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Liv's Shack

4.3 (119 reviews)
ModerateSeafood, Tacos, Burgers
Closed Closed

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1/2 pound lobster roll $55
Julie C.

Stopped by Liv's Shack on a Sunday afternoon and while the food was excellent, the portions were little small. You order from a giant menu at the front before grabbing a seat at one of many picnic tables. The atmosphere is casual and a couple of bees made it difficult to eat as they chased me. The chicken tenders were hot and crispy, and the lobster roll was buttery and fresh. The clam chowder was very good. While everything tasted great, I felt the portions were quite small for the price, which left us looking for more food somewhere else.

Fried Cheese Curds
Ben L.

I saw a clip from Sistersnacking and they claim this was the best lobster roll in CT, and honestly, it was a bad recommendation. I should have went somewhere else because the lobster roll wasn't that great. The Food: 1/4lb Hot Buttered Lobster Roll- Where do I begin, first the lobster itself didn't offer a lot of flavor, second there was this weird artificial butter flavor like how you get butter from the movie theater, it was so strange it almost tasted like a weird cheese sauce which I wasn't a fan of, third I didn't care for the bread. It was toasted but it was toasted with so much butter, I feel if i squeezed the roll, butter would of oozed out like if I squeezed a sponge. The sauce covering the lobster was a thick white sauce, it almost looked like they tossed the lobster meat with the chowder then added to the bun. The lobster roll came off incredibly rich and heavy, after eating it, I felt I needed soda or a pickle to cut the richness. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA&select=bwm5DvpNdSEKtNiD24hT-g New England Clam Chowder- This was excellent. I thought the chowder had so much flavor and good amount of clams, I really enjoy this a lot but $8 was kind of a lot. Fried Cheese Curds- Fried Wisconsin squeaky cheese with chipotle aioli. I really liked these, these would go perfect with beer, these were fried well, had an awesome chew and flavor, the chipotle aioli was excellent with these. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA&select=l1vGrABsKxpXqbEQPHWYXw

Lobster roll, old bay fries and diet white birch beer
Ashley S.

I was on a lobster roll kick the whole weekend I was in town. Liv's was a recommendation, so we came here for lunch one of the days. It's located in a marina, is a little shack with picnic tables they bring your food out pretty quick and of course everything was great. I had a lobster roll, old bay fries and tried white birch beer for the first time. I'd go here again.

tania p.

We ate lunch here on a day trip out to the Old Saybrook area. The food was delicious and the outside eating area has games (cards, board games, trivia cards, etc.) available to play at your table. It's so scenic right along the water and is a great spot to visit with friends during the summer!

Quarter Lobster roll - it was plenty!
Donna P.

Great food! Fast, friendly service. We must have gotten there at the perfect time because we easily found a parking spot, turned in our order and got our yummy food all within about 15 minutes! Husband had the lobster roll and I had the grilled cheese/lobster. Both were chock full of sweet lobster! It was a beautiful day and their tables that sit under an awning were perfectly comfortable! Lots of families and people fresh off the water!

Clam chowder
Kevin C.

On our drive back to New York last weekend, I was trying to find a no frill fresh seafood joint on route. Came across this place on Yelp and seems to be overall favorable. I am glad we stopped by this joint. This place opened at 11am and does have about 7-8 parking spots and overall, the shack is located by a marina. So from a scenery perspective, it is very inviting. Walking up, you get to place an order with a wait staff and after the order, they will give you a buzzer and will bring the food over to your table in their nearby wooden tables and chairs seating area. There are ample seating and very clean with utensils and all. Now onto the food. Everything we'd order were on point. My wife got the fish tacos and because of her allergy, they were able to use corn tortilla. I got a fried shrimp roll sandwich along with an order of grilled shrimp. All the dishes tasted very fresh and vibrant. Nothing was greasy. Additionally, we got a truffle fries which hit the spot and my son got a grilled cheese sandwich accompanied by New England clam chowder. The chowder was amazing and not runny at all. Also, they filled the chowder to the rim of the cup. Just look at the photo. You can BYOB which is always great to see at any place. Highly recommend and price point is definitely reasonable for the fresh seafood. Lastly, the staffs were exceptional.

1/2 pound Lobster roll
Kevin P.

My wife and I live here in Connecticut and over the last three or four years have tried every place pretty much along the CT coast line that offers lobster rolls and this place by far has the best lobster roll your money can buy. Consistently excellent every time we go there. And it's BYOB. Every time we have friends come in we take them here and never been disappointed. Oh and the service is excellent. After you order, go round back and pick a nice shady spot under a tent on one of the many picnic tables. You'll be given a pager and when your order is ready, it will be brought right to your table. We've never waited more than five or 10 minutes after ordering.

Lobster roll and old bay fries
Emma C.

Loved the food here and the outdoor seating options! Wish we could have seen the water more instead of mostly the parking lot, but the food was worth it. Excellent lobster roll and old bay fries!

Shack Attack
Lauren P.

Visited one of Connecticut's bucket list Shacks in Old Saybrook. It didn't disappoint. The Shack attack is amazing. Every bit of Lobster tail meets burger smushed by cheese, I agree 100% a must try. Even to share so you can try other things. We had a delicious lobster roll and the lobster tacos which had a hint of spice. Service was great, girls were friendly. Greeted at the door outside to take order and then they brought out the food. Be ready to share some picnic tables and eat outdoors. A True Shack , but worth it.

Sweet and succulent lobster roll!
Elizabeth H.

This is the best so far where you can indulge the sweetest and succulent lobster roll along the marina of Old Saybrook! It's an outdoor seating under a big marquee. Service was fast and easy. Service personnel come to your table when your order is ready. A definitely place for a great lobster roll!

Lobster Roll and Cheese Curds
Jason P.

I had to audible from our original dinner plans, and when an area Yelp search proposed Liv's, I remembered that Instagram's @connecticut_bucketlist was a fan of Liv's. I can see why. Liv's is a seafood, burger, etc. shack near the nice boat docks in Old Saybrook. They offer takeout and have an outside picnic table area as well. I tried a hot buttered lobster roll, fried cheese curds, fries and clam chowder. I liked everything. The roll was well grilled. The lobster was plentiful and perfectly cooked. It was dressed with a lemon butter sauce. I prefer a straight up hot butter for lobster rolls, but I respect that they went for something a little different. The fries were thicker than a lot of my fav CT fries, but they were good crispy and I was a fan. The cheese curds had good texture and were tasty as well. The clam chowder was medium thick and really flavorful as well. One of the better chowders I've had in CT. Loved this trip to Liv's. Five Stars

Monica B.

I wished I had a good experience but I didn't unfortunately. I've been trying to get here for a while and last night we finally stopped for dinner around 7. We stopped after a walk and we were very thirsty. I didn't like the ordering process . Get in line, order your food and they will bring everything but why can't we have our drinks right away? Like I said, after our walk we wished we had the chance to have our lemonades right away. And the fact that we are asked to tip before we had our meal is a concept that I don't understand. We were generous anyway. I didn't like the ambience. Too noisy for me, barely found a table. I understand it's a shack however for the price they are charging, some updates are needed. Maybe a fresh coat of paint for those tables or maybe no crumbs or cups left behind. We both ordered the fish tacos. 2 tacos per portion, well seasoned fish with a very generous amount of coleslaw and pico de gallo. Too spicy for my taste but just right for my husband. I don't think I want to return.

Tacos
Sandy J.

Excellence. A nice shack tucked by some fancy boats and homes- this is a good place to go and worth the money. We had a surf n' turf burger (who would have thought lobster and hamburger would be delicious!) also known as their Shack Attack and their tacos. The surf n' turf burger was a little heavy for me but that's what makes it darn good right? Imagine a lobster roll meets juicy hamburger. I went home and made mine little lighter but their combo is definitely inspirational. A Swiss cheese binds together land and sea. No need to add seasoning- they did this dish justice! The tacos were also good- a nice spicy kick at the end with a good combo of seafood and some Cole slaw like topping. They had a good clam chowder- typical clam chowder. Nothing out of the ordinary but definitely meets the standard of a New England Clam Chowder within the NE part of the US. The order is outside really casual and you take a beeper thing. Plenty of seating in their back.

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great lobster rolls with a very casual atmosphere. we took our food to go but was delicious none the less

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Ask the Community - Liv's Shack

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Johnny Ads

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Took the hot rod down to Old Saybrook, as I was craving some Rhode Island clam chowder…read more So Johnny Ads kept popping up in my mind. It's been a while since I've been here, but this little seafood shack has never done me wrong. I pulled in just after 1:00 PM on a Monday afternoon and the order line at the window was steady. The staff were cheerful and moved us guests along quickly. I put in the order for some Rhode Island clam chowder and six clam fritters. I also ordered a birch beer. Within 10 minutes, my order was ready at the pick up counter. I found my way to one of the open and very clean tables inside the restaurant. At first glance, the clam chowder looked way too rich, almost New England style (white and thick) I kind of sighed a little bit and felt a little disappointed. But once I stuck that spoon into the chowder, that thickness seemed not that important. The clams were generously portioned, some small, some large, some nice and chewy, along with a great flavored broth and some small diced white potatoes. This was deliciousness at its best. Simple with that by the sea scent and flavor. This could be one of the best clam chowders I've had yet in Connecticut. The six clam fritters were good, yet a bit greasy. The fritter dough itself was delicious, but I would've liked a little bit more clams in the fritters. I didn't like the tartar sauce on the side, so I went to the counter and got some cocktail sauce. This is what should be served in my opinion with the fritters. I loved this combination, and I definitely would order this again as an appetizer. The birch beer was delicious. I think it was on tap so I don't know the brand. Again, I would order this again. For a little drive in that is a bit antiquated, the cleanliness is on point. I didn't check the restroom though. When going through Old Saybrook, this would be great consideration for a quick lunch.

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Perfect Onion Rings and French Onion Dipping Sauce.
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Liv's Shack - seafood - Updated July 2026

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