Westfair Fish & Chips

Westfair Fish & Chips is an unlikely eatery set back from Route One in the Gold Coast community of Westport. Operating in the good old-fashioned eat-in-the-rough manner, it is little more than a kitchen with an order window and a few tables scattered about to which customers tote their own food on cardboard plates. For good weather dining, a few picnic tables appear outside.

One prominent feature of the interior is a lobster tank; and many customers come here to buy them whole for cooking at home. Hot lobster rolls are abundant, their meat so sweet that you hardly want any butter. But we usually go for the fried stuff, which is Westfair’s forte. Whole clams sport crusty golden cases; shrimp are snapping fresh inside their crunch.

The fry kettle also yields clam strips, sole, scallops, oysters, and squid … accompanied, of course, by French fries (or baked potato or onion rings). Most fish also are available broiled; and the menu includes linguine with clam sauce and baked stuffed shrimp. Whatever fish you get, do avail yourself of Westfair tartar sauce. It is bright with lemony zest — a great companion for seafood.

In addition to lobster bisque and seafood bisque, three kinds of chowder are available: New England, Manhattan, and Rhode Island.

Westfair advises customers in a hurry to call ahead and place their order so it’s ready when they arrive. Otherwise, there’s a wait while it is prepared from scratch.