A fun spot for fried clams and clam chowder. There's a small parking lot and we arrived right as…read morethey opened. You order at the register and then find a seat at one of their many tables that are available. The staff are really friendly and even offered up their own chairs since we needed an extra seat at a booth. The food comes out fairly quickly. The portions are really good for sharing with a group. The fried clams were a little bit on the chewy side, but had good flavor. The steamed clams were fairly sandy even after being rinsed. It was still a good experience and there was plenty of food to share.

There was a long line out the door. However, it moved very quickly. You order at the counter and…read morewait for your food. It did take a while for the food to come. There is a lot of seating: inside and out, too and bottom. I found the menu to be a little confusing. You also order the lobster outside. I got the friend jumbo shrimp and the fried clam strips and that was good. The fries and onion rings needed salt. The clam chowder was way too runny for my liking. The tartar sauce was very good! But the cocktail sauce was not good at all.

Good food and nice staff…read more Would recommend the wings, the club sandwich, and the fried. Kids love it an they've got a lot of options. Been 4-5 times and every time the wait staff is attentive and super nice. I like nice!

The restaurant is cozy but very welcoming and clean. Parking is limited but u can go on their…read morewebsite for public parking recommendations incase their lot is full. The staff are wll friendly, food and service are both great. We definitely enjoyed are evening dinner here and would highly recommend you give them a try as their seafood was very fresh and everything we had were very tasty. There are waterfront views of the nearby dock which we were happy about being seated next to.

The staff was incredibly attentive & welcoming. The entire waitstaff was phenomenal…read more Food was excellent. I ordered the Autumn (butternut squash) ravioli, and the sticky toffee carrot cake. Enjoyed and would order both again. The prices were a tad higher than I'd expect for a tavern, but it's Essex with a several fancy restaurants right there. Very eclectic menu, so something for everyone.

We had a fantastic time eating at The James. The atmosphere was great and the service was quick…read more Unfortunately all beer was served gripped by the glass on the rim, totally ignoring hygiene. The last thing you want to do at dinner is get sick. Always grip the glass in the lower third or by the base keeping your hands far away from where the guest's mouth makes contact.

I'm shaking my head at the negative reviews: "They don't take credit cards, I had to wait, there's…read moreno menu, I can't sit at the bar, it was so busy . . ." There's a cash machine, the menu is on the wall, wait your turn like everyone else, it's busy because it's small and good. Advice: Inhale deeply and look out the window at the marsh or come "off peak". Yeesh. I have been going to clam shacks up and down the NE coast since I was a kid (and I'm 68). Farnham's is a great "no frills" restaurant with excellent food and great New England people. It brings me back to another time. Please don't change.

Best fried clams I've had in years. I got the clam plate with fries and onion rings. Portion size…read morewas great and everything was cooked perfectly. I can't wait to return. The staff were really pleasant.

The fish and chips are amazing! Their signature coleslaw tied it together perfectly, not to…read moremention the fabulous fries. We will definitely be back.

One of my favorites on the North Shore. Consistently delicious food and drinks, amazing views, kind…read moreand attentive staff. The blackened chicken salad is my favorite- it's a tex mex with chipotle ranch dressing. Last time I got the fondue which was perfect for a cold gloomy day. Don't skip the skillet cookie! Excellent drinks and love their mocktails too.

Our favorite local restaurant - we go almost every week…read more Love the seafood, burgers and onion rings. Cocktails are tasty and the brownie sundae is a must have. Morgan is our favorite server and always treats us well.

Service here is usually quick and always pleasant. The seafood dishes are VERY reasonably priced…read moreand the portions are enough for two or three more meals. This is Just a wonderful place for not only for seafood; but also for pasta, salads , chicken, burgers, etc. In the past they had the most wonderful brussel sprouts with pine nuts appetizer, but it is no longer available!!!! Here is hoping the management brings it by back!!!

Wonderful spot on the North Shore to go Apple picking! Great…read moreapple selection and staff were super helpful about what varieties were still well stocked, what apples are best for baking, flavor profiles, and more. To get to the orchard for apple picking, you can either take a hay ride (for a fee of a few dollars) or walk (roughly 10 minute walk on well marked trail). Don't skip the Apple cider donuts! There is a food trailer outside where you can get them made fresh! Inside the farm store, you can get locally sourced items, baked goods, wine flights, and ice cream! There is a seating area connected to the farm store or you can grab a picnic table or bench on the lawn.

Childhood, nostalgia, a place to unplug, and to support local…read more Russell Orchards is amazing. Offering fresh produce, pies, and other pastries. It also has a wine bar and a section to buy knick-knacks, tshirts and hoodies. I would say it's most known for their apple picking but they offer other picking options depending on the season. I went here yesterday and it's not quite apple picking season, but you could pick your own flowers or berries. It's also so fun coming here in the fall when they have a whole pumpkin patch of available pumpkins out on display. So pretty. I love walking around the country store. I grew up with my family coming here just about every summer or fall, and we still make a visit at least once a year. Not much has changed because it doesn't need to.

We decided to eat here while staying in Salem and looking for some good upper-end dinner options…read more Glad we made this choice! Our waitress was attentive and helpful. We had a bottle of wine and bread to start as well as calamari. The calamari was fresh and crispy, and came with a jalapeño aioli which paired very nicely. We ordered Veal Parmesan and Lobster Veal Marsala. The Veal Parm was good and a large portion. I ate about half and am looking forward to leftovers! My boyfriend really enjoyed his Marsala. I kept asking for bites of it! It came with a lovely mushroom ravioli and the sauce was to die for. Plenty of good pieces of lobster and a generous portion of veal as well. The mushrooms were perfectly cooked. Although the food and wine were in the higher-end side, the ambience leaned more casual, especially because we were there while a football game was on and most patrons were at the bar. Lovely spot and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good dinner spot!

We stopped by for dinner on Saturday night and the wait wasn't too bad for a party of 4. I ordered…read morethe mussel pasta dish and was impressed to see how many mussels were on the plate! If you're a big mussel fan, definitely order this dish. We also ordered a side of fries and it was enough to share with the entire table.