Little Clam — Restaurant in Newport

Strap in, because this is a journey. We tried Little Clam last Saturday for brunch, me, my husband, our baby, and two friends. We left thinking cute decor, tasty food (why we returned), but the server? Awkward, unhelpful, slightly annoyed we existed. The place was eerily silent with no music. I asked if she could turn some on. Her response, “Uh, I’ll check.” It came on later, so faint it sounded like a ghost humming in the vents.

Still, we returned this Saturday. Big mistake. This was, without exaggeration, the worst service experience of our lives. And I worked in restaurants for a decade coast to coast. This was next-level bad, so bad it became comical, then tragic. Every table around us was suffering together like brunch hostages.

The Highlights (or Lowlights): -We’re greeted by the same server. Ask for a table for two adults and a baby with a high chair. She leads us to an elevated booth. Obviously, a high chair won’t reach. I point that out, suggest a three-top literally set and ready to go. She says, “It’s not set up yet” though it clearly was and vanishes. We seat ourselves. -She eventually sets another table without telling us. My husband tracks her down across the restaurant and we move. -I ask for water for my baby. She says, “I can’t, I don’t have any vase things.” (I think she meant carafes?) No water for my baby. -Seven minutes later, still no menus. When she realizes this, she just wanders the bar for a full minute before grabbing them. Still no water, no drink order. -I order a fruit salad for the baby, coffee, and a bacon vodka Bloody Mary (delicious last time). -Next table asks for water. Server says they’re out of vases and glasses. Walks away. The couple stares at each other in disbelief. -My husband goes to the hotel lobby and fills our own water glasses from a fountain. -She sprays down a new guest’s table while the woman is sitting at it. -I order steak and eggs: “Steak rare, eggs over medium.” She repeats, “Okay, medium steak, how for the eggs?” No. I repeat slowly and clearly. “Rare steak. Medium eggs.” She nods. -Brings husband coffee, no milk, doesn’t offer. -Bloody Mary arrives thick as soup, tastes like tomato paste, zero vodka, zero bacon. -Neighboring table begs for water again. No dice. -A four-top near us has been seated forever, still hadn’t ordered food. -A busser mercifully brings us a carafe of water within a minute when I ask. -I bring my Bloody soup to the bar, another staffer remakes it properly. Finally, a win. -Food arrives after tables that ordered after us. It’s actually delicious, credit where due. Husband asks (via the busser again) for a cappuccino because his coffee tastes awful. -Our server? Fully vanished. Just laps the restaurant like she’s avoiding eye contact with reality. -She drops a tray of glasses behind the bar and disappears again. We finish eating. No cappuccino. No apology. Nothing. -I look at my husband and say, “She’s going to hurt someone someday. She’d forget a food allergy.” (Spoiler: someone posted that exact horror story yesterday, served chili peppers with a capsaicin allergy. I can only assume it was her.) -Bill arrives. Cappuccino we never got? Charged. Husband points it out and asks to remove the cold coffee too. She just nods. No sorry, no acknowledgment, just wanting us to stop bothering her.

This wasn’t inexperience; it was active chaos. Every single interaction was a “no” or an excuse. No communication, no urgency, no situational awareness. She wasn’t mean, just brazenly unhelpful. Every table around us kept making eye contact like, “Is this real life?”By the end, the vibe had shifted from bad brunch to social experiment in customer endurance. And the thing is the food really is good! The decor? Adorable. Booths comfy. But the ambiance? Nonexistent. Music from another era and service from another dimension. In conclusion, until there’s a complete service exorcism, we’re out. See you when the service isn’t a psychological...

While staying at the WayFinder hotel, we were happy to be able to try this gem of a restaurant just 1 month after they opened!

We came here for Breakfast and Dinner (the night before). Here are the items we ordered (as of 7/2025) starting from breakfast items:

Avocado Toast -$14 - Good flavor and a large amount of avocados. If you like avocado toast then definitely give this one a go.

Pancakes - $14 - I would pass on this one. It seems to be cornbread based and while it was fluffy and tender, I'd prefer the texture of a more typical pancake. Also since you get only 1 pancake, the value isn't there.

Farmhouse Special ($12 plus $4 for a side of sausage). Hashbrowns and sausage were delicious (big props to the sausage!). Eggs were cooked as requested. The jam also paired nicely with the brioche toast.

Dinner items below:

Baby Back Rib Special - $19 - Tender ribs and the gochujang sauce paired quite well with this dish. Decent quantity.

Salt and Pepper Squid - $17 - Extremely fresh and a must have if you like calamari! This was a favorite.

Beef Tartare - $21 - This was a delicious dish. The bone marrow it comes with is fatty with great beefy flavor and pairs well with the beef tartare and toast points it comes with.

Oyster Po'Boy - $17 - Great oysters but we were surprised it came as 3 sliders. Quantity was okay.

Overall for a hotel restaurant this place was great. Unfortunately we weren't able to return to try their burgers which we were told was...

We were forced to eat here because the hotel gives you a $15 daily credit and if you don’t use it you lose it.

My fiance and I decided to eat here our first morning. As we waiting near the front for the host, multiple waiters passed by us however non acknowledged our presence for about 5 minutes. Keep in mind there were probably 5 other families eating in this spacious restaurant with more open tables then full. After over 5 minutes of the hosts talking amongst each other not even coming to seat us, we decided to just sit down my fiance even grabbed menus from the front because no one wanted to sit us.

After over 12 minutes of us sitting and trying to wave down a waiter, no one looked at us or tried to take our orders. No one new had come in so the restaurant was still pretty empty with multiple waiters.

After that horrible experience we left and decided not to eat there. I have never experienced such poor customer service. Would not recommend to anyone...