Delicious food. Great atmosphere. Clean outdoor bathrooms. Felt very "safe" eating outside. Kids loved it too! Everything we've ordered was great from fish tacos to crab cakes to burgers for my non-seafood water. read more

Nice location and view. Waited 25 minutes for our food. Wait staff was very friendly. I ordered their "signature" fish tacos. They weren't that great, a bit over cooked though the fish was cold, everything else in the taco was fine. It was supposed to be grilled although I think the pita was grilled. My wife had a cheeseburger which was overcooked and tasted more like meatloaf. You couldn't t eat it. The bun was really hard as well. We walked away hungry. The chicken tenders were like a Tyson's chicken gross gooey mess on the inside. The chowder bites tasted like ranch dressing fried in breading and had bits of hard fish or clam (couldn't really tell what it was). I guess stick with the fried food because everything else was a disaster. * they also really need a liquor license as well as ditching hr Porto potties and putting in real bathrooms. * Owner responded. - You were not slammed on the fourth by any means. Take these reviews as a sign to improve and not to provide excuses. The time spent returning comments should be spent on improving the menu and better cooking practices. We are definitely not going back. Fried food shouldn't be difficult to make, a lab monkey could be taught to make this food. read more

I wanted to like this place so bad. The location is perfect. Its clean, on the water, and byob! You place your order at this boat, which is such a perfect setup to begin the experience. Unfortunately that was the peak of the experience. The food came out really slow which was actually bearable because the view of the water was so amazing. However the food was horrendous. I ordered the whole belly clams which was not fresh and poorly fried. I order whole belly clams at every seafood shack that sells it and these had an offputting creamy, sticky, gooey consistency. It did not taste like clams at all. I ate 1/3 of the platter and could not take another bite. If its not fresh, please dont serve it! The clam chowder was barely luke warm which is a big pet peave of mine. The fish tacos were average but by far the best part of the meal. The fish wasnt seasoned but ill give them a pass on this because most seafood places do not season at all, which is bewildering to me. Its such a shame because the workers were all so friendly and nice. Everything was perfect but the food fell really flat. If the food was average, I would have given this place 5 stars because thats how perfect the ambiance and service was. Oh well, the search for the perfect seafood shack continues.... read more

Decided to drive over an hour to the CT shore for a lobster roll and chowder. Shank's showed photos of water dining so that is where we headed. Chowder was a little on the thick side and flavor was only fair. The lobster roll was a huge disappointment. The roll was not toasted, the butter was served on the side and it was coagulated on the bottom of the cup, the lobster was meat from the claw only, dry and flavorless. If you like cartilage and shells, you will be happy to know that you get some of that in there, too! Pricey. The young staff was pleasant. read more

Amazing food. It was worth the wait. Had the medium size lobster roll and I had a hard time finishing it. I can only imaging what the large would look like. Great food quality and service was great too. Being located next to the water was a nice atmosphere for a lovely evening out. read more

Has a really nice location. Extra parking at a municipal lot around the corner. For 2020 season they no longer have any gluten free batter for fried food. Would not recommend to come here until next year if you wanted Gluten Free food. French fries were ok, needs some sort of sauce with them because they are bland. Good amount of food with your order. The fish tacos were ok as well. They didn't have avocado in them, so maybe they are out of that too. They do listen when you express any concerns and will make the effort to make things right. Most all of the workers seem very careful with masks and hand washing. There was one person who would take their mask off to talk to boaters coming in. I will come back next season to see how the gluten free food is, but I won't be going back until then. read more

Great location and view of the water. COVID precautions well done.... and that's where it ends. Food took forever to get to us & was cold when it did. Burgers overcooked and fish and chips were soggy. Enjoyed the company and nice weather but next time will try a different restaurant. read more

I immediately liked this place as soon as I saw it! The boat on the land where you order is super cute and the staff was great. The view of the marina is very nice. I also loved the fact that it's BYOB. Being able to sit and sip my favorite wine at a picnic table right next to the water with a view of the boats is just perfect. The only problem was I was sipping my wine, and sipping and sipping.... and my food was not coming out! Granted, I was with 6 people and we ordered two of the combination platters. I expected it to take a decent amount of time but after 30 minutes we were starting to get hangry. The food finally came out about 45 minutes later. The food itself was good. The combination platter had fried seafood - scallops, clams, fish, and shrimp. Everything was fried nicely and had great fresh flavor. The chicken tenders were average at best .. but then again you're probably not going to a seafood place for chicken tenders. All in all.. The food is good if you're willing to wait. read more

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The atmosphere is amazing here! Can't beat the views! We came several times last summer just for the fish tacos - delish! However, there is something different this year. As with so many things, the quality has gone down. The fish was so bland and the entire taco was so dry, I couldn't even finish it. The tiny drizzle of aioli was barely enough for one bite. I hate when places are not consistent. Ordered chicken tenders for my son and they were barely warm and so so dried out. Please improve because we love coming here! May be TMI but I had to edit this to say we all have had diarrhea ALL morning. My child was even sent home from daycare because of it. This food was the only thing we all ate that was the same yesterday. Even more disappointing. read more

Tasty food great service awesome location beautiful sunsets , I've been here three times and love it. I love the BYOB and the blankets they provide are a nice touch. We had a great time playing corn hole and watching the boats come in. I would rate 5 stars but the only downside was the port-o-potties first few times we came here they were very clean, today they were dirty and unbearable. No indoor restrooms is a little bit of a turnoff. However that doesn't turn us away this place is fun staff is very friendly and feels like your on vacation! read more

Delicious lobster roll, clam strips, avocado fries and coconut shrimp (yes, we got all of that and shared). Service was great, view was pretty. I don't live around here but if I ever come back I'll visit! read more

I was looking for a place to have waterfront dining and came here. You need to order food from the outside counter first, and then you need to seat yourself amongst whatever seats are available. Some are on an upper deck, some are on the ground, and some are indoors. So you don't know where you'll be sitting until after you place your order and go look for a spot. When paying, you also are give the option to tip then, which I did. I don't love tipping before I've had any sort of service or before I've eaten any food. We waited a very long time for our food to arrive, about an hour. Though the lobster bisque came about 1/2 hour after we sat. In fact, I saw the person who took my order sitting a few tables over eating before we received our food. One person who was joining me for dinner ordered coconut shrimp and a Buffalo chicken wrap, the other person ordered lobster Mac and cheese, and I ordered the lobster bisque and ahi tuna tacos. The lobster bisque was good, but nothing I'd come back for, and I've certainly had better. Definitely NOT worth $11. My ahi tuna taco was highly disappointing. Couldn't taste much flavor from anything in the taco, and the sauce on top pretty much tasted like straight up Mayo. I didn't personally have the coconut shrimp or the Buffalo chicken wrap, but the person who had them said she didn't like them. She said the coconut shrimp was slightly better than the Buffalo chicken wrap, but she didn't finish either of them. I tasted a bite of the lobster grilled cheese that my daughter ordered and it was worse than my ahi tuna tacos, if that's even possible. How you screw up lobster is beyond me, but they have accomplished that. The lobster didn't have a lobster taste (don't ask me how that can be, but it didn't), I didn't taste anything buttery, or cheesy on this lobster grilled cheese. With tip, I paid over $80 on these 4 items, and left feeling my money was completely wasted, and left wishing I went somewhere else for dinner, and hoping none of us get sick from the food. My daughter had to go to the bathroom, from the outside it looks similar to a portapotty but she said it wasn't as "bad" as one. The view is just okay. It's more of an inlet, not open ocean that you are eating by. Upon leaving one of the workers (almost all seemed like kids on high school/college summer break) was horsing around with a fellow coworker, and was being very loud. We were just going to ignore the unprofessional behavior, and walk by. He, instead, when realizing customers were passing by him when he was screaming then stopped screaming and yelled "Have a good night!" and then laughed with his fellow coworker. read more

First time here. Beutiful views, awesome food. Most of all 5 star plus staff! My mom has very limited mobility, they were so wonderful to us. We each had a scallop platter, they were fried to perfection, so moist, wonderful fries and slaw. Neither of us could finish. Definitely would come back. Great casual waterfront dining. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Fried scallop platter - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Food was fresh, the waitress Ariel was on top of everything, friendly and very eager to. Please. They had a singer named Arlene Tessman WOW. that was awesome .The food was fresh and plentiful and did I mention the atmosphere great . Bathroom very clean but Ice Cold read more

Went to Shanks the other day w/ the family for lunch there was for adults 3 children. Beautiful summer day around 85° but if Ur sitting outside Ur literally right there on the water watching the boats pull up it's right on the Marina w/ other restaurants. Parking can be a bit tricky @ certain times if you can go with one group in a car it's preferred. As U approach the restaurant there is literally an old wooden sailboat where people can please take out orders & then U go behind that and there's huge picnic tables w/ huge umbrellas or U can opt to sit upstairs in the restaurant. On the tables they have little caddy that are already has salt and pepper shakers, napkins plasticware (wrapped in napkins) & all of that ready for U. You can then go up to the sailboat & place your order or someone will come over & take Ur order. Then they give you a buoy w/ a # on it so they know where to deliver the food. EVERYTHING as is FRESHLY made @ this restaurant. You will not taste any type of freezer burn or any trace of something being frozen or pre breaded anyting. So it does take a little while to get your food not long but it's worth the wait. I had fish and chips when I tell you there literally were like three huge pieces of fresh fish freshly breaded & NOT greasy as well as homemade steak fries. We also had to clam strip rolls those come with homemade chips.. my one nephew is 6 but he wanted a clam roll and he ate it all. The tacos you get to any order and you can get your Seafood grilled or fried so we had 2 grilled shrimp tacos, my mom had some kind of salad with grilled shrimp an order of the maple sweet potato fries, kids grilled cheese w/ fries, kids chicken w/fries. All of the portions were huge I'll end up taking home 1/2 of my fish. The kids get a dish a HOMEADE ice cream w/ their meal. So we went up to the boat to get it they had literally so many choices to choose from vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, sea salted caramel.. they also have a dessert menu my older nephew who had the clam roll wanted an ice cream sandwich which they take two of their humongous homemade chocolate chip cookies & put vanilla ice cream in the middle I'm sure if you wanted another flavor you could get it it was $5.95 and this thing was huge! they do have some daily specials on the board when you go up to order. There is a picture on here of the venue that is not specifically up-to-date but for the most part is correct. Our bill was around $90.00 & we left w/ 2 take-home containers! Another PLUS is they let U BYOB!!! Bring your own beverages of course they sell water, sodas I'm not sure if they sell alcohol they probably do. But they let you bring it so we mainly drink water but we brought our water, Gatorade iced tea with us from home. read more

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Food was average with a substantial wait time and overpriced for what you got. However, the outside seating & view was fabulous. Nice servers as well. read more

Shanks is an awesome place to go to spend some quality time. Very casual. Really good seafood. BYOB. Sit on the deck watching the boats come and go into Clinton Harbor, sheltered by scenic Cedar Island. Time stops. - Yields to Sun, Wind, and Water. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Awesome casual BYOB waterfront dining. - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

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Came down to CT visit some family during Memorial Day weekend, and figured to go to this new place by the water. We drove up and it had a good amount of parking and someone to direct us. What's interesting is that when you arrive, you go up to this old boat and order from the staff on the back of this boat. It has the feeling of going up to a food truck but with a very nautical twist. The food is reminiscent of the whole vibe. I don't remember everything on the menu, but it ranged from seafood (both fried and fresh), to burgers and chicken fingers. I recommend the buffalo shrimp and the fries with shank sauce, both of which were really good. After ordering we decided to sit down on these tables up on the patio on the building above the boat. The staff brought us our food fairly quick, along with whatever other million requests we usually ask for. They were nice and helpful the whole time. Shanks is definitely a cool place to check out if you're in the area. It's a nice change of pace and fun to see the boats in the water while you eat outside. read more

I tried Shank's last weekend. I ordered the fish tacos for myself and the kid's chicken tender meal for my son. We went upstairs to the very nice seating area right on the water (great view!). The food took forever. Nearly 30 minutes. I was about to complain when it finally showed up. Ice cold. So I sent it back totally annoyed. They did quickly bring out new food that was hot, and it was all quite good. Even the kid's meal. Later when I got home I realized the kid's meal was supposed to come with ice cream. No one even mentioned it or offered it. Sigh. The food (the second time) was definitely above average, and the view can't be beat. This place is BYOB. However the service hiccups kind of ruined my first impression. I'll try them again but if I have more service issues I'm not going back. read more

I don't know if they have a new crew this year or what... but I ordered the grilled shrimp tacos and they were cold and still had tails on them. Last year (2017) this was an awesome spot though. Hopefully they get some talent in the kitchen. They have the tip bucket where you order... make sure to try the food first, I tipped them $20 and definitely wanted it back. read more

Just be aware that there is automatic 20 minute wait to get your food once you order it due to the fact that they don't have anything premade because it's such a small space and a tiny little cute ‍ boat. I am because we have a child with us we were not going to wait another 20 minutes in addition to the wait in line. read more

A hidden waterfront gem where the view can't be beat. The food is incredible. If you are looking for a laid back spot to hang out and grab some great seafood then this is it. This place is byob which is a big plus. The only reason they are getting 4 stars vs 5 is that the wait time is rough. Be prepared to wait an hour plus for your food and service is a bit lacking with a very young inattentive staff. If you are not in a rush and pack your own cooler it's definitely worth checking out. read more

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This place was incredibly disappointing. It took 43 minutes to get our food which would have been fine if it was good. We ordered clam belly dinners. While the sides, fries, coleslaw, roasted Brussels sprouts were good, the clams were soggy & were mixed with clam strips! Really?! If we're going to pay $27, at least have ALL clam bellies! And cook them longer (wasn't 43 minutes enough?) to get them crispy! It's a shame because the coating was tasty & the view is beautiful! Back to Lenny & Joe's! We wanted to sit by the ocean & it was my birthday... read more

Thanks for responding! Water certainly was not the main issue, the person working the counter told us that the water was not safe because of proximity to the ocean, sounds like he may have been misinformed. I know that I get water at other food trucks in town, but maybe the rules down by the ocean are different. I think the fact that the food was very bad and that it took an hour to receive was really our sticking point. read more

I was looking forward to a great lunch on the water. The location was great. Our table was sticky but decided to ignore that. Was told by the man taking our order that the wait for food was 25 minutes. We waited almost 50 minutes. There were only about 8 tables that had people waiting. I could understand if the place was packed, but it was not. Then we got our food and both of our lunches were cold. Ugh. Cold fish. Will never go again. Prepare for a long wait and mediocre food. read more

Overpriced. Almost half of the dozen clams on the half shell were questionable with strong odor.

Soooo disappointed! I live in the area and have eaten here every summer for quite a while. In the past, the fried clams were heavenly, the fries divine. Not to mention the view! It is the best place to relax with friends on a warm summer evening. Only problem is that the quality of the food has gone so far downhill that I was embarrassed, having brought friends from Virginia to eat, having bragged to them about "the best fried clams, the best fries, the best fish and chips" etc. So--we ordered--two fried clam rolls (whole belly), three fish & chips, and a lobster roll. All of the fried food came out soggy--yes, soggy! You want the fried fish and fried clams to have a nice crispy battered outer layer, but everything was just, well, soggy. One of the people couldn't even eat her fish because it was just flaking and falling apart. She said she could only have eaten it with a spoon. The lobster roll looked pretty decent, and the person who ordered it said it was "good enough." The nice thing is that we were able to sit for about an hour after we finished eating and enjoy the beautiful view and the nice breeze. In conclusion, if you want great fried seafood, go somewhere else; if you want a great view, don't expect fabulous food. P.S. I probably won't return to Shanks anytime soon. read more

This new seafood joint recently opened up in Clinton by the town marina. It's pretty unique, as you order your food at the big boat parked up front near the parking lot, and then go around in back to sit down and eat your food. The menu includes a small but tasty selection of (mostly) fried seafood. I had the Buffalo Fried Shrimp, and they were delicious. The seating area in back has a great view of the harbor, and would be a great location for a rooftop bar area. I hope that they get a liquor license someday, but you can BYOB until then. read more

Pros: Great atmosphere, setting, and BYOB! Plus the highly rated Lobster Landing is directly next door. Cons: The food can be hit or miss and parking can be an issue. The Owner's responses here have me scratching my head! I live next door so parking isn't an issue for me, but it can be problematic on the weekends. I had a couple of under-cooked food issues when they first opened, but none since. The food is okay, but what really sells this place is the location and the BYOB option... If they can improve the food, they will have something special. But after reading the owner's responses on here (he's not doing himself any favors!) others might want to consider Lobster Landing and The Aqua, both are within a few hundred feet of Shanks, but have better food and share the same harbor views. LL is an outdoor lobster shack and the Aqua on the other side of the marina is a little more fancy with a great atmosphere and staff. read more

1st review ever but I felt the need to write one. I'm a local here in Clinton and really want to like this place, we've tried a few times but today was the last. The star is for Clinton's picturesque harbor but Shanks is over priced, close to terrible food and unorganized... not to mention the wait every visit. Example: brought the kids for breakfast this morning waited forever for 2 orders of French toast (not good at all) and a double egg sandwich $30 and a coffee. The small coffee came after breakfast about 40mins later and from a DD box of joe for all to see!!!! Wow! Not to mention I wore that coffee when the non secured umbrella flew off our table. That just added to it... I give everything multiple chances and am a very patient person, sorry Shanks you need to step it up and make the food match the view. Wait in line at Sal Ds for breakfast, it's well worth it always awesome food, large coffee, and well priced. read more

Stopped by on a Saturday night. Bad idea The sign said our food would take 50 minutes once it was ordered. 1 hour and 30 minutes later it came. Ice cold fish tacos. No lime wedge. Slaw was not crispy. Fish was minimal. Many people upset their food was taking longer than stated. Too bad. Its a nice spot at Clinton Marina, but i will not be back! read more

15 minute wait in line, 45 minute wait for food. We ask, "Hey, what about our order?" People after us in line finished 15 minutes ago. Non answer, another 10 minutes, food finally there. Lobster grilled cheese is cold, cheese isnt even melted. Send it back, another 10 minutes. Slightly less undercooked, but still nowhere near done. You get better out of random food trucks. Only plus was waitress, who was new, was very nice and offered to speak to manager and a free desert (on a $70+ dollar meal). We cut our losses and left. read more

This was the first time I've been here and I was happily surprised. I liked the environment and the staff taking my order were very nice. The are is beautiful and it offers multiple options for seating by the water. We had gotten a lobster roll, coconut shrimp and a friend chicken sandwich. All were delicious and fresh. It was nice to have different options on the serving size of the lobster roll. It makes a great spot for a date night for somewhere to be by the water. Highly recommend and look forward to going back!! read more

Don't say your restaurant is open when it is not. Drive 1.5 hours. Mark it as "seasonal" please.

Favorite place for seafood on CT shoreline. The fried food is tastier than the usual places. After you place your order the staff brings you your meal while you look look out at Clinton harbor. BYOB. read more

Went there last year it was great. This year the sea food is not fresh. When there take your order five people are standing there one person takes your order. The rest just stand and look at you. I got lobster bisque it was cold and lobster roll $30 for a small roll they should of put it on a smaller bun to make it look like you got more lobster. read more

in new England I expect an excellent fresh picked lobster roll. our experience was disappointing as the meat was claws and pieces that were processed elsewhere. No tail meat? Sorry to say we will not ever be back. although the views are lovely. read more

My boyfriend and I came for a late dinner while vacationing in Madison and left pretty dissatisfied. We loved the casual vibe of the place, great music, and loved eating outside on the water, however the food was very bland and the lobster sliders had me throwing up until 2am (not an exaggeration, I actually became violently ill). The kids menu chicken fingers were the best part of our meal. No alcohol offered - its BYOB. Most of the staff was very friendly, however one stood out as a real negative to have on their team. When we first arrived there was an employee behind the counter wining and joking with his friends about how he couldn't wait to get off of work. Not a great first impression for the front face of a food establishment. As we were leaving, we wanted to run back to the front for a quick snickers ice cream bar. It was 8:50, their online listing states they close at 9 but he refused to give us an ice cream bar and said they were closed (as if it'd be too much trouble to open the freezer you're sitting on top of?). I can understand not allowing seating to cook for another customer when closing in 10 minutes, but refusing to give a customer who just purchased a large meal an ice cream bar from the freezer shows unappreciative business practices. I'd be surprised at this lack of customer service, however after seeing how aggressive and defensive the owner's replies to other negative Yelp reviews are, I can't say I'm surprised. We're only spending three nights in the area so choosing dinner here ended up unfortunately being a disappointing experience. Wouldn't recommend - there's several other waterfront dining options in the area. read more

I want to love this place. The sunsets here on the elevated porch are maybe the best on the midshore. It's just that value-for-money, they're not quite there. If you're going to charge their somewhat above average prices, you've got to be better than say Clam Castle. They're simply not better though. Ask anyone in my family, and they'll pick the latter every time despite the far inferior setting. Make use of their BYOB policy. You'll likely have a good time. You'll just wish it was better. Elevate the kitchen game just a bit folks. read more

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and my boyfriend and was looking for a place to have an outdoor lunch. I saw Shanks on yelp and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. The food was fresh and the service was great. Everyone had masks on but you can tell they were smiling and happy. Everything was sanitized and was there was definitely an effort to keep everything clean. I had the fish tacos and I enjoyed every bite. I will definitely be back!! read more