Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere
Bob’s Clam Hut
Review by: Michael Stern
At Bob’s Clam Hut, the aroma in the parking lot and at the outdoor picnic tables to the side of the sprawling clamatorium is car-culture bliss: hot oil bubbling in fry kettles that yield gorgeous tan whole-belly clams, pillowy scallops, buff shrimp, snowy-fleshed fish and chips, and some of the crustiest onion rings anywhere along the shore.
Ambience at Bob’s isn’t what you’d call idyllic. The road is noisy, and directly across it is a cluster of factory outlet stores, but it doesn’t really matter because the food makes up for any lack of ambiance. One might argue that this is a truly authentic Maine setting, considering that outlet stores are as typical of the state’s lower coast as lobster piers.
Be ready with your order
The method of ordering and getting food at Bob’s is the traditional Yankee clam hut ritual. Read the posted menu then place your order and pay in advance. If it is summer and you are outside in the bright sun, you will not see anything in the darkened interior, including the person taking your order, and it is all done so fast your eyes don’t adjust. No matter. The order-taker hands you a number, then you dawdle outside around the pick-up window (different from the order window) until your number is called over a loud speaker. Dine either from the dashboard of your car, indoors at utilitarian tables and counter, or at one of Bob’s blue-checked picnic tables.
What should I eat at Bob’s Clam Hut?
Seafood rolls are showpieces at Bob’s, most of them featuring one of the hot fried foods heaped into a top-sliced bun and served with pale twiggy French fries, secret recipe tartar sauce, and a couple of pickle slices on a porous paperboard plate. The fried fare is good, but this also is a fine place for a lobster roll, hot or cold. The bun is nice and warm — buttered and grilled until toasty golden brown on both sides; the lobster meat inside is either faintly warm or faintly chilled, depending on how you order it. There is plenty of meat, the cold lobster roll bound with just enough mayonnaise, the hot one gilded with melted butter.
This made it’s way onto our 14 Best Lobster Rolls in New England list! Check out the article.
Directions & Hours
11am - 8pm
- Monday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | No |
| Outdoor Seating | Yes |
What To Eat
Bob’s Clam Hut Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Bob’s Clam Hut?
One Response to “Bob’s Clam Hut”
Ed Luban
June 28th, 2021
Bob’s has been one of my favorites for years. I’ve always considered their fried clams up there in the pantheon with the Clam Box. But I found my visit there last week mildly disappointing. The fried clam basket seemed to be a smaller portion than in the past. The clams themselves were solid, but they lacked the sharpness of flavor (bite?) I’d come to expect. I know Bob’s changed ownership last year and wonder if that has something to do with it. My cousin, who’s local and eats there frequently, said something similar about the lobster roll. If our experience was typical, that’s a real shame.
On the other hand, the clams at Fisherman’s Catch in Wells were excellent, as they have been for years. I recommend you check it out.