Best place for fried fish!!!clams and scallops....shrimp n fries...tacos...all crispy n seasoned. Not just crispy n bland...but crispy n seasoned...score!! Elaborate menu..take your time. The hostess and the wait staff is very helpful and resourceful. They will gladly help you with all your questions with tips to navigate through the menu! The best!! read more

The Clam Castle - Fish tacos...juicy fried and subtly spiced - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

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Clam Fritters were fantastic. Large chunks of clam throughout. Certainly satisfied the craving!

Stopped in after work for a quick bite to eat before my drive back into the Hartford area. I was split between a lot of different locations but spotted this on my drive and decided to stop. Glad that I did as they had a delicious friend clam strip platter with some alternative sides; sweet potatoes tots that I preferred over regular fries and onion rings. For about $20 I had a large portion of clam strips and sweet potatoes tots that I had enough for a second lunch. With a heaping portion of cole slaw it was a good meal for me. As my order was made to order, I heard that their tacos were a hit with either being fish or shrimp and many different ways to order them whether fried, broil or grilled. The menu was pretty intensive with all the different seafoods that you can order and with indoor and outdoor seating you will enjoy the time that you spend there. read more

Clam Castle is the clam shack that the locals would know about. Growing up on the shore, I would always tell visitors to come here and get their whole belly clams rather than going to any of the touristy and overpriced spots on the water. Luckily, Hammonassett Beach is right there so I always get my favorite dish of fried whole belly clams or scallops and simply drive it over. All their seafood here is incredibly fresh and the scallops will absolutely gush juices when biting into them, the same can be said about their whole belly clams. How they manage to keep the outside so crispy while maintaining such juiciness inside remains a mystery to me. Do not fall for the tourist traps along the shoreline and just come here for some reasonably priced and high quality seafood! read more

Best clam bellies ever!!! Fried perfectly, and fresh! Great spot to pick up some food to bring to the beach. Quick service.

Really good! We had the blackened scallop tacos and the taco salad with broiled shrimp. Both delicious! read more

The Clam Castle - Taco salad with broiled shrimp. Yummy!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

The Clam castle -is now also Taco Pacifica. Where you can get delicious tacos and still get the same delicious clam castle menu as well. You need to check them out. You won't be disappointed We went there on 4-22-23. The 2nd day they opened for the 2023 season. Very busy both days I was told. read more

great casual place. menu has options for everyone - our 2 year old daughter couldn't stop eating the chicken tacos! We'll definitely be back! read more

Nice place for shack style seafood. Lobster roll was great, go for the hot one. Meat was very fresh and hot with warmed bread drooling with butter. Fish tacos were also good, tried the fried ones. Would prefer with lesser slaw (cabbage strings) in the tacos as they were overpowering the taste a bit. read more

The Clam Castle - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

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Had a delicious Lobster roll! We came here at 1130 AM and only a few people were eating. When we were leaving the place was filling in fast! If you like whole belly clams....this is the place! read more

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Disappointing. We ordered a shrimp taco, a ground beef, taco, an order of whole belly clams, a hotdog, hamburger, a side of rice and beans, guacamole, and chips. $The tacos were over priced and were very lacking in flavor and condiments. The ground beef had no seasoning, was watery and salty. The toppings were a little shredded lettuce, some tomatoes, and some shredded cheese. No sour cream, no salsa and no hot sauce on the side. I would liken it to a Taco Bell taco except it was three times the price. The guacamole was good, but very small, in an unappetizing plastic container, did not come with chips! We had to pay extra for them. The hamburger was half the size of the bun, was ordered medium, but was cooked too well done. The rice was undercooked,ice cold and had no seasoning. The beans tasted like they were poured out of a can, with no seasoning and were also ice cold. The fried clams were incredibly greasy, small and a tiny portion size for the whopping price tag! It's so sad to see a business that has been part of the community for so many years go down the tubes so fast. read more

My family and I had the most wonderful dinner today at Clam Castle. The Cod fish could not have been cooked better. I wanted to share some of my fish with my daughter so I stuck my fork in and the most succulent chunk slid off, the moisture was incredible, and we all knew we had a winner. The scallops and shrimp were also amazing. My Granddaughter finished her whole cheese burger in 15 minutes, I've never seen anything like it. The girls shared a large chowda , and it was a thumbs up. So thanks to all you great people at Clam Castle, you made our perfect beach day better read more

Wow!!! Amazing 4 oz hot lobster roll!!! The lobster was tender with the right amount of butter. The roll was also delicious and held its structure and was not soggy. The Southern fried bag of chicken nuggets was crispy and the breading had great flavor. We also got a quart of New England Claim Chowder to bring home. It was creamy and had lots of Clams and potatoes. Highly recommend The Claim Castle! read more

Great little drive-up seafood shack right here folks. You can order your food & sit at a limited amount of indoor tables or in their small, weather-permitting outdoor picnic area in back or they bring your food out to your car. I was really wanting to try their tater tots & New England Clam Chowder. My hubby got the fried clam strip platter. Very nice portion of sweet strips & killer fries. He had the Rhode Island Chowder but wasn't really feeling it. Their NE chowder also had a strange ingredient in it. Not sure if it was anise, tarragon or green onions maybe? But whatever it was just overpowered the whole chowder and kind of made it unpleasant for me. Without that ingredient it would have been really great. I liked the textures & thickness of the chowder itself very much. The tater tots were FABULOUS & worth the trip alone! Counter help were so friendly & super accommodating! I really wanted cheese sauce on my tater tots, so the chef whipped up what tasted like a Welsh rarebit cheddar cheese sauce for me which was delicious & so nice of them to make for me! He even checked in on me eating them in the car to make sure they were a thumbs up and they definitely were! Love you guys! So mad I didn't get more pictures we were so hungry we just gobbled it all up! read more

The Clam Castle - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! My wife and I come here maybe twice per year, and todays meals were INCREDIBLE. I had Clam Chowder and Fried Oysters. Both were absolutely great! read more

The food is awesome but the wait is deadly if you're really hungry. This is like a shack with adequate seating inside and out. The line can be long (all the way outside). The menu is sample and easy to navigate. Price is reasonable, as can be expected for seafood. Service is great and the restaurant and grounds are cleaned. Let's discuss the deadly wait... EVERYTHING is made to order. That means fresh and hot food for you. That also means, you wait a long time. While I believe the delay can be improved given most orders are similar, it appears there are some constraints in the kitchen (like equipment size and food holding area). Anyways, prepare to wait and enjoy great seafood. I ordered the fried shrimp, NE chowdah, fries, and fish tacos. All delicious! Fish was well seasoned. I enjoyed every bite. Anytime I'm in the area, I plan to stop in but I'll be sure to bring a snack for the wait. read more

The Clam Castle - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

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Didn't know what to expect during the pandemic from one of our favorite stops whenever we travel to New Haven. Stopped yesterday for lunch for the first time this year. Such a smart setup. One way traffic and multiple numbered parking spots on both sides of the building. We called in our order from the car. As we were paying by charge a friendly worker came up to the window in case we wanted to give him our order verbally. No need. Another server delivered within minutes right to our car. So many outside tables to choose from..we sat in the back under the shelter as all the other tables there were empty. Fried clams and lobster roll still first rate. Nest clams I've had all summer. Don't let the pandemic keep you from visiting this gem. They have the system others need to imitate. read more

The worst clam strips in the world. Cardboard. No spices. No clam taste. Breading was disgusting. Shame on you for calling yourself a restaurant. Let alone Clam Castle. I do not smoke cigarettes, I can taste. Learn how to create a tasty breading, with fresh clams. $27 an order, the worst ripoff in the world. read more

Super disappointed with my past two visits (summer of 21 and summer of 22). Tiny, thin clam strips and frozen fish fry :( Bummer because this place used to be the bomb. read more

Delicious super fresh broiled scallops! Only open seasonally though - wish they were open year round. read more

With high expectations, we visited the new Clam Castle/ Taco Pacifico restaurant in Madison. What a huge disappointment. A good seafood place and a good Taco truck got together to create a fusion of bad seafood and even worst Tacos. We ordered four tacos, small onion rings and clam fritters. The four small fried fish tacos cost $29.75. The fish was tasteless (refried, frozen fish), and served with wilted iceberg lettuce a tired piece of tomato, with a sprinkling of something that resembled shredded cheese. The onion rings were a small amount of refried frozen onion rings that had a strange tasting coating. I not sure what the "Clam Fritters" were, they certainly were not what traditional Clam Fritters are supposed to taste like. The eight small fritters consisted of a chewy, gummy, yellowish, yucca tasting batter, with no clam flavor at all (we only found two pieces of clam in eight fritters), and some of the fritters had corn in them. None of the food was served hot. Most of the food was luke warm or cold when served. It was not very busy and still took over thirty minutes to get our "eat in" order. This place went three for three "Bad Food, High Prices, Poor Service". We have lived in the Shoreline area for over 40 years. If you are planning to take a trip to the shoreline for seafood, do yourself a favor and skip this place. The Shoreline area has many restaurants that serve great seafood at reasonable prices. read more

Came in for a late lunch. Ordered RI chowder and blackened shrimp tocos. Chowder was good. But nothing special. Tocos didn't have that much flavor and were soggy. Fries are good. Outdoor area was nice. read more

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9/18/19 My first time at The Clam Castle after passing it by hundreds of times. I was on Boston Post Road for an appointment nearby, so I decided as long as I was in the vicinity, I'd finally try this cool little place out, that's open only in the warmer months. I love Rhode Island style clam chowder, so that was a must try, and the broiled cod seemed to be what my tummy was jonzin' for. The chowder was very good... (I've never had a bad Rhode Island Style chowder yet), and this was in the top 5, for sure. Lots of clam pieces, potatoes, & celery with a few bits of bacon. It tasted fine, but was a bit salty to my desire. I ordered the broiled cod in butter. I could have had it with fries, but I asked to have it solo. The cod was not a huge piece, but was a reasonable portion, relative to the price, and was seasoned very, very well. It was cooked perfectly, and was moist & flakey, as broiled cod should be. Overall, a very good seafood dinner for a reasonable amount of money. I'll be sure to return. read more

The Clam Castle - How to know you're at The Clam Castle. - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

On season and off season the seafood here is super fresh. The freshness, quick service, and the outdoor space are the highlights of this place. My main complaint is that the portions are small while the price is hiked up. $15 for pretty small portion of fish and fries. $18 for warm lobster roll, no fries or even a bag of chips to go with it, just a tiny bit of cole slaw and a pickle. Not a huge fan of how they batter their fish. The batter is delish on the scallops and whole belly clams but for some reason is too heavy on the fish. The cole slaw was weird too - like watered down mayonnaise. It is my go-to when I'm at Hammonassett but I can't say I don't wish there was a better option nearby. read more

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I love Clam Castle so much I'm not even sure why I'd never gotten around to reviewing them. Anyone who rated them anything other than sheer five star perfection is wrong, and I'm sad for you but happy for me because you'll go somewhere else for your seafood needs and leave me to commune with my scallop platter. I'm not even going to review their food because they know how I feel, so I'll just leave it to everyone's favorite Aussie chanteuse, Olivia Newton John to sum it up: Maybe I hang around here A little more than I should We both know I got somewhere else to go But I got something to tell you That I never thought I would But I believe you really ought to know I love you I honestly love you You don't have to answer I see it in your eyes Maybe it was better left unsaid This is pure and simple And you should realize That it's coming from my heart and not my head I love you I honestly love you I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable I'm not trying to make you anything at all But this feeling doesn't come along everyday And you shouldn't blow the chance When you've got the chance to say I love you I honestly love you If we both were born In another place and time This moment might be ending in a kiss But there you are with yours And here I am with mine So I guess we'll just be leaving it at this I honestly love you read more

My barometer for seafood places is the New England clam chowder and Clam-Castle has the best I have ever had. Truly amazing. I love the lobster roll sliders. More of a Long Island style with mayo spices and celery but very delicious. Also love the tater tot's here. A nice picnic area on the side of the takeout place. They also have a hot lobster roll with butter if that is your choice of style. Truly worth a drive from anywhere for this roadside seafood shack. read more

Clam Strip roll is amazing. Probably the best clam strips I've ever had and very plentiful in the roll. The whole belly clam roll was mediocre nothing stands out, but not a bad whole belly clam. The half portion of whole belly's was very plentiful as well. Fries were decent. Coleslaw was very bland. As for service food comes out fast. Overall small shack kind of vibe, but welcoming and cleanly. read more

Our son saw an article showcasing the restaurant and he wanted to try it. We love seafood and like patronizing local restaurants. What a disappointment especially for the price we paid. My husband ordered a hamburger with tater tots, I ordered the lobster roll, and my son the blackened cod fish. We each ordered clam chowder and 2 lemonades. Well, the lobster was good but the roll was soggy from too much butter. The blackened fish was oily and the chowder, although it was good, was liquidy. My husband's hamburger was good. The tater tots were not crispy and the drinks were not chilled enough and did not have enough ice. The only good thing about the restaurant is the location; that's why I'm giving it a 1 star. We are definitely not going back. read more

Best seafood on the shoreline!! The blackened fish tacos are amazing and the clam strips were fried really well. This place is the perfect size and there is plenty of seating outside. Highly, highly recommend. read more

I love this place and I always will But I paid $21 today for this small portion of clam strips ,coleslaw and a bottled water. Come on guys. Curbside service was exceptional I must say. read more

The Clam Castle - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

This is the BEST place for fried seafood. Food is always outstanding. Fried Whole Bellies, fried shrimp, clam strips are amazing. New England Clam Chowder is delicious, as is the lobster bisque. They have tater tots, YAY! (still a kid at heart) Everything is always cooked to perfection. Used to go to a close by restaurant for fried seafood, but once we found Clam Castle it was love at first bite. Have NEVER been back to the other place or anywhere for that matter for fried seafood. You will never go wrong at the Clam Castle. During COVID we visited often and felt more than safe. Outdoor tables distanced, masks required except while eating. Servers came to you with menus, you order and they bring it to you all while following guidelines. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Clam Castle. We have never been disappointed. Awesome staff. read more

The shrimp I ordered got up off the plate and began having a rave with the beer. They were discriminating against me and wouldn't let me join in. They said (and I quote), "Only shrimps are allowed in this establishment." Horrid! read more

Was so hopeful that this place kept the quality when it changed hands. Got a lobster roll and it was not edible. The lobster meat was mostly shredded, no chunks of meat and had absolutely zero flavor. Really thinking it was frozen meat. This was attempted to be hidden with so much butter that it actually soaked through the to go container and on to my pants. The roll was saturated in butter and fell apart instantly. Totally willing to pay the price for a good roll, but to charge what they do for a flavorless, saturated roll is not good. Attempted again thinking it was an off day. The fried clams we ordered a week later were flavorless as well. These were also frozen I believe. It is a shame cause this place was so good. Really can't be serving this when Lenny and joe's is right across the street. Feel bad writing this cause I hate to post bad reviews but COME ON. read more

First time back since they added Mexican food. Never again! Worst soft shell crab I've ever had. Breading too much and very salty. Rhode island chowder also salty and potatoes were soggy. Go across the street if you want good seafood. read more

The Clam Castle is a seafood lovers paradise. It isn't as big as some of the more touristy restaurants along the shore, but it's just as (if not more) delicious as any of them! I stopped in at 2pm for a late lunch after a morning on the beach. I needed to park at a next door business because the Clam Castle lot is so small. But once I was inside, there was no wait to order, and there was plenty of seating inside and outside. There are maybe a dozen booths inside, and some picnic tables under a pavilion out back. I ordered the shrimp platter and had my choice of fried, blackened, or broiled. I got the broiled option, which was a nice mix of buttery and garlicky, with cocktail sauce on the side. The platter comes with a small cup of coleslaw and fries, but I substituted tater tots. (Because I'm an adult and I do what I want.) There were only 9 shrimp on the plate and the rest of the platter was overflowing with tots. I might've preferred a couple more shrimp and fewer tots, but either way, I got my money's worth and had more than enough to eat. Kinda kicking myself that I didn't order off the day's fresh catch menu instead. Looked like it had some great options on it, including soft shell crab, but I guess that means I'll just have to go back! read more

The CT shoreline is loaded with fried seafood restaurants. The Clam Castle is definitely one of the better establishments. To start, this place is very clean. The fried cod is great, whether on a platter or in a sandwich. The shrimp is also very good. Fried whole belly clams are some of the best. The seafood here is real fresh, and it shows in the taste. You can eat inside or outside. Soft drinks are served, anything hard is BYOB. This place is very kid friendly, so bring the family. read more

The Clam Castle - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

I've been twice and haven't been impressed. This time my order for soup and seafood platter took 45 minutes! I honestly don't know why they call it lobster bisque. It's a muddy tan color, seemed like just the flour base used for making soup and I think there was a small nibble of lobster in it. No hint of sherry. It was truly not lobster bisque. The fried clams, shrimp and scallops were good but the fish was so bad it was inedible. Unfortunately, not worth the $45 I paid. I'm sorry, wish I could give a better review. read more

The clam strips are fantastic as are the onion strips. The clams are tender and not over cooked and rubber band like. Light toasting. Tartar sauce has a nice zest. We asked for the cocktail sauce, which we didn't need and wasn't anything great. Clean location and relatively quick. read more

Love love love this place. It's our favorite spot on the shoreline. Way better than Lenny and Joes, Bill's Seafood and all the other tourist traps in the area. The food is fresh and doesn't come out greasy. The staff is so friendly and attentive and their menu is HUGE. We highly recommend the sweet potato tots, we never leave here without them. read more

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Everything they have is excellent,fresh too ! Nice competent staff ...had blackened fish tacos with sweet potato tots ..great taste ..5 stars Don read more

The Clam Castle - Shrimp taco and fish taco both blackened - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Connecticut