The Clam Shack

The lobster roll was fantastic. Especially paired with a Shipyard Summer Ale! Stopped by after being recommended by a friend while on our way back to New Jersey

Came here because apparently it won some sort of NYC food war with its lobster roll. All I’ve got to say is, then Bite Into Maine, Red’s and Eventide weren’t part of the competition. There’s no way this lobster roll beats any of those. The bread to lobster ratio favors the bread. It’s kind of dry — don’t be so stingy with the butter, folks!
It was good, but not amazing.
The clams were exceptional, so that I get. Not just strips, but whole bellies. Definitely adds to the flavor (why it got 4 stars instead of 3). Get that when you go here!
Some friends of mine highly recommended Kennebunk, cause it’s a cute and old-​fashioned seaside town, but it was stupid crowded on a damn Tuesday afternoon. LOTS of tourists and strollers with no concept of personal space. Definitely could’ve just appreciated this place from the postcards, as there are better lobster rolls elsewhere in Maine. Won’t be back. xoxo

Always a great place go get fried whole belly clams, they are a little pricey but well worth it, I always get a pint ! Crooks like a tourist stop but even locals eat here. Gotta make a stop here

One of the best lobster rolls* that I have ever had (*it’s less a roll and more of a sandwich).
Perfect bun, perfectly cooked, tender lobster meat (tail and claw, if I remember correctly). I had it topped with mayo and melted butter. It was so simple, but sometimes simplest recipes are best – especially when the local lobster meat itself is so sweet and flavorful to begin with.
I’d come back here in a heartbeat, no question.

We visited my in laws for the holidays and took out some delicious sea food, this is an expensive place due to the location and tourists but quality is top. We had a few beers while waiting and the lobster rolls, clams and fish burgers, all wonderful. Expect to pay a high price but you will not be disappointed with your food.

We were told this place had the best lobster rolls in town and I have to admit, they were pretty darn tasty! We went there last night and per recommendation we ordered our lobster rolls with both butter and mayo and this was a winning combination! My 4 yr old son thought his cheese dog was ‘amazing’ and we all loved the onion rings which were hand cut and fried in a thin crispy batter. But back to the lobster rolls… The lobster was tender and perfectly cooked and our sandwiches were filled with large pieces of claw and tail meat. Next door we grabbed a couple of draft beers and then enjoyed our dinners from one of the high top tables as we watched the sun going down. Win win!

Full disclosure: this review will be harsh, as I’ve tried a variety of lobster rolls in Maine. For this reason, I had very high expectations for the Clam Shack, since after all their lobster roll has won many awards. But, meh… I did not understand the hype. The lobster roll was served on a hamburger bun, which was advertised to contain one pound of meat. It did not feel like one pound of meet. I opted for the butter version, instead of the traditional mayo. Oh man, it was so dry. The clam chowder was too watery, and the clam cake was essentially fried batter. Only the steamers met expectations, but hey, you can’t really mess up boiling steamers.
Anyway, it was very overpriced and definitely a tourist trap. Do yourself a favor and venture out of Kennebunkport for a better lobster roll.

Top notch lobster rolls and clam chowder. This place lives up to the hype! It’s pricey but that’s what you should expect with good lobsta

Stopped here for a late lunch-​my first time in Maine and my first real Maine lobster roll. It was hands down the best I have ever had. It is off season so we had no line whatsoever. It’s probably the best time to come! We also ordered calamari and onion rings. They were good too-​but we probably didn’t need to order them.

My husband and I came to Kennebunkport basically to overindulge in lobster (we’re from Philadelphia). The Clam Shack was the first place in town we ate at and it was delicious! We both had lobster rolls with butter & split an order of fries and fried clam strips. Thumbs up all around!

Best fried clams strips in Maine. Period. Worth the few extra bucks that you might pay on a boardwalk, but considering the area, I’m not complaining one bit. Grab a seat on a bench, and enjoy your clams as you people watch

Don’t let the line deter you, because it is totally worth it! The Clam Shack is a little hut located at the bridge near the Kennebunk and Kennebunkport town line. All I have to say is that the clam strips here are amazing. They have the perfect coating of batter and are fried to a perfect crisp. They are meaty and so incredibly tasty! They do not make their own tartar sauce and give you containers of Ken’s, but it still tastes incredible. There are picnic tables overlooking the harbor area and it is a great spot for a very casual lunch. The Clam Shack is a must for anyone visiting Kennebunk/​Kennebunkport area.

Pretty disappointed. Ordered onion rings and got a side of onions? Seriously a plastic container of diced onions. Ordered the lobster roll, butter no mayo, and it was cold on a hamburger roll. Have had 7 lobster rolls in the last week and would rank this one rock bottom. It was lobster, but not from a 1 lb as described on menu.
I usually don’t have to leave negative reviews, because I Unilocal,so extra disappointed.

At first, reading the negative reviews I was worried that this place wouldn’t be worth it. We had the Lobster roll, fried haddock sandwich and onion rings. This is the 5^th lobster roll in 3 days. They put the claws, body and the tail in this roll so you get the best of all sides of the lobster. The fried haddock in my sandwich was really good! Although it was hard to eat it as a sandwich. So I ate the fish like a fish and chip instead. The onion rings were good too.
This place is worth it!

It’s tough to find where in Kennebunkport has the best Maine lobster roll, but I would argue that this is it! The lobster roll is packed with meat, it’s literally like ordering a whole lobster, with out the aggravation of getting to the meat. There’s also a cute lemonade stand, and while you’re waiting in line you can enjoy a fresh squeezed lemonade. Being that it is called the clam shack, I had to try their clam strips and I was so glad I did. The clam strips were gigantic and lightly battered. All in all it was a great experience and I will definitely be back again!

I was shocked at how much our meal came out to after just ordered onion rings, the smallest serving of fried clams, and a lobster roll. I know I don’t really like fried clams, but I figured I should try them since they’re supposed to be good here. I spent $ 20 on clams to confirm my dislike of fried clams. The lobster roll had tasty bread, but the serving of lobster was so-​so compared to other places up the coast (Red’s Eats). The onion rings were pretty good and had a nice light batter. If you’re dying for a lobster roll, this is a decent stop, but if you can hold out for places farther up the coast, then please do.

Best lobster roll. If you are in Kennebunkport you must stop here !
Such a delicious ocean flavor with the sweet lobster.
If it’s not too crowded I would recommend sitting by the dock and looking at the ducks

The Clam Shack was the first Lobster Roll of the trip, so needless to say I was excited. This little hut/​shack/​eatery if you will, is located right before the bridge right in the middle of the Kennebunkport town. Albeit small, you can’t miss it since there’s probably a huge line of customers at any given point in the day. You’re probably thinking, Clam Shack? Why would I order the lobster roll? (Yes, Ben. If you read this, I hope you’re laughing.) Well, according to a very large sign… they were the #1 lobster roll in the town, three years running. Seems legit!
Parking in the town itself is quite the struggle being that most of their public parking spots are 1 hour or less. OR you have to pay per hour. So cross your fingers that line isn’t too long! It went fairly quick thankfully. The menu is just a few items. But in my mind that means these items are pretty damn good. I’d rather have quality over quantity when it comes to seafood. We ordered our food, waited for our names to be called and sat in the eating area (casual picnic tables and lobster traps as decorations haha).
A summary of what we ordered:
–Fried Haddock Sandwich: Pretty good. Definitely need more fish to bread in the ratio. But it very tasty.
–Clam Chowder: TBH, the best item of our order. The chowder was reallyyyy flavorful and had tons of clam chunks in it. Best chowder I had all trip, seriously.
–Lobstah Roll: I mean, on the lobster roll spectrum it wasn’t bad but wasn’t superb. I am all about being a purist, but this roll could have used some flavor like old bay or something. And $ 18 for 1lb of lobster on a burger bun. But all in all it was a nice fresh component to my meal and I ate the entire thing. Obvs.
Although people recommend the lobster roll here, stick to the name and go for the CLAMS. It’s The Clam Shack after all!

The Clam Shack has a good lobster roll but not a great lobster roll. We ordered a couple of lobster rolls and split a clam «burger».
The lobster was a little over cooked resulting in tougher meat. In fact of all the lobster rolls I’ve eaten on this trip this had the most chewy lobster. Aside from that the lobster roll had a good flavor. The buns were buttered and lightly grilled and the tools were without filler and very little mayo used as a binder.
I could have done without the clam burger. I wish we had tried a fish sandwich instead. I love clams but I feel there was to much filler and the clam flavor was lost.
Reading the reviews and seeing them on tv made going to the clam shack a must stop on our itinerary. I’m glad we stopped as they had a good lobster roll and picnic benches with a view of a serene lake across the street. In front of some benches with lobster traps covered with plexiglass to use as a table.
While I only have the clam shack 3 stars I’d still recommend their lobster roll to someone in the neighborhood craving a roll. They are a couple of dollars higher than some of the other places we tried but if you’re in the neighborhood try them out and see what you think of their lobster roll.

Heard about Maine’s lobster roll, and decided to try this. It’s pretty good! Lobster is fresh, and you get 1lb of lobster (that’s what0 the menu claims) for ~$ 18 (after tax)
They give you the option to add either mayo, butter or both to your lobster (I love both, so I added both! :D)
But I think it’s pretty pricey, for you only get like a bun and the lobster itself. Maybe I’m someone who is a cheapskate, but probably this could be cheaper? (hence the 4 stars)
And good thing is, nearby they sell lemonade for $ 3, and they have this little picnicking area for you to have your food.
Parking might be a little problem, but I was able to find parking and I came in at around 11.30am on a Saturday.