Gary and his team are fabulous, each and every year for decades it is awesome,I pick up food and have eaten there often, the steak is amazing, they cook it just like you want it, the service is great, the people and atmosphere are cool,I love it and always take visitors here, I do wish they served salad though ,they do have a veggie skewers Love it read more

Wow! The food and service were great. My daughter and I visited in the afternoon and there was no wait! Outdoor eating at its best. Try the roasted clams yummy. I will be back for sure! read more

Great experience, good food, but a bit pricy. You can bring your own beer and wine. I'd go back.

If you are on or near the Shoreline, The Place is a MUST!! The summer isn't complete without one stop by The Place (& SweetFrog after!). This outdoor dining experience is like no other, walking on oyster shells, sitting on logs, and watching the staff cook over a HUGE fire pit - it is truly a dining experience. Good to know before you go - this spot is BYOB, many come with their own cooler filled with drinks & little snacks/appetizers as the menu is quite limited. But all of that is part of the charm and appeal of The Place. read more

Great steaks and seafood. We had wonderful clams and shrimp too. Shannon our waitress was superb. Friendly and attentive and lots of fun. Perfect Friday night dinner.thank you!! read more

I can't comprehend the 4 and 5 star reviews though I will say my family members in Guilford love this spot. I was very disappointed. The whole outdoor/BYOB chill vibe is nice and the servers were friendly. Much of the food, however, was pretty bad and it's all grossly overpriced. You're going to pay $20-30 for shrimp and lobster that is not shelled and not even really cleaned properly. The bluefish was fresh but served in a piece of tin foil with nothing other than some lemon and pepper to season it. The vegetable kebobs were primarily overcooked zucchini. Everything is served on the cheapest possible paper plates with flimsy plastic utensils. Your best bet is to bring some beers and sides and order the BBQ chicken. read more

Fun dining experience. Super helpful and attentive staff! You can bring your own sides and drinks! Great place for a wonderful summer meal!! read more

The Place - You're doing yourself a real disservice if you skip the corn - Seafood Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

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Amazing hidden gem! Tree stumps for seats, BYOB, lots of free parking. But the food makes it worth the trip, everything grilled over an open fire. The clams with butter and cocktail sauce were some of the best I've ever had. The grilled lobster was perfectly cooked and served the drawn butter. Steak and chicken were flavorful, charred and juicy. Yum! will definitely be back for more. read more

One of a kind eating experience. Outdoor summer picnic at its casual best. Clams, lobster and steaks over the wood grill. Try the veggie-bob too. read more

Food is great, fun atmosphere but make sure you have cash as its cash only! Bring any accoutrements along. Candles, tablecloth, wine etc...

Years ago when I didn't live in Guilford my family would drive out to this location on the way to Hammonasset. For some reason, it was fun years ago when I was a kid, and something I enjoyed. But sadly, I grew up. Now that I live in Guilford and I am an older adult, I wouldn't go there if the meal was free. The last time I went there it took forever to get the food. The people were RUDE. Nothing special about it. Sitting on a cold damp tree stump is not my idea of fun. Stepping on broken shells is not fine dinning. And for the price you pay you need to bring your own sides....are you kidding me? The clams I got placed in front of me were under cooked, I had to send them back and it was not well received. When I got them back - they were overcooked (intentionally?) whenever I am in the mood now, I go to Stop & Shop or Big Y, buy a ton of fish for the price I'd pay here - light the BBQ in my backyard and eat it all at MY PLACE. I am never rude to myself - and my chair is never damp. read more

There are always fly's around and there food is very dry. Plus sitting on hard wood is not the best. How any one can eat there is beyond me.

"An unusual restaurant" fresh seafood, veggies and more, boat to wood fire grill. Sitting outside on tree stumps with our byob. New England at its down home finest. read more

They take the finest, freshest seafood, then cook the shit out of it until it's so rubbery that you almost don't want to eat it, but you do. We will go back for sure, but not because of the great food. A fun place to take friends and family especially if they love tough overdone seafood with a fun New England home style flair. I would hate on it more, but byob. read more

The Place - HAAAAAALLLLLPPPP!!! - Seafood Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

Totally unique experience with a roaring bonfire and the tastiest seafood you can imagine. Definitely bring a bottle of wine and order the smoked clams, steamers, shrimp, and lobster if you're up for a delicious mess. Number 1 favorite seafood joint on the Conn. coast! read more

Great concept. I mean really really cool. Plus its BYOB. Thats why you get 1 star. But the food? I could have experienced the same quality at a novice backyard barbecue. I opted for steak, because I've always felt it is a fairly safe choice when I dont know the quality of food. But this steak was chock full of grizzle, wayyy too chewy, and just overall shitty quality. The chicken was nothing special, the sauce tasted bottled and though the corn was good....its corn. You would have to TRY very hard to fuck that up. To add to this, our waitress forgot to put our order in so we got to wait forever. To add insult to injury the bill was over 100 bucks for 3 people. This may fool the snobbery that seems to populate most of the tables, but it aint fooling me! wont be returning. read more

Yelp got it wrong on this one. The bad: Service is awkward, not rude but too casual. The cook looked like a dirty dirty hillbilly, and he acted like it was his backyard. I know it's supposed to be laid back which is great but I don't want hepatitis. In fact the whole place felt dirty and neglected. There were tons of flies (something to do with the discarded clam shells covering the ground), everything felt cheap and trashy instead of rustic, generally there was a lack of thought and care for details. All this would be forgivable if the food was good but it was really disappointing. It's EXPENSIVE but nothing is homemade (BBQ sauce from a bottle), portions are not as caveman as they should be for a la carte, meat doesn't seem like its great quality, nothing is seasoned (sorry, the fire favors the food), and the menu is just too basic. They don't MAKE anything, they literally heat meat, serve it on a paper plate and you do the rest. I will never go back. The good: The corn was actually delicious but who cares about corn??? read more

Most unique casual place....bring drinks, sides and good company and make it memorable read more

The Place - Lobster, clams and roasted corn - Seafood Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

This is my second time here. I had a great experience on the first visit, but not this time. I ordered 3 roasted lobsters, roasted clams with special sauce, shrimp, steamers, corn on the cob and salmon. Everything is delicious except the roasted lobsters. They were not fresh! The meat was soft and squishy, like cottage cheese. What a shame to waste such a high-quality ingredient! read more

Although I like the rustic feel, everyone is nice, they have one major fault that will probably prevent me from coming back. $100 worth of lobster, clams and corn all served with cheap yellow corn oil, possibly margarine. I can still taste it an hour later, like I drank a cup of Wesson oil. Truly, the roasted taste of this food could be awesome. Maybe they should tell you to BYOButter read more

The concept of this place is excellent! Rustic outdoors, laid back attitude, bring whatever you want to; create your own picnic style experience and order some seafood too. The execution of the food fell really short. The three stars are for the atmosphere not the food. The clams special which is featured in 50 or so Yelp pictures was basic and chewy. The "special sauce" was a watery cocktail sauce mixed with "butter." Not a very good start. The steamers, which I am a self professed expert on, were underdone and did not seem very fresh. Also, for 17$ I was really hoping for more than the 15 or so clams we got. Add to that that four of them never opened (do not eat them if they don't open after being cooked) and the one that was crushed and the reason for our visit now has become the least enjoyed meal. The "butter" for dunking the clams tasted more like used cooking oil rather than traditional drawn butter. Not sure what they do with it or what kind it is but it really was awful and we ate the majority of our underdone steamers without butter which was basically torture. We drove a considerable distance with high hopes and we were pretty disappointed all around. The roasted corn on the cob was overcooked and mushy. Not sure what the slick, greasy shiny finish they put on the corn was, I suspect it was that motor oil they try to pass off as butter. Whatever it was this was the final straw. We usually order too much and never finish it so we had decided to order a few things then a few more if it was good. Obviously we did not order a round two. So annoyed that this place didn't have what we wanted. There also seemed to be a bunch of miscommunication in the kitchen which literally is a huge fire pit that is surrounded by all the tables (another awesome part of this place) as I could hear a few arguments between the waiters and the kitchen staff. read more

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As the sign says out front and unusual restaurant. The food is good the atmosphere is casual. A large menu offers different items from meat to seafood to desserts. read more

Really fresh seafood, cooked over an open grill-fire. You eat under a tent, sitting on stumps at uneven but adorable shiny red tables. My mussels came steamed open in foil, with an excellent cup of wine and garlic broth and a cup of butter. I've also had the roasted lobster - I think it's boiled then finished on the grill. One of the best lobsters I've ever had, when it comes to flavor. Clam special is clams grilled on the half shell, with cocktail sauce. Strange, and I don't think I'll get it again. Corn shucked and dipped in butter was incredibly sweet and actually tasted a bit like burned sugar. This was the only side. Everything else is just what it says, sort of a la carte, but without much to a la carte. Other diners brought coleslaw and stuff. But in the time it took for our order to cook, I was able to walk across the street to the grocery store for a baguette, which was all I desperately needed for my broth. (Actually, I wouldn't recommend this, the service can be pretty fast. And the grocery store isn't that nice.) Most people BYOB. Less exciting were the sundae and carrot cake, the view of the Wal-Mart and the traffic on Route 1. Maybe 20 years ago the site was idyllic . . . I also dislike the fact that the clientèle tossed their nearly empty shells on the ground. Yes, the ground is covered in crushed shells. But the ground cover the restaurant put down doesn't have food in it. Food that would attract creatures. I get the whole backwoods conceit, but really, people. There is now a brand-spanking new, freestanding Starbucks next door. L-A-M-E. When it goes out of business, perhaps I will buy the bldg and open up a classy wine, bread and coleslaw joint. read more

I don't get it. I love grilled food - love it anywhere I can get it. After seeing this on TV (on a few shows) sitting on a stump around a fire where you have to bring your own sides and/or alcohol, eat on paper plates (hello, environment?) and pay for overpriced food ($3 corn on the cob????) was a bit too much for our tastes. I'll invite people over to my grill for a real ribeye, real plates and comfortable chairs. As for food, the lobster was ok and the clams were ok and the corn was ok. Nothing special at all. I was happy to leave. The best thing was seeing a 6' plank being put on the fire. Maybe we were too "touristy" to get any conversation from our waiter or they were busy on a Thursday night. CASH ONLY Btw... read more

A unique dining experience indeed. I listened to the reviews I had read prior to my visit and we ordered corn, the clams special, blue fish and cat fish. The blue fish was the tastier of the two in my opinion. The fish is not cooked directly on the grill but rather wrapped in foil and heated on the grill in that manner (in case anyone is expecting "grilled" fish). The corn is excellent. The clams were different: served open faced but cooked on the grill. I liked the cocktail sauce which wasn't too spicy and was a little thinner in consistency than regular cocktail sauce. We brought a picnic basket with wine, cheese and crackers, salad, and cookies for dessert. It was pretty much the makings of a perfect meal. Definitely bring your own sides and condiments. The fish was great with salad and it was also useful to have a bottle of hot sauce along for the meal. Your hands are definitely going to get dirty...that's why they bring out that big box of napkins! Service was decent. Our server was almost too attentive at the end of the meal when she asked me if I needed change and I was still counting my money. I told her no, that I was still counting but that I wouldn't need change and then she kept her distance, which I appreciated. Our food arrived a bit spread out which we enjoyed because we were able to eat every item without anything getting cold. We liked that the atmosphere was very casual, including their music selection, which happened to be classic rock when we were there. It seemed to fit the ambiance. A few flies joined us for our meal, but the laid back ambiance was worth it. It was awesome overall. A relaxed meal and BYOB was a huge highlight. Not cheap, (almost $40 for two, just for the food we purchased there. I'm also taking the wine and snacks into consideration because you really do need to invest in bringing additional items. It was definitely closer to $60 in total) but worth the experience. read more

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The Place is unbeatable for relaxing with friends and enjoying some amazing grilled meat and seafood on a summer evening. For those unfamiliar, it's a unique experience. They're only open over the summer and seating is entirely outdoors on tree stumps. You BYO alcohol (woohoo!) and side dishes; they take your orders for meat, seafood, or corn and grill them over their massive central wood fire. A pretty fine arrangement, in my estimation. The guys working their fire have some skills. I've tried most of the items on the menu this point and everything has been grilled or roasted to perfection. If you're having trouble deciding (often the case) you can't go wrong with the clam special, shrimp, roasted corn, BBQ chicken, or lobster. They're all delicious. I honestly can't comment on their desserts apart from saying that they look tasty from a distance, as I've always been too full to try them. The staff is super friendly and the food always arrives hot from the grill. I should probably mention that they take cash/check only, so bring enough that it doesn't limit your choices! read more

One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I came here with a friend of mine, and we both have an affinity for simple roadside meals, and especially for seafood. We were driving back to New York from Newport, and I looked at a map for some small towns that we can visit. I've never even heard of Guilford, but I'm glad I found out about it. I searched Yelp for a place to get seafood in Guilford, and The Place caught my eye right away. The Place serves up simple grilled food, but it's some of the most delicious stuff I've ever had. The atmosphere is as much a part the experience as the food is. It's all outdoor seating, with tree stumps as seats. It's also literally a roadside joint, and that's part of its appeal. Here's a quick food review: Roast Clam Special - simply delicious. Clams on the halfshell with butter and cocktail sauce cooked over open fire. You must get this dish if you come here. Your meal won't be complete without it. We started our night with a dozen of these, and we ordered a dozen more later. Rib Eye steak - Cooked perfectly to my tastes. If you enjoy steak, get a piece of this Roasted Corn - It's grilled corn. If you like corn, you'll know what to expect. Catfish - A filet of catfish wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire. Most underwhelming dish of the night, but it's what you'd expect it to be. Lobster - You can get it grilled or boiled. We got it boiled. If you're a lobster fan, you'll like this. Not much else to say, except that I love lobster, and it was good! We ordered cheesecake and carrot cake for dessert, and they were good too. We didn't know that it was BYOB until we saw the sign. Luckily, we had a bottle of wine in the car. Let's just say that it went very well with the food. Service was great, and everyone was pleasant. Overall, we enjoyed it so much we actually bought some The Place t shirts for ourselves. I'll be coming back here when they open up in the spring time. read more

A Guilford legend. All outdoors, seating is on wood stumps. They only serve the basics, it's BYOB and being your own sides (except for the delicious corn on the cob). You can also BYO-tablecloths, silverware, dishes, whatever you want, and that is what makes it amazing and special! read more

Just returned from the first-ever wedding ceremony at The Place - what a fun, creative idea! This "place" is legendary for unpretentious cooking in a casual outdoor setting. Picture clams, mussels, steak, corn on the cob, veggiebobs, and chicken roasted in a large fire and patrons sitting on tree stumps. This interaction pretty much sums it the simplicity of it all: a friend asked, "What would you recommend with the steak? Can I get some sides?" "Uh, no, there are no sides," said the waiter good-naturally. "Just the steak." (We gorged on roasted corn on the cob, though. So good!) As other reviewers have noted, it's BYOB and they don't accept credit cards. All in all, very fun! read more

OK, on the pro side, this place has some of the most awesome ambiance I have EVER seen. Outside, friendly, seems you can bring your own bottle, salad, table cloth, drinks, really bring whatever you want. Big parties would have a freaking blast here. It's got that East Coast beach party vibe going on and I loved that aspect of it. On the con side ... my lobster was over cooked and tasteless. The butter wasn't butter, but it was liquid margarine. (ewwwww) The corn was bland. They only take cash or check (no credit card). I'd go for the ambiance, but I would not anticipate a great meal. read more

love this Place! Been coming here for 20+ years, and it just seems to get better with time. The salmon is mouth watering, the veggie is juicy and delicious, and the lobster, steamers, clams are all great! And please order the corn on the cob, you'll be missing out if you don't! I haven't had the chicken myself, but everyone I've seen order it has enjoyed it. The Place is like going on a picnic, and perhaps a little more rugged than you might be use to....but I really enjoy packing a picnic basket before we go... you can bring a tablecloth, your own plates and silverware(they have paper and plastic), wine and glasses, etc. We bring some sides...potato salad, cheese and crackers. If you don't fancy sitting on a log, bring a cushion. The Place will give you a wonderful evening no matter how you want to create it! read more

OK, It's a great idea (especially if you currently don't have your own bbq but you would love to have). The problem comes when you try to face its realisation. You might love it or hate it. If you come bringing your great mood and some extra things from home your chances of loving it are better. Imagine you are on your way to use a public barbeque. What would you bring beside silverware and the stuff you will put on the grill? read more

I've been coming here for probably more than 30 years. Back when they literally dragged a tarp over a wire line to cover you when it rained. They didn't have veggie bobs or even steak then if i recall. I've always thought it was a great place so was surprised to read some of the negative reviews and thought I may comment on them. Service: First of all, don't come here if you are looking for white table cloth service and spotless accommodations. The staff are mostly high school kids and college kids home for the summer. Tips are shared among all of them. Service can be spotty at times as these are not NYC career waiters. I think it's great and I would be disappointed to see it staffed by a bunch of middle aged people. If you find your self waiting too long or seem like you were forgotten, flag someone down and remember what you were like when you were in high school. Food: Lots of people complain about the steak. This is an outdoor seafood restaurant, New England seafood to be straight. Steak is on there, my guess, only for people that don't eat seafood. I'm sure they wouldn't even serve it if there wasn't demand for it. If you are a steak connoisseur, then I would recommend a steakhouse. Also Salmon are not local to these waters....neither are shrimp. Here's what to order: Roast Clam Special, Roasted Lobster, and Roasted corn - well done on the corn if you like it charred, which I do. Then when you are done, order more clams. Steamers are good too. The clams are what they are known for and that was once the only menu item and those are the things that are cooked open flame, not in foil (except steamers obviously). The only complaint is the lack of real butter. I think it has to do with the burning butter issue. If you are hell bent on the real stuff, maybe byo butter and a sterno! Unless you are from coastal New England you probably have never eaten bluefish before. It's an oily, if not slightly "fishy" tasting meat. Some love it, some don't. BYOB! This is awesome. Esp if you love fine IPAs like myself and like to bring a variety and not have to pay $8 for a bottle. Same goes for wine. There are very few byo places left. Atmosphere: Amazing. Sitting on tree cross sections in the outdoors with friends and a nice roaring fire in between, don't bother to dress nice you will be a mess by the time you leave. It's rustic and there is no better way to spend a summer evening. Sure, you can do it in your backyard, but then you have to make a huge wood fire and then buy food, cook it and clean up. Some folks get crazy and bring table cloths seat cushions, fancy salads and bread and what not. Choice is up to you. I like to bring a cooler and a hooded sweatshirt in case it gets cool. Maybe some bug spray. In summary: This is truly a unique place that would have zero chance of ever being recreated anywhere in the state due to strict codes for new food establishments. It's FUN. That's all. If you order the right stuff, have the right frame of mind, not in a rush and looking to kick back with some friends over a few clams and laughs then this is The Place for you. read more

Every time a visitor comes into town during the summer they want to try out this place. Wood stumps and all, the place can be quite magical especially on a breezy summer evening with local friends coming and going. BYOB and don't forget your bugspray. That's right - I've been eaten alive at times that it's not ear who or what is being served for the evening. The food - is fine. But nothing you couldn't recreate in your own backyard grill with some wood chips. This is not a clam bake guys. Just a giant firepit blaze with your salmon cooking on it. So it's good. But you pay a lot for it. read more

We visited The Place on a beautiful day in May. They had a good crowd, but the wait was minimal. It's a seat yourself kind of place. Since we had a party of 8, it took a few minutes. Once we found a table for our party, we had to wait about 10 minutes before someone came over to acknowledge us. That is where the negative comments end. From that point on, they were extremely attentive. As you can see with the many photos, the food is cooked in the open air outdoors. Their specialty is seafood, but they also did a great job on the steaks and chicken that the group ordered too! Nothing beats the flavor of a steak perfectly cooked on a wood fire! The roasted corn was a great hit. Many of us ordered seconds! Roasted to perfection on the fire, and then dipped in butter. Delicious! The roasted clams were also very popular. The special roasted clams had a drizzle of cocktail sauce added to them. It had a mild spice kick to it. We brought our own drinks and sides. A few people brought table cloths and plastic plates as well as wine and beer. It can easily turn into quite a festive place. Overall I would highly recommend The Place. It's a different kind of experience from your normal seafood restraint. The food was very fresh, well prepared, and served with a smile! Give it a try. read more

The problem is, this place (pun intended) is just not that good and would be super overpriced anywhere let alone across from a Wal Mart in Guilford. We ordered the "famous" clam special which was literally 12 tiny tasteless clams drenched in saccharine bbq sauce; tasteless bluefish cooked in tin foil; bbq chicken that was tasty but ultimately nothing you couldn't make in a microwave; $3/piece corn on the cob. Came to around $60 with sodas and we had to eat a second lunch an hour later. Worst of all it's a very limited menu...I get BYOB or even BYO salad but there were people BYO-ing basically the whole meal. At that point why not just eat at at home? At least there I can sit with a back. PS Didn't order the steak but saw one and it was a really sad looking piece of animal. Super thin, greasy as all hell, looks like your kid tried to make it in an easy bake oven read more

The place is truly one of a kind. It's the perfect summer treat with an enormous grill, grilled corn and veggies, steak and seafood, and amazing pies. The menu is short, but it has all the staples for a good picnic. The fun part is getting creative--not only are they BYOB, you can bring your own sides, starters, desserts...whatever you want. I saw a few tables go all out with practically a full bar! Since it's outdoors you'll definitely want to check the weather before you go. read more

Great place, great food, great concept! As close as you can get to a REALLY GREAT backyard barbecue with an emphasis on fresh, local seafood. Probably the most casual restaurant I've ever been to - as I said to a friend, at one end of the spectrum, you have a "suit and tie" place, and at the other, you have "pants optional". This place is maybe a half-step up from "pants optional", but even that is probably negotiable. It is BYOB, but it's actually more like BYOA (bring your own anything) - any sides you want, and dessert you want, any drinks you want. They accommodate everyone. Loved it, and hope to come back. read more

Unique is the best description for The Place, and it's certainly a favorite for this reason. NYC folks traveling to the cape think it's amazing, but they are not used to BBQ. It's seafood and corn cooked on a fire, not much else to it, so that is what it tastes like. Price is high considering the simple preparation and cheap overhead. read more

This place is nothing special. The shoreline towns of eastern Connecticut are chock-a-block with roadside seafood shacks. The menu here is limited, the location ain't great, and there's no liquor license. read more