This tiny North End eatery serves some of the best seafood in Boston. The chowder trades the usual thickened base for a vibrant, intensely clammy broth. The secret? It’s lightly enriched with milk, cream, and potatoes and accented with a hint of oregano. 63 Salem St., Boston. 617-742-3474; neptuneoyster.com
For a place that branded itself on its meat, Kelly’s does surprisingly well with seafood. We found a sprightly, creamy broth, rich in potatoes; it’s a bit lighter on the clams, but fully aromatic and delicious. Locations in Allston, Danvers, Medford, Natick, Revere (where it all began), and Saugus. 781-233-5700; kellysroastbeef.com
Farmer Bob Brown and his wife, Kathy, have found their true calling in the chowder they serve at this year-round market. It’s a thick, stick-to-your-ribs style, supremely creamy, but fresh and brimming with clams. 210 Maple St., Middleton. 978-774-7110; farmerbrownsfarmstand.com
The oyster crackers are house-made, and the stew is a hearty mixture of quahogs and cherrystones for intense clam flavor. A light hand with the flour keeps the chowder saucy, not gloppy. Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617-424-7425; turnersboston.com
Between the creamy chowder, stuffed with chopped quahogs and accented with sweet onions, and the sunset views over the harbor, this little shingled Martha’s Vineyard shack draws a hungry crowd during peak season. 29 Basin Road, Menemsha. 508-645-9239; thebitemenemsha.com
Served in takeout containers, this chowder puts on no airs. But it has incredible fresh-from-the-sea flavor, a hint of smoke from the bacon, and just the right amount of milk to thicken it without overwhelming it. 45 Barcliff Ave. Extension, Chatham. 508-945-3474; chathampierfishmarket.com
End of the road, end of the earth: Look for mountain views, bluebloods, bluehairs, and swarms of fishing boats. Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard. 207-244-7600; thurstonslobster.com
Don’t miss this one for the atmosphere: open ocean, battered cliffs, foghorns, wind, and crashing waves. 225 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth. 207-799-1677; lobstershacktwolights.com
It’s right on a working wharf, with views out to the Muscle Ridge Islands, the bubbly granite shore, and pointed firs: foggy, soggy, and piratey. 12 Commercial St., Tenants Harbor. 207-372-6782; codend.com
J’s may be the last of Portland’s salty, divey seafood houses. Casco Bay and the urban working waterfront are right outside the door: condos, cruise ships, and bait houses. 5 Portland Pier, Portland. 207-772-4828; jsoyster.com
For 60 years folks have been slinging seafood, fried and steamed, from a little red-and-white shack perched on a hilltop overlooking the tidal Bagaduce River. Watch for eagles fishing in the falls. 145 Franks Flat, Penobscot. 207-326-4729, 207-326-4197
Get Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe A lobster roll is a simple thing: basically, cold lobster meat stuffed into a warm bun. It’s the street food of the rocky Maine coast–a vernacular masterpiece served high and low, at lobster pounds, cookhouses, and seafood shacks, at supermarkets and gas stations, at […]
