Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House — Restaurant in Narragansett

A well-regarded chowder house located on Point Judith, I had high expectations for Iggy's. I have been to most places that sell fried clams and clam chowder along the Rhode Island coast, and while Iggy's has been on my radar for the past couple of years, its specific virtues have always seemed somewhat nebulous, with no one being able to describe to me exactly why they thought this place was any good.

Iggy's format is fast-casual. Street parking wasn't too difficult to manage, but be warned that this is a big, crowded operation that is extremely busy in the summer, so plan to stand around and wait a while if you come during the only times it make sense to visit.

Iggy's white clam chowder was disgusting. There, I said it. The chowder here at Iggy's should instead be deemed "clams and potatoes in thick, phlegmy white gravy" because that's what it was. Too much flour, too little flavor.

At $17 for a pint, the whole-bellied Fried Clams were perhaps a bigger problem than the chowder, as they were handed to me inexplicably stuffed into a styrofoam container and immediately covered with a lid. The resulting steam destroyed them while they sat on a counter as the rest of my food was prepared, making what was once presumably crispy fried clams irredeemably soggy. It was a careless act of thoughtlessness that no place serious about fried clams would ever commit. I should have just taken the $17 I paid for these and instead lit it on fire in front of this place.

Not everything was terrible: the Clam Cakes (aka clam fritters) were on-point here and were generously filled with chunks of clams, their briny juices flavoring the surrounding breading. Rather than being stuffed into a styrofoam container, the clam cakes were provided in a paper bag bearing the Iggy's logo and retained their crispness. The Stuffed Quahog was also alright, having a great buttery texture and flavor and filled with chopped herbs making the stuffing both bright and nuanced.

My visit here left me confused as to why and how a place so inconsistent is so universally praised. Moreover, I was left pining for the old clam shacks of my youth, before these roadside seafood joints became a "fast-casual" concept, when they were truly owned my moms and pops, when pints of clams came in actual pint boxes (with open lids, of course), when you could feed a family of four on fresh seafood at a picnic table for less than the cost of a similar-sized meal at McDonalds. We'll never get back there, but I would have liked Iggy's to have not made that so...

We recently dropped by Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House, and overall, we had a pretty good experience. We decided to go for the classic combo of Spicy Chicken Wings and French Fries, and we were pleasantly surprised.

Now, let's talk about the ambiance. The place wasn't air-conditioned, and they had these old 19th-century fans hanging from the ceiling. It did get a bit warm in there, especially on a hot day, but we appreciated the effort to keep it cool with those fans.

The seating area was okay, nothing too fancy. It seemed like they could use some sprucing up to make it more inviting, but hey, we were there for the food, not the decor.

On the bright side, the bathroom was clean, and that's always a plus in our book.

Okay, let's get to the star of the show - the food! The Spicy Chicken Wings were on point. They had that perfect amount of spice and flavor that left us wanting more. And those French Fries! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, just the way we like 'em.

One thing we loved about Iggy's is that it's an excellent spot for a quick bite. You can grab your food and be on your way to the next sightseeing adventure in no time.

All in all, if you're looking for a fancy, air-conditioned restaurant, this might not be the place for you. But if you want some tasty eats in a laid-back atmosphere and you're willing to overlook the not-so-fancy setup, give Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House a shot. The food makes it all worthwhile, and it's a convenient stop when you're out and about...

Iggys continues to live on nostalgia and less on quality nowadays. The clam cakes have shrunk considerably through the years and this year took the cake. It was the smallest it has ever been and with 36 clamcakes, I may have had 9 clams. That's ridiculous. It's like ordering a cake with no frosting. What's the point. I'd rather pay the extra dollar to have them loaded like they use to be. Please Iggys, come back to me! I'm begging you please! And the service is going so far downhill. It might be easy to hire all high school kids but you have to have a manager there who knows what he's doing. When you order three dozen clam cakes and a half dozen doughboys and you wait an hour... yet you have seen your order sitting on the shelf for 26 minutes... its not right. If you have an easy order like that and it's sitting there you don't have to wait for your number to be called just give the customer their order. No wonder why they were wet like doughy and spongy. And barely warm. Not cool. Let your workers know when the order comes up and it's sitting there for 20 minutes even though there's 20 numbers ahead of you, hand it out to the customer. It becomes almost inedible at that point and at your new price point that's not acceptable. See the pictures to see the new size of what you will be getting even though the price has tripled. ...