the price reflects this as well, the boat comes with one side verse two with the plate. These are premium shrimp and the light batter really exhibited the freshness. After the first bite I wanted a platter full I can't imagine not having them. Fried Catfish Boat - served in strips, these were very delicate and delicious, I'm used to more seasoning but I understand serving the masses doesn't allow this, plus it helps protect the frying oil. Onion Rings - this should be an entrée - okay I want a platter of these along side a platter of the shrimp. These are soooooo good they are light and not greasy and they take extra salt very well (I think I've found their signature dish) Fried Whole Belly Clams - I didn't and haven't ever tried these, but I did get a sneak peep and they looked amazing (maybe next time). I loved this place so bring some cash and get ready to be wowed if you love a different experience and great seafood... read more

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Fantastic northern cold water seafood ! Can't believe we have lived here for 40+ years and never heard of it! Service is great! Fried food NOT GREASY! Scallops, belly calms, steamers, cold water lobster. Great onion rings Cash only Rustic no frills Only negative is wine selection, but have beers and soft drinks. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Essex Seafood. We started with fried clams and hush puppies. Both were freshly made and taste great. The clams were tender and lightly battered. I will definitely order them again. After the clams we settled on fried scallops, oysters, shrimp and white fish. Everything tasted super fresh and was cooked to perfection. I loved the fact that they do not have a heavy hand with salt and did not use a thick batter. This way the seafood really shines through. For sides we had Mac & cheese, coleslaw and onion rings. Loved them all. I will definitely return to this restaurant. read more

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Service always fast and super friendly. I go for the whole belly fried clams and the onion rings. Last week was delicious and fresh as always but clams had a lot of grit. Never had that before. Hope it was just a one off. Otherwise, I travel for this place! read more

This restaurant doesn't take checks , debit cards , credit cards. I don't think they change their cooking oil enough, bathrooms can get dirty at times. read more

me and my mom drove all the way out to this dump to get our annual lobster and steamer dinner and they were closed on a Tuesday you would think that with a cash only business and having somewhat of a monopoly on fresh New England seafood that they would have the money to tear down this dump and build a nicer place with more room. being a cash only business you know they don't report their actual earnings to the IRS nobody who runs a cash only business does so they definitely have the money to build a nicer restauran. read more

Ambiance was OK for a family restaurant, Service was below average. Food was terrible, I ordered Lobster roll for 26.00+ and my friend ordered 1 1/4 lb Main Lobster... My (Lobster roll) was served on a hot dog roll and was not edible, Lobster was rubbery and tough, I left 1/2 of it rolled up in a paper napkin. My Friends (1 1/4 lb Main Lobster?) was served on a plain dish without any garnish or anything to make it look like it was worth 26.00+ Guessing it did not weigh more that 2oz. Oh She was given the option of having it served with shell or without shell. She opted for without, It was the sorriest sight you could imagine a couple of tiny bits of lobster on a plain dish. and it was tough to eat, what there was of it. Giving them a 1 is generous, I would never go there again nor recommend it. read more

Love this hidden gem near Astor, FL. Very delicious and large selection of seafood. Staff was attentive and super nice. We'll definitely be back any time we're in the area. read more

Essex Seafood Two - Fried oysters and snow crab - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

I live in Daytona and drive over to this place pretty frequently. The only place you can get full belly clams that are fried right. I have also had the lobster rolls in the past and they are delicious as well. Highly recommend read more

The fried--incredibly light battered--clams basket with again, deliciously textured lightly, fried onion rings was jussst-right. ... Yum-yum Mumski orders the crab legs cooked to an appropriate temperature, as to allow the skin/shells' removal from zè queen size crab, releasing the tender and juicy (a wee-bit salty) crustacean flesh. read more

Essex Seafood Two - Sign - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

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We stopped here after going to Alexander Springs! First thing you should know is they ONLY TAKE CASH. No credit cards, Venmo, ApplePay, etc. It was late afternoon when we arrived around 2:30pm and considering it wasn't prime time for meals, it was pretty crowded with what looked like a local crowd so we thought it must be really good and gave it a try. They are known for their seafood, hence the name "Essex Seafood House" and there is definitely a lot of seafood choices. They do have some soup (chowder) and sandwiches and burgers on the menu, but seafood is definitely the focus. All the staff wore masks and they offered outdoor dining if you ordered to go. The picnic tables set outside were spaced apart so it felt very safe. For seafood, you have the option for fried, baked or grilled. Pretty much all the side options on the menu is fried, but they do have Cole slaw, baked potato and a side salad as options. Even though it was late for lunch and I was starving, I had dinner plans with my husband so didn't want to eat too much and only ordered an appetizer. I ordered the fried pickles which were good, but I'd didn't come with a dipping sauce so that was a bit disappointing. It would've been better with a side or ranch dressing. My other friend also had dinner plans so she opted for the fried mushrooms appetizer. They were good, but I felt like they needed more seasoning. My other friend ordered the fried oysters with a side of onion rings and hush puppies. She said the oysters were good, but I didn't taste them. However I did taste the onion rings and they were good. All in all everything was "okay". I wouldn't say it was the best food I had ever had, but it did the job of getting something in our bellies. read more

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Good ole new england seafood in Florida; Fried clams, Haddock, Sea Scallops Seafood platter was a good size portion with 2 sides. I enjoyed my meal, clams, haddock, shrimp great. Sea scallops were dripping in grease, so i didn't eat them. Sides: Mac n cheese delicious and creamy; large serving. Onions rings paper thin but good, another big helping. Busy place but a short wait. Small but they get a lot of people in there. Beer available. Payment is CASH ONLY here. No exceptions. Service: not great this visit. Had to ask for our sides of Mac n cheese long after done eating. Didn't check back. Waited a while to pay bill. Prices: good Portions: avg to large Ambiance: because it's small, and full house, was a little loud. Easy to get to from Seville, Crescent City, Barberville. read more

We are originally from Massachusetts so this little restaurant has all the seafood choices from MA. Clams with bellies, onion rings,etc . Delicious choices and much more unique to Florida. The waitresses are great and know their menu very well. Their Mac and cheese is to die for. It is so creamy. They only accept cash so be prepared. Food is fresh and servings are generous. For us it is a two hour ride but thoroughly worth it. No plans to go back up north anytime soon, so finding a bit of New England in Florida is a bonus. read more

We met Florida West Coast friends at Essex Seafood for lunch. It was chosen because the restaurant was about half way from both of our locations. ES2 is a popular seafood restaurant far from both Florida coasts. We went for lunch. Most tables were taken but we were seated quickly. The staff were friendly, however found the food uninspiring and not worth driving over an hour for. As a former East coast New Englander I have had great whole belly clam plates. The ES2 platter was disappointing. The clams were not fresh and tasteless. My wife's grilled fish sandwich was good but we doubt that it was fresh. read more

Living in NY and traveling thru New England and Maine extensively, seafood runs in my blood. The best fried belly clams I have eaten were in Newport CT. They were served in a little dingy mom and pop near the docks. Superb. When I moved to Florida several years ago I lost hope. We have great seafood here, that's for sure! Impossible to find great fried clams. I don't mean those stringy pieces of clams that abound in most chain and also other seafood places...belly clams I mean. Plump, juicy, the taste of the sea in every bite. Then comes the Essex house. A small, dingy, mom and pop in the boondocks with a small pond in the back yard. Lobster, oysters, scallops,catfish, haddock and great onion rings. It's not Newport ! But if you close your eyes and ignore the southern accents ...the belly clams take you back! read more

Loved the fresh seafood and service. Staff was wonderful. The Boston Cream Pie for dessert was to die for.

Gator plate. Excellent, fast and friendly staff. We will be back. Our friend got the clam strips and also loved them read more

Essex Seafood Two - Gator plate - Seafood Near Me - Pierson, Florida

From the outside and the inside it's not fancy by any means. Food is way outside the box of rural Florida. Someone misses New England! Maine lobster, whole belly clams Clean non greasy fry job. It was good. Service good! read more

This was the second time we dined there, it was a lot better this time, The surf and turf was plentiful and tasty Wife had the salmon which was a little dry but had good flavor The service was excellent Good old fish house ambiance Yes we will frequent it often read more