Excellent | Worth a Detour
Champlin’s Seafood Deck
Review by: Michael Stern
On the channel at the entrance to Galilee Harbor, where the ferry leaves for Block Island and where Rhode Island’s largest fishing fleet is berthed, Champlin’s is a place for in-the-rough seafood lovers. Everything is served on disposable plates and customers carry their own food from the kitchen window to bare-topped tables, many of which are perched on a deck overlooking the boats.
The menu is southern-shores Yankee: a few burgers and sandwiches, whole lobsters, steamers, raw clams, and a long roster of fried things. While the fried clams are good, we were far more impressed by the fried flounder, a broad filet of sweet, moist meat encased in an elegant crust. The flounder is available by the piece or as half of a fish and chips plate with good French fries. Boiled red potatoes are a terrific option; they are cream-textured with an earthy spud flavor.
One strange thing about Champlin’s is the kitchen’s apparent aversion to garlic. There seems to be none in the snail salad, that Rhode Island specialty that is customarily radiant with a garlic halo, nor in the linguine with white clam sauce which, while quite respectable, was ultimately bland.
Note: The days Champlin’s restaurant is open vary with the season. The retail fish market is open seven days a week.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | Summer, Fall, Spring |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | Yes |
What To Eat
Champlin’s Seafood Deck Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Champlin’s Seafood Deck?
One Response to “Champlin’s Seafood Deck”
Sally Lerman
July 17th, 2012
This might have been my favorite lobster roll during a weekend in Narragansett. It’s a tough call between this one and and the one from Jim’s Dock, but Jim’s had price and parking issues, so. Come to think of it, I did get dropped off here, so maybe they have the same parking issues.
It’s a very hearty lobster roll, full of bite-sized hunks of tail and claw, minimal spongies. The meat has the fresh, briny flavor of the sea with just enough mayo to hold it all together without overwhelming the flavor. The bread seems bakery, not grocery white bread, always a big winner in my book. The bread was very buttery, grilled and warm so that it matched the cold lobster with a nice, but not too much, crunch. Superfluous lettuce included, but I got rid of that.
The venue’s not bad either. It’s just what you think of for a fisherman-fresh, dockside seafood joint. There’s an outdoor dining deck that looks like it could be hopping on a weekend. There’s a bar for beverage purchases and seats at the bar where you can enjoy your lobster and drink. This sounds kind of funny to say, but you don’t find many eat-in bars with booze in the lobster shack world. If you’ve never tried Narragansett Summer Ale, do so; it’s great.