The Clam Shack — Restaurant in Kennebunk

I had heard that the Clam Shack had one of the best lobster rolls in Maine, so my friend and I decided to end our trip to Maine by trying it out for ourselves. I saw from other reviews that it gets busy, so it's better to place an order online. Since we had a twenty minute drive to even get there, we placed our order online for $70 worth of food (2 lobster rolls and the steamers) before they even opened, to ensure that we could easily grab our food and eat.

When we got there, we were briskly informed by the two hostesses that we would not be allowed to eat at their tables, even though there were many empty tables at that point; they informed us that the tables were only open to people who ordered in person. We asked them where else we could bring our food to eat it, and they had no advice.

Frustrated that we just drove out of the way and spent $70 to have nowhere to eat, I asked to speak to the manager. He was incredibly dismissive and condescending and informed us that it would be "cheating" for us to use one of their tables, since other customers waited in line for their food. He also questioned me about if I would order takeout from a Chinese restaurant and then expect to sit there. (For the record, I don't know any Chinese takeout restaurant that wouldn't allow their customers to sit inside, if they had the room). He then informed us that it said clearly on the website that we wouldn't be allowed to sit there, and I didn't pay enough attention. (I did go back and check, and while it does say it at the top of the page, it's easy to gloss over it.) We asked where else we could eat, and he didn't have an answer.

Now I could understand if this was some fancy dine-in restaurant that you wouldn't allow customers to order food to go and then take up your tables. But that is not the case here. As the name implies, this is a shack. It is takeout only - whether you order it there or order it online. I had no idea that by ordering our expensive lunch online instead of in-person somehow we were any less of customers or that we were cheating the real customers by expecting a place to eat our food. We also went to The Lobster Shack at Cape Elizabeth earlier in our trip, and I saw people who ordered online being allowed to sit and eat their food like normal customers.

Oh, and for the record - the expensive meal that we weren't allowed to eat there wasn't even packaged in a way that would have traveled well. Rather than sturdy plastic or cardboard containers with lids, the lobster rolls were set in a lidless cardboard box inside a paper bag, and the clams were in a cardboard bowl with another cardboard bowl on top, also in a paper bag.

Thankfully we were able to find seating at another establishment in town, where the worker allowed us to order drinks and use their tables. For what it's worth, the lobster rolls were actually very good (the steamers were just ok). Unfortunately, the manager had already left such a bad taste in our mouths, that's what I'll remember...

Go elsewhere!

We were excited to try The Clam Shack while eating our way through the best lobster rolls in New England. We arrived on Sunday around 12:30 and were not surprised to find a long line. There were also large signs encouraging online ordering. Unsure if there was a difference between waiting in the line vs ordering online, we figured we’d try the latter. Bad choice.

Our order was “due” an hour after we placed it. We arrived at the appointed time only to have to wait around another half hour. But this is where things went from bad to worse.

Next to the waiting area there was a bunch of empty benches (see picture,) so I sat at one. Only to be told moments later that because I ordered online (as the signs directed) I wasn’t allowed to use the bench! The benches sat empty for the next half hour while I stood waiting for my food to be delivered. Then once I finally got my food I again asked if I could sit to eat it and was told no!

On top of that ridiculousness, the food certainly wasn’t worth the wait. The freezer fries were delivered cold. The lobster roll bun was previously grilled, but also delivered cold and chewy. Which matched the chewiness of the lobster tail meat. The mayo and butter combo was indeed nice, but certainly not worth all the above.

Overall I say save yourself the unpleasantries of a visit here and go elsewhere. And whatever you do don’t order online and expect to get to use those...

Of the six lobster rolls I ate on a recent trip, this one was the best. Full stop. It’s a non-traditional bun, more a hamburger style than a hotdog split top, but I really liked this because it allows for larger pieces of lobster, and you can take off one of the buns and eat less bread. You can get the lobster with mayo, butter or both, and being a fatty, I did both. And it was glorious. The freshly squeezed lemonade is made to order with real sugar and really hits the spot on a hot day. Pro tip: go inside to the bar and order a lemonade to sip on while you are in line.

Yes, the line can be long but it’s totally worth it. All of the fried clams and whatnot are cooked to order, which I watched while waiting for my food. The staff are incredibly friendly and prices are what I would expect for a touristy season. Hating myself for not capturing photos but I was too hungry after waiting an hour for both the line and for food. If it’s busy, seating can be a real challenge so it may be better to split off yore group and try to find seating while others are in-line.

6 out of 5 for the food...