A great classic little New England seafood diner just off of the road and not far from the sea. That said, this isn't a place for the Instagrammers to come #NewEngland, I'm talking about real fishy New England, full of old guys with baseball caps and women with sour looks on their faces. (I say that with love, I spend a lot of time in Maine myself.) As an out of towner you certainly feel like an 'other' here, but that's not to say the staff isn't welcoming. The prices are a little expensive considering the look of the place, but the portions here are nutso huge. Like, all caps: No Not Underestimate The Sizes of These Dishes!!!!! I wish I had been hungrier quite frankly, because a lot of this menu looked great. I ended up ordering a grilled chicken sandwich, which is as dumb as it sounds when at a seafood joint in New England but what can I say, I wasn't very hungry. I can report the sandwich was well cooked and huge. And it was just as well anyhow because I can also report that if you order the mussels appetizer, get ready to eat an entire bucketful of mussels in white wine and garlic sauce. It's hardly an appetizer, unless you're either starving or have at least four people at the table. As it was, between just my friend and me we barely dented half of it. How my friend managed to then go on to eat most of her fried mixed seafood entree is a testament to her strength and courage. (I helped her a little bit and it was glorious, I will say). read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Fried chicken sandwich, fried mixed seafood behind it - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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Service excellent. It's BYOB. No ambience to speak of. Seafood was fresh. We got deep fried shrimp, clams and scallops, Scallops had no flavor my husband loved the shrimp. He said the clam chowder was one of the best he's had. The breading was not over done but could use a little salt. read more

Awesome address. Family friendly, all you expect from a North shore seafood restaurant. Service was great, BYO! but there's a liquor store across the street. Highly recommended for a no frill lunch for North Shore specialties. read more

The Causeway has some of the best fried seafood in New England. The owners are fisherman and you can bet you will be eating the absolute most fresh seafood possible. If seafood is your thing, I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

trash. change your shrimp scampi. i would be embarrassed to serve that to people. baked stuffed lobster burnt bland stuffing. yes tons of seafood, have more respect for the ingredients and the fact you are representing the area known for seafood read more

Way to much breading on the baked haddock . I use to there all the time not so much anymore

Best seafood in Massachusetts. There, I've said it. It's tiny, it's crowded, it feels like the dining area may not have been updated in 50 years, but if you want good seafood, there literally isn't a better place to get it. We just order ahead for takeout to avoid the crowd and have a bit more ambiance. The seafood marinara is a particular favorite of ours (and can feed at least 3 people), but literally everything on their menu is spectacular. read more

Great service right off the bat! Got seated quickly and bread brought right over. Food was delicious and hot right from the kitchen. I had the surf and turf and wife had the steak tips. Cooked perfectly and the waiter even came by to make sure they were cooked to our liking. Will definitely be returning! read more

Incredibly sized portions for the price! After a day at the beach, my friend and I stopped by the Causeway to grab some seafood. We waited about ~20 min for a table - the tables are packed pretty tightly inside. I ordered the coconut rum baked haddock, which was practically whale-sized. It was sooo good and you can really taste both the coconut and rum. It was $22 and honestly enough for two whole meals, so it was amazing value. My friend was a fan of her fried clams too! Overall, a great spot to grab some fresh seafood. read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Baked haddock - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

This restaurant is friendly and have huge portions! We ordered the bacon wrapped scallops, fried calamari, fried oysters, and crab sandwich. We especially loved the bacon wrapped scallops. Bacon was crispy goodness and scallop juicy inside. Amazing! I really liked my plump fried oysters alot! The only thing we weren't impressed with was the crab sandwich. It was huge but definitely not fresh crabmeat. I would come here again for the scallops and fried Oysters! read more

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2 friends and myself came for lunch all first timers. Bring a good appetite as the order is mighty. I would like to break into a sea shanty I was so happy w the seafood. Fresh, priced a ok, great service, good cooking. Lots of locals today on lunch break. Unpretentious come as you are. I saw a broiled swordfish dinner on a customers plate it looked so good. Not just fried fish they have burgers, salads, chicken, pasta etc. My favorite place in this neck of the woods. - ordered here: clam chowder, fried clams, fried oysters, fries, coleslaw and onion rings. Basket meals include fries an slaw. read more

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Excellent food was great. Not touristy. Would have preferred a bar, or should have paid attention before booking.

Restaurant was busy today at 3:30PM, but we were seated immediately, 3 adults and a 21 month old toddler. Drinks and bread came to the table quickly by a very efficient and friendly waiter. Appetizers and main courses were served efficiently and appropriately paced. Clam chowder was some of the best we ever had as were our seafood dishes and one of our party's order of chicken, broccoli and ziti were outstanding as was the service. Restaurant was clean and had a typical seafood shack vibe. We will definitely be back. read more

Waitstaff was very friendly and efficient. Our food was fantastic! Especially the lobster pie read more

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This is the place that if you asked the locals where to go the majority would say the Causeway. No frills restaurant that is consistent as they come. Huge portions of the freshest seafood on the island at a reasonable price, we usually do takeout knowing the line is always out the door. Is seafood isn't your jam there's Italian staples,great steak tips and burgers and salads. Doesn't disappoint us "locals" read more

When the owner licks his fingers while eating by front register and then continues clearing plates and touching food - that is a turnoff -- Especially when their chowder beats all chowders!! read more

Just get yourself a Pete's Platter (aka Fisherman's Platter elsewhere). You won't be upset about it. Fried Clams (full belly), Calamari, Scallops, Shrimp, a couple haddock fillets, French fries, coleslaw. Fresh bread. Butter. Tartar sauce. What else could you want?? If you're not there for seafood, go home. The Gorgonzola Chicken pasta is really good too, if you're into that. Fish Chowder is excellent. It's watery like it's supposed to be. Clam Chowder is deeelish. read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Pete's Platter (aka Fisherman's Platter) - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

This place is remarkable. Nina was our server and she started the five star experience. Fresh lobster with two side and fresh claim chowder all fantastic. Would highly recommend! read more

I want to like this place so much. Clearly nice people, good service, and a friendly atmosphere. The food portions were enormous. Unfortunately the items we got (pasta, steak, and fried seafood) were all rather bland and lukewarm. Even after adding a ton of salt and pepper it still wasn't enough. We ended up dropping over $120 for food we barely ate. The place was busy so this may just be a preference issue. I like my pasta al dente not soft. And I like fried food piping hot. For folks who need less seasoning- go here. read more

The Causeway is considered a 'local favorite' in the Gloucester area, where this 10+-year establishment is known for their Italian and fried seafood. The menu offers various appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pasta, and grilled & baked entrees. A group of us came here for lunch while we were in Gloucester for a day trip. There was a line, which seemed to be a good sign! When I walked in, there was no greeting and no specific host/hostess; if you go over to the cashier area, someone will hopefully spot you to put your name down on the waiting list. Eventually, one server, who seemed to just have ended her shift, wrote our party's name down. We ordered Peter's Platter (this came with fried haddock, fried shrimp, fried scallops, fried calamari, and fried clams, all served on top of fries and a side of cole slaw; the fried seafood were okay, with the calamari being my most preferred); and, the Seafood Marinara (linguine with mussels, shrimp, calamari, and scallops; this was definitely the better of the 2 that we ordered and came in a large pan; the pasta as well as the shrimp and the calamari were all overcooked, but the mussels were tasty). Our dining experience was pretty much ruined by the lack of service. The guy that we had was just not interested in tending to our table - our plates were never cleared, our beverages were never refilled, requests for extra utensils or plates were never brought out, and trying to get the check and a box for the leftovers was just painful. Both flailing the arms and trying to make eye contact were total failures, as the server was just not interested in looking or checking-in with our table. It was interesting, as there were other tables in our section that he was serving, and it seemed as if he was blatantly just zooming past us to not even give us a chance to request anything. I wished we had the other servers, as the other tables seem to have a great time and checked-up on frequently. I really was excited in trying out The Causeway, as we had heard good things about the place, being a favorite for both in- and out-of-town folks. While the food was just okay, the service was extremely off-putting and does not warrant a return visit. My only regret is that we still left a tip! +non-existent service! +private lot for vehicles read more

Every time I visit the north shore where I grew up Its is an absolute must to enjoy the Causeway. While I want to eat everything on the menu all the portions are huge... this time we ordered fish chowder, clam chowder and unfortunately they were out of haddock cheeks which I understand are off the charts . The bowl of seafood chowder has enough fish for a meal for 2. We had fried calamari and it was fresh, perfect batter, piping hot and extremely tasty and of Cource huge. Be prepared for the freshest tastiest fish and getting a huge portion to take home. Not one once of quality is traded off for quantity. read more

Excellent as always! Fish chowder is perfect...creamy. Not too thick and loads of flaky fish! Fried clams not greasy. Steak tips and swordfish tips are delicious! Large portions, very fair pricing. Service is friendly and efficient.. read more

This restaurant was recommended by everyone in the area and it did not disappoint. We ordered the clam chowder and Peter's Platter and could have probably fed our whole table. The service was very accommodating and friendly. The food was incredible. As someone from the Jersey Shore I'm used to good quality seafood and this was probably the best scallops and shrimp I have ever had. read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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We are in the middle of a pandemic so the service was takeout style while they did provide some safely distanced seating beneath an awning or a tent I can't recall. The food came out quick and boy was it good. My five stars are because I really like the three things I tried today also it was a great value. We got Seafood Marinara, Peter's (fisherman's) Platter and Grilled Octopus all three delicious I really loved the linguini in the simple refreshing marinara sauce snd the Octopus was to die for tender and beautifully charred seasoned perfectly. The platter should have been called peter paul and marys platter huge and fried perfectly and savory not bland like in most places. Don't miss this place. I rarely give five stars. Enjoy. read more

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Everything in excess is opposed to nature. Hippocrates The portions here were huge! And service was fast, if not overly friendly. The fish and chips were ok- very mild, just not very flavorful. I had the crabmeat sandwich and it was pretty tasteless. Overall, meh. High prices and lots of food, just not very craftfully produced. read more

Great place with great seafood. Everything is always fresh and delicious. Can't wait to go when I'm back in town.

Generous portions and good service. My husband had salmon and loved it. I had shrimp scampi with linguine enjoyed this as well. read more

Wow a local couple suggested this place they said "Big Bang for your buck!" This is a cozy home feeling restaurant. We had Melanie as a server she was delightful we started with steamers which were absolutely sweet. My wife had fried oysters and I had the muscles in calamari pasta. The portion was huge. It was a great value. But most of all it was absolutely delicious. I would give this restaurant a 10 if I could. read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Mussels and calamari pasta. That's good as you would get in Little Italy Boston. - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

We have not been here for several years. My wife and I decided on 2 cups of fish chowder along with Peter's platter to share. The only reason for the two stars was the fish chowder, which was truly excellent. However, the Peters platter was a huge disappointment and not even one star for $46. The fried clams were huge and way too chewy. The scallops tasted old and not good. The bread coating on all of it way too heavy, and difficult to remove, calamari rings, shrimp and fish meh for that reason. Needless to say we won't be back. That is all. read more

Truly a "hidden gem" in Gloucester. Went here after whale watching with the family and was greeted by an excellent host and restaurant manager. Seems to always be extremely busy but they know how to estimate wait times properly, care for the diners and their experience and just do service right. Now that's not even the best part. Their food is simply outstanding! Not a super elaborate menu but seem to always have specials. The stuffed baked lobsters, garlic butter mussels, chowder, calamari, and even fish and chips are some of the best I've ever had. If you're nearby, highly recommend! read more

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Food was phenomenal. Service was great. We got whole lobster which came with two sides. Our waitress Nina had a great sense of humor. We would highly recommend. read more

Finally made it back here and it was worth it. This time around I ordered the shrimp scampi pasta as I usually would order the fried seafood. Trust me, it was a great choice. The sauce was delicious and the shrimp was fresh. We also ordered the fried calamari as well as the clam chowder, all delicious. There is usually a long wait but it's totally worth it. read more

Family friends suggested trying The Causeway as they had heard it was good and they've noticed when driving by that it always appears busy. The dining area is on the smaller side, but there's really no indoor waiting area so we were standing over everyone since it was rainy and raw outside, somewhat uncomfortably watching the other guests eating. It was entertaining seeing huge portions, especially fried seafood plates, being produced by the kitchen and hauled to tables or the small bar by the servers. We didn't realize it's a BYOB place but we're not drinkers so that was a moot point. We waited about 20 minutes to be seated. My wife ordered a cup of clam chowder which she said tasted perfect, as you would expect clam chowder to taste. She also order the seafood Florentine which she felt like was not the best choice because the layered bowl the bottom layer of fish was luke warm. And so she had wished she had ordered the coconut rum haddock. I had heard the chicken parm was huge and was tempted but instead ordered mozzarella sticks so I could try their marinara sauce but ordered chicken piccata instead. There must have been a whole box of penne in my huge bowl and it was piping hot the whole time I tried to make a dent in it. I couldn't finish it which is not typical for me. We also shared a bottle of sparkling water and a large Greek salad. Everything was huge and we took home leftovers. Overall it was really good and we'll come back to try the other dishes that we had heard about, perhaps when the weather is nice. read more

Great place for some fried seafood! We came by for a late lunch and they were open for takeout with some clean your own outside tables to dine at. We tried the fried clams and fish fish, both were well seasoned and fried well without excess breading. It came with ample French fries and a side of coleslaw. If you want to try all the seafoods, try the Peterman Platter! read more

The Causeway Restaurant - Clams and fish - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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We stopped in on July 4th weekend. It was very busy but we lucked out on both a parking spot and table. The restaurant is very loud but the food and service are great. I had the fish and chips, and would get them again. read more

My friend and I decided to do a driving tour of New England. Neither of us has spent any time there outside of a few business trips to Boston, in which case I had little or no time to take in the flavor of such a wonderful section of the United States. Gloucester was an important stopping point for us since it has such a storied history in the commercial fishing business. We stumbled into a local bar loaded with working folk. A gent recommended the Causeway as a place to have dinner so we went there. The place is very down to earth. Unpretentious . The food was fine. Very tasty. I give it a solid 8 out of a possible 10 on my "chowder meter." At the Causeway, what chowder hounds normally get as a bowl of soup is called a cup at the Causeway. In other words you get a very large portion. And it's good to the last spoonful! After that I ordered fried oysters, one of my favorite dishes. What arrived at my table was a veritable mountain of perfectly fried mollusks. Probably 3 dozen of them. Beneath them was another mound of french fries. Good Lord! Clearly this place's "hook" is its portions. (Just read through these reviews.) On the other, I could not help but wonder how much uneaten food they must throw away because few, if any, patrons can finish a typical entree, I suspect. It occurs to this reviewer that if these folks could slim down the size of their portions even a little, the waste would be significantly less and the food costs would go down, increasing profit. But that is not my business and certainly doesn't affect the quality of the dining experience, which is very positive. So what you get here is very good, typical New England seafood, offered in a very comfortable room - in heart-stopping portions! All at affordable prices. Service is very good and friendly. I cannot give this establishment more than four stars because for some reason they don't offer at least beer and wine. They encourage patrons to "BYOB" but since we were just a couple of tourists from the West Coast, we had no idea of that situation. All in all a good place to eat. Bon appétit. read more

The Causeway Restaurant - The Oyster Plate. - Seafood Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

What a great restaurant great people great service, Awesome food definitely putting this on my list every time I go here read more

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Very good seafood , excellent service, typical seafood place near the ocean for ambience, recommend this place for seafood!

Food was out fast and it was great with excellent portion sizes for your money. Definitely recommend stopping by for some local seafood.

This doesn't need any recommendations from me . It is what it is: GOOD FOOD, CHEAP. THE place in Gloucester for seafood, but all the food is good. Always busy but worth the wait. read more