I am absolutely obsessed with everything here. I made reservations for 5:45 pm on a Monday night…read more We actually came a little before 5:15 pm, because I was absolutely starving, and they were so kind/accommodating. They seated us right away! I love the vibes of the place, it's beautiful and inviting, but not pretentious. Our waitress was the best. She knew it was our anniversary and gave us a little bubbly to toast to. We also made it for happy hour (5 pm - 6 pm on weekdays, and 5 pm - 6 pm on weekends only at the bar)! All the small plates on the left side of the menu were half off! We immediately ordered drinks (the $10 happy hour cocktail - a blackberry bourbon smash for my husband, and a mocktail for me). We then ordered the shishito peppers, 2 of the pickled beet deviled eggs, and the roasted oysters with chili oil. They came out super fast, and it was delicious. The shishitos had that great char flavor along with a great dipping sauce. You can never go wrong with deviled eggs. Then we decided to order the fried oysters and the bread with corn butter. The fried oysters were the star of the small plates. Cooked so well. Freshly fried, you bite into it and it was juicy and delicious on the inside. Just so good. The bread and butter? Ugh, my dream butter and bread. Just so delicious. The butter was slightly sweet from the corn and had flakes of sea salt on tip, making it the perfect sweet and salty combo. We also got the salad (local produce!), and our waitress knew we were sharing ao she had the kitchen put it on 2 plates. Such a great touch. The salad was fantastic. After eating lobster rolls for a day, this was a much needed salad. It was refreshing, bright, and light! For our main entrees, we got the seared local squid and the strip steak. It was INCREDIBLE. Everything had so much flavor. The squid was cooked well, wasnt chewy. Just delicious. The crispy rice was the BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN. I wish we could order bowls of it. My husband finished it, couldn't get enough of it. The steak was fantastic as well. The potato with the bearnise sauce was so dreamy. The little onions on the steak, all the little touches were so well done. We knew we had to get dessert. We got a scoop of the black raspberry ice cream, a scoop of corn and blueberry swirl ice cream, and the lavender honey panna cotta. Guys. You 100% must get dessert. The corn blueberry ice cream was unreal. I dont know how you get all that flavor into ice cream. They dont skimp on the honey on the panna cotta. And it went so well with the more mild panna cotta. The black raspberry was a little icy because they froze whole blackberries in it, but at least you know they were trying to make sure you got blackberries in there. With happy hour, the bill wasn't too bad. This was hands down our favorite meal of our week long road trip. I can't wait to come back. I would 100% make a detour to eat here. Parking is pretty difficult around here. I would probably just Uber if I was coming here on a weekend. I need to come here for breakfast at some point.

I really didn't want to write this review, but potential patrons should know what they can expect…read morewhen working with the event staff at Shipwright's Daughter - if they plan to have a private dining experience and event there. My husband and I got married last December. We decided we would hold off on celebrating with our family and invite everyone out from California to join us for a weekend full of activities in Connecticut and a special dinner at Shipwright's Daughter during Memorial Day weekend. We contacted the restaurant's events team to work out high level details starting in late January - to book a private room and hold a date and time. From the get go, the communication we received from the event staff was dismal to say the least. Not only did the events manager misquote the estimate for the room reservation, she came back and asked for a much higher price (up charging by an additional 30% of the original minimum fee) two months after we confirmed and discussed the date. She then explained it was due to the holiday weekend. Our date had never changed from the moment we inquired, so we would have appreciated knowing this upfront. Over the course of several months (and an absurd number of emails and a few calls), we tried to solidify the menu and wine selection and made multiple attempts before hearing back from the team. It was about two weeks before the big event when we were able to confirm a menu. It was about four days before the event that we heard back from the beverage director, but by then, my husband and I had already decided we would bring our own wine bottles, not wanting to leave it to chance with this team. I won't go into further details about the frustration we felt regarding their system for communications (they use an internal system that doesn't make it easy for guests to know who is copied on emails and who sees what). That is something I hope they will work out. When the big day came, I walked into the room and noticed there were a number of chairs missing, so I counted the chairs. They had an incorrect number of chairs for adults and not enough high chairs for the toddlers. We had requested a specific number of these chairs (weeks prior and mentioned it multiple times in writing), and I thought it was safe to assume that this was a basic checklist item for events set up. I was dumbfounded in the moment. I couldn't help but wonder what else they were going to miss or mess up that evening. It was disappointing to have our family members wait while the staff scrambled to pull other chairs into the room. From the time it took to take everyone's order from the set menu, the time between courses being served, and the attentiveness for pouring water and wine - all of it was a miss. The level of hospitality that we expected from a restaurant so recognized for its incredible food and approach to sustainable sourcing was completely overshadowed by the lack of attention and care by its staff - since day one of planning this event. Even a few of our family members commented on this during the dinner. At the end of the day, we felt like an obligation rather than welcomed guests, and that is mainly why I'm leaving this review. We had been patrons of Shipwright's a couple of times prior to this event, which is why we chose this establishment - to represent the best that Connecticut has to offer, when it comes to a dining experience we could vouch for. We no longer feel that we can recommend this restaurant. If you care about hospitality, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

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.

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.

We recently hosted an event here and couldn't be happier with the experience. From the initial…read moreplanning stages to the day of the event, the staff was absolutely fantastic to work with. They were incredibly accommodating, professional, and went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly while staying strictly within our budget. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere provided the perfect backdrop for our gathering. If you are looking for a venue that offers great service, delicious food, and a seamless planning process, I highly recommend them for any event. We will definitely be back!

Came back two years later and I was also able to swing by during their happy hour where they had $1…read moreoysters. It was unfortunately very slow to get the order in. The waitress took about 20 mins to get to our table right before happy hour ended, even though it was not busy at all. The oysters were big and tasted really good! The main dish came out in another 25 mins and it was good, but not as good as I last remembered. Overall the happy hour oysters are a great deal. The mains dishes were a little more overpriced for what you get. Staff and service was unfortunately very slow. Not disappointed with the experience, but expected a little bit more from this place. Food(50%): 7.7 Staff/service(25%): 4.0 Value(25%): 5.0 Overall: 6.1/10

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.

Good food, good amount but tasteless. had lobster rolls no flavor, ribs no flavor, corn on the cob…read moreno flavor, lobster mac and cheese no flavor, oyster was so tiny look like a booger in the middle of the shell.. if they only add salt and flavor it would be perfect. cause amount and price is ok. scenery is beautiful. the little Hispanic girls serving at the red counter had a hateful face look miserable btw...

This place is the bomb! We stopped at Universal Package Store to grab a couple of Bright Wave…read moreIPAs--the woman working there was incredibly friendly! To weather everyone's expectations, this place is super casual and that's part of the charm. We sat on picnic tables outside. Over the Fourth of July weekend, we started with a dozen shucker's choice oysters, then ordered one hot lobster roll and one cold for the ultimate taste test. Both were amazing, but the hot Connecticut-style roll won by a claw. Hot tip: Abbott's is BYOB, so stop at Universal Package Store on the way. If we're ever back in Connecticut, we'll definitely be back!

Came back here and glad to say the food here is still just as amazing! I got their famous lobster…read morepot pie and it was super delicious! The pie crust was flaky and buttery! There was a good amount of lobster meat given the high price ($38). The fresh seafood here is super delicious and they do a fantastic job of cooking it here! Highly recommend this place! Food(50%): 9.3 Staff/service(25%): 8.0 Value(25%): 8.5 Overall: 8.8/10

Let's go to lunch! On an absolutely gorgeous Saturday in July this summer we decided to go have…read morelunch at Flanders Fish market. This is a restaurant I've been to many times and I used to speak at the local Rotary and always enjoyed their oyster stew! Rich with cream and butter and full of oysters. This oyster stew is worth the trip. In addition, we decided to have an order of whole belly fried clams and fries. Word of caution the fries are not the best. They are thin and crispy, but difficult to since there's much inside of them. The fried clams are perfectly fried - moist and delicious and what every New Englander is proud of when talking about fried clams. My companion had lobster bisque that she reported was absolutely delicious with a wonderful subtle taste of lobster with cream and butter. Oyster stew ($23) fried clams ($57), lobster bisque ($10), Strawberry shortcake ($9) with two sodas - $113.34 I left a $20 tip for our server who was kind and attentive and appreciated her service The fried clams alone were $57. Fried clams are not inexpensive my friends.