Reviews
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A spot my wife and I have been talking about going to for several years. We're glad we did as not only was the food good our server was fantastic.... read more Last night they were short handed but you couldn't tell on the food delivery and preparation.
I had clam chowder and a lobster roll. My wife had the fried haddock. She commented on how flaky the fish was, tasty batter (very clean oil) and our fries were nice and crispy.
We're definitely headed back given how challenging the food industry is now a days with finding staff. The experience we had really stood out.HappyVacationMan
September 12, 2022I have been going to the Village Restaurant since the mid 1960's and it was my father's favorite restaurant before then. I make a trip every year or two just... read more to go to the restaurant (I live in New York State). I love the whole clams and the Baked Indian Pudding is the perfect dessert after a nice seafood meal. They seafood is fresh and the menu has a lot of choices. This isn't so much a restaurant as a family tradition. The service is always very good. Depending on the time of year and the day, it can be very busy so plan ahead!
rockman1960
August 10, 2022Outstanding whole fried clam plate. Been going here for over 40 years. Always delicious. Not to be missed. And service matches the food. Lots of choices.
166lynetteg
June 14, 2022Stopped for lunch after 3 days in York Maine and had the sweetest whole belly clams.
Their flavor and batter beat all the Maine clams we had.....
Onion rings... read more are fantastic....rgc1515
May 20, 2022 -
Wonderful restaurant. We enjoyed filet mignon, seafood casserole, sausage cacciatore and chicken parm. We topped off dinner with Indian pudding for dessert! Fabulous server, cozy ambiance and will go back... read more again and again. Looking forward to eating outside in warmer weather.
BTK1127
March 24, 2022We've been here a few times and have always been pleased with the friendly, attentive service, delicious food, and reasonable prices. Last time we ate outside (cognizant of the Delta... read more variant spike) and found it pleasant and relaxing.
janievoyageur
September 28, 2021We had another super meal. Everything was great from start to finish!
We had a very tasty shrimp cocktail
My husband order the baked trio which had haddock,shrimp &scallops... read more which was delicious!
I had beef tips with baked potatoe & pureed squash....yummy
Our waiter was warm,friendly and very attentive
which is why we come back year after year on vacation!dj2182
July 28, 2021We got our reservations mixed up and were very late. They were understanding and sat
Us before they closed. We did not feel rushed even though they were closing. Thank... read more you!Travel-brilliant
July 11, 2021 -
me and my grandparents come here a lot (Usually every weekend before covid)and we are always happy. We have not visited that much since covid but we probably will come... read more back here.The clams here are the best around same with the haddock,Chowder and scallops.The service here is always friendly and they never mess up. everyone should try thus restaurant as it is my favorite one. Great job Village! The best of the best.
Colinthe0w1
June 30, 2021Stopped at our favorite place for their homemade onion rings and large fried clam platter. All with tax under $40.
Don't go any where else.
WE WILL RETURN!!rgc1515
March 22, 2021I ordered the “Romantic” for my husband and I for New Years Eve dinner to go. We just finished and I have to say it was absolutely delicious. The baked... read more stuffed lobster was packed with lobster meat. The sides were delicious and cooked perfect. The price was right. We don’t have room for the chocolate lava cake!We will be ordering food from them going forward. I’m hoping this is the beginning of a great 2021 year once we have moved beyond COVID. Thank you to the Village! Our meal was great!
832ronaldd
December 31, 2020Excellent clam chowder! It’s not thick, heavy (which hubby & i don’t like) but a very tasty stock with plenty of clams and a good balance of potatoes. Cornbread was... read more moist and very tasty. And to top off our lunches we ordered the Key Lime pie. Nice way to end a very good culinary experience. Our server Sammy was friendly & attentive. We’re visiting the area & would highly recommend.
delosestadosunidos
August 6, 2020 -
The food is great here this is our first time going under the new owner and it is just as good as it ever was. the service is great the... read more price is right and you get plenty of food.
Joe V
February 12, 2020Tis half a decade since our last visit. On a quiet Sunday evening we were graciously seated. There are new owners but the Village feels the same.
Server Rita, a... read more prodigiously talented individual, appeared promptly. Orders were taken and then comes the freshest bread and beverages. Two fine soups (French Onion and Clam Chowder) were next, top notch. The mains were Eastern Point Combination seafood, Broiled Scallops,and Haddock Piccata. All were flawlessly prepared, the kitchen still knows how to prepare exceptional meals.
The Village remains a leader. Wonderful!Zeno H
February 5, 2020I would like to say this is our favorite restaurant.The clams are spectacular and the baked haddock and scallops.Like the shrimp and lobster are awesome.The service is excellent This place... read more has a good atmosphere .It makes you feel at home.This restaurant is also spotless.
colichartier
December 31, 2019Great place to eat.. outside patio or about 5 different dinning rooms inside...
We ate sm order onion rings, Fried calamari, and lunch portion of fried clams with fries and... read more cole slaw. All for $36.38 including tax. No tip.... we always leave cash.
Pattti our waitress is a veteran server and earned our 25% tip.
WE WILL RETURN.....rgc1515
July 20, 2019 -
Our group enjoyed the Prime French Dip, Street Tacos, Fish Tacos and Chicken. Service was quick and efficient, food was very good.
DeeinTN
July 16, 2019We were a group who came to Essex in order to board a boat for touring the Essex River. The parking lot was large enough to accommodate our tour bus.... read more Most of the group ordered the sea food but I was in the mood for their Angus burger. It was so large that I had to pack up half of it to take home. The tomatoes and other vegetable on the burger were very fresh. I do not usually eat rolls with a burger but I could not resist the hot rolls they brought to the table. There was an unusual pattern of service. It was the first time that I ever experience a restaurant where the servers will bring you any item you want regardless of whether they were your assigned server or not. I never heard anyone say "I will get your server." I loved the fact that our waitress, Erin, kept an eye on our coffee cups and would bring the pot for quick refills. I watched Ciara Mallon, the Manager, as she coordinated the flow of customers and assignment of servers. It is a great restaurant for large groups.
Georgette M
July 6, 2019The salmon here is to die for. I love the glaze and always request a little extra on the side. Haddock is delicious also. Wish they had the haddock and... read more fried shrimp special on Saturday. Have been coming here for 40 years or more. Food is excellent. Glad new owners didn't change anything.
Patricia R
June 20, 2019I’ve been going to the Village for over 40 years and I’m never disappointed. Great menu and service. Today delicious fried clams plate. It was a beautiful day so I... read more enjoyed the clams on the patio.
166lynetteg
June 16, 2019
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Great seafood favorite place.
Paul Mahoney
February 17, 2022Always great food and service.
Are go to place for seafood, I did surf and turf this time and the steak was great.barry taylor
December 24, 2021Fun leisurely lunch with great food and friendly service!
Nancy Nemiccola
January 24, 2022Best seafood by far . The food was fast and our waitress Stevie was excellent! Very upbeat and friendly! Atmosphere needs updating. We Most definitely will be returning soon
Kathy Dorris
December 24, 2021
FEATURED ON NECN’S “WICKED BITES”
“When you come to the Village Restaurant in Essex expect this: unbelievable fried clams. The best fried clams in the world!”
VILLAGE RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Restaurants come and go. Some get good reviews for a while. A few get rave reviews from top publications. Very rarely does any restaurant consistently get stellar reviews and awards from top food writers for nearly sixty years. The Village Restaurant is one of those rare gems.
Let’s focus on 21st Century reviews. They start off with acclaimed food writer, Mark Bittman saying, “My favorite is Essex’s Village Restaurant … There is something special about the clams here … No clam lover should pass through Cape Ann without sampling a plateful of the best soft-shells in the universe.”I
In July 2018, Expedia’s CarRentals.com article “10 towns that will take you summer to the next level,” featured Essex, MA praising its “superb” beaches, noting its rich shipbuilding history, and lauding its strong shellfish industry. The author also made reference to the claim that the fried clam was invented right here and recommended one restaurant as a ‘must eat’ – The Village, of course! We are honored. (See full article here.)
In August, 2012, Frederick Kalil wrote a series for Tufts on fried clams from Boston’s North Shore. He visited The Village precisely because of Mark Bittman’s 2000 review in Saveur Magazine and reported, “The locally harvested clams lived up to their daunting reputation: fresh tasting, meltingly tender treasures that appeared to have been individually prepared … the fried clam equivalent of fine dining.” (See full article here.)
The Summer 2013 issue of Cape Ann Magazine proclaims the Village is “Where the clammers go for clams.” Wicked Local’s 2013 Following the Seafood Trail says about the Village, “The fried clams here are the best I have ever tasted …”
When Toronto’s The Globe and Mail set out to find “the best clam place in Essex”, their choice was definitive, calling The Village clams “the best of the lot … If there is a golden-standard for fried clams, the Village’s fare is it.”See full article here.
And that’s just the clams. Here’s what The Phantom Gourmet’s Guide to Boston’s Best Restaurants says: “At Village Restaurant, the bronzed Essex clams practically take flight with a light airy batter and flawless sea flavor. Contrary to most fried seafood legends, this Cape Ann eatery is sit-down with full service and real silverware. There’s lots of local history displayed on the walls … The fresh catches come in generous portions and the house desserts are divine.”
Gourmet Magazine says simply, “We recommend the Village in Essex.”
Coco McCabe and Doug Stewart of The Boston Globe say, “In this Village, fresh seafood is the real thing.” (See full article here.)
“Village Restaurant is obviously dedicated to the craft. Their food is simple, uncomplicated by too much fanfare and everything is made in house with love. It is definitely worth a stop for true New England fare.” A Boston Food Diary July 2013
Epicurious put The Village in their list of America’s Top 10 Small-Town Cafés.
Roadfood says, “The Village Is Where We Go . . . Truly Where the Locals Eat.” James Beard Award-winning food journalists Jane and Michael Stern included The Village in their acclaimed book 500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late: and the Very Best Places to Eat Them.
The Village has won numerous Reader’s Choice awards in a number of local publications, including Cape Ann’s Best Seafood Restaurant.
But don’t take their word for it, check out The Village for yourself — a convenient location with plenty of free parking. Less than 4 miles from Route 128 and a pleasant 45 minutes drive up the coast from Boston (get directions), we’re in the heart of historic Essex, MA — filled with antique shops — where over 4,000 schooners were built.
Reservations are always accepted for parties of 6 or larger, Call us at 978-768-6400 and we’ll be happy to help you.