Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Whole soft-shell clams, dipped in evaporated milk and corn flour and deep-fried until golden. Invented at Woodman's of Essex on the North Shore in 1916, a New England summer-shack staple in Boston ever since.
Lawrence Chubby Woodman of Essex, Massachusetts dropped soft-shell clams into hot lard on July 3, 1916 on a customer's suggestion. The result became the New England roadside-shack staple. Boston-area fried-clam culture follows the North Shore template: whole-belly clams, not strips; evaporated-milk dip; cornmeal-and-flour breading. Neptune Oyster on Salem Street serves the city version, Pauli's on Salem makes them by the basket, and the summer commute up Route 128 to Woodman's, the Clam Box of Ipswich or J.T. Farnham's remains the regional pilgrimage. Belly-on is the canonical Boston preparation; clam strips are the Howard Johnson's industrial version born in the 1950s.
4 editor picks for Fried clams in Boston, ranked by editorial score. All Boston signature dishes · Fried clams across every city.
Also in: Portland.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street has run the city's defining raw bar in Boston since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, Gulf of Maine lobster roll on a buttered.
OrderThe hot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail.
TipPut your name on the iPad at 16:30, walk to a bar, and return when they text. The 20:00 wait can run 90 minutes.
Pauli's on Salem Street in Boston's North End has rolled lobster rolls and Italian subs since 2014. Best counter-service lobster roll in the city.
OrderHot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail, on a 12-inch bun.
TipOrder the XL roll and split between two. Online order ahead skips the 15-minute counter wait.
Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.
OrderA dozen Wellfleets at the U-shaped bar and a cup of clam chowder.
TipSkip the dining-room tables and sit at the historic raw bar. The bar is the original 1826 plank.
Legal Sea Foods on Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium in Boston, has anchored the chain's flagship since 1968. Kitchen leans seafood.
OrderA cup of clam chowder, the recipe served at five presidential inaugurations.
TipLunch with a harbor-side window is the best seat. The raw bar runs daily until 22:00.
Fried clams makes more sense with someone from Boston explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Sample and learn about iconic Boston dishes as you’re treated to the city’s best spots for Lobster Rolls, New England Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans and Brown Bread ...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Choose a 2-hour express or 3-hour full Boston food tour. Taste clam chowder, arancini, brick oven pizza, cannoli, and more while exploring the North End’s history and ...
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Sample Boston's most iconic seafood dishes on a guided walking tour. Enjoy fresh, local favorites and learn about local history during your adventure.
