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

Got to come here on a beautiful hot summer day with my partner and a friend. There was a short line…read moreto order food. Plenty of outdoor seating was available under shade or out in The sunshine. This establishment is b.y.o.b. I ordered a hott buttered lobster roll for $29.99 My partner ordered the Create a Plate platter for $28.95 it came with fried calamari, fried clams , fried shrimp and French fries. For desert I got Ed's Classic sundae for $7.00 it came with 2 scoops of ice cream With Hot fudge or caramel and whipped cream & a cherry on top! Overall food was good! Staff was friendly too.

Great food and service. Although not necessarily in the best location, it was easy to find. I…read morebelieve there is a parking area with complimentary shuttle if you can't find one of the few spots on the street. The food was fresh and delicious. Our table enjoyed the salmon , seafood lasagna, fried scallops & an appetizer crab cakes (but were somewhat small ).. Delicious. After the One of their famous desserts is a pistachio cake. It was a large piece and so delicious. I would love to go back and just eat that all by myself. Yum.

The service was fantastic. She was attentive and sweet and we received our food pretty quickly. It…read morewas clean. They had steamers for $20 which was one of their specials. The oysters and clams were fresh. The fish tacos could be swapped to lettuce wrap although i think that the fish could have had more of a taste to it but it was decently fried. The fish and chips were crispy and the fish had a good amount of meat inside and I thought the flavor of the fish and tartare sauce was pretty good. The fam got the other dishes on the menu which they also enjoyed.

Ordered the oysters and then the sautéed clams and mussels. Everything was delightful. Service was…read moregreat and watching the river was a nice touch.

Visiting a friend and we wanted to get a quick bite to eat. She suggested Shellfish. Parking was a…read morebit tight but we found a spot. When walking towards the restaurant you are greeted outside and asked if you would like to sit outside or inside. Both area looks a bit small but comfortable. We decide to sit outside, where there is a view of the water. It was nice and peaceful. I decided to order the lobster grilled cheese with fries and coleslaw. It was delicious and there was a good amount of lobster meat in it. It was nice and buttery, just the way I like my grilled cheese. It was my first lobster grilled cheese and really enjoyed it. My friend decided on the shrimp scampi and she liked very much. We overall enjoy our time there. Looking forward to try this place again when I am in the area.

I am starting this with a side note. Once in a while, you are served by someone outstanding…read more Someone who loves their job and is truly great at it. Today, for me, this was Parker. Super personable and super helpful. A definite people person who can immediately build a rapport with the customers. This is only my second or third trip to Fred's. The last time was probably 25 years ago. It was a bit of a drive from Hartford, but I am so glad I made the trip. If you have never been, you HAVE to go. The food, service, and location are all fantastic. As you can see in the photos, there is a good variety of food options, and it overlooks the docks. Coincidentally, they have MONDAY LUNCH SPECIALS, so my burger, fries, and small beverage was only $8 and some change! Therefore, I followed it with a raspberry shake for the ride home. :) This is a place you will want to return to again and again!

Everyone around the marina had been telling me I need to try the pizza at Fred's. It's not bad. I'm…read moreglad I did. I ordered a margarita pizza and it was pretty decent. I'm not sure why I had to catch attitude from the teenage girl working in the window, but I guess that's neither here nor there in regard to the pizza being a quality product. Not sure if I would go back or not to be honest. I definitely don't need unsolicited sass to simply pick up a pie.

Two years later since my last visit and this place still is amazing! I got a lobster grilled…read morecheese(market price) and it was delicious, good amount of lobster meat which tasted great! Cheese and bread were good! I asked if they add a tomato soup or something to go alongside it and they said they didn't however they threw in a free side of lobster bisque to dip the grilled cheese in! That lobster bisque was very creamy and paired really well with the sandwich. Afterwards they even threw in a free chocolate ice cream when we finished! That was the S tier customer service and easily gets me to be a repeat customer! Definitely worth checking this spot out. Food(50%): 9.2 Staff/service(25%): 10.0 Value(25%): 8.0 Overall: 9.1/10

Oh how we missed Skippers in Old Saybrook, CT!! We even placed it better than Johnny Ad's, a viable…read morecompetitor. So, since the Old Saybrook location closed, we set our sights on visiting the Niantic location, looking forward to what we missed so much. Sadly, this was one of the worst experiences we have had! Our order consisted of a kid's hot dog platter, an adult hot dog, side of onion rings, 2 small coleslaws and a side of clam strips. Let's begin with the hot dogs...Both the kids and adult hot dogs were the same size in different buns. The adult in a foot long bun and the kids in a regular bun. Again, same size hot dog inside. Moving on to the onion rings...for $7.00, I counted 19 shoestring onion rings. Not a nice pile, but flatly 19 and shoestring ones are incredibly deliciously thin. The kids platter arrived with just the hot dog on it. No fries. When I went back, I was told it did not come with fries. I disagreed and after some time, curly fries were placed next to the hot dog. I asked about regular fries and I was told that they did not carry regular ones. The nice boy behind this all stated that they did and it was corrected. Hot dog was now ice cold. My side of clam strips for $14 consisted of maybe a cup of clams. Sad portion! We ate what we could shaking our heads in disappointment. So sad our expectations were dashed! When we left, it was decided that a short walk (and I mean short because my mother can't balance for long) might be nice in order to forget the fiasco at the restaurant. As soon as we stepped away from the car, we were chased by their parking guard who said that we could no longer park there if we left the car. I explained that we had just spent almost $70 in their establishment and would be taking a short walk. She continued to chase us. We kept walking. Our walk took approximately 7 minutes. Upon our return, the man parked next to us entered his car with 2 bags and coffees from Sift Bakery. Obviously NOT a Skippers customer, yet he was not chased! So, sadly, we will NEVER again be visiting Skippers in Niantic. Johnny Ad's is meh, but this was way worse. I hope that they can fix things so that others can still enjoy eating there.

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.

Worst crab boil I have ever had in my life! As someone who has a grasp on culinary affectation AND…read moreknows Lowcountry cuisine on account of my upbringing... No. Being located in Connecticut versus New Orleans, Georgia, Florida or Maryland does not give you a hall pass to sell over-priced seafood that is not up to edible standards/fresh. No crab seasoning dusting AT ALL. Crab was freezer burned with grit on the shell. I got the special sauce + the hottest level. Red water. So diluted and devoid of flavor. The "boil" was literally the consistency of water. That's not a boil. They likely have pots of unseasoned water that they ladle in the bag post steaming. So bland, zero love and not at all authentic. Also-- small russet potatoes were not cleaned prior to being cooked whole and are rigid/raw in the center. Over-cooked shrimp. Boil base has ZERO flavor and likely just MSG + coloring. Disrespectful. Wrong potatoes, wrong process, wrong chef, wrong seasonings, aged crab, wrong everything. My meal was 'to go'. If dined in?! Absolutely not. Nope. I would have left it on the table! Trust me-- I'm calling my bank and if they want to FaceTime the food in the trash... fine by me. I can't eat this. There is dirt in the sauce and all of the elements because they did not clean the crab, shrimp + potatoes. There were two rotten potatoes in my bag and freezer burned snow crab clusters... disgusting. Hit "The Boil" in NYC, "Juicy Crab" in MD-- even "Hook & Reel" in Orange, CT. That's where you get real Cajun flavor profiles and actual spice! This restaurant has zero business serving seafood boils. Really, really subpar.

I recently celebrated a big birthday dinner with a group of 14 friends and family at this…read morerestaurant which has been special to us for over 13 years. Even though the name (Kawa) and menu have changed a bit over time, the heart of this place has never changed--and that's what keeps us coming back. One thing that truly stands out is that this is a family‑owned restaurant, and you can feel the care, pride, and love they put into their food and service. It adds a level of warmth and authenticity that you just don't get everywhere. Our group ordered a wide range of dishes, and not a single plate was left with food on it. Several guests tried the special fried rice, while one had the chicken fried rice. Everyone loved their meals so much that I even ordered an extra fried rice to take home. We also enjoyed a great selection of sushi, including a few rolls we had never tried before. Their sushi roll prices are the best in the area, yet the quality remains consistently excellent. The sashimi we ordered was fresh, beautifully presented, and did not disappoint. One guest ordered the noodles with shrimp and said it was the best they'd ever had. To top it off, the restaurant has a surprisingly wide variety of Asian beers at very reasonable prices. The beers we tried were a big hit with the group and paired perfectly with the food. The service was another highlight of the night. Our waiter was wonderful--attentive, friendly, patient, and on top of everything our large party needed. Managing a group of 14 isn't easy, but he handled it flawlessly and made us feel well cared for. My fiancé asked him a lot of questions on some of dishes and he was very knowledgeable. After more than a decade of visiting, this birthday dinner reminded me exactly why this place has remained one of our family favorites. Delicious food, great prices, warm service, and the heart of a family‑owned business that truly values what they do. Highly recommend for both special occasions and everyday meals. There is plenty of parking for a big party and lots of space inside. They were packed and it was 5 days before Christmas.

The food here makes my husband very happy…read more This is a really cute restaurant that almost has an apartment vibe. We were seated in nook. The waiter was really nice, really personable. I got the dish with the roti mixed in. And my husband got something on a smoking sizzling plate. And it was delicious. Many years ago we had a meal here and sat in their outdoor area. Maybe we will make it back on a few years.

I came here on a Sunday evening and it was pretty quiet. Staff were extremely friendly and gave an…read moreexplanation of the food they make and recommendations based on what type of food I wanted. I eventually ordered a mango lassi($6) ,gobi honey cauliflower($8), and dhal goat curry with roti($19). The fried cauliflower was surprisingly really good, freshly fried with a nice sweet honey glaze. The goat curry was also quite good and had a nice amount of heat. It dipped really well with the roti! Overall a fantastic experience here, staff was super nice and the food was also amazing! Definitely worth checking this out ! Food(50%): 8.6 Staff/service(25%): 9.5 Value(25%): 8.5 Overall: 8.8/10

I came back here after two years for a dinner and had a much different experience. My table was sat…read moretoward there back room, and the entire service was unfortunately a bit of a letdown. The waiter did not do a good job of coming to our table to check in on us, drink orders, and refilling our waters. This time I tired some of the lamb chop which was cooked well and tasted amazing for an appetizer. For the main entree this time, I had a special which was a halibut with a linguini pasta. The fish was cooked pretty good and so was the pasta (al dente) however the sauce that it was served in was quite bland. Definitely a letdown with the sauce which made me not finish the pasta. If they nailed the sauce with something savory and complimentary to the fish, this would've kept the high praise review. Overall, this experience was unfortunately a letdown with the food and staff/service, probably a bit of an unfortunate choice in meal and poor waiter for my table. Hopefully my next visit which will be in the far future is better. Food(50%): 6.5 Staff/service(25%): 4.0 Value(25%): 5.0 Overall: 5.5/10

Our friend Bob told us about this restaurant, which gets packed on weekends and at peak times…read more We all got together for dinner early on a weeknight (around 5:30p) and we had no trouble finding a table. The host and our server were were cordial, nice and friendly. We got some nice warm breads to start the meal and some free green salads that came with our dinners. The Chicken Ornella, the Chicken Piccata, the Bolognese and my wild Salmon were all very well made. Fresh tasting, homemade pastas and well prepared. For dessert we all shared a delicious Bread Pudding....YUMM.... This is a great place for a meal in New London, check it out. Free parking in the back of the restaurant. A parking lot that lead to the main dining area through a set of steep stairs. The entrance on Broad is street level.

I don't know how or where they get the most unctuous, large, juicy fried whole belly clams, it is…read moremy favorite thing. Their whole menu is top notch too. But special shout out to this local legend. Family style service and a great homey atmosphere, I love it.

Pretty good pizza. Slightly thick crust, a good amount of cheese and cooked well. Crust had a…read morebuttery texture to it. Friendly people, and seating available. 'Old-school' feel to the inside, almost like going back in time.