A summer staple for our family! Don't miss the fried clams and the fish & chips! The burgers & dogs are a great choice for the non-seafood lovers. And yes, the ice cream rocks. So many great choices, and you won't be disappointed. Service is fast & they're always friendly. Yes, 5/5 stars! read more

I ate here twice when I stayed at in inn a few blocks away. Memorable fish sandwich, fresh, and light and pure protein. Wonderfully prepared. The boiled hotdog was a little weird, but I rolled with it and it was fine, although not the most appealing thing I've ever seen in my life. They offer both soft and hard ice cream treats. This spot is very popular with visitors and locals, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed both of my visits. read more

Sea Swirl has been one of my favorite summer stops for years, and it never disappoints. Every visit is consistently delicious, which is why I keep coming back. My go-to order is always the fried clam bellies since I can't get them at home. They're consistently fresh, perfectly crispy, and full of flavor, served with tartar sauce that pairs perfectly with them. Exactly what you hope for from a classic New England clam shack. The menu is huge, so whether you're craving seafood, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, or something else, there's truly something for everyone in the family. It's the kind of place that has become a tradition for us, and I'm always looking forward to my next visit. If you're in or near Mystic and want a classic seafood shack experience, Sea Swirl is a must-stop. read more

Sea Swirl - Fried clam bellies - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

Service was fast and employees were nice, food was okay. We ordered clam chowder cone, lobster roll (hot), shrimp poppers, lobster bisque, shrimp tacos. The lobster roll was fresh and warm. The breading on the shrimp was heavy and not very flavorful. The bisque was good, very creamy. The taco shells crumbled but the flavor of the toppings was decent. Nice outdoor seating area. read more

Came here on a whim. Had I read the reviews beforehand, I probably would have skipped the food. The ice cream may be great, but after our meal I wasn't interested in trying it. Didn't even take photos of the food. The foot-long hot dog was fine. The lobster salad roll ($28) with no fries was okay, though I would have preferred less mayo--and judging by other reviews, I'm not alone. The clam strips and fries were just mediocre. I especially wouldn't recommend the chicken nuggets and fries for kids; my air fryer does a better job with frozen nuggets. The portions of fries were generous, but unfortunately none of my three kids wanted to eat them, and I agreed. I can't quite put my finger on it--they were just bland, even with ketchup. Overall, I felt the prices were steep, especially considering there's no table service, just picnic tables (the waterfront ones were full, so we sat near the busy road), no restroom, and the ordering experience wasn't particularly friendly. One thing that really surprised me was being charged $1 for a large cup of water, which I can understand--but when I asked about a refill, I was told there were no refills, even for water! I rarely leave negative reviews, so this reflects a genuinely disappointing experience. I don't mind a rustic seafood shack, been to many in CT & willing to spend $$$, but I expect good food and friendly service. We visit Mystic several times a year, so perhaps we'll stop by for ice cream someday. But for $72 before tip (with the payment screen defaulting to a minimum 18% tip), the food & experience simply wasn't worth it for us. read more

The bottom line: pure nostalgia (for me), great fried seafood (clams), hot dogs, and ice cream! I grew up going here and still remember their flurries and fried clams (yearn). I've been a few times in the past years and look forward to the next visit sweetie Sea Swirl! read more

So excited for opening day at Sea Swirl .... RI chowder good Lobster Roll WAY too much mayonnaise read more

Sea Swirl - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

We found this gem of a casual road side seafood stop a couple weeks ago. Happy to say I would give a 10/10! Highly recommend, have tried several different seafood options and they have all been delicious! read more

Went to Mystic with my family for a short day trip from NY and were looking for somewhere casual for food and this was exactly what we had in mind! We all really loved it, we even stayed for ice cream as well. They have really interesting soft serve flavors, overall a good experience! read more

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Always love Sea Swirl. Been going there since I was a kid. Moved away about 20 years ago so there are a few new things on the menu. We had the hot lobster roll and clam fritters. Both were delicious. Only stayed for a short visit to CT but next time I'll get the clam strip roll which is the best! Staff were helpful, kind and efficient. No complaints!! read more

Enjoyed the lobster roll and clam chowder. Stuff here wasn't the cheapest but nonetheless it was good. No bathroom here so they tell you go next door. read more

This is a short update to my review from 4 years ago just to say that Sea Swirl is still awesome! Earlier this year they changed ownership/management, and we were a little concerned that the quality, menu and experience might be impacted. But I am really happy to say everything is still great! During our most recent trip, we again visited twice, had all the usuals - fried clams with bellies, fried clam strips, onion rings, ice cream, shakes, fries, fried shrimp, chowder, etc - and were mainly just totally relieved to know they are still solid, with fresh quality sea food, an expanded menu, and friendly and helpful staff. They will likely be open a little longer as the season winds down - check them out! read more

Sea Swirl - Sea Swirl - where you order - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

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We were traveling through the Mystic area and I was definitely in the mood for something with clams and my husband wanted some fish and chips. I'll start with the good... The fish with the fish and chips was a huge piece and was flavorful. I have no idea what kind of fish it was because they didn't tell us. There were so many fries though that we could hardly finish them. The price was a little much and I feel like if they could leave off some of the fries, they could probably take off a few dollars. It was flavorful And filling. Now, the not so great. I ordered the clam fritters. I had had clam fritters in Rhode Island and loved them. These fritters came out almost burnt and they were pretty small. I think out of six fritters there was maybe one bit of clam in each one. The majority of the fritter was just dough. When they were served to me, they didn't offer tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. I had to ask for that ... Not that that's a huge deal but this being a seafood shack I would think that would just be in the offering. The girl taking my order seemed to get a little bit frustrated and impatient when I was asking some questions about if they had Coke zero or Diet Coke. They have Diet Coke, and I like Coke zero so I asked if they had tea. She said we have sweet tea and unsweet tea. So I asked if they had Splenda or any kind of no calorie sweetener. No, they only have sugar packets. I thought that was odd. I'm a diabetic and the reason I get unsweet tea is because I can't drink it with all that sugar, so I would need sweetener. But, whatever... She couldn't understand why I had to have some kind of sweetener and not sugar. So I got water. Anyway, while you're in the area if you want a good piece of fish and a mountain of french fries and not much else, then this is the place to go. I did feel like their prices were a little steep since it's generally a shack on the side of a busy road. read more

Sea Swirl - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

Let's talk clam strip...those juicy strips of clam lightly breaded, fried to crisp so that when you bite into them, they explode with flavor. They are so hard to find but this area is known for them you can get em in strips or whole w the belly of your game and they are cooked to perfection. We tried a few places in Mystic River and this was the best. They are cooked to perfection, hot and dining oitside on the picnic table w the mystic sea breeze is summer decadence at its finest. We also tried the chowder which was so so. Too many potatoes and not enough clams. read more

We were going to only get an ice cream here, but a restaurant we looked for was closed, so we ended up having a meal here also. It seems like a nice place. We ordered clam fritters, which we thought were rubbery and inedible, though I am sure others like them just fine. Not our thing. The fish sandwich was fine, and the French fries weren't hand cut it seemed, but they cooked them to perfection, so that is what counts. My soft serve ice cream, in what they call a wafer (we call cones) was an odd shape, but it tasted fine and seemed larger than the small I ordered. My wife said she didn't taste much of the flavor in hers and wished she got a German chocolate that might have been livelier. But it was refreshing on a warm day. We may never return to mystic as it was a one-errand we ran there, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from going here for food or ice cream. read more

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Go where the locals go. A Mystic legend for decades, even better under new management.

Went home for the 4th of July weekend, definitely had to stop!! Had a craving for chowder and fritters. Sea View did not disappoint!! If you know the place, I know what you're thinking! Are you crazy? 4th of July weekend?!? We went later in the evening. Still busy but service and food was quick. The New England clam chowder was hot, thick, and creamy. The clam fritters/cakes were just as good. Definitely miss this living in Houston now. My fiancee got the grilled fish tacos and chocolate shake she said they were pretty good. I did try the shake, she wasn't lying lol. This is one of the must stop places when you're in Mystic!! read more

Great place to take the family for a summer experience with delicious ice cream by the Mystic River !

Whenever we go to a shore town we look for the restaurant with the best whole belly clams. Well my friends if you like whole belly fried clams this is your place!!! Delicious and tender. It's literally a clam shack with picnic tables but oh so good!!! You have to try this place. Oh and they have ice cream. Soft serve and hard scooped. The service is window service but goes really fast. My mouth is watering and I want to go back. read more

Sea Swirl - Photo of outside - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

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Kicking down from 5 to 4 stars only because they did not have and or no longer sell pomegranate hard ice cream. Everything else was top notch in my book. Best clam strips in town and tried the fish tacos which blew my mind away. Will be back one more time this summer for more but will have to figure out the ice cream situation. read more

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Been coming for years,used to be the best clam bellies and Fries. Now under new ownership the meal was very greasy, tasted like old fryer oil was used, skimpy portion for a platter bellies hardly detected just tasted like it was from the day before..had to use numerous napkins to roll out all the grease from the clams and the fries, cole slaw cheap commercial couldn't eat...$38+ with tip, NO drinks or sides!! Looking for a new place..save your money! read more

Glad we stopped here after a fun morning at Mystic Aquarium with our granddaughter. No hotdog on the kiddie menu necessitated us ordering the foot long which we then shared with her. The clam strips were well prepared and the portion was large enough to split. read more

First time here & the Sea Swirl didn't disappoint!!! We ordered Clam Drip meal with French fries (both were good) also Mac and cheese bites were out of bounds!! Creamy inside crunchy outside not greasy at all. The service was great! read more

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I happen to come across this place while trying to escape the tourism trap down the street in downtown Mystic. I was pleasantly surprised by this establishment they offer both actual meals and ice cream. The prices were comparable to competitors and the portions to give were very generous. The Staff a really pleasant and prompt. I'm really glad I stopped in and I hope I get to visit this establishment again in the future. read more

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I usually don't leave bad reviews but here I come...soft serves were so small, so expensive and taste average. There are lots of tasty ice cream places in the area. They are not cheap either but are worth visiting. All of my family said we will never come back to this place. Service was ok. read more

Sea Swirl - English Toffee soft serve medium size - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

Very disappointed to pay MKP for a roll full of mayo. Would not recommend the cold lobster roll. read more

Sea Swirl - Cold Lobster salad roll - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

Such a nice accidental find as we were just driving by. You cannot look at this nice little place and not HAVE to stop here. The ice cream served inside more than lives up to the expectations anticipated by the location. The root beer float and strawberry malt were perfectly done with the soft serve vanilla ice cream...smooth, moderately sweet, nicely chilled, proportion well, both in the malt and in the float. Service was pleasant and very helpful. read more

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Ate here on 7/22. The woman working the window was very nice and we placed our order quickly. Then it went down hill. Took a long time to get the food and there was only 3 other orders before us placed. When we received the side order of whole belly clams I was shocked at the size of the order for $30.99! I had to ask if I received the correct thing. It was VERY small for that price! But because I had never been there before I had ordered the clams with high expectations since that is what they were "known for." I don't mind paying a high price for something that is worth it. Well, these are NOT worth it. Very disappointed. They were a bit under cooked and soggy. I'll sick to whole belly clams in the New Haven area. Far better. Will not return to this restaurant. read more

Just ordered hot dogs last trip. They were delicious. The fish and chips are very good too.

Great spot and prices so much more reasonable than some of their competitors for the same thing, only better

We enjoyed our fried food lunch sitting outside on the iconic red picnic tables overlooking the Mystic River. A staple in Mystic doe a quick casual meal and or an ice cream stop. Can't go wrong! Quick and efficient service! Fish and chips review: large piece of fish with thick batter. Needs to be drained or blotted with paper napkin of grease. You need to season with salt and pepper yourself. Not to many fries but right amount. Shared with my daughter and we were glad because heavy meal. Burgers and chicken tenders are decent. It's a typical frozen burger and chicken tender. The Mac and cheese bites were cheesy inside and tasty. Again, you must season to your own taste. Condiments are available! Bon appetit! read more

Sea Swirl - Fish and chips, burgers, Mac and cheese bites, and chicken tenders. - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

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Love this place. Stay away from the hot dog and order seafood. Fried shrimp and their clams are amazing! Great fries as well. Never enough room left for their ice cream though. Ate lunch and dinner here yesterday and getting ready to head back for dinner today! Yes, we fly here each summer just to eat here and we are so glad the new owners kept up the menu and great food. read more

Sea Swirl - Side of shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

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We have been customers of Sea Swirl for many years, but this past Memorial Day caused us to stop being patrons. We phoned in an order to pick up. My husband went to go pick the order up but could not get to the restaurant because the road was blocked off due to a Memorial Day parade. We did not know the route or hours of the parade and had no idea that the road that the restaurant was on was closed. When we phoned in the order the employee did not say anything about the road being closed. We were not able to pick up the food, but an employee on the phone said she would refund our money since we could not get the order. The next day the owner called us and said he would not refund our money and that it was not the restaurant/employee's job to tell customers phoning in orders that the road was closed. How would we know that the road was closed? Why would we place a pick up order for food that we would not be able to pick up? Very disappointed. Luckily, there are many options in the Mystic area for seafood and ice cream and those are where we are choosing to spend our money this summer. read more

Pretty tasty little counter service seafood stand! Definitely recommended if you are in the area. Food = A Standouts include the fries--they are melt-in-your-mouth good! The fried whole belly clams are also on target! I definitely had some food envy looking at the fried fish! Next time I'm up this way, that will be my jam! Finally, as for the lobster rolls, they are packed with lobster but are not very flavorful. Adding onions and hot sauce helped. Service = A+ Everyone at Swirl is super friendly!!! Atmosphere = A Sure, they only have outdoor seating at picnic tables, but it is just what the doctor ordered for a place like this. A point gets knocked off here b/c they do not have a bathroom. If you have to go bad enough, buy a drink next door at Subway or Duncan Donuts! That is what we did. read more

Super fresh! The scallops were pricy but so good. Not too heavily battered with the perfect amount of saltiness and flavor. The batter on the fish was crispy and light, very well balanced. If my stomach was bigger I wish I had the chance to try the ice cream. Everyone else seemed to go there for that and it looked really yummy. read more

Sea Swirl - Sea scallops - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

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i remember the days when seaswirl had the best hot dogs. not sure what happened since then but the hot dog I got was a steamed dog on a plain roll? is grilling not a thing anymore? it was sad looking and tasted the same. I'll spend my money at Seaview instead. sorely disappointed. read more

Very disappointed. I've been eating here forever, 30+ years. Ate here yesterday with 4 family members. All the fries had a seasoning on them that wasn't needed. Fried clams: portion was small for the price ($29.99), too much breading and the breading was greasy, some of the clams were really chewy, greasy fries; Fish and chips: big portion of fish, fish was tasty, but too much greasy breading, greasy fries; BLT: toast wasn't toasted, it was grilled and greasy; Jumbo shrimp: good-sized portion, but the shells were still on the tail ends under the greasy breading, so there was that. Also, greasy fries; Chicken tenders: no complaints. I've always raved about Sea Swirl, I've always recommended that people go there if I hear they're going to the Mystic area. Some memorable meals came from there. Not any more. I know there are new owners, but when you buy a place known for great seafood, you don't mess with it. I'll give it one more try the next time I'm in Mystic. I gave 3 stars out of nostalgia. read more

Fried shrimp and clams that you dream about when you get back home. Good onion rings too. read more

Sea Swirl - Walk up and order. - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut

Traditional fried whole clams are becoming harder and harder to find. Sea Swirl delivers the best fried clams my husband and I ever had. Bonus: Fried shrimp are big, tasty and plentiful. Delicious hot dog with homemade chili. Loved the bun. Pro tip order well done. A must stop for us anytime passing though Mystic. read more

Quick update- went again and still was delicious! This time we got the clam strips. Fresh read more

Sea Swirl - Clam strips plate - Seafood Near Me - Mystic, Connecticut