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    Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale

    3.7 (523 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood
    Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale Takeout or Delivery

    Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale Photos

    LENNY & JOE'S FISH TALE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale

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    Norma M.

    Whenever we visit my hubs' family in CT every year during the last week of October, we never miss to make a stop at Lenny & Joe's for our classic New England seafood favorites: the fried clams and the Connecticut-style lobster roll with warm butter (my preference over Maine-style with mayo). The fried clams were lightly battered, golden, and crisp on the outside, yet tender and briny inside. It was fresh, not greasy, and came in a portion generous enough to share and enough for some leftovers too. The side of tartar sauce was creamy and tangy, but honestly, the clams were so good they didn't need much dressing up. The lobster roll, I must say is one of the best in the area. The lobster meat was sweet, plentiful, and perfectly cooked--no rubbery bites here. (In Cali, they seem to split the lobster meat into 2 or 3 rolls as there isn't much lobster meat). Served on a toasted bun with butter, it was simple, classic, and exactly what a lobster roll should be. The service was quick even though the place was busy. It's the kind of spot that feels like summer in Connecticut, whether you're sitting inside or out on the porch. If you're visiting anywhere near Madison, Clinton or Westbrook, don't miss Lenny & Joe's!

    Patio

    Best lobster rolls at the best price! 11.99! Yup! The same roll you'll pay $30 for elsewhere.

    Love this logo
    Tink R.

    Busy day so service was somewhat slow. We had Light Scallop/Shrimp Casserole and Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich. Plenty to eat with leftovers and prepared well. Sides were more than adequate. Dining room was really loud; hard to have a table conversation.

    Baked stuffed shrimp with double slaw instead of fries!
    Chuck D.

    I've been eating Lenny & Joe's since the days when the only way you could get it was ordering from a screen porch on a shed with high schoolers for cooks. It's still a destination and locals restaurant. Westbrook was very different from Madison when it opened and people flocked to it for the dine-in experience. I've lost count how many times I've eaten here but it's always delicious. Staff is always friendly. Everything on the menu is "can't miss."

    Westbrook location

    We visited both Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale locations--Madison and Westbrook--to compare the experience, and you really can't go wrong with either one! We enjoyed dining outside in Madison, while Westbrook offered quick, friendly table service that made for a relaxing meal. The lobster roll was overflowing with sweet, tender lobster meat, and the lobster bisque was rich, creamy, and loaded with generous chunks of lobster. The onion rings were crispy, crackery, and absolutely delicious. And don't skip the coleslaw--it was the best we've had anywhere on our lobster roll tour! Whether you choose Madison or Westbrook, you're in for an excellent meal. We highly recommend both locations and will definitely be back!

    Fried shrimp and fried scallops with French fries - the 2-way. Comes with Cole slaw.
    Eugene G.

    Greatest fried seafood in Connecticut, hands down. I ordered the 2-way fried combo of shrimp and scallops, with fries and cole slaw and brought it home. 15 mins in a 350° oven and we're good to go. Great dinner for a beautiful Saturday evening

    Twist with rainbow jimmies
    Nicole D.

    Casual seafood spot to grab a lobster roll. We both had hot butter rolls with slaw. Solid portion of sweet lobster but my bun split on the bottom after second bite. We also shared fried pickles with a tangy ranch dipping sauce. The server informed us we could grab a drink from the cooler in the car so BYOB. There's also a cute ice cream shop outside with a carousel for the kids. All around a pleasant dining experience on the way back to NY.

    Lobster roll and piping hot fries
    Mark N.

    We came in on a late Friday afternoon just before 5:00 and it wasn't busy at all and we were seated right away. Our service all night was off the charts good - 6 stars out of 5, that good! Always checking in and bringing our food out hot. We started with 1/2 dozen oysters. 5 were really good and 1 was gross. Weird look abd texture. But it with a knife, tasted it and quickly spit it out. Not worth getting sick! I had shrimp and scallop casserole with crabmeat stuffing (extra charge for special stuffing). My wife had the lobster roll. Lobster was amazon fresh and cooked to perfection. Price was good. Closer to home we get these stuffed with more lobster but it was very good and nothing to be embarrassed about here! Fries were abundant and hot!!! We love our fries hot yet so many restaurants, even expensive ones, serve them cold or soggy. Not here! My shrimp & scallops were very good. The stuffing not so much. I paid extra so it wasn't just crumbled corn flakes but it was only a little better. Very dry and nothing much crab or "excitement " in the stuffing. I added drawn butter and it helped a little. Food was 3 - 3.5 and service 5 stars. 4 stars overall and worth a visit. Wish we trued the lobster bisque as it's a favorite. We liked the casual feel of the restaurant and family like atmosphere.

    The correct look of clear broth chowder

    the clear broth chowder was gray it shouldn't be gray! it's as if they don't rinse the clams and you're eating dirt.. The picture I added is what it should look like...

    Baked Stuffed Sole
    Kathy M.

    The service was wonderful and our waitress was pleasant the interior had a seafarer's theme. We started our meal with a nice warm homemade loaf of wheat bread. I started my meal with the Shrimp Cocktail which was 4 huge shrimp with cocktail sauce. The shrimp was served with the entire shell on not just the tail but the entire shrimp, which I thought was a lazy way to serve shrimp cocktail as most places remove the shell, except for on the tail. I had the baked stuffed sole, the fish was flaky and fresh but the stuffing was supposed to be ritz cracker crumbs with crab meat, instead it was greasy buttered seasoned bread crumbs, not a bit of crabmeat or even ritz crackers in sight. The fish was served with mixed vegetables and boiled potatoes. My boyfriend had a cheeseburger, as doesn't eat seafood. The burger was generous in size and juicy, cooked to perfection, not dried out.

    The bar sitting where I can have lunch
    Dee C.

    The food is the freshest seafood around. They give you sizable portions. The shrimp roll is loaded with shrimp. The service at the bar is a guy who has been here for over 20 years- he remembers your name and is very jovial. I've been eating here for years.

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    Fresh seafood cooked pretty good fresh oysters and clams outstanding the fried seafood a bit on the oily side but I will be going back

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    Page 1 of 14

    Ask the Community - Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale

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    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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    We had the Lobster Bomb and it was definetely the masterpiece! We ordered a side of lobster bisque…read moreand added more to the Bomb dish and it was everything! We also tried the bang bang shrimp and it was amazing! The view of the harbor was great. Picnic tables and BYOB makes this a nice casual afternoon. Although you order and sit yourself a waitress comes and checks on you to see if you need anything additional. We will definitely be visiting again!

    Cute spot by the water in Clinton. There is some parking which is helpful, and it's nicely tucked…read moreaway to the side of a building with plenty of picnic style tables next to and above the restaurant. We ordered two lobster rolls, a chicken sandwich, fried clam strips, fried shrimp, and lobster nachos. This wasn't cheap (I didn't see the total as someone else paid). The chicken sandwich was basic but no one's there for the chicken haha. The fries were crispy, the clams were fresh and the shrimp was deliciously jumbo and lightly battered. The lobster rolls were ok, they didn't have much flavor even with the butter, but we were served good sized chunks so that was nice. The lobster nachos were more impressive to look at than to eat because it was basically cold lobster, a corn salsa, and dry tortilla chips. There's nothing else served other than a spritz of lime so the dish is pretty dry on its own. I would probably come again because it's a pretty view and it's BYOB, maybe get the lobster rolls, but I'd definitely come back for the jumbo shrimp!

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    Serving fried steamers, passing off as whole belly clams. Photos of past reviews show clearly that…read morethey know what an actual whole belly is. Just be warned-- before you shell out MP, what you are getting. Pro Tip: whole bellies do NOT have a "neck" like steamers do and this was clear as day a steamer. Clam shack staff confirmed when I held it up to inquire why they are frying steamers that this was, in fact, a steamer. And as a side note, fried steamers are terrible. They did reimburse for two orders however, won't return if this is what the kitchen/owner tries to serve! I guess the "clam" castle has shifted focus to lobster sandwich boats. You can't delete my review here!!

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    Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale - seafood - Updated October 2026

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