My first time visiting this place, I cannot believe it took so long for me to find out about it. In its classic 'roadside seafood joint' styling, it doesn't stand out in the kitschy, giant lighthouse kind-of-way. This place stands out for its FOOD. Four of us went, I got the fried clams. Not clam strips, but the juicy, delectable, flavorful whole clams that include the belly (and probably other untoward clammy organs). I asked two ladies in line behind me if I wanted the regular batter or the crumb batter; they convinced me that the crumb was the right choice. They were absolutely right. If I remembered their names I would have given them both a shout out for setting me on the right path. The portion size was more than I could eat even though I did not want to stop enjoying those fabulous bivalves. If evolution had spent another billion years on these creatures it could not be possible to make them better. Perhaps proof of divine creation comes not from the written texts but from the hand of a being so beyond understanding that it vexes mankind accordingly so. Whether you call them Ipswich or Nannynose, Hen Clams or Poquauhocks, make your way to Ken's and find out just how much the human touch can bring to the humble clam. Bar is great, had their Bloody Mary which went perfectly with the clams. The servers are terrific. Tip them generously so that they may remember you as well as you will remember those glorious clams. read more

We have been loyal customers for as long as I can remember - at least 2 decades...maybe? We are loyal because the food is consistently great, fresh and well portioned for the price you pay. The owners seemed to truly care about the customer and the customer experience - which you can tell by how the employees treat customers. It's a great culture. There is always team members cleaning and organizing the dining area. Wiping tables, filling ketchup, sweeping floors and emptying garbage bins. I have never seen them just standing around chatting. They are always moving and interact nicely with patrons, especially the elderly. They are very sweet and kind. FOOD! Our favorites....clams - strips or whole - in crumb (the more crunchy batter). Haddock - as a dinner or as a sandwich - fresh delicious fried haddock!! Grilled is good too. The clam cake is hefty and delicious. My family loves Lobster from here - mostly the lobster roll. Scallops are great! We get them once in a while when we want to spend a little more money. Once of these days I will try the hamburger, or chicken..not sure when, but some day. LOL There is a little bar area in the corner - they are a full serve bar. Usually packed with locals. The outdoor patio area is nice, especially during the spring and fall. You can drink within the roped off patio area. Parking lot is always a bit nutty. The spaces are smaller compared to how large vehicles are now, so almost every other vehicle seems to be parked on or over the lines. We have only driven away once after not being able to find parking. We love Ken's Seafood! read more

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5/5/26 Great location and huge portions at a good price have led to their success- But the batter for the fried shrimp is a disaster and should be avoided. The crabmeat sandwiches are filling and tasteless.. At Weds noon, largely an elderly clientele of which most are tourists. There are better places and you would do well to seek these. read more

My first time at Ken's. It is an iconic place and my friend took me here. I am so glad she did. It has a nice parking lot. When you go in you order at the window they give you order number and what window to pick it up. I got the two combo choice. I chose fried haddock and fried clams crumble style. My friend got the fried shrimp order. Both were delicious good portions. It also comes with coleslaw that was delicious and I am picky about coleslaws. There is a bar inside to go too separate from order. There are choices where to eat. Inside lots of tables, right outside tables and then they have a tented area by parking lot to choose. The latter would be nice if had pets with you too. We ate inside and it was so yummy. We could not finish so they gave us to go containers. It was a great meal. read more

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Ken's is an iconic place to eat during Maine's summer. Tons of parking and seating. Seating indoors and outdoors. Bathrooms inside and outside. Completely handicap accessible. You order at the window and get a ticket. They call your ticket number when ready. I always get the fried shrimp dinner. It's amazing every time. The fried shrimp dinner is enough for two and I always share it with my boyfriend. It comes with coleslaw, fries, and a roll. We also got the potato salad which was delicious and made with mustard. It's delicious every time. It does get super busy as it's a super popular place which results in a 30-45 minute wait for food usually when they are busy. The food is so worth the wait. You can wait in the car or outside and they will call your number over the loud speakers. Ken's is worth the price and the trip! read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Fried shrimp dinner and potato salad - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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Loads of seating both indoor and outdoors! Efficient ordering & pickup of food keeps things flowing timely. Clean, with friendly staff & the food is delicious! Large Fisherman's Platter and yummy lobster rolls! The only reason it's 4 stars vs 5, is that it's on par with many great seafood restaurants in Maine and there was nothing that really made it extra special. But if in the area, definitely worth the stop! You won't be disappointed! read more

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This place was great! The oysters were fresh, the drinks were good, and the service was good. Though you ordered up front and waited til your order was ready to be picked up at a window, the wait was not long. The lobster roll and the lobster were yummy as well. We paired it with onion rings to go with! It's a nice place where you can catch up and have a good lunch or dinner, and grab an ice cream right after read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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I feel like Ken's Place is a bit of an institution in the area. That being said, I was a bit underwhelmed. I've certainly been to better seafood spots in New England. Still, I had a nice time there and the vibes were very solid. My friend and I sat at picnic tables outside and enjoyed the experience. My main complaint was the steamers had a ton of sand in them, but I'm not sure if that's pretty common or not. The lobster roll was okay, nothing overly special. Maybe some of the fried seafood options would have been better. read more

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This place is great, but don't get the baked scallops. I tried them today, and they were bland and boring. Stick with the fried!

There are definitely better places to go. Let's start with the good. Portions are good. There is plentiful seating and the food is ready quickly. That's where the positive ends for me. Being from New England I've had a lot of wonderful experiences with seafood so I do have high standards. If you live in a land locked state this may be suitable. The batter for the clams is gross. Inedible. It is soft and strange. The scallops are greasy and the coating falls off. They are tender though. The fish was large but tasteless. This whole meal needed a lot of salt. The tarter that is homemade is extremely dill pickle forward but not terrible. The shrimp are tiny and flavorless. Now the worst part was the Cole slaw it tasted sour and was inedible and the clam chowder, although I liked the amount of clams and potatoes, had some kind of spice in it that made it a little spicy. It just wasn't right. Overall I have no idea how this place has been around so long. I don't know what I missed that gets 4&5 star reviews. Being in New England you can absolutely do better. read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Fisherman platter - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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Food was good. The ambiance was kinda boring and meh. Friendly people but felt rushed with the long lines. The only disappointment was the chowder. It was very watered down. More of a clam milk soup. read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Clam cake, halibut sandwich, fried clams, and clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

Outstanding. We tried whole belly clams at two different places during our trip with no so great results. But at Ken's we loved it. My wife had so many whole belly clams she was stuffed. I had the clams and scallops combo. It was the best scallops I've had in Maine. read more

I have been going to Ken's Place for years, with my husband & going there today ! By far they are the Best Of The Best !!! We have tried many in the area & nothing compares ! When family comes from out of state, for a visit, this is where they want to go, for seafood !!! It's delicious & not at all skimpy when getting your order. I alway's recommend this fine business, with there great friendly staff !!! read more

Clam cakes are my favorite from there. No matter what I order, it's always fresh. Fried foods don't taste greasy.

Fisherman platter is more than enough for 2 or more people ! It does get busy but they get the food out pretty fast read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

Beautiful restaurant. With beautiful dining rooms. The food is spectacular. Great service with expert employees that work here. If you like seafood, may I suggest the clam cake plate. Portions are great. Though they could be a little more on the clam chowder. And french fries. And onion rings as well. Coleslaw, I've heard Raven reviews on the coleslaw. I don't particularly like the coleslaw, but they say the coleslaw is good. The drinks however, are amazing. The potato salad is really amazing. But my eye suggest, a little more mustard and relish. I love the atmosphere. There's always bustling people. In the restaurant itself. Whether you like busy places or you like coming in for a quick bite. There's always friendly people there. That will give you the best laughs and the best things ever. I go with my family a lot. And I love Ken's place. read more

A gem in Scarborough, Maine. Excellent lobster roll, fried clams, and fries! We can see why this place has been open nearly 100 years! There's an old sign that says they have a raw bar but I didn't see a menu. It gets pretty crowded inside, but for a Friday afternoon in August, we only waited 5 minutes for our food (party of 7). They have a p.a. system which you can hear your number called outside. East free parking pot, with plenty of picnic tables outside. Restrooms in separate building across parking lot. read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

I have been coming here for 45 years. It has barely changed in all that time. It is still the amazing family run restaurant with the best clams in the country. I love fried clams. I have tried hard to find anywhere that compares with Ken's. No place has even come close. Try both the batter and the crumbs. The service is excellent. It is a well run ship. It has to be. This place can be very busy during tourist season. The drinks are delicious and the food is amazing!! There are tons of picnic tables, many covered or in the shade, spread out over a large area. So feel free to bring your puppy with you! read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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Food great, service great, choice of delicious sea food fantastic. And of course the prices are very reasonable, much less than other seafood restaurants. Beautiful day to sit outside under the new tent and smell the fresh air . My favorite summer eatery. read more

The best thing's about ken's is your order is made fresh when you order it . They are friendly& very helpful . It's a a staple in Maine . Gotta love your maine seafood thiz your place to eat amazily fresh seafood everytime . read more

First visit. Fried shrimp dinner portion was very generous and delicious. I would order again hands down. Slaw isn't bad either and it is house made and not over dressed. Could have used a touch less mayo for my taste but not bad and I'd eat it again. What stood out to me as unique They offer both bottled and their own homemade tarter. Get.the.house.made. It's fantastic. I'm a pickle fan and the house made highlights the pickle perfectly. So good. Also, they offer batter options on a number of their fried items. What an awesome idea. I dug the atmosphere also. D the service is efficient. It's an order at the counter and wait for your number deal. It's not on the water and maybe a little out of the way but I would recommend it based on the amount I enjoyed my meal and the fairness of their prices. read more

I've been going to Ken's for many decades, living in Scarborough. I've always looked forward to a visit each spring and have never been disappointed, until this year. The woman taking my takeout order was curt and unfriendly. I ordered a bunch of clam cakes which were ready just as I arrived. I decided to eat in as a bunch of my friends were there. I ordered 5 clam cakes (two were for later). They were terrible. All were soggy and limp. I could bend them over in my palm. They were also very dark, appearing as they were cooked in very old oil. No taste. So I won't be going to Ken's again this year. There are many more choices of restaurants. very sad..... read more

Great spot for a summer seafood feast! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu and like other New England seafood shacks, expect no frills service (in a good way). read more

I have never eaten lobster in my 40+ years of life, so on this family vacation my son told me I had to try it because we would be in Maine, and there's no better place to get lobster. I agreed and hoped for the best. Honestly, I was quite disappointed and have no clue what the hype is about. I ordered a lobster roll with butter, expecting an experience worth bragging about. Some locals told us this was the place to be...so we came. It was flavorless. Seriously....even the butter had no flavor. After paying what we did for some lobster on a hotdog bun, I decided I can go the rest of my life never eating it again. I'll stick to tacos....full of flavor and savory toppings. read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Lobster roll with butter. - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

Worst clam strips I've ever had, poor order lines, right in front of door. The Pepsi was good.

I excellent service and delicious that is priced to not break the bank.. The seating and venue is so welcoming for small groups or large. Plenty of off street parking is a bonus, considering it's summertime and Maine gets overly populated at times. If you're craving seafood but want to avoid the long lines, go to Ken's Place. You will be happy you did. read more

Huge portions, no ambiance, fast food style ordering. It's not a place to go for an intimate meal but it is where to go for really good fried seafood with friends and family. It can be loud and busy but it's worth it every time. read more

The staff was friendly and you could tell that there's no place they'd rather be. The cleanliness of the establishment was apparent. Lunch consisted of a clam cake dinner that had a handful of French fries, Cole slaw, a roll and clam cakes. The roll should only be served only to the sea gulls, the fries were crisp and definitely not hand cut. The clam cakes were homemade, but borderline tasteless. The coleslaw was pretty good. read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Clam Cake dinner - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

I'm local and have never been to Ken's....until today. Good Lord....they give you a staggering amount of food for the money. Scallops were around $35....but you get (at least for us)...more more you could eat in 3 sittings. Same with the clams. Plus they were all impeccably and lightly battered. Service was sweet and efficient. Nice little raw bar too. I've paid $35 for scallops at other places in Southern Maine and got about 1/3 of the serving. read more

Classic spot if you're into fried seafood--crispy, fresh, and super satisfying. We leaned more into the raw bar and ice cream, which were both great in their own right. Plenty of seating, super easy to pop in and relax. Great for a casual bite without any fuss. Definitely a fun, laid-back stop read more

Amazing food...especially the clam cakes!!! Never a disappointment! Can't wait to go back this summer.

Seafood was great. We had streamers, lobster rolls and whole lobsters. You order at the window and they call your number. Indoor and outdoor seating. The desserts looked good but was too stuffed to try! read more

Ken's Place Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

The raw bar is the winner here - sat there and had an adult beverage and a half a dozen oysters while waiting for my food. Bartender was great. Oysters were delish and fresh, but they were out of mignonette. The lobster roll was very average, more bread than lobster and the bread was not warm and buttered. Food did come quick though. read more

We got a recommendation from a local to try this place. We ordered the Fisherman's platter and fried shrimp dinner. There were 3 of us. We could have just gotten the Fisherman's platter, as it was that big!!! The haddock piece was the largest I ever had on such a platter from anywhere. Everything was fresh and delicious. We got the crumb coating, it was crunchy and just perfect. They have tables and a very small bar inside. Orders come out of numbered windows and they seemed to be very efficient getting orders out. There are picnic tables outside, including a tent and bathrooms. We will definitely go back. read more

Food was awful definitely a poor representation of good New England seafood. Clam chowder was like water with maybe a splash of milk in it & full of potatoes and nothing else no flavor what so ever . Clam bellies were the size of a door knob. Even the frozen crinkle cut French fries were a bust . The slaw wasn't edible, the fried scallops were passable . Much better food in surrounding area . Staff person was kind and offered me other choices trying to make it right . Save yourself 40 bucks and go elsewhere! read more

I'm a native New Englander, relocated to Las Vegas. Being back in Maine I had 1 goal, whole belly fried clams. I looked around my hotel and found kens place. I headed over and it was what you would expect. A roadside clam shack. Awesome!!! Walked in and reviewed the menu. I couldn't decide so I just went with the fisherman's platter! Clams, scallops and fish with a pile of French fries. Took it to go cause I wanted to enjoy it while I watched the VGK clinch the Western Conference ( they lost game 5 boo) I asked for a lot of tarter sauce and the young lady asked if I wanted home made or cains. Home made of course! Shrimp were small but very good. Sweet and tasty. Clams were good but I opted for batter and think I'd have preferred crispy, was a little weird. Fish was delicious, nice white fish. Fries were good and the homemade tartar sauce was out of this world tasty. Wish I wasn't rushing back to the hotel cause I would have liked to hit the raw bar and get some ice cream- all available here! Great place, would go back now if it wasn't 2600 miles away! read more

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The first thing my mother said when I asked her to take a trip to Portland with me was, "I want fried clams." My go-to spot isn't open for the season yet, and a friend recommended Ken's. This is not a fancy place by any means, but she loved her fried clams - with crumbs "the traditional batter", always the right choice for fried clam batter! They have a full bar along with the raw bar. Though it was busy we had no trouble with parking or finding a seat. The service was friendly and fast. The clams were almost $30 - but my mother loved every one of them. I got the lobster roll and my sister loved the scallops. I would definitely recommend Ken's. This is a fun, no-nonsense seafood shack. We are Mainers. We know our seafood. read more

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Food was very fresh and hot, even the French fries that I don't care for served all over Maine (ore ida style crinkle cuts) were hot and crispy I had fried scallops which were plentiful and cooked perfectly, wife had crab cake dinner which was not to her taste but she wanted to try it, was rather bland and dry. Drinks and service in the bar was excellent, be sure to have homemade coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce AMAZING! read more

What this place lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in food, value and service. We ordered fried clams, steamers, and lobster rolls and it was all delicious and a very good value. The girls at the counter were super friendly, patient, and attentive. I highly recommend this spot if you're in the area! read more

Kinda but now I think fish and whistle down town Biddeford is better. They don't have a large selection but what they have is awesome!!!!! a little expensive, but well worth it(Fish And Whistle) read more